mobile phones

Oomf there it is

The battery on your mobile phone is dead, but you don’t have time to charge it in your room. What do you do? Beginning next Friday, swing by one of 30 campus locations and pick up the Oomf, a free portable smartphone charger.

by Jason Kornwitz March 25, 2016

The implications of Apple’s fight with the FBI

Apple has objected to a federal judge’s order to help the FBI unlock an iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino shootings. Here, law professor Andrea Matwyshyn examines how this case might play out as well as its potential impact on future federal investigations, the average iPhone user’s privacy, and the global market.

by Greg St. Martin February 19, 2016

Researchers use mobile phone data to predict employment shocks

Northeastern computational social scientist David Lazer and his interdisciplinary research team have demonstrated that mobile phone data can be used to predict future unemployment rates up to four months before the release of official reports and more accurately than traditional forecasts.

by Jason Kornwitz May 27, 2015

Twitter in the city

A couple weeks ago I wrote a story about some work related to the Boston Marathon bombings that network scientists in David Lazer’s…

by Angela Herring May 6, 2013

How to be a good gossip…or at least a good computational modeler

Here are two things that shouldn’t surprise you: Our past experiences determine our future behaviors and our social interactions are constantly changing. When it comes…

by Angela Herring April 4, 2013

The social side of Sandy

Marvin Nauman/FEMA photo When disaster strikes, we rely on our social networks for support. During hurricane Sandy, neighbors helped neighbors…

by Angela Herring March 8, 2013

Show your face, not your life

Most of us have a cell phone these days. Most of them are “smart” But as they get even smarter, turning into…

by Angela Herring April 13, 2012