Weekend America Voices
John Moe
Recent Stories
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Can 911 find you if you call on a cell phone?
If you call 911 from a land line, dispatchers can identify your location and send someone to come help you. If you call 911 from a cell phone, you're a lot harder to track down. Find out what the FCC is doing to change that.
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Stuxnet computer worm threatens power plants, not credit cards
Unlike common computer viruses that go after your personal data or simply mess with your computer, a new worm is on the loose called Stuxnet, which targets software that controls infrastructure. Experts weigh in on what this means for the debut of Iran's new nuclear power plant, which has been infected by Stuxnet.
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Dark fiber could provide faster Internet to schools and libraries
The FCC is deciding whether to approve a plan to make unused fiber optic cable, or dark fiber, available to schools and libraries. That move could have a big impact on how you use the Internet. We talk with Christian Sandvig from the Project on Public Policy and Advanced Communication about the plan.
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Facebook is making you a friend request you can't refuse
It's become harder to turn down a friend request on Facebook. You used to be able to just click "accept" or "ignore," but the social network site has changed those options to "accept" or "not now." That may change the way you Facebook. We talk with B.J. Fogg at Stanford University and Clary Shirky, who's written on the social effects of technology, to get their perspectives.
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What will we do with all this "white space?"
Soon, the FCC is expected to open up unused parts of the broadcast spectrum, also known as "white space." We talk with Glenn Fleishman from Wi-Fi Networking News about how the spectrum works. And Tim Wu from Columbia Law School weighs in on companies that may use that space and what it means for Internet users.
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Can social networks help prevent the flu?
A recent study explores how the flu spreads among groups. Dr. Nicholas Christakis and Dr. James Fowler found that by closely tracking popular people, they can see a flu coming. We talk with them to find out how their findings may apply to online social networks.
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Search the Future Tense archives
Looking for a past episode? We're work on moving 1,200-plus episodes of Future Tense to the new Marketplace Tech Report website. In the meantime, search the complete archive at the old home of Future Tense.
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Free public domain classical music on the way
Aaron Dunn, of the organization Musopen, talks about his project to build a royalty-free library of classical music played by symphony orchestras that you can listen to, make a movie with, and use to sell stuff.
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Microsoft and political repression in Russia
Microsoft has granted free software licenses to Russian protest groups targeted by the government after Russian authorities raided their offices under the pretense of software piracy. Experts weigh in on the implications of Microsoft's actions.
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Your car and your concentration are at issue in Washington
With OnStar announcing new features and a tech company urging for distracted driving laws, the car is on its way to a more technologically advanced and safer future.
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What if you could declare online reputation bankruptcy?
With so much of our personal information now available on the web via social networking, we wonder if it's possible to declare reputation bankruptcy -- and start your online life all over.
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Machine translates brain waves into words.
Bioengineering has made huge advances in translating brain waves into words. Mind-reading, anyone?
