One of the earliest forests in the world was home to towering palmlike trees and woody plants that crept along the ground like vines, a new fossil find reveals. The forest, which stood in what is now Gilboa, N.Y., was first unearthed in a quarry in the 1920s. But now, a new construction project has revealed for the first time the forest floor as it stood 380 million years ago in the Devonian period.
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Ancient forest had giant vines, towering trees
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 7:02pm MST
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Secret codes ready to take quantum leap in space
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 6:37pm MST
If secret agent James Bond wanted to tell his MI6 superiors about the location of a stolen superweapon without tipping off villains, he might turn to a global satellite network that transmitted coded keys made unbreakable by the weird laws of physics. Such "quantum key distribution" already exists on Earth beyond the realm of Hollywood spy fantasies, and could soon head for space.
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Space drill could seek alien life inside Saturn moon
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 5:54pm MST
To see if life does lurk beneath the frigid crust of one of Saturn's moons, scientists are developing a powerful drill that can melt and bore its way down to the moon's icy depths.
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The best of the Mobile World Congress
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 5:26pm MST
Many gadgets and apps introduced at Mobile World Congress pushed the envelope by offering improved speed and functionality, but these seven stood out from the pack.
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Orion Nebula reveals an infrared rainbow
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 5:24pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A new infrared image of the Orion Nebula highlights the hot young stars that are typically hidden amid gas and clouds.
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Q&A: Google to dig deeper into users' lives
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 5:02pm MST
If you're amazed — and maybe even a little alarmed — about how much Google seems to know about you, brace yourself. Beginning Thursday, Google will operate under a streamlined privacy policy that enables the Internet's most powerful company to dig even deeper into the lives of its more than 1 billion users.
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Doomsday Seed Vault has more than 740,000 samples
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 4:47pm MST
This week, the Doomsday Seed Vault in Norway is scheduled to receive nearly 25,000 samples of seeds from around the world. With these additions the now four-year-old vault would house more than 740,000 samples in an Arctic mountain on the Svaldbard archipelago.
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'Gunna' to 'gunman' auto-correct prompts school lockdown
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 4:04pm MST
Police and school officials locked down two Georgia schools for two hours Wednesday following a report about a text message that seemed to warn of a gunman present on campus. -
'Gigabit' ideas wanted for superfast Internet
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 3:57pm MST
What would you do if had if you had an Internet service that could download a 2-hour movie in about 5 seconds? City officials and investors in Chattanooga, Tenn., hope you have some creative business ideas that take advantage of its 1-gigabit-per second Internet.
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Leap day asteroid will zoom by Earth
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 3:32pm MST
A small asteroid about the size of a house made one cosmic leap past Earth Wednesday, just in time for leap day.
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iPhone photos can be seen by others: report
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 3:13pm MST
Recently, we learned that the iPhone’s Address Book can be shared with app developers because of a flaw that Apple says it is working to fix. Now it appears that a user’s photos on the phone can be similarly accessed by various apps without users knowing it.
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Scientists want your help in search for E.T.
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 3:05pm MST
Scientists need your help in the search for life beyond Earth. The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute is asking the public to join in its hunt for signals from intelligent civilizations out there in the universe.
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A Tumblr for mapping your favorite game level
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 2:13pm MST
Many of us have fond memories of the places we've visited, both in the real world and in video games. In the case of the latter, a particular pixelated vista can hold a special meaning to one person, which despite being personal, is still relatable to other gamers. And that's what Mapstalgia is all about.
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Video games tie religion with violence: study
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 1:37pm MST
A recent study conducted by the University of Missouri claims video games today "problematize religion by closely tying it in with violence."
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Video: Will Angelina Jolie's leg destroy the Internet?
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 1:23pm MST
Described by Gawker as "a study in speed meming," actress Angelina Jolie's "dramatic right leg" took over the Internet in less that 24 hours after its Oscars red carpet premiere.
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Facebook disaster board allows for 'safe' tags
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 1:16pm MST
Someday soon, in addition to the familiar refrain heard on radios and TVs — "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system" — you may also see this on Facebook: "This is a test of the Disaster Message Board." -
Arctic seas surprisingly alive in winter
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 1:06pm MST
Even in the permanent twilight of Arctic winter, polar seas teem with teeny life, a surprise to the researchers who recently returned from one of the first expeditions ever to venture into roiling Arctic seas in wintertime.
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Hit man picked hitmanforhire.net to promote services
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 12:41pm MST
Hit man picked hitmanforhire.net to promote services -
Ancient warrior's helmet is found off Israel
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 12:26pm MST
A Greek bronze helmet, covered with gold leaf and decorated with snakes, lions and a peacock's tail (or palmette), has been discovered in the waters of Haifa Bay in Israel. But how this helmet ended up at the bottom of the bay is a mystery.
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'World's thinnest tablet' ships in March
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 12:13pm MST
Toshiba's Excite 10 LE tablet, billed by the company as "the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet," will be available in the U.S. starting March 6. The Wi-Fi-only tablet will cost $529.99 for the 16GB model, and $599.99 for the 32GB version.
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Moon's 'earthshine' may help alien-life search
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 12:00pm MST
Astronomers have managed to detect the telltale fingerprints of organic life on Earth using a new technique that examines sunlight reflected onto the moon by our planet. The so-called "earthshine" observations may pave the way for a similar tool to help spot signs of alien life in the universe, scientists say.
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These giant fleas feasted on dinosaur blood
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 11:52am MST
In the Jurassic era, even the flea was a beast, compared to its minuscule modern descendants. These pesky bloodsuckers were nearly an inch long.
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Demand for $35 Raspberry Pi overwhelms suppliers
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 11:16am MST
DIY'ers looking for a bargain converged en masse yesterday with the launch of the Raspberry Pi, a compact Linux-based computer advertised for $35 — but its retailers are already crippled by the demand.
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Leap year: What a difference a day makes
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 11:09am MST
It has taken millennia for our calendar, called the Gregorian calendar after the pope who modified it in 1582, to evolve to include the leap year tweak — 97 leap years every 400 years. But there are other alternatives, too.
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Apple's market capitalization tops $500 billion
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 10:59am MST
Apple’s stock market value hit the $500 billion mark Wednesday, moving it into territory where few companies have gone before or have remained for very long. -
Early cosmos inflated rapidly, study confirms
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 10:33am MST
The distribution of matter across the cosmos is most easily explained by inflation, a theory that suggests our universe inflated rapidly — just like a balloon — shortly after its birth, according to new research.
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Iran opens up satellite center to outsiders
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 10:28am MST
Iran opened a key space facility to visiting journalists for the first time Wednesday in an apparent effort to show its willingness to allow glimpses at sensitive technology.
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Later asteroids smacked moon harder, faster
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 9:49am MST
The moon, which has been pummeled by a barrage of asteroids and debris throughout its lifetime, experienced a strong uptick in the energy and speed of incoming rocks around 4 billion years ago, new research suggests.
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Twitter apps are about to be flooded with ads
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 9:08am MST
The ads are coming! The ads are coming! According to a post on the official Twitter blog, the social network's official mobile apps are about to get flooded with ads — ahem, I mean "promoted tweets." -
Smithsonian to celebrate space shuttle Discovery's arrival
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 9:02am MST
NASA's space shuttle Discovery is set to land in Washington this April, where the now-retired fleet leader will be welcomed by the Smithsonian Institution during a four-day public festival.
