Calculating The Odds That Life Could Begin By Chance
Many people, perhaps most, hate the idea that life might depend on chance processes. It is a human tendency to search for meaning, and what could be more meaningful than the belief that our lives have a greater purpose, that all life in fact is guided by a supreme intelligence which manifests itself even at the level of individual molecules?

Tech firms plan for possible swine flu pandemic

Tech firms plan for possible swine flu pandemic
Tech companies are taking steps to combat the spread of swine flu by limiting travel and urging employees to work remotely. Microsoft, General Electric, IBM and Dell already have contingency plans in place, while Sprint is weighing whether to sanitize offices in regions where the flu has surfaced.

See a bad driver? Flip a tweet, not a bird
Why waste your time futilely shaking your fist at the driver who cut you off on the country road when you can take him to task on the information superhighway?
Twitter May Spread Bad Swine Flu Info

Social network tool Twitter has been touted as a great way of disseminating information in bite-sized amounts. But in the context of the swine flu, some are concerned that bad information or information taken out of context may be doing more harm than good.

Originality and remix culture in the age of the web

WHAT makes a piece of art an “original work”?

It’s one of the biggest questions when it comes to copyright in the age of the web — and if the music industry had its way there would be far less original music art available.

Albums blurring the line of “originality” range from DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing... (made entirely of samples and commercially released to great acclaim) to Danger Mouse’s The Grey Album (a mashup of Jay-Z’s The Black Album and The Beatles’ The White Album which EMI stopped distributing, but is still available illegally online).

Now an Israeli artist called Kutiman is dazzling the online world with a mashup lovingly created over three months from a collection of hundreds of YouTube clips, creating a seven track compilation called ThruYOU.

All the basic details are in our story on Kutiman today. You can watch one of his videos below:

Isn’t this sort of thing what the internet is all about? Not the legal minefield Kutiman’s standing in the middle of â€" which sadly seems to have grabbed most of the attention â€" but the skills involved in building new things upon old, sharing ideas and watching others enhance them and taking inspiration from the firehose of content that is the real heartbeat of the web.

Online content isn’t about mainstream celebrities dominating the small guys, no matter what the million-follower counts on Twitter may say. Even the interest Susan Boyle has generated is an example of an unknown voice shining above celebrity (no matter how manufactured the moment may have been).

Kutiman’s ThruYOU highlights the shared creativity of everyday netizens, basing his remixes on unknown bedroom artists and otherwise anonymous YouTube users. In the site’s disclaimer, Kutiman claims the project is shared out of “love and respect” for the featured artists and asks anyone who has a problem or wishes for their clip to be removed to get in touch with him.

In fact, when you watch ThruYOU closely, you can see he is obsessive in his edits and in no small way acts as a true editor. He gets more out of his subjects than they did on their own. Detailed cuts and adjustments to how they perform their music improves their musicality. Don’t people often pay for the privilege of having somebody help them be better than they were before?

Maybe the biggest copyright question here is not whether Kutiman should be allowed to do what he has done. He did and it’s there for all to enjoy. But in essence, copyright is meant to protect the rights of an author to encourage innovation and creative endeavour.

In the age of the mashup, some of the most innovative and creative work is coming from artists like Kutiman. Where is their encouragement? Where is their incentive to innovate? If copyright made it easier for artists like this to profit from their efforts, more artists would test new creative ideas built upon old ones.

A few people might make a few dollars less for their efforts (if it was good enough in the first place it would still have made a few), but culture in general would be the winner if more artists like Kutiman came along.

Seamus Byrne is the host of the video podcast Midnight Update.

Swine Flu: What Does H1N1 Mean?

As controversy swirls about using the term "swine flu" for the A H1N1 virus currently sweeping around the globe, the question arises: what the heck does H1N1 mean?

After tornado, town rebuilds by going green

After tornado, town rebuilds by going green
On May 4, 2007, a monster tornado tore through Greensburg, Kansas, killing 11 people and leaving little more than windswept debris. Two years later, the town has embraced energy-efficient technology to reinvent itself as a model green community.

Are e-books worth your time?
Like many geeks, I love gadgets and I love to read. Since I've found that my rate of giving away old books is slower than the rate at which I get new ones and my bookshelf is always at eyesore-full capacity, I've wondered if e-books are everything they're cracked up to be?
Spammers, Phishers, Take Advantage of Swine Flu

Typical of any such crises, whether its the aftermath of an even such as an earthquake, or in this case, the swine flu, phishers and spammers are taking advantage of the situation.

MacChat: Apple assaults Microsoft on all fronts

“WE have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose.”

Those words were uttered by Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 1998 in Boston, a city synonymous with rebellion and revolution. But instead Jobs – then Apple’s interim CEO (or iCEO, as he joked) – was ushering in a new era of peace and co-operation with arch rival Microsoft as Apple struggled to survive.

