Technology

Net Neutrality Court Ruling Could Cost Consumers, Limit Choices

6:36pm January 18, 2014

A federal court ruling could spell the end to what's known as "net neutrality." The Federal Communications Commission had tried to prevent Internet service providers from favoring one type of web traffic over another. But the court ruled against the FCC. Consumer advocates say this week's decision could ultimately mean higher prices for your Internet service. Host Arun Rath talks with NPR's Laura Sydell.

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Protesters in San Francisco block a Google bus, which shuttles employees from the city to its location in Silicon Valley.

Economy

Hackers? Techies? What To Call San Francisco's Newcomers

4:59pm January 17, 2014

by Geoff Nunberg

Linguist Geoff Nunberg lives in the Mission and says young tech employees have been pouring into the neighborhood. But what to call these new residents? He says the term "techie" used to suggest a computer whiz with no social skills; now it suggests one with no social conscience.

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Game Over For Nintendo? Not If Mario And Zelda Fans Keep Playing

5:09pm January 15, 2014

by Laura Sydell

Some analysts say that Nintendo's days are numbered because sales of its new console, Wii U, have been lackluster. But since Nintendo still offers some of the most popular game franchises, the love of Zelda and Mario may keep the company going for a long time.

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Comcast is the largest cable company and home Internet service provider in the United States. A recent survey found that many Americans give Internet service providers low marks for satisfaction.

Internet In America: An On Again, Off Again Relationship

6:50pm January 12, 2014

by NPR Staff

For some Americans, getting high-speed Internet can be a challenge. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, consumers rate Internet service providers worse than airlines, the postal service and health insurance in terms of satisfaction.

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A First Look At New Tech Products To Hit The Market

12:53pm January 11, 2014

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas closed on Friday. Visitors were treated to more than 20,000 new products, with everything from Internet-connected clothing to giant television screens. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with reporter Steve Henn about some of the gadgets on the horizon.

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Manufacturers At CES Offer More In Home Automation

10:21am January 10, 2014

The Consumer Electronics Show is in Las Vegas this week. Renee Montagne talks to tech journalist Rich Jaroslovsky about the push to put WiFi in everything imaginable, from crockpots to stoves.

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The Navigate Jacket from Wearable Experiments uses GPS navigation and a mapping app on the wearer's smartphone to signal directions. It's part of a new trend of wearable tech that some speculate will be a billion-dollar industry.

Tech Fit For The Showroom, But The Runway Might Have To Wait

10:27am January 08, 2014

by Aarti Shahani

Wearable technology is often said to look dorky. "Stylish" and "fashionable" are not words anyone would associate with devices like Google Glass or smart watches. But companies are now working to embed technology into clothing so that it's unobtrusive or even attractive.

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A DJI Phantom 2 flying camera is presented at the media event prior to the International CES show opening in Las Vegas.

CES 2014: Toothbrush? Bed? Car? Put Some Internet On It

11:18am January 07, 2014

by NPR Staff

The Consumer Electronics Show is the tech industry's annual electronics showcase in Las Vegas, where companies are showing off their latest and greatest gadgets, like Internet-connected toothbrushes (ideal for hygiene-concerned helicopter parents) and cars that come equipped with a 4G cell connection.

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A poster found in Warsaw shows a QR Code for a website related to the Cicada 3301 mystery.

World News

The Internet's Cicada: A Mystery Without An Answer

6:55pm January 05, 2014

by NPR Staff

Two years ago, strange sets of bewildering puzzles appeared on the Internet, with a message encouraging "highly intelligent individuals" to try to break the code. The code led to more clues spanning a global Internet mystery, that has yet to be solved.

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The National Security Agency headquarters at Fort Meade, Md. The agency has been trying to build a quantum computer, The Washington Post reports — but that news doesn't surprise experts in the field.

National

The NSA's Quantum Code-Breaking Research Is No Secret

8:43pm January 03, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

So the world's most clandestine spy agency is working on something called a quantum computer. It's based on rules Einstein himself described as "spooky," and it can crack almost any code. That's got to be top-secret stuff, right? Guess again.

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