Week of August 23rd, 2010

It's an MIT project called Seaswarm. Little robots drag around nano-fabric that can asborb 20 times their weight in oil.  These robots dragging…

No more evenings wandering around Blockbuster amidst popcorn-y carpet smells and confusion about which recent movies are worth taking home. The…

What would happen if you didn't put any of your retirement investment money in stocks, and instead stuck with more conservative investments? How…

Posted by Matt Berger For Marketplace, Thursday, August 26, 2010 You know it's a good day when you turn on Marketplace and get to listen to Bre…

Posted by Stephen Hoffman…

As Hurricane Katrina made its way across the Gulf of Mexico five years ago, most people in harm's way evacuated. Tens of thousands of people chose not to return to damaged neighborhoods. But many have made their new lives nearby – as near as the other side of the lake that flooded their homes.

Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam talk to Marketplace staffers about fake lashes for your ride, goody two-shoes and the things pet insurance pays for.

Bill Radke talks to New York Times tech report Miguel Helft about a lawsuit between a PR firm and the Federal Trade Commission over fake reviews on the Internet.

Bill Radke talks to freelance reporter Heidi Moore and and Sudeep Reddy of the Wall Street Journal of week's top headlines.

A revolutionary surgery that has a high success rate of repairing elbows to original or even better condition before injury may change the business of baseball.

Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Steve Henn about billionaire Paul Allen's multi-patent lawsuit against a slew of top high-tech companies, like Facebook and Google.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke encouraged more consumers and businesses to spend money in a speech this morning. But with confidence lacking in the public, that idea may be a tough sell.

We tend to think the people on Facebook are young, college-aged and writing about last night's party.  Those people are indeed there.  But, there…

Dell and Hewlett-Packard keep vying for data store manager 3PAR, throwing down offers back and forth. Amy Scott reports.

So you know that one perfect, goody two-shoe who actually files their TPS reports correctly and won't even take a peek at Facebook even on their…

Question: After getting yelled at by my father in law for even suggesting the idea, I'm wondering if paying off our mortgage early is a good…

The government revised downward the nation's annual rate of growth. Scott Minerd, is chief investment officer at financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, talks with Steve Chiotakis about his reaction to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stepped up to the podium to kick off a big central bankers' convention in Wyoming. We have one analyst's…

Marketplace Half-Minute: See You Next Week from Marketplace on Vimeo. I'm filling in for Kai Ryssdal this week on the Marketplace afternoon show…

Posted by Daryl Paranada…

A survey out this week says a third of teenagers on Facebook are ready to un-friend mom or dad….

The American Chemical Society just wrapped up its national meeting in Boston, and among the presentations, a lot of interesting work on batteries…

A lot of people will be listening carefully when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke steps up to the podium to kick off a big central bankers' convention in Wyoming. Will he be more clear about what he thinks the economy needs right now? John Dimsdale reports.

American troops are leaving Iraq, but its robots are not. The Army said unmanned aircraft flights over Iraq are increasing. That's good news for the people who make unmanned vehicles — many of them gathering in Denver to show off their products. Zachary Barr reports.

The government has revised the second quarter Gross Domestic Product downward to 1.6 percent. CBS MoneyWatch's Jill Schlesinger talks with Steve Chiotakis about whether this means the nation has experienced all the growth it can muster for a while and if this gives us a better idea of where the U.S. economy is.

British researchers have successfully mapped the genetic makeup of wheat. The BBC's Rebecca Singer reports now on how the scientific breakthrough could help wheat farmers worldwide.

P-PIP, the public-private investment program, is a key piece of the Obama administration's efforts to bring the financial system back from the brink. And nine months into the program, it's making a lot of money for taxpayers. Reporter Amy Scott talks the details with Bob Moon.

People inside and outside of New Orleans think the city's recovery after Hurricane Katrina has been too slow and uneven. The hold-up is often blamed on government agencies, but they have to follow residents' rebuilding choices. Five years after the storm, Eve Troeh met the head of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, and took a tour of projects underway.

A Beijing suburb has announced it will soon begin testing out a new futuristic bus that would be built on tall legs — allowing bus passengers to drive above the cars on the highway. No, this is not a joke. China bureau chief Rob Schmitz reports.

New York recently became one of the last states to switch to no-fault divorce. That means couples can dissolve a marriage without the need for one spouse to accuse the other of misbehavior like adultery. How might the law affect those who make their living off suspicious spouses?

