The Internet of things — what is it and how will it work? John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, gives some answers and says we’re closer to classic science fiction novels than we may think. There’s a new app on the market that focuses on the need for an instant truth-o-meter for when politicians open their mouths. Meet TruthTeller, from the Washington Post. 

Chinese hackers infiltrated The New York Times for months, and the technique they used was something not so advanced — email. Google’s “Project Glass” promises to put the functionality of a smart phone on your face. But is that what people want? And, the first down line you see on TV football games could be coming to a real-world Super Bowl, but not yet.

Blackberry is back, with the launch of two new phones it hopes will revive the struggling smartphone company formerly known as Research in Motion. Facebook is working on best practices in an emerging area of social media — suicide prevention. And, the military is using brain scans on new recruits — canine recruits.

A protocol that lets musical instruments talk to and trigger one another turns 30 years old today. MIDI is still used by the likes of dance-punk band !!!. It’s inventor Dave Smith explains its use. A new version of Microsoft Office turns purchasers into subscribers. The IRS has had a Tumblr for months, but it’s just now getting noticed.

The European Commission is giving $1 billion to the Human Brain Project, an effort to build a computer model of the human brain. The Pentagon wants to nearly quintuple the size of its cyber command. Experts acknowledge the seriousness of cyber threats, but disagree on the necessity of 4,000 new hires at a time of tight budgets. Plus, an academic journal on driverless cars gives a vision of the future, and it’s not all defensive driving.

Does a tech entrepreneur bring a certain startup ethic to a company that fights pirates in Africa? We ask Spencer Ackerman from Wired, who wrote a story on the head of Typhon — perhaps the first private navy of the 21st century. And, how bad are Apple’s woes, really? Adam Lashinsky explains why he disagrees with those who think some bad earnings might mean the company is lost at sea, and Marketplace’s China Correspondent Rob Schmitz tells us what a “supplier responsibility report” is, and why Apple is delivering them more often. 

Now your tweets can be videos, thanks to Twitter’s acquisition of Vine. Privacy activists are asking Skype to be more transparent. They want Skype to be more like Google, which just issued a new Transparency Report. That report gives insight into the data they share with government entities, which could benefit a debate over what information the government can acquire without a warrant. And Joe Biden gave a fireside chat using Google Hangout.

Business and political leaders are gathered in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, but they’re also talking about technology. Telemedicine started as a way of reaching those stuck at home. But in the smartphone age it’s taken off, and is saving lives of pregnant women in rural Nicaragua. A new ranking of broadband shows that the U.S. is slow. What’s the city that’s in first place?

Microsoft is reportedly considering investing billions of dollar in Dell, as part of a deal to take the company private. A new outfit called Deep Space Industries is seeking investors for a project to mine asteroids — and eventually establish a long-term human presence in space. Google’s quarterly earnings beat estimates, but its focus is beyond the next quarter. Their data-driven HR department tries to maximize employee happiness, while making sure those policies pay off.