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Google doodle twofer: Leap year, cartoon opera composer
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 8:55am MST
Google's latest doodle pays homage to the leap year and an Italian composer best known for "The Barber of Seville" and "The William Tell Overture" with frog mascots.
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Windows 8 first look — and first touch
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 8:43am MST
As Microsoft reveals a consumer preview of Windows 8, we witness the kind of promise of progress not seen in Windows since XP. But can it compete with the iPad?
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Video: Windows 8 could mobilize our hardcore games
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 8:07am MST
With Windows running on a tablet you might just be able to take your most beloved hardcore games with you on the road. In-Game’s Todd Kenreck reports. (In-Game)
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Video: Windows 8 first look — and first touch
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 8:01am MST
Microsoft just introduced its Windows 8 consumer preview, giving non-developers their first chance to try out the dramatic, touch-friendly "reimagining" of the world's most popular operating system, due this fall. (msnbc.com)
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Facebook launches brand Timelines on TODAY show
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 6:55am MST
Most Facebook users have been switched over to the Timeline at this point, so it should be no surprise that brands — such as companies, TV shows or bands — are now finally able to convert their fan pages into Timelines as well.
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This is what makes Pinterest so addictive
Posted: February 29th, 2012, 4:26am MST
The social platform for collecting, sharing and discussing photos is engaging, absorbing and addictive. But it's been around since 2008, so why the attraction now? The experts dish. -
Millennials benefit, suffer from always-on lives
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 10:49pm MST
Millennials — the always-connected generation, those born between 1981 and 2000 — have such a "thirst for instant gratification and quick fixes" that they're at risk of making poor life decisions based on findings from a fast Google search or a text message response from a friend, says a new report.
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Scientists say T. rex had the toughest bite
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 10:01pm MST
Tyrannosaurus rex had the most powerful bite of any terrestrial animal — modern or prehistoric.
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Doubts raised about the 'Jesus Discovery'
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 8:47pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Outside experts say the video exploration of a nearly intact 1st-century tomb in Jerusalem is a technological tour de force but an archaeological faux pas.
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Dolphins' unique whistles say, 'Come play!'
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 5:39pm MST
When meeting strangers in the wild, dolphins whistle signature tunes that may be the animal equivalent of "Hello, my name is…" stickers. These signature whistles have been observed in captive dolphins for decades, but new research is the first to reveal how these sea mammals use the sounds when one pod meets another in the ocean.
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Northern lights shine through a magnetic crack
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 5:27pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A "crack" in Earth's magnetic field has opened the way for yet another thrilling display of the northern lights near the top of the world.
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Northern lights shine through a magnetic crack
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 5:27pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A "crack" in Earth's magnetic field has opened the way for yet another thrilling display of the northern lights near the top of the world.
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25 suspected Anonymous hackers arrested
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 5:22pm MST
Interpol says 25 suspected members of the loose-knit Anonymous hacker movement have been arrested in a sweep across Europe and South America. -
A look at ‘Holoflector’ augmented-reality mirror
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 5:08pm MST
The setup makes it possible to display computer graphics in real time on and around people and objects reflected in the mirror.
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Google+ 'ghost town' next to Facebook: report
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 4:44pm MST
Google+ is a "virtual ghost town compared with" Facebook, says the Wall Street Journal, citing new data from comScore that finds visitors on Google+ spent an average of 3 minutes a month on the site between September and January, compared to 6 to 7 hours on month on Facebook during the same period. -
Child porn law could affect everyone's privacy
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 4:30pm MST
Rep. Lamar Smith says his proposed law will protect children from pornographers. But advocacy groups say it jeopardizes every American's online privacy by giving law enforcement easy access to an unprecedented cache of personal information. -
Neil Armstrong urges suborbital spaceflight
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 3:22pm MST
Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, thinks humanity should stop neglecting the space environment much closer to Earth.
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New law could free up TV airwaves for mobile use
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 3:07pm MST
A new law could result in fewer TV stations on the air, in exchange for faster wireless data services for smartphones and tablet computers. -
'Dance Dance Revolution: Classroom Edition'
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 2:45pm MST
Kids finally got their feet on that new version of "Dance Dance Revolution" for educators and fitness advocates we told you about earlier this month.
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Clear your Google search history now
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 2:09pm MST
Starting March 1, Google is going to unify all your privacy data from your various accounts, such as Gmail, YouTube and Web searches. What that means, in part, is that your past Web searches could become part of a big pot of information that's out there. Here's how to deal with it.
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List reveals keywords feds monitor on Facebook, Twitter
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 1:58pm MST
Ever wonder if the government is monitoring your Twitter or Facebook posts? If the answer's "yes," give yourself a pat on the back because you're right and not simply paranoid. There's even a list of keywords for which subcontractors hired by the DHS check social networks. -
Real fish follow a robotic one
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 1:50pm MST
Researchers have built a robot that sort of looks and swims like a fish and used it to lure real fish into schooling around it.
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Facebook games losing popularity
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 1:46pm MST
Up until fairly recently, many predicted that Facebook was the future of video games. Well, that may no longer be the case, according to a new study. -
Is it a sign from gods ... or iPhone glitch?
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 1:43pm MST
When Hector Siliezar visited the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza with his wife and kids in 2009, he snapped three iPhone photos of El Castillo, a pyramid that once served as a sacred temple to the Mayan god Kukulkan. A thunderstorm was brewing near the temple, and Siliezar was trying to capture lightning crackling dramatically over the ruins.
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Navy Railgun tests leading to superweapon by 2020
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 1:37pm MST
The first weapon-scale prototype of a futuristic Navy railgun began undergoing firing tests last week, the next big step toward putting the electromagnetic superweapon on U.S. warships by 2020. The Navy envisions using railguns to destroy enemy ships, defend against enemy missiles, or bombard land targets in support of Marines hitting the beaches. -
Trans-Pacific cable may boost tsunami alerts
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 1:07pm MST
Scientists, engineers and telecommunications officials are in the early planning stages for a seafloor fiber-optic cable that would span the Pacific Ocean, and could transmit unprecedented and vital information on everything from ocean temperatures to tsunamis to people back on shore.
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Google giving up to $1 million for Chrome hacks
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 12:48pm MST
In a bold instance of putting its money where its mouth is, Google has announced it will pay up to $1 million to anyone who can exploit its Chrome Web browser. -
'Smart' stadium goes high-tech to serve fans
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 12:38pm MST
Each fan who visits Miami's Sun Life Stadium has individual parking habits, bathroom break patterns, favorite concession stand foods and ideal seats from which to watch the big game or live concert event. Stadium managers hope to respond to the wants and needs of every visitor by teaming up with IBM to track the flow of humanity inside the 75,000-seat building.
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PlayStation Vita's Western debut is strong
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 12:29pm MST
When Sony's new handheld launched last week in the U.S. and the rest of North America, many wondered how it would fare, due to less than stellar numbers after its debut in Japan in mid-December. But just-released figures show that the Vita's reception has been encouraging.