Toyota has issued yet another big recall of it cars. This time it involves some engine problems in the popular Corolla. Reporter Amy Scott talks with Bob Moon about what the problem is this time.

Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, August 27, 2010

Marketplace for Friday, August 27, 2010

Marketplace Money for Friday, August 27, 2010

Marketplace Tech Report for August 27, 2010

A website called Pakreport.org is helping to collect information needed in relief efforts in flood-ravaged Pakistan.

Tess Vigeland talks to UCLA marketing professor Suzanne Shu about why people have such a hard time using gifts and gift cards.

Tess Vigeland talks to Sally Bjornson of the Great American Apparel Diet about her year of not buying new clothes.

Tess Vigeland catches up with writer and New Orleans resident Ian McNulty on how he and the city have been doing since they last spoke in 2008.

Residents, who returned to the neighborhoods most devastated by the floods following Hurricane Katrina, are buying adjacent lots through a city program.

Tess Vigeland reviews your letters from this week.

Tess Vigeland and Los Angeles Times' personal finance David Lazarus answer your money questions.

Refinance your house! Buy mortgage-backed bonds! Don't invest in Berkshire Hathaway while it's still affordable! Listeners share the worst investment advice they were given.

Tess Vigeland talks to author Mark Miller about his book "Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security," on how to plan your retirement without taking on too much risk.

Posted by Matt Berger…

Google's RealTime search got its own page today.  The service turns offers search results from news sites, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and more in a…

A new report from the Government Accountability Office confirms there's not much competition among wireless service providers. Nonetheless,…

I did a story about Costco's decision to lease out space at a couple malls around the country. (Listen here.) It got me wondering about other, l…

Question: I am 51 and an independent consultant/writer. Love my work, but it keeps me poor. Due to resolved disability issues, I only entered the…

Everybody's talking about the new service Google rolled out yesterday – making voice calls through Gmail.  Wired's Ryan Single has an…

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III writes in the latest issue of Foreign Policy about the 2008 hack into a military laptop he…

Getting a masterpiece commissioned isn't just limited to the wealthy. Commissioning clubs let people contribute as much as they want — from the equivalent of giving up one restaurant dinner a month to more than the cost of a European cruise.

Bill Radke talks to Greg Wohler of Edge Creative Group, who thought of the idea for Project 100, which distributes one hundred $100 bills to 100 people for 100 days — no strings attached.

Groupon, a popular discount website, is a way to get a business lots of exposure fast. But the attention can be too much to handle for small businesses.

Costco may be calling to a mall near you. The wholesale retailer, which is known for its spare, warehouse-style stores, are targeting large spaces left by department and other anchor stores.

Home buyers grabbed at the $8,000 federal tax credit that ended up in April, but ignored the much larger savings that low interest rates could've given them. What gives?

Money sitting in savings accounts used to grow, but with low interest rates and increasing bank fees, savings accounts are starting to be a less appealing place to park your money.

Bill Radke talks to Ellen Zentner, senior economist at the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, about the dissension among the Fed's regional presidents and Bernanke.

California has passed legislation to set up a new market exchange for health insurance. It could be a model for other states to follow. The boa…

BP has pulled out of a controversial plan to drill for oil off the coast of Greenland. Why?

Posted by Daryl Paranada…

The blogosphere—well, OK, a select subsection—is abuzz about "The Buzzer," the nickname for a mysterious Russian shortwave signal that…

Prices for natural gas are down 18% this month. That's good for buyers, consumers and power plants, but not so much for producers. Scott Tong reports.

New unemployment benefit claims fell sharply in the last week, but they remain much higher than normal. Diane Lim Rogers, economist with Concord Coalition, talks with Bob Moon about how significant the let-up in jobless claims is and offers advice on Ben Bernanke's speech in Jackson Hole.

The world's biggest retailer is asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on a massive sex-discrimination lawsuit against the company. Wal-Mart says the class action case could include more than a million women and should be stopped. Amy Scott reports.

Toll Brothers, the nation's largest builder of luxury homes, reported its first quarterly profit in three years. Analysts chalked it up mostly to lower write-downs. Joel Rose reports the company is looking for more growth by launching a new subsidiary to buy distressed assets.

Dell and Hewlett-Packard put in big bids for 3PAR, a data storage company. 3PAR's board is said to have accepted an offer from Dell. But are the world's two largest PC companies in a race to acquire a company or playing a billion-dollar game of chicken? Gregory Warner reports.