As Microsoft chief and longtime Jobs rival Bill Gates stared down from a big screen at Macworld Conference and Expo, Jobs announced a landmark deal: Microsoft would buy a 5 per cent stake in Apple as a vote of confidence in the company, and continue producing its crucial Office software for Mac, in exchange for Apple dropping all legal action over Microsoft’s copying of the Mac operating system, and making Internet Explorer the default Mac web browser.

There were the predictable howls of outrage from Mac diehards over this “deal with the devil”, but it did help Apple to survive the dark times.

That was 1998. Flash forward 11 years, and Apple is a different, much stronger company that is dominating a number of emerging markets. And Microsoft, which long ago sold its small stake in Apple, is once again in its sights.

Apple is going after Microsoft on three fronts: the desktop, with its Macs stealing market share from Windows PCs; the emerging mobile computing space, where its hit iPhone and iPod touch are supported by more than 35,000 programs on its App Store; and now the back-office server room, with its Xserve poised to compete with Windows and Linux server solutions.

It is the latter area where the pieces are only now starting to fall into place. Apple has pretty much ignored the enterprise market thus far, focusing instead on small business and the art and multimedia departments of major corporations. Even the Xserve has been mainly targeted at video, graphics and scientific types who are already using Macs. But the next version of OS X, codenamed Snow Leopard, will be optimised for corporate use, with support for Microsoft Exchange Server at the system level. This means users can use Apple’s Mail, Address Book and iCal programs, and enjoy full compatibility with the corporate standard for email, contacts and calendaring.

Importantly, Apple can offer a corporate solution cheaper than Microsoft’s, as it offers unlimited-seat licenses, instead making its money from the Xserve hardware. With Snow Leopard Server running on its Xserves, Apple can offer corporations support for Mac, Windows and Linux workstations at potentially a lower price than Windows Server.

Snow Leopard and Snow Leopard Server are expected to be released later this year.

The iPhone will be a big part of Apple’s Trojan horse, especially as the computer industry moves more towards mobile applications. The iPhone is already compatible with Microsoft’s ActiveSync corporate email technology, and OS X iPhone 3.0 will strengthen the device’s business credentials with more secure communication and synchronisation. Together with Snow Leopard Server, the iPhone will be a compelling alternative to BlackBerrys or Windows Mobile smartphones for big business, especially if iPhone-toting employees already are demanding support in their workplace. More iPhones in corporations could also lead to more Macs, particularly if they are powered by Apple servers.

The iPhone’s importance to Apple’s larger strategy will be on display at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco from June 8 to 12. Traditionally a Mac event, WWDC has been hosting more and more iPhone developers since the release of the device, and with the number of iPhone and iPod touch applications nearing 40,000, this year will be the biggest yet for the mobile version of OS X. The third-generation iPhone will probably also be unveiled.

Personal Tech: Gadget News and Reviews
The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro discusses recent reviews and answers your personal tech questions.

Big Bang machine will be 'even more perfect'

Big Bang machine will be 'even more perfect'
Scientists hope magnets in the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle-accelerator in the world, will help lead to encounters with never-before-seen phenomena and answers to fundamental questions about the universe.

Verizon Reports 5% Earnings Growth

Swine flu creates controversy on Twitter
The swine flu outbreak is spawning debate about how people get information during health emergencies -- especially at a time when news sources are becoming less centralized.
House Members Plan to Draft New Online Privacy Bill

House Members plan to draft new legislation regarding online privacy this year. The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet met yesterday afternoon to address concerns regarding privacy implications of ISP-based and other behavioral ad targeting technologies.

Verizon Reports 5% Earnings Growth
Verizon Communications said yesterday that its first-quarter earnings rose 5 percent, largely due to continued growth in its wireless business.

IBM Set to Take on "Jeopardy!"

Not satisfied with winning chess matches against humans, IBM is set to take on the game show "Jeopardy!"

Laptops help sick kids stay connected

Laptops help sick kids stay connected
Ahmed Hamdi wants to be a superhero when he grows up. A lot of people at his school will tell you he already is one.

Local Tech-Savvy Duo Steps Onto Federal Stage

Astronomers take virtual plunge into black hole
Dare to fall into a black hole and you would get vaporized in what is probably the most violent place in the universe. But the journey would yield some amazing sights, though you might need three eyes for the best view of what's going on, new research suggests.
Study links ADHD medicine with better test scores

Children on medicine for attention deficit disorder scored higher on academic tests than their unmedicated peers in the first large, long-term study suggesting this kind of benefit from the widely used drugs.

Local Tech-Savvy Duo Steps Onto Federal Stage
Aneesh Chopra and Vivek Kundra met nearly a decade ago as entrepreneurs in Northern Virginia's Indian American business community. They worked together in Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's administration and then as technology and innovation advisers on President Obama's transition team.

Bankruptcy, not giant meteor, leaves pet dinosaur’s future in doubt

THE world’s most lovable dinosaur robot that probably won’t eat you is in danger of going the way of its forebears.

