Recommended from Around the Web (Week Ending July 12, 2014)

A roundup of the most interesting stories from other sites, collected by the staff at MIT Technology Review.

July 11, 2014

Why Cars Remain So Appealing Even in Cities with Decent Public Transit
Visualizations from the MIT Media Lab demonstrate the best way to get around your city. Good news for biking. Not so good for public transportation.
—Timothy Maher, managing editor

In President Obama’s White House, Some Traditions Give Way to Modern Technology
Interesting Washington Post piece on how the White House uses technology on a day-to-day basis
—David Talbot, chief correspondent

That Time 2 Bots Were Talking, and Bank of America Butted In
This piece starts out funny but ends up slightly chilling, as Alexis Madrigal imagines a future in which bots mediate more and more of our lives.
—Nanette Byrnes, senior editor, Business Reports

Does Spending Big on Research Pay Off for Tech Companies? Not Really.
The stocks of companies that spend the most on R&D tend to perform poorly.
—Nanette Byrnes

California Screaming
Being a company town for the tech industry is wrenching for San Francisco.
—Brian Bergstein, deputy editor

Germany’s World Cup Hammering of Brazil Broke Twitter Records
Look like Germany busted Brazil and the Internet.
—J. Juniper Friedman, editorial assistant

MIT Finger Device Reads to the Blind in Real Time
A device worn like a ring scans printed text and reads it in a synthesized voice.
—Linda Cardinal, office coordinator