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Joshua Brockman Joshua Brockman joined NPR in 2008 as a producer for Digital News, covering consumer business and technology for NPR.org.
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Joshua Brockman

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Wednesday

Health

High Costs, Limited Care A Pain For Therapy Patients

Rising health care costs and increased regulations are forcing some physical therapists to book shorter appointments or see multiple patients at once. That frustrates patients and practitioners. Critics say some therapists are more focused on the bottom line than on patient improvement.

High Costs, Limited Care A Pain For Therapy Patients

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Tuesday

Music In The Cloud: What's In Store For Consumers?

Amazon may be the first major company to launch a cloud-based music service, but Apple and Google may not be far behind. istockphoto.com hide caption

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istockphoto.com

All Tech Considered

Music In The Cloud: What's In Store For Consumers?

Amazon's new music service promises to enable consumers to store music remotely in the cloud and access it wherever they go. But technology and consumer sentiment may stand in the way of moving music, photos or digital files into the equivalent of a self-storage locker.

Monday

Monday

AT&T's Expansion Raises Questions For Consumers

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson announces the company's decision to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom in New York on Monday. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

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Richard Drew/AP

Business

AT&T's Expansion Raises Questions For Consumers

If approved, AT&T's plan to acquire T-Mobile USA in a $39 billion merger would combine two giant wireless communication companies. But is it a winning proposition for consumers? One fewer major wireless carrier may increase the likelihood of rate hikes, analysts say.

Thursday

Voice Quality On Hold For Smart Phones

Millions of people use their smart phones to make calls. But voice quality remains just fair for most phones, according to Consumer Reports. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Opinion

All Tech Considered

Voice Quality On Hold For Smart Phones

American consumers still talk a lot on their smart phones, but one key function consistently falls short — voice quality. Recent studies by Consumer Reports and others find that it hasn't kept pace with advances in screen display, Web browsing and battery life.

Tuesday

Will Jobs' Departure Take A Bite Out Of Apple?

Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrates the company's FaceTime app in October. Apple analysts wonder whether the company can still innovate without Jobs at the helm. Tony Avelar/AP hide caption

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Tony Avelar/AP

Technology

Will Jobs' Departure Take A Bite Out Of Apple?

From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, there's widespread acknowledgment that Steve Jobs' close relationship to the Apple brand and the company's employees is something that can't easily be replicated. There's no guarantee Apple can create the next big thing without Jobs at the helm.

Tuesday

Monday

A Verizon iPhone At Long Last?

Henry Weinacker III talks on his iPhone during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Verizon Wireless customers may soon be able to do the same. Julie Jacobson/AP hide caption

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Julie Jacobson/AP

All Tech Considered

A Verizon iPhone At Long Last?

Verizon Wireless is expected to announce Tuesday that it will start selling the iPhone. There's the potential for millions of new iPhone sales. Here, a look at the potential pluses and minuses of what a Verizon iPhone might offer.

Friday

Say What? Voice Recognition Apps, Maps And Traps

A screen grab of the Dragon Dictation app at work on an iPhone. Courtesy of Nuance hide caption

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Courtesy of Nuance

All Tech Considered

Say What? Voice Recognition Apps, Maps And Traps

Advances in voice recognition technology are making it more fun, and productive, to talk to your computer. The technology, which has migrated to a number of free apps, can give our fingers and hands some much needed rest. But it's still not perfect.

Say What? Voice Recognition Apps, Maps And Traps

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Thursday

X Prize Marks Fuel-Efficiency Spot For Future Cars

Team Edison2's Oliver Kuttner (left) and Brad Jaeger, one of the team's professional race car drivers, with the Very Light Car that won the mainstream class of the X Prize competition. Joshua Brockman/NPR hide caption

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Business

X Prize Marks Fuel-Efficiency Spot For Future Cars

The top winner in the $10 million automotive X Prize competition is a gas-powered super-efficient vehicle made in the U.S. It can get more than 100 miles per gallon and carry four passengers. Two electric cars will also share the prize.

X Prize Marks Fuel-Efficiency Spot For Future Cars

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Friday

Social Networking Surges For Seniors

77-year-old Suzette D'Hooghe works on her laptop computer during a computer class in Des Plaines, Ill., in 2003. Increasing numbers of people older than 50 are turning to social networking to share updates and connect with family and friends. Tim Boyle/Getty Images hide caption

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Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Technology

Social Networking Surges For Seniors

Social networking has almost doubled among people older than 50 in the past year, with 42 percent of seniors participating in the hot Internet trend. Using Facebook and other sites, seniors build support networks that help them begin a second career, prepare for retirement or deal with health issues, a Pew report finds.

Friday

Four Letters Ease Housing Fears For Some: Rent

Jesus Felizzola says he's renting out of fear. His experience with homeownership turned into a nightmare when he had to sell his home at a substantial loss. Joshua Brockman/NPR hide caption

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Economy

Four Letters Ease Housing Fears For Some: Rent

The rental market hasn't seen an uptick in business even though home sales continue to decline. The rental vacancy rate is at 10.6 percent, near an all-time high. But changing attitudes may boost the rental market going forward.

