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Xeni Tech Xeni Jardin, a frequent writer for Wired and Boing Boing, reports from the intersection of technology and culture.
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Xeni Tech

How Long Should Government E-Mail Linger?

Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has ordered the deletion of all e-mails not saved by city government workers in January of 2008. The more e-mail government employees send, the more there is to store, costing taxpayers money. But costs must be balanced against the need to preserve history.

How Long Should Government E-Mail Linger?

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Mingering Mike: Digging Up a Long-Lost Star

Soul music fan Dori Hadar is addicted to soul music on old vinyl records. That obsession led him to the work of Mingering Mike, a soul superstar of the 1960s and 70s who released over 50 records in just 10 years.

Mingering Mike: Digging Up a Long-Lost Star

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U.S. Army May Restrict Soldiers' Blogs

Many U.S. soldiers in Iraq are publishing "milblogs" about daily life in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, Defense Department officials say those blogs could aid the enemy. They've come out with a new directive that might restrict what military bloggers can put on the Internet.

U.S. Army May Restrict Soldiers' Blogs

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Two Sides Take Up Murder Case Online

Eric Volz, a 27-year-old American, is serving a 30-year sentence for the murder of his Nicaraguan ex-girlfriend. Volz insists he is innocent, and now his family is publicizing his case on the Web to get him freed.

Two Sides Take Up Murder Case Online

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The Virginia Tech Shooter's Digital Mark

A multimedia package sent to NBC by the Virginia Tech shooter, Seung-hui Cho, contained pictures of the shooter with various weapons, videos of him rambling, and a long written diatribe. The package is being described as unprecedented and a possible template for future killers.

The Virginia Tech Shooter's Digital Mark

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Supporters Work to Free Egyptian Blogger

Exactly one month ago, 22-year-old law student Kareem Amer was sentenced to four years in prison for what he wrote on his personal Web site. His case has shed a spotlight on the country's laws concerning online speech.

Supporters Work to Free Egyptian Blogger

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'Scam-Baiters' Turn Tables on Would-Be Cons

Thousands of Americans fall victim to e-mail scams each year, according to the U.S. State Department. But an online community of people called scambaiters found creative — and hilarious — ways to get revenge.

'Scam-Baiters' Turn Tables on Would-Be Cons

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RIAA Focuses on Colleges for Anti-Piracy Efforts

The Recording Industry Association of America is trying a new approach to end illegal music downloads, pressuring college students to confess and pay fines online, or face legal action.

RIAA Focuses on Colleges for Anti-Piracy Efforts

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A Los Angeles 'Hotel' for Internet Carriers

Some of the bulky equipment that makes up the infrastructure of the Internet is being housed in so-called "Internet carrier hotels." Day to Day tech contributor Xeni Jardin visited one such site.

A Los Angeles 'Hotel' for Internet Carriers

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Apple's Jobs Argues Against Song Protections

Apple CEO Steve Jobs wants the music industry to get rid of digital rights management, or the software locks that prevent unauthorized copying or sharing of song and video files. But music and movie companies argue the technology prevents piracy.

Apple's Jobs Argues Against Song Protections

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Technology in Guatemala: An Overview

In her series "Guatemala: Unearthing the Future" this past week, tech contributor Xeni Jardin examined how Guatemalans are using technology to deal with historic challenges. She talks about the potential and the realities of harnessing technology in Guatemala, where many people are living in poverty.

Technology in Guatemala: An Overview

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Guatemala Project Builds Tech from the Ground Up

Many of Guatemala's rural indigenous communities lack infrastructure basics such as clean drinking water, sanitation and electricity. A group of American eco-engineers is working with Mayan villages to change that.

Guatemala Project Builds Tech from the Ground Up

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Guatemalan Archives May Help Locate Missing

Thousands of people in Guatemala's capital city went missing during the bloody civil war. The discovery and investigation of a massive archive of police documents may reveal what happened to many of those people.

Guatemalan Archives May Help Locate Missing

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Storm Victims' Remains Exhumed in Guatemala

A little more than a year after Hurricane Stan devastated the Mayan village of Panabaj, a forensics group is working to exhume and identify the remains of victims buried in a mudslide caused by the storm.

Storm Victims' Remains Exhumed in Guatemala

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7019560

An estimated 200,000 people were killed in Guatemala's decades-long civil war, and an additional 100,000 "disappeared." One group of forensic anthropologists is using technology to help the country come to terms with its past.

Group Works to Identify Remains in Guatemala

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Tech and Porn Conventions Collide in Las Vegas

The Consumer Electronics Show wraps up in Las Vegas. This showcase of the latest tech gadgets overlaps with the Adult Entertainment Expo's annual meeting in Vegas. Is that an accident?

Tech and Porn Conventions Collide in Las Vegas

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Tech Solutions to Iraqi-U.S. Language Barrier

Part of the daily struggle for soldiers and Marines in Iraq is communicating with civilians. Few military personnel have enough fluency with Iraqi Arabic to be easily understood, and translators are in short supply. But small, hand-held devices may help close that communications gap.

Tech Solutions to Iraqi-U.S. Language Barrier

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Spotting Irate Customers with 'Emotion Detection'

A high-tech company called NICE systems has developed software that records calls and listens for emotional signals that the call is going badly. It could be valuable to Fortune 500 companies, because it would help them spot problems in customer support and improve their service.

Spotting Irate Customers with 'Emotion Detection'

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