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Hidden browser flaw threatens iOS, Android
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 12:26pm MST
Targeted phishing strikes traditionally levied on PCs are now making their way into the mobile cybercrime world, as a pair of security researchers will demonstrate at a security conference this week. -
China's space advances unnerve US military
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 12:19pm MST
The rise of China's space program may pose a potentially serious military threat to the United States down the road, top American intelligence officials contend.
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Don't wait too long to trade your iPad 2
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 12:18pm MST
When's the best time to trade in your iPad 2? Yesterday. But since that's gone, the next best answer is: As soon as possible.
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Iceman may have suffered from Lyme disease
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 11:43am MST
The 5,300-year-old ice mummy dubbed Otzi, discovered in the Eastern Alps about 20 years ago, appears to have had the oldest known case of Lyme disease, new genetic analysis has revealed.
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Justin Bieber vs. 'Joustin' Beaver'
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 11:39am MST
Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber is no stranger to being satirized and ridiculed. But the game "Joustin' Beaver" was perhaps too much, prompting a cease-and-desist order. In response, the game's developers have filed a lawsuit.
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Clean up TMI on Twitter before marketers access
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 11:24am MST
In Twitter's quest to make more money, it may have found a gold mine in your old, public tweets, which could bring a pretty penny to not only the micro-blogging site, but also to the market researchers and other firms that will provide others access to those 140-character missives. -
NASA raids other budgets to fund Mars effort
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 11:18am MST
NASA is starting the planning process for its scaled-back robotic Mars exploration program immediately and will use 2012 funds previously slotted for work on outer planets missions to shore up the effort.
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Man's Facebook post turned into 'personal lubricant' ad
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 11:08am MST
Nick Bergus' Facebook friends must be pretty darn confused right now. According to a "Sponsored Story" on the social network, their pal is suddenly shilling 55-gallon drums of "personal lubricant." -
Apple to introduce next iPad on March 7
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 10:22am MST
Vying for consumers who still prefer to take photos with cameras, Sony has released its latest wave of Cyber-shots that include five models geared toward travelers and four slim choices that promise high-res captures, even underwater.
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Virgin Galactic seeks 2012 spaceship test flight
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 10:02am MST
Virgin Galactic, an offshoot of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, expects to test fly its first spacecraft beyond the Earth's atmosphere this year, with commercial suborbital passenger service to follow in 2013 or 2014, company officials said.
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Google's new privacy policy may violate EU rules
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 10:01am MST
Google's new privacy policy appears to violate the European Union's data protection rules, France's regulator said Tuesday, just two days before the new guidelines are set to come into force. -
Microsoft's next Steve: Windows boss faces biggest test
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 9:50am MST
For Steven Sinofsky, the stern but creative engineering manager who runs Microsoft's flagship Windows division, February 29 is showtime.
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Driver tweeted from car during Daytona fire
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 9:37am MST
Driver tweeted from car during Daytona fire -
Sneak a peek at a remote-controlled house
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 9:05am MST
AT&T revs up the ability to give consumers the means to control practically everything in the house through smartphones, tablets and anything else that's connected to the Internet. -
Scientists discuss tsunami debris forecast
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 9:04am MST
Tsunamis generated by the magnitude-9 earthquake in Japan last March dragged 3 million to 4 million tons of debris into the ocean after tearing up Japanese harbors and homes.
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Homecoming kiss photo spotlights 'Gay Marine' Facebook page
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 9:02am MST
A photograph showing a United State Marine's homecoming was posted to Facebook Saturday. Unlike the countless other images uploaded to the social network on that day, this one triggered thousands of re-posts and likes — along with hundreds of news stories
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'Crazy' price comparisons on Amazon
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 8:02am MST
Shop the Grocery & Gourmet Food section of Amazon.com and you’ll see amazing discounts. Some items are being sold at 90 percent or more off the list prices. Sounds a bit much, but that’s the power of Amazon. -
The Twitter bird has a name: Larry
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 7:27am MST
You've probably seen many versions of Twitter's bird logo by now, but did you know that the little fella actually has a name? He's Larry. Larry the Bird.
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Leaked emails shine rare light on Stratfor
Posted: February 28th, 2012, 7:10am MST
Private intelligence firm Stratfor sells what clients and subscribers consider some of the best geopolitical analysis that money can buy.
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Quantum computers leap closer to reality
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 10:07pm MST
Real-world computers that can speedily crack even the most secure codes are within grasp thanks to recent advances that will allow for so-called fault-tolerant quantum computers, according to an expert in the field.
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Discovery resurrects 'Jesus Tomb' debate
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 10:01pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Using a remote-controlled camera on the end of a robotic arm, investigators have found what could be the earliest evidence of Christian iconography in Jerusalem, inside a nearly intact 1st-century tomb.
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Does NASA's budget need a boost?
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 7:06pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says NASA needs to have its budget doubled — and explains why in his latest book.
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The Vita's social skills examined
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 5:50pm MST
The PlayStation Vita has delivered on its promise as a portable powerhouse. But how is it doing when it comes to handling social apps?
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Self-sealing fuel tanks could aid armored vehicles
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 5:34pm MST
The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center has issued a call for a self-sealing fuel tank that both can stop fuel leaks and put out fires. It envisions a technology capable of plugging any damage caused by roadside bomb explosions or armor-piercing bullets, preventing fires caused by small explosions and surviving close contact with a burning pool of fuel.
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You live in a cave? Look out for bat flu then
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 5:08pm MST
Scientists have found a new influenza virus that infects bats. -
Weird 'dog-headed pig monster' terrorizes Africa
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 5:03pm MST
Residents in northern Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa, have reported being terrorized by a bizarre dog-pig hybrid creature. The animal is said to be mostly white and unlike anything the villagers have ever seen, with a doglike head and the broad, round, nearly hairless back and shoulders of a giant pig. The beast was spotted chasing and attacking dogs, goats and other domestic animals in this arid region not far from the Kalahari desert. -
Asteroids face barrage of high-speed impacts
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 4:45pm MST
The first dust grains ever retrieved from the surface of an asteroid now confirm that these minor planets are constantly shaped by a continuous barrage of high-speed microscopic impacts, scientists find.
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Video: 'Asura's Wrath' is as big as battles get
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 4:28pm MST
The bring Japanese mythology and give it a science fiction twist making for some very imaginative art direction. In-Game's Todd Kenreck gives it an 8 out of 10. (In-Game)
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What caused coyotes to shrink in size
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 4:05pm MST
In ancient times, when woolly mammoths and cave bears roamed Earth, coyotes boasted bigger bodies, rivaling the size of wolves, only to shrink to near modern size about the same time these megafauna went extinct.
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Active video games don't mean kids exercise more
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 3:57pm MST
All that virtual boxing, bowling and dancing along with video game systems might not be helping kids meet their daily exercise requirements, a new study suggests.
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Reddit drafts Internet anti-piracy bill; good luck with that
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 3:41pm MST
The social sharing site, which played a major role in helping to defeat SOPA last month, proposes its own the Free Internet Act (FIA), a crowdsourced alternative to government proposals many found restrictive to both creativity and free speech.
