Scientific American

en-us Science news and technology updates from Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com Copyright 1996-2013 Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com 45 http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/logo/SAlogo_144px.gif 144 Scientific American Scientific American - 60-Second Tech Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:17:08 EST 6-Month-Old E-Mails Easy Pickings for Police http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=six-month-old-emails-easy-pickings-13-06-06 <p>Existing privacy laws are disconnected from the ways we communicate electronically today. The FBI made headlines again recently for its lobbying efforts to make the Web easier to wiretap. And Congress is trying to figure out whether a law that predates the Web by several years can protect access to your old e-mails.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=six-month-old-emails-easy-pickings-13-06-06>[More]</a> Technology,Communications,Society & Policy,Technology Thu, 30 May 2013 14:09:08 EST Safe Water? Ask the Smartphone http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=safe-water-ask-the-smartphone-13-05-30 <p>A virtual cottage industry has emerged around finding innovative uses for smartphones, well beyond basic calling, texting and Internet access. In particular, there’s been a lot of interest in turning iPhones into something like the <i>Star Trek</i> medical tricorder .</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=safe-water-ask-the-smartphone-13-05-30>[More]</a> Technology,Consumer Electronics,Medical Technology,Health,Technology Fri, 24 May 2013 16:26:08 EST E-Tailers Want Amazon and Apple to Set Readers Free http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5cbcf1ce70c67a2eb652c727509488c9 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=e-tailers-want-amazon-and-apple-to-13-05-24 <p>At this early stage in the history of electronic books, there’s Amazon, there’s Apple, and then there’s everyone else. Amazon and Apple want to keep it that way, which is why you can’t just download any old e-book to your Kindle or iPad.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=e-tailers-want-amazon-and-apple-to-13-05-24>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130524.mp3 Technology,Consumer Electronics,Technology Thu, 16 May 2013 15:22:08 EST Grifters Increase Their Internet Attacks http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7b380c22a7ea2b894c621d0317466f79 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=grifters-increase-their-internet-at-13-05-16 <p>Internet scams have been around almost a long as the Internet itself, but that doesn’t stop people from falling for them. The latest report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center says consumers were victims of nearly 290,000 online frauds and lost more than $525 million in 2012. That’s up 8 percent from 2011.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=grifters-increase-their-internet-at-13-05-16>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130516.mp3 Technology,Communications,More Science,Technology,Society & Policy Sat, 11 May 2013 13:20:08 EST Bullies Turn Cyberspace Sour http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=451b5df9d905f442209d93eb59888e28 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=bullies-turn-cyberspace-sour-13-05-11 <p>Getting picked on is an unfortunate part of childhood. While many adults took their lumps the old-fashioned way--in person--today’s kids face an altogether different antagonist: the cyber bully.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=bullies-turn-cyberspace-sour-13-05-11>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130511.mp3 Technology,Communications,More Science,Technology,Society & Policy Thu, 02 May 2013 14:31:08 EST Spear Phishers Want Your Info http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=18cf7f8cd2969a4ae2c7fa807c15956b http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=spear-phishers-want-your-info-13-05-02 <p>You’ve got a few minutes between meetings, so you run through some of the e-mail in your in-box. You quickly notice an urgent message from a colleague telling you to check out an important article on the Web. You dutifully click on the link supplied and enter your login credentials when asked.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=spear-phishers-want-your-info-13-05-02>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130502.mp3 Technology,Consumer Electronics,Everyday Science,More Science,Technology,Society & Policy Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:03:08 EST Plan Your Digital Death http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=2ba894eadc459280e1ea318036092586 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=plan-your-digital-death-13-04-26 <p>Have you given any thought to your afterlife --I mean the digital one. Google has. The company says that after you’re gone, it will act as electronic executor for the gigabytes of data left in Gmail and their other digital offerings, based on your instructions.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=plan-your-digital-death-13-04-26>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130426.mp3 Technology,More Science,Technology Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:21:08 EST Controlling Some Devices Will Be a Snap http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=1e9cf8c5ab99b512dc529d0a5d3a9e14 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=controlling-some-devices-will-be-a-13-04-21 <p>The future will likely bring two main ways of telling our computers, tablets and smartphones what to do: voice commands and hand gestures . Voice is already off and running with technology like Apple’s Siri. Now HP says that within a few months you’ll be able to control its gadgets using hand signals .</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=controlling-some-devices-will-be-a-13-04-21>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130421.mp3 Technology,Consumer Electronics,Technology Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:53:08 EST Mental Health-Related Google Searches Decline in Summer http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c6136428ad34298306898dc21c61d53a http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=mental-health-related-google-search-13-04-13 <p>Summer means longer days, warmer weather and, apparently, relief for people suffering from a variety of mental health problems. That’s the takeaway from a study that tracked Google searches about mental health subjects.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=mental-health-related-google-search-13-04-13>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130413.mp3 Technology,Psychology,Everyday Science,More Science,Mind & Brain,Technology Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:32:08 EST Amazon X-Ray Aims to End Unidentified Actor Angst http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f1f9eea5631f5167b78b65d7a7b08b42 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=amazon-x-ray-aims-to-end-unidentifi-13-04-07 <p>You’re watching something when what’s-his-name comes onto the screen. That guy...who was in that thing . Why do you know that actor? The obsession doesn’t end until you find the answer in your brain or on the Internet Movie Database app, IMDB.