'Superomniphobic' material shrugs off oil, blood, acid and more[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:02:36 GMT ]Even the nicest water-resistant materials, can be ruined by certain liquids that soak right in while rain and coffee roll off. Scientists at the University of Michigan have created a surface that repels not just everyday fluids but exotic and dangerous ones.

'Aaron's Law' proposed to honor Internet activist[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:48:32 GMT ]A California congresswoman says the federal law used to prosecute Internet activist Aaron Swartz should be changed to "prevent what happened to Aaron from happening to other Internet users." Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat whose district includes Silicon Valley, floated her proposal for what is being called "Aaron's Law" on Reddit.

30 percent of teen girls meet online 'friends' offline, study finds[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:36:13 GMT ]Nearly a third of teenage girls have met people offline after becoming online friends, according to a new study. In many cases the identity of that online character was not fully confirmed before the teens set up a real-life meet-up.

Pre-caffeine tech: Internet surprises, solar blobs![ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:56:15 GMT ]Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.

Solar 'blob' powers up the northern lights[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:39:59 GMT ]Science editor: It might sound scary to hear that a giant blob of solar plasma is heading straight for us, but don't panic. Space weather forecasters say this solar outburst should deliver nothing more than a good show up north.

In iPhone vs. Galaxy battle, Apple still way on top[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:14:28 GMT ]As negative as the sentiment has turned on Apple, it's important to remember that the iPhone has substantially outsold the Galaxy franchise over the last few years. [Read more]

Microsoft challenges poor grade for Security Essentials[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:52:22 GMT ]The antivirus program didn't do so hot in a recent test, which isn't sitting well with the folks at Redmond. [Read more]

Low Latency No. 48: The truth about Graph Search[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:00:47 GMT ]Facebook's new graph search is certainly powerful, but what will most people use it for? [Read more]

Time Warner Cable, Netflix at odds over 'Super HD,' 3D[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:08:30 GMT ]In order to get higher-quality HD visuals and 3D content through Netflix, cable providers must sign up with Netflix's Open Connect. And Time Warner Cable doesn't like that. [Read more]

Bluetooth speaker made from 50,000-year-old wood[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:54:32 GMT ]The Petite Square Indiegogo project is looking to hook your MP3 player up with some ancient swamp wood from New Zealand. [Read more]

NRA draws heat for shooting game[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 07:11:09 EST ]A month after the deadly school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, the National Rifle Association is taking heat again -- this time for releasing a mobile video game that lets players learn how to shoot at targets.

Facebook introduces 'Graph Search'[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:26:11 EST ]The search feature on Facebook has traditionally been pretty limited. You type in a name of a person or a business and it pulls up their Facebook page.

Facebook's new search, in tweets[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:04:08 EST ]Facebook's new "Graph Search" promises to let users sift through the network's vast trove of posts and photos to produce more helpful results.

Who's who on the Internet: Who knows?[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:01:31 EST ]How do you trust someone to be who they say they are on the Internet? We do our best to avoid being duped. But it's not always easy.

Who's real on the Internet?[ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:15:03 EST ]How do you trust someone to be who they say they are on the Internet? We do our best to avoid being duped. But it's not always easy.

Deepest glimpses of the universe yet[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:47:45 GMT ]The Hubble Space Telescope's iconic "Deep Field" photo wowed the world in 1996 by revealing a huge collection of galaxies hiding inside a patch of the sky that looked like nothing more than blank space. Now NASA plans to image six more "empty" bits of sky for a whole new set of deep fields that could revolutionize astronomy once again.

Google Doodle game celebrates Zamboni inventor[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:06:52 GMT ]A Google Doodle — a redesigned version of the Google homepage logo — often appears to mark a special occasion or celebrate a significant figure ... and Wednesday's Doodle is no exception. It's here in honor of what would've been Frank Zamboni's 112th birthday.

Shock in the dark: Flashlight app tracks location[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:15:22 GMT ]A study of the 100 most popular Google Android apps finds that consumers feel most strongly that there privacy has been violated when they aren't aware of what data the apps are collecting.

Pre-caffeine tech: Facebook search, hiding corgi![ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:42:14 GMT ]Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning. Lie about your identity on Facebook or delete files from your work laptop before you quit and you could run afoul of a 29-year-old U.S.

NASA's chief revisits make-believe shuttle[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:02:05 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden took a crawl through Memory Lane during a tour of the Museum of Flight's shuttle training mockup in Seattle.

Get nine indie PC games for $5.91[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:47:07 GMT ]The Indie Gala Magicka bundle includes some compelling action and fantasy titles, two of which are a mystery (for now). [Read more]

AMD sues ex-managers for allegedly copying 100,000 files[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:52:36 GMT ]The chipmaker files a lawsuit, alleging that a former vice president and three managers handed trade secrets to Nvidia, after they jumped ship to join the company. [Read more]

Anonymous squashes Westboro plan to picket Aaron Swartz funeral[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:08:32 GMT ]The infamous "church" failed to carry through on its protest of the funeral yesterday following a call to action by Anonymous. [Read more]

The long road to a billion users[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:10:49 GMT ]Windows got there, and Facebook did it faster. Asymco analyst Horace Dediu handicaps the high-tech aspirants to the truly high-volume threshold. [Read more]

Apple offers installment payments to Chinese customers[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:15:05 GMT ]The company's move makes it easier for Chinese customers to pay for its products. [Read more]

6 trends we saw at CES 2013[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:15:05 EST ]After six days, 3,250 booths and 20,000 new products, a few interesting trends bubbled up at last week's Consumer Electronics Show.