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Facebook offers olive branch to mobile carriers
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 3:41pm MST
Facebook said it could team up with mobile operators on payments, in an offer that would give them back part of the revenue and influence they have lost in recent years to Apple and Google. -
Law would let parents see kids' text messages
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 2:59pm MST
Arizona is considering legislation that would let parents see the text messages on the phones of their children, if they're under the age of 18. -
Now snow leopards turn up in Kashmir, too
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 2:54pm MST
An oft war-torn region of the Himalayas is now home to at least two endangered snow leopards, new photos taken by a conservation group have shown.
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Double Fine discusses adventure gaming for Kickstarter
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 2:47pm MST
The Double Fine Kickstarter has been updated once more. This time, new incentives have been added to the mix, mostly to address the fact that many of the previous ones are no longer available. -
Cemetery science: Gravestones, few dead-ends
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 2:05pm MST
To a geologist, a gravestone can offer information other rocks can't. One project is using gravestones to better understand how the elements, particularly acid rain, are weathering rocks around the world, and how that's changed over time.
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School uses social media to muzzle critics
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 1:44pm MST
A Kentucky university is aggressively fighting parody and criticism of school officials and policies on Twitter and other social media sites, which advocates and students say is an attempt to silence any negative comments. -
Photoshop Touch app comes to iPad 2
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 1:32pm MST
Photoshop Express has been available as an iPad app for quite some time, but — despite being quite powerful and feature-filled — it hasn't exactly satisfied fans of Adobe's popular image editing suite. Thankfully a "real" Photoshop app is available for the iPad now: Photoshop Touch.
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Fossils of world's tallest penguin discovered
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 1:32pm MST
New Zealand was once home to the tallest penguin species ever known — a lanky bird that stood as high as 4.2 feet (1.3 meters).
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PayPal censors e-book publishers
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 1:02pm MST
PayPal is known for handling electronic payments for merchandise, not for censoring content. But in recent weeks, the company has been letting e-book publishers know that PayPal will no longer handle transactions for e-books its considers to be obscene. -
Scientists see red over cuts to Mars missions
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:56pm MST
After two decades of being practically obsessed with Mars, NASA is making a cosmic U-turn on the road to Red Planet.
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FBI stops using 3,000 GPS trackers — for now
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:46pm MST
The FBI says it has turned off 3,000 GPS tracking devices attached to vehicles around the nation because of a recent Supreme Court ruling that police must get a search warrant before using GPS technology to track criminal suspects. -
Spain fends off claims to shipwreck's treasure
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:30pm MST
Spain on Monday rejected Peru's claim to a huge multimillion-dollar undersea treasure recovered from the wreckage of a ship that had left from Lima's port more than 200 years ago.
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How Reddit users helped fulfill a terminal cancer patient's wish
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:20pm MST
Nachu Bhatnagar has terminal cancer and may die before the summer's end. When asked what he wants to do before he dies, the young man immediately explained that he wants to finish reading Harry Turtledove's "The War That Came Early" series and discover how it ends
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Nokia adopts Windows Phone as main smartphone
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:15pm MST
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia elevated Windows Phone to be the vanguard of its smartphone presence, making it the primary platform for these devices.
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Porn on Pinterest masquerades as 'thinspiration'
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:14pm MST
Last week, Tumblr officially banned pro-anorexia and bulimia blogs,Pinterest is also home for "thinspiration" — including photos of women who appear severally underweight, wearing little to no clothes at all.
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Space telescope needs 'big science' support
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:10pm MST
NASA's newest space telescope project has stayed alive despite a ballooning price tag that now stands at $8.8 billion. But whether or not the James Webb Space Telescope survives into the future may depend upon how well it can maintain the broad political support that helped past "big science" projects ultimately prove successful.
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Experts keep close eye on worrisome asteroid
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 11:52am MST
Scientists are keeping a close eye on a big asteroid that may pose an impact threat to Earth in 2040 if it follows just the wrong sort of trajectory between now and then.
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It got a little chilly in ninth-century Baghdad
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 11:05am MST
Diaries and writings from ninth-century Baghdad provide a glimpse of the weird weather from the era, findings that could help researchers reconstruct past climate. -
Northern lights mystery may be solved
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 10:33am MST
Scientists may have solved a longstanding mystery about the origin of the energetic particles that cause Earth's dramatic aurora displays.
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Harry Potter e-books coming to schools, libraries
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 10:29am MST
Harry Potter e-books are coming to schools and libraries, at a date to be determined.
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To control space junk, remove 5 pieces a year
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 9:49am MST
Humanity can keep its space-junk problem under control by removing about five big pieces of orbital debris every year from the huge cloud surrounding Earth, experts say.
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Pope to debut personal Twitter account
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 9:09am MST
Pope Benedict XVI will once again make Holy See history with the imminent launch of his own Twitter account, and will also be sending a tweet a day during the 40 days of Lent through another account, according to reports from the Vatican.
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Video: Smuggling iPhones into China
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 8:51am MST
China customs officials are catching smugglers trying to sneak iPhones into mainland China from Hong Kong. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports. (msnbc.com)
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Obama's Google+ page becomes Chinese freedom forum
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 6:16am MST
Chinese Internet users taking advantage of temporary access to Google's social networking site, Google+, have flooded U.S. President Barack Obama's page on the site with calls for greater freedom in the world's most populous country. -
Nokia unveils cheaper Windows smartphone
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 6:09am MST
Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia unveiled a cheaper smartphone using Microsoft's Windows Phone software on Monday, aiming to win back market share by targeting a wider audience. -
WikiLeaks publishes intelligence firm's emails
Posted: February 27th, 2012, 12:41am MST
WikiLeaks began publishing on Monday more than five million emails from a U.S.-based global security analysis company that has been likened to a shadow CIA.
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Moon and planets put on Oscar-worthy show
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 7:29pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Jupiter, Venus and the moon teamed up over the weekend for an evening extravaganza worthy of Oscar-sized attention — and you can still catch the show.
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WikiLeaks to publish security think tank emails
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 5:22pm MST
The anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said it would begin publishing more than five million emails Monday from a US-based global security think tank, apparently obtained by hackers.
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HTC One S: T-Mobile's first smartphone with Android 4.0
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 5:16pm MST
In April, consumers will have another choice to fill their smartphone fix: the HTC One S, which is T-Mobile's first product to feature the latest version of Android, 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich. -
French carrier to offer first Intel-powered phone
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 5:10pm MST
The "Intel Inside" logo on hundreds of millions of personal computers is finally making its way onto a smartphone. -
Video: Singing around the Web
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 5:08pm MST
Three years ago, a composer dreamed of assembling a virtual choir. This year, singers from 73 countries applied. NBC’s Kristen Dahlgren reports. (Nightly News)
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Sony returns to smartphones but faces challenges
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 5:02pm MST
Sony Corp. declared a return to the smartphone business on Sunday, unveiling its first smartphones under the Sony brand, but warned the group's painful transition would not be as fast as rebranding.
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NYT: Apple's world lead in smartphones isn't safe
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 11:43am MST
When Ellie Turner decided she wanted an upgrade from her iPhone 3G, she expected to pay more for Apple’s new iPhone 4S than for the other leading smartphones on the market. -
Andromeda's exotic X-ray signal is bright black hole
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 11:09am MST
An intensely bright X-ray beacon shining in the Andromeda galaxy is actually a signpost for a hungry black hole that is gobbling up matter at a furious pace, new studies reveal.
