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09/07/2010 08:00 AM
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WTP 301: Tanzania Tries Solar, Your Brain on Internet, Things Speak Up, and Mad Texting Skills
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WTP 301's got some great stories. We'll hear an in-depth report on efforts to bring solar power to Tanzania, one of the world's poorest countries. Also, how the Internet may be rewiring our brain circuitry. Yikes! We'll also look at a project designed to get everyday objects to tell their stories. And we end with a woman who claims the crown of World's Fastest Texter. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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08/26/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 300: WikiLeaks, BlackBerry Bans, Google in Germany, NoKo No on Twitter, and Rubik's Cube
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Well, we made it to Episode 300. Thanks for buying the ticket and taking the ride. In this Tech Roundup episode, we're joined by Jonthan Fildes of the BBC, and Cyrus Farivar of Deutsche Welle. We discuss WikiLeaks, BlackBerry Bans, Google Streetview, North Korea's possible attempts at using social media, and the maximum minimum number of moves needed to solve a Rubik's Cube. Fun. Guaranteed. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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08/19/2010 06:00 AM
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WTP 299: Engineering the Indus, North Korea Turns to Twitter, Vietnam and the Net, Einstein@Home, and Giant Humanoid Electrical Pylons
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A great line-up for WTP 299. We've got citizen scientists finding pulsars, and electrical pylons shaped like giant humans. What, you want more? OK. We'll also talk about how the Indus has been engineered, or mis-engineered. And did you know North Korea's on Twitter, and YouTube? It's true! Plus, Vietnam tries to figure out what to do with this thing called The Internet. All that, from the Bayswater Hilton in London. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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08/11/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 298: BlackBerry Bans, Indian Cops Turn to Facebook, Green Data Centers in Finland, and Talking Tutor
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TThe tech desk is back in action with a full show. We'll talk about plans to ban some BlackBerry services in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Also, Delhi's Transit Police have turned to Facebook to out violators. Then, to Finland where we'll hear about a scheme to harvest the heat from data centers and use it to heat the local water supply. And, we end in Birmingham, England, where we'll hear about the Talking Tutor! That's Tutor, not Tudor. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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07/30/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 297: Monthly Tech Roundup 2.0
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The second of our monthly tech roundups, with Jonathan Fildes of the BBC. Jonathan and I talk about Facebook's 500,000 users worldwide. We also look at some stories that Jonathan worked on from the TED conference in Oxford, England. And we'll end with a trans-atlantic take on British hacker Gary McKinnon. And we get help from Lisa Simpson herself! Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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07/28/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 296: WikiLeaks, Google Maps, Conflict Minerals, and Gary McKinnon
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Wow. Just when we thought the tech news was slowing down for the summer, we're hit with the WikiLeaks story. We've got two takes on WikiLeaks, tech and the Afghan War. Also, Google Maps wades into some border disputes, and we hear about some recently passed legislation on the so-called "conflict minerals" that are in your precious electronic equipment. We end with an update on Gary McKinnon. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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07/20/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 295: A Shameless Repeat of the Most Hated Episode Ever (w/ Ricky Gervais)
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Yep. It's that time of year. News is slow, Clark is lazy. So, we're doing what we hardly ever do. We're bringing you a repeat of one of the most beloved, and loathed, episodes of all time. Yep, from February 2006, here's the interview with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington. We wonder if you *still* hate it? Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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07/13/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 294: Solar Plane Soars, China and Google Make Nice, and The Pleasure Telephone
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Here's the lineup for WTP 294. We've got an update on the Solar Impulse project, which aims to have a solar-powered plane circumnavigate the globe. Also, some interesting developments in China regarding Internet filtering. And we end with an amazing look at some old school tech that resonates strongly today. It's...The Pleasure Telephone! Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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07/06/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 293: FITS.ME, Criminals on Facebook, Estonia's Johnny Appleseed of Free Wi-Fi, and Lego World Cup Madness