Terrible news today that Pleo is headed towards that grim boneyard — the market. The company behind the toy, Ugobe, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy, leaving its assets up for sale.

TechCrunch speculates on poor Pleo’s chances:

“It actually seems likely that the rights to make Pleo (and the machinery owned over in China) will be snapped up, but if one of the big toymakers does so, they’re under no pressure to continue production. They might wait for the world economy to recover, but they also might just shelve it, knowing they’ve spoiled any competitors’ hopes of capitalising on Pleo.”

Pic: Me and Pleo down by the schoolyard (or, my desk).

News that Pleo’s future is up in the air is one of the saddest stories in pet robotics since Sony’s AIBO was discontinued in 2006.

When we first met, I was sceptical about how amazing a toy robot dinosaur could be.* Then I found out Pleo cost $450 and I was sceptical about how many people could afford one.

Then I played with a review model and, well, nyaaaaaaaaaaaw.

TechCrunch has posted a tribute video, embedded below, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t a tearjerker.

Comment is being sought from Ugobe’s spokespeople in Australia.

* God knows why, seeing as though it’s pretty much the coolest idea ever.

How House-hunting Ants Choose The Best Home

How House-hunting Ants Choose The Best Home

The ant colonies showed sophisticated nest-site choice, selecting the superior site even though it was nine times further away than the alternative.

A Strangely Lonely DVR -- Free of Subscriptions
The DTVPal DVR shouldn't be an oddity in the electronics industry. This $250 box doesn't do anything that hasn't been possible since at least a decade ago.

Help File: iPhone Speaker Interference; Not-Really-Missing Photo Files

'Climate change' forces Eskimos to abandon village
The indigenous people of Alaska have stood firm against some of the most extreme weather conditions on Earth for thousands of years. But now, flooding blamed on climate change is forcing at least one Eskimo village to move to safer ground.
'Brain music' can lull your anxieties, sharpen reflexes

Every brain has a sound track, which when recorded and played back to an emergency responder, such as a fire fighter, may sharpen their reflexes during a crisis, and calm their nerves afterward.

Help File: iPhone Speaker Interference; Not-Really-Missing Photo Files
Q When I leave my iPhone near the speakerphone at my office, I hear this weird buzzing noise. What's going on?

Pirate Bay Lawyer Wants Retrial; Judge's Impartiality Questioned
Judges are expected to recuse themselves in the event of a conflict of interest, and this is the basis of attorney Peter Althin's filing for a new trial. Althin represents one of The Pirate Bay founders, Peter Sunde.

Volcano finds followers aflutter on Twitter

Volcano finds followers aflutter on Twitter
Alaska's Mount Redoubt towers more than 10,000 feet above sea level, is an active volcano and can send clouds of ash so high that jetliners could be at risk. Oh, and Redoubt is huge on Twitter. Scientists and employees from the Alaska Volcano Observatory maintain the mountain's page on the social networking site.

Why dirty up my hands with newsprint?

Why dirty up my hands with newsprint?
For grins, next time you're in the mood for a movie, go rent "The Paper" with Michael Keaton and Glenn Close. Released in 1994, it involves a day in the life of a New York City tabloid newspaper.

Senators test-drive green cars on Capitol Hill

Senators test-drive green cars on Capitol Hill
It was an odd collection of vehicles on display on Capitol Hill, ranging from a bucket truck used for repairing power lines to something resembling an enclosed golf cart to a pair of hot-looking, two-seater sports cars.
Complete Genetic Sequence of Cow Revealed;

An international consortium of researchers has completed mapping the genetic blueprint of the domestic cow, a source of nutrition and livelihood for billions of people around the world.

CNET: The future of touch screens

CNET: The future of touch screens
The success of Nintendo's Wii and Apple's iPod have shown the consumer appeal of devices that respond to human touch and movement, but a quick glance around the San Jose, California Hilton showed just how young the industry is.
Taser Sues Second Life For In-World Weapons
A virtual world, but a real lawsuit. Taser International has sued Linden Labs, creator of the virtual world Second Life, for $75,000. The reason: in-game tasers.

New Jawbone PRIME: More Colorful, Just as Quiet

Aliph has just released a new headset, the Jawbone PRIME, which replaces the eleven-month-old Jawbone 2. Realistically, it hasn't changed that much in terms of looks or size or price , but it has changed inside.

'Earth' takes viewers on new journey

'Earth' takes viewers on new journey
Shot around the globe with high-tech cameras that allowed filmmakers to capture never-before-seen footage without disrupting animal behavior, the Disney nature documentary "Earth" hits theaters Wednesday for Earth Day.

New hope for rainforests in Panama

New hope for rainforests in Panama
Urbanization may benefit the environment in Panama. As rural workers in the Central American country migrate toward cities in search of jobs, damaged forests appear to be re-emerging on abandoned farms and cattle ranches. CNN reports from Panama.
Rogue doctor tries to create clone babies

SCIENTISTS yesterday condemned a maverick fertility doctor after he claimed to have cloned human embryos and implanted them in women.

