Windows 9? Who cares anymore? Microsoft is irrelevant

Microsoft, three strikes and you're out!--
Windows 98 was a success.
Windows Millenium Edition (Me) was a failure.
Windows XP was a success.
Windows Vista was a failure.
Windows 7 was a success.
Windows 8 was a failure.
Windows 9 ... does it even matter anymore? Microsoft lost most of us at Windows 8 -- just get a Chromebook or MacBook and be done with Microsoft --

Windows 9: Can Microsoft pull off another miracle? | ZDNet: "While Windows 8 has a small legion of fans, the adoption numbers show that mainstream Windows users as well as businesses have rejected it. We regularly hear stories from ZDNet and TechRepublic readers that add context to that story. We hear from consultants who tell us they have been extremely busy for the past 18 months because so many small businesses have bought Windows 8 machines and asked them to come in and install Windows 7 over the top...."

Microsoft Still Can't Find Its Future. Is It Too Late for the Company? - Forbes: "... Microsoft’s monopoly over personal computing has evaporated - From 95% market domination in 2005 share has fallen to just 20% in 2012 (IDC, Goldman Sachs.) Comparing devices, in 2005 there were 55 Windows devices sold for every Apple device; today explosive Apple sales has lowered that multiple to a mere 2 (Asymco). Universally the desire to upgrade Microsoft products has simply disappeared, as XP still has 40% of the Windows market – and even Vista at 5.7% has more users than Win8, which has only achieved a 1.75% Windows market share despite the long wait and launch hoopla...."

From the latest Akamai state of the Internet report, covering the third quarter of 2013:

• Average connection speeds globally increased 29 percent in the past year, to 3.6 megabits per second.
• Mobile traffic increased by about 10 percent during the third quarter of 2013–and grew by 80 percent year over year.
• Denial-of-service attacks keep rising; the first three quarters of 2013 had already surpassed the levels of all of 2012.
• The top three countries from which Internet attacks were launched were China at 35 percent; Indonesia at 20 percent; and the United States at 11 percent.

Yahoo Q4 2013 Earnings Slide 6% To $1.27B On EPS Of $0.46, Display Ads Down 6% | TechCrunch: "One thing that can provide a boost to that cash position could be patent sales down the line. CFO Ken Goldman, during the conference call, said that the company was looking at patent sales later this year, and emphasized that they would be to operating companies — not enforcement entities."

Net neutrality regulations: ISPs must be made common carriers | BGR: " . . .  Copps thinks that it’s the only way to stop American ISPs from playing favorites and essentially acting as gatekeepers for what Internet services become successful and which Internet services flop. “The time is now for the FCC to classify broadband as Title II,” Copps said. “Without this step, we are playing fast-and-loose with the most opportunity-creating technology in all of communications history. Without this step, we are guaranteeing an Internet future of toll-booths, gatekeepers, and preferential carriage. Without this step, we stifle innovation, put consumers under the thumb of special interests, and pull the props from under the kind of rich civic dialogue that only open and non-discriminatory communications can provide.”..."

Microsoft is about to take Windows XP off life support
CNN
After April 8, Windows XP computers will be more susceptible to malware and viruses beginning, since Microsoft will no longer address major holes in the software. Although antivirus software will continue to fend off some malicious attacks, Microsoft's ...

Microsoft Makes Azure Server Design Open-Source
InformationWeek
The open-source hardware movement got a new and unlikely convert Tuesday in the form of Microsoft, the company that so vehemently resisted the admission of Linux into the datacenter. Microsoft's membership was announced at the fifth Open Compute ...

Apple patents solar-powered MacBook
Computerworld
Computerworld - Apple today was awarded a patent for a MacBook that would be powered with solar cells (photovoltaics), meaning your laptop could be powered or at least recharged through light. The patent, titled "Electronic device display module" ...

Google Hopes Designer Frames Will Sharpen Glass
ABC News
Rather, Google plans to make various attachments available for people who wear glasses or sunglasses. Starting Tuesday, the Mountain View, Calif., company is offering four styles of prescription frames and two new types of shades available to its ...

Exclusive: Google close to settling EU antitrust probe - sources
Reuters
EU regulators will not seek feedback from the 125 rivals, including Microsoft and third parties who commented on Google's previous proposals as they have a clear idea of their thinking after the last two market tests, the official said. That is likely ...

