Technology

Science

How Small Can They Go? IBM Announces 7 Nanometer Computer Chip

3:00pm July 10, 2015

by Rachel M. Ward and Adam Cole

IBM has overcome a hurdle by producing a prototype chip with transistors that are 7 nanometers wide, or about 1/10,000th the width of a human hair. The smallest transistors in use are twice as big.

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World News

Now At The Top Of Japan's Mount Fuji: Free Wi-Fi

10:41am July 10, 2015

Climbers who conquer Japan's tallest mountain will now be able to upload their achievement online immediately. Mount Fuji is getting eight hotspots with free Wi-Fi.

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We asked NPR listeners to send in their selfies with the 2016 candidates and around 50 people did. Gray Barrett (right) took this selfie with Rand Paul in Washington, D.C., this summer. "Though I'm not a Rand Paul supporter, I couldn't pass up this opport

How To Take A Picture-Perfect Presidential Candidate Selfie

10:35am July 10, 2015

by Tamara Keith

This election has been called the "selfie election." It turns out there's an art to the political selfie. And with this many candidates running for president, they are in need of some advice.

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National

OPM: 21.5 Million Social Security Numbers Stolen From Government Computers

9:41pm July 09, 2015

by Brian Naylor

The number includes 19.7 million individuals who applied for a background investigation.

Fight Over NBA Star DeAndre Jordan Turns Into Emoji War

6:26pm July 09, 2015

NBA star DeAndre Jordan decided he wanted to play for the Dallas Mavericks next year instead of his old team, the Los Angeles Clippers. Then he had a case of buyer's remorse.

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An alliance led by IBM Research has produced the semiconductor industry's first 7nm (nanometer) node test chips with functional transistors.

IBM Announces Breakthrough In Chip Technology

2:10pm July 09, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The computer giant says it has produced a prototype of transistors that are just 7 nanometers wide, half the width of the smallest ones currently used.

National

Dismissed Reddit Figure Victoria Taylor Breaks Silence

1:02pm July 09, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

In a post on the site, r/IAmA's Taylor thanked supporters. Her dismissal this month prompted an insurrection in which moderators shut down many of the site's most popular sections.

Google's upcoming "now on tap" feature will let smartphone users ask a question within an app like Spotify.

How Personal Should A Personal Assistant Get? Google And Apple Disagree

10:04am July 09, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

When you're buying a smartphone, chances are you don't dig too deeply into the personal assistant. Google aims to change that — and in the process, it's testing our appetite for privacy in a big way.

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FBI Director Brings Silicon Valley Encryption Fight To Capitol Hill

6:34pm July 08, 2015

by Dina Temple-Raston

FBI Director James Comey went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to make a case for Silicon Valley companies to continue to let law enforcement monitor communications over encrypted devices.

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These sheep in England chose an ill-advised napping spot as the Google Street View van drove through town.

World News

The Blog Ewe Didn't Know Ewe Needed: Google Sheep View

3:17pm July 08, 2015

by Paige Pfleger

It's the year of the sheep, so it follows that a new blog would celebrate the woolly four-legged creatures. Readers submit sheep spottings from around the world, with the help of Google Street View.