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WTP 293 spends some more time in Estonia. We profile a start-up that's using some serious robot technology to help you buy better fitting clothes online. We also profile Veljo Haamer, the "Johnny Appleseed" of free wi-fi in Estonia. Also in this episode: Interpol uses social networking sites to track down some of the world's most wanted criminals, and a German Lego enthusiast recreates the World Cup's finest, and worst, moments. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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06/30/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 292: Our Newly Minted Monthly Technology Round-Up
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WTP 292 is different, but in a good way. We're trying out something new: a monthly tech round-up. At the end of each month, the BBC's Jonathan Fildes and I will choose five or so stories that intrigue us, and we'll talk in-depth about them. This month we've got Wikileaks, .XXX domain name, an OLPC update, more on cyber-war, and whether technology and soccer refs will ever mix. Good stuff. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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06/22/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 291: Belgian Turf Tech at World Cup, Adopt a Flemish Person or Walloon, and Cyber-Security Conference in Estonia
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Another cracking episode for you. We take a look at some high-tech turf designed by a Belgian company that's getting a work out at the World Cup in South Africa. Also, Dutch speakers and French speakers in Belgium just try to create one big happy family online. And we end with some in-depth coverage from a recent cyber-security conference in Tallinn, Estonia. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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06/08/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 290: Salad Spinner Centrifuge, Haiti Cell Phone Survey, Erasing David, Solar Internet Cafe, Mars Mission in Russia, and World Cup Soccer Ball
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WTP 290 is a bit late, but full of great stuff. We've got stories on students modifying salad spinners into blood centrifuges, and on statisticians using cell phones to survey Haitians. Also, one man's bid to outwit Britain's CCTV cameras. Plus, astronauts strap themselves in for a manned mission to Mars, in Russia. And finally, the World Cup soccer ball. Perfection, or perfidy? Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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05/25/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 289: Google's Europe Woes, Facebook Blocked in Pakistan, Digital Genome, ATM Inventor Dies, and Pac-Man Fever!
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This week we've got another great program. First up, Google's privacy woes in Europe. Then, Pakistan cracks down on Facebook and YouTube. We'll hear about how our digital genome is being buried in what's called the Swiss Fort Knox. Also, a homage to the inventor of the ATM, and another homage to that pesky little dot muncher, PacMan. That ravenous yellow mouth is now 30 years old. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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05/18/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 288: Oil Spill Update, Laser Turns 50, Haystack in Iran, Latvia's Robin Hood, and Robot Nurses in Japan
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WTP 288 features sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads. OK, not really. But we do have a birthday celebration for the laser, which turned 50 this week. Also, an oil spill update and how the Soviets dealt with gas leaks back in the day. Yikes. Also, Latvia's digital Robin Hood is unmasked, and the Japanese might choose robots over immigrants. Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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05/11/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 287: Hair and Hosiery vs. The Oil Spill, Inside GCHQ, and Design for the First World
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In this episode, we hear about a plan to use human and animal hair, and hosiery, to combat the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Also, we go deep inside Britain's top secret listening post, GCHQ, and hear about the tech that makes it tick. Finally, an NYU grad student asks people in the developing world to solve the developed world's problems. All that, plus the Jetsons! Visit the homepage: www.theworld.org/technology, or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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05/07/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 286: Eruption!, Haiti Trash Turns to Charcoal, Russia's Hackers, Spain's DVD Pirates, and Loudening Electric Cars
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And, we're back, following volcanoes, a transatlantic move to Brussels, and super slow Internet. Hope it was worth the wait. We've got Haitians turning trash into charcoal. We also try to find out why Russia produces such great computer criminals, and why Spaniards won't pay for their DVDs. But the best is the professor who wants to put more sound in the electric car. You know, for safety's sake. More info at www.theworld.org/technology. We're on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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04/13/2010 07:00 AM
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WTP 285: Sats and Nukes, Online Extremism, CO2 into Fuel, and Such Tweet Sorrow
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It's a great lineup with week. We'll hear about the role satellites play in keeping track of nuclear weapons worldwide. We'll also have two segments on online extremism, and hear about an academic who is carrying on an ongoing online conversation with a jihadist. Then, some interesting research that seeks to eventually turn CO2 into usable fuels. And we end by revisiting the Apollo 13 mission, and hear about what happens when Romeo and Juliet met each other on Twitter. Forsooth. More info at www.theworld.org/technology. We're on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldstechpod.
