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Laura Sydell Laura Sydell is the Digital Culture Correspondent for the NPR's All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition and NPR.org.
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Laura Sydell
Small Cinemas Struggle As Film Fades Out Of The Picture

The Roxie Theater in San Francisco still has two 35 millimeter projectors, but the switch to digital is inevitable. Laura Sydell/NPR hide caption

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Laura Sydell/NPR

All Tech Considered

Small Cinemas Struggle As Film Fades Out Of The Picture

Paramount became the first big studio to distribute a major film in the U.S. only in digital, and others will probably follow. Small cinemas are struggling to raise money for the transition. Despite resistance from some major directors, the end of film is almost upon us.

Small Cinemas Struggle As Film Fades Out Of The Picture

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Retailers Can Wait To Tell You Your Card Data Have Been Compromised

The security breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus have raised questions over how quickly companies are required to disclose that customer information was hacked. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Retailers Can Wait To Tell You Your Card Data Have Been Compromised

The data breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus raised questions over how quickly companies are required to disclose that customer information was hacked. The rules around when a retailer is required to tell you that your data got into the hands of fraudsters vary state by state.

Retailers Can Wait To Tell You Your Card Data Have Been Compromised

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Technology

Court: FCC Can't Enforce Net Neutrality

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has struck down a provision of the Federal Communications Commission's "Open Internet Rules." That provision allowed the FCC to regulate Internet service providers in much the same way it regulates phone service providers — requiring them to provide unrestricted service to all users.

Court: FCC Can't Enforce Net Neutrality

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Law

Appeals Court Strikes Down Open Internet Rules

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court struck down Federal Communications Commission rules that would prevent Internet service providers from restricting usage on their networks and charging companies and users more for faster service. Critics say that this will create a two-tiered Internet that will favor those who can pay.

Appeals Court Strikes Down Open Internet Rules

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Business

Google Buys Home Automation Company Nest

On Monday, Google announced it had purchased Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. Nest is focused on the "automated home" concept, making smoke detectors and thermostats that connect to the Internet. Google's purchase signals a strong interest in this arena.

Google Buys Home Automation Company Nest

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Game Over For Nintendo? Not If Mario And Zelda Fans Keep Playing

A Southwest Airlines passenger thanks Mario for giving away free Wii U systems on a flight from New Orleans to Dallas in November. Matt Strasen/Matt Strasen/Invision/AP hide caption

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Matt Strasen/Matt Strasen/Invision/AP

All Tech Considered

Game Over For Nintendo? Not If Mario And Zelda Fans Keep Playing

Some analysts say that Nintendo's days are numbered because sales of its new console, Wii U, have been lackluster. But since Nintendo still offers some of the most popular game franchises, the love of Zelda and Mario may keep the company going for a long time.

Game Over For Nintendo? Not If Mario And Zelda Fans Keep Playing

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Class Trumps Race When It Comes To Internet Access

Smartphones offer a way for lower-income people who don't have broadband access at home to connect to the Internet. iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Code Switch

Class Trumps Race When It Comes To Internet Access

A new study finds that income and age play a larger role in access to high-speed Internet than race. Among lower-income African-Americans, smartphones are often a way to make up for not having a broadband connection at home. But using a mobile device as a primary means of accessing the Internet has drawbacks.

Class Trumps Race When It Comes To Internet Access

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Hot On YouTube: Videos About Video Games, And Science, Too

A screengrab of a YouTube video of the game Walking Dead from the Swedish gamer known as PewDiePie. Videos of people offering commentary while playing video games are wildly popular on YouTube. YouTube/PewDiePie hide caption

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YouTube/PewDiePie

All Tech Considered

Hot On YouTube: Videos About Video Games, And Science, Too

Many people watched other people playing video games on the video-sharing site in 2013. But it wasn't all about games; educational videos, particularly those that explain science concepts or use fun animation, were also big hits.

Hot On YouTube: Videos About Video Games, And Science, Too

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What It's Like To Live On Low Pay In A Land Of Plenty

Manny Cardenas, seen here with his 5-year-old daughter Zoe, has earned $16 an hour as a part-time security guard at Google. Laura Sydell/NPR hide caption

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Laura Sydell/NPR

All Tech Considered

What It's Like To Live On Low Pay In A Land Of Plenty

Employees at Silicon Valley companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook are highly paid and enjoy a wide range of perks on the job. The security guards who watch over their workplaces earn around $16 an hour, a tough wage to get by on in the high-priced San Francisco Bay Area.

What It's Like To Live On Low Pay In A Land Of Plenty

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Amid Cuts And Tax Hikes, Tech Companies Get Love in Ireland

Tech companies around the world have set up shop in the financial district in Dublin, Ireland. Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Amid Cuts And Tax Hikes, Tech Companies Get Love in Ireland

Ireland has made a concerted effort to grow its tech industry, through tax incentives and development programs. Officials credit the initiative with helping uplift the country's economy. But the country has also faces local and international criticism for its approach.

Amid Cuts And Tax Hikes, Tech Companies Get Love in Ireland

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For Advocacy Groups, Video Games Are The Next Frontier

A screenshot of Half the Sky, where virtual successes sometimes lead to real-life donations. Games For Change hide caption

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Games For Change

All Tech Considered

For Advocacy Groups, Video Games Are The Next Frontier

As video games become more mainstream, some social action organizations are using them to raise awareness or raise funds. They advocate for a range of causes, from the struggles of women in the developing world to the effects of power in Congress.

For Advocacy Groups, Video Games Are The Next Frontier

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Will New PlayStation, Xbox Click Beyond The Hard-Core Gamer?

The Sony PlayStation 4 sells for $399. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images hide caption

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Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Will New PlayStation, Xbox Click Beyond The Hard-Core Gamer?

More than seven years since their previous releases, Sony and Microsoft are debuting new versions of their popular game consoles — PlayStation and Xbox. Hard-core gamers are excited, but once that initial rush is over, Sony and Microsoft will have to work a lot harder to expand beyond that market.

Will New PlayStation, Xbox Click Beyond The Hard-Core Gamer?

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Business

Judge: Google's Book Copying Doesn't Violate Copyright Law

Google has prevailed in a long-running lawsuit over the millions of books the company has digitally scanned without permission from authors and publishers. A U.S. Circuit Court judge has ruled that it's "fair use" when Google scans portions of books for public to use.

Judge: Google's Book Copying Doesn't Violate Copyright Law

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What Today's Online Sharing Companies Can Learn From Napster

Napster founder Shawn Fanning in February 2001, after a ruling that the free Internet-based service must stop allowing copyrighted material to be shared. Paul Sakuma/AP hide caption

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Paul Sakuma/AP

All Tech Considered

What Today's Online Sharing Companies Can Learn From Napster

Perhaps no company showed how the Internet could turn sharing into a global phenomenon more than Napster. The music-sharing site upended the record industry. But the industry ultimately survived and free-music Napster did not. What are new businesses doing to avoid the same fate?

What Today's Online Sharing Companies Can Learn From Napster

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