Technology

National

Privacy, Security Focal Points At CES

6:29pm January 08, 2015

From Goldkey's smart watch that can make encrypted phone calls, to the iWallet that prevents hackers from stealing your credit card information, tech companies at CES are focusing this year on privacy gadgets. Melissa Block talks to CNET's Lindsey Turrentine about the latest in personal privacy technology at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show.

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Using Tor, or The Onion Router, enables users to hide their online activities. Advocates say the network protects the privacy of activists. But prosecutors say it's used extensively by criminals — and is making it harder for law enforcement to do its jo

National

Prosecutors Say Tools For Hiding Online Hinder Cybercrime Crackdowns

3:20pm January 08, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

Advocates say tools that cloak online identities are needed to protect activists. Prosecutors say they hinder efforts to police all kinds of crime, from child pornography to illegal gun sales.

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Using a simple wooden handloom, weavers create silk strips that diabetics can use as glucose sensors. This loom is at Achira Labs in Bangalore, India.

Weavers Turn Silk Into Diabetes Test Strips

2:47pm January 08, 2015

by Nsikan Akpan

In India, where silk is plentiful, the luxe fabric turns out to be more efficient — and cheaper — than paper or plastic for testing a diabetic's glucose levels.

Irene Chen and Longlai Zuo, with the China-based company Quality Technology Industrial, show off their top-line phones, which cost about $100.

When It Comes To Smartphones, Are Americans Dumb?

2:20pm January 08, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

If you paid top dollar for a top phone, Asian vendors at the International Consumer Electronics Show have a message: You paid for a brand, not quality. And this year, they want to sell to you.

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A screen shot taken from a video demonstrating how Iowa's digital driver's license would look on a smartphone.

National

A Plan To Put Your Driver's License On Your Phone

2:20pm January 08, 2015

by Joyce Russell

Smartphone and registration, please. Iowa is developing an app that would allow drivers to access a digitally encoded license instead of a conventional plastic ID card.

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A couple uses a selfie stick on a Mexican beach.

The Unstoppable Selfie Stick Trend Has Invaded American Shores

12:43pm January 08, 2015

by Elise Hu

You can't miss them, and some folks can't resist them. Selfie sticks — monopods that help you take cellphone photos of yourself — are only growing in popularity.

National

FBI Offers New Evidence Connecting North Korea To Sony Hack

6:17pm January 07, 2015

by Dina Temple-Raston

FBI Director James Comey offered new evidence that North Korea was responsible for the cyber attack against Sony. Some technology experts had been skeptical of the proof the FBI had offered before.

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Kwesi Bido, 14, (right) stops to fix 13-year-old Inusa Mohammed's flip flop. Both spend evenings and weekends searching for scrap at Agbogbloshie, an electronic waste dump in Accra, Ghana.

A Shadow Economy Lurks In An Electronics Graveyard

3:53pm January 07, 2015

by NPR Staff

Two decades ago, the region of Agbogbloshie in Ghana was a lush mangrove swamp. Now, reporter and photographer Yepoka Yeebo explains, it's a vast dump full of electronic waste and young scavengers.

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The San Francisco-based startup CellScope has built a tool to do ear exams at home, instead of going to the doctor.

Health & Safety

Self-Tracking Gadgets That Play Doctor Abound At CES

1:30pm January 07, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

A new wave of self-monitoring devices and apps is hitting the Consumer Electronics Show — ones with explicit medical purposes. They promise to help diagnose everything from ear infections to diseases.

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Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs stands in front of a projection of iTunes at a presentation in 2004.

Music & Culture

With Downloads In Decline, Can iTunes Adapt?

12:44pm January 06, 2015

by Laura Sydell

Digital downloads of iTunes fell sharply in 2014, as consumers abandoned Apple's music store in favor of cheap, easy-to-use subscription services.

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