Technology

Presidential Candidates Use Social Media To Repackage Campaign Moments

7:45pm September 14, 2015

by Scott Detrow

When Republican candidates take the debate stage later this week, their social media teams will also be tweeting up a storm. NPR looks at social media on the trail.

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National

'Dancing Baby' Wins Copyright Case

7:41pm September 14, 2015

by Laura Wagner

In Lenz v. Universal, about a YouTube video of a baby dancing to a Prince song, judges ruled that copyright holders must weigh whether use of material is fair use before issuing a warning.

A Buddhist monk takes a photo on his phone at Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.

Smartphones Bring Happiness And Headaches To Myanmar

5:48pm September 14, 2015

by Lauren Leatherby

There were half a million mobile subscribers five years ago. Now there are 22 million. And so the Burmese are getting a course in the pluses and minuses of technology.

A screenshot of Nintendo's video commemorating Super Mario's the 30th anniversary.

Nintendo's Super Mario Turns 30

1:24pm September 14, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

The game's concept and graphics were simple. The gameplay was habit-forming. And Nintendo's mustachioed, overalls-wearing plumber Mario became a global icon.

Books
Arts

In 'Gamelife,' A Portrait Of The Writer As A Young Role-Player

11:21am September 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

Michael W. Clune spent much of his childhood alone — just him and his 8-bit computer. But, as he writes in his new memoir, playing text adventures and role-playing games helped prepare him for life.

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"Oh, look! There's a donkey in my living room!!!" was the photographer's Instagram caption.

The Powerful Photos That Rocked Getty Images' First Instagram Grant

10:11am September 14, 2015

by Malaka Gharib

For many photojournalists, Instagram has become a "modern-day Polaroid camera" used to take quick snapshots of important issues — and visual media giants have taken notice.

"[Phones are] really a magic portal that allows you to go into another dimension of space and time." — Amber Case

Science
Arts

Are Our Devices Turning Us Into A New Kind Of Human?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Anthropologist Amber Case says our technology is changing us into cyborgs. She argues we have become a screen-staring, button-clicking new version of Homo sapiens.

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"What if our devices could sense how we felt and reacted accordingly, just the way an emotionally intelligent friend would?" — Rana el Kaliouby

Science
Arts

Will Our Screens Soon Be Able To Read Our Emotions?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Despite their powerful computing capability, our screens have no way of knowing how we feel. Computer scientist Rana el Kaliouby says that's about to change.

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"Drone operators or analysts watching the video — even if they're not physically there, we've seen them suffer from PTSD or burnout." — P.W. Singer

Science

How Are Screens Changing The Face Of War?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Today airstrikes involve generals dictating — and soldiers carrying out — orders behind screens. Strategist P.W. Singer describes how screens have complicated the nature of war.

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"I don't want you in the frame. I don't want you in the window. I want you through the window. I want you on the other side, in the world, inhabiting the world." — Chris Milk

Science
Arts

What Happens When We Step Inside The Screen?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Filmmaker Chris Milk uses cutting-edge technology to create a film experience that immerses the viewer. He explains how virtual reality has allowed him to create the "ultimate empathy machine."

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