The FCC delivers an Internet declaration of independence
Whether it is a declaration of independence or a bill or rights for the Internet, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler made his position clear when he announced his net neutrality plan this week: Everything on the...
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The tech invasion of fashion? The flirting has begun.
Google founder Sergey Brin (L) and designer Diane von Furstenberg sit and watch the rehearsal for her Spring/Summer 2013 collection show during New York Fashion Week September. Credit: Carlo...
View ArticleYour total is $57.67 — will that be cash, credit or phone?
New payment technology is coming this year to the US, in a big way.In 2015, credit card companies and banks are finally starting to introduce chip-and-PIN, or chip-and-signature technology, more...
View ArticleCan Italy build another Renaissance?
By Jeff TylerThe Sistine Chapel, Galileo’s scientific discoveries, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and Machiavelli’s political writings were all great achievements of the Renaissance. But what were the...
View ArticleSaving our fisheries and feeding a growing population are both possible
Fish have long been hailed for their remarkable nutritional value: once upon a time kids were forced to swallow cod liver oil, because it was considered “brain food.” Today, doctors say that switching...
View ArticleHow your smartphone soon may help test for STDs
It’s a small exaggeration to say that a drop of blood is the biggest thing that goes into making this test.But a new technology could soon allow medical professionals — and perhaps even patients at...
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A California startup tries to capture the elusive spoken word — and make it...
The few times I've used speech recognition technology, I've just ended up arguing with my smart phone in public.But at Pop Up Archive, there are greater ambitions for that technology. The website uses...
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You think the snow in the US is bad? Spare a thought for Iranians caught in a...
The pictures look like they come straight from an apocalyptic movie. The air is yellowish and the visibility is greatly reduced. Flights have been cancelled and schools have been closed.For days now,...
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Big snow in a warming world. What's up with that?
I haven’t told my 5-year-old daughter about global warming. There are some obvious reasons for that but one purely practical one is that she’d just be damn confused. Especially these last couple of...
View ArticleFloods, blizzards, droughts, and dust storms: The week in perspective
While trudging to work through 4-foot high piles of slush and snow, the aftermath of two weeks of winter storms in New England, it has been easy to become consumed with the inconvenience of my...
View ArticleRogue fishermen beware: Big Brother is watching you
As more marine reserves are created — places where no fishing is allowed for conservation reasons — technology is playing a critical role in catching would-be violators.Joshua Reichart, executive vice...
View ArticleYour smart TV may be spying on you — and stopping it is against the law
Is your new smart TV spying on you? Many new TV's are equipped with a microphone that allows for voice control, a function that is akin to Apple's "Siri."The functionality is great for innovation and...
View ArticleChange in climate and energy strategy is a key for the GOP’s road to the...
Many Republicans question the science of climate change, but some say a presidential candidate who embraces free-market climate solutions could have a winning strategy for the GOP.Former Rep. Bob...
View ArticleWhat are your 50 words for snow?
Much of the United States has been pummeled with subzero temperatures and feet of snow. So we've decided to inject a bit of fun into the miserable winter of 2015.We're asking listeners around the...
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Here's what happens when increasingly severe weather meets deforestation
You could say the people living along the banks of the Thondwe River in southern Malawi were lucky. At least they’d been warned of the flash flood in early January that would burst through an earthen...
View ArticleA proposed Ohio gas pipeline is raising safety and property rights concerns...
Paul Gierosky isn’t what you might expect in an anti-pipeline activist.He’s a businessman. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have been renovating their dream home in fast-growing Medina County, in...
View ArticleSomeday we may be heating homes and businesses with computers
Imagine a future in which electricity generated by solar panels runs powerful computers that can be used to heat our homes.This is the future envisioned by Lawrence Orsini, founder of Project Exergy....
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Native American tribes unite to fight the Keystone pipeline and government...
The Keystone XL pipeline may have divided advocates and lawmakers in Washington, but the controversial project has also united a wide group of Native American tribes whose lands the pipes would...
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The America that most Americans never see
Often vacationing foreigners outnumber Americans in visiting some of the most stunning parts of the US. And many are rarely visited. They make up a big share of the 20 most popular images from the US...
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Nicaragua's grand canal plan could sacrifice its great lake
Imagine a Hawaiian island rising up out of a huge lake and you’ve got something like Nicaragua’s Ometepe. It’s the largest island in Central America’s largest lake, Lake Nicaragua. It’s where Luvys and...
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