Technology

A September 1959 advertisement for the Xerox 914

Economy

Happy Birthday, Copy Machine! Happy Birthday, Copy Machine!

2:37pm October 23, 2013

by Kate O'Connell

This week marks the 75th anniversary of the first modern copier ever made. The technology, which came from serial inventor Chester Carlson, revolutionized the business world and formed the foundation of Xerox's success. It also meant no more messy carbon paper.

Queue Listen Now

Elise Andrew started a popular Facebook page about science.

The New And The Next: Six-Second Comedy And A Spin On News

2:27pm October 23, 2013

by NPR Staff

This week, Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells NPR's Arun Rath about the latest trend in Uruguay's YouTube scene and one young woman who gained a following with her love of science.

Queue Listen Now

Obama Says He's 'Frustrated' About Health Care Site Issues

3:37pm October 22, 2013

At the White House on Monday, President Obama acknowledged widespread problems with his health care law's website while still defending the Affordable Care Act. NPR White House Correspondent Scott Horsley talks with Steve Inskeep about the president's remarks.

Queue Listen Now

If A Tech Company Had Built The Federal Health Care Website

5:25pm October 21, 2013

by Steve Henn

The rollout of the health care exchange has been plagued by a host of technical problems. Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley likely would have approached the website differently from the beginning — one former startup employee says that has to do with how projects are funded.

Queue Listen Now

The RoboRoach device allows users to influence the movements of cockroaches with a smartphone.

Science

What's Creepy, Crawly And A Champion Of Neuroscience?

8:02pm October 20, 2013

by NPR Staff

The new RoboRoach project allows users to influence the movements of cockroaches with a smartphone. Greg Gage of Backyard Brains says it's not brain control but more like the bridle of a horse. The RoboRoach just provides a sensation that makes the cockroach perceive an obstacle.

Queue Listen Now

Google Shares Top $1,000 For First Time

12:23pm October 18, 2013

Google reported better than expected third-quarter sales and profits, reporting a profit of nearly $3 billion during the third quarter, up nearly 40 percent from a year earlier.

Queue Listen Now

Thousands of students apply to college each year using the online Common Application. But a flawed overhaul of the system has left many students and parents frustrated.

More Angst For College Applicants: A Glitchy Common App

6:39pm October 16, 2013

by Eric Westervelt

Applying to college is stressful at the best of times. But technical flaws in the online Common Application, used by hundreds of colleges, have sparked panic among some high school seniors. With deadlines approaching, some schools are making backup plans — like a return to mail or even faxed applications.

Queue Listen Now

Alyson Illich used technologies that tracked her son Colter's location while he was driving. "I think it made him more thoughtful," she said.

Health & Safety

Hey, Why Did You Floor It? Tracking Junior Behind The Wheel

6:19pm October 14, 2013

by Steve Henn

New technologies give parents ways to keep tabs on their kids' driving habits. One such device can alert parents when their children are speeding, when they slam on their brakes, and shows their location. But some experts say parents shouldn't rely too much on technology to keep their teens safe.

Queue Listen Now

Cosmo Wenman generated this 3-D model of the Ares Borghese, based on hundreds of photos, from the Basel Sculpture Hall. Wenman publishes the scans online, so that anyone can use them to 3-D print a replica of the masterpiece.

Arts

3-D Printing A Masterwork For Your Living Room

12:22pm October 11, 2013

by Laura Sydell

It's now possible to create an impressive copy of Michelangelo's David or Rodin's The Thinker with a 3-D printer. Rather than object, some museum curators see this high-tech replication as a way to bring near-real versions of classic works to the masses.

Queue Listen Now

The Wright Brothers Flyer lifts off in Kitty Hawk, N.C., on Dec. 17, 1903. Now 110 years later, a thriving aviation industry is looking to fill jobs in high-tech manufacturing.

Wanted: A New Generation Of High-Tech Aviation Workers

10:53am October 07, 2013

by Jeff Tiberii

Millions of U.S. factory jobs have been lost in the past decade. Now, in North Carolina, high school students are being encouraged to think about taking manufacturing jobs. But this isn't the furniture-making or textile labor of generations past — it's a new kind of highly technical work in aviation.

Queue Listen Now