NPR News

Hardware is a hot topic this year at the Texas-based festival famous for launching startups like Twitter and Foursquare.

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For those who rely on technology to speak, there are a limited number of voices. "Perfect Paul" sounds robotic, and "Heather" can seem too old for some. Now, a researcher is using sound samples from people who have never been able to speak to create new, personalized voices for them.

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The Leap Motion Controller senses and tracks hand motions to allow users to browse the Web, play games and open documents. It represents another step in a goal of computer scientists: to make interactions with machines feel natural and easy, and to take away the barriers between humans and computers.

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Kenichi Togawa was working at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan the day the earthquake and tsunami struck. His family is still living in temporary housing. For many people, the stress and isolation brought on by the disaster could pose more persistent hazards than the radiation.

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Women who took aspirin at least a couple of times a week for five years or more cut their risk of melanoma by 30 percent. The new study adds to the mounting pile of research suggesting that cheap, common aspirin lowers the risk of many cancers, including colon, breast, esophagus, stomach, prostate, bladder and ovarian cancer.

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Despite disappointment at the polls, attendance isn't expected to dip much at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference near the nation's capital. But there has been an uproar over who's invited to CPAC this year — and who's not.

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Despite disappointment at the polls, attendance isn't expected to dip much at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference near the nation's capital. But there has been an uproar over who's invited to CPAC this year — and who's not.

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An estimated 80,000 American prisoners spend 23 hours a day in closed isolation units for 10, 20 or even more than 30 years. Now, amid growing evidence that it causes mental breakdown, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has decided to review its policies on solitary confinement.

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Kirk Bloodsworth was the first person in the U.S. to be exonerated by DNA evidence after receiving the death sentence. Convicted in Maryland, Bloodsworth is now one of the strongest advocates of abolishing the death penalty in the state.

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The seven — four Lebanese, one British, one Greek and one Italian citizen – who worked for a construction company were kidnapped Feb 16. A militant Islamist group claimed responsibility.

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The allegations come as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel continues his first visit to the nation as Pentagon Chief – and after a deadly explosion in Kabul on Saturday that the Taliban called a message to the new defense secretary.

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By signing a new charter for the Commonwealth states, Her Majesty is royally endorsing equal rights. One possible outcome of her support: If Prince William and Kate have a girl, she may well be queen someday.

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In a rare test of democracy, a soft-spoken, 31-year-old aid worker won a seat on the Aleppo provincial council in a vote held on March 3 in neighboring Turkey. Abdul Rahman Kahir won top votes for his work organizing aid distributions in the Syrian city.

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With only about 1,000 full-blooded Hawaiians left in the world, preserving native island culture is a huge challenge. One way to do this: teach students and other island residents the ancient art of making poi, a dish that's been feeding native Hawaiians for centuries.

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Preparations at the site of Tuesday's papal conclave include a high-tech scrubbing of the chapel for bugs and electronic monitoring equipment. Wi-Fi will be blocked throughout Vatican City, and cardinals with Twitter and Facebook accounts have been warned.

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Venezuela's elections commission announced Saturday that voters will go to the polls on April 14. Henrique Capriles, who opposed Chavez in the last election, is expected to face interim leader Nicolas Maduro.

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It was supposed to be the most modern election in African history. Biometric identification kits, computerized registration rolls and an SMS transmission of results. It all went spectacularly wrong.

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Islamist fighters have been playing a larger role in the Syrian conflict, and the most prominent single group is Jabhat al-Nusra. One of its fighters sat down with NPR and spoke about the group.

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Carl reads three news-related limericks: Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite; Safety Pants; The Flat Pack Hotel.

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Our panelists tell three stories about attempts to improve your commute.

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