A Bitcoin Insider On Crime, Congress And Satoshi Nakamoto
"This little baby — what my wife used to call my 'pretend money project' — is really going mainstream," says the chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation.
Technology
Is It The End Of The Line For The Landline?
The U.S. landline network was once the best in the world. But these days, phone companies see them as a burden, an old technology too expensive to maintain. AT&T wants to start replacing the system with cheaper options. Some call it a hasty abandonment of the tried-and-true traditional network.
Already Outpacing Movies, Gaming Industry Still Looks To Expand
It's a big week for the video game industry; Sony just released the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft will release its new Xbox games console Friday. All Tech Considered is kicking off the week with a look at just how big the industry has become and who plays these days. Robert Siegel talks with industry expert John Davison. He's currently general manager of content and publishing for video game company Red Robot Labs.
Google, Microsoft Introduce Software To Curb Child Pornography
Internet giants Google and Microsoft say they're going to be making it harder for pedophiles to search for child porn online. They made the announcement in a joint statement in London ahead of a British internet security summit.
Is The Internet Domain Land Rush A Land Rush At All?
Domain names are the real estate of the Internet, and they are bought and sold every day. But until recently, space in the cyber real estate market has been cramped. But soon there's going to be a lot more than .coms out there, and a lot of companies are bidding huge amounts to get the new Internet addresses.
Amid Nuclear Talks, Iran Pushes Diplomacy Online
Iran's leaders are active on Facebook and Twitter, and frequently reach out in English via social media. Both services remain officially banned in Iran. But journalist Robin Wright, an expert on Iran, calls their online overtures "the most ambitious public diplomacy campaign since Iran's 1979 revolution."
Laboring In The Shadows To Keep The Web Free Of Child Porn
The rise of pornography online has created a new industry of people whose job it is to screen vast numbers of images of exploited children.
Advertisers Try To Grab Online Eyes
A survey this week shows that YouTube and Netflix now make up half of all data North Americans consume on fixed networks, like those at home or at work. Guest host Don Gonyea talks with Mike Shields, digital editor of Adweek, about the ways that advertisers are changing how they present products to cater to online videos.
For Ridesharing Apps Like Lyft, Commerce Is A Community
Services where regular people use their cars to take passengers to their destinations have found a foothold in the smartphone age. And for many participating in this sharing economy, the appeal is in more than just the cost savings or convenience.
Electric Cars Drive Demand For Cheaper, More Powerful Batteries
Unlike the technologies in laptops, smartphones and electric cars, the batteries inside them have been slow to evolve. In Silicon Valley, more than 40 companies are working on finding a battery breakthrough. And they're facing international competition.