Tech Week: Snooping On Steve, Uber Battles, 3-D Nutella Printing

By Elise Hu

Published June 14, 2014 at 5:46 AM EDT

Our cellphones are constantly sending out data, and it's easier to get than we thought.

So much tech news, so little time. Let's run down the highlights of our tech coverage this week.

ICYMI

Project Eavesdrop: In a series for Morning Edition, our Steve Henn got white hat hackers to tap his data and communications, in an experiment to see just how much of a digital trail — and pieces of heretofore private data — could be easily obtained. It turns out, it's a whole lot. Companies are doing more to better encrypt their systems, but there's a long way to go. Check out who's doing what to keep your data private. And in the final installment, Henn explains why you may not want to use open Wi-Fi networks.

The Big Conversation

Cellphone Tracking And The 4th Amendment: As Steve's experiment showed, our cellphones are constantly sending out data about us, whether we want them to or not. Cops can use it for investigative purposes, but a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday that the government shouldn't access location data stored by cellphone companies without a probable cause warrant. It's a win for privacy advocates, for now. Because other courts have ruled in the opposite direction, this issue may go to the Supreme Court to decide.

Uber vs. The World: Cab drivers across Western Europe brought capital cities to a standstill midweek, protesting Uber and similar ride-sharing services that they say are skirting safety, licensing and pricing laws — and threaten traditional cab businesses. Uber's been fighting similar battles in the U.S. Economists tell us the new frontier created by these services means regulations will have to catch up quickly.

Curiosities

Vox: How The TweetDeck Flaw Worked

TweetDeck, the platform that helps you monitor streams of Twitter feeds all at once, was exposed to a data flaw that sent out unintended tweets of code. Vox explains what happened.

The Wire: 3-D Printing ... With Nutella

Um, delicious.

NPR: Starbucks Makes Itself Even More Addictive With Wireless Phone Charging

It's happening in 7,500 stores over the next three years. You'll be able to charge your wireless-charging compatible phone on tables, without cords or outlets or adapters.