Technology

On Monday, the Washington Post Co. announced the sale of its newspaper to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, a move that comes as the paper struggles to keep up revenue.

National

The Tricky Business Of Predicting Where Media Will Go Next

1:26pm August 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

One of journalism's most recognizable mastheads, The Washington Post, is entering a new era with a new owner. In 1992, the paper's managing editor urged it to get at the forefront of the upcoming digital revolution, but it so far has fallen short in a world of fast-paced BuzzFeeds.

Queue Listen Now

A Seamless sticker is displayed next to the menu in the window of a restaurant in New York's Times Square on Saturday. Rivals Seamless and GrubHub said Friday that they have completed their combination, creating an online takeout company covering about 25

Economy

Food Delivery Hits The Web, But Restaurants Pay The Price

8:56am August 12, 2013

by Ilya Marritz

If you're a takeout or delivery customer, websites like Seamless and Grubhub are a marvel. Just type, click your order and the food is on its way. But if you're a restaurant, this shift to the web may not sit so well with you.

Queue Listen Now

Science

TED Radio Hour: The Hackers

7:43am August 11, 2013

What if there were a way to hack into your brain and make your life better? Neurosurgeon Andres Lozano is doing just that. He told TED Radio Hour host Guy Raz how.

Queue Listen Now

Amber Alerts were issued as cellphone text messages in California this week.

National

New Digital Amber Alerts Could Create A Backlash

1:20pm August 09, 2013

by Steve Henn

Recent Amber Alerts startled millions of mobile phone owners and left them confused. The wireless emergency alert system just rolled out for mobile phones earlier this year. Some child advocates worry that the alerts' lack of context may cause people to turn them off.

Queue Listen Now

This week, several women in the U.K. went public about explicit abuse they received on Twitter.

World News

As Twitter Expands Reach, Abuse Policy Gets Added Scrutiny

12:26pm August 07, 2013

by Steve Henn

A series of threats and abusive messages aimed at prominent women in the U.K. have placed Twitter in an awkward spot. As the company gears up to go public and expand its brand around the world, it is increasingly running into cultural and legal hurdles that challenge Twitter's free speech ethos.

Queue Listen Now

Amazon said its new art marketplace will provide access to more than 40,000 works of art from at least 150 galleries and dealers.

Arts
Economy

Amazon Enters Art World; Galleries Say They Aren't Worried

11:35am August 07, 2013

by Laura Sydell

Will the local gallery go the way of the local bookstore or record store? In the past few years, there's been a growth in sites that sell fine art on the Internet. On Tuesday, Amazon joined that market.

Queue Listen Now

The U.S. Trade Representative has overturned a ban on the import of the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2.

Trade Case Puts Apple In Washington's Sights

7:08pm August 05, 2013

by Laura Sydell

Apple has been notoriously disinterested in Washington politics. But two recent decisions coming from the Obama administration — one involving iPhones, the other dealing with e-books — indicate that Washington is increasingly interested in Apple.

Queue Listen Now

Concept art of the suit the Special Operations Command is trying to build.

National

Special Ops Envisions 'Iron Man'-Like Suit To Protect Troops

6:24pm August 05, 2013

by Tom Bowman

The Special Operations Command, which runs the Green Berets and Navy SEALs, is teaming up with scientists and engineers to build a suit with more protection, a wearable antenna and computers that monitor wounds. They hope to have working prototypes within a few years.

Queue Listen Now

A conference attendee tries Google Glass during the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco in May.

Arts

Bracing For Google Glass: An In-Your-Face Technology

2:22pm August 05, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

The new eyeglass frames allow you to take pictures and browse the Internet while you wear them. Early adopters focused on the tiny screens have already been dubbed "glassholes." Fresh Air linguist Geoff Nunberg reminds us that in Shakespeare's time "distraction" was another word for madness.

Queue Listen Now

Scott Simon On Sharing His Mother's Final Moments On Twitter

5:33pm July 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Weekend Edition host used Twitter to share his observations and feelings in the final, tender moments of his mother's life. In a conversation with NPR's Audie Cornish, Simon remembers his late mom and explains how the social media community bolstered his spirits in a time of grieving.

Queue Listen Now