Swartz's death sparks anger, tributes[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:53:59 EST ]To the people of the Internet who knew his work, he was an "enormous intellect," a "brilliant and determined spirit" and a "hero of the open net."

How Swartz helped build the Internet[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:39:29 EST ]Aaron Swartz helped create the Internet: not only some of its programming, but also its open-minded philosophy. Programmer died Friday at 26.

NRA draws heat for shooting game[ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 07:11:09 EST ]A month after the deadly school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, the National Rifle Association is taking heat again -- this time for releasing a mobile video game that lets players learn how to shoot at targets.

Facebook introduces 'Graph Search'[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:26:11 EST ]The search feature on Facebook has traditionally been pretty limited. You type in a name of a person or a business and it pulls up their Facebook page.

Anonymous hacks MIT in honor of Aaron Swartz[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:28:50 GMT ]Anonymous added its tribute to the many online memorials honoring Aaron Swartz, hacking into and temporarily taking over the MIT website to eulogize the programmer and Internet activist and call for computer crime law reform.

Feds dismiss Internet case against Aaron Swartz[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:13:54 GMT ]The U.S. Attorney's office has quietly dismissed charges against Internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz, who reportedly took his own life Friday.

'Red October' is latest super cyberspy virus, firm says[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:15:55 GMT ]A Russian computer security firm says it has uncovered a new, far-ranging cyberspying campaign that targets government secrets. The firm malicious software behind the attack is nicknamed "Red October," a nod to the famous Tom Clancy novel.

What's Facebook's secret? Company tells all today[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:19:17 GMT ]Facebook's mystery "press event" on Tuesday could reveal a more robust search feature that would intensify the competition between the social networking giant and its rival Google. Facebook is holding the event at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

Jump to hyperspace? Get a reality check[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:57:08 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: In the "Star Wars" saga, the Millennium Falcon's jump to hyperspace is totally fictional — but if it could happen, some enterprising physics students say it wouldn't look anything like the stretched-out beams of light shown on the movie screen.

Apple slapped with Russian Railways trademark suit[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:07:17 GMT ]The Russian company alleges trademark infringement in Apple's online store. [Read more]

1 in 3 people have gone online to diagnose a health problem[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:11:53 GMT ]A full 35 percent of people polled say they've tried to figure out a medical issue by checking it out online, according to a new Pew study. [Read more]

The new MySpace launches with help from Justin Timberlake[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:12:49 GMT ]Those who sign in or join the new MySpace will be able to stream Justin Timberlake's new track from the site. [Read more]

Zooming options for Safari in OS X[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:50:31 GMT ]There are several approaches you can use to make images or text larger and smaller in Safari. [Read more]

Instagram sends reminder to users about policy changes[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:54:32 GMT ]The photo-sharing site, owned by Facebook, sends an email to users to remind them the new terms of service and privacy policy go into effect Saturday. [Read more]

Facebook birthday app not malware[ Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:48:39 EST ]Relax. Those "My Birthday Calendar" requests on Facebook might be annoying, but they're not dangerous.

The future of home automation[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:30:08 EST ]The world of automated home gadgets is young and exciting, filled with an abundance of promising new products. It's also a bit of a mess.

6 trends we saw at CES 2013[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:15:05 EST ]After six days, 3,250 booths and 20,000 new products, a few interesting trends bubbled up at last week's Consumer Electronics Show.

Swartz's death sparks anger, tributes[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:53:59 EST ]To the people of the Internet who knew his work, he was an "enormous intellect," a "brilliant and determined spirit" and a "hero of the open net."

How Aaron Swartz helped build the Internet[ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:32:19 EST ]Aaron Swartz helped create the Internet: not only some of its programming, but also its open-minded philosophy. Programmer died Friday at 26.

Women pry open door to video game industry's boys' club[ Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:27:34 GMT ]With women comprising just over 1 in 10 in the video game workforce, the industry has a reputation for being among the most testosterone-fueled of the traditionally male-dominated technology sector. But thanks to the mobile revolution, industry executives say that's changing.

Milky Way's mass may be much lower[ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:48:34 GMT ]The Milky Way galaxy, home of Earth's solar system, may actually be only half as massive as currently thought, scientists say.

Aaron Swartz's family blasts government in death[ Sun, 13 Jan 2013 04:25:47 GMT ]In the 24 hours since Aaron Swartz, a prodigy programmer turned Internet folk hero, hanged himself, his family has expressed devastation – and anger.

White House: Thumbs down on Death Star[ Sat, 12 Jan 2013 01:58:29 GMT ]Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: In its official response to a popular online petition, the White House says building a Death Star would be an out-of-this-galaxy waste of money.

Pre-caffeine tech: Tommy Lee Jones is grumpy![ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:16:01 GMT ]Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.