Sunday, May 19, 2013

Fed's chairman tells graduates that the best tech is yet to come
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 18:47:54 GMT ]
WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says pessimists forecasting that the economy will not reap sizable benefits from the computer revolution are likely to be proven wrong.Bernanke told a college graduating class Saturday that the long-range practical consequences of innovations such as faster computers and the Internet are hard to predict. But he said inventors have only scratc...
    


Scientists create world's tiniest drops of liquid in biggest atom smasher
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 19:48:32 GMT ]
Scientists think they've created the smallest drops of liquid ever — the size of only three to five protons.The droplets were made inside the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, where particles are sped up to near light speed and then smashed together. When researchers collided protons with lead nuclei, they were surprised to find that the result was tee...
    


Puzzling! Swine flu virus detected in elephant seals off West Coast
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 20:32:16 GMT ]
The H1N1 virus strain that caused a 2009 swine flu outbreak in humans was detected in northern elephant seals off the coast of central California.Scientists say this is the first time marine mammals have been found to carry the H1N1 flu strain, which originated in pigs. The seals seem to have picked up the virus while at sea, but it's unclear how this happened."We thought we might find influenza v...
    


Nasty, home-wrecking 'crazy' ants even drive out fire ants in Southeast
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 20:48:37 GMT ]
Invasive fire ants have been a thorn in the sides of Southerners for years. But another invasive species, the so-called "crazy" ant — which many describe as being worse — has arrived and is displacing fire ants in several places."When you talk to folks who live in the invaded areas, they tell you they want their fire ants back," said Edward LeBrun, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin...
    


Why sign up for a one-way Mars trip? Three applicants explain the appeal
[ Sun, 19 May 2013 09:22:35 GMT ]
A one-way trip to Mars sounds like something you'd wish on your worst enemy — so why would more than 78,000 people from around the world pay up to $75 for a chance to die on another planet?"I can say I have an ulterior motive," said David Brin, who has written more than a dozen science-fiction novels — including "The Postman," which was turned into a Kevin Costner movie in 1997. "I'd get a lot of ...
    


New MacBook Air imminent?
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 19:33:01 GMT ]
New MacBook Air models may be right around the corner -- if a reading of retailer tea leaves is correct. [Read more]
    


Android has become a hedge against Microsoft and Windows
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 20:57:53 GMT ]
HP, in a way, is putting Microsoft and Windows on notice with its new Android offerings. [Read more]
    


Verizon Galaxy S4 starts shipping early
[ Sun, 19 May 2013 03:09:48 GMT ]
Samsung's new flagship phone is on its way to Big Red customers a few weeks ahead of the original schedule. [Read more]
    


A look back at NASA's planet-pinpointing space 'scope
[ Sun, 19 May 2013 07:01:00 GMT ]
The space agency says the Kepler space telescope is having equipment issues. With the mission threatened, we look back at Kepler's mind-expanding search for Earth-like exoplanets. [Read more]
    


Rate your AV receiver's autosetup program
[ Sun, 19 May 2013 15:06:00 GMT ]
Take the Audiophiliac challenge and see if you can get better sound with a DIY, manual setup. [Read more]
    


Tech tools tell you you're drunk
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:38:18 EDT ]
Even if they don't admit it, most people know when they're hammered.

Meet your robot bartender
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:40:32 EDT ]
Crowd control took on a whole new meaning last night as a room full of partygoers in San Francisco were given power over a cocktail-making robot controlled by their smartphones.

Is Yahoo about to buy Tumblr?
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 11:15:00 EDT ]
In a deal that would vault Yahoo into the premiere league of social media, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is said to be closing in on a $1 billion acquisition deal with David Karp, the CEO of New York-based Tumblr.

Google+: One tool to bind them all
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 17:52:42 EDT ]
For two years, Google has pushed its Google+ as more than a social network or cool video-chatting tool. This week, it is working to hammer home that point with a spate of new features.

Google+: One tool to bind them all
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 17:52:53 EDT ]
For two years, Google has pushed its Google+ as more than a social network or cool video-chatting tool. This week, it is working to hammer home that point with a spate of new features.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Nintendo wants totake YouTube profits back from its players
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 00:06:16 GMT ]
YouTube has always proved fertile ground for the entrepreneurial and tech savvy. But gamers may soon be getting the short end of the stick.That's if Nintendo has anything to do with it. The Japanese gaming giant revealed this week that YouTube clips featuring gameplay from Nintendo titles will now display advertising, meaning that any resulting ad revenue will go back to Nintendo rather than the u...
    


Bigger than an ocean liner, asteroid 1998 QE2 will zip by Earth this month
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 00:28:08 GMT ]
By Mike WallSpace.comA big asteroid will cruise by Earth at the end of the month, making its closest approach to our planet for at least the next two centuries.The May 31 flyby of asteroid 1998 QE2, which is about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) long, poses no threat to Earth. The space rock will come within 3.6 million miles (5.8 million km) of our planet — about 15 times the distance separating Earth...
    


