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David Roberts says the Cyber-Enhanced Working Dog harness will allow humans to monitor dogs' physical and emotional states remotely, such as in search and rescue operations.

David Roberts says the Cyber-Enhanced Working Dog harness will allow humans to monitor dogs' physical and emotional states remotely, such as in search and rescue operations. Becky Kirkland/North Carolina State University hide caption

itoggle caption Becky Kirkland/North Carolina State University

Innovation

Weekly Innovation: Harness Could Allow Dogs, Humans To Communicate

by Samantha Raphelson

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a dog harness, equipped with speakers and vibrating motors, that could be used in search and rescue or to improve dog training.

Participants in an ethical hacking contest at a Swiss security conference in Geneva in March. So-called bug bounty programs are becoming very popular in Silicon Valley's high-tech sector.

Participants in an ethical hacking contest at a Swiss security conference in Geneva in March. So-called bug bounty programs are becoming very popular in Silicon Valley's high-tech sector. Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA/Landov

Privacy & Security

Banks Reluctant To Use 'White Hat' Hackers To Spot Security Flaws

High-tech firms have been offering bounties to security researchers to find holes and bugs in their software, but these reward programs haven't drawn much interest from major banks.

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Army researchers will try to find ways to 3-D print nutritious food with less heavy packaging than the current military meals.

Army researchers will try to find ways to 3-D print nutritious food with less heavy packaging than the current military meals. Aarti Shahani/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Aarti Shahani/NPR

Innovation

Army Eyes 3-D Printed Food For Soldiers

The Army has long used high-tech tools to make meals for our troops. Now, military scientists are turning away from pots and pans, and looking to 3-D printers to make nutritious food.

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This sample image from Second Spectrum shows the company's data visualizations for the NBA. They crunch game data — past and present — to show live statistics and information during games.

This sample image from Second Spectrum shows the company's data visualizations for the NBA. They crunch game data — past and present — to show live statistics and information during games. Courtesy of Second Spectrum hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Second Spectrum

Sports

New Players In The NBA: Big Data, User-Controlled Jumbotrons

by NPR Staff

We're way beyond instant replays. Last year, the NBA began tracking the movements of players in every single game, and this season, new tech gadgetry is popping up on some arena's big screens.

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Although Apple CEO Tim Cook's sexual orientation wasn't public, it has been something of an open secret in business and technology circles.

Although Apple CEO Tim Cook's sexual orientation wasn't public, it has been something of an open secret in business and technology circles. Michael Graae/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Michael Graae/Getty Images

The Industry

Tech Week: Tim Cook's Reveal, Net Neutrality And Big Data Dishes

by Avie Schneider

Tim Cook publicly acknowledged that he's gay, the head of the Federal Communications Commission may have another net neutrality plan and IBM's supercomputer is helping chefs create new dishes.

Writer Mike Sager, posing with some of the other Mike Sagers he met, in 2005.

Writer Mike Sager, posing with some of the other Mike Sagers he met, in 2005. Courtesy of Mike Sager hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Mike Sager

Society

Doppelnamers: When Your Digital Identity Is Also Someone Else's

Finding your email double or Twitter twin is easier than ever, with Web searches and social media reminding us how un-special our names really are. So how do you stand out when others share your name?

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Nearly 20 companies have filed antitrust complaints against Google in Europe since 2009.

Nearly 20 companies have filed antitrust complaints against Google in Europe since 2009. Francois Lenoir/Reuters/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Francois Lenoir/Reuters/Landov

The Industry

EU's New Competition Chief Could Shake Up Google Antitrust Case

by Christopher Werth

Nearly 20 companies have filed antitrust complaints against Google in Europe since 2009. Under the new commissioner, the company could face more formal charges and billions of dollars in fines.

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IBM's Watson supercomputer is most famous for winning at Jeopardy! Now it's been called in to come up with recipe ideas.

IBM's Watson supercomputer is most famous for winning at Jeopardy! Now it's been called in to come up with recipe ideas. Bob Goldberg/AP/IBM hide caption

itoggle caption Bob Goldberg/AP/IBM

Innovation

I've Got The Ingredients. What Should I Cook? Ask IBM's Watson

IBM's supercomputer has crushed Jeopardy! Now chefs are using Watson to come up with new kinds of recipes that work around dietary restrictions and other limitations.

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We asked you to send in your embarrassing instant messenger handles from days gone by. Thanks for sharing, Blondsoccerplyr, AgentGiggleChunk and absofsteel3616!

We asked you to send in your embarrassing instant messenger handles from days gone by. Thanks for sharing, Blondsoccerplyr, AgentGiggleChunk and absofsteel3616! iStockphoto hide caption

itoggle caption iStockphoto

Mental Break

What's More Embarrassing Than That Old Screen Name? Sharing It

by NPR Staff

Years ago, you spent hours dreaming up the perfect AOL Instant Messenger screen name. Many of you aren't so proud of your now-defunct handles today, but that didn't stop you from sharing them with us.

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Pandora founder Tim Westergren is a former touring musician himself, but some say the music streaming service he leads is hurting musicians more than helping.

Pandora founder Tim Westergren is a former touring musician himself, but some say the music streaming service he leads is hurting musicians more than helping. Larry Busacca/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Larry Busacca/Getty Images

The Industry

Pandora Hopes To Lure Musicians Backstage With Analytics

by Robert Szypko

The music streaming company is making a play for artists' goodwill, announcing a new service that gives musicians access to data on who is listening to their music, when and where.

The Fairfax County 911 Center in Virginia takes calls during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It was relatively easy to locate callers when most people used landlines. But most 911 calls now come from cellphones, which can pinpoint a callers' location only within 100 to 300 meters.

The Fairfax County 911 Center in Virginia takes calls during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It was relatively easy to locate callers when most people used landlines. But most 911 calls now come from cellphones, which can pinpoint a callers' location only within 100 to 300 meters. Greg E. Mathieson Sr./Mai/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Greg E. Mathieson Sr./Mai/Landov

Policy

Calling 911 On Your Cell? It's Harder To Find You Than You Think

by Lucy Perkins

If you call 911 from inside a tall building, emergency responders may have difficulty finding you. Cellphone GPS technology currently doesn't work well indoors — but the FCC hopes to change that.

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