Technology

Customers try out cellphones and tablets in a store in Tehran, in 2012. Financial sanctions make it difficult for U.S. firms to do business in Iran, analysts say.

World News

Politics Overshadows U.S. Tech Firms' Hopes For Entering Iran

3:50pm August 13, 2015

by Laura Sydell

With a young, well-educated population, Iran has the potential to be a boom market for tech. But sanctions and negative political implications for doing business there seem to limit prospects.

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Babajide Bello of the tech company Andela takes a selfie with AOL's Steve Case after the pair played a pickup game of pingpong.

World News

Hope Or Hype: The Revolution In Africa Will Be Wireless

3:49pm August 13, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

Young entrepreneurs in Africa say they're leading a tech movement from the ground up. They think technology can solve social ills. But critics wonder if digital fixes can make a dent.

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Participants play the latest video games at the gamescom computer game fair in Cologne, Germany, on Wednesday. The Electronic Sports League, which sponsors a tournament in the city later this month, says it will require random drug tests to ensure players

Video Game League Announces Random Drug Tests For Competitors

1:43pm August 13, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The Electronic Sports League is implementing the new requirement after a top player at one of its tournaments acknowledged he and his team "were all on Adderall" during competition.

The Havana studio of prominent artist Kcho is ringed by Cubans with their heads buried in screens. Users say the only other free Internet connection in Havana is at the U.S. Interests Section.

World News

An Object Of Desire: Hope And Yearning For The Internet In Cuba

9:43am August 13, 2015

by Robert Siegel

Without a doubt, the Internet in Cuba is tough. The politics are thorny; getting it is difficult. But there are signs that change is on the horizon.

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Court Strikes Down New Hampshire's Ban On Selfies In The Voting Booth

7:07am August 12, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

A federal judge isn't swayed by concerns that voters could be pressured to cast ballots for certain candidates and post the proof on social media. He says the law violates guarantees of free speech.

A Saudi company produced the first successful Arabic-language online video game, Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta. It's an adventure tale based on the life of a 14th century Arab explorer.

World News

As Saudi Arabia's Love Of Online Gaming Grows, Developers Bloom

7:02am August 12, 2015

by Deborah Amos

In a conservative country where opportunities for entertainment are limited, online video games give Saudis the chance for some fun. With powerful female characters, they also convey social messages.

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The PharmaChk is a bit like a litmus test for drugs: You pop in a pill at one end, and in 15 minutes, a number appears on a screen telling you the drug's potency.

One Man's Quest To Combat Counterfeit Drugs — With A Suitcase

10:30am August 11, 2015

by Ina Yang

Fake and shoddy medications kill about 100,000 people around the world each year. Many "drugs" are no more than just chalk or water. An engineer in Boston is trying to change that.

Netflix recently announced a generous yearlong unlimited paid parental leave policy, but some workers at the company are left out.

National

Netflix Still Facing Questions Over Its New Parental Leave Policy

9:26am August 11, 2015

by Sam Sanders

Netflix announced it would give employees who are new parents up to a year of paid leave to care for their children. The policy shift drew praise, but also questions and critique.

Wary Of Kaspersky? Consumer Choices In Computer Security Abound

7:36pm August 10, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

NPR reviews the consumer choices in the anti-virus and anti-malware market.

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National

Google Announces New Parent Company Called 'Alphabet'

7:36pm August 10, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

Google announced a broad restructuring Monday in a blog post by CEO Larry Page. Under the new structure, Alphabet becomes the parent company atop of Google's ventures.

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