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Future Tense (Science-Technology)

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  • Host: Jon Gordon
  • Jon Gordon brings you the latest technology topics in daily five-minute capsules. From electronic privacy and digital democracy to spam and computer worms, the program keeps you up to date on the rapidly changing world of technology.
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Last updated 320 days ago Update show info

9/11 as told by pagers

Tue, Dec 8 Listen
The website Wikileaks recently posted what it claims are five hundred thousand intercepted text pager messages just before and just after the attacks of September 11, 2001. They appear to come from the types of pagers carried by Pentagon officials, the FBI, the NYPD. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

GPS users map the nation's most congested cities

Mon, Dec 7
The company that makes Tom Tom global positioning system - or GPS - navigation devices says it's getting some of the most complete and up-to-date information ever on roads in the U.S. And now, it's ranking them. "There's some surprises," says Margot Dologne, a spokeswoman for TeleAtlas, a digital map company and subsidiary of Tom Tom. "I mean, you would never think Seattle would be the most congested city in the continental United States, or for that matter Minneapolis -St Paul would be down...

Tech that really grinds our gears

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
- Download MP3 - iTunes Today: Consumer Reports on tech stuff that drives us crazy Also: Joe Wilcox on Microsoft stores... My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

What are the basics of computer literacy?

Thu, Dec 3 Listen
What are the essential bits of information you need to know about computers to navigate your way through our digital world? My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

E-book readers: lousy gifts?

Wed, Dec 2 Listen
Amazon is pushing its Kindle e-book reader as the ideal holiday gift this season. Is it? Guest: Mike Elgan, Computerworld My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Using Twitter to stop gang violence

Tue, Dec 1 Listen
A story in the New York Daily News this week should come as no surprise: Gangs, the newspaper reported, are using Twitter to conduct business, just like everybody else. Young people are apparently engaging in verbal battles and planning violent attacks against competing crews on the social network. One part of the newspaper story caught our eye: A Harlem pastor who runs a youth outreach ministry is monitoring gang traffic on Twitter, then dispatching volunteers to prevent or break up fights...

Best free movies, movie sites online

Wed, Nov 25 Listen
Dan Colman of Open Culture joins us to talk about his list, Free Movies Online: Great Classics, Indies, Film Noir, Documentaries & More. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Why free phones are expensive

Tue, Nov 24 Listen
- Download MP3 - iTunes Today, part 2 of our interview with PCMag's Sascha Segan.... My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

The problem with Android

Mon, Nov 23
On one level, the Android mobile phone platform is beginning to thrive. Consumers now have many Android phones and networks to choose from. On the other hand, Android may be splintering too much. Guest: Sascha Segan, PC Mag Digital Network My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Chrome OS shines a little brighter

Fri, Nov 20 Listen
Google unveiled more details about its Chrome OS yesterday, and released source code for developers. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Unfriend vs. defriend smackdown (plus more big Internet events of the decad

Thu, Nov 19 Listen
Regarding our recent story on the term "unfriend" being named the Oxford American Dictionary's word of the year, we heard from a number of people who say they've never heard anyone say "unfriend," but rather, they hear and use "defriend" instead -- as in, "I defriended her on Facebook because she was always sending me stupid quizzes." Ammon Shea from Oxford University Press was gracious enough to talk to us again to clear up this "unfriend" versus "defriend" issue. Also today: Part two of...

Top Internet events of the decade

Wed, Nov 18 Listen
The folks behind the Webby Awards have published their take on the biggest Internet moments in the years 2000 to 2009. Guest: Webby Awards Executive Director David-Michel Davies My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Unfriend is Oxford Dictonary's word of the year

Tue, Nov 17 Listen
Today, Ammon Shea with Oxford University Press on why "unfriend" from the world of social media is the 2009 Word of the Year, and why "netbook," "intexticated," and "sexting" were also considered for the honor. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

New evidence points to benefits of online social networks

Mon, Nov 16 Listen
Facebook, Twitter and the tools that enable them sometimes get a bad rap. A recent example: a weekend article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which quotes mental health professionals who worry that addiction to our digital tools will lead to a breakdown of interpersonal relationships and a rise in attention deficit disorder. A new study from the University of Minnesota does not address those issues but does suggest social networks are a good way to get young people engaged current events and...

