Russian probe misses out on trip to Mars[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:36:15 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Russia's stranded Phobos-Grunt spacecraft reportedly has lost its main opportunity to go to Mars and land on one of its moons, but efforts to revive it continue.

Mobile app content ratings system to debut next week[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:35:31 PST ]Next week brings the debut of a formal ratings system for mobile applications, a self-regulatory system that may or may not be adopted by companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft in their mobile application stores.

Amazon launches 'Penny Pincher' smartphone sale[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:46:25 PST ]The Internet retailer has put all of its Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T smartphones on sale for just one cent.

Samsung in last-stage Google TV talks, exec says[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:42:33 PST ]Yoon Boo Keun, president of Samsung's TV division, tells reporters to expect a Google TV-based device at an event next year that's not CES.

HP chairman photographed using MacBook Air[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:50:32 PST ]Picture shows Ray Lane using a MacBook Air at home--an odd depiction of someone supposedly leading the charge against Apple.

Forget 'six degrees'--we are actually closer[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:53:30 PST ]Facebook study finds that the average number of people who separate any two individuals in the world is 4.74.

Apple patent would shield against broken glass[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:30:09 EST ]Apple is a powerhouse of ingenuity, patenting ideas as soon as an engineer can scratch them down on paper (or iPad). Around three dozen Apple patents made their way through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week alone.

Facebook adding ads to its Ticker feed[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:58:35 EST ]Facebook's Ticker, the fast-scrolling tote board of pretty much everything your friends are doing, is ready to start selling you stuff.

Launch of huge Mars rover delayed by a day[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:22:52 GMT ]NASA has pushed back the launch of a $2.5 billion Mars rover to Saturday in order to replace a suspect battery on the rover's rocket.

Whale fossil bonanza in desert poses mystery[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:15:02 GMT ]More than 2 million years ago, scores of whales congregating off the Pacific Coast of South America mysteriously met their end.

Put living room to the test before buying a TV[ Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:38:38 GMT ]Unless you assess your home viewing conditions, and optimize them as best as you can, you won't see the extra performance that can justify a top-end HDTV. Before buying, here's how to look over your living-room situation.

Pre-caffeine: Ice Cream and pepper spray![ Mon, 1 Aug 2011 14:20:24 GMT ]A collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.

Video: Kids' tech: Creative learning in the iPad age[ Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:03:52 GMT ]Kids' play has moved to tablets and PCs. In this new age, toy makers and researchers alike are sorting out the benefits — and detriments — of playful educational interaction in virtual space. (msnbc.com)

Bill Gates to testify today in Novell suit against Microsoft[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:21:06 PST ]Gates is expected to testify today in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit in which Novell has accused Microsoft of intentionally damaging sales of its former WordPerfect software.

Spend $25 at a local business, get $25 back from American Express[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:51:21 PST ]The Small Business Saturday promotion has almost no strings attached. Just use your Amex card to patronize an independent business, then get a $25 credit on your statement.

Amazon may be launching an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire in Q2 2012[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:01:58 PST ]The e-retail giant will reportedly start production of the device in the middle of the quarter to have enough tablets ready for launch.

Spotify to unveil 'what's next' in conference next week[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:32:35 PST ]The music streaming service teases a big announcement, in which founder and CEO Daniel Ek and "special guests" will make an appearance.

Developer coaxes Siri to raise, lower his temperature[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:39:17 PST ]A developer set up a special Siri proxy to run his thermostat and potentially do other tasks Apple won't let her touch.

Anti-piracy bill meets Web-freedom backlash[ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:12:40 EST ]A bill moving through Congress is intended, on its surface at least, to do something relatively simple: Crack down on the illegal pirating of movies, music and other copyrighted material.

Apple patent would shield against broken glass[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:30:09 EST ]Apple is a powerhouse of ingenuity, patenting ideas as soon as an engineer can scratch them down on paper (or iPad). Around three dozen Apple patents made their way through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week alone.

Launch of huge Mars rover delayed by a day[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:22:52 GMT ]NASA has pushed back the launch of a $2.5 billion Mars rover to Saturday in order to replace a suspect battery on the rover's rocket.

Whale fossil bonanza in desert poses mystery[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:15:02 GMT ]More than 2 million years ago, scores of whales congregating off the Pacific Coast of South America mysteriously met their end.

Put living room to the test before buying a TV[ Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:38:38 GMT ]Unless you assess your home viewing conditions, and optimize them as best as you can, you won't see the extra performance that can justify a top-end HDTV. Before buying, here's how to look over your living-room situation.

Pre-caffeine: Ice Cream and pepper spray![ Mon, 1 Aug 2011 14:20:24 GMT ]A collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.

Video: Kids' tech: Creative learning in the iPad age[ Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:03:52 GMT ]Kids' play has moved to tablets and PCs. In this new age, toy makers and researchers alike are sorting out the benefits — and detriments — of playful educational interaction in virtual space. (msnbc.com)

Bill Gates to testify today in Novell suit against Microsoft[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:21:06 PST ]Gates is expected to testify today in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit in which Novell has accused Microsoft of intentionally damaging sales of its former WordPerfect software.