Four Letters Ease Housing Fears For Some: Rent

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Tuesday

Economy

Low-Income Homeowners Fear Lurking Foreclosures

The crash in house prices has been particularly painful for low-income homeowners. Prices in low-income neighborhoods have fallen more than anywhere else. Some of those homeowners bought at or near the top of the market.

Low-Income Homeowners Fear Lurking Foreclosures

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Friday

Economy

Mortgage Rates Plunge To Lowest Levels Since 1960s

Mortgage rates have remained below 5 percent for more than a month, but this week they hit record lows. Economists say it's the "flight to quality" that is driving down all U.S. long-term interest rates. As long as other investments around the world look risky, the U.S. will enjoy low rates.

Mortgage Rates Plunge To Lowest Levels Since 1960s

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Wednesday

Homebuyers Still Wary Despite Low Rates, Prices

Selma Jager, a real estate agent in Prince George's County, Md., says business has been tough because sellers see prices declining and buyers still feel they're too high. Joshua Brockman/NPR hide caption

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Crisis In The Housing Market

Homebuyers Still Wary Despite Low Rates, Prices

Selma Jager has sold real estate for 38 years in Prince George's County, Md. But she and other real estate agents now face a housing market that is especially exasperating. That's because home prices and interest rates are the lowest they've been in ages, but buyers still aren't taking the plunge.

Homebuyers Still Wary Despite Low Rates, Prices

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Thursday

Hesitant Consumers May Slow Sales This Summer

Meg Radunich, 22, has no income to finance a lot of shopping, so she's hanging on to clothing that she bought in the past few years. Joshua Brockman/NPR hide caption

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Joshua Brockman/NPR

Business

Hesitant Consumers May Slow Sales This Summer

Retailers were encouraged by an uptick in shopping earlier this spring. But more recent data suggest a slowdown at clothing and department stores. Consumer confidence measures are up, but without incentives, cash-strapped shoppers are likely to remain cautious.

Hesitant Consumers May Slow Sales This Summer

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Monday

Apple Unveils Thinner iPhone With Sharper Screen

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces the new iPhone 4 as he delivers the opening keynote address at the 2010 Apple World Wide Developers conference Monday in San Francisco. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Technology

Apple Unveils Thinner iPhone With Sharper Screen

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says the next iPhone will have a higher-resolution screen, longer battery life and thinner design. Jobs opened Apple's annual conference for software developers Monday by revealing the new iPhone 4, which is due to be released June 24. It will cost $199 or $299, depending on the capacity.

Friday

Next iPhone May Be Old News

Apple is widely expected to unveil a new iPhone on Monday. Apple's new iPhone operating system and AT&T's new data plan are stealing the limelight. Robert Barclay/Central Michigan University/AP hide caption

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Robert Barclay/Central Michigan University/AP

Technology

Next iPhone May Be Old News

Are there any surprises left when it comes to the new iPhone? The hype over any new Apple device typically centers on unveiling something the public has never seen before. But with photos purportedly of the new iPhone surfacing online, consumers may feel they've already seen all the details.

Monday

Cutting The Cord: Staying Connected Without Wires

Some 20-something consumers say they prefer to use Wi-Fi at cafes or other venues, rather than pay for high-speed Internet service at home. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

Technology

Cutting The Cord: Staying Connected Without Wires

Cable, phone and satellite companies compete feverishly to deliver high-speed Internet and HDTV to American homes via wires and dishes. But some consumers remain well connected without those traditional services.

Cutting The Cord: Staying Connected Without Wires

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Friday

With Shift To Web, Microsoft's Future Turns 'Cloudy'

Microsoft chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie speaks at a 2007 conference. Mundie says Microsoft is preparing for the arrival of new microprocessors, which will power souped-up computers and devices. Courtesy of Microsoft hide caption

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Courtesy of Microsoft

Technology

With Shift To Web, Microsoft's Future Turns 'Cloudy'

Amid rising competition from Google and other companies, the software giant is gradually offering more Web-based "cloud" computing services while boosting its visibility in the gaming and smart phone markets.

Wednesday

Economic Doubts Linger Despite Sales, Profit Growth

A woman shops at a clothing store in midtown Manhattan in New York City. The Commerce Department says retail sales in March grew 7.6 percent compared with a year ago. Chris Hondros/Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Economy

Economic Doubts Linger Despite Sales, Profit Growth

Some positive corporate earnings reports and upbeat retail sales figures have bolstered Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's assessment that the economy is on the road to recovery. But many analysts aren't ready to say the economy is healthy

Monday

From Chalk To Bytes: The Digital Classroom

Janis Ruoff, an assistant research professor of special education at The George Washington University, uses a blackboard in her classroom. Many colleges and universities have turned to learning management systems to help teachers disseminate information electronically. Courtesy of William Atkins/The George Washington University hide caption

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Courtesy of William Atkins/The George Washington University

Technology

From Chalk To Bytes: The Digital Classroom

More and more professors use technology called learning management systems to distribute course material, issue grades and enhance communication with students. And it has the potential to make the classroom more interactive.

From Chalk To Bytes: The Digital Classroom

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