First up, we talk about Facebook’s attempts to advertise to users with low-tech cell phones. Plus, Lindsey Turrentine, Editor-in-Chief of Reviews at CNET, stops by to chat about Apple’s rumored iPhone 6 mobile wallet. And Jason Boog, author of Born Reading: Bringing up Bookworms in a Digital Age, talks about how technology can help young children learn, and what makes some educational apps better than others.

On this Labor Day podcast, we kick off our new series on the way technology is changing how we read. We chat with Adriene Hill, who reports on the intersection of technology and education for Marketplace’s LearningCurve project, on the way tablets in the classroom affect reading. Then we head to Chicago, where health officials are using a new program to scan Twitter for mentions of food poisoning at local restaurants, no hashtag required. 

First up, Alibaba is getting ready to go on the road. The company and its banks want to raise $20 billion, which means they need to generate interest to the tune of some $40 billion. That’s a colossal amount of money to raise. How will it change the company’s approach to the process? And how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? This week host Ben Johnson takes on Marketplace senior reporter Stacey Vanek Smith.

First up, Apple looks set to manufacture 12.9 inch screen iPads in 2015. The new iPads are larger than the ones on the market, which with 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch displays. Why is Apple taking this direction? Is the company trying to get back into the laptop space? Are they reacting to the success of Microsoft’s ‘Surface’ line, or are there other factors at play? We take a closer look. Then, Matt Austin, Associate Director for Resident Life at UMass Lowell, talks about software that matches incoming freshmen roommates – and interfaces with Facebook – ahead of move-in day at the university on Friday.

First, we hear from Andy Tatem, a researcher who looks at cell phone data to predict population movements, about how this kind of data could be used to predict and monitor the spread of Ebola. Then, Brian Tong, an editor at CNET and host of The Apple Byte, talks about the iPhone 6 rumors that are probably true, and the ones he wishes were true. Finally, Patrick Tucker, technology editor for Defense One and author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move, stops by to talk about two examples of data-driven, predictive policing in action.

First, we hear from Brian Blau, Research Director at Gartner, about why Amazon paid $970 million for a platform that lets people watch other people playing video games. Then, as the sharing economy continues to grow, companies are forced to determine what kind of insurance they need and how much liability to take on. We explore what challenges this poses for businesses and insurance companies.  Finally, PC Mag columnist Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us to talk about how big data can be used to improve policing.

First, we look ahead to Microsoft’s unveiling of Windows 9. The OS is still an important cash cow to the company. Now that Satya Nadella has replaced Steve Ballmer as CEO, what will Windows 9 say about his vision? Then, Julie Äsk, Vice President at Forrester Research, talks about why so few people are downloading new mobile apps. Finally, Adrienne LaFrance, an editor and technology reporter at The Atlantic, joins us to talk about why Pandora has better diversity numbers than other Silicon Valley tech companies.

First up, Sam Biddle, Co-editor at the Gawker news site ValleyWag, talks about Silicon Valley decamping to Burning Man. Then, we’re joined by Shilpa Kannan, a business reporter for the BBC in Delhi, to talk about an anti-corruption hotline that lets people submit evidence of bribery using WhatsApp. And how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? It’s time for Silicon Tally! This week, host Ben Johnson takes on Cyrus Summerlin, co-founder of the one-tap pizza ordering app “Push For Pizza.”

First up, more on the news that the ACLU is suing a school district in Massachusetts for letting only low-income kids take home their school laptops and other electronics. Other kids have to provide their own or do without after the school day is finished. We ask: how common is this practice, and could this suit be the tip of the iPad iceberg? Plus, Karen North, a professor of social media and psychology at USC Annenberg, talks about how graphic and violent content spreads on the web, and what users can do to keep it out of their news feeds.