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Future Tense (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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One possible solution to e-mail overload

Tue, Nov 18
If you're bogged by the volume of your e-mail but don't dare walk away for fear of missing critical messages, a new Web-based program could offer some relief. AwayFind provides a custom form that senders can fill out if they really, really need to reach you.

Technology still frustrates many Americans

Mon, Nov 17
Fifteen percent of people who had some piece of technology break down in the previous year were never able to get it repaired, according to a new survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. That figure is even higher for cell phones - as one in four people report an unresolved problem.

Good guys win small victory over spammers

Fri, Nov 14
Security experts who helped shut down a shadowy Silicon Valley Web hosting company this week say the result is an instant 40 percent drop in spam. But that won't last, according to Paul Ferguson of security firm Trend Micro.

Craigslist attempts to limit prostitution ads

Thu, Nov 13
Popular online classified ad site craigslist has introduced new rules aimed at reducing ads placed by prostitutes and pimps. The San Francisco company is now charging a small fee and requiring credit card verification for postings in the "erotic services" section of the site. Advertisers must also supply a working phone number. CEO Jim Buckmaster says he expects that very few ads for illicit services will remain. Craigslist promises to donate revenue generated from ads to charity.

Obama as a Web 2.0 president

Wed, Nov 12
During his campaign Barack Obama leveraged the Web, social networks, text messaging and e-mail to amass supporters and money. The question now: Will Obama use his millions of Internet friends to help him run the country and bring change to Washington?

Software empowers cell phones to fight traffic

Tue, Nov 11
Mobile phone company Nokia and the University of California Berkeley have released software that allows some San Francisco Bay Area drivers to use their GPS-enabled phones to better monitor traffic congestion.

Software empowers cell phones to fight traffic congestion

Tue, Nov 11
Mobile phone company Nokia and the University of California Berkeley have released software that allows some San Francisco Bay Area drivers to use their GPS-enabled phones to better monitor traffic congestion.

Certification program helps identify ethical e-waste recyclers

Mon, Nov 10
Environmental activists and more than two dozen recycling companies have created a certification program designed to curtail the export and improper disposal of toxic electronic waste.

On the cusp of a new wireless revolution?

Fri, Nov 7
MP3 - iTunes The Federal Communications Commission this week decided to free up the little-used "white space" spectrum between television channels. That spectrum slice will no longer be needed when the U.S. ditches analog TV broadcasts early next year. Backers...

60 Minutes crew attacked while filming toxic e-waste dump in China

Fri, Nov 7
This Sunday's 60 Minutes exposes what looks like a ghastly e-waste dismantling facility in Guiyu, China. Thugs overseeing the dump jumped Scott Pelley and his crew, but the newsies managed to get out with their cameras. The Chinese attackers were...

Obama to push for universal broadband?

Thu, Nov 6
Today we feature an interview with Jonathan Taplin of the USC Annenberg School for Communication, who recently analyzed the tech policy platforms of the presidential candidates. We talked about President-elect Barack Obama's positions on broadband, net neutrality, and electronic privacy.

McCain, Obama on tech policy

Mon, Nov 3
Here's John McCain talking tech at the All Things D conference in 2007....

Windows 7 previewed

Mon, Nov 3
Eager Windows fans are already downloading a very early, unfinished version of Windows 7 via bit torrent. The successor to Vista is not expected in its final form until 2010. People who write Windows programs recently got a sneak peak of Windows 7. Many reviewers say the new OS - even though it's just in a state called "pre-beta," looks pretty stable Future Tense news analyst Dwight Silverman says Windows 7 is a direct descendant of the much-maligned Vista.

Technology that broke through in 2008

Thu, Oct 30
MP3 - iTunes A game that lets users create an alternate, evolving universe and software for creating 3D worlds are among the top technology breakthroughs of 2008, according to Popular Mechanics magazine. Guest: Popular Mechanics Senior Tech Editor Glenn Derene...

Is tech changing our brains?

Tue, Oct 28
MP3 - iTunes There's little doubt that computers, cell phones and the Internet have stirred up our culture and economy -- but a prominent neuroscientist argues they're physically altering our brains as well. In his new book, "iBrain: Surviving the...

The Martin Jetpack

Mon, Oct 27
MP3 - iTunes It was cold where Glen Martin lived in New Zealand and one of the few places to stay warm was the library. There he read what he needed to become a biochemist but to take a break...

Did the Internet live up to its potential in this campaign season?

Fri, Oct 24
MP3 - iTunes It was a little more than four years ago when Howard Dean grabbed the Internet and shook it loose for all the political capital it had. Four years later, has politics online really changed? Chris Wells studies...

Why can't the U.S. make an electronic voting machine that works?

Thu, Oct 23
A Rice University class had little trouble hacking into electronic voting machines.

Virally shaping politics

Wed, Oct 22
Here are some ways technology has reshaped politics in America.

Sniffing spin

Tue, Oct 21
An add-on to Firefox allows readers to detect spin and bias in online news articles.

Cell phones, Internet promote family togetherness

Mon, Oct 20
The Internet and cell phones are bringing family members together rather than creating isolation, according to a new study.

Sour economy causes some Americans to cut back on tech spending

Fri, Oct 17
Megan Wiseman feels like she probably should buy a video game console or two, plus a handful of games -- she works as a technical writer for a video game company and needs to stay on top of the industry. But with the stock market plunging, job losses increasing, and the threat of greater inflation, she's resisting. The Raleigh, North Carolina resident dumped her cell phone plan in favor of a cheaper pay-as-you-go phone. "I kind of miss having a gadgety phone and I've been kind of trying to...

Consumer electronics industry braces for weak holiday season

Thu, Oct 16
Consumers will bypass expensive gear like laptops and flat screen televisions in favor of much cheaper gadgets in the all-important fourth quarter, according to Roger Kay, computer industry analyst with Endpoint Technologies.

Writer calls for a science & tech new deal

Wed, Oct 15
A conversation with author and science journalist David Ewing Duncan about the need for greater public investment in science and technology projects.

Meet Rovio, a new domestic robot for video chats, surveillance

Tue, Oct 14
Lem Fugitt of "Robots Dreams" reviews new Wi-fi enabled robotic webcam

Venture capital dries up

Mon, Oct 13
As the economy worsens, funding for new technology companies has grown scarce. Venture capital firm Sequoia Ventures, which backed Google among other companies, has warned Silicon Valley firms to cut expenses and expect a protracted downturn.

Broadband caps could hurt innovation

Fri, Oct 10
Today, we feature part two of our interview with Stacey Higginbotham, lead writer on technology blog GigaOm. Yesterday she explained that Internet service providers such as Comcast are beginning to restrict the amount of data that consumers can download and upload to save money on infrastructure. Today, Higginbotham shares her concerns about broadband caps.

Why do ISPs want to limit consumer broadband use?

Thu, Oct 9
Increasingly, some Internet service providers are placing limits on their broadband services. Comcast, for example, forbids customers from transferring more than 250 gigabytes of data per month. Customers who go over the limit risk getting dumped. Time Warner is experimenting with a tiered service, charging extra to customers who go over their monthly data limit.

Children hide online bullying from parents

Tue, Oct 7
In a new survey by the University of California Los Angeles, three-fourths of American teenagers say they've been bullied online, but only one in ten tells their parents.

Finding the tipping point online

Mon, Oct 6
With data from social networks and search engines, cultural tipping points as described by Malcolm Gladwell can be spotted online, according to Bill Tancer of Hitwise.

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