Intelligent Machines

Wearable Computing Pioneer Says Google Glass Offers “Killer Existence”

Thad Starner thinks people will soon crave the ultrafast communication that Google Glass makes possible.

• by Rachel Metz

Connectivity

The Strangeness of Facebook Home

Facebook’s new interface for smartphones is at odds with how the world uses computers.

• by Paul Ford

Intelligent Machines

The Secret to a Video-Game Phenomenon

By eschewing grit and realism for creativity and simplicity, Minecraft shows how bedroom programmers can create global hits.

• by Simon Parkin

Business Impact

A Chocolate Maker’s
Big Innovation

In transforming the way cacao farmers supply manufacturers, a 
San Francisco startup is creating a superb product.

• by Corby Kummer

Rewriting Life

Plastic from Grass

Engineers seek a cheaper biodegradable polymer.

• by David Talbot

Connectivity

Even with Cord-Cutting and the Web, the TV Audience Is Massive

Although we have more ways to entertain ourselves than ever, it’s proving hard to unseat television as the most popular mass medium.

• by Brian Bergstein and Mike Orcutt

Sustainable Energy

Untapped Potential

A 1938 article anticipated the opportunities—and challenges—of harnessing the sun’s energy.