Originally published on Mon October 29, 2012 2:35 pm
Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the East Coast of the U.S., bringing sustained wind, heavy rain, and flooding that's forcing roads, bridges and mass transit systems to close from New York City to Washington. We're following the storm's progress and its impacts here on The Two-Way .
Originally published on Mon October 29, 2012 1:59 pm
Move over Abba, Sweden has found new fame. The small Nordic country is breaking records — in waste. Sweden's program of generating energy from garbage is wildly successful, but recently its success has also generated a surprising issue: There is simply not enough trash.
Big week for Microsoft. The company introduced Windows 8, its new operating system, and entered the ever-expanding tablet market. These are major steps for a company that has been perceived as lagging behind Apple and Google in innovation. We're joined now by NPR's Steve Henn in Silicon Valley.
Steve, thanks for being with us.
STEVE HENN, BYLINE: Oh, my pleasure.
SIMON: Why is Windows 8 considered such a defining moment for Microsoft?
We've been looking at how technology has totally changed what it means to watch television or a movie. One of the biggest changes has been in demand — people want a baseball game — on their smartphone, wherever they are, right now. They want to pull up a video and stream it — on their laptop or phone, immediately, with no wait.
Microsoft grabbed the spotlight this week with two big new product launches. First, a new tablet computer - Microsoft's first. And yesterday, it unveiled a radically new version of its Windows operating system.
To talk about the significance of Windows 8 and how it might affect you, we're joined by Rich Jaroslovsky, he's technology commentator at Bloomberg News and a regular guest on our program.
Social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, have been important parts of this year's presidential campaigns. As Americans prepare to head to the polls, experts discuss social media's influence on politics, and whether Twitter can predict who will win the election.