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04/06/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 284: Geo-engineering, China's Shadow Network, and Cell Phones Fight Drug Fakes
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In this tech podcast, we hear about a company that is using cell phone text messaging and scratch off labels to help tackle the trade in counterfeit drugs in Nigeria. We also have the story of China's Shadow Network of hackers, and also the story of Red Star, North Korea's open source, but not-so-open,operating system. And,we hear about how the Finnish post office wants to scan snail mail, and email it on to you. More info at www.theworld.org/technology.
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03/30/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 283: LHC Does the Business, Google and China, Afghan Net Censorship, and I'm Halal Search Engine
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Perfect timing for a Tuesday relaunch of The World's Tech Podcast! We've got some really big fireworks from the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. Also, Google and China continue to make some online fireworks of their own. It has us asking: is the Internet somewhere, or nowhere? Then, we hear that more Afghans are getting online, and the government is getting nervous. And we end with "the world's first halal search engine." Hmmm. All that, plus Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington. More info at www.theworld.org/technology.
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03/19/2010 04:00 PM
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WTP 282: Silicon Sweatshops, Wikileaks, Hacktivism, and Four Views on the Internet's Future
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This week, we hear about a factory in China that helps make your groovy high-tech touch screens. Trouble is, they're using a solvent that may be causing them serious health problems. Also, we explore the Wikileaks website, and hear about the rise of hacktivism. We end with four opinion pieces on the future of the global Internet.
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03/12/2010 03:00 PM
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WTP 281: South Koreans Go Off-Grid, Nigerians Go On-Grid, and Indians Try to Find Love Online
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This week, we stay online (mostly). The US Treasury Department gives the go-ahead to some new communications exports. Also, South Koreans fight cyber-bullying. Then, the BBC asks a couple of South Korean families to disconnect from the 'net, and connects a couple of farmers in Nigeria. Interesting things ensue. And we end with a lovely little piece about Indians turning to the web to find love.
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03/05/2010 03:00 PM
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WTP 280: New Body Scanners, Cross Cultural Training Goes Online, Reliving the Dot Com Bubble, and Voice Recognition Study
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This week, we take a few sideways glances at tech. First, new body scanners are going in at some US airports. Will they make a difference? Also, Alex Gallafent explores how cross-cultural business training is going online. We relive those heady days before the dot com bubble burst a decade ago, and we hear about some new research on voice recognition. Take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pritechnology.
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02/26/2010 03:15 PM
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WTP 279: FUmanoids Prepare for RoboCup 2010, Google's Europe Woes, and Latvia's Virtual Robin Hood
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This week, we start with a listener-generated segment on the team that is currently second in the world when it comes to robotic soccer, at least in the KidSize Humanoid league. They're called FUmandoids, and they're from Germany. We'll also hear about Google's woes in Italy and beyond, and hear about Latvia's virtual Robin Hood. We end with a segment on one library's plea to archive the ever-changing Internet. Take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pritechnology.
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02/19/2010 02:30 PM
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WTP 278: Robowarriors, Make Your Own Newspaper, and Pecha Kucha Redux, and Goodbye
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We've got an in-depth look at the robowarriors of the future. Also, the chance to make your own newspaper. And find out what the finished piece on Pecha Kucha sounds like. Take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pritechnology.