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=amazon-x-ray-aims-to-end-unidentifi-13-04-07>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130407.mp3 Technology,Consumer Electronics,Technology Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:06:08 EST State Seeks to Ban DUI (of Google Glass) http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=10ffe1a8b4ad1a730147870cd32313c7 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=state-seeks-to-ban-diu-of-google-gl-13-03-29 <p>In recent months, Google has really pushed its Google Glass augmented-reality headset as a way to fully immerse yourself in the Internet. Fearing that such head-mounted displays will create a new class of distracted drivers, one state is pushing back.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=state-seeks-to-ban-diu-of-google-gl-13-03-29>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130329.mp3 Technology,Consumer Electronics,Society & Policy,Technology Sun, 24 Mar 2013 14:25:08 EST Most Laser Pointers Are Too Strong http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=b6d73a1ae1a3f52b7e008e9b5e235a57 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=most-laser-pointers-are-too-strong-13-03-24 <p>Laser pointers are helpful when giving a presentation. Just don’t let the beam hit you in the eye--especially when it’s green. The National Institute of Standards and Technology says that nearly 90 percent of commercially available green pointers and about half of red pointers they tested are too strong and violate federal safety regulations .</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=most-laser-pointers-are-too-strong-13-03-24>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130324.mp3 Technology,Health,More Science,Society & Policy,Everyday Science,Biology,Technology Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:10:08 EST Shoe Puts Mouth in Foot http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=74151d4479113e176af7389c33a38a4d http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=shoe-puts-mouth-in-foot-13-03-17 <p>The world’s first “Smart phone” [Maxwell Smart audio] gave TV viewers a preview of wearable communications. Get Smart got one thing wrong, though. Instead of talking to our shoes, our shoes are talking to us.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=shoe-puts-mouth-in-foot-13-03-17>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130317.mp3 Technology,Communications,Consumer Electronics,Technology Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:29:08 EST The Eyes Have IT Scrolling http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7ba6c2700970389c0848b7524f183a0d http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=the-eyes-have-it-scrolling-13-03-07 <p>Touch screens are so 2012. We’ll control tomorrow’s smartphones and tablets with little more than a glance. That’s the vision, if you will, that Samsung is expected to present later this month when the company introduces its latest handset--featuring a display that scrolls in response to eye movement.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=the-eyes-have-it-scrolling-13-03-07>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130307.mp3 Technology,Communications,Consumer Electronics,Technology Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:23:08 EST Smartphone Barometers Create Weather Station Network http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7d408f12688150649ccfef040ddbb56a http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=smartphone-barometers-create-weathe-13-02-21 <p>For a few years a handful of Android smartphones and tablets--mostly from Samsung--have come equipped with digital barometers. The idea was to help measure altitude and improve GPS accuracy. Now researchers have found a way to use these barometers for their traditional purpose--weather forecasting.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=smartphone-barometers-create-weathe-13-02-21>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130221.mp3 Technology,Everyday Science,More Science,Society & Policy Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:15:08 EST Other Smartphones Pass iPhone Satisfaction Ratings http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8e8e3e0fc2221d67d0be09a77efe5ec1 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=other-smartphones-pass-iphone-satis-13-02-14 <p>Some iPhone users are feeling less satisfied with their devices. Android customers, meanwhile, are over their moon for their smartphones.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=other-smartphones-pass-iphone-satis-13-02-14>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130214.mp3 Technology,Communications,Consumer Electronics,Technology Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:00:08 EST PayPal's Peers Perplex Potential Purchasers http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=35fbacc9a5fea2c6ba8b6c9a9b2ea9ff http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=paypals-peers-perplex-potential-pur-13-02-08 <p>Our interactions increasingly happen online. So it makes sense, in theory anyway, to have some sort of digital certificate on our computers and smartphones we can use for purchases or to provide proof of identity.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=paypals-peers-perplex-potential-pur-13-02-08>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130208.mp3 Technology,Consumer Electronics,More Science,Technology,Society & Policy Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:49:08 EST Google Maps North Korea http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c36647db6c23d3194ec87c1451fd01e3 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=google-maps-north-korea-13-01-31 <p>The next time you’re headed to North Korea, you can consult Google Maps first. Google recently revised its digital world atlas to include the notoriously closed-off country, which had been one of the last places on Earth absent from Google Maps.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=google-maps-north-korea-13-01-31>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130131.mp3 Technology,More Science,Technology Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:16:08 EST In-Between-Size Phablets Attract Consumers http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6b9c724a6f7f14c2f5e15042075cd4b0 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=in-between-sized-phablets-attract-c-13-01-25 <p>A new class of oversized smart phones has emerged called “phablets”--a hybrid between a phone and tablet. Samsung kicked off the trend with its 5.3-inch Galaxy Note in October, 2011. And Huawei’s Ascend Mate , displayed at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, measures 6.1-inches, less than 2 inches smaller than the Apple iPad Mini. And market-intelligence firm ABI Research forecasts 208 million phablets will be sold worldwide in 2015, more than twice as many as in 2012.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=in-between-sized-phablets-attract-c-13-01-25>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130125.mp3 Technology,Communications,Consumer Electronics,Technology Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:33:08 EST HAPIfork Monitors Eating Speed http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=382af8b174fd01bd388902428a822bf9 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=hapifork-monitors-eating-speed-13-01-17 <p>Healthy eating isn’t just what you eat and when you eat but how fast you eat as well. Treating every meal like a track meet can cause indigestion and, some say, weight gain. But a new gadget could help people eat more slowly. It was on display at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=hapifork-monitors-eating-speed-13-01-17>[More]</a> http://podcast.sciam.com/tech/sa_60st_podcast_130117.mp3 Technology,Everyday Science,Technology,Health