Martin Kaste

Take Your Seat, The 'No Photography' Sign Is Lit

Martin Kaste — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:39:00 +0000

You probably saw this bit of Internet virality earlier this week — showing a woman getting kicked off an American Airlines flight for channeling Whitney Houston.

What caught our attention was the sound of flight attendants repeatedly ordering passengers not to take pictures or (presumably) videos.

Apparently, it's an official rule at American Airlines:

"The use of still and video cameras, fil

Airlines Can Keep You From Snapping, But Not Sharing Photos

Martin Kaste — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:47:00 +0000

A recent incident on a commercial airliner raises an interesting question: can an airline bar you from taking pictures on their plane?

Facebook Joins Lobby For Overhauling Immigration

Martin Kaste — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:45:00 +0000

Some progressive groups are angry with Facebook for running ads supporting GOP lawmakers on board with the immigration overhaul bill. The left-wing groups have turned a blind eye to what Facebook gets out of the overhaul measure, and what it may cost American tech workers.

'Bertha' Does The Heavy Lifting In Seattle Tunnel Project

Martin Kaste — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:28:00 +0000

The world's largest tunnel boring machine in a few months will begin digging a new double-decker highway tunnel under downtown Seattle. If all goes according to plan, Bertha will start digging this summer. It'll emerge again late next year on the other side of downtown, not far from the Space Needle.

Will Bureaucracy Keep The U.S. Drone Industry Grounded?

Martin Kaste — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:19:00 +0000

Americans are suspicious of drones. Reports of the unmanned aerial vehicles' use in war zones have raised concerns about what they might do here at home. For instance, in Seattle earlier this year, a public outcry forced the police department to abandon plans for eye-in-the-sky UAV helicopters.

The backlash worries Paul Applewhite, an aerospace engineer with 10 years of experience at companies like McDonnell Douglas and Sikorsky.

Senate Moves To Update Federal Online Privacy Laws

Martin Kaste — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:17:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Yesterday, the Senate took a step toward updating the federal online privacy law. It's a law that dates back to a time when most people had never heard of the Internet.

NPR's Martin Kaste reports.

MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: The 1986 law says investigators don't need a warrant for anything you keep online more than six months. But in practice, these days, many judges and tech companies do require warrants.

Shop Owner Sued By State After Denying Flowers To Gay Couple

Martin Kaste — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:01:00 +0000

The Attorney General in the state of Washington is suing a small florist for refusing to provide flowers for a gay wedding.

Who's Hiring H1-B Visa Workers? It's Not Who You Might Think

Martin Kaste — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:40:00 +0000

The tech industry wants more skilled workers — from overseas.

Cyberattack Against Spam-Fighting Organization One Of The Largest Ever

Martin Kaste — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Police in Europe are investigating a large-scale cyberattack. Some are even calling it the largest of its kind. As NPR's Martin Kaste reports, the attack's target is an organization called Spamhaus, but the effects have spilled out into the broader Internet.

MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: Spamhaus doesn't send spam. It fights it. It identifies the sources and helps companies filter what gets to your inbox. There are some people out there that don't like Spamhaus and they show their displeasure by attacking its website.

Yes, Your New Car Has A 'Black Box.' Where's The Off Switch?

Martin Kaste — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:46:00 +0000

If you're a vehicle owner and happen to have a car accident in the near future (we hope you don't), it's likely the crash details will be recorded. Automotive "black boxes" are now built into more than 90 percent of new cars, and the government is considering making them mandatory.

Dave Wells, a detective at the King County Sheriff's Office in Washington state, specializes in accident reconstruction. That means he's often crouched under steering wheels, looking for the connector that mechanics use to get diagnostic codes.

Court To Sentence AT&T Hacker Andrew Auernheimer

Martin Kaste — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:06:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with a hacking sentence.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MONTAGNE: This morning, a federal court in New Jersey is scheduled to sentence Andrew for his much-publicized exposure of a security flaw on AT&T's iPad service. That was back in 2010.

As NPR's Martin Kaste reports, the sentencing of Andrew Auernheimer will be closely watched by those who believe federal prosecutors have become overly zealous about punishing certain kinds of hackers.

MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: Auernheimer is not a pleasant person, at least not online.

Even Where It's Legal, Pot Producers Weigh The Business Risks

Martin Kaste — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to answer questions on everything from gun control to the Department of Justice's failure to prosecute Wall Street. But he was also asked about an issue proponents of marijuana legalization have been following closely: what the DOJ plans to do about Colorado and Washington state, which have defied federal law by legalizing recreational use of the drug.

Holder said the department is still mulling its options.

As Police Drones Take Off, Washington State Pushes Back

Martin Kaste — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:06:00 +0000

Last year, Seattle became one of the nation's first cities to buy unmanned drones for use by the police department. Public reaction was less "Gee-whiz" than "What the heck?"

The phrase "unmanned drones" typically conjures images of places like Afghanistan. But the Federal Aviation Administration says it wants to start testing the civilian use of aerial drones here in the U.S. and has already issued special permits to a few police departments interested in trying them out.

But after a raucous Seattle City Council hearing earlier this month, the mayor killed the drone program.

Follow Report on H-1B Visa Story

Martin Kaste — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:43:00 +0000

Two days ago, Morning Edition aired a story about the H-1B program which grants temporary work visas to foreigners with special skills like computer programming. In the story, it was reported that employers have to show they tried to recruit Americans first. But as it turns out, many companies bypass American applicants.

Older Tech Workers Oppose Increasing H-1B Visas

Martin Kaste — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:41:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Now, a look at one part of the immigration debate in Congress: a proposed increase in H1-B visas. Those are the visas that allow companies to hire skilled foreign workers.

Cyber Security Proposals Worry Civil Libertarians

Martin Kaste — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish.

President Obama has signed an executive order intended to shore up the nation's defenses against cyberattacks. The president acted yesterday.

From Oil Fields To REI, Interior Nominee Has Outdoorsy Cred

Martin Kaste — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:34:00 +0000

President Obama's choice to take over at the Department of the Interior comes from the business world. Sally Jewell is the CEO of outdoor equipment supplier REI.

"For Sally, the toughest part of this job will probably be sitting behind a desk," the president said when introducing his nominee Wednesday. "I suspect she'll want to get out of the office quite a bit."

Before Jewell took the reins at REI, she worked in the financial industry at Washington Mutual.

Armed 'Good Guys' And The Realities Of Facing A Gunman

Martin Kaste — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:03:00 +0000

As the nation ponders how to stop the next mass shooting, the gun rights movement offers a straight-forward formula, laid out famously by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.

"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," LaPierre said last month, as his group responded to the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn.

One Man's Story

In Washington state, one such "good guy" — a private citizen who drew his gun in defense of others — paid a heavy price.

Dan McKown is a comedian.

Google Posts How It Handles Requests For Users' Data

Martin Kaste — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:34:00 +0000

Google wants you to know you're being watched. Or rather, the company wants you to know how and when the police get to watch what you do online.

For the first time, the company has posted its policies for when it gives up users' information to the government.

Three Ballot Measures Would OK Pot Beyond Medicine

Martin Kaste — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:43:00 +0000

Marijuana legalization is back on the ballot this year. California voters defeated a legalization proposal in 2010, but now similar measures have cropped up in three more Western states. This time around, some of the most intense opposition is coming from the earlier pioneers of legalization — the medical marijuana industry.

In Colorado, Amendment 64 "would regulate marijuana much like alcohol," says Howard Wooldridge, a retired police detective from Texas and a longtime campaigner for marijuana legalization. He has come to Greeley, Colo., to wave a sign for the measure.