Technology Review AudioDizer Podcast - Web Top Stories

A Popular Ad Blocker Also Helps the Ad Industry

Tom Simonite — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:16:13 GMT

Millions of people use the tool Ghostery to block online tracking technology—few realize that it feeds data to the ad industry.

Camera Tweaks Should Boost Smartphone Battery Life

Rachel Metz — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:39:03 GMT

Research could make persistent computer-vision more feasible, and improve your smartphone’s battery life.

Companies Complying with NSA’s PRISM May Face E.U. Lawsuits

Tom Simonite — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:10:00 GMT

U.S. companies that pass data from European Union citizens to the NSA’s PRISM surveillance program could be breaching the E.U.’s data-protection laws.

The Strangeness of Facebook Home

Paul Ford — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Facebook's new interface for smartphones is at odds with how the world uses computers.

Apple’s New Mobile OS Is All about Ive

Rachel Metz — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:36:00 GMT

With its new mobile OS, Apple looks to longtime design head Jonathan Ive, and takes a few cues from competitors.

A Password So Secret, You Don’t Consciously Know It

Rachel Metz — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:50:00 GMT

Researchers work to develop passwords so secret that only your unconscious mind knows them.

Technology That Knows When to Hand You a Hankie

Rachel Metz — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Happy? Sad? A startup called Beyond Verbal has developed technology that can understand how you’re feeling just by listening to your voice.

Wanted for the Internet of Things: Ant-Sized Computers

Tom Simonite — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

A computer two millimeters square is the start of an effort to make chips that can put computer power just about anywhere for the vaunted “Internet of Things.”

Home Tweet Home: A House with Its Own Voice on Twitter

Rachel Metz — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

A techie’s San Francisco home has its own Twitter feed. Will yours be next?

New Kind of LED Could Mean Better Google-Glass-Like Displays

Rachel Metz — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Micro-display LED tech could light up the next generation of face-wearable gadgets.

Facebook Reacts to Criticisms of “Home” App; Promises Upgrades

Rachel Metz — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:24:00 GMT

A month after the release of Home, Facebook is working to answer criticisms with improvements.

Apps for Finding New Tunes, with a Little Help from Your Friends

Rachel Metz — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Twitter #music, EQuala, and Piki help you share and discover new music with friends, but they’re not all winners.

Social Media Censorship Offers Clues to China’s Plans

Tom Simonite — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

What gets removed from China’s social networks shows how censorship strategies are advancing, and can even hint at the government's plans.

A QWERTY Keyboard for Your Wrist

Rachel Metz — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:01:00 GMT

Zoomboard—a miniscule keyboard that zooms when you tap it—could make it easier to type on smart watches.

A Simple Way to Turn Any LCD into a Touch Screen

Rachel Metz — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:52:00 GMT

Electromagnetic interference can turn a plain LCD into a touch screen on the cheap.

Temporary Social Media

Jeffrey Rosen and Christine Rosen — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Messages that quickly self-destruct could enhance the privacy of online communication and make people feel freer to be spontaneous.

Safe Texting While Walking? Soon, There May Be an App for That

Rachel Metz — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

CrashAlert, created by University of Manitoba researchers, could make it easier to walk and text without smacking into things.

Facebook’s Real “Home” May Be the Developing World

David Talbot — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The new Facebook-centric Android app for smartphones builds on other efforts to court mobile users internationally.

The Facebook Phone Is Finally Here, but Who Wants It?

Rachel Metz — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:17:00 GMT

The appeal of Facebook’s new phone software may be limited to hardcore users.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Disappearing Messages Are Everywhere

Rachel Metz — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Smartphone apps that send disappearing messages are gaining in popularity.