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Tech NewsThere’s Lead In the Water of 350 US Schools, And That’s Probably Only the Beginning
After Flint, it’s been disheartening to discover that lead contamination is far more widespread than originally thought. A new investigative report by USA Today claims that 350 schools and day cares across the country have tested above the EPA’s “action level” for lead content in water. But the problem is much bigger than that report … Continued
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Tech News
America’s Public Transit Is Broken—And It’s All Your Fault
When was the last time you rode a bus? Maybe you took the bus to save money, or for environmental reasons. In a few instances here in the US, you might have taken the bus because it’s more convenient than driving. But the important thing to recognize is that you probably had a choice. And … Continued
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Tech News
This Plan Could Save Your City’s Busted Public Transit
It’s no secret that US cities need better transportation systems. The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Sidewalk Labs think they have an answer: A new platform that will collect and analyze transportation data using sensors similar to the LinkNYC kiosks that recently started operating in New York City. The platform, called Flow, will collect … Continued
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Tech News
Congress Doesn’t Really Seem to Get Why the US Needs Self-Driving Cars
Yesterday, representatives from Google, GM, Delphi, and Lyft testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation about the future of self-driving vehicles. The senators, bless their hearts, asked all the wrong questions. I don’t doubt that as a legislator who normally deals with something like FCC regulation, wrapping your head around this new-fangled … Continued
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Tech NewsA Computer Can Spot Your Drunk Tweets From a Mile Away
If you were at a bar with your phone in New York City during 2014, your whiskey-laced illegible tweets may have been used for important scientific research. In a study out this week, a group of computer scientists from the University of Rochester analyzed over 11,000 geotagged drunk tweets posted in New York City and … Continued
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Tech NewsThese 7 American Cities Will Compete for $40 Million to Create Transportation Utopias
The US government is offering seven cities a remarkable challenge: reinvent urban transportation for the 21st century, with a particular focus on autonomous vehicles. To pull it off, those cities will work with some of the world’s most powerful tech companies, and are eligible to get $40 million from the US Department of Transportation. At … Continued
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Tech News
What Google’s Self-Driving Car Team Learned From Hitting That Bus
“We don’t like our car bumping into things,” said Chris Urmson, head of Google’s self-driving project, addressing the February 14 incident where Google’s car struck a bus. “This was a tough day for us.” During a talk at SXSW, Urmson shared images from the Valentine’s Day bump—“bumping” is probably the best possible way to describe … Continued
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Tech NewsWatch President Obama’s SXSW Keynote Right Here
Over 80,000 people are expected to arrive in Austin over the next week for the mesquite-scented, queso-chugging festival SXSW—including the president of the US, who will be delivering the keynote for the tech portion of the nerd circus today. And you can watch President Obama in conversation with Texas Tribune editor-in-chief Evan Smith right here, … Continued
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Tech News
This Is What Japan Looks Like Five Years After the Tohoku Earthquake
On March 11, 2011 one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded was epicentered off the coast of Japan. But most of the devastation—including many of the over 15,000 deaths—was due not to the shaking but to the powerful tsunami waves that traveled up to six miles inland. Five years later, many of these communities still … Continued
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Tech News
This Hilarious Story Lampooning Ludicrous Tech Company Decor Is Simply Perfect
Seriously, what other industry makes its most important decisions while sitting on fake hay bales at Pac-Man tables in pirate-ship themed treehouses? Yes, every tech company’s office is garbage. But thanks to design critic Chappell Ellison, we start to see how joyously embarrassing this type of man-child interior design actually is. Ellison took the time … Continued
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Tech News
Check the History of Any NYC Address Through Its 311 Complaint Record
Chrome extensions can do so much more than transform presidential candidates into people with tiny hands. Take this brilliant Chrome extension that uses public 311 data to give you the often-frightening full story on any New York City property. Simply install the Renter Be Aware app and your Chrome browser becomes a window into the … Continued
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Tech News
The First Uterus Transplant in the US Has Failed
A revolutionary procedure that gave hope to infertile American women was ultimately not successful. The first uterus to be transplanted in the US has been removed after two weeks, even after the patient appeared at a press conference Monday saying she hoped to get pregnant one day. The Cleveland Clinic announced today that the 26-year-old … Continued
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Tech News
How Cloud-Seeding Boosted California’s Latest El Niño Storms
Don’t be too quick to thank El Niño for the last wave of storms that blessed the West Coast with swamped reservoirs, replenished snowpack, and spectacular flaming palm trees. Turns out that El Niño had a little help—precipitation was increased by an estimated 15 percent thanks to cloud-seeding. According to the Los Angeles Times, LA’s … Continued
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Tech NewsObama Has a Rather Untraditional Plan to Help Tech Companies Hire Smart New Employees
“It turns out it doesn’t matter where you learned code, it just matters how good you are at writing code,” President Obama said today at the National League of Cities conference. “If you can do the job, you should get the job.” That’s the key part of an announcement Obama made for the TechHire Initiative, … Continued
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Tech News
How Building Expensive New Housing Actually Helps Create More Affordable Cities
Applying the term “housing crisis” to the fact that people increasingly cannot afford to live in many American cities makes it seem like a vast, unfixable problem. But the solution is actually easy: Build more housing. A lot more housing. As soon as possible. But what kind of housing? Several new studies point to a … Continued
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Tech NewsThis Flaming Palm Tree Is the New Official Mascot of El Niño
Amphibious Lambo and Flood-Powered Trash Can were just the beginning. It’s time for El Niño: The Reckoning. A nasty set of El Niño-powered storms thrashed the West Coast over the weekend, confirming predictions that a “Miracle March” might deliver the promised gut-punch of rain and snow that the region desperately needs. The good news: The … Continued
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Tech News
El Niño Might Deliver After All Thanks to ‘Miracle March’ Storms
If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect from El Niño, it’s that we should expect pretty much anything. After a dry, hot February convinced everyone that El Niño had left the building—or ditched California completely—a new set of storms have provided a glimmer of great wet hope. This is coming soon to a West … Continued
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Tech News
Flint Just Replaced Its First Lead Pipe (Only About 8,000 More to Go)
The long journey to restore safe water to the city of Flint, Michigan has finally begun: The first lead service line was swapped with copper pipe today. Following a press conference at the residential site, a lead pipe was excavated and replaced by workers, who were easily outnumbered three-to-one by members of the media. Assisting … Continued
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Tech News
Whole Foods Apologizes for Making Oranges More Convenient
The scourge of pre-peeled, pre-packaged produce and subsequent internet outrage has become a recurring part of modern life. Remember The Great $6 Asparagus Water Incident of 2015? Well, Whole Foods refuses to back down from its privileged perch. Earlier this week, the market dared to place pre-peeled oranges on shelves frequented by social media users. … Continued
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Tech NewsMorgan Freeman, Who Is God, Hates Selfie Sticks
On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, Morgan Freeman was asked to narrate live footage of tourists on Hollywood Boulevard. As one might assume, some of them are holding selfie sticks. At first, it’s funny, with Freeman’s signature voice of God trying to come to terms with the nascent technology. And then he closes with a … Continued
Alissa Walker
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