Technology

Science

Shakespeare's Sonnets, Encoded In DNA

1:00pm January 25, 2013

Reporting in Nature, researchers write of encoding a variety of files--jpg, mp3, txt and pdf--in strands of DNA. Lead author Nick Goldman says DNA is extraordinarily long-lasting, compared to today's hard drives and magnetic tapes. And if all the world's information were written in DNA, he says, it would fit in the back of a station wagon.

Queue Listen Now

A wave of racist tweets prompted a Jewish student organization to file a lawsuit asking the American company Twitter to reveal the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. Twitter says data on users is collected and stocked in California, where Fr

World News

French Twitter Lawsuit Pits Free Speech Against Hate Speech

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

A French judge will decide this week if Twitter must hand over the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. The case, brought against Twitter by a Jewish student group, is a clash of legal cultures: U.S. free speech guarantees vs. European laws banning hate speech.

Queue Listen Now

AeroVironment's Raven drone is used for military surveillance and can be launched by hand.

This Defense Contractor Has A Green Side

10:06am January 22, 2013

by Amy Walters

AeroVironment has an unusual combination of products — military drones and electric vehicle chargers. The company's president acknowledges that some workers are uncomfortable with the company's dual interests, but he doesn't see a conflict.

Queue Listen Now

Science

Inventors Design Lamp Powered Entirely By Gravity

1:03pm January 18, 2013

As part of a research initiative on how to harness off-grid energy for low-power electronics, a pair of U.K.-based designers created a lamp that uses gravity to generate light. Martin Riddiford, co-inventor of the GravityLight, talks about plans for the innovative project.

Queue Listen Now

Car companies are picking up automobile concepts such as this Lexus SL 600 Integrated Safety driverless research vehicle, shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January in Las Vegas.

Bump On The Road For Driverless Cars Isn't Technology, It's You

1:07am January 18, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

New technology is getting us closer and closer to the point where cars will drive themselves. Automakers are testing and refining systems that will make this happen. But our love for control may keep us from riding in these cars anytime soon.

Queue Listen Now

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on Tuesday.

Economy

'It's About Time': Facebook Reveals New Search Feature

8:47am January 16, 2013

by Laura Sydell

The "graph search" feature, which will let users comb their friends' pages for everything from travel tips to restaurants they like, gives the company a path to grow its revenue but could also add to privacy concerns. Most analysts don't see the new feature as a direct threat to Google — for now.

Queue Listen Now

National

Did Prosecutors Go Too Far In Swartz Case?

7:54pm January 15, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Criticism is raining down on prosecutors in Massachusetts after the suicide of computer genius Aaron Swartz. His family says Swartz, who was facing trial on wire and computer fraud charges, was the victim of Justice Department overreach. But legal experts say the case is more complicated than that.

Queue Listen Now

Some 23 percent of those aged 12-17 say they have a smartphone, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Your Teen Wants A Smartphone? Here's The Fine Print

11:57am January 15, 2013

by NPR Staff

When Janell Burley Hofmann's son turned 13, she faced a question: Was it finally time to give her son a smartphone? She decided he was mature enough to handle it, but not without signing an 18-point contract regarding appropriate iPhone use.

Queue Listen Now

Wide angle shot of an hourglass with laptop computer in the background.

Arts

In Video-Streaming Rat Race, Fast Is Never Fast Enough

1:55pm January 11, 2013

by Sami Yenigun

As more and more Web users turn to streaming video services like YouTube, a new study shows how impatient those users are. The first of its kind, the UMass study suggests load times of more than 10 seconds can drive away more than 50 percent of viewers.

Queue Listen Now

How E-Waste Is Becoming a Big, Global Problem

1:03pm January 11, 2013

According to the EPA, more than 2.5 million tons of electronic waste, or e-waste, is produced each year in the U.S. Derek Markham, a contributing writer for Treehugger.com, discusses the global impacts, and why you should think twice before discarding your old cell phone.

Queue Listen Now