Technology

World News

SoftBank Moves Closer To 78 Percent Stake In Sprint

9:48am July 04, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

SoftBank's acquisition of a majority stake in Sprint Nextel appears to have cleared a final hurdle. The FCC reportedly approved the deal on Wednesday. Regulatory approval is the last step before the mega deal can be completed.

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Sound World Solution's hearing device lets a user customize its settings using a Bluetooth connection and a smartphone.

To Make Hearing Aids Affordable, Firm Turns On Bluetooth

10:38am July 02, 2013

by John Ydstie

Traditional hearing aids can be too expensive for many people. But a new type that uses Bluetooth technology costs only about $300. The company that makes the new devices aims to reach millions of people around the world who need hearing aids but have trouble paying for them.

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Computer's Screen Inspired First Video Game, 'Space War'

6:11pm July 01, 2013

Steve Russell was the main creator of Space War! at MIT in 1961 — the project was one of the earliest digital video games. He tells Robert Siegel how he came up with the idea of battling spaceships as a way to use a donated computer.

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The Ouya game console and controller. Games are sold through something like an app store, allowing customers to sample them before buying.

Game Console Ouya Lures Buyers With $99 Price Tag

12:37pm June 27, 2013

by Laura Sydell

A $99 video game console funded through Kickstarter went on sale this week. Ouya is significantly cheaper than the big-brand consoles and also relies on a different business model. Games are sold through something like an app store, allowing customers to sample them before buying.

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More courts are asking jurors to avoid social media services and tools that have become an integral part of modern life, like Twitter, Facebook, email, texting, instant messaging and Internet research.

National

For Modern Jurors, Being On A Case Means Being Offline

6:10pm June 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

In simpler times, jurors were told not to discuss their cases with others. But with the proliferation of mobile devices, courts must now contend with Facebook, tweets, texts, instant messaging and Google — all tools that can compromise a juror's impartiality.

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DuckDuckGo Benefits From Internet Searchers Wanting Privacy

11:55am June 24, 2013

by Emma Jacobs

Online search engines that protect users' privacy are seeing a spike in traffic after the NSA surveillance revelations. DuckDuckGo, which does not track users at all, says it's seen record-breaking traffic.

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National

How To Keep Your Smartphone Secure

10:59am June 22, 2013

In light of all the snooping by the government on individuals, it seems that it's not that difficult for anyone with the know-how to find out what you're doing. Bill Supernor, CTO of security company Koolspan, speaks to Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon about how to keep your smartphone safe.

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Arts

Calling It 'Metadata' Doesn't Make Surveillance Less Intrusive

2:47pm June 21, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

Whether it's logs of phone calls or GPS data, commentator Geoff Nunberg says it still says a lot about who you are: "Tell me where you've been and who you've been talking to, and I'll tell you about your politics, your health, your sexual orientation, your finances," he says.

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Science

Beaming Internet to the Boondocks, Via Balloon

11:17am June 21, 2013

Rather than relying on cell towers, phone lines, or fiber optics, Google plans to beam 3G-speed Internet to the world's most inaccessible corners using helium balloons. The experiment is called "Project Loon." Leader Mike Cassidy talks about the project's first step: providing balloon Internet to New Zealand and the 40th parallel south.

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A Calculating Win for China's New Supercomputer

11:17am June 21, 2013

China's "Tianhe-2" (Milky Way 2) supercomputer took first place in one recent speed test, clocking in at 30 quadrillion calculations per second--about twice as fast as the best American machines. The U.S. still has more supercomputers than any other nation, but some experts say computer speed is a measure of a country's scientific innovation, and worry the U.S. is lagging behind.

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