Accessibility links
Laura Sydell
Stories By

Laura Sydell

Friday

Monday

Technology

What Are You Doing? Twitter Offers a Megaphone

Thanks to MySpace, Facebook and blogging services, it has become common for people to share minute details of their lives. But for those who don't want to commit to a regular blog update, a new service makes it possible to broadcast your activities in real time.

What Are You Doing? Twitter Offers a Megaphone

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10300600/10300926" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Media

Microsoft Pays Premium for Online Ad Firm

Microsoft Corp. is spending $6 billion to acquire the online advertising firm aQuantive Inc. The offer is a huge premium over aQuantive's Thursday closing stock price — a situation that a Microsoft official said is because "we believe it's exactly the right company to buy." Microsoft is playing catch-up in the quickly growing Internet advertising field.

Microsoft Pays Premium for Online Ad Firm

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10266226/10266228" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Business

Amazon.com to Sell Music Downloads for iPod

Online retailer Amazon.com says it's joining the movement to sell songs that can be copied for free to computers, cell phones or music players, including the iPod. Until now, iPod users were mostly restricted to music available in Apple's iTunes store.

Amazon.com to Sell Music Downloads for iPod

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10226398/10226399" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Law

Stanford Center Advocates for Fair Use on Web

The Fair Use Project at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society seeks to lay the groundwork for artists and academics to use copyrighted work without permission in certain situations.

Stanford Center Advocates for Fair Use on Web

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10040628/10040629" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Election 2008

Network's Control of Debate Rankles Pundits

When MSNBC aired the debate of the Democratic candidates in North Carolina, they set up a list of rules for usage of the audio and video, including a restriction against Internet use. There's been an outcry from bloggers and other free-speech activists for permission to post, share and comment on clips from the debate.

Network's Control of Debate Rankles Pundits

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9981621/9981622" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Business

Apple's Jobs Clear of Stock-Options Scandal

The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed fraud charges against two former officers of Apple Inc. They're accused of backdating stock options. It appears that Apple CEO Steve Jobs is in the clear.

Apple's Jobs Clear of Stock-Options Scandal

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9814467/9814468" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Technology

Group Targets Yahoo Inc. Over China Cases

A human rights group sues Yahoo Inc. for disclosures that helped Chinese authorities jail several dissidents. Human Rights USA says it will sue under the Torture Victims Protection Act and other U.S. laws.

Group Targets Yahoo Inc. Over China Cases

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9658200/9658201" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Technology

Live From San Francisco, It's Justin Kan's Life

At a time when most people are doing everything they can to protect their privacy — especially online — 23-year-old Justin Kan is living in a world with no privacy at all. He streams his life as it happens at Justin.tv, courtesy of a webcam strapped to his hat. Laura Sydell reports on the latest trend in the democratization of fame.

Live From San Francisco, It's Justin Kan's Life

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9516623/9520152" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Media

EMI Music Goes DRM-Free in a Deal with Apple

The British media giant EMI says it will release its artists' music digitally without so-called "DRM," or "digital rights management," restrictions. Such moves have been recently called for by the likes of Apple's Steve Jobs, who was in London for the announcement.

EMI Music Goes DRM-Free in a Deal with Apple

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9293489/9293492" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Sunday

Law

'Evidence Mail' Puts Us All on the Record

"Never write anything in an e-mail you wouldn't want to read in the newspaper." It's a lesson people keep failing to learn. The paper trail surrounding the firings of U.S. attorneys is only the most recent example of unwise e-mailing habits.

'Evidence Mail' Puts Us All on the Record

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9269297/9269298" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Technology

'Chat the Planet' Brings Views from Iraq to the Web

Until recently, it wasn't possible for most ordinary Americans to enter into dialogue with people living in the midst of a war. The Internet has changed all that — a company called Chat the Planet is using Web sites like Salon and YouTube to enable young people from all over the world to communicate via live and produced video.

'Chat the Planet' Brings Views from Iraq to the Web

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9213711/9213713" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Art & Design

Preservation of Digital Art Poses Challenges

An increasing number of artists are working with digital technologies and that's posing some new and especially difficult preservation problems for museums. One difficulty is what to do when a work of art needs to keep a hard drive running, or maintain an Internet connection.

Preservation of Digital Art Poses Challenges

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9204359/9204360" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Technology

Viacom, Google Tussle over YouTube Content

Viacom, points to numerous video clips showing up on the video-sharing Web site as violations of copyright law. But YouTube's parent company — Google — says federal law doesn't require it to monitor content.

Viacom, Google Tussle over YouTube Content

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9096753/9096756" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday

Movies

Digital Projection in Theaters Slowed by Dispute

For a while now, movie studios have been touting digital projectors that will drastically improve the look of movies on the big screen. But while studios and theater owners have been squabbling over details, some say audiences have been missing out.

Digital Projection in Theaters Slowed by Dispute

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9047637/9047640" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript