Electronics

According to a report from the CDC in 2014, one third of Americans do not get the recommended seven hours of sleep.

Devices to aid sleep flood the market in spite of lack of scientific evidence of improved health, better sleeping habits

Lifestyle

Many of us struggle with getting the proper amount of sleep. Will any of the latest devices actually help in that collective effort?

Most Americans are never too far away from their cell phones. To date there have been no evidence of harmful radiation effects from the collective scientific community in spite of a recent report from California.

A California public health report suggests that cellphone exposure is bad for us — but the scientific community isn’t so sure

Lifestyle
crosswalk in honolulu

Honolulu first major US city to fine ‘phone zombies’

Culture
Employees work inside a RadioShack store in New York on February 5, 2015. The company filed for bankruptcy the same day.

How I got to know my new home in America by working at RadioShack

Culture
Apple monument in Russia

Russia’s Steve Jobs memorial looks set to leave the country

Lifestyle
Isis, the dog

Downton Abbey’s pooch has a problem — with her name

Global Scan

The public television smash hit Downton Abbey is making waves again — though not because its killed off another character. It’s because of one of the show’s dogs. Specifically Isis. And you can probably figure out where this is going. Meanwhile, in Finland, the country’s prime minister is blaming Apple for its economic problems. And France is blaming the English-speaking the world for being too politically correct. Those stories and more in today’s Global Scan.

Michele Mattana of Sardinia, Italy, poses with an iPhone 6 Plus and an iPhone 6 on the first day of sales at the Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan on September 19, 2014.

Some customers are bent out of shape after Apple’s big iPhone launch

Technology

Within days of launching the iPhone 6, Apple faced major problems with updates to iOS and claims that its new phones were bending in the pockets of users. Apple is downplaying the reports, but does the raft of problems mean people might think twice about buying the new phone?

Agbogbloshie, Ghana in 2012.

Here’s how to keep that old cell phone you’re about to toss from becoming toxic e-waste in a developing country

Environment

You’ve seen the new iPhone 6. You want one. You buy one. So what do you do with your old iPhone to make sure it doesn’t end up in some e-waste toxic pile in West Africa? We’ve got a few recommendations from an e-waste expert.

Email Services Defy Government Orders, Close Doors in Response to Spying

At least one tech-focused company is pushing back on U.S. surveillance programs. Lavabit, a Dallas-based email service, shut down its site as way to avoid handing over user data to the government. In a letter posted on the Lavabit site, owner and operator Ladar Levison said, “I have been forced to make a difficult decision: […]

Science Hack Day promotes creative collaboration through hacking

Environment

Scientists and those without a science background are finding creativity through collaboration at Science Hack Day events all over the world. But for some participants, these events are impacting their professional careers in unimaginable ways.