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Just how certain is the 'uncertainty principle'?
Posted: February 26th, 2012, 10:53am MST
One of the most often quoted, yet least understood, tenets of physics is the uncertainty principle. A recent experiment shed new light on the maxim and led to a novel formula describing how the uncertainty principle really works. -
Why 2012 will be cybercrime's 'hell year'
Posted: February 25th, 2012, 11:50am MST
We're not even two months into 2012, and the year is turning out to be one of the worst for cyberattacks. Here are a few reasons why.
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Philosopher's secret letter held plan to save England
Posted: February 25th, 2012, 11:18am MST
A newly discovered document, written by one of Europe's most famous philosophers, Thomas Hobbes, reveals a plan that, if successful, could have turned the tide of one of England's bloodiest wars. -
Astronaut builds LEGO space station ... in space
Posted: February 25th, 2012, 11:11am MST
It took more than 200 astronauts from 12 countries more than a dozen years to build the International Space Station. An astronaut matched that feat in just about two hours with a LEGO version — while he was on the orbiting outpost itself.
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4 planets & moon dominate weekend night sky
Posted: February 25th, 2012, 10:57am MST
A cosmic team-up of planets and the thin crescent moon is dazzling skywatchers around the world this weekend, and the celestial sky show is just getting started.
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NASA's Mars rover stays in the picture
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 9:07pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: One of the trickiest things that NASA's Opportunity rover does on Mars is take a look at itself — but the occasional self-portrait is a vital part of its eight-year-plus mission on the Red Planet.
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What creatures live on your smartphone?
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 6:29pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Your cell phone and your shoes have entire communities of microbes living on them, as distinctive as the germs on your fingers and in your mouth.
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iPhone user wins $850 in AT&T throttling case
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 6:26pm MST
When AT&T started slowing down the data service for his iPhone, Matt Spaccarelli, an unemployed truck driver and student, took the country's largest telecommunications company to small claims court. And won.
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Navy launches advanced tactical satellite
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 4:55pm MST
The U.S. Navy launched an advanced tactical satellite Friday, lofting to orbit the first spacecraft in a new communications constellation that should provide a big upgrade for American troops.
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Anonymous attacks 'alarming,' says top security adviser
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 4:39pm MST
The vigilante group known as Anonymous has claimed credit for yet another of its weekly cyber attacks, fueling high level concerns among U.S. national security officials that the so-called “hackivists” are posing an increasing threat to government and private sector websites and computer systems. -
Rogue planets are rambling through galaxy
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 4:19pm MST
Our Milky Way galaxy may be teeming with rogue planets that ramble through space instead of being locked in orbit around a star, a new study suggests.
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Traders aim to profit from the Oscars online
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 3:54pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Traders have solidified their positions on the Oscar prediction markets, in an annual exercise that puts the wisdom of crowds (and money) to the test.
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Man picks Facebook apology over jail
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 3:02pm MST
A man who was threatened with jail time for posting comments about his estranged wife on his personal Facebook page unless he posted daily apologies for a month says the court ruling violates his freedom of speech. -
Reports: 9/11 terrorist appears in ad on Facebook
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 3:00pm MST
Reports that an insurance advertisement on Facebook featuring the face of 9/11 terrorist Mohamed Atta is not the type of publicity the site wants ahead of its initial public offering. -
So this exists: Kickstarter for porn
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 2:08pm MST
Once the key driver of Internet innovation, the porn industry now finds itself cutting-and-pasting on the backs of others. Case in point, Offbeatr, "the first crowdfunding resource specifically designed for the adult industry" aka Kickstarter for porn.
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Mass Effect's FemShep finally makes the cover
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 2:04pm MST
With each new installment of "Mass Effect," devoted followers of the female version of game's lead, Commander Shepard, or "FemShep" as she is commonly known as, have demanded more and more of the spotlight for their hero of choice.
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Here they are: Winners of the Animal Oscars!
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 1:54pm MST
Movie stars will soon be walking the red carpet to win (or lose) Academy Awards. But why should humans have all the fun? We've translated Oscar categories into superlatives for the furry animals, creepy insects and other organisms that share our planet.
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'Guitar Hero' used to help rehabilitate amputees
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 1:41pm MST
"Air Guitar Hero," is the creation of biomechanical engineer Robert Armiger and surgical roboticist Carol Reiley, of Johns Hopkins University. It translates the impulses that happen between a muscle and the brain in the form of a guitar strum.
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A dazzling threesome to show off at night
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 1:38pm MST
If the weather is clear this weekend, even those who normally do not look at the sky may be struck by a dazzling celestial scene in the west after sunset: a view of two bright planets and an even more eye-catching crescent moon.
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Skip DC: 3-D tools to bring Smithsonian to you
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:53am MST
The Smithsonian is set to launch a program that will harness 3-D technology to make replicas of artifacts in its collection available to museums around the world, according to a report.
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Anonymous vandalizes US prison contractors' site
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:44am MST
Hackers allied to the loose-knit Anonymous movement have claimed responsibility for vandalizing the website of an international prison contractor. -
No (shark fin) soup for you! It may be harmful
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:39am MST
The destruction of sharks for shark fin soup has helped put many wild species of the fish on the road to extinction. Now, new research suggests this costly meal may harm humans, too.
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New 'Flashback' trojan swipes Mac passwords
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:24am MST
Mac users, consider yourself warned: A new version of an infamous and ever-changing Mac Trojan has again been spotted, this time deploying three attack methods in an attempt to harvest your passwords, steal your money and generally terrorize your computer. -
Pinterest helps clever crafter clean house — and save marriage?
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:24am MST
One woman's Pinterest-inspired hobby of making dresses for her 2-year-old daughter led to a disorganized home and an unhappy husband. Fortunately, the cause of her disorder offered a solution.
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Here's another Internet meme game for your future nostalgia
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:22am MST
The Meme Drinking Board Game, created by Reddit user Marc Sloan, follows other attempts at meme gamification, including the Rage Face Drinking Game, the Kickstarter-funded For the Win, and a not-so-successful meme card game. -
Why horses shrank to the size of housecats
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 11:05am MST
An ancient global warming event shrunk the earliest horses down to the size of scrawny housecats, according to new research that could have implications for what mammals might look like in a future warming world.
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What if our phones were honest with us?
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 10:41am MST
As voice-recognition and personal assistant features such as Siri become more common on smartphones, I can't help but wonder: Would any of us ever be able to handle real — and brutally honest — conversations with our mobile devices? -
Apple halts 'push' email services in Germany
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 10:41am MST
Apple halts 'push' email services in Germany -
Stone Age pebble may be oldest engraving ever
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 10:34am MST
A colorful pebble bearing a sequence of linear incisions may be the world's oldest engraving.
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Circles now on Google Voice
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 10:20am MST
Google Voice has adopted the circles found on Google+, making it easier for users to group and manage their contacts according to those categories. -
Friends deleted at record rate: Pew
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 10:19am MST
Facebook is apparently getting a lot more unfriendly. Users are getting a lot more selective, deleting comments, photo tags, and even friends at a record rate, according to a new study released Friday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. -
Bunnies in jetpacks? It's Playboy Club in space!