Microscopic crystal 'flowers' build themselves in a Harvard lab
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:03 GMT ]
Imagine peering into a microscope and finding yourself in a garden.That's the case at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where researchers have found a way to shape microscopic crystals into complex and often beautiful structures.Inspired by coral reefs, seashells and other naturally occurring complex mineral structures, postdoctoral fellow Wim L. Noorduin and Harvard colleague...
    


Buggy hordes of cicadas sighted in Virginia ... but New York? Not yet
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:04 GMT ]
There's been a groundswell of 17-year cicadas in Virginia and other southern states, as revealed by a fresh wave of photos and eyewitness reports. In some areas, the outbreak has been accompanied by the insects' loud chorus call. And that's music to the ears of University of Connecticut entomologist John Cooley."That's where I'm heading," Cooley told NBC News. The weather is still too cool in New ...
    


Scientists respond to planet hunter's plight with pointers – and poetry
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:40:49 GMT ]
NASA is getting plenty of advice — and sympathy — as it assesses whether its Kepler planet-hunting telescope can be revived after the failure of its reaction-control system. The reactions from scientists and engineers range from repair tips to an Audenesque elegy. Here's a sampling:How to fix KeplerThe reason why the $600 million Kepler spacecraft can no longer search for planetary transits is tha...
    


How BlackBerry is fixing its once 'broken' brand
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 11:00:00 GMT ]
Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben is trying to re-energize the brand by focusing on the BlackBerry name, eschewing old standbys like Bold and Curve. [Read more]
    


Want a 10-foot-tall painting of 'Star Wars' action figures?
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT ]
Artist Rob Buden is itching to create epic oil paintings of vintage Star Wars action figures. How about a 10-foot Hoth scene in your living room? [Read more]
    


Pixel's camera failure only one of many
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT ]
The Chromebook Pixel may be pretty, but it can't talk to cameras -- among the many problems that keep it from being a primetime laptop. [Read more]
    


Could Tumblr turn into Yahoo's MySpace?
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 14:09:58 GMT ]
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer seems dedicated to remaking Yahoo's image and infusing the company with a new spirit that Tumblr embodies. [Read more]
    


Gallo Micro SE: How can a speaker this small sound this good?
[ Sat, 18 May 2013 14:36:00 GMT ]
Few "lifestyle" speakers tempt discerning audiophiles, but Anthony Gallo Acoustics' latest crop of mini models will challenge their expectations. [Read more]
    


Tech tools tell you you're drunk
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:38:18 EDT ]
Even if they don't admit it, most people know when they're hammered.

Meet your robot bartender
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:40:32 EDT ]
Crowd control took on a whole new meaning last night as a room full of partygoers in San Francisco were given power over a cocktail-making robot controlled by their smartphones.

Is Yahoo about to buy Tumblr?
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 11:15:00 EDT ]
In a deal that would vault Yahoo into the premiere league of social media, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is said to be closing in on a $1 billion acquisition deal with David Karp, the CEO of New York-based Tumblr.

Google+: One tool to bind them all
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 17:52:42 EDT ]
For two years, Google has pushed its Google+ as more than a social network or cool video-chatting tool. This week, it is working to hammer home that point with a spate of new features.

Google+: One tool to bind them all
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 17:52:53 EDT ]
For two years, Google has pushed its Google+ as more than a social network or cool video-chatting tool. This week, it is working to hammer home that point with a spate of new features.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Drone pilot burnout triggers call for recruiting overhaul
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 13:36:44 GMT ]
Driving a war drone is a stressful business. Shifts up to 12 hours long are stretches of dullness, watching and waiting, interrupted by flashes of intense activity in which pilots must make life-or-death decisions. Not their own life or death, however.Pilots may be thousands of miles away from the flying weapons system they're operating. They often head home at the end of the day, as if returning ...
    


Pre-caffeine tech: Drone burnout, Leo DiCaprio! 
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 14:16:26 GMT ]
Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.Google isn't satisfied with dominating just ordinary computers, it seems: The Internet giant is making a big investment in quantum computing with a new lab and partnership: NASA! Congress has some privacy questions about Google Glass.Meanwhile, LulzSec members in Britain receive maximum of 1...
    


Pro-Assad hackers attack Financial Times
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 14:27:53 GMT ]
LONDON (Reuters) - The website and Twitter feed of British newspaper the Financial Times were hacked on Friday, apparently by the "Syrian Electronic Army", a group of online activists who say they support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.The group posted links on the newspaper's Twitter feed to a YouTube video, uploaded on Wednesday, which purports to show members of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra...
    


