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Thursday November 19, 2015

Square CEO Jack Dorsey outside the New York Stock Exchange before his company went public on Thursday. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

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Richard Drew/AP

All Tech Considered

Do Underwhelming Square, Match IPOs Mean Bubble Trouble?

November 19, 2015 • Online payment startup Square and online dating giant Match have gone public. Their lackluster prices are the latest sign of Wall Street growing weary of tech hype and multibillion-dollar "unicorns."

Do Underwhelming Square, Match IPOs Mean Bubble Trouble?

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Sunday November 8, 2015

Could A Nail Art Printer Be Girls' Gateway To The Tech World?

The co-founder of Preemadonna, maker of the Nailbot, hopes the nail-art printing device will help attract girls to tech. Preemadonna hide caption

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Preemadonna

Innovation

Could A Nail Art Printer Be Girls' Gateway To The Tech World?

November 8, 2015 • A new device called the Nailbot, from the female-run company Preemadonna, uses a smartphone to print art onto fingernails. Its inventors say the beauty tool could help draw more girls to tech.

Wednesday November 4, 2015

Could Your Social Media Footprint Step On Your Credit History?

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The Industry

Could Your Social Media Footprint Step On Your Credit History?

November 4, 2015 • The head of a credit scoring firm says Facebook posts can offer an insight into creditworthiness. If your online presence becomes a financial health gauge, there are legal protections to know about.

Could Your Social Media Footprint Step On Your Credit History?

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Thursday October 29, 2015

Uber Surge Price? Research Says Walk A Few Blocks, Wait A Few Minutes

This map, created by Christo Wilson of Northeastern University, shows Uber surge price areas in Boston. Courtesy of Christo Wilson hide caption

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Courtesy of Christo Wilson

The Industry

Uber Surge Price? Research Says Walk A Few Blocks, Wait A Few Minutes

October 29, 2015 • Northeastern University researchers wanted to figure out how Uber comes up with surge prices by studying Manhattan and San Francisco. They say the surges work, but maybe not the way they are intended.

Tuesday October 27, 2015

Soon It'll Be OK To Tinker With Your Car's Software After All

A service technician uses a diagnostic device in front of a diesel engine in a Volkswagen Touran in an auto repair shop in Hanover, Germany. Researchers have been pushing for freedom to learn more about the code inside cars in the fallout of the VW software-rigging scandal. Julian Stratenschulte/EPA/Landov hide caption

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Julian Stratenschulte/EPA/Landov

The Industry

Soon It'll Be OK To Tinker With Your Car's Software After All

October 27, 2015 • Security researchers and owners will be able to dig into the software built into cars and farming equipment under new exemptions from the Librarian of Congress, who oversees a copyright law provision.

Monday October 26, 2015

Don't Necessarily Judge Your Next E-Book By Its Online Review

Yelp users, who flock to the platform known for its reviews and recommendations, should be on the lookout for astroturfing — the creation of fake reviews to make a business look more popular. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Industry

Don't Necessarily Judge Your Next E-Book By Its Online Review

October 26, 2015 • Online scams known as catfishing and astroturfing produce fake reviews for e-books published under fake names or generate false praise for restaurants. In either case, it pays to be skeptical.

Don't Necessarily Judge Your Next E-Book By Its Online Review

Listen · 7:56 7:56

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Friday October 23, 2015

It's Not Just VW: A Robust Market For Reprogramming Vehicles

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The Industry

It's Not Just VW: A Robust Market For Reprogramming Vehicles

October 23, 2015 • An entire marketplace exists on the Internet for tuners, devices that help drivers crank up the power on vehicles and then hide the evidence. We visit a local diesel shop to see how it works.

It's Not Just VW: A Robust Market For Reprogramming Vehicles

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Wednesday October 21, 2015

What Happens When The Price Of Free Goes Up? YouTube Is About To Find Out

Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

The Industry

What Happens When The Price Of Free Goes Up? YouTube Is About To Find Out

October 21, 2015 • YouTube has long suggested it may try to charge for its content. The new subscription service "Red" hopes to lure users with exclusive content from top stars, offline access to music and other perks.