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 9:54am MST
Playboy is about to launch into the final frontier, at least in its imagination. The iconic adult-magazine company has dreamed up a vision of a Playboy Club in space, in conjunction with the space tourism company Virgin Galactic.
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Police investigate porn on Best Buy TV screens
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 9:50am MST
Police are now investigating how porn infiltrated one Best Buy store's Wi-Fi network, forcing the store to issue an apology to shocked customers. -
Netflix: No plan to support BlackBerry, PlayBook
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 9:41am MST
Online and mail-order video company Netflix has no plans to bring its streaming service to Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet.
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Apple's China iPad battle spreads to US
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 6:56am MST
A Chinese firm trying to stop Apple Inc from using the iPad name in China has launched an attack on the consumer electronics giant's home turf. -
Google search results now include concert dates
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 6:54am MST
Are you one of those people who seems to always find out about concerts just a bit too late? If so, good news: Google will now automatically list relevant concert dates when you search for your favorite musicians. -
Tumblr bans anorexia, bulimia and other self-harm
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 6:46am MST
Tumblr has been known to struggle with an overwhelming amount of content which promotes or glorifies many forms of self-harm including — though unfortunately not limited to — eating disorders, self-mutilation and even suicide.
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The best Dr. Seuss books and apps
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 5:00am MST
The books of beloved children’s author and illustrator, Dr. Seuss, have stood the test of time. His earliest work was published over 60 years ago, and many have comfortably made the transition to digital.
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10 gadgets that'll help you relive the '80s
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 4:55am MST
If you stop and think about it, the progress we've made in technology over the last 20-some years has been staggering. It really wasn't that long ago that we were all using landline phones and playing Atari games.
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Which GOP candidate boasts most online buzz?
Posted: February 24th, 2012, 4:22am MST
Rick Santorum is coming under much closer — and skeptical — scrutiny since he jumped to the top of Republican presidential polls this month, according to a computer-assisted analysis of social media data. -
Scores apply to join Martian taste test
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 7:26pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Get paid $5,500 for tasting different kinds of space food on Hawaii's Big Island for four months? Scores of people are applying for the job.
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Slow-moving fireballs light up February skies
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 5:11pm MST
A strange breed of fireball is streaking through the skies this month, and NASA is urging folks on the ground to take notice.
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Hotmail down: No word on outage's cause
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 5:08pm MST
The email service Hotmail appears to be down and has been having problems since Thursday afternoon shortly after 4 p.m. ET. -
Video: A new nightmare for 'Alan Wake'
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 5:01pm MST
Writer Alan Wake continues to fight the creates make of darkness in "Alan Wakes's American Nightmare." In-Game's Todd Kenreck gives it an 8 out of 10. (In-Game)
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Ancient Maya doom teaches climate lesson
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 4:13pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Researchers say the Classic Maya civilization was done in by relatively modest droughts, suggesting that similarly modest climate shifts could have a dramatic effect in the future.
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Is nature democratic? Not all the votes are in
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 3:46pm MST
Nature metaphors speak of top dogs, queen bees and kings of the jungle, but not many senators of the savannah and voter bees. Is democracy unnatural?
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T-Mobile left hanging after AT&T merger fails
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 3:38pm MST
For all of T-Mobile’s talk about bouncing back from its failed merger with AT&T, it's nearly silent on the one thing consumers (and investors) care about: the iPhone. -
Orioles owner sues Facebook
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 3:14pm MST
Two Baltimore law firms have filed a lawsuit against Facebook, arguing that the site has violated privacy laws. -
Google Street View goes undersea
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 2:37pm MST
Less than a month after Google Ocean drowned our dreams of Atlantis by updating a image that previously showed mysterious grid patterns on the sea floor, the search giant is back with an underwater Street View.
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Esperanto now on Google Translate
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 2:31pm MST
The Google landscape stretches all over the world, so it makes sense it would now incorporate a new language into its translation options that transcends borders and seeks to unity in its common usage: Esperanto. -
Pregnant monkeys miscarry, avoid infanticide
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 1:31pm MST
When a new male gelada monkey takes control of a reproductive group, he will typically kill off the babies of his predecessor. Now, new research shows that pregnant females have an adaptive strategy to minimize their losses: They spontaneously miscarry.
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'World of Warcraft' may help the elderly: studies
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 1:22pm MST
According to a new study from Department of Psychology at North Carolina State University's Gains Through Gaming laboratory, it has been discovered that the popular MMO World of Warcraft can potentially help some older adults with cognitive functions.
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First person shooters can help rare eye disorders
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 1:16pm MST
A new study states that a first person shooter may help those born with a rare eye disorder.
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25 million tons of tsunami debris tracked
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 1:09pm MST
A new animation shows the path of the debris carried out to sea by last year's massive tsunami in Japan.
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Feds ask judge to keep infected computers online
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 1:05pm MST
U.S. government officials have asked a federal judge in New York to extend a looming deadline that could knock as many as half a million computers infected with the 'DNSChanger' Trojan offline on March 8. -
Amazingly, life thrives at Earth's deepest spot
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 12:31pm MST
Life finds a way, even in the total darkness near the deepest known part of the ocean, according to new research. Scientists have discovered fields of bone-white clams clustering near hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific Ocean that lie as deep as 19,230 feet below the surface, near the Mariana Trench
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Drive a wheelchair or mouse with your tongue
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 12:28pm MST
An iPhone, an inconspicuous dental retainer, and a pierced tongue may soon be all that's required to drive around a wheelchair or control a computer mouse, according to new research.
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YouPorn users exposed after security hole discovered
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 11:57am MST
Watching porn is one thing, but if you join a site, be forewarned that someday, someone might find a way to tap into the site's databases and share your email address and password for all the world to see. -
'Bachelorette' missing out on Facebook millions
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 11:56am MST
Ali Fedotowsky won't be getting Facebook millions when the company goes public -- and she didn't get the guy she left the company for, either -- but the former "Bachelorette" isn't mourning the money she missed out on.
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Air Force space plan calls for nuclear reactors
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 11:49am MST
The U.S. Air Force has laid out a new vision for its energy science and technology needs over the next 15 years – a forecast that includes plans for space-based power stations and the prospective use of small nuclear reactors for new spacecraft.
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Good news for Higgs: W boson pinpointed
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 10:58am MST
Physicists at Fermilab in Chicago have improved the measurement of a subatomic particle called the W boson. Their result won't just help physicists better understand exotic particles; it also narrows the range of possible energies of W’s flashier cousin the Higgs boson, dubbed the "God particle" in the media. -
T-Mobile to make data network work with iPhone
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 10:27am MST
T-Mobile USA says it will revamp its wireless data network this year, making it compatible with iPhones sold by competing carriers. -
U.S. opening up airspace to use of drones
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 10:19am MST
After more than 40 years of development and extensive use by the military, the United States has set the date when the nation’s airspace will be open for drones. Should you be scared? -
Man must apologize to wife on Facebook: court
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 10:17am MST
A man with a record of domestic violence has been ordered by a Cinncinati court to apologize to his estranged wife on Facebook for comments he made on the social network. -
Rare Earth element found in ancient starlight
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 9:56am MST
Light from three ancient stars at the edge of the Milky Way indicates that the stars contain tellurium, a brittle, superconducting element that is rare on Earth.
