How Snapchat Became A Virtual Confessional For Sexual Assault Victims

Here is the latest Tech News from National Public Radio.

How Snapchat Became A Virtual Confessional For Sexual Assault Victims
A journalist wanted to tell the stories of two rape victims while protecting their identities. How would he do it?

How An Edible Battery Could Power Medical Robots You Swallow
Tiny devices sent into the human body for diagnosing and treating diseases run on batteries that may contain toxic materials. Researchers have come up with a safer battery made of natural pigments.

FBI Warns State Election Offices To Be Wary Of Hackers
The FBI and other government security agencies are protecting against cyberattacks that might affect the elections. Hackers tried to gain access to two state voter registration databases this summer.

How 1 Video Game Is Trying To Make The Leap To eSport
There’s lots of money to be made by turning a video game into a competitive sport, or eSport. There are millions of fans watching video game athletes compete for millions of dollars in prize money.

Facebook Faces Trending News Problems After Firing Curators
On Friday, news site Quartz reported that Facebook fired its “news curators” and replaced them with algorithms to compile the news that ends up on Facebook’s “Trending” news section. Many users took note when a fake article about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly was trending.

#IfAfricaWasASchool, Who Would Be The Nerd? Jock? Most Popular?
A trending hashtag on Twitter invites people to personify countries in Africa with various schoolyard archetypes.

Scientists Looking For Alien Life Investigate ‘Interesting’ Signal From Space
Russian astronomers detected an unusual radio signal last year. The SETI Institute says it’s too soon to say whether the signal came from intelligent life-forms — but researchers are checking it out.

Groups Worry About Impact Of Police Moves To Block Social Media
As police find themselves in encounters that are posted live — including video — they sometimes want to pull the social media plug. But activists say this threatens to censor an electronic witness.

Surfers And Scientists Team Up To Create The ‘Perfect Wave’
Surfers once deemed man-made waves weak and mushy compared to the best that break along the coast. Then engineers and an 11-time world champion surfer showed just how good an artificial wave can be.

Listen: ‘Web Site Story,’ NPR’s Musical About The Internet — From 1999
Found in our archives: an Internet-themed remake of West Side Story from the dot-com bubble era. It begins with Bill Gates and features the sound of a modem but isn’t as obsolete as you might expect.

A Robot That Harms: When Machines Make Life Or Death Decisions
An artist has designed a robot that purposefully defies Isaac Asimov’s law that “a robot may not harm humanity” — to bring urgency to the discussion about self-driving and other smart technology.

FAA Expects 600,000 Commercial Drones In The Air Within A Year
The soaring number of drones for hire is forecast in response to new federal rules that simplify and streamline the process of getting government approval and certification.

A Hero For The Arts And Sciences: Upcoming Marvel Covers Promote STEAM Fields
The five covers feature the company’s heroes — including Spiderman, Iron Man, and the Hulk — all engaging in activities educators have been trying to promote.

You Think You Know Me, Facebook, But You Don’t Know Anything
A new feature on Facebook shows what interests the website thinks users have and the types of advertisements it would generate to target them. But people quickly found that not every pick is a gem.

After Losing Steam In Smartphones, Chinese Firm Turns To Smart Rice Cookers
One of China’s most valuable tech startups, smartphone maker Xiaomi, is getting into networked appliances, in a bid to innovate its way out of trouble, as its core business falls flat.

WhatsApp Will Start Sharing Data, Including Phone Numbers, With Facebook
It will also test new ways for businesses to communicate with users on the app. The privacy policy changes mark the long-expected move by Facebook to begin making money from the free app.

Tesla Clears Antitrust Hurdle In $2.6 Billion Deal For SolarCity
The Federal Trade Commission signed off on Tesla’s plan to buy the solar panel installer. CEO Elon Musk is SolarCity’s chairman and its largest shareholder.

One Professor’s Quest To Collect Every Video Game Soda Machine
From Sprunk and Grog to Nuka-Cola and Fountain View, soda machines are everywhere in video games. A researcher says they can serve a dose of nostalgia after the apocalypse.

WATCH: Squishy ‘Octobot’ Moves Autonomously
The robot designed by a team from Harvard University moves without the help of any rigid parts. Researchers say it is the first proof-of-concept design for an entirely soft, autonomous machine.

Instagramming In Black And White? Could Be You’re Depressed
Researchers analyzed people’s photo galleries on Instagram, then asked about their mental health. People who favored darker, grayer photos and filters were more likely to be depressed.

Voice Recognition Software Finally Beats Humans At Typing, Study Finds
In a face-off between voice entry and typing on a mobile device, voice recognition software performed significantly better. The results held true in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

A Samurai’s Son Makes Stop-Motion Magic With Music And Origami
Kubo and the Two Strings is a sprawling new fantasy film from Laika animation studios. Filmmaker Travis Knight says it’s all about merging brand new technology with age-old art and craft.

In Mariachi Music, A Distinctive Yell Speaks To The Soul
The grito is a spontaneous burst of emotion — a shout — that is part of the mariachi tradition. Some younger Mexican-Americans are reclaiming the grito for a new generation.

Social Network Nextdoor Moves To Block Racial Profiling Online
Social networks let users share without being impeded. But Nextdoor, a platform for neighborhoods, is moving to block posts for the first time when they appear to be racial profiling.

FBI Releases Mobile App for Finding Bank Robbers
The new app enlists public’s assistance in identifying bank robbers with wanted posters at your finger tips.

Uber Competitor In NYC Promises Drivers Benefits, Even Employee Status
While Uber and Lyft both fight in courts to keep their workers as independent contractors, new ride-hailing startup Juno is moving to offer full employee status and other benefits.

The Last Razor Repairman In Paris
In a tiny shop from a bygone era, Jacques Guillaume gets calls about more than razors because there’s nobody to fix things anymore. “Today, manual work like this is passé and obsolete,” he says.

On Six Flags’ Virtual Reality Coaster, The Ride Is Just Half The Thrill
Magic Mountain in Southern California has a roller coaster in which riders put on VR goggles to see an imagined world while their bodies undergo the physical thrills. How is it? We get a review.

Professor Tries Out Virtual Reality Coaster At Six Flags Magic Mountain
Magic Mountain in Southern California has a roller coaster in which riders put on VR goggles to see an imagined world while their bodies undergo the physical thrills. How is it? We get a review.

Hopping On Hashtag Bandwagon, Host Rachel Martin Recounts Her #FirstSevenJobs
Social media feeds have been peppered with the hashtag #firstsevenjobs for the past few weeks. NPR’s Rachel Martin shares her list, from store window mannequin to English teacher in Japan.

After IVF, Some Struggle With What To Do With Leftover Embryos
Nearly a million embryos are in frozen storage in the U.S. Some couples feel ambivalent, even after their family is complete, so put off deciding what to do with what some call their ‘maybe babies.’

After DNC Hack, Cybersecurity Experts Worry About Old Machines, Vote Tampering
Experts have long warned that America’s patchwork of old and unsecured voting systems leaves votes vulnerable to tampering — and in ways that wouldn’t have to involve a foreign attack.

In Leak Of Democratic Emails, Questions About Russia’s Role
What’s behind Russia’s apparent hacking into the Democratic National Committee — and what could it gain by meddling in the U.S. election? “It’s all about Hillary Clinton,” says a Russian journalist.

Federal Judge Throws Out Uber Driver Class-Action Settlement Offer
Uber drivers claims that they should be compensated as employees, not independent contractors, get a boost. Negotiators for the drivers had okayed the deal but the judge wasn’t satisfied.

Uber To Roll Out Self-Driving Cars In Pittsburgh
The ride-hailing company expects to include a human in case something goes wrong, but the driverless vehicles would be the first available for commercial use. They could be on the road in a few weeks.

T-Mobile, Sprint Vie For New Customers With Unlimited-Data Plans
It’s a bit of a renaissance for unlimited plans, which went all but extinct in recent years. But do people really need that much data?

‘Flying Bum’ Airship Takes Flight In England
The Airlander 10 — billed as the world’s longest aircraft — took off from an airfield north of London this week. Yet it’s the airship’s bulbous, multi-chambered design that has captured attention.

Ford Looks To A Fleet Of Driverless Cars
They’ll be on the road by 2021, the company says, and will build on automation already available for help with parking and avoiding traffic. The vehicles could be used for ride sharing, Uber-style.