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02/12/2010 12:30 PM
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WTP 277: Swedish High-Tech Skiing Treadmill, sOccket, Iran Info Embed, and Pecha Kucha for Haiti
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You'd be hard pressed to find another tech podcast quite like this. We've got a high-tech cross-country skiing treadmill designed by Swedes, and a soccer ball that stores energy and can power an LED light. Also, Cyrus Farivar "embeds" with a group of information junkies trying to help Iranians communicate. And we end with a "cool stuff listeners are doing" segment on Pecha-Kucha and Haiti. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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02/05/2010 01:30 PM
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WTP 276: Haiti Crisis Camps, Blue Nile Footbridge, Better Pint Glasses, and Internet Addiction and Depression
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A great mix this week. We visit a Crisis Camp for Haiti, and hear about the role radio played in the wake of the quake. Also, the design and technology that goes into building a footbridge over the Blue Nile. And some new designs for a better, safer pint glass for beer in Britain. And we end with a study on Internet addiction and depression. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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01/29/2010 03:00 PM
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WTP 275: Nope, Not a Single Thing About Apple's iPad
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This week, rural Nigerians weigh in on what an Internet connection might mean. We revisit the push to make Internet access a human right for every Finn. We have a wonderful history piece on the technology of television, and look ahead to a day when 3D TV might go mobile. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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01/22/2010 03:00 PM
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WTP 274: Mapping Haiti, Tweak the Tweet, Clinton's Net Freedom Speech, Two Views on Google and China, Haiti Redux
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More Haiti, and lots more on Google and China. Also, Clinton's Internet Freedom Policy speech. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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01/15/2010 03:00 PM
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WTP 273: Haiti, Google in China
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We have two stories on Haiti, and two takes on Google's decision to possibly leave China. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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12/18/2009 03:00 PM
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WTP 271: The Last Podcast...of 2009
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Back to the drones this week. We explore a report that insurgents are pulling down the video feeds from Pentagon drones. Also, a former proponent of social networking tools like Twitter in combatting repressive regimes has a change of heart. Then, we hear about how different tech tools and platforms are helping in times of crisis. And we end in Copenhagen, on a bicyle. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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12/11/2009 03:00 PM
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WTP 270: Drones, Virgin's SpaceShipTwo, NASA Telescope, Space Beer, and The Bladerunner's Blades
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We spend alot of time in space this week. But first, the drones that are patrolling the airspace over Pakistan and Afghanistan. Then, Virgin Galactic rolls out its commercial spaceship for viewing, and NASA readies a really cool new space telescope. Meanwhile, on Earth, Sapporo brews up a beer made with barley that spent some time, as seeds, in space. Oh, and just what are Oscar Pistorius' amazing prosthetic legs made of? We'll find out. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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12/04/2009 03:00 PM
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WTP 269: Cybercrime, Spam and How To Stop Them (Maybe)
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In this episode, we tackle cybercrime. We've got our yearly round-up of trends in cybercrime with Graham Cluley of the British anti-virus firm Sophos. Also, law professor Susan Brenner offers up a new approach to combating cybercrime. And we have an update on the story of Simon Cox, the intrepid BBC reporter who set out to nail one of the world's most prolific spammers. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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11/20/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 268: Homemade African Windmill, Internet Governance, Semtex, and Book Six in the H2G2 Trilogy
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Marvin the Paranoid Android gives the podcast a boost this week. And fair enough, as we have an interview with Eoin Colfer, author of Book Six of the Unaptly Named Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy. Also, we talk Internet governance, Semtex and homemade windmills in Africa. Cool. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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11/13/2009 03:00 PM
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WTP 267: Churchill Flunks Computer Test, Comet Fun, Samasource, and the Pandemic Ventilator Project
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Happy Friday the 13th. We celebrate with music and stories about luck, both good and bad. Churchill's speeches don't pass electronic muster, while shorthand makes a case for itself. Also, trying to land a probe on a comet, and trying to get IT work for those with few prospects at all. And, listener Clarence Graansma tells us about his open source hardware project, the Pandemic Ventilator. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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11/06/2009 03:00 PM
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WTP 266: World's Smallest FM Transmitter, Hossein Derakhshan and Persian Blogs, and Digital Memory Redux
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This week, we hear about what's billed as the world's smallest FM transmitter. Also, we ask you to weigh in on our discussion about appropriate technologies for the developing world. Then, the strange case of Hossein Derakhshan, and the wider world of Persian language blogs. Then, we revisit digital memory. Give to the podcast at www.pri.org/give.
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10/30/2009 04:00 PM
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WTP 265: "Internet's" Birthday: 40 Years of Modulated Anarchy
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It's all about Internet this week. Our raison d'etre turned 40, and we're here to celebrate in style with half an hour of stories about how it came to be, what it is today, and where it's going tomorrow. Enjoy.
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10/23/2009 04:00 PM
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WTP 264: EpiCollect, Electric Cars, and Political Tweets in the US and UK
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This week's tech podcast comes to you not from Boston, but from London. We speak to a researcher who is trying to bring the power of smartphones to field data collection in the fight against infectious diseases. Also, as more car makers come out with electric cars, how far does the technology still have to go? And we end with a transatlantic comparison of political Tweets.
