Tech Week: Egg Freezing, Gamergate And Online Giving

October 18, 2014 5:36 AM ET

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Apple and Facebook's decisions to pay for female employees to freeze their eggs sparked a lively debate on the message it sends to women. iStockphoto hide caption

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Apple and Facebook's decisions to pay for female employees to freeze their eggs sparked a lively debate on the message it sends to women.

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How will technology and gaming need to change to be welcoming for women? We've been exploring the issue for years. This week, the debate rages anew with a development out of Silicon Valley, and a new chapter in the still raging Gamergate controversy.

ICYMI

Egg Freezing: Apple and Facebook's new benefit that provides for egg freezing is supposed to be women-friendly, but the reaction is mixed. There are plenty of folks who think this only encourages women to put off having kids for the sake of work.

How Millennials Are Changing Philanthropy: The generation coming of age is totally game to give, but not in the same way as our parents did, as as I explained for All Things Considered.

The Big Conversation

Gamergate Still Raging: The swirling Gamergate situation and its backlash hit the front page of The New York Times, after feminist videoblogger Anita Sarkeesian canceled an appearance in Utah for fear that a shooting massacre would be carried out. The leading video game trade group has stepped in, saying violence and harassment "have to stop."

HBO Streaming (Without Cable): In a move that could signal the unraveling of cable bundles, HBO said Wednesday it will offer a streaming service to cord-cutters and other nonsubscribers. The following day, CBS said it too would offer a streaming service, for $5.99 a month.

Curiosities

Wired: A Smartwatch That Projects Buttons Onto Your Skin

Smartwatches have a real estate problem. This tries to solve it by expanding the buttons to space on your wrist.

The Guardian: Whisper Tracks Its Anonymous Users

The secret confession app is coming under fire after The Guardian's piece this week.

The Verge: This MasterCard with a built-in fingerprint sensor is coming in 2015

So, you think using your smartphone to pay at the checkout register is cool? MasterCard announced a new kind of card that will use your thumbprint to authenticate payments without swiping.

Silicon Valley Companies Add New Benefit For Women: Egg-FreezingOctober 17, 2014 Will Apple's Mobile Wallet Replace Your Leather Wallet?October 20, 2014

Technology

Cloud Data Security Concerns Raised After Reported Attack In China

A customer sets up her new iPhone 6 at an Apple store in Beijing on Friday. A group says the Chinese government backed an attack against users of Apple's iCloud service, but the government denies the claim.

Around the Nation

Weekly Innovation: An Umbrella For The Modern Age

Justin Nagelberg uses the Sa umbrella in New York City. By replacing the metal skeleton with two canopies, the design is lighter and has more headroom.

Technology

Pew: Gaming Is Least Welcoming Online Space For Women

A new Pew study finds that of all online environments, only online gaming is viewed as "starkly" more welcoming for men.

Digital Life

Who's Catching Your Cellphone Conversations?

The police could be monitoring your cellphone.

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