With Demand For Its Products Down, Cisco Will Cut Workforce
The company says it will lay off 5,500 employees and, like other Silicon Valley pioneers, move into different types of business.

Distilling The Story Of California Wine, One Label At A Time
At the world’s largest wine research library — inside UC Davis — librarians are crowd-sourcing their archives to understand the forces that shaped California’s wine industry into a global powerhouse.

Saying Goodbye To Old Technology — And A Legendary NYC Repair Shop
Why are we parting with BlackBerry Classic and VCR — but not fax or QWERTY keyboard? We ask you to nominate outdated tech for phase-out and visit Tekserve, the closing cult Mac store in Manhattan.

Post-Revolution, Many Egyptians Seek Online Communities
Zeinab al-Ashry founded the popular Facebook group, “Confessions of a Married Woman.” University of California Riverside professor Sherine Hafez talks to Rachel Martin about an online trend in Egypt.

How Gig Economy Workers Make A Living
NPR’s Rachel Martin speaks with economics professor Alan Krueger of Princeton University about how people participate in the gig economy — particularly as Uber drivers — to supplement their incomes.

Verizon Transforms To Contend In Silicon Valley
After acquiring Yahoo, Verizon ranks third in digital advertising and is a major player in media and tech. It wants to play in the Silicon Valley sandbox — but don’t expect a full transformation yet.

Airbnb Hikes Paris Rental Housing Market Prices
The city of Berlin just banned Airbnb because it was swallowing up long-term rentals and driving up prices. Paris is now struggling to temper the explosion of the rental site for the same reasons.

He’s Brilliant, She’s Lovely: Teaching Computers To Be Less Sexist
Algorithms teach computers how to process language. But because they draw on human writing, they have some biases. Researchers are trying to weed out those problematic associations.

Computer Love: Their 1960s-Era Dating Strategy? Modern Technology!
Back in the early ’60s a computer dating service decided these two people were compatible. That calculation was right. John and Carol Matlock will celebrate 52 years of marriage in December.

Summer Camps Struggle To Enforce Bans On Screen Time
Summer sleep away camps say it’s getting harder to enforce bans on cell phones, and millennials say they’re having a hard time going cold turkey. Some staff are counseling campers through their withdrawal. But both camps and campers say it’s never been more important to learn how to unplug.

Robot-Like Machines Helped People With Spinal Injuries Regain Function
Eight people with serious spinal injuries who practiced hours of interaction with wearable machines for months regained lost feeling and some ability to move.

Cyberattack Halts Australia’s First Online Census
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says no data was stolen. Users faced error messages after the system was overpowered by what the government said was multiple denial-of-service attacks.

Social Security Data Errors Can Turn People Into The Living Dead
The government keeps track of who is alive and who is dead. But there can be errors. And when you’re mistakenly ruled dead, it can be remarkably tough to convince people you’re still among the living.

Why The Airline Industry Could Keep Suffering System Failures Like Delta’s
Delta’s massive outage wasn’t the first malfunction to wreak havoc on an airline. The industry’s systems are complex and require high security, which can make them more prone to shutdowns.

Oil Traders Mourn The Loss Of Yahoo Messenger
Since the late 1990s, oil traders have used Yahoo Messenger as their main communication tool. The new version, however, does not meet the industry’s standards for compliance.

Researchers Study Effects Of Social Media On Young Minds
Teens showed an image that was deemed to have lots of “likes” tended to also like the image. Seeing popular pictures also produced greater activation in the reward centers of the brain.

Verizon’s Metamorphosis: Can You See Me As A Tech Giant Now?
Verizon has transformed from a child of the Bell monopoly to parent of tech legends AOL and Yahoo. It wants to play with Google and Facebook — but don’t expect a full transformation just yet.

Federal Officials Seek To Stop Social Media Abuse Of Nursing Home Residents
After ProPublica identified dozens of cases of dehumanizing photos posted on social media sites, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled a plan to increase oversight.

Why Taylor Swift Is Asking Congress To Update Copyright Laws
It’s an ongoing standoff between musicians and Google’s YouTube: Who should be responsible for removing unauthorized copies of songs posted online?

A Cappella Singer Defends Proliferation Of Music Online
NPR’s Audie Cornish talks with Peter Hollens, an a cappella singer who regularly releases new music on his YouTube channel, about how the proliferation of music online could be a plus for artists.