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10/16/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 263: Cuba Cable Capers, Finns Get Right to Broadband, Twitter Trumps Newspapers, and The Value of Forgetting
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Cuba gets word that not one, but possibly two, fiber optic cables are headed its way. Also, the Tsunami Early Warning System gets a test run in the Pacific, and Finns get the right to have broadband Internet access. Twitter gets a big jump on a big story in Britain. And we have an extended conversation with Viktor Mayer Shoenberger, author of Delete: The Value of Forgetting in a Digital Age.
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10/09/2009 02:40 PM
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WTP 262: Moon Crash, Peruvian Fog Nets, Nobel Prize in Physics, and Trongs!
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Oh, what a show! NASA crashes two spacecraft into the moon. Don't worry, they meant to do that. Also, in Peru, some ingenious folks are harvesting water with huge fog nets. We give an audio nod to the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics. And we end with a nod to one of the interesting folks who listens to The World's Technology Podcast. Eric Zimmerman tells us about Trongs!
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10/02/2009 02:40 PM
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WTP 261: Europe takes on Iran Net Filtering, Smart Electricity Meters, Nanotechnology Update, and the Ignobels
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Cyrus Farivar reports on an attempt by the EU to ban the sale of Internet filtering hardware to Iran. Also, French and British takes on the idea of smart electricity meters. We also hear an in-depth report on the future of nanotechnology. And we end with a short preview of the World Science Podcast with Rhitu Chatterjee.
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09/25/2009 02:40 PM
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WTP 260: Potential AIDS Vaccine, Embrace Thermoregulator, Scottish Earthworms, and Mumbai Cell Phone Symphony
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Scottish accordionist leads us off with a tune called Exhausted. Then, on to big news about an AIDS vaccine that researchers contend can prevent infections. Also, the Embrace thermoregulator, designed to save low birth weight babies in the developing world. We chat about Scottish earthworms, and we hear a cell phone symphony in Mumbai.
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09/18/2009 02:45 PM
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WTP 259: Iraq Internet Regs, Africa Connected, NComputing, and Autism Detection Software
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It's Friday, I'm in Love. With technology, I mean. We've got a look at a new measure that may curtail Internet access in Iraq. Also, Africa's broadband fibre-optic cable goes live, and we'll get reactions. Stephen Dukker from NComputing talks about how to turn one PC into 10 or more. And we end with some software designed to detect autism in infants and children.
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09/11/2009 10:30 AM
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WTP 258: High-Speed Rail, Bamboo Trains, Bio-Truck Expedition, Coltan/Congo Redux and Winston the High-Speed Pigeon
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We take a look at global models for America's proposed high-speed rail system, and then keep it real by dipping into the podcast archive for a piece on Cambodia's Bamboo Railway. We talk about a unique bio-truck that will attempt to go around the world, and hear about the downside of hybrid vehicle technology. We go to Congo to hear about how mining for the materials that make your cell phone work is making life miserable for the locals. And we end with Winston, the high-speed data pigeon.
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09/04/2009 02:45 PM
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WTP 257: Recreating Pre-War Nagasaki in 3D, Ars Electronica 2009, and A Brief History of GPS Drawing
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Great show this week. Find out how students in Japan are using 3D technology and people's memories to recreate pre-war Nagasaki. Also, we take you to Linz, Austria for the Ars Electronica 2009 festival. We hear about a wind-up vibrator. Yes, you read that correctly. And we'll explore a way to turn your urine into fertilizer. We end with a tech podcast listener who imparts some serious knowledge about GPS drawing on your host.
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08/28/2009 01:00 PM
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WTP 256: Cell Phones in the Classroom, Steam Car Redux, New Wikipedia Guidelines, and Artificial Trees
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No More Whining, that's our motto. This week: we meet a history teacher who is letting his students fully embrace the tech that they are carrying around. Also, we revisit the British steam car team trying to break a 100 plus year old record. We have an interview with Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales on new editing guidelines, and we hear about the trade in conflict minerals in Congo. We end, of course, with artificial trees.
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08/21/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 255: Botnets, Russia v. Georgia, Steam-Powered Car, Creative Commons Flamenco, and Zombies!
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No one's listening anyway, so let's have some fun. We talk about attempts to get international law to catch up with botnets. Also, a study details last year's cyberspat between Russia and Georgia. We hear about a seriously fast steam-powered car, and also about a flamenco and hip-hop mash-up that's got a real creative commons feel about it. We end with zombies. How much more do you want? Oh yeah, Dan Deacon and Quincy Jones provide light entertainment.