Cough into cell phone, get a diagnosis

Fri, Nov 13 Listen
The Gates Foundation is funding a project to create mobile phone software that will allow people to cough into their phones to help determine whether they have pneumonia, influenza or other ailments. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Google to caffeinate search results

Thu, Nov 12 Listen
Google will soon begin rolling out new search technology called Caffeine. It's designed to producer faster, more relevant results. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

How to get Windows 7 at a discount

Wed, Nov 11 Listen
Ed Bott joins us today to discuss the many ways to avoid paying full price for Windows 7. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

A trip through the Future Tense archives

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
Today we look back at some of the stories we covered in November, 1999. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

No link between Internet, social isolation

Thu, Nov 5 Listen
A new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that the Internet and mobile phones do not lead to social isolation, as some previous research suggested. In fact, there's plenty of evidence that people who spend a lot of time online have fuller social lives. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Open-sourcing the vote

Wed, Nov 4 Listen
Activists working to develop an alternative American voting system have turned loose their first batch of software code for public review. The Open Source Digital Voting Foundation is spearheading a project to build new voting machines to replace proprietary systems currently in place. The group is in the second year of a an eight-year plan to produce a publicly-owned, open source election system. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Cyber war: Scary, or scare-mongery?

Tue, Nov 3 Listen
The Obama administration, like the Bush team before it, have talked a great deal about the need to strengthen our ability to fend off attacks that target U.S. computers. How much should we worry, really? Yesterday we heard from James Lewis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He's just written a new report that concludes there is no chance another country or terrorist group will launch a major cyber attack against the U.S. anytime in the near future. Still, Lewis believes...

Report: Zero threat of major cyber attack against U.S.

Mon, Nov 2 Listen
There is no chance other countries or terrorist groups will launch an Internet-based attack against U.S. information systems in the near future, according to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Other countries have no political interesting in attacking the U.S. while terrorists don't likely possess the capability for a destructive cyber-war campaign, according to the Center's James Lewis. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Microsoft markets crud-free computers

Fri, Oct 30 Listen
Microsoft has begun selling new PCs with no crapware, from the likes of Sony, HP and Dell. Of course, the machines will still come with plenty of Microsoft software that not everyone will want. You can find these Microsoft Signature PCs at its new store in Scottsdale, Arizona and online. Guest: Todd Bishop, TechFlash My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Will Droid succeed against iPhone?

Wed, Oct 28 Listen
Verizon Wireless and Motorola are expected to unveil details of their new Android phone today. Guest: Kent German, CNET My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Apple, Microsoft trade jabs in new TV ads

Tue, Oct 27 Listen
Today, Dwight Silverman analyzes new commercials from Apple and Microsoft. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Microsoft moves to commercialize SenseCam; memory augmentation is first mar

Mon, Oct 26 Listen
The SenseCam is a specialized digital camera that's been percolating in the labs of Microsoft Research U.K for about five years now. It's designed to be worn around the neck on a lanyard. The device takes still images throughout the day, when motion is sensed or when people come into view, as often as every 30 seconds. The camera can be used for everything from a scrapbooking tool to a medical device for patients with impaired memories. Microsoft has been able to produced only about 500...

Netbooks: A plague?

Fri, Oct 23 Listen
Consumers seem to like netbooks. Not Joe Wilcox. Netbooks are plague, Wilcox says. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Warning: Security warnings often fake

Thu, Oct 22 Listen
- Download MP3 - iTunes Rogue security software is a huge and growing problem, according to a new report from Symantec.... My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

The age of e-book readers? "More hype than reality"

Wed, Oct 21 Listen
Barnes & Noble is now selling its own electronic book reader to compete with the Amazon Kindle and the Sony device. Other companies will enter the market soon. So, this is a golden age for digital reading devices, right? No way, says publishing industry analyst Thad McIlroy. My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

Wi-Fi Direct seeks to increase flow of conversation between devices

Tue, Oct 20 Listen
Our disparate gadgets will be able to chat with greater ease when Wi-Fi Direct arrives next year. Guest: Glenn Fleishman, freelance tech reporter My Odeo Channel (odeo/23e35eea4c7a0420) -->

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