What Happens When The Price Of Free Goes Up? YouTube Is About To Find Out

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Sunday October 18, 2015

Q&A: What Machines Can Learn From People And We Can Learn From Them

A woman holds up a tablet to showcase data analytics conducted by IBM's Watson technology. IBM hide caption

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IBM

Innovation

Q&A: What Machines Can Learn From People And We Can Learn From Them

October 18, 2015 • Should artificial intelligence mimic human behavior? The executive in charge of developing future generations of IBM's Watson tackles that and other questions about the limits and powers of AI.

Friday October 16, 2015

More Fair Use News: Google Books, Again, Prevails Against Authors

A librarian working with the Google Books project in Ann Arbor, Mich., helps a giant desktop machine scan a rare, centuries-old Bible in 2008. Carlos Osorio/AP hide caption

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Carlos Osorio/AP

The Industry

More Fair Use News: Google Books, Again, Prevails Against Authors

October 16, 2015 • Google gets another win in a case by book authors and publishers challenging its digital library. Disputes over "fair use" of copyrighted material are bound to continue as more stuff ends up online.

Tuesday October 13, 2015

Groups Aim To Make It Easier To Own A Cable TV Box Instead Of Renting

A study by two U.S. senators estimated that 99 percent of cable TV subscribers rent their set-top boxes and pay on average $231 a year to do so. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

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Ariel Zambelich/NPR

The Industry

Groups Aim To Make It Easier To Own A Cable TV Box Instead Of Renting

October 13, 2015 • A study estimated that 99 percent of cable TV subscribers rent their set-top boxes and pay on average $231 a year to do so. Groups want to make it easier for consumers to own similar devices.

Groups Aim To Make It Easier To Own A Cable TV Box Instead Of Renting

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Thursday October 8, 2015

Amazon Takes Aim At Etsy With A New Craft Site, Handmade

Valerie Nethery's LilyEmme Jewelry is among the first artisanal stores to be featured on Handmade, Amazon's new marketplace. LilyEmme Jewelry hide caption

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LilyEmme Jewelry

The Industry

Amazon Takes Aim At Etsy With A New Craft Site, Handmade

October 8, 2015 • Amazon will require that the goods be factory-free — a direct swipe at Etsy, which now allows artisans to work with manufacturers to increase their sales.

Amazon Takes Aim At Etsy With A New Craft Site, Handmade

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Tuesday September 29, 2015

Amid VW Scandal, Critics Want Access To Carmakers' Computer Code

A Volkswagen Passat is tested for exhaust emissions, at a Ministry of Transport testing station in London. In the U.S., a 1998 copyright law prevents safety researchers from accessing the software that runs cars. John Stillwell/PA Photos/Landov hide caption

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John Stillwell/PA Photos/Landov

The Industry

Amid VW Scandal, Critics Want Access To Carmakers' Computer Code

September 29, 2015 • Most of us are unaware of what goes on under the hood of our car. Some people, including safety researchers, would like to access the software. But a 1998 copyright law stands in the way.

Amid VW Scandal, Critics Want Access To Carmakers' Computer Code

Listen · 3:22 3:22

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Atlanta Tries To Carve Out A Niche In Tech

Atlanta is earning the nickname Silicon Valley of the South, joining spinoffs Silicon Alley in New York and Silicon Prairie in the Midwest. Greg Williams/Flickr hide caption

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Greg Williams/Flickr

The Industry

Atlanta Tries To Carve Out A Niche In Tech

September 29, 2015 • Many local startups say their biggest hurdle is cash. It's such a common complaint, Atlanta's mayor is launching a venture capital fund to help tech companies get off the ground.

Atlanta Tries To Carve Out A Niche In Tech

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Thursday September 10, 2015

In Loaded Launch Event, New Apple TV May Merit Closest Look

CEO Tim Cook discusses Apple TV during the Apple event in San Francisco on Wednesday. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption

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Eric Risberg/AP

The Industry

In Loaded Launch Event, New Apple TV May Merit Closest Look

September 10, 2015 • While Apple's new phones and tablet mostly follow the faster-bigger-sharper formula, Apple TV's voice functionality and app ecosystem could be a breakthrough.