Tech Companies Embrace Election Season
More than ever before, U.S. elections are a business opportunity. Social media companies are capitalizing on attention spent on the candidates.

How The VCR Began America’s Love Of On-Demand Content
As the last VCR factory in Japan closes down production, we take a look at the rise and fall of the videocassette recorder and the culture it created.

The App That Aims To Gamify Biology Has Amateurs Discovering New Species
Not everyone outside staring into their phones is searching for Pokémon — some people are looking for actual wildlife. The app iNaturalist is bringing together urban biologists and curious citizens.

At This English Bar, An Old-School Solution To Rude Cellphones
A new bar in Sussex has lined its walls with foil to block phone signals. The owner, inspired by the Faraday cage, hopes people will talk to each other rather than stare at their smartphones.

Should Teachers Ask Students To Check Their Devices At The Classroom Door?
Blogger Alva Noë says he doesn’t feel that, as an instructor, he has a right to ask students to come to class without technology, “even when I think, even when I know, that it would be a good thing.”

Remembering A Thinker Who Thought About Thinking
Seymour Papert was a pioneer in artificial intelligence and learning with technology. He died this week at 88.

Prominent Cybersecurity Leader Favors Clinton, Despite Email Debacle
Despite a server breached at the DNC and the controversy over Hillary Clinton’s private email server, a prominent cybersecurity expert say she’s the better choice for president.

Despite Email Debacle, Prominent Cybersecurity Leaders Favor Clinton
They are political endorsements you might not expect.

In This Museum, It’s OK If The Displays Collect Dust
The Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Mo., houses more than 750 vacuums, including some that date back to just after the Civil War. Curator Tom Gasko is a former door-to-door vacuum salesman.

Daily Fantasy Sports May Soon Be Coming Back To New York State
DraftKings and FanDuel suspended operations there after the state’s attorney general argued they were essentially gambling sites. A new state law declares fantasy sports to be games of skill.

Cybersecurity Conference Includes ‘Hackers For Hillary’ Fundraiser
A Hillary Clinton fundraiser will take place at BlackHat in Las Vegas. Cybersecurity experts there say they support her over Donald Trump despite all the controversy over her email server.

Is There A Double Standard When Women CEOs In Tech Stumble?
Men CEOs fail all the time, but when someone like Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer or Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes falls short of expectations it can feed stereotypes about women being unfit for leadership.

In China, A Battle Uber Didn’t Win
Uber’s China arm merged with its rival Didi Chuxing this week, creating a $35 billion ride-hailing colossus. The merger ends an era of brutal competition, and may help boost China’s flagging economy.

During Fatal Standoff, Police Asked Facebook To Deactivate Woman’s Account
Baltimore County police shot and killed Korryn Gaines, 23, on Monday after an hourslong standoff; her 5-year-old son was wounded. Police say Gaines was posting video of the standoff on social media.

Drones That Launch Flaming Balls Are Being Tested To Help Fight Wildfires
The University of Nebraska is developing a fire-starting drone, adapting a flaming pingpong ball technique already used in wildfire management. They hope to help teams conduct safer prescribed burns.

$72 Million In Bitcoins Stolen From Hong Kong Exchange
The value of the digital currency plunged more than 20 percent after news of the theft broke. Nearly 120,000 bitcoin were stolen; it’s not clear who took the currency or how.

New York Bans Registered Sex Offenders From Pokémon Go
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that registered sex offenders on parole would no longer be able to sign up for Pokémon Go and other Internet-enabled games as conditions of their sentence.

Publishers’ Dilemma: Judge A Book By Its Data Or Trust The Editor’s Gut?
Sophisticated ways of tracking reading habits give publishers hard data that reveals the kinds of books people want to read. But a veteran editor says numbers only go so far in telling the story.

Apple Ditches Pistol Emoji In Favor Of Water Gun
The pistol emoji will be replaced with a green water gun icon, and Apple is also adding new emojis of a pride flag, families with single parents, and women playing sports.

3 Things People Can Do In The Classroom That Robots Can’t
Artificial intelligence is getting stronger. Education must adapt. Here’s a framework for separating out the things schools can and should teach that are uniquely human.