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Chinese service sells fake 'sent from my iPhone' messages
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 9:55am MST
Just when you didn't think that the world of knockoff products could get any stranger, Chinese merchants start offering a service which allows people to pay for fake "sent from my iPhone" messages. -
Internet users campaigned to get man free Red Lobster meal
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 9:23am MST
On Tuesday afternoon, a post appeared on the Facebook page belonging to Red Lobster. It was written by 56-year-old Robert Mills and it explained how frustrated he is that the restaurant chain does not offer any free food items to customers who are celebrating their birthdays, as he was on that day. "Guess I'm just a nobody on my birthday," he wrote.
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Mobile apps could face lawsuits for data snatching
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 8:10am MST
California is clamping down on nosy mobile applications, telling them they must give people advance warning if they want to keep pulling sensitive information from smartphones and computer tablets. -
Doubt looms in CERN's Einsten contradiction
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 7:47am MST
Physicists are to run new tests in May after Thursday's confirmation that a faulty connector could have been behind findings appearing to show that one of Albert Einstein's fundamental theories was wrong.
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White House unveils plan to protect online privacy
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 7:31am MST
The White House on Thursday proposed a "bill of rights" that would give consumers greater online privacy protection and could eventually give the government greater powers to police Internet firms such as Google Inc and Facebook. -
6 apps, websites that'll make your life easier
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 6:58am MST
Whether you're looking for inspiration or want to save time, money or both, help is as close as your computer or smartphone. Here are six newish websites or apps that'll help enhance your life.
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Apple wins first round of China iPad bout
Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 5:52am MST
A Shanghai court has rejected a request by a Chinese technology firm to stop Apple Inc selling its iPad tablet computers in the city, a source said, part of a wider battle for Apple over the trademark in China. -
Rat-like image recognition to replace GPS satellites?
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 8:19pm MST
The images of nearly every major stretch of road taken by Google's Street View team and the snapshots we capture with our smartphones may soon be all we need to navigate the world, according to an Australian researcher.
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Google's augmented reality glasses coming by year end: NYT
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 8:14pm MST
It's a no-brainer, a pair of glasses that uses image recognition, sensors and GPS to tell you what you're looking at. According to the New York Times, Google will introduce a pair of these by the end of 2012. -
Satellite reveals that cloud tops are dropping
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 6:36pm MST
The sky is falling … sort of. Over the last 10 years, the height of clouds has been shrinking, according to new research.
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Colorful Peruvian lizard surprises scientists
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 6:20pm MST
Researchers have discovered a new species of lizard in a strange place. The brightly colored, water-loving lizards live in the Andes Mountains in southern Peru — an odd place to find them, scientists say, because of the chilly conditions.
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Scientist admits he tricked climate skeptics
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 5:10pm MST
In the field of climate science, when someone did something ethically questionable or misrepresented facts, scientist Peter Gleick was usually among the first and loudest to cry foul. -
Video: Rare video of Challenger explosion found
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 5:10pm MST
An old home video from the tail end of a family trip to Disney World appears to show images of the space shuttle exploding. NBC’s Brian Williams reports. (Nightly News)
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Call this ancient rock carving 'little horny man'
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 4:43pm MST
A stick figure man with a giant phallus dubbed "the little horny man" by its discoverers is the oldest rock carving found yet in the Americas, researchers say.
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FCC urges Internet companies to safeguard Web
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 4:19pm MST
Internet service providers need to work harder to prevent hacks, data theft and other fraud, including contacting customers whose infected computers have been hijacked by organized crime and helping them clean out viruses, the head of the Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday.
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Scientists get kick out of 'buckyball' discovery
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 3:55pm MST
For the first time, astronomers have discovered the solid form of tiny carbon spheres in deep space in vast cloud of particles locked in orbit around two distant stars.
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Report: Companies whose tech targets protesters
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 3:33pm MST
In an ongoing series profiling both U.S. and European companies that sell spy tech to authoritarian regimes, the Electronic Frontier Foundation calls out companies whose customers included Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and former Tunisia president Ben Ali. -
Judge rejects argument to remove Facebook photos
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 3:28pm MST
A judge rejected a Minnesota man's petition for a restraining order against his uncle over a Facebook-based family squabble over posting childhood pictures and comments. -
Glitch found in faster-than-light neutrino setup
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 3:09pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Months after researchers reported that they measured neutrinos traveling faster than light, they're finding that the incredible result may have been due to a bad connector rather than a violation of relativity theory.
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Triceratops had arms of an athlete, study finds
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 3:06pm MST
The three-horned dinosaur Triceratops may have had a more upright, athletic posture than thought, new anatomical evidence suggests.
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Enjoy a skywatching triple play this week
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 2:39pm MST
Anyone out under the stars in the early evening lately likely cannot help but notice two brilliant objects dominating the western sky: the planets Venus and Jupiter. The moon is making its monthly trip around the Earth and will pass these two planets on Saturday and Sunday this week in what astronomers call a triple conjunction.
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Verizon says 4G restored, service still spotty
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 1:47pm MST
For the fourth time in the last three months, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network has suffered a service outage. Verizon Wireless spokesman, Tom Pica, said the outage was brief and that service has since been restored -
Relax, guys, we'll be around for a while...
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 1:33pm MST
Contrary to previous belief, men may not be on the way out after all. New research reveals that the Y chromosome is not rapidly degrading and is unlikely to disappear. -
Facebook profiles predict job success
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 1:09pm MST
If you think just keeping your Facebook page free of drunken photos will help you land a job, think again. Facebook facts that make you look worldly and popular may say more about you to a hiring manager than anything else. -
The cost of building Great Pyramid today
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 1:07pm MST
Even with cranes, helicopters, tractors and trucks at our disposal, it would be tough to construct the Great Pyramid of Giza today. Its construction 4,500 years ago is so astounding in some people's eyes that they invoke mystical or even alien involvement. But the current theory of the building of the Great Pyramid — the notion that it was assembled from the inside out, via a spiraling internal ramp — is probably still the best construction plan.
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Iran blocking 30 million from email, Web ahead of election
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 1:03pm MST
With parliamentary elections set for next week, Iran has begun blocking Internet services, Web security experts say, adding to concerns that Iranians will be shut off from the online world. -
Microsoft to Google: Please don't kill Web video
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 12:40pm MST
Microsoft has made a complaint to the Europe’s competition regulator against Motorola Mobility and Google, accusing them of breaking competition rules and potentially blocking Web videos. -
Space Lab students close in on zero-G science
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 12:38pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Can zero gravity open the way to better fungicides and out-of-this-world inventions? Six teams of students in the YouTube Space Lab program want to find out.
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Space Lab teens close in on zero-G science
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 12:38pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Can zero gravity open the way to better fungicides and out-of-this-world inventions? Six teams of students in the YouTube Space Lab program want to find out.
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Canadian astronaut eager to run space station
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 12:38pm MST
Astronaut Chris Hadfield will become the first Canadian ever to command a spaceship when he takes the helm of the International Space Station in 2013.