Spend $25 at a local business, get $25 back from American Express[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:51:21 PST ]The Small Business Saturday promotion has almost no strings attached. Just use your Amex card to patronize an independent business, then get a $25 credit on your statement.

Amazon may be launching an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire in Q2 2012[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:01:58 PST ]The e-retail giant will reportedly start production of the device in the middle of the quarter to have enough tablets ready for launch.

Spotify to unveil 'what's next' in conference next week[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:32:35 PST ]The music streaming service teases a big announcement, in which founder and CEO Daniel Ek and "special guests" will make an appearance.

Developer coaxes Siri to control his thermostat by voice[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:39:17 PST ]A developer has set up a special proxy Siri to extend the functionality of the voice assistant beyond what's possible through Apple.

Anti-piracy bill meets Web-freedom backlash[ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:12:40 EST ]A bill moving through Congress is intended, on its surface at least, to do something relatively simple: Crack down on the illegal pirating of movies, music and other copyrighted material.

Apple patent would shield against broken glass[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:30:09 EST ]Apple is a powerhouse of ingenuity, patenting ideas as soon as an engineer can scratch them down on paper (or iPad). Around three dozen Apple patents made their way through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week alone.

Police using technology to shield internal communcations[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:49:34 GMT ]Police departments around the country are moving to shield their radio communications from the public as cheap, user-friendly technology has made it easy for anyone to use handheld devices to keep tabs on officers responding to crimes.

Launch of huge Mars rover delayed by a day[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:22:52 GMT ]NASA has pushed back the launch of a $2.5 billion Mars rover to Saturday in order to replace a suspect battery on the rover's rocket.

Whale fossil bonanza in desert poses mystery[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:15:02 GMT ]More than 2 million years ago, scores of whales congregating off the Pacific Coast of South America mysteriously met their end.

Bits of Einstein's brain go to museum[ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:52:25 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Microscope slides containing thin slices of Albert Einstein's brain will go on display at a Philadelphia museum, thanks to a donation from a neuropathologist.

Steve Jobs responsible for i-i-i Generation, says chief rabbi[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:33:14 PST ]Britain's chief rabbi says Apple's co-founder helped create a selfish culture. He says that Jobs "came down from the mountain with two tablets."

Pakistan bans rude text messages[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:54:15 PST ]Words like "flatulence" and "quickie," as well as 17 phrases involving the word "butt," are banned by Pakistan's telecoms watchdog.

Put living room to the test before buying a TV[ Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:38:38 GMT ]Unless you assess your home viewing conditions, and optimize them as best as you can, you won't see the extra performance that can justify a top-end HDTV. Before buying, here's how to look over your living-room situation.

Boom times for surveillance tech[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:57:35 PST ]Vendors at secretive confab tout tools aplenty that can hack cell phones and computers, plus gear that can record all Internet communications in a given country, documents published by The Wall Street Journal show.

Tool tracks hard disk price increases[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:56:26 PST ]Curious about hard disk drive price increases in the wake of flooding in Thailand? Newegg's price tracker shows that prices are spiking dramatically in many cases.

Galaxy Nexus outdoes iPhone in browsing, but not graphics[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:47:05 PST ]The upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich Google phone renders Web pages faster, but can't keep up with Apple's GPU.

Google Music: Is it more than iTunes for Android?[ Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:07:35 EST ]Google Music, an online music store and "free locker" for digital music, was rolled out to the public on Wednesday.

Review: Kindle Fire a worthwhile bargain[ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:38:16 EST ]If you view a tablet as a guilty pleasure, like I do, then buying the Kindle Fire should make you feel a little less guilty.

Anti-piracy bill meets Web-freedom backlash[ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:12:40 EST ]A bill moving through Congress is intended, on its surface at least, to do something relatively simple: Crack down on the illegal pirating of movies, music and other copyrighted material.

Nook Tablet review: Great hardware, stiff competition[ Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:49:28 GMT ]The Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet is a terrific tablet, with a vibrant screen, a speedy CPU and a nice offering of books and other media. But it's not enough to beat Amazon.

New bee or not new bee? 11 species added[ Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:08:01 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: One researcher has identified 11 new species of bees in the eastern U.S. that were probably under our noses for decades without us knowing it.

Guide us to the top Science Geek Gifts[ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:32:57 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Send in your suggestions for the 10th annual Science Geek Gift contest ... you might just win a geeky prize.

10 gifts for people tied to their computer[ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:10:14 GMT ]Whether it's getting more comfortable, avoiding eyestrain, or just staying entertained, here are gifts and gadgets for your favorite code monkey from Nerd Approved.

Whales in the desert: Fossil bonanza poses mystery[ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:15:02 GMT ]More than 2 million years ago, scores of whales congregating off the Pacific Coast of South America mysteriously met their end.