Several high-profile companies in Germany were recently caught using digital technology to keep tabs on workers. Germans were spooked by that, and have pushed for a new law that would stop your employer from checking out your Facebook page.

The U.S. will soon publish its revised estimate for the country's economic growth rate and the expectation is slippage. But economics correspondent Chris Farrell says there is good news that's being ignored, and talks with Bob Moon about why he's somewhat optimistic.

California has passed legislation to set up a new market for health insurance. The online exchange could be a model for other states as they implement the health care overhaul passed earlier this year. Reporter Amy Scott talks the details with Steve Chiotakis.

Ever been on a plane and had to sit near a screaming baby or rambunctious kids? Yeah, not fun. But have you ever wished families would just have…

Marketplace for Thursday, August 26, 2010

Marketplace Tech Report for August 26, 2010

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, August 26, 2010

The L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. is planning on testing a new non-lethal "pain ray" device — originally developed for military use in Afghanistan — for the L.A. County Jail.

A federal appellate court in Washington DC will consider the fate of so-called e-cigarettes next month. E-cigarettes use batteries to turn nicotine…

Posted by Matt Berger…

Question: Your commentators always suggest it is a good idea to obtain a "free" credit report from each of the three credit-reporting agencies….

Easy Answer: If you consider energy consumption, the humble goldfish takes the top spot. Big dogs are the worst….

Google announced today that Gmail accounts can now take phone calls. For the rest of the year, you can use your Gmail account to call people in the…

With more people logging on through computers and smart phones, wireless providers are scrambling for solutions to relieve the congestion on their networks.

If you're a "wealthy, sophisticated" investor, there's a special market for you, the secondary trading markets. It's where you can trade shares of private companies who haven't made the leap to IPO, but seem promising.

Someone — or some group — is stealing cows from the Oregon backcountry, and ranchers and law enforcement are scrambling to protect their herds and catch the thieves.

Ten thousand points seems to be the magic number of choice for many investors when it comes to the Dow Jones Industrial Index. Marketplace's Alisa Roth sees if there's any truth behind that belief.

There is a worldwide deficit of skilled workers — i.e. plumbers, electricians, carpenters. These workers provide essential services — albeit unsexy — but somebody's gotta do it, especially if the economy's going to recover.

Bill Radke talks to Mark Pearce of the State Foreclosure Prevention Working Group, which released a report that said that loan modifications have helped prevent foreclosures.

Finally a publisher wins a fight in the brave new world of e-books. Last month, literary agent Andrew Wylie struck a deal with Amazon to publish a…

Have a cup of coffee this morning? Sustainability reporter Adriene Hill tells us why that cup is raising some environmental issues. The SEC wil…

In response to Wednesday's story on the problems with coffee cups and K-cups, listener Richard Johnston from New York, sent in this question:…

A new report from state banking regulators says homeowners who got recent mortgage modifications are less likely to wind up back in default. Reporter Amy Scott talks about how it might affect the housing market with Steve Chiotakis.

Richard DeKaser, president of Woodley Park Research, talks with Bob Moon about why the latest housing numbers have hit the stock market so hard.

The latest data from consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion shows the amount of money people owe on credit cards in the second quarter dropped to the lowest level in 8 years. How? Temple University Professor William Dunkleberg talks the details with Steve Chiotakis.

Posted by Daryl Paranada…

Nobel laureate and Cornell University physics professor Robert Richardson has a warning about helium.  The world is running out of it. And that…

The Securities and Exchange Commission is likely to adopt a new rule to make it easier for some stockholders to replace directors on corporate boards. Supporters say it will improve the way companies are run. John Dimsdale reports not everyone sees it that way.

A recent Indian government survey found more than 3 million nongovernmental organizations are registered in the country. That's one NGO for every 400 Indians. While the government appreciates the help, it says that might too many. Raymond Thibodeaux reports from New Delhi.

It will be harder for Ireland to borrow money after the S&P downgraded the country's credit rating. The move throws into question Ireland's struggling economic recovery and again exposes the catch-22 faced by European countries.

Bob Dylan will play in San Francisco at the city's Warfield Theater. If you missed the online rush, it's because there wasn't one. Tickets are only on sale today at the 2,500 seat theater. Just one $60 ticket per person. And you have to pay with cash. April Dembosky reports.

Did you have a cup of coffee this morning? Coffee is big business for a number of companies, but the beverage has created some complicated recycling issues and raised environmental questions as well. Sustainability reporter Adriene Hill talks with Steve Chiotakis about problems with paper coffee cups.