Electricity to the skull can improve video game skills[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:59:40 GMT ]In one of the more unusual video game-related studies to emerge recently, a DARPA-funded experiment has found that running electricity through your scalp can help make you a better game player. The game-playing volunteers received an "electric tickle" from a 9-volt battery.

Keep your cell phone alive with portable charger[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:13:54 GMT ]"I might lose you. My cell phone is about to die." I can't count the number of times I've told people that. Or I go to make an important call only to find my phone is already dead. The solution? A pocket-size phone charger.

Unlisted number fee a 'privacy penalty'[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:07:00 GMT ]Who says people won’t pay to protect their privacy? Mark Swartz is one of millions of U.S. consumers who pay dearly every month for the simplest of privacy protections -- an unlisted home telephone number.

Alien trees just might look black[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:36:55 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A British researcher suggests that the vegetation on many alien planets might well look black to human eyes.

Pre-caffeine: Dating site safety, hipster animals[ Fri, 1 Apr 2011 16:28:31 GMT ]The latest news on Match.com, YouTube, Apple, Internet culture and more.

Major retailers cut price of Wii to $169.99[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:19:24 PDT ]Nintendo has yet to confirm the cut, but several major stores have erased $30 from the Wii bundle, which includes the console, a MotionPlus Remote, a Wii nunchuk, Wii Sports, and Wii Sports Resort.

Sprint, Clearwire reach deal on wholesale pricing[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:30:58 PDT ]Agreement will help fund Clearwire's build out of its 4G WiMax network, as rumors emerge that Sprint may also be in talks to use LightSquared's soon-to-be-built 4G LTE network.

Sony Ericsson profits slump, but Android helps[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:46:05 PDT ]The company does stay in the black, beating predictions of a loss in part because of a shift toward Android smartphones. Still, its supply chain was staggered by the Japanese earthquake.

NASA ponies up $270 million for commercial spaceflight[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:07:08 PDT ]The space agency's Commercial Crew Development effort directs a big chunk of change to four private enterprises, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

U.S. offers $2.1B in loan aid for world's biggest solar plant[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:22:40 PDT ]The plant near Blythe in far-southern California will generate electricity by using trough-shaped mirrors to heat a fluid to generate steam to turn a turbine.

'Royal wedding' dance video goes viral[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:36:25 EDT ]If the real royal wedding looks anything like this one, it'll more than live up to all the hype.

Google users become editors of U.S. map[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:59:34 EDT ]Nearly three years after first releasing Map Maker, Google is finally ready to let its users edit and add to the map of the United States.

Apple to Samsung: Stop stealing our ideas[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:45:37 EDT ]Apple says it's sick and tired of Samsung ripping off the iPad and iPhone, and the Cupertino, California, company is filing papers.

Welcome to the era of 'extreme energy'[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:29:59 EDT ]Celina Harpe was 7 when her grandfather made a prediction that would forever change her life.

Electricity to the skull can improve video game skills[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:59:40 GMT ]In one of the more unusual video game-related studies to emerge recently, a DARPA-funded experiment has found that running electricity through your scalp can help make you a better game player. The game-playing volunteers received an "electric tickle" from a 9-volt battery.

Keep your cell phone alive with portable charger[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:13:54 GMT ]"I might lose you. My cell phone is about to die." I can't count the number of times I've told people that. Or I go to make an important call only to find my phone is already dead. The solution? A pocket-size phone charger.

Unlisted number fee a 'privacy penalty'[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:07:00 GMT ]Who says people won’t pay to protect their privacy? Mark Swartz is one of millions of U.S. consumers who pay dearly every month for the simplest of privacy protections -- an unlisted home telephone number.

Alien trees just might look black[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:36:55 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A British researcher suggests that the vegetation on many alien planets might well look black to human eyes.

Pre-caffeine: Dating site safety, hipster animals[ Fri, 1 Apr 2011 16:28:31 GMT ]The latest news on Match.com, YouTube, Apple, Internet culture and more.

Major retailers cut price of Wii to $169.99[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:19:24 PDT ]Nintendo has yet to confirm the cut, but several major stores have erased $30 from the Wii bundle, which includes the console, a MotionPlus Remote, a Wii nunchuk, Wii Sports, and Wii Sports Resort.

Sprint, Clearwire reach deal on wholesale pricing[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:30:58 PDT ]Agreement will help fund Clearwire's build out of its 4G WiMax network, as rumors emerge that Sprint may also be in talks to use LightSquared's soon-to-be-built 4G LTE network.

Sony Ericsson profits slump, but Android helps[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:46:05 PDT ]The company does stay in the black, beating predictions of a loss in part because of a shift toward Android smartphones. Still, its supply chain was staggered by the Japanese earthquake.

NASA ponies up $270 million for commercial spaceflight[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:07:08 PDT ]The space agency's Commercial Crew Development effort directs a big chunk of change to four private enterprises, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

U.S. offers $2.1B in loan aid for world's biggest solar plant[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:22:40 PDT ]The plant near Blythe in far-southern California will generate electricity by using trough-shaped mirrors to heat a fluid to generate steam to turn a turbine.

'Royal wedding' dance video goes viral[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:36:25 EDT ]If the real royal wedding looks anything like this one, it'll more than live up to all the hype.