Green Wheels for an Earth Day Cruise

Ah, Earth Day, that glorious time of year when we gather to celebrate the planet and recommit ourselves to its preservationif only it weren't for that awkward moment when we pull up in front of the flapping green banners and compost bins to park the car.

Is it really safe to download software?

Is it really safe to download software?
When it comes to downloading software from the Internet, I'm always getting conflicting advice from my geeky friends. Knowing my technological ignorance, some tell me that I should never download anything from the Web (recommending only boxed software from the store). Others say some software's okay to download -- but I should be aware of the dangers. How am I supposed to know where to begin identifying the difference? I'm lost!
iPhone 3G Boosts AT&T's Q1 2009 Earnings

Small wonder AT&T wants to keep iPhone exclusivity longer . On Wednesday morning, the company released its Q1 2009 results, and while not pretty overall, the iPhone numbers are beautiful .

'Earth' takes viewers on 'breathtaking' journey

'Earth' takes viewers on 'breathtaking' journey
Shot around the globe with high-tech cameras that allowed filmmakers to capture never-before-seen footage without disrupting animal behavior, the Disney nature documentary "Earth" hits theaters Wednesday for Earth Day.
Security Fix Live With Brian Krebs
Security Fix blogger Brian Krebs answers your technology questions and offers ways to protect yourself from online security threats.

Lip-reading computers can detect different languages

Twitter, WordPress try to help Iraq
Executives from Twitter and WordPress are meeting with officials from public and private sectors in Iraq to "build upon anti-corruption efforts, promote critical thinking in the classroom, and scale-up civil society" among other goals, the State Department said.
Lip-reading computers can detect different languages

Scientists at the University of East Anglia have created lip-reading computers that can distinguish between different languages.

A Pentagon Cyber-Command Is in the Works
The Obama administration is finalizing plans for a new Pentagon command to coordinate the security of military computer networks and to develop new offensive cyber-weapons, sources said last night.

Quickoffice Suite for iPhone Released; Includes Copy-and-Paste
Quickoffice, which had previously released an Excel editing / viewing application for the iPhone, on Monday released its Quickoffice Suite for $19.99.
D.C. First in Line for Free Mobile Digital TV; Other Cities to Follow
Washington area residents could soon get "American Idol" and "30 Rock" on the go through a pilot program to bring free mobile digital television to cellphones and other wireless devices.

Former astronaut: Man not alone in universe

Former astronaut: Man not alone in universe
Earth Day may fall later this week, but as far as former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell and other UFO enthusiasts are concerned, the real story is happening elsewhere.

Sports stars, announcers reach fans on Twitter

Sports stars, announcers reach fans on Twitter
It's Sunday night during TNT's coverage of the NBA playoffs, and announcer Kenny Smith, aka "The Jet," is doing push-ups. Not on camera. On Twitter.

Former astronaut: Man not alone in universe

Former astronaut: Man not alone in universe
Earth Day may fall later this week, but as far as former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell and other UFO enthusiasts are concerned, the real story is happening elsewhere.
Quasimodo: Master of Permutative Group Theory
To ring traditional church bells, a team of human operators pulls ropes that spin the giant bells (some in the multiple tons) and the mechanics of the system impose strict rules on what can be played.
Oracle to Buy Sun for $7.4 Billion
Oracle agreed to buy Sun Microsystems for about $7.4 billion in cash, swooping in after the server maker's talks to be acquired by IBM failed.

Oracle Agrees to Buy Sun

Scientist Stephen Hawking 'very ill'
Scientist and author Stephen Hawking is "very ill" and has been hospitalized, according to Cambridge University, where he is a professor.
Oracle Agrees to Buy Sun
Oracle has snatched Sun Microsystems from the jaws of IBM, agreeing to a deal worth $9.50 a share or $7.4 billion ($5.6 billion net of Sun's cash and debt) on Monday.

Parents, police monitoring kids' cell phones

Parents, police monitoring kids' cell phones
As more school-age children carry cell phones, parents increasingly are using programs like My Mobile Watchdog and Mobile Spy to track their cell phone messages and texts. One Colorado detective even employs the services to catch sexual predators.

Tornado-Chasing Project Aims to Improve Forecasts

Four sentenced to jail in landmark piracy case
A Swedish judge has found four men involved in a file-sharing Web site guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law and sentenced each one to a year in prison and 30 million kronor ($3.6 million) in damages.
UKIRT helps reveal chaotic and overcrowded stellar nursery

Astronomers using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope in Hawaii, the IRAM Millimetre-wave Telescope in Spain, and the Spitzer Space Telescope in orbit above the Earth, have completed the most wide-ranging census ever produced of dynamical star formation in and around the well-known Great Nebula of Orion.

Tornado-Chasing Project Aims to Improve Forecasts
When a tornado is about to cut a devastating swath through an American town, those in its path get a warning lead time of 13 minutes on average to try to reach shelter.