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Reduced NASA budget forces tough trade-offs
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 11:49am MST
U.S. President Barack Obama's proposal to roll back NASA spending to its lowest level since 2008 puts the squeeze on planetary science and other agency activities in order to accommodate a massively overbudget space telescope and a congressionally mandated heavy-lift rocket while doubling funding for a controversial commercial crew initiative.
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Tumblr's 'Babies with iPads' eye-catching
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 11:31am MST
A Tumblr blog has harnessed the unbearable cuteness of being that defines this youngest generation's instant comfort with Apple's iPad.
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NASA video flies you through cracking glacier
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 10:58am MST
A new video takes viewers on a stunning ride through a giant and ever-growing canyon of Antarctic ice that marks the birth of an enormous iceberg.
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Management lessons to learn from 'Star Wars'
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 10:47am MST
Let’s take a look at five of the Empire’s biggest mistakes and see how you can avoid them in your own organization.
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World's deepest land animal discovered
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 10:30am MST
In the dark abyss of the world's deepest known cave lurks a newfound species of primitive eyeless insect, one that researchers are calling the deepest land animal ever found.
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4G network outage hits Verizon Wireless
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 10:06am MST
For the fourth time in the last three months, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network has suffered a service outage. Verizon Wireless spokesman, Tom Pica, said the outage was brief and that service has since been restored -
Hacking quantum cryptography just got harder
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 9:48am MST
No matter how complex they are, most secret codes turn out to be breakable. Producing the ultimate secure code may require encoding a secret message inside the quantum relationship between atoms, scientists say. Now cryptographers have taken "quantum encryption" a step further. -
Online journalists censored, attacked: report
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 9:27am MST
A global coalition against censorship is needed to protect online journalists and bloggers who are being targeted by repressive governments, a leading advocacy group said Tuesday. -
Cosmic hurricane: Black hole has 20 million mph winds
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 9:18am MST
Scientists have measured the fastest winds yet observed from a stellar-mass black hole, shedding light on the behavior of these curious cosmic objects.
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Goodness snakes! Sociable rattlers cuddle with their kin
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 8:45am MST
Though often regarded as loners, rattlesnakes may be relatively social, cuddling up with their relatives, a finding that suggests serpents may have more complex social lives than currently appreciated, researchers say.
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Nokia to unveil cheaper Windows smartphone: sources
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 8:16am MST
Nokia will next week unveil a new, cheaper smartphone using Microsoft's Windows Phone software, targeting a wider market for its new range of smartphones, two sources close to the company said. -
EU suspends copyright treaty ratification
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 8:09am MST
The European Commission, facing steep opposition, has suspended efforts to ratify a new international anti-counterfeiting agreement — instead referring it to Europe's highest court to see whether it violates any fundamental EU rights. -
EU suspends copyright treaty ratification
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 8:09am MST
The European Commission, facing steep opposition, has suspended efforts to ratify a new international anti-counterfeiting agreement — instead referring it to Europe's highest court to see whether it violates any fundamental EU rights. -
Hackers hit Los Angeles police canine group
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 7:43am MST
A group of hacktivists has leaked the names, addresses, phone numbers and email passwords of more than 100 police officers stolen from the database of the Los Angeles County Police Canine Association (LACPCA) website. -
Has the battery run out on India's $35 tablet computer?
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 7:23am MST
A "$35" computer launched last year in India as the world's cheapest tablet has run into problems and companies will be invited to bid again to make the device after complaints of poor performance and hiccups rolling out a pilot model. -
Judge: Woman must turn over computer hard drive
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 7:07am MST
Readily available, easy-to-use software can encrypt a computer hard drive so thoroughly it would take years for a hacker to break in. But that seems to be no impediment for government prosecutors, who have obtained an order compelling the disclosure of a computer's contents in one Colorado case. -
Video: 'Borderlands 2' Doomsday trailer
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 6:11am MST
2K games shows off the guns and the new characters of "Borderlands 2." (In-Game)
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Video: ‘Borderlands 2’ brings more guns and wub wub
Posted: February 22nd, 2012, 6:03am MST
Some old robotic friends and a massive arsenal of weapons are back again as 2K Games announces that “Borderlands 2” will come out September 18th . In-Game’s Todd Kenreck reports. (In-Game)
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'ID thieves have bounced back': Big jump, survey says
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 11:42pm MST
Identity thieves have regained the upper hand, suggests a new survey released Wednesday by fraud research firm Javelin Strategy & Research. The firm's annual survey of 5,000 consumers suggests a rise in the rate of ID theft during 2011, reversing a drop in identity-related that was found in last year's survey. The main cause of the new increase: A return to old-fashioned credit card fraud. -
Rocket flies into the northern lights
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 7:36pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A rocket experiment has sampled the stuff of the northern lights, adding some scientific substance to the great views we're getting from Earth and orbit.
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Lessons learned from Japan's deadly earthquake
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 7:14pm MST
In 2011, Japan was one of the most prepared countries in the world for a massive earthquake. Yet when a mega-quake hit Japan, it was shockingly devastating. Now, a year after the quake, scientists say the hard lessons learned will go a long way.
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Newly discovered legless amphibians are horrifying
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 7:04pm MST
Newly identified legless amphibians live out their lives hidden in underground burrows, tending their slimy pink young, which emerge from their eggs as miniature adults.
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Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom released on bail
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 6:48pm MST
The founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload was granted bail and released on Wednesday after a New Zealand judge determined that authorities have seized any funds he might have used to flee the country.
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Perpetual motion 'time crystals' may exist
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 5:22pm MST
From diamonds to snowflakes to salt, crystals are common in nature. The arrangement of their atoms in orderly, repeating patterns extending in all three spatial dimensions makes them look nice and also become vital components of technologies. In groundbreaking new research, Nobel-winning physicist Frank Wilczek contends that “time crystals,” moving structures that repeat periodically in the fourth dimension, exist as well. -
Video: Scientists use rocket to study Northern Lights
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 5:06pm MST
In Alaska, a two-stage rocket is helping scientists understand how the lights are formed and how they impact satellites. NBC’s Brian Williams reports. (Nightly News)
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See a solar eclipse from outer space
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 5:02pm MST
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A sun-watching NASA satellite sights a partial solar eclipse from space, which serves as a warmup for earthly solar alignments to come.
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Deciphering the hazy Uncertainty Principle
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 4:41pm MST
One of the most often quoted, yet least understood, tenets of physics is the uncertainty principle. -
Fresh from your printer: 3-D dinosaur bones!
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 3:59pm MST
Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara is looking to print out some robot dinosaurs.
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NSA chief fears Anonymous could hit power grid: report
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 2:49pm MST
With Fridays on the Internet now a virtual Mad Libs game of which government website Anonymous will take down next, the director of the National Security agency wants the White House to know that the hacker collective could very well cause at least a limited power outage in the next two years
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Purported leaks give details about iPad 3 guts, appearance
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 2:41pm MST
As we get closer to the first week of March — which is when the iPad 3 is expected to be announced — rumors and leaks related to the next-generation device are appearing everywhere.
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Making future passwords easier to remember
Posted: February 21st, 2012, 2:22pm MST
Filled with numbers, symbols and letter combinations that mean nothing, passwords in today's security-conscious Internet environment have become harder to remember and less uniform than ever. But in a few years, that may no longer be the case. A number of advances in password technology will make accessing protected data fast and easy.