Technology

Nerd Alert: IBM Does ‘Jeopardy’; Scientists Invent Ambulatory Goo

Staff / Truthdig Apr 29, 2009 Tired of making machines that beat humans at chess, IBM is prepping a computer competitor for "Jeopardy," which makes sense since Alex Trebek himself is computer-generated. Japanese researchers, meanwhile, have created walking goo. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama and McCain’s FISA Flip-Flop

Staff / Truthdig Jun 27, 2008 Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights has the goods on the new FISA bill, which offers retroactive immunity to the telecoms and allows the government to spy on Americans without a warrant. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

It Came From Corporate America!

Staff / Truthdig Dec 5, 2007 Freespeech.org has this entertaining take on the privatization of the Internet, a medium that was once public, open and collaborative, but has since been taken over by corporate juggernauts. It's not something we all think about, but it wasn't so long ago that the Internet was organized around information and education, as opposed to shopping. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Virtual Glass Ceiling

Ellen Goodman / Truthdig Aug 9, 2007 Yes, there are women bloggers out there -- a lot of them, in fact. But when it comes to who gets heard and who sets the agenda, the netroots feel like a "new boys' club." Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

SaveTheInternet.com’s Call to Arms

Staff / Truthdig Jul 10, 2007 Feel strongly about Net Neutrality? Want to keep the online realm as free of pesky gatekeepers as possible? SaveTheInternet.com says yes to the above and is leading a rally to remind the FCC to work for the American people -- not big corporations. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Closing the Box on Pandora?

Aram Sinnreich / Truthdig Apr 24, 2007 The Internet radio business changed suddenly on April 16, when the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board decided in favor of drastic hikes in the royalty fees that webcasters pay record labels to play their music. Pandora founder Tim Westergren (above) says this ruling could put an end to American internet radio as we know it. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Viacom’s $1B YouTube Smackdown

Staff / Truthdig Mar 13, 2007 YouTube, you're on notice! Viacom put a damper on the Google-YouTube honeymoon by slapping the online video giant with a $1-billion lawsuit Tuesday. The suit follows YouTube's previous tussles with Viacom, the parent company of the MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central networks, over unauthorized Web use of clips from shows such as "The Colbert Report" and "South Park." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Discovery Channel Shows Off Penetrator Bomb

Staff / Truthdig Mar 13, 2007 One of the weapons used with devastating effect against U.S. forces in Iraq is the so-called explosively formed penetrator, which the administration has accused Iran of producing. Astonishingly, the Discovery Channel recently aired a puff piece that delightedly showed off such a bomb, complete with a demonstration of how effective the compact device was against armored military targets. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Wikipedia Changes Policy After Poster Is Exposed

Staff / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 The popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which draws its content from countless anonymous contributions, will institute safeguards following revelations about the identity of one of its most industrious contributors. Ryan Jordan, under the name "Essjay," wrote thousands of articles for the site while claiming to be a theology professor but was exposed by The New Yorker as a 24-year-old college dropout. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Perils of Cyberbaggage

Ellen Goodman / Truthdig Feb 22, 2007 Politicians know all too well the impact the blogosphere can have on their careers, but bloggers themselves are discovering their words can come back to haunt them. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

New Mexico Tries Talking Urinals

Staff / Truthdig Feb 18, 2007 New Mexico's transportation department has installed 500 talking deodorizers in urinals around the state in an effort to curb drunk driving. The motion-activated device plays a recorded message that encourages the captive listener to phone a friend or a cab if he has "had one too many." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Tying up the Netroots Nomination

E.J. Dionne Jr. / Truthdig Feb 16, 2007 Barack Obama probably won't best Hillary Clinton unless he trumps her efforts on the Internet. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )