Technology
3:30 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

How Did That Ad Make You Feel? Ask A Computer

Originally published on Fri February 3, 2012 10:47 am

If you have ever called your bank, your phone company or even your own office and slammed head-on into a voicemail system that has made you want to scream, this story is for you.

That's because several researchers at MIT's Media Lab have decided the time has come to create computers that understand our emotions. They hope computerizing emotional intelligence could improve customer service, create new autism treatments and maybe even help make this weekend's Super Bowl ads more amusing. To help advance this work and gather information, they started a company — Affectiva.

Read more
The Two-Way
3:28 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

Federal Prosecutors Drop Doping Case Against Cyclist Lance Armstrong

Credit Nathalie Magniez / AFP/Getty Images
Lance Armstrong arrives at a training session during a rest day of the 2010 Tour de France.

Originally published on Fri February 3, 2012 3:25 pm

Federal prosecutors say they have dropped its doping case against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. For two years, prosecutors looked into allegations that Armstrong and his United States Postal squad used performance-enhancing drugs.

The AP reports:

"In a press release, United States Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. says the case has been closed but didn't disclose the reason for the decision.

Read more
It's All Politics
3:16 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

Voting Heads West: A Nevada Republican Presidential Caucus Primer

Credit Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images
Men arrive at a campaign rally for Mitt Romney in Elko, Nev., on Friday.

While hotels along the Vegas Strip are full of Super Bowl fans and convention attendees this weekend, another event will be playing out Saturday at more than 100 locations across the state.

Nevada's Republican presidential caucuses will be taking place, not in expensive hotels, but mostly in low-key places like schools and firehouses.

David Gallagher of the Nevada state GOP says each county's local party is responsible for organizing its own caucus, so opening times vary.

Read more
The Two-Way
2:49 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

On Positive Jobs Report, Nasdaq Hits 11-Year High

The better-than-expected jobs numbers released today, sent the markets into positive territory they hadn't seen in years.

The Nasdaq Composite rose to an 11-year high, while the Dow hit its highest reading in almost four years. The S&P gained 1.4 percent, marking its best start to a new year since 1987.

Read more
Music Interviews
2:39 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

Ruthie Foster: Texas Gospel With A Worldly Touch

Credit John Carrico
Ruthie Foster's new album is Let It Burn.

Ruthie Foster is from a small town in central Texas — but there's nothing small about the way she sings on her new album, Let It Burn. Zigzagging between blues, soul, gospel and rock, the album features solid originals and surprising covers, along with several stirring collaborations with The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Read more
Middle East
2:26 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

Near Syria's Capital, The Evidence Of Heavy Fighting

This story was written and reported by a GlobalPost correspondent in Damascus, whose name has been withheld for security reasons.

When a team of foreign journalists entered the eastern Damascus suburb of Saqba last Friday, they were greeted by a sight that did not bode well for the Syrian regime.

Read more
The Two-Way
2:16 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

Military Judge Denies Request To Delay Sept. 11 Case At Guantanamo

A request for a delay in the Sept. 11 case at Guantanamo has been denied.

Two lawyers close to the proceedings tell NPR that a military judge denied their request to delay the arraignment of the Sept. 11 suspects at Guantanamo until the summer.

The lawyers were asking for more time to file memos on why Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his alleged co-conspirators should not be tried in a capital case and be eligible for the death penalty. The 911 suspects are expected to be arraigned before a military commission as early as April.

Read more
The Salt
2:11 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

The Surprising Story Of A Super Bowl Snack

Credit malloreigh / flickr.com
Presented on a gourmet plate or eaten out of the bag the chips came in, Frito Pie is an American standard.

This Super Bowl Sunday, millions of Americans will watch the game with bowls of corn-based snacks at their side. Whether you prefer Doritos, Cheetos, or even Funyuns, you owe the pleasure of that crunchy munchy to the humble corn curl that started it all: the Frito.

Read more
Author Interviews
1:51 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

'Best Practices': Learning To Live With Asperger's

When he was 30 years old, David Finch's wife, Kristen, sat him down and asked him a series of odd questions:

"Do you notice patterns in things all the time?"

"Do people comment on your unusual mannerisms and habits?

"Do you feel tortured by clothes tags, clothes that are too tight or made in the 'wrong material'?"

"Do you sometimes have an urge to jump over things?"

David's answers to all of these questions — and more than 100 others — was an emphatic yes.

Read more
The Two-Way
1:50 pm
Fri February 3, 2012

Senator Demands Answers from Freddie Mac's Regulator

Sen. Robert Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, sent a list of questions about Freddie Mac's controversial trades to the mortgage giant's regulator, highlighting how much remains unknown even after a flurry of statements from the regulator.

Read more

Pages