In this audio story, On the Media discusses the relative merits of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Peer-To-Patent program, which opens up the patent application process online so outside experts and other inventors can help patent examiners determine more quickly and more definitively whether a proposed patent is truly novel. One criticism levied at the program is that certain competitors may have an incentive to skew the outcome of a patent application. Supporters respond, however, that the program’s crowd-sourcing approach solicits specific forms of information in an open-source manner, such that those people assigned to review the patent can rate the legitimacy and relevance of the submitted information accordingly.

In a push to purge itself of unclaimed property, the Colorado State Treasury has invited the public television program “Antiques Roadshow” to sort through some of the goods it has in store and to assess their worth. The television exposure may help alert owners that their lost property is being held by the government and may be reclaimed.

While schools have long been wary of students using smart phones in classrooms, arguing the device can distract and facilitate cheating, some districts are using the technology as a learning tool. St. Mary’s, Ohio, for example, launched a pilot program that loans elementary students PDAs to draw pictures, use flashcard software for spelling and math, write essays, and perform various other tasks using specialized, educational applications. The idea is to leverage the strengths of these devices while also teaching students responsible use of a technology platform that is here to stay.

To save water, cities in the southwest are increasingly turning to cash incentives to convert their citizens' water-intensive lawns to drought-resistant and water-efficient desert landscaping. A Las Vegas program for ten years has paid homeowners and business owners alike $1.50 per square foot of lawn replaced for the first 5,000 feet, and $1 per square foot for the next 195,000 square feet of lawn ripped out. Dozens of cities in Arizona and California, including Los Angeles, have embarked upon similar programs.

Caltrans is installing a technology called “smart studs” to ease congestion on its highways. Under the project, these illuminating studs will monitor road conditions and traffic and, in response, open or close freeway lanes accordingly. Controlling access to the lanes will slow vehicles down when the traffic is light and ensure that traffic flows smoothly in peak times. The dynamic-lanes will also transmit traffic, road, and weather conditions to a control center, which will then alert drivers via electronic roadway signs.

The Economist examines the recent efforts of states such as California, Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts, as well as various city and county governments, to combat obesity by requiring certain restaurants, especially chains, to post calorie counts on their menus. The goal is to give citizens a more accurate sense of their dietary choices, since consumers are prone to underestimate the caloric content of the foods they eat when dining out—by as many as 600 calories according to one study. Compelling restaurants to post calorie counts may also encourage them to offer healthier selections.

South Korea is using cloned dogs in its customs service to hunt for smuggled drugs. Since only a small percentage of natural-born dogs pass the required training, scientists are increasing the "graduation rate" by selecting the most successful dogs for cloning. Observers note that the cloned dogs have so far shown stronger performances in detecting illegal drugs than their naturally born counterparts.

It’s the little things; as the budget deficit continues to rise, government agencies are finding ways to squeeze savings. The Department of Justice has started to use double-sided printing and photocopying; the Office of Thrift Supervision is eliminating unused phone lines; and FEMA will refurbish, reuse, or resell the emergency trailers it provided to those displaced by the hurricanes. The cuts reflect the president’s directive to his cabinet secretaries to find $100 million in budget savings. While the 77 spending cuts ultimately add up to only 0.006% of the estimated federal deficit, the White House budget office insists this is not a “one-off” program but an ongoing effort.

Florida is on the march to eliminate non-native pythons in its Everglades National Park. The National Park Service is testing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and thermal imaging technology to hunt the snakes, which feast on indigenous species. In addition, a group named the Python Patrol trains wildlife officials, utility workers, and police officers how to capture any pythons they encounter.

When a bike is stolen, Boston now uses social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to spread the word instantly. Owners first fill out an electronic form and upload any picture they may have on the Stolen Bikes Boston website. Once they transmit the form, a notification blast is sent out within minutes to social media followers, particularly the police, local bike shops, school security, etc. The use of these progressive communication channels may increase the chances that stolen bikes are recovered.