The Internet is powered by vast banks of computers which eat up energy. That’s expensive for the people who run these servers, and it has a cost to the earth, depending on how all the electricity is generated. Aaron Rallo is CEO of TSO Logic, which offers a software solution to this. Another company working to make the net more efficient is Joyent. Its chief technology office, Jason Hoffman, believes the demands are going to get so high on our digital systems — given all the computer chips going into things — that we’ll need some big technological leaps.

Is online retailer Amazon about to do to TV’s what it did to bookstores? A published report says Amazon is coming out with its own box to attach to TV’s. Businessweek says this would compete with Apple TV, Roku and — possibly with cable and satellite companies. And from Britain comes the story of the four-year-old whose parents took her in for therapy when she became “distressed and inconsolable” without her iPad. Research about the early childhood effects of tech is ongoing, but it’s an issue parents have to deal with here and now. 

Twitter can be hacked. Who cares, if Twitter is for fun. But consider this: Somebody hacked into the Associated Press Twitter account Tuesday and sent a fake tweet about a bogus explosion at the White House. Investors were watching and the Dow fell about about a percent before the tweet was retracted.  Some experts believe the hack started with a tainted email sent to some unsuspecting AP employee. The strategy is called spearfishing and we are all urged to be alert for suspicious email. And, a final check-in with Jamie Kitman, New York editor of Automobile Magazine, as he completes his cross-country roadtrip.

Ever type a random search into Google and watch the system auto-complete just exactly what you were looking for? There is now a hint that Google could soon add even more predictive technology to its search page. A sharp-eyed blogger noticed some software code that suggest a Google Now predictive personal assistant could come to any old browser.

Today we take a look at a non-toxic construction and engineering material that’s strong, saves trees, and could help reduce greenhouse gases. A lab at the University of Texas is working on a way to produce what’s called nanocellulose in mass quantities. The technique involves altering the genes of bacteria that produce vinegar. What goes in is sunlight and what comes out is a goop-like material that can be made into houses, cargo ships, dressing for wounds, you name it — if they can perfect the process.

Gun control advocates are looking for new options, including some tech strategies. On Wednesday, seven measures failed in the U.S. Senate, including an amendment that would have expanded background checks. Some gun control advocates are now looking in new directions. So-called ‘smart guns’ are firearms that only authorized users can fire. But so far, there’s not a single one on the market in the U.S.

A year ago, Marketplace Tech host David Brancaccio drove solo across the country trying to deal only with technology and no people, as part of a series called Robots Ate My Job. Jamie Kitman, New York editor for Automobile Magazine, is now trying to make the drive the other way — meeting as many interesting human beings along the trip as he can. Kitman, who is driving a $240,000 McLaren MP 4-12C sports car, caught up with Marketplace Tech on the second day of his journey after he’d hung out in Chandler, Arizona with an outfit that has a fascinating way to design cars.

Computer glitches at home can be frustrating, but what about when they keep an entire airline company from taking off? American Airlines had to cancel over 400 flights and deal with massive delays yesterday when employees couldn’t access its computerized reservation system Sabre, which is used by multiple airlines, helps with scheduling, booking, printing boarding passes, and tracking checked bags.

A researcher used an smart phone app to hack the cockpit of a virtual airplane. The setting was a computer security conference in Amsterdam. The FAA and several makers of cockpit equipment say that feat would be much harder, if not impossible, in a real aircraft. We asked regular contributer Chester Wisnewski at computer security firm Sophos if he gives this much credence. He doesn’t — but he does think the story could make flying safer.