Technology

This Braille reader connects to a smartphone.

Health & Safety

For The Blind, Connected Devices Create A Novel Way To Read

8:43pm January 03, 2014

by NPR Staff

Braille hasn't changed much in the nearly 200 years it's been around. But with tablets, smartphones and e-readers, how we read things has. Judy Dixon of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped talks with NPR about how technology has changed Braille — and whether it can endure.

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Students at the Oakland Military Institute took several courses offered by San Jose State and the online course provider Udacity this year. The university is now scaling back its relationship with Udacity.

The Online Education Revolution Drifts Off Course

7:23pm December 31, 2013

by Eric Westervelt

In 2012, "massive open online courses" were lauded as the most important trend in higher education. But this year, educators and even students rebelled against the rapid expansion of online learning. Two of the biggest MOOCs say they're making big changes in how they deliver their classes in 2014.

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Twitter made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange in November. Both the social media giant and the relative newcomer Snapchat are valued in the billions, but neither company has yet turned a profit.

$0 Profits Couldn't Hold Back This Year's Tech Darlings

6:30pm December 30, 2013

by Steve Henn

In Silicon Valley, zero profit and even zero revenue don't make a company a loser. Tech companies like Snapchat and Twitter, which have not yet turned any profit, can be worth billions of dollars based on future potential alone.

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Looking Ahead At The Next Top Tech IPOs

4:38pm December 30, 2013

Every year, research firm CB Insights offers up a report on the fastest growing and most highly valued private companies in technology — basically, the ones most likely to go public. Audie Cornish speaks with Anand Sanwal, CB Insights' CEO, for a look at the top tech IPO's expected in 2014.

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National

In The World Of Pinball, An Underdog Takes On The Giant

6:53pm December 22, 2013

by Francesca Fenzi

For more than a decade, Stern Pinball was the only company manufacturing pinball machines. A New Jersey startup company is trying to shake up that monopoly. But with decreased demand for the games, it's unclear whether the pinball industry is big enough for two.

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World News

Israeli Startup Offers Kids Social Media Training Wheels

9:14am December 22, 2013

by Emily Harris

Most social networks require users to be at least 13. But Itay Eshet's daughter, like many kids, wanted to join Facebook when she was just 10. So Eshet created a site just for younger kids, designed to protect them from bullying and other risks while teaching them to navigate social media safely.

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Oregon is still using paper applications to enroll people in coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Health & Safety

How An Obscure Government Code — 834 — Became Big In 2013

10:28pm December 21, 2013

by Elise Hu

The fate of insurance coverage for millions rests on a form called the 834, the government code for electronic files. It's a number that would never have become a big deal had HealthCare.gov rolled out smoothly in the fall.

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National

55 Years Later: Commemorating First Space Broadcast

10:28pm December 21, 2013

On Dec. 19, 1958, a pre-recorded message from President Dwight D. Eisenhower was sent out from a satellite via short wave. It offered hopes for peace on earth and goodwill toward men everywhere. Of course, it also let the Soviets know the U.S. was catching up in the space race.

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In an effort to hire better job candidates, some companies are replacing paper resumes with tests designed to collect big data from job applicants.

Economy

Will A Computer Decide Whether You Get Your Next Job?

6:46pm December 21, 2013

by Lisa Chow

Companies are replacing paper resumes with tests designed to collect data from job applicants. They're finding some surprising results.

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A lettuce thinner created by an agricultural tech startup uses cameras and sensors to thin lettuce rows. Salinas, Calif., has hired a venture capital fund to help it attract other high-tech agricultural companies to the area.

National

A City Turns To Lettuce Fields To Grow High-Tech Startups

8:46pm December 19, 2013

by Aarti Shahani

Salinas, Calif., is just an hour from Silicon Valley, but production at many local lettuce farms is decidedly low-tech. City officials here decided it's time for an upgrade — and have hired a venture capital firm to help Salinas transition into a high-tech agricultural hub.

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