Digital Life : NPR

'Unsubscribe' Outlines How to Change Your Email Habits

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 16:35:00 -0400

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Jocelyn Glei about email: why it's so addicting, why we haven't switched to something better, and how to use it without being consumed by it. Her book on the topic is called, Unsubscribe.

How Free Web Content Traps People In An Abyss Of Ads And Clickbait

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 14:24:00 -0400

Author and law professor Tim Wu says much of the "free" content on the Web comes at a price to users, who are subjected to ads that are targeted specifically at them and increasingly hard to ignore.

Police Searches Of Social Media Face Privacy Pushback

Martin Kaste — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 10:00:28 -0400

Data analytics firms that analyze vast amounts of public social media are a tool for law enforcement. But there are signs that Twitter, Facebook and others are shutting off access to that data.

You Can Monitor Heart Rhythm With A Smartphone, But Should You?

Erin Ross — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 05:00:00 -0400

Smartphones can be used to test for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can cause strokes. But it's still not clear who should use this emerging technology.

Can Dating App Hinge Make You Talk, Not Swipe?

Aarti Shahani — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 16:58:00 -0400

Once upon a time, there was a startup that wanted to play Cupid. But Hinge lost its way and became just another hookup app. Now it's issuing a public confession and taking a big risk.

One Tweet Unleashes A Torrent Of Stories Of Sexual Assault

Camila Domonoske — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 16:06:00 -0400

Donald Trump talked about grabbing women's genitals. On Twitter, tens of thousands of women have told stories from the other side of sexual assault, sharing their stories with the hashtag #NotOkay.

What's In A Design? A Smartphone Battle In The Highest Court

Nina Totenberg — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 04:22:00 -0400

The Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Tuesday in a case that pits Samsung against Apple — and could have major repercussions for tech products across the board.

U.S. Blames Russian Hackers For High-Profile Cyber Attacks

Mon, 10 Oct 2016 16:38:00 -0400

The U.S. Intelligence Community announced on Friday it is confident hackers connected to the Russian government are behind several high-profile cyber attacks in the last year. Kenneth Geers, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, shares his thoughts on who these hackers are and the complexities behind international cyber espionage.

#NPRreads: Police Corruption, A Migrant Crisis, And Sponge Crabs

David Eads — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 10:30:00 -0400

Correspondents, editors and producers from NPR's newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading, using the #NPRreads hashtag.

Would Twitter Be Better Off As A Nonprofit?

Laura Sydell — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 06:15:00 -0400

Twitter is struggling to earn a profit and please investors. Companies including Disney and Alphabet are said to be considering bids for it. But would Twitter be better off as a nonprofit?

We May Die, But Our Tweets Can Live Forever

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 17:12:51 -0400

A new exhibit explores what people leave behind online after they die. BuzzFeed senior writer Doree Shafrir discusses what it was like to attend her own "digital funeral."

#NPRreads: Two Looks At America — And One Look At America's Pastime

Kirk Siegler — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 11:43:00 -0400

Correspondents, editors and producers from NPR's newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading.

The People's Guide To Navigating Racial Awkwardness

Leah Donnella — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 14:04:00 -0400

What are the best strategies for responding to uncomfortable racial comments? We asked, you delivered. Here are some of our favorite ideas.

Tech Giants Team Up To Tackle The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence

Alina Selyukh — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 18:15:00 -0400

Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and IBM form a group to set the first industrywide best practices for the technology already powering many applications, such as voice and image recognition.

I Guess We Need To Talk About Pepe The Frog

Camila Domonoske — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 13:11:00 -0400

A cartoon frog became popular, then a pariah. Now the Anti-Defamation League has identified it as a hate symbol. We take a short look at the amphibious, ambiguous meme.