Alexis Madrigal
Apple's Watch: A Timepiece Designed To Give You Back Your Time
Apple's newest product is a screen on your wrist, with its own operating system and software. Tech correspondent Alexis Madrigal calls the Apple Watch "a powerful extension of what your phone can do".
On YouTube, A Global Archive Of Daily Life, Both Humble And Transcendent
The video-sharing website is now 10 years old. YouTube estimates that each day 432,000 hours of video gets posted on the service: a stunning record of our current civilization.
The World Loves The Smartphone. So How About A Smart Home?
The ultimate smart-home vision is a home that basically runs itself, from coffee makers to washing machines. But we're not there yet: The real world is a hard place for little computers to operate in.
Lazy About Your Online Passwords? Take Control With These New Tips
A couple of hours can go a long way toward making your data secure from criminals. It's a hassle, but you'll be forever safe from malicious forces.
Want To Dine Out? You May Need To Buy Tickets — Or Bid On A Table
Some of the nation's restaurants are using technology to make diners commit before their night out. It's convenient for the restaurant an customer -- and it may pry people away from old habits.
Can Pinterest Compete With Google's Search?
Pinterest has created a database of things that matter to humans. And with a programming team that's largely been hired away from Google, the company has begun offering what it calls "guided search."
Someday Soon You May Swallow A Computer With Your Pill.
Fresh Air tech contributor Alexis Madrigal explains how a tiny computer attaches to a pill you ingest to record how your body responds. It sounds crazy, he says, but it was approved by the FDA.
Have We Reached The End Of The Line For The Conference Call?
Fresh Air tech contributor Alexis Madrigal considers why people still jump on frustrating conference calls. While tech startups aim to kill the PIN, he says, the phone bridges generations.
By The Time Your Car Goes Driverless, You Won't Know The Difference.
The once-futuristic concept is closer than ever to becoming a reality. Parallel parking? Let the car find the perfect approach. Squeezing into a tight space? Hop out and use your smartphone.
Netflix Built Its Microgenres By Staring Into The American Soul.
Fresh Air tech contributor Alexis Madrigal counted 76,897 microgenres on the online streaming and DVD rental service, many of which are bizarrely personalized (Violent Action Thrillers Starring Bruce Willis, Tearjerkers From The 1970s). He says the company "knows you."