In The News

UK Government Paves Way for Driverless Cars

December 26, 2013
Government oversight and vision are essential for radical new technologies – and the United Kingdom is determined to lead on driverless vehicles. “The government has announced that it wants to make the UK a world centre for the development of driverless cars,” reports BBC News. “Many envisage a future when we may not own cars at all but simply hail one to fulfil all our transportation needs.” The...

Why Do We Value Gold?

Justin Rowlatt December 23, 2013
Historically, governments and investors have revered gold. Justin Rowlatt of the BBC News questions the reasons behind this value while also reporting on the British Museum’s exhibition on pre-Columbian gold artifacts. A chemistry professor quoted in the story points out that gold is distinctive. Gases, alkaline metals and other elements are simply too unstable or difficult to smelt. Gold is...

Why We Can’t Let American Tech Take Over the World

Sean Madden December 17, 2013
Apps, designs, websites and other technology exports wield great cultural influence, argues Sean Madden in Wired, adding “Our iPads, Fuelbands and Xboxes may be made in China, but they’re the products of an emphatically American cultural mindset…. Even the major electronics innovators of Asia have centered their user experience design efforts in the U.S.” Marketing for products tout individuality...

NSA Uses Google Cookies to Pinpoint Hacking Targets

Ashkan Soltani, Andrea Peterson, Barton Gellman December 16, 2013
The US National Security Agency has taken advantage of internet advertising tracking to pinpoint targets for surveillance, reports the Washington Post, based on internal documents provided by former NSA contract worker Edward Snowden. “For years, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the use of commercial tracking tools to identify and target consumers with advertisements,” reports the...

Globalization Helps Preserve Endangered Languages

Mark Turin December 3, 2013
Tools of globalization like the internet, so often blamed for homogenizing the world, are also encouraging diverse lingual communities to connect and even revitalize their endangered languages. “Linguists estimate that of the world’s remaining 6,500 languages, up to half will no longer be in regular use by the end of this century,” notes Mark Turin, linguist and anthropologist who directs the...

LG Investigates Smart TV “Unauthorised Spying” Claim

Leo Kelion November 27, 2013
Cable and satellite companies that provide television service monitor customer viewing habits. Some smart TVs may also send information about viewer habits and connected devices to manufacturers, suggests an IT consultant. Such feedback allows custom services, but also breaks UK law if consumers do not grant permission, suggests Leo Kelion for BBC News. South Korean firm LG is investigating the...

A Computer Academy in France Defies Conventional Wisdom

Scott Sayare November 25, 2013
A French school is bucking national traditions in higher education, with group projects and organizers rather than lectures and teachers. The tuition-free technology academy will serve all, regardless of education background, and offers no formal degree. Instead, the three-year program aims to produce highly skilled and employable computer programmers. Telecommunications executive Xavier Niel has...