Google users become editors of U.S. map[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:59:34 EDT ]Nearly three years after first releasing Map Maker, Google is finally ready to let its users edit and add to the map of the United States.

Apple to Samsung: Stop stealing our ideas[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:45:37 EDT ]Apple says it's sick and tired of Samsung ripping off the iPad and iPhone, and the Cupertino, California, company is filing papers.

Welcome to the era of 'extreme energy'[ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:29:59 EDT ]Celina Harpe was 7 when her grandfather made a prediction that would forever change her life.

'Skyrim' inhabitants: spiders, tigers, orcs, oh my![ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:05:45 GMT ]Start preparing your eyeballs. It looks like "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" might just be the game that makes them pop right out of their sockets.

'Portal 2' viral campaign is awesome...and annoying[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:03:45 GMT ]Depending on how you look at it, the makers of "Portal 2" are in the midst of pulling off a really nifty marketing campaign that delivers exposure to not only their highly anticipated game of teleportation but to a group of very deserving independent games as well ... or they're in the midst of pulling off a cheap publicity stunt that's doing nothing but irritating the f@#!ing hell out of a bunch of their loyal fans.

Virtual makeovers give you star looks with a click[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:32:19 GMT ]Trying new makeup and hairstyles never gets old. But I rarely have the time to go to a favorite makeup counter or salon for a consultation. Fortunately, sites provide virtual makeovers with the latest colors and styles, that I can do from my home.

One year after the spill, where's the oil?[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:48:39 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A year after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill began, the whereabouts of all that oil is a complex and contentious scientific issue.

NASA funds next-gen spaceships[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:30:39 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: NASA is awarding $269.3 million to four companies that plan to work on new spaceships capable of ferrying astronauts into orbit.

Energy plant hack all wind, says operator[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:42:40 PDT ]There's no proof that a suspected hacking attack on SCADA systems of a Florida-based energy plant actually occurred, according to the operator, NextEra Energy Resources.

GeoHot gives leftover legal funds to EFF, mocks Sony[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:37:41 PDT ]Fresh from settling his litigation with Sony, famed hacker gives the remainder of his donation-based legal fund to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

TI: Japan earthquake hurt earnings, outlook[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:51:56 PDT ]Chipmaker says quake damaged two of its factories and hurt demand in the country.

Cyber attacks rise at critical infrastructure firms[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:13:34 PDT ]New report finds big increase in cyber threats for power, water, and electricity firms, but modest efforts to counter them.

Report: Apple adjusted top apps ranking criteria[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:39:57 PDT ]A sudden change in rankings across several applications has pointed to Apple having made changes to the way it orders applications offered on its App Store.

Tech Check: Adver-Kindle, the Webbys, a Winklevii fail[ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:00:40 EDT ]In this week'sTech Check podcast, Doug Gross, John Sutter and Stephanie Goldberg break down Amazon's plan to offer a cheaper Kindle with advertisements.

Microsoft co-founder talks Bill Gates, chemo[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:36:04 EDT ]The United States must do a better job of educating its young people in science and technology if we're going to compete with China and India over the next century, according to Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and an American computer pioneer.

'Royal wedding' dance video goes viral[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:07:30 EDT ]If the real royal wedding looks anything like this one, it'll more than live up to all the hype.

Match.com to begin screening for sex offenders[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:40:27 EDT ]Match.com says it will begin cross-referencing members against the National Sex Offender Registry after a lawsuit filed last week in California, in which a woman claims she was raped by a convicted offender she met on the dating website.

10 deadly do-it-yourself gadgets[ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:20:55 GMT ]If you ever took the "don't try this at home" disclaimer seriously, it certainly must apply to the following do-it-yourself gadgets, from the machete-shooting crossbow to the mini-fridge beer cannon.

Google's next mission: Fighting violent extremism[ Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:02:25 GMT ]Neo-Nazi groups and al-Qaeda might not seem to have much in common, but they do in one key respect: their recruits tend to be very young. Google’s new think tank is setting out to explore what draws young people to these groups — and what can be done to redirect them.

Virtual makeovers give you star looks with a click[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:32:19 GMT ]Trying new makeup and hairstyles never gets old. But I rarely have the time to go to a favorite makeup counter or salon for a consultation. Fortunately, sites provide virtual makeovers with the latest colors and styles, that I can do from my home.

One year after the spill, where's the oil?[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:48:39 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A year after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill began, the whereabouts of all that oil is a complex and contentious scientific issue.

Pre-caffeine: Internet security, news anchor's hair[ Fri, 1 Apr 2011 16:28:31 GMT ]The latest news on space taxes, Internet scams, Apple, Facebook and more.

Computers that can cry[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:56:06 PDT ]Phillips will scale back its TV business while Samsung may be selling off its hard drive business, and Google invests in research that will attempt to teach computers to feel regret.

Survey shows DVD dominates home video[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:58:18 PDT ]NPD Group says 78 percent of home-video budgets were spent on the purchase and rental of DVD and Blu-ray discs.

Rare-earth miner Molycorp acquires magnet maker[ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:17:30 PDT ]Molycorp, which plans to officially open its rare-earth mine in California this week, buys a company which can manufacture neodymium-based permanent magnets from the minerals it mines.