NPR : Digital Culture

News & Notes Web producer Geoffrey Bennett updates Farai Chideya on the latest topics on our blog, including folks who are fed up with all things Obama, a recent interview with Obama attorney general pick Eric Holder, and an in-studio performance by singer Darius Rucker.

Energy Star has posted new energy ratings for TVs to help consumers evaluate potential purchases. But an Energy Star listing alone doesn't mean the TV uses less energy. It means the TV is efficient — compared with others in its class.

Last week, All Things Considered launched All Tech Considered. The first segment — about how to scan bar codes and comparison shop with your cell phone — spurred listener questions. Technology expert Omar Gallaga of the Austin American-Statesman answers a few.

With hotels sold out across Washington for the inaugural festivities, many Washingtonians are offering up their homes for rent on Craigslist. The Web site might be the place to find a cheap futon, but not Jan. 20 rentals.

Just a little over a week ago, voters elected Democratic Sen. Barack Obama as the country's next president. In this week's BackTalk, hear more perspectives about Obama's win. Also, find out how a recent segment on Michelle Obama's sense of style has some voters playing fashion police. Also, listeners weigh in on the gay marriage debate brewing in California.

Could social networks be the answer in a painfully tight job market? Plus, President-elect Barack Obama might be the most tech-savvy White House resident ever, but will he make good on his broad tech proposals? Farai Chideya sorts out the bytes from the bits with NPR's technology contributor, Mario Armstrong.

With flu season fast approaching, people who feel themselves getting sick are turning to the web to self-diagnose. Aggregating Google's flu-related searches can yield interesting trends about where outbreaks are occurring — and might even provide earlier regional warnings than the CDC.

The nation is scheduled to convert to digital TV on Feb. 17. But most of Hawaii will make the switch a month early because of a volcano-dwelling bird. Federal wildlife officials recommended hastening the transition in Hawaii so the Hawaiian petrel's nesting season on the slopes of Maui's Haleakala volcano won't be disrupted by the destruction of the old analog transmission towers nearby.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga of the Austin American-Statesman talks about some of the newest cell phone applications. One allows you to scan bar codes on products like books to comparison shop. Another will identify music you're listening to if you're in the car or in a store.

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to create a position of chief technology officer. Technology commentator Mario Armstrong says the position is important because some agencies already have chief information officers, and the effort needs to be centralized to make sure everybody is using the latest technology.