NSA Director Rogers On DNC Hacking, Cyberwarfare And ISIS
Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, and NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talk about the state of cybersecurity, the recent hacking into Democratic Party systems and ISIS strategy.

Can Candid Conversations Happen Online Without The Trolls?
After receiving backlash for writing a post about gender in the tech industry, Bindu Reddy launched a new social network with the goal of hosting anonymous conversations without harassment or abuse.

Hacking An Election: Why It’s Not As Far-Fetched As You Might Think
The recent hacking of Democratic Party emails has raised questions about the vulnerability of other election-related technology and what potential problems could arise on Election Day.

CEO Marissa Mayer Treated Yahoo Like A Think Tank, Not A Sinking Ship
The Internet pioneer Yahoo just had its core business auctioned off to Verizon. Mayer was hired four years ago to turn the company around. We look back at the critical early months of her tenure.

This Week In Hacks: The Democrats, Russia And Trump
Cybersecurity experts say some evidence points to Russia in a series of hacks on the Democratic Party. Russian officials and Donald Trump both weighed in on the recent hacks as well.

Cybersecurity: Who’s Vulnerable To Attack?
Chief security strategist at FireEye Inc. Richard Bejtlich discusses the prevalence of cyberattacks and who is most vulnerable.

From ‘The Water’s Edge To The Cutting Edge’: Fish Skeletons, CT Scans And Engineering
Professor Adam Summers is a “fish guy.” He uses fish to get engineering ideas. His latest project is to CT scan every type of fish — all 33,000 of them.

How Your Health Data Lead A Not-So-Secret Life Online
Apps can make managing health care a lot easier, but most don’t have the privacy protections required of doctors and hospitals. And a simple Web search can clue in advertisers to health concerns.

Uber Hasn’t Had An Effect On Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds
A new study of data from 100 U.S. cities finds access to apps for ride-sharing services has not led to a decrease in alcohol-related traffic fatalities.

South Korea Is Contending With A ‘Gamergate’ Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt
Controversial online feminist movement Megalia has been pushing against sexism and harassment of women in South Korea. A recent photo posted by a voice actress has sparked a new standoff with critics.

Hackers Break Into Another Democratic Party Computer System
The DNC’s congressional campaign arm is the latest hacking victim.

Despite Uber’s Rise, New Study Says Drunk Driving Remains Steady
Ride-hailing companies like Uber have claimed that they’ve helped discourage drunk driving. Does the claim stand up? David Kirk, co-author of a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, tells NPR’s Kelly McEvers he’s not so sure.

When A Project Fails, Should The Workers Get A Bonus?
Entrepreneur Astro Teller rewards colleagues when their ambitious projects fail. Teller says this helps people take risks so they can achieve their “moonshot” goals, like a balloon-powered internet.

Why Do Complex Systems Thrive on Trial And Error?
Economist Tim Harford identifies similar characteristics in successful industrial and economic systems. They work much better, he says, when they’re constantly evolving through trial and error.

Writing Data Onto Single Atoms, Scientists Store The Longest Text Yet
With atomic memory technology, little patterns of atoms can be arranged to represent English characters, fitting the content of more than a billion books onto the surface of a stamp.

Trump’s Cyber Comments Rouse The Democrats
As they bolster their case that Hillary Clinton is ready to be commander in chief, Democrats are seizing on Donald Trump’s comments seemingly encouraging Russia to use cyber-espionage against Clinton.

Police Use Fingertip Replicas To Unlock A Murder Victim’s Phone
Michigan State University engineers tried 3-D-printed fingertips and special conductive replicas of the victim’s fingerprints to crack the biometric lock on his Samsung Galaxy phone.

Solar-Powered Plane Completes Historic Circumnavigation
The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Abu Dhabi, where its journey began 17 flights ago in March 2015. Alternating with another pilot, Bertrand Piccard flew around the world with no fuel.

Tesla’s Ambitions Run Into The Realities Of Making Cars
Tesla, which has roots in the tech world, is facing the challenge of becoming a successful car company amid scrutiny over its Autopilot technology.

FBI Investigates Possible Russian Connection To Leaked DNC Emails
Hackers tied to two Russian intelligence agencies breached DNC computers in May, but whether the same hackers turned over thousands of emails to WikiLeaks is still under investigation.