June 27, 2016

Password protection has been an essential element of online security since the beginning of the Internet age. But as hackers become better at infiltrating digital defenses, many companies have started switching to more advanced user verification methods. For instance, millions of customers at Wells Fargo and Bank of America regularly use their fingerprints to access their accounts from mobile devices. This practice will only grow as more companies include fingerprint-scanning technology in future smartphone models.

And biometric security doesn’t stop Continue reading

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June 24, 2016

Last night voters in the United Kingdom elected to part ways with the European Union. While the full consequences of this historic decision will not be known for a long time, this video explains the immediate impact of the “Brexit” and how the situation could play out in the coming months.

 

Questions:

  1. Did UK voters make the correct decision? 
  1. What are the benefits and drawbacks of membership in an economic community like the European Union?
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June 23, 2016

Starbucks has long reigned as the king of coffee shops, providing millions throughout the world with their caffeine fix every day. But according to a new lawsuit, those who prefer a latte for their morning pick-me-up may want to take their business elsewhere. The complaint alleges that Starbucks’ latte recipe skimps on steamed milk, ultimately leaving customers with a drink that is smaller than advertised. Although the Seattle-based chain denies these claims, this week a federal judge upheld the suit Continue reading

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June 21, 2016

Few legal procedures are more emotionally charged than divorce. Former couples often bring the worst out in one another as they contentiously divide their assets in the presence of lawyers. According to the startup Wevorce, however, ending a marriage shouldn’t place such a large strain on anyone’s finances or feelings. Instead, the company hopes to transform divorce from a drawn-out legal nightmare into a civil, streamlined division of property and possessions.

For those who have experienced the devastating effects of Continue reading

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June 17, 2016

For years advertising has been the central source of revenue for the online world. It’s also been a nuisance to many users for just as long. From early pop-up ads to the modern era of loud auto-playing videos, online ads have the irritating ability to distract web surfers from the content they were actually looking for. As a result, millions of users across the globe have installed ad blockers to remove these annoying images from their online experience.

In fact, Continue reading

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June 16, 2016

While the government’s official unemployment rate has been hovering around 5 and 6 percent lately, that number doesn’t tell the whole story about joblessness in the U.S. This video summarizes the concept of the “real” unemployment rate and the different ways that the government defines joblessness in its statistics.

Questions:

  1. Why isn’t the “real” unemployment rate used as the official measure of joblessness?

 

  1. What does the large amount of underemployment in the U.S. say about the current state of the economy?
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June 14, 2016

The rapid rise of Asian manufacturing has transformed nations like China and India into economic powerhouses as well as environmental nightmares. World health experts estimate that millions of people have died due to excessive air pollution in these two countries. So far government officials have done little to relieve their increasingly stifled citizens, leading many to turn to a variety of consumer products for help. Along with pollution masks and air purifiers, a growing number of people are also purchasing Continue reading

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For the millions of Americans who struggle with debt, paying back the money they owe can become a life-consuming ordeal. These overstretched individuals either take years to settle with creditors or end up defaulting entirely. Since most lenders want to avoid the latter option, they sometimes opt to sell off delinquent debt to a third party for pennies on the dollar. For instance, a bank might sell off $100,000 of debt to another institution for just $1,000. While the lender Continue reading

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For more than a century millions of visitors have marveled at the staggering beauty contained in America’s national parks. According to the writer Wallace Stegner, “National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.” Still, even these sublime sanctuaries face the same kind of bureaucratic headaches that afflict other government agencies. In fact, years of flat funding have left the National Park Service with an $11 Continue reading

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With summer here at last, people across the country will be looking to fill up their free time with some fun. But if your idea of a good time includes trying your hand at a claw machine, you may want to pick up a more reliable hobby. As this video shows, many claw machines are designed to ensure that players continuously lose. So beware, those who frequent arcades and boardwalk midways, Continue reading

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