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How IBM's gamble ushered in the computer age

Former IBM CEO Thomas J. Watson Jr. sits at one of the electronic data processing machines made by his company, May 24, 1956. (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Indicator from Planet Money

How IBM's gamble ushered in the computer age

In the book of corporate folklore, former IBM CEO Thomas Watson Jr. deserves a special spot. Specifically, the massive gamble he took in 1964 to introduce the System/360, which had the potential to undermine his own company's entire business model. Today on the show, an interview with author Marc Wortman on what Watson Jr.'s decision reveals about the fragile relationship between innovation and destruction.

How IBM's gamble ushered in the computer age

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The surprising economics of digital lending
DANIEL ROLAND/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The surprising economics of digital lending

Long gone are the days of hauling sixty books home from the local library. With eBooks, the worlds of Fahrenheit 451 to Harry Potter are at your fingertips with just a tap. But what's the price behind the click?

The surprising economics of digital lending

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Want To Feel Happier Today? Try Talking To A Stranger

The mood boost of talking to strangers may seem fleeting, but the research on well-being, scientists say, suggests that a happy life is made up of a high frequency of positive events. Even small positive experiences — chatting with a stranger in an elevator — can make a difference. Olivia Falcigno/NPR hide caption

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Olivia Falcigno/NPR

Shots - Health News

Want To Feel Happier Today? Try Talking To A Stranger

Happiness, says one researcher, is the sum of many positive moments throughout the day. Something as simple as a friendly chat in the elevator can boost your mood. So put down your phone and try it.

Smartphone Detox: How To Power Down In A Wired World
Ryan Johnson for NPR

Shots - Health News

Smartphone Detox: How To Power Down In A Wired World

In an era when many kids get a first smartphone at age 10, psychologists say the devices have turned us into Pavlov's dogs — drooling for the next notification, buzz or text. Ready to dial back?

Smartphone Detox: How To Power Down In A Wired World

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The challenge to keep up with Moore's law

Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore holds up a silicon wafer at Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., in 2005. Moore's prediction 50 years earlier, called Moore's Law, has been the basis for the digital revolution. Paul Sakuma/AP hide caption

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Paul Sakuma/AP

All Tech Considered

The challenge to keep up with Moore's law

Gordon Moore's observation on the exponential improvement in hardware pushed computers to be faster, smaller and cheaper. The Intel co-founder died Friday at age 94.

The challenge to keep up with Moore's law

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For The Children's Sake, Put Down That Smartphone
Katherine Streeter for NPR

Shots - Health News

For The Children's Sake, Put Down That Smartphone

When adults are absorbed in their mobile devices, the consequences for children are not good. Research shows kids act out more if they are competing with a mobile device for their parent's attention.

For The Children's Sake, Put Down That Smartphone

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Kickstarter Says It 'Is Not A Store' As It Revises Policy On Projects' Risks

A screengrab shows three highly funded Design projects currently on Kickstarter's site. The company's founder say they will require more information about the challenges potential entrepreneurs could face. NPR hide caption

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NPR

The Two-Way

Kickstarter Says It 'Is Not A Store' As It Revises Policy On Projects' Risks

Even as it has been praised for bringing innovative ideas to life, Kickstarter has been criticized for allowing creators to be a little fuzzy about their plans — and for providing little recourse to investors who are unsatisfied with a project they supported. The site has announced changes it hopes will ease the confusion.

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