Ask Manoush: What 'Counts' as Phone Time?
Originally published February 2, 2015.[Each day New Tech City host Manoush Zomorodi will discuss your questions and concerns about the Bored and Brilliant challenge of the day. Get in touch through...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ask Manoush: I Already Took a Picture... Did I Fail Challenge 2?
Originally published February 3, 2015.[Each day New Tech City host Manoush Zomorodi will discuss your questions and concerns about the Bored and Brilliant challenge of the day. Get in touch through...
View ArticleAsk Manoush: (Warning! This Post Requires Willpower)
Originally published February 4, 2015.As you probably heard this morning, deleting the game Two Dots was an emotional experience for me. To put it mildly.A report: OK, so I'm still in mourning.But I'm...
View ArticleVideo: What Happened When 130 People Got Really, Really Bored
Originally published January 29, 2015In our podcast "The Case For Boredom," we introduced researcher Sandi Mann's hypothesis that boredom leads to creativity. She put it to the test with phone books...
View ArticleBored, Brilliant and... Counterintuitively Interesting: A Reading List
Originally published January 30, 2015Hello!One of the most exciting developments in our Bored and Brilliant project so far has been the influx of thoughtful suggested reads from listeners.We figured...
View Article18 Places Where You Can Survive Without Your Phone
Originally published January 23, 2015.You've been signing up for Bored and Brilliant because you say your phone follows you... everywhere. Endlessly. Mindlessly. In every single crack and crevice of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Your Phone Stats Say About You
Originally published February 5, 2015.Your participation in Bored and Brilliant has made it possible to do some really interesting — though admittedly unscientific — research.Last week, we asked you to...
View Article5 Reasons You Want to be Bored (and Brilliant)
We've been asking people why they're signing up for New Tech City's "Bored and Brilliant" project. Over 300 people have responded, and we've read every single word.So far, 4 of you have told us you...
View ArticleBored and Brilliant Apple Users, Don’t Be Smug
Originally published February 2, 2015Part of the Bored and Brilliant project is to put some hard numbers to what is normally just a vague impression we scrutinize too closely: our phone habits....
View ArticleCounting Your Phone Time Isn't Easy
Originally published on February 6, 2015Kevin Holesh, the developer behind the Apple app Moment, and Mrigaen Kapadia, the developer of the Android app BreakFree, have been helping us keep track of our...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bored and Brilliant: The Winning Dream Houses
We're pretty sure Bored and Brilliant week culminated in... brilliance.To recap: Because research shows getting bored and daydreaming can boost creative thinking, we gave you an assignment. Artist Nina...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Whoa!': Hear the 'High Maintenance' Star's Moving Reaction to His Own Show
When we stripped away the visuals and just listened to this scene from the webseries "High Maintenance," wherein two characters discuss a serious medical diagnosis, we made the show's own Ben Sinclair...
View ArticleA Classroom Activity for Tweens and Teens Everywhere
This story is part of New Tech City's series on education and technology.A few weeks ago, we had a conversation with 16-year-old Grace about her smartphone. She inspired Dierdre Shetler, a middle...
View ArticleA Glossary of Useful Ed Tech Terms
There are a lot of buzzwords in education technology — including the phrase "education technology!"We've rounded up some of the most common, and we'd welcome your suggestions on what else we should...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Listeners: So Many Ways to Cook an Avocado
Last week on our podcast, IBM's super computer Watson played the role of chef-whisperer for us. It got a little weird. He/she/it instructed Manoush and the Sporkful's Dan Pashman to cook an avocado. As...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Help us Rename New Tech City
Hello friends,I've got some exciting (and kind of nerve-wracking!) news for you.We are going to change the name of this podcast. And we want your help.In 2012, we launched as a short news update on New...
View ArticleWhat the Internet Thinks it Knows About Your Favorite Public Radio Hosts
Imagine if everyone who wrote you an email could see into the deepest core of your personality.Yeah, it's not that far away: We found a service called Crystal Knows that takes the trend toward...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Passive Aggressive Emails. Thanks in Advance.
Is there such a thing as a perfect email? Last week, we reported on Crystal Knows, a service that predicts people's personality types just from their online writings and uses that to suggest an optimal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Record a Voice Memo
Technology can be the absolute best thing.There was the wheel, the ceiling fan, the electric tea kettle. And now, there are voice memos — ready-made, easy to use apps on your smartphone that create an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
11 Great Books About (More Than) Technology
We've spent a lot of time over the past few weeks talking about reading and writing. Is focusing more difficult when you have to cull through dozens of emails every day? Are writers worried about...
View ArticlePosting Baby Pictures Online: Your Opinions
Last week, Manoush sat down with The Longest Shortest Time's Hillary Frank and Note to Self's Jen Poyant to talk about the even-bigger-than-we'd-anticipated question: Do you post pictures of your kids...
View ArticleUsing Ad Blockers: Your Opinions
Should we use ad blockers to protect our privacy and peace of mind online, even if it means taking money away from publishers that depend on ad revenue? Manoush sat down last week with journalist Casey...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why We Take So Many Pictures
A few weeks ago, we challenged you all to tackle that dreaded item on your to-do list: your photo clutter. Get those auto-uploads going; pull those photos off of that old laptop that's been collecting...
View ArticleVideo: The Ultimate Texting Challenge
Walking and texting: You've seen it. You've done it.You've probably also eaten and texted. You've talked and texted. You've pulled your car over to the side of the road to send a text message (because...
View Article50 Newsletters You'll Actually Be Glad to See in Your Inbox
Last week, we dedicated our newsletter to a subject we know our subscribers care about: Newsletters. Between our inboxes and yours, we've compiled a pretty comprehensive list of email lists that can,...
