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Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Making Permanent Digital Records Not So Permanent

Mobile phones and a unlocked padlock

December 4, 2012 The Internet is forever — and so are texts, tweets and Facebook updates — but a startup has big ambitions to bring privacy and impermanence to online communication. The company, called Wickr, lets users decide how long a message lives.

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Monday, December 03, 2012

All Tech Considered

Which Tablet Is Right For You?

The new Microsoft Surface tablet on display after a press conference in New York in October. The Microsoft tablet goes up against products from Apple, Amazon and Google.

December 3, 2012 For the first time, Apple's iPad has some competition: Google's Nexus, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and the Microsoft Surface. Tech reporters Steve Henn and Laura Sydell have been testing out the latest tablets this holiday season — and found that content is king.

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The Two-Way

Group Of Internet Trolls Claims Thousands Of Tumblr Blogs Infected By Worm

A screenshot of the Tumblr homepage.

December 3, 2012 The worm has spread when users click on a post that denigrates Tumblr users. The infected post, encourages users of the micro-blogging site to "drink bleach and die."

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All Tech Considered

In Eye Control, A Promise To Let Your Tablet Go Hands-Free

The open-source software produced by the Gaze Group uses infrared light to track the pupils of users' eyes, allowing them to control the cursor on a mobile or desktop computer.

December 3, 2012 Forget touch screens and voice recognition. What if you could control your computer just by looking at it? Gaze-based interaction has been around for 20 years, but it may be poised to become more widely available — and affordable.

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The Next Workplace? Behind The Wheel

The 2013 Bentley Mulsanne features drop-down iPad workstations. More cars are being outfitted to operate as mobile offices.

December 3, 2012 From the back seat of a Bentley to the cab of a Ford F-150, NPR's Nina Gregory visits the L.A. Auto Show to check out the latest in mobile offices: vehicles designed for work.

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Shots - Health News

Text Messages Help Smokers Kick The Habit

In the U.K.-based program called Txt2stop, researchers sent smokers encouraging text messages, like the one above, to help them quit.

December 3, 2012 Texting may not always be the best method of communication, but it can be a promising support network for smokers who want to quit. Several recent studies show that receiving an encouraging text can help stave off a cigarette craving and boost motivation to quit for good.

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Sunday, December 02, 2012

All Tech Considered

The Sight Of Roadkill Makes A Pretty, Data-Rich Picture

When wildlife ecologist Danielle Garneau finds roadkill, she uploads data about it onto her smartphone.

December 2, 2012 NCPRScientists and citizens are filling up a database on dead critters with their smartphones. The EpiCollect app pulls data such as location, speed limit and the carcass's condition. Wildlife ecologist Danielle Garneau says the project tracks animal movement and may help protect species in the future.

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Saturday, December 01, 2012

Middle East

Shutdowns Counter The Idea Of A World-Wide Web

Night falls on a Syrian rebel-controlled area on Thursday, the same day an Internet blackout struck the country. The cause is still unclear, but many claim the Syrian government was responsible.

December 1, 2012 The Internet shutdowns in Syria and Egypt have shown how governments can thwart activists who mobilize and promote their cause online. Some countries claim that control is their right, but will the rest of the world agree?

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Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012

Business

A Bet Or A Prediction? Intrade's Purpose Is Debated

Ireland-based Intrade lets users bet money on all manner of predictions — like if a particular film will win an Oscar. The site is ceasing operations in the U.S.

November 29, 2012 The "prediction market" site Intrade's decision to close in the U.S. highlights how the company exists in a regulatory gray area, somewhere between trading and betting. Intrade says it hopes to operate legally in the U.S. eventually. In the meantime, American users must close their accounts by year's end.

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All Tech Considered

Yet Another Shift In Facebook Policies Raises Privacy Concerns

A magnifying glass is posed over a monitor displaying a Facebook page in Munich.

November 29, 2012 Facebook has a long history of upsetting its users by suddenly announcing a change to its privacy settings. In 2009, as a way to quiet the critics, Facebook set up a system for its customers to vote on changes. If enough of them were unhappy, the company would back down. Now, Facebook wants to get rid of the voting.

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The Salt

Key To E. Coli-Free Spinach May Be An Ultrasonic Spa Treatment

Spinach has lots of opportunities to pick up E. coli and other bugs during harvest and growing. Here, a Mexican migrant worker cuts organic spinach during the fall harvest at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Co.

November 29, 2012 A new way to clean spinach combines an old technique and a new one to get the disease-causing bacteria. But there aren't any commercial orders for the ultrasonic spinach spa just yet.

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Asia

Facebook Arrests Ignite Free-Speech Debate In India

Shaheen Dhada (left) and Renu Srinivasan leave court in Mumbai on Nov. 19. Dhada was arrested for a Facebook post questioning the shutdown of Mumbai for the funeral of a powerful politician; Srinivasan was arrested for "liking" the post.

November 29, 2012 A 21-year-old was arrested after she questioned the shutdown of Mumbai for the funeral of a controversial political leader; her friend was arrested for simply "liking" the post. The comment angered the politician's supporters, who some say intimidated police into making the arrests.

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