Can you be Q? British Secret Service Seeks High-Tech Gadget Guru

He was James Bond's go-to guy for inventions that included dagger-embedded shoes, radioactive lint and a deadly sofa that swallowed people.

Google Experiments with Image Orientation CTCHA

Google Experiments with Image Orientation CTCHA
After all these years, we're still trying to find the perfect CTCHA technique, something that will protect against automated system signups, but still be easy and not annoying for humans. Google has just released a report on what we can only hope is a step in that direction, which they call image orientation CTCHA.
Help File: Using Routers
Q Verizon seems to be telling me that I have to use the wireless router they provide. I'd rather keep my Apple AirPort router. Can I?

Oprah, Kutcher mark Twitter 'turning point'

Oprah, Kutcher mark Twitter 'turning point'
Ashton Kutcher became the first to collect 1 million followers on Twitter and Oprah Winfrey sent out her first tweet. Now tech observers are debating: Does this mark a new peak for the microblogging service? Or the beginning of its demise?
Mult-Threading Genome Sequencing Could Mean Sub $1000 Cost

The obstacles to reaching that goal have been primarily technological: Scientists have struggled to figure out how to accurately read the 3 billion base pairsthe amount of DNA found in humans and other mammalsusing current time-consuming and inefficient methods.

Google offers free music downloads in China

Google offers free music downloads in China
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Four sentenced to jail in landmark piracy case

Four sentenced to jail in landmark piracy case
A Swedish judge has found four men involved in a file-sharing Web site guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law and sentenced each one to a year in prison and 30 million kronor ($3.6 million) in damages.

YouTube Aims Straight at Hulu

Kutcher hits 1 million in Twitter contest
The online popularity contest between celebrity Ashton Kutcher and CNN heated up once again, with CNN dropping behind Kutcher on Twitter shortly after midnight Friday.
YouTube Aims Straight at Hulu
YouTube on Thursday took aim at its biggest competitor, Hulu, announcing it would begin offering movies, TV shows and content from studios such as Crackle/Sony Pictures, CBS, MGM, Lionsgate, Starz, the BBC, Anime Network, Cinetic Rights Management, Current TV, Discovery, Documentary Channel, First Look Studios, IndieFlix, National Geographic and more.
GPS Units Plug Into the Web, but We're Not There Yet
A typical GPS unit has its eyes on the stars and its feet set in concrete: It can fix its location anywhere within reach of Global Positioning System satellites but then must refer to maps that are months or years out of date.

Frontier Communications Drops DSL Caps
While Time-Warner Cable continues to push out new "trials" of metered broadband (meaning usage caps), DSL provider Frontier Communications has dropped its own plans for such a cap.

Ashton Kutcher-CNN Twitter race narrows

Ashton Kutcher-CNN Twitter race narrows
The online popularity contest between celebrity Ashton Kutcher and CNN narrowed Thursday, with Kutcher's Twitter following growing considerably overnight.
Wall Street Journal Releases Free iPhone App, No Sub Required
The Wall Street Journal, one of the few publications that manages to get away with charging for most of its online content, has released a free app that allows users to read content on their iPhone, without a subscription.

More States Look to Tax Internet Sales

Celebrity challenges CNN to Twitter contest
Ashton Kutcher has challenged CNN to a popularity contest on the social media site Twitter. The celebrity and the news network are racing to get 1 million followers on the micro-blogging site, and the smack talk is flying.
More States Look to Tax Internet Sales
I've previously written about the so-called "Amazon Tax," New York State's move to expand the definition of a physical presence in a state so as to be able to force a retailer to charge sales tax. I also wrote that this was just the beginning, and as I expected, things are accelerating.

Colbert Gets a NASA Treadmill, Not ISS Node, Named After Him
While Stephen Colbert easily won NASA's online voting contest to name the new node for the International Space Station, he didn't quite get everything he wanted last night on the Colbert Report. Astronaut Sunita Williams came on his show to announce the winner, and it was ...
Personal Tech: Gadget News and Reviews
The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro discusses recent reviews and answers your personal tech questions.

Microsoft Fixes 23 Software Security Flaws
Microsoft on Tuesday issued eight security updates to plug at least 23 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software. The patches are available through Windows Update or via Automatic Updates . One patch fixes six flaws in Internet Explorer 6 7 (the flaws are not present in IE8...

eBay to Spin Off Skype; IPO in 2010

NASA names cosmic treadmill after Colbert
What do you do when you're NASA and comedian Stephen Colbert wins your contest to name the new wing for the International Space Station? You name an orbital exercise machine after him.
eBay to Spin Off Skype; IPO in 2010
Recently, it was reported that the founders of Skype, Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, were attempting to buy the company back from eBay. They can forget about that, however. eBay announced on Tuesday it will spin off Skype into its own company, beginning with an IPO in the first half of 2010.
U.S. Telecoms Eager to Build a Business Presence in Cuba
U.S. telecommunication firms could open up investment in Cuba now that the Obama administration will allow companies to operate there, a final global frontier for the Internet age.