View ArticleInfomagical: An FAQ
Hello! If you don't see an answer to your question here, you can get in touch at notetoself@wnyc.org. We'll read all of them and respond as best we can, even if it takes a few days. We'll be updating...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Infomagical Emoji
So you've listened to "The Case for Infomagical," signed up for the project, and picked a goal. Your questions have been answered.Now on to the custom emoji!Each challenge "goal" – the big, overarching...
View Article40 Female Podcast Hosts Who Deserve Your Ears
Note: We weren't lying about updating this list. Check out a more comprehensive version here, and keep sending recommendations!On this week's episode Manoush talks to Phoebe Robinson (co-host of WNYC's...
View ArticleA Magnificent List of 111 Female-Hosted Podcasts (And Counting)
Listen up: On last week's show we made the case that listening to podcasts hosted by women is a feminist act. We compiled a starter list of 40 or so female-hosted shows and asked for your endorsements....
View Article10 Great Podcast Episodes Hosted by Women
We're obsessed with getting more female voices in our podcast feeds. Thanks to your many recommendations over the past few weeks, we've compiled a long, long list of shows. But since it can be hard to...
View ArticleA Grand Introduction to the Lonely Web
There are millions of pieces of content floating around the Internet with little or no views, clicks or shares. Maybe some of them are yours.Welcome to the Lonely Web — a phrase coined by Joe Veix when...
View Article10 Stellar Work/Life Balance Pick-Me-Ups (And Counting)
All this month, we're covering motherhood, entrepreneurship and work/life balance with our series "Taking the Lead." What are your favorite stories and resources about finding/losing/lamenting over...
View Article"Letter Beginning, 'If My Body is a Text'" by Kiki Petrosino
The following poem was written for our episode, "If My Body is a Text," which explores how to absorb and address the flood of images, video, and information online when paying attention can be painful...
View Article"The Problem of Caring" by Kim Brooks
The following essay was written for our episode, "If My Body is a Text," which explores how to absorb and address the flood of images, video, and information online when paying attention can be painful...
View ArticleThe Privacy Paradox: FAQ
Hello! If you don't see an answer to your question here, you can get in touch at notetoself@wnyc.org. We'll read all your emails and respond as best we can, even if it takes a few days. We'll be...
View ArticleThe Privacy Paradox Tip Sheet
Many of you told us that the Privacy Paradox challenges freaked you out. But you were happy to take back even just a little control. Want to go further? Here's what you can do to protect your personal...
View ArticleWhat We Know About "Vault 7"
Maybe you’ve heard, some big news hit the privacy world on Tuesday.WikiLeaks, the organization behind the DNC leak last year, released a trove of documents (ominously) called “Vault 7.” The files...
View ArticleTaking the Lead Episode 4: The Partnership
This Mother's Day, a surprise. For all you working mothers balancing deadlines and bake sales, ambition and your (lovely) children, we're re-releasing all four episodes of our award-winning series...
View ArticleTaking the Lead Episode 3: The Pressure
This Mother's Day, a surprise. For all you working mothers balancing deadlines and diapers, ambition and your (lovely) children, we're re-releasing all four episodes of our award-winning series Taking...
View ArticleTaking the Lead Episode 2: The Paradox
This Mother's Day, a surprise. For all you working mothers balancing deadlines and diapers, ambition and your (lovely) children, we're re-releasing all five episodes of our award-winning series Taking...
View ArticleTaking the Lead Episode 1: The Pain Point
This Mother's Day, a surprise. For all you working mothers balancing deadlines and diapers, ambition and your (lovely) children, we're re-releasing all four episodes of our award-winning series Taking...
View ArticlePreview: Sen. Ron Wyden of the Senate Intelligence Committee
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which today is hearing testimony from former FBI Director James Comey. And just a guess, but chances are issues of hacking, data...
View ArticleFather's Day Bonus: Dad As the Lead Parent
This Father's Day, a surprise. You may remember our award winning series Taking the Lead, which we dropped into your feeds last month in celebration of Mother's Day. It follows the story of two...
View ArticleTo Post or Not To Post: Take Our (Quick) Surveys
Do your parents post pictures of you? Or did they when you were younger?Do you post pictures of your kid?We want to better understand how families are sharing information online. So we made two surveys...
View ArticleSave the Planet! Part 5: Do Over?
This is part of our five-episode pack on how science and technology can fight climate change. With better air conditioning, more whale poop, souped-up plants, and a giant vacuum. If all else fails,...
View ArticleSave the Planet! Part 4: Suck It
This is part of our five-episode pack on how science and technology can fight climate change. With better air conditioning, more whale poop, souped-up plants, and a giant vacuum. If all else fails,...
View ArticleSave the Planet! Part 3: Super Powered Sweet Corn
This is part of our five-episode pack on how science and technology can fight climate change. With better air conditioning, more whale poop, souped-up plants, and a giant vacuum. If all else fails,...
View ArticleSave the Planet! Part 2: Whale Poop
This is part of our five-episode pack on how science and technology can fight climate change. With better air conditioning, more whale poop, souped-up plants, and a giant vacuum. If all else fails,...
View ArticleSave the Planet! Part 1: I'm Gonna Take My Clothes Off
This is part of our five-episode pack on how science and technology can fight climate change. With better air conditioning, more whale poop, souped-up plants, and a giant vacuum. If all else fails,...
View ArticleRevisiting Cambridge Analytica’s Role in the Presidential Election
The first chapter in our look at Cambridge Analytica. Back in March, we asked the controversial digital marketing firm what services they provided for Trump. And experimented with our own psychometric...
View Article
