Technology

After Snowden, The NSA Faces Recruitment Challenge

10:16am March 31, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

To keep its code-breaking prowess, the National Security Agency must recruit scores of the brightest students in math and computer science each year. The Snowden revelations are hurting those efforts.

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A health inspection grade is posted outside a Manhattan eatery. In several cities, Yelp users can now find out how a restaurant scored on its health inspection well before they walk through the door.

Did That Restaurant Pass Its Health Inspection? Now Yelp Will Tell You

6:00pm March 27, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

You might not see health inspection information until you're opening a restaurant's door. But if you're in San Francisco and some other cities, you'll see it when you check out an eatery's Yelp page.

Writers lowered the boom on the broom — metaphorically, of course.

Books

App That Aims To Make Books 'Squeaky Clean' Draws Ire From Edited Writers

5:45pm March 27, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

Clean Reader — an app designed to find, block and replace profanity in books — has drawn considerable criticism from authors. This week, makers of the app announced they would no longer sell e-books.

Most teenagers with mental health problems don't get any help.

New York City To Teens: TXT ME With Mental Health Worries

12:57pm March 27, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

In an effort to connect teenagers with mental health services, New York is testing counseling via text for high school students. They join a growing trend.

A drone built by Agribotix, a Boulder startup, flies over a farm in Weld County, Colo. The drone has a camera that snaps a high-resolution photo every two seconds. From there, Agribotix stitches the images together, helping the farmer see what's happening

Is Colorado Primed To Become The Silicon Valley Of Agriculture?

8:31am March 27, 2015

by Luke Runyon

Colorado's food and ag industries have been growing two to four times faster than the state's economy overall. The state's economists are ever more hopeful about cornering the market on ag innovation.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, a 2016 hopeful, takes a selfie with an Iowa supporter earlier this month.

Can Republicans Get Ahead In The 2016 Digital Race?

12:44pm March 26, 2015

by Nayana Davis

When Sen. Ted Cruz threw his hat into the ring, it happened first on Twitter. Political news is breaking more and more on social media, and both sides face different challenges in reaching out.

Kpetermeni Siakor (left), a Liberian who is studying in Ghana, used crowdsourcing software to help out during the Ebola epidemic.

How Did Ebola Volunteers Know Where To Go In Liberia? Crowdsourcing!

11:32am March 25, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Kpetermeni Siakor was 900 miles from home when Ebola struck. But with special software, he helped direct volunteers and supplies to the right spots.

The Sidewinding Circular Skates are a modern hybrid of skates and skateboard.

Arts

A 'Post Modern Skateboard' That Ditches The Board

8:21pm March 24, 2015

by Emma Bowman

It has been a while since we've seen an upgrade to either roller skates or the skateboard. But which one is it? These wheels give skating in the 21st century an effortless new look.

Monica Lewinsky Redefines Her Story In Anti-Cyberbullying TED Talk

6:58pm March 23, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Jessica Bennett, contributor to The New York Times, about Monica Lewinsky's efforts to rebrand herself as an anti-cyberbullying activist.

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With DonorsChoose.org, teachers have an alternative to dipping into their own pockets to pay for classroom supplies.

Fundraising Site For Teachers Illuminates Classroom Disparities

6:26pm March 23, 2015

by Owen Phillips

Since DonorsChoose.org launched in 2000, teachers have been able to crowdfund rather than use their own money to pay for supplies. A broader look at the site's data shows who needs what.