Technology

Many institutions have their archives stored on CDs — but the discs aren't as stable as once thought. There is no average life span for a CD, says preservationist Michele Youket, "because there is no average disc."

Music & Culture

How Long Do CDs Last? It Depends, But Definitely Not Forever

8:27am August 19, 2014

by Laura Sydell

Preservationists are worried about troves of records stored on what was once considered a durable medium: the compact disc. Many discs can last for centuries — but most won't.

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In Hashtag Protest, 'Black Twitter' Shows Its Strength

9:14pm August 13, 2014

by Laura Sydell

Following the shooting of an unarmed black teen, the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown caught fire on Twitter. The response demonstrated the scope of what's informally known as Black Twitter.

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A Good IT Person Needs To Be Half Technologist, Half Psychologist

1:37pm August 12, 2014

by Laura Sydell

Your doctor and lawyer may know a lot about you. But in a time when we are using computers to socialize, keep track of finances, do work and store family photos, your IT person probably knows more.

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Economy

Meet Viv, A More Complex Siri

7:42am August 12, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks to Steven Levy about his story in Wired magazine on the new app created by a team of people that includes the developers of Siri and IBM's Watson.

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A peek inside the kitchen of Next, an early adopter of the ticket system that's replacing reservations at some restaurants.

National

No More Reservations: Exclusive Restaurants Require Tickets Instead

10:57am August 11, 2014

by Jeff Tyler

High-end restaurants featuring rock star chefs are starting to turn to tickets to stem the tide of no-shows. In the future, going out to eat could become a lot like going to a sold-out concert.

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Tech Companies Take Notice Of The Importance Of Marketing

9:58am August 05, 2014

Audie Cornish explores how marketing has been overlooked in technology. She speaks with Nancy Koehn, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, and Alex Kantrowitz of Ad Age.

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OkCupid Sometimes Messes A Bit With Love, In The Name Of Science

2:52pm August 02, 2014

OkCupid, the online dating site, disclosed Monday that they sometimes manipulate their users' profiles for experiments.

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Pinterest has created a database of "things in the world that matter to human beings," says Alexis Madrigal.

Can Pinterest Compete With Google's Search?

4:33pm August 01, 2014

by Alexis Madrigal

Pinterest has created a database of things that matter to humans. And with a programming team that's largely been hired away from Google, the company has begun offering what it calls "guided search."

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Mark Zuckerberg kicks off the annual Facebook developers conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.

New Anonymous Facebook Login Hides Info, But Not From Facebook

12:00pm August 01, 2014

by Steve Henn

Facebook has introduced a way for users to log into apps anonymously as a way to build trust and protect privacy. User info would be protected from app developers, but visible to Facebook.

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North Dakota farmer Jim Reimers shows off one of the drones he uses to collect data on his family's 30,000-acre farm.

High-Ho, The Derry-O, The Farmer And The Drone

12:00pm August 01, 2014

by Steve Henn

Congress has ordered the FAA to create new rules to safely integrate drones into U.S. airspace by 2015, but North Dakota's farmers aren't waiting.

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