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08/14/2009 02:30 PM
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WTP 254: Castle Building Gets Medeival, Solar Impulse, Driverless Cars, and GPS Atari Art!
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We start with a tribute to the pioneer of that outstanding piece of technology, the single body electric guitar. RIP Les Paul. Then, some builders in France use 13th century tools and technology to build a castle from scratch. Also, Bertrand Piccard and his quest to fly a solar powered plane around the world. Then, driverless cars may be coming to Heathrow Airport. And we end by featuring podcast stalwart Vicente Montelongo, who makes, well, some very Atari-like art out of his San Francisco bike rides.
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08/07/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 253: Sand Dunes Made from Bacteria, Electronically Enhanced Borders, and WE CARE Solar
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We start with a geek's audio tribute to the late John Hughes, director of Weird Science. Then, architect Magnus Larsson wants to build sand dunes out of bacteria. Not just any sand dunes. We're talking thousands of miles long in the Sahara. Whoah. Also, countries try to enhance their borders with, wait for it, technology. And we end with an interview with Dr. Laura Stachel of WE CARE Solar.
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07/31/2009 02:45 PM
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WTP 252: Gary McKinnon Update, New Military Tech in Afghanistan, and Pirate Parties Go Global
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Briton Gary McKinnon stands accused by the US government of committing the biggest military computer hack of all time. McKinnon's been fighting extradition to the US for three years. Today, we have an update on the case. Also, the US Army tries out some new military technology in Afghanistan. We explore the rise of Pirate Parties worldwide, and we hear about how outdated Japanese political campaign laws are hampering Obama style elections.
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07/29/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 251: Apollo Mission Computers, Undersea Net Cables in Africa, and Bamboo Bikes from Zambia
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Vertigo is now gone, so back to your regularly scheduled technology podcast. We've got a great story on the computers used 40 years ago on the Apollo 11 mission. Also, a series of fiber-optic cables go live in Africa, bringing hope that affordable high-speed Internet access will be coming soon. And also, a Zambian company starts to export its bamboo bicycles.
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07/10/2009 02:30 PM
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WTP 250: Tech in China and Iran, Air France 447, Codex Sinaiticus, and Hal and the Big 5
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The Chinese government's trying to control information, especially online information, coming from the city of Urumqi, which has been the scene of violence this week. Also, global geeks try to help Iranians keep the flow of information coming. We check in on the search for the black boxes for Air France flight 447. Next, an ancient Bible finds a new home on the Internet, which also happens to be the ONLY place the band Hal and the Big 5 have ever jammed together.
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07/03/2009 02:05 PM
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WTP 249: Updates on Internet Filtering in Iran and China, One-on-One with Ken Banks, and an Intercontinental Wedding via Skype
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Updates on two stories we've been following in recent weeks. First, the Iranian government continues to try to control the flow of on-line information out of the country. We try to sort out Twitter fact from fiction with regard to Iran. Also, China's new Internet filtering plan gets delayed. Then, we have an extended conversation with Ken Banks, founder of FrontlineSMS. We end with a Skype-enabled wedding ceremony between someone in China, and someone in Denver. Cool.
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06/26/2009 02:45 PM
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WTP 248: Eco-cooker, Generation Google, Kiva in the US
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Three stories today: the first is a look at an impressive piece of engineering – a cooker that its makers claim reduces carbon emissions by a staggering degree.
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06/19/2009 02:45 PM
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WTP 247: Twitter and Other Social Media Tools in Iran
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It's all Iran this week, folks. Violence and protests have flaired in Iran following last week's disputed election results. The government moved quickly to shut down the flow of information out of, and into, the country. But Twitter and other social media tools are keeping that flow of information going. In fact, it's not a flow, but a flood. We'll take an in-depth look at how vital social media tools have become in Iran in the wake of the elections.
Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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06/12/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 246: China Net Surveillance Gets Personal, Video Technology in Sports, and Google Earth in Mozambique
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China announced new rules regarding PCs this week. Starting July 1, all PCs sold in China must contain a government mandated piece of software designed to "protect Chinese youth" from pornography and violent content. Rights groups are calling foul, and Internet experts say it's ripe for exploitation by hackers and criminals. Also, we answer your calls for a segment on the use of video technology in sports. And we end with a look at how a discovery on Google Earth may help save a rain forest in Mozambique. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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06/05/2009 02:30 PM
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WTP 245: Iranian Elections Online, US Cybersecurity, Emergency ICT in Pakistan, and Chinese Students Surveilled
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For this week's podcast, we look at how Iran's presidential candidates are taking to the Internet to win votes. Also, President Obama's plans to beef up America's cybersecurity. We check-in with ICT emergency responders in Pakistan, and then we hear about just how many surveillance cameras will be trained on Chinese students during their national exams this weekend. Music by The Hold Steady. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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05/27/2009 08:50 PM
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WTP 244 "Vacation Edition:" Wind Power in Antarctica, OR318, Sherlock Holmes Lives!, and The Photographer
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A special "vacation" episode this week. We have two tech stories to start. The first is out of Antarctica, where the Belgians have built a base camp that produces all of its own energy by using a Scottish company's wind turbines. Then, an online movement to commemorate the life and death of Iranian blogger Omid Reza Mirsayafi. In honor of vacation, we take a break from tech. We talk about the enduring legacy of Sherlock Holmes, and we hear about an amazing new graphic novel that charts the journey of one photographer into war-torn Afghanistan in the mid-1980s. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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05/16/2009 04:30 PM
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WTP 243: EU Puts Hurt on Intel, Persian Bloggers on Saberi's Release, Google Oceans Goes Deep, and SixthSense at MIT
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We start this week with a look at how, and why, the European Union leveled a world of financial hurt on US chip-maker Intel. Wow, the EU dislikes someone more than it dislikes Microsoft! Also, journalist Roxana Saberi is released from prison in Iran, the Persian language blogs are buzzing. We'll have a sample. Then, Google Oceans tries to bring mapping help to endangered coral reefs. And finally, a very interesting MIT Media Lab project called SixthSense. No, it's not about seeing dead people. But it will display your email on an airport wall. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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05/08/2009 05:00 PM
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WTP 242: Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project, UK DNA Database, Swine Flu Listener Questions Answered, and Airplanes!
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We start the show with three projects that have been chosen as the winners of Vodafone's Wireless Innovation Project. All three harness the power of wireless technologies in pursuit of social good. Then, an in-depth look at the UK's DNA database, and what America's plans are for a similar database. Also, we try to answer some of the great questions you sent in about the swine flu virus. And we end with another competition; Airbus wants to know if you can figure out how to use engineering to make flights cheaper. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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05/01/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 241: Google Book Search, World Digital Library, E-Books, Psiphon, and Yahoo's Purple Pedals
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We start out all bookish this week. We hear about Google's plan to digitally scan every book in the world, and make those books available to everyone with an internet connection. Also, UNESCO wants in on that action too, with a project called The World Digital Library. Then, an in-depth look at e-publishing; are paper books a thing of the past? Then, we hear about some Internet filtering circumvention technology called Psiphon. And we end with Yahoo's bid to trick out bikes with net cams and geo-location software. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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04/20/2009 02:00 PM
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WTP 240: Pirate Bay Founders in the Brig, Obama Tech Policy, and Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto
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Sorry we're a couple of days late, but so it goes. First, we look at the Swedish court ruling against the founders of The Pirate Bay. We have an explainer and analysis on that. Also, how is Barack Obama's embrace of new technologies during the campaign playing out now that his administration is in power? And we end with a segment on robots. Lovely. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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04/10/2009 03:00 PM
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WTP 239: Twitter Revolution in Moldova?, Urban Pac-Man, Spies in the Electricity Grid?, Extremist Websites, A Winning Solar Oven, and GoogleLitTrips
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An incredibly packed show this week. First, to Moldova to find out what role Twitter and other social networking sites have played in the protests there. Then to France for Urban Pac-Man! Also, two hits on tech and security. Are there Russian and Chinese spies pinging the US electricity grid? And are extremist websites being hosted on servers in the United States? Good questions. We also hear about an award-winning solar cooker, and about GoogleLitTrips. Show notes, links and pics at tinyurl.com/wtpblog.
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