Technology

Carnegie Mellon's autonomous car, developed with General Motors, is by all appearances a normal Cadillac SRX crossover — except for the big red button in the middle of the dashboard. In an emergency, the button allows the car to be switched immediately

Hitting The Road Without A Driver

2:19pm August 19, 2013

by Brian Naylor

Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing the ultimate in automotive sophistication: the driverless car. When NPR's Brian Naylor went there to check it out, he thought he'd be going for a spin on a test track. Instead, the car drove itself through suburbia.

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Happy International Geocaching Day!

7:35am August 18, 2013

If you're scratching your head wondering what the heck geocaching is, Dave Prebeck fills us in. The president of the Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization tells host Scott Simon that geocaching is essentially "a high-tech scavenger hunt."

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Standing on the center console of the Martin Jetpack, a pilot straps in and uses the joysticks to control flight.

Out Of The Comics, Into Reality: Jet Pack Moves Closer To Market

6:45pm August 17, 2013

by Priska Neely

A New Zealand-based aviation company has been granted permission to conduct piloted tests of the one-person flying machine. It plans to have the jet pack on the market in 2014.

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How much can you actually do to keep your email secure?

National

Cracking The Code: Just How Does Encrypted Email Work?

5:47pm August 17, 2013

by NPR Staff

NSA leaker Edward Snowden's revelations have left us all grappling with questions of privacy. One way to keep some of our information private is through email encryption. But, how does that work?

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Switching To Gmail May Leave Reporters' Sources At Risk

6:32pm August 16, 2013

by Steve Henn

This summer, The New York Times moved all of it reporters' email to corporate Gmail accounts. This move to a third party could leave Times reporters and their sources with fewer legal protections if they are the subject of a government investigation.

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Reggie Shaw killed two men while he was texting on a Utah highway. He now speaks to groups about the dangers of texting and driving.

Herzog Plumbs Guilt And Loss Wrought By Texting And Driving

4:31pm August 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

Werner Herzog's latest project is a slight departure for the acclaimed filmmaker: a 35-minute public service announcement on the dangers of texting and driving. Yes, it's long, he says, but the "inner landscape" of great suffering such accidents can cause "can only be shown if you have more time."

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Part of the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant in Lewiston, N.Y., is seen from the air on Aug. 14, 2003, during a massive power outage that stretched from New York to Detroit and into Canada.

National

The Next Disaster Scenario Power Companies Are Preparing For

8:49am August 15, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

Ten years after a cascading power outage across a broad section of the U.S. and Canada, utility operators and regulators are concerned about another blackout scenario: a massive cyberattack that could threaten the U.S. electric grid.

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A Closer Look At Elon Musk's Much-Hyped Hyperloop

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Elise Hu

Existing concepts in science like linear induction motors and magnetic levitation are back in the spotlight thanks to Elon Musk's proposal for a rail system that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

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Owen Chilcoat hacking his tablet. "I am just messing around ... trying to break it," he says.

Education

Hacking Real Things Becomes Child's Play At This Camp

8:56am August 14, 2013

by Steve Henn

Armed with technology know-how, teens and preteens are learning to hack everyday items and find bugs for major tech giants. Their work can pay off, with companies offering rewards for fixes.

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Apple's Garage Band for the iPad and iPhone includes virtual instruments, such as piano and drums, you can play like the real thing.

Music & Culture

Question Of The Week: What Are The Best Apps For Making Music?

10:57am August 13, 2013

by Robin Hilton

Of course you can make music using a smartphone or tablet. But which apps give you the best results? Which ones are easiest to learn? Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton offer a few suggestions.

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