Tech Expert: How do I retrieve a lost file?

Tech Expert: How do I retrieve a lost file?
Ack! I was modifying data in a very complex Excel spreadsheet for a good part of the day and now...I can't find it! I'm always very careful to press the "save" button every five minutes or so, but where did it go? It can't have just disappeared, right? Help!

Congressman Drafting Anti-"Broadband Cap" Legislation
It's about time. New York Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) is drafting legislation that would prevent Time-Warner Cable (TWC) from rolling out a new tiered broadband trial in a district of New York that he represents. This comes just days after TWC detailed new tiers, including an "effectively" unlimited plan for $150 a month, following criticism.

Scientists: Too much Twitter can be harmful

Scientists: Too much Twitter can be harmful
Rapid-fire TV news bulletins or updates on Twitter or Facebook could numb our sense of morality and make us indifferent to human suffering, scientists say.

Windows XP Set to Enter Extended Support Phase

Teen claims blame for disrupting Twitter
Someone opened a can of worms on popular microblogging service Twitter this weekend, a company co-founder says, and a 17-year-old told an online tech news network that he was that someone.
Windows XP Set to Enter Extended Support Phase

Windows XP is set to enter the Extended Support phase of its life, moving out of Mainstream Support, as planned, Microsoft said on Monday.

Obama Lifts Broad Set Of Sanctions Against Cuba
President Obama yesterday announced a series of steps aimed at easing the U.S. relationship with Cuba, breaking from policies first imposed by the Kennedy administration and stepping into an emotional debate over the best way to bring democratic change to one of the last remaining communist regimes.

Buy.com Offering "Never-Locked" iPhones for $799
An inventory clearing tactic? Undoubtedly. If you need any more reason to expect a new iPhone this year, here it is. Buy.com is offering "never-locked," meaning not jailbroken and unlocked, but totally legal and updateable, 16GB iPhone 3Gs for the primo price of $799.

Older generations socializing more online

Older generations socializing more online
While online social networks like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are known hang-outs for younger adults and teenagers, older generations in recent months have been taking to the medium at a faster rate than any other age group, according to industry reports.
Real-Time Reporting, Politico-Style
If I were trying to maximize my online hits for this column, the headline might be: "Politico Blamed for Decline of Journalism."

Vermont Considers Legalizing "Sexting"
Sexting combines the words sex and texting, and essentially involves sending sexually revealing pictures of yourself via text message to someone. Of late, it's hit the headlines because it's become a teen fad, and some of those teens have been charged with trafficking in child pornography.
Nature's Best Fliers Share a Shortcut for Stability
A hawk moth can fly fast, slow, up, down, sideways, even backward. It can hover. It can easily position itself at an open flower swaying in the breeze. Its entire life is an aerial show. Human engineers would love to be able to make a tiny flying device, a little robot insect, if you will, with even...

Hackers' New iTunes Scheme Uses Developers and Hacked Gift Cards
I wrote earlier that Chinese hackers had managed to crack the iTunes gift card algorithm, meaning that they could create fake gift cards with impunity. The problem for them is, there are so many hackers producing gift cards they can only get about $2 for a $200 card. Thus, they've had to come up with a new scheme.
Value Added: Start-Up Clarabridge Takes the Capital and Scores
Ted Leonsis a few years back provided the best description of venture capital that I ever heard.

Woman watches on Web as home burglarized

Woman watches on Web as home burglarized
Jeanne Thomas was sitting at her desk at work when she decided to check the security camera that she installed in her home. The Thomas home had been robbed before, so she installed a monitoring device where she can watch a live video feed of the camera in her home.
Steve Jobs maintains grip at Apple

More than three months into a medical leave from Apple Inc, Chief Executive Steve Jobs remains closely involved in key aspects of running the company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Help File: Prospects For A New iPhone; Downloading Adobe Reader
Q When might Apple ship the next iPhone, and what new features might it include?

If roads are bad, people drive at speed they are comfortable with, regardless of posted limit

Kansas gravel roads have varying speed limits, but a study by Kansas State University researchers shows that instead of abiding by those limits, people are more likely to use their own judgment to gauge how fast they should drive on the roads.

CNET: Google, UMG to launch music video site

CNET: Google, UMG to launch music video site
Universal Music Group and Google are now partners in the music-video business.

Wind-powered car sets land speed record

Wind-powered car sets land speed record
A British man who just claimed the world land sailing speed record on a dry lake bed in California is now planning to better his speed -- on ice.

Drinking Calories May Matter More Than Eating

CNET: Facebook launches page for charity
We knew Facebook was about to hit 200 million active users, but now it's official, per a post Wednesday by founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the company's official blog.
Drinking Calories May Matter More Than Eating

What you drink may be more important that what you eat when trying to lose weight, doctors from Johns Hopkins University said.

