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Laura Sydell
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Laura Sydell

Tuesday

Pop Culture

Will 'Get What You Want' Leave A Cultural Gap?

"Get what you want, when you want it." That phrase has increasingly defined consumers' relationship to the entertainment industry as the past decade has unfolded. But are choice and convenience costing us a sense of common culture? Put another way: Would Seinfeld's "puffy shirt" make it into the Smithsonian today?

Will 'Get What You Want' Leave A Cultural Gap?

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Tuesday

The iPod: 'A Quantum Leap In Listening'
Courtesy of Apple

The Decade In Music: '00s

The iPod: 'A Quantum Leap In Listening'

It wasn't the first player to offer music on the go; remember the Walkman? And it wasn't the first portable MP3 player. But its impact is undeniable. Launched in 2001, the iPod represents one of the signal musical events of the decade that's coming to a close.

The iPod: 'A Quantum Leap In Listening'

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Monday

Napster: The File-Sharing Service That Started It All?
John G. Mabanglo/AFP/Getty Images

The Decade In Music: '00s

Napster: The File-Sharing Service That Started It All?

The "aughts," as some are calling these years, have seen the music industry turned on its head. The revolution actually began in 1999, with a little project by college student Shawn Fanning. By 2000, the online file-sharing service was being sued by record labels and musicians. The next year, it was gone. But Napster's legacy lingers on.

Napster: The File-Sharing Service That Started It All?

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Tuesday

Study: 15 Percent Of Teens With Cells Receive 'Sexts'
iStockphoto.com

Technology

Study: 15 Percent Of Teens With Cells Receive 'Sexts'

The study by the Pew Research Center finds that nearly 1 in 6 young people aged 12 to 17 has received a sexually suggestive picture via cell phone. Report says boys and girls are equally likely to send, receive suggestive pictures on their phones.

Study: 15 Percent Of Teens With Cells Receive 'Sexts'

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Friday

Thursday

A 19th-Century Mathematician Finally Proves Himself

Technology

A 19th-Century Mathematician Finally Proves Himself

In the mid-1800s, Charles Babbage got fed up with doing complex calculations by hand, so he designed what he called a "Difference Engine." He never built the machine in his lifetime, but 150 years later, engineers built the engine to Babbage's specifications — and the 5-ton calculator actually works.

A 19th-Century Mathematician Finally Proves Himself

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Sunday

Monday

Business

News Corp., Microsoft Weigh Tie-Up

News Corp. and Microsoft are working on a deal that might take News Corp. content off of Google and put it exclusively on Bing, Microsoft's search engine. That means that if you do a Google search, content from a News Corp. outlet, such as The Wall Street Journal or Fox News, would not show up. You would have to use Bing to find it.

News Corp., Microsoft Weigh Tie-Up

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Friday

Wednesday

Facebook, MySpace Divide Along Social Lines
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Technology

Facebook, MySpace Divide Along Social Lines

Just like real-world communities, online social networks are dividing up along socioeconomic lines. "You have environments in which people are divided by race, divided by class, divided by lifestyle," says social media researcher danah boyd — online communities are no different.

Facebook, MySpace Divide Along Social Lines

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Friday

Wednesday

PepsiCo Apologizes Over Controversial IPhone App

The "Amp Up Before You Score" app suggests pickup lines for what it calls different female types. PepsiCo/iTunes App Store hide caption

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PepsiCo/iTunes App Store

Business

PepsiCo Apologizes Over Controversial IPhone App

PepsiCo released an iPhone app that recommends pickup lines and other ways for guys to get girls. It was designed to promote Pepsi's new energy drink, Amp. After some people were offended and complained on Twitter, PepsiCo apologized.

PepsiCo Apologizes Over Controversial IPhone App

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Tuesday

Monday

New Music Software Predicts The Hits

The Black Eyed Peas' single "I Gotta Feeling" received a hit score of 8.9 out 10 with Music Intelligence Solutions' new software, Hit Song Science. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images hide caption

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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Music News

New Music Software Predicts The Hits

A company called Music Intelligence Solutions has released a computer program designed to predict which songs carry the greatest potential for commercial success. Using a complex series of algorithms, the software scores a song based on musical patterns that the human brain finds pleasing. Recently, the company has made it available to musicians.

New Music Software Predicts The Hits

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Tuesday

Media

FTC: Bloggers Must Disclose Paid Endorsements

If you read blogs or use Facebook and Twitter, you might have friends who share information about coffee, toys or other products they like. Some of them may be getting paid for their endorsements. New federal rules will require bloggers and tweeters to disclose those connections.

FTC: Bloggers Must Disclose Paid Endorsements

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