To the Point
'House of Cards' and the Future World of Big Data
By analyzing information collected online, Netflix, Amazon, Google and others can assess what you want. But "Big Data" has many other uses as well and there are risks...
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenBy analyzing masses of information collected online, Netflix, Amazon, Google and others can figure out what you want and how much you'll pay. But what's called "Big Data" has many other uses as well — and there are risks, including invasions of privacy. Will Big Data stifle creativity and opportunity for innovation? Also, unemployment hits a four-year low, and the world's elite sports-car makers are going hybrid.
In this episode
3 storiesUnemployment Hits Four-Year Low
The economy gained more jobs than expected last month, and the unemployment rate is now 7.7 percent, the lowest since December of 2008. Construction was especially strong, although public sector employment continued to shrink. Catherine Rampell reports on economics for the New York Times .
Read the story7 minWhat Big Data Means for Your Life, Now and in the Future
Netflix used Big Data to determine that 27 million subscribers would like the series House of Cards , starring Kevin Spacey. Yahoo used Big Data to require employees to come into the office rather than working from home.
Read the story34 minLa Ferrari and Other Super Hybrids Redefine the Green Car
You can save on gasoline and still go 210 miles an hour — if you're willing to pay $1.3 million. That's the price tag for the La Ferrari, a new hyper-hybrid that sold out at this week's auto show in Geneva. It's not just Ferrari.
Read the story8 min