Technology

North Korea's Internet Outage Could Just Be Bad Timing

6:26pm December 23, 2014

North Korea's nationwide outage, which came after President Obama promised a response for the Sony hack, was not likely caused by the U.S., Internet analyst Doug Madory tells NPR's Audie Cornish.

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James Franco (left) and Seth Rogen, stars of The Interview, arrive for the film's Los Angeles premiere on Dec. 11. The comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was pulled from theaters after a cyberattack on Sony Pictures, th

The 5 Business Stories That Made 2014 A Memorable Year

3:26pm December 23, 2014

by Marilyn Geewax

From hack attacks to the bottom falling out of oil, 2014 has been a year of big swings at the top and stagnation at the bottom.

Michel Martin with five Latino influencers from the Charlotte business community. Alina Bartlett, Jorge De La Jara, Carlos Salum, Deborah Aguiar-Vélez, and Milagritos Aguilar.

'Going There' In 2014

1:57pm December 23, 2014

by Michel Martin

Michel Martin has spent much of the last few months on the road, and she has been moved by the people she's met and the stories they've shared with her. She remembers her Top 5 moments of 2014.

Protesters in Boston during a December demonstration against the deaths of two unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers in New York City and Ferguson, Mo.

Videos Of Ray Rice, Eric Garner Among Biggest Media Moments Of 2014

1:08pm December 23, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Some of the most interesting things on TV in 2014 weren't actually made for TV. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans lists the moments in television, viral video and social media that changed us all this year.

More than a quarter of the victims of financial fraud are over 60.

Services Offer A Means To Foil Widespread 'Elder Fraud'

5:50pm December 22, 2014

by Ina Jaffe

The holidays are a time for giving — and for scams that prey on altruism, particularly among older adults. But several products on the market are designed to help fight fraud that targets seniors.

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Ride-hailing services like Uber have changed ground transportation for both passengers and drivers. As Uber rapidly grows, it becomes more difficult for its drivers to keep up with the hustle.

Hustle Behind The Wheel: What It's Like To Be An Uber Driver

3:03pm December 22, 2014

by Laura Sydell

The ride-hailing service says it is creating 20,000 driver jobs every month. While this makes the service better for customers, drivers worry it will drive prices — and their earnings — down.

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Cubans try to connect to the ETECSA server during a May 9 service outage as they wait with other customers outside the offices of the state telecom monopoly in Havana, Cuba. Cuba's government has blamed technological problems on a U.S. embargo. Critics of

World News

For An Island Trapped In The '50s, An Instant Digital Revolution

2:55pm December 22, 2014

by Aarti Shahani

Cuba is one of the least connected countries on Earth, with 5 percent of residents online. But it could become the Caribbean's largest market if the Castros open the nation up to the Internet.

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Workers remove a poster for The Interview from a billboard in Hollywood, Calif., after Sony canceled the movie's Christmas release due to a terrorist threat. The hacking of Sony's networks has sparked a war of words between the U.S. and North Korea.

World News

Calling U.S. A 'Cesspool,' North Korea Warns Against Escalation

2:39pm December 22, 2014

by Bill Chappell

North Korea's National Defense Commission, which is headed by the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, said its military was ready to fight America "in all war spaces including cyber warfare space."

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With Sony Hack, Nation-State Attacks Go From Quiet To Overt

11:02am December 22, 2014

by Aarti Shahani

U.S. intelligence officials claim that North Korea was centrally involved in the hack against Sony. That's major news in the world of cyberwarfare, where nation-states typically make covert attacks.

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Sony Pictures Studios headquarters building is seen in Culver City, Calif., on Friday. President Obama has criticized Sony for cancelling distribution of The Interview following after the studio was hacked by North Korea.

Obama Calls North Korean Hack 'Cybervandalism'

2:40pm December 21, 2014

by Scott Neuman

On CNN's State of the Union, the president expanded on earlier remarks he made criticizing a decision by Sony Pictures to pull distribution of The Interview.