France Rejects "Three Strikes" Downloading Law

The world's most poisonous phish
Remember how hard an honest mugger had to work for a living wage back during the pre-Internet holiday shopping season?
France Rejects "Three Strikes" Downloading Law
The French Parliament voted on Thursday on the new "HADOPI" (Creation and Internet) law. This is a sort of three strikes law, where those accused of illegal downloading would lose their ISP service upon the third strike of a case of copyright infringement. It was anticipated that this would pass the French Senate and National Assembly, but unexpectedly, did not.

Dad turns cardboard boxes into solar oven

Dad turns cardboard boxes into solar oven
When Jon Bohmer sat down with his two little girls for a simple project they could work on together, he didn't realize they'd hit upon a solution to one of the world's biggest problems for just $5: A solar-powered oven.

'Eyeborg' will be part human, part machine

'Eyeborg' will be part human, part machine
No longer restricted to the realm of sci-fi, technology is increasingly being integrated into the living body. Retinal implants, mind-controlled limbs, electrodes inserted in the brain -- they're just a few examples of next-generation technologies.
NASA's Spitzer telescope casts search for alien life in new light

In the search for alien life, the big question has always been, where to look? After all, the universe is a big place.

Security Fix Live
Security Fix blogger Brian Krebs answers your technology questions and offers ways to protect yourself from online security threats.

Google improves Gmail for iPhone, Android

Google improves Gmail for iPhone, Android
Google has released a new Web-based version of Gmail that gives iPhone and Android phone users a more sophisticated version of the online e-mail service, including access to messages that's faster and that works even when offline.

Commentary: Is 'sexting' child pornography?

Commentary: Is 'sexting' child pornography?
"Sexting."

FCC's Broadband Plan May Miss Out on Stimulus

Humans beat computers in NCAA hoops picks
Once in a while, a gut feeling and some human instinct can out-think a computer.
Biologists use DNA to study migration of threatened whale sharks; 'the only real threat is us'

Whale sharks -- giants of the fish world that strike terror only among tiny creatures like the plankton and krill they eat -- are imperiled by over-fishing of the species in parts of its ocean range.

FCC's Broadband Plan May Miss Out on Stimulus
The Federal Communications Commission will embark today on a nearly year-long project aimed at bringing high-speed Internet to every U.S. home, a process that many hope will bring an agency long focused on arcane telephone rules into the digital age.

GM and Segway to Team on "PUMA"

Report: America's 10 most endangered rivers
Rivers are the arteries of our infrastructure. Flowing from highlands to the sea, they breathe life into ecosystems and communities.
GM and Segway to Team on "PUMA"
Troubled U.S. automaker General Motors has teamed with Segway, maker of those two-wheeled, self-balancing, upright scooters, to build a new type of two-wheeled vehicle designed for crowded urban environments. The name of the project is PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility.

Artists visit Second Life for real-world cash

Artists visit Second Life for real-world cash
Singer-songwriter Grace Buford makes about $10,000 a year playing live in bars and coffeeshops to adoring fans. But Buford never leaves her Georgia apartment for these gigs -- they take place online, in the virtual world known as Second Life, where more and more artists are earning a real-world living.

Heart Keeps Pumping Out New Cells

Clinton calls for Antarctica tourism limits
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for tighter controls over tourism and other forms of pollution in Antarctica on Monday, arguing for greater global cooperation to help preserve the continent's environmental and scientific research value.
Heart Keeps Pumping Out New Cells

A study in the journal Science used changing carbon-14 levels--from nuclear bomb testing--to show that the adult human heart does continue to produce new muscle cells, albeit in small numbers.

Contracting Boom Could Fizzle Out
The recent surge in the Washington area's defense-contracting workforce would begin to ebb under Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's latest budget proposal as the Pentagon moves to replace legions of private workers with full-time civil servants.

Aw, Heck! A Commodore 64 Gets Turned Into a Laptop

Aw, Heck! A Commodore 64 Gets Turned Into a Laptop
Ben Heckendorn's (BenHeck) is probably best known for stuffing the innards of an Xbox 360 into laptops, but here he's taken one of the best-loved PCs of the 80s and done the same. Time to party like it's 1982.
Web Sites Disrupted By Attack on Register.com
Web site host and domain name registrar Register.com has been the target of a sustained attack this week, disrupting service for thousands of customers. The attacks began on Wednesday, causing a three-hour outage for many Web sites that rely on the company for hosting and/or use the company's...

More authors turn to Web, print-on-demand

More authors turn to Web, print-on-demand
While traditional publishing houses struggle in the recession, some authors are finding success through Web-based publishers that print hard copies of books only when someone orders one. Meet Lisa Genova, whose novel about a Harvard professor's struggle with Alzheimer's disease is now a bestseller.