Huge asteroid to zip by Earth this month
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 15:30:10 GMT ]
By Mike WallSpace.comA big asteroid will cruise by Earth at the end of the month, making its closest approach to our planet for at least the next two centuries.The May 31 flyby of asteroid 1998 QE2, which is about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) long, poses no threat to Earth. The space rock will come within 3.6 million miles (5.8 million km) of our planet — about 15 times the distance separating Earth...
    


In ancient Egypt, summer was baby-making season
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 16:09:49 GMT ]
By Owen JarusLiveScienceThe peak period for baby-making sex in ancient Egypt was in July and August, when the weather was at its hottest.Researchers made this discovery at a cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt whose burials date back around 1,800 years. The oasis is located about 450 miles (720 kilometers) southwest of Cairo. The people buried in the cemetery lived in the ancient town of Kellis...
    


Apple iOS 6 devices get nod for U.S. military use
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 15:14:41 GMT ]
The Defense Department will be able to distribute iPhones and iPads to employees, but that doesn't guarantee Apple will receive contracts. [Read more]
    


Game industry sees hardware sales plummet 42 percent
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 15:21:19 GMT ]
Consumers spent just $109.5 million on game hardware in April, down from the $187.8 million they spent during the same period in 2012. [Read more]
    


NASA craft to visit asteroid approved, destination chosen
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 15:23:55 GMT ]
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has been approved for development, and NASA plans to send it to meet up with asteroid Bennu within the next five years. [Read more]
    


Sprint grabs U.S. Cellular spectrum, customers for $480m
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 15:40:44 GMT ]
Sprint hopes an infusion of customers and bandwidth will bolster its midwestern network. [Read more]
    


The looming big business of facial recognition
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 15:48:34 GMT ]
A "60 Minutes" report this Sunday will look at the new ways this technology is being used that even has one of its inventors calling it too intrusive. Here's a preview. [Read more]
    


Google takes on Pandora, Spotify
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 14:06:07 EDT ]
Google is taking on music-streaming services like Pandora and Spotify with its own service called Google Play All Access.

'Star Trek' or 'Star Wars'?
[ Wed, 15 May 2013 18:28:41 EDT ]
Photon torpedoes and proton torpedoes. Warp speed and hyperspace.

Tech tools tell you you're drunk
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:38:18 EDT ]
Even if they don't admit it, most people know when they're hammered.

Meet your robot bartender
[ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:40:32 EDT ]
Crowd control took on a whole new meaning last night as a room full of partygoers in San Francisco were given power over a cocktail-making robot controlled by their smartphones.

Yes, it's a cocktail-making robot bartender
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 17:34:42 EDT ]
Crowd control took on a whole new meaning last night as a room full of partygoers in San Francisco were given power over a cocktail-making robot controlled by their smartphones.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

CISPA cybersecurity bill backers hope second time's a charm
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 13:07:20 GMT ]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six months after a U.S. cybersecurity bill died in the Senate, some Obama administration officials and lawmakers are optimistic they can get a new law passed amid heightened public awareness of hacking attacks and cyber espionage. With top intelligence officials warning that cyber attacks have replaced terrorism as the leading threat against the United States, the White Hous...
    


No cellphone, no Wi-Fi: Living in America's quietest place
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 13:43:20 GMT ]
By Kevin Monahan, Producer, NBC NewsGREEN BANK, W.Va. – Every week, Chuck Niday patrols Green Bank, W.Va., in a vehicle that looks a bit like something out of the movie “Mad Max,” aiming to protect the largest steerable radio telescope in the world.He searches for sources of interference, which can come from something as simple as a spark plug or an electric fence. And when Niday runs across illeg...
    


Pre-caffeine tech: Infinite porn, nerd fight!
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 13:54:58 GMT ]
Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.Google's Larry Page is fed up with the heated "zero sum" competition among tech firms ... in case you were wondering. Speaking of Wednesday's Google I/O keynote, here's the latest on the tech giant's music service, revamped Maps, photo apps, Google + and more. How much porn is on the Interne...
    


Guy wins $10K getting iOS app, Apple's 50 billionth download
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16:07 GMT ]
Owners of iPods and iPads and iPhones around the world have downloaded 50 billion apps from the App Store, Apple announced today. And counting. Google, meanwhile, declared it's almost neck and neck in the app count race, announcing 48 billion app downloads from its Play store at the I/O conference yesterday.Apple makes a point of saying its 50 billion doesn't include updates or re-downloads. NBC N...
    


Apollo astronaut Lovell again reaches for moon
[ Thu, 16 May 2013 15:38:13 GMT ]
By Clara MoskowitzSpace.comLegendary Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell has signed on with a commercial lunar exploration firm to help make private trips to the moon a reality, the company Golden Spike announced Wednesday.Golden Spike aims to launch private citizens on round-trip visits to the moon starting in 2020 for a fee of $1.5 billion per flight. The firm, named after the final spike that joined...