More authors turn to Web and print-on-demand

More authors turn to Web and print-on-demand
While traditional publishing houses struggle in the recession, some authors are finding success through Web-based publishers that print hard copies of books only when someone orders one. Meet Lisa Genova, whose novel about a Harvard professor's struggle with Alzheimer's disease is now a bestseller.
Geeks' Meet Market Has Share of Success Stories
Social Matchbox has a new vibe these days. The networking event was first known as "speed dating for geeks" because start-ups could give three-minute pitches about their idea in hopes of finding business partners, landing customers or even securing a bit of funding. Now many of those geeks are ru...

Young, Black Women at Higher Risk of Aggressive Breast Cancer

Young, Black Women at Higher Risk of Aggressive Breast Cancer

U.S. breast cancer patients with a particularly deadly form of the disease are more likely to be poor, black or Hispanic, and under 40 years of age, new research shows.

Kim Jong Il Hails North Korean Rocket Launch
TOKYO, April 6 -- Kim Jong Il has expressed "great satisfaction" that North Korea succeeded Sunday in launching a satellite.

Interactive computer program for optimal designs of longitudinal cohort studies.

Such studies need a careful planning to obtain the desired quality of results with the available resources.

Demi Moore helps handle Twitter threat

Demi Moore helps handle Twitter threat
Actress Demi Moore's frequent postings on Twitter put her in the middle of a life-and-death drama Friday when a woman sent her an online message threatening suicide.
AT&T Wireless Backtracks on New, Video- (and More) Unfriendly TOS
AT&T Wireless has backtracked on changes to its Terms of Service (TOS), which were modified earlier in the week in such a way as to pretty much gimp anything from SlingPlayer to Skype, and more.
Cable's Absurd Insistence on Bulk
Remember those simpler, happier days when you could summarize your television viewing as " 57 channels and nothing on" ?

Endangered whales on the rebound?

Endangered whales on the rebound?
North Atlantic right whales, sort of the homely underdogs of the whale world, birthed a record number calves this year off the coast of the southeast United States, giving some scientists hope that the uber-rare and often overlooked species can recover.

Villagers chase away Google car

Villagers chase away Google car
Google's ambitious plan to offer a 3-D street level view of communities across three continents hit a snag when angry residents of a UK village blocked the search engine's camera car from photographing their homes.

Endangered whales on the rebound?

Endangered whales on the rebound?
North Atlantic right whales, sort of the homely underdogs of the whale world, birthed a record number calves this year off the coast of the southeast United States, giving some scientists hope that the uber-rare and often overlooked species can recover.

Mob Keeps Google Street View Car From Taking Pictures
Be proactive: rather than protest the inclusion of your residence in Google's Street View with a lawsuit afterwards, keep the Street View car from taking pictures in the first place. That's what happened in the U.K., in Broughton, in Buckinghamshire, where a mob kept a Street View car from taking pictures.

Ten things (OK, 9) I love about telecommuting

Ten things (OK, 9) I love about telecommuting
With gas prices inching their way back up and traffic in most metropolitan areas bottlenecking along any rush-hour route, it's a wonder that the majority of the modern office workforce doesn't telecommute.

Jupiter's stormy Great Red Spot is shrinking

Jupiter's stormy Great Red Spot is shrinking
Everything about Jupiter is super-sized, including its colorful, turbulent atmosphere. But there's fresh evidence that one of the planet's most recognizable features, the Great Red Spot, is shrinking. It is possible that the giant storm may one day disappear, astronomers say.
'Technological nature' can't replace the real thing

There are Web cams focused on falcons, ferrets and fish, virtual tours of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and robotic dogs, seals and even dinosaurs.

Personal Tech
The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro discusses recent reviews and answers your personal tech questions.

The CADIE Project Enhances Your Google Experience

April Fools' computer worm quiet so far
Computer experts are waiting to see what impact -- if any -- the worm known as Conficker.c will have on the world's computers. However, fears that it would cause chaos have so far proved unfounded, with no reports of major problems.
The CADIE Project Enhances Your Google Experience
Late Tuesday night, just before Midnight, Google unveiled the CADIE artificial intelligence project, or Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity.

No problems yet as computer worm awakens

No problems yet as computer worm awakens
Computer experts are waiting to see what impact -- if any -- the worm known as Conficker.c will have on the world's computers. However, fears that it would cause chaos have so far proved unfounded, with no reports of major problems.

April Fools' may be no joke for computer users

April Fools' may be no joke for computer users
Computer experts waited early Wednesday to see what impact -- if any -- the worm known as Conficker.c will have on the world's computers.
Skype for iPhone Launches (Except in Canada); Works Over 3G on iPhone OS 3.0

Skype for iPhone launched in the App Store on Tuesday, and as advertised, the VOIP app works only over wi-fi --- unless you use the beta version of the iPhone OS 3.0. Yes, if you have access to the beta version of Apple's upcoming 3.0 release, you can indeed use Skype over 3G.

Conficker Worm Strike Reports Start Rolling In
Reports are trickling in about the impact from the Conficker worm, as infected systems passed zero hour at midnight and began downloading additional malicious components. Here's a quick roundup of some of the more notable incidents caused by Conficker so far, according to published reports: A...