Apple shares fall after muted iPhone sales
Chicago Tribune
Apple's low-cost alternative to its iPhone 5S was unable to grab market share from cheaper rivals using Google Inc's Android software, they said. "We don't think Applehas created a meaningful new product category with the iPhone 5C," BMO Capital ...

Google, Lego bring bricks to the Web with Build With Chrome
Los Angeles Times
Google and the Danish toy company have teamed up to create Build With Chrome, a website users can visit using the Chrome Web browser to build Lego models. The site can be ... As Apple stock drops, Carl Icahn buys $500 million more in shares ·Google ...

Apple's iPhone 'shortfall'? Blame Verizon, AT&T
CNET
Pinning the blame on Verizon and AT&T jives with Apple CEO Tim Cook's comments that the business in North America contracted. He had attributed it largely to supply issues with the iPhone 5S, but many have noted that weaker sales in the iPhone 5C may ...

Google Street View Lands in Manila
Wall Street Journal (blog)
... to some of the country's ancient fortresses and historic churches. On Tuesday the tech-giant began capturing images of the Philippines for Street View – a feature onGoogle Maps and Google Earth that allows users to virtually explore cities at ...

Apple eyes magnets to attach camera lenses to iPhone
CNET
... interested in a new patent filing. Published Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office, an Apple patent called "Magnetic add-on lenses with alignment ridge" describes how a camera lens would be attached to the iPhone and aligned with its camera.

Chromium Blog: Run Chrome Apps on mobile using Apache Cordova
By Google Chrome Blog
The toolchain wraps your Chrome App with a native application shell and enables you to distribute your app via Google Play and the Apple App Store. We provide a simple developer workflow for packaging a Chrome App natively for mobile ...
Chromium Blog

Google Brings Chrome Apps To Android And iOS | TechCrunch
By Frederic Lardinois
Google's offline Chrome Apps are about to find their way to both Android and iOS. Using Apache's well-known open-source Cordova platform for turning web apps.. ... Using these tools, developers can take their existing Chrome Apps, wrap them into a native shell and submit them to Google Play and Apple's App Store. todos. Google is making a wide variety of Chrome APIs available for these ... Hands-On With The Nexus 5 · Box's Aaron Levie Has Thoughts on Microsoft. Play Video ...

Cuttlefish Holds Clues to Camouflage
Laboratory Equipment
The cuttlefish, known as the "chameleon of the sea," can rapidly alter Scientists at Harvard Univ. and the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) hope that gaining a new understanding of a natural photonic device that enables a small sea animal to change its ...

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Google sells Motorola but keeps Project Ara, Advanced Technology group

Analysis: Sale of Motorola to Lenovo: a smart play by both Google and Lenovo. Lenovo gains market share and credibility as global smartphone maker, just as they did with computers in the 1990s when they bought IBM's computer division. Google unloads Motorola (with terms and conditions), retains patents and the advanced technology group. Moto X and Moto G are big success stories which Lenovo can leverage. Google can concentrate on Android and its Google services for smartphones. Expect the phase-out of Nexus devices and many more "Google Play" devices from multiple OEMs, each offering the pure Google Android experience. "Google Android" is the new "Microsoft Windows" of computing. Contrast the Google-Lenovo deal with the money losing strategy of Microsoft buying Nokia. Smartphones are being commoditized. Prices will continue to decline, which is good for the consumer, but expect pricing pressure to prove difficult for both Microsoft Nokia and Apple iPhone in the long-term. Without scale and ability to manufacture on thin margins, only a few companies (principally Asian) will emerge with the bulk of marketshare. Xioami and Lenovo both seem poised to expand globally. Within 3 years, Samsung, Lenovo, and Xioami look to be the dominant players.  Apple, Nokia and the others will be under severe pricing pressure from this point forward. In the meantime, Google will accelerate innovation of the Android operating system (which it gives away for free), and all Google services for smartphones.

Google to keep Motorola's Advanced Technology group, including Project Ara modular phone | The Verge: "The best part of Motorola is moving to the Android team - Google's blockbuster $2.9 billion sale of Motorola Mobility to Lenovo won't include the Advanced Technology and Projects group led by former DARPA director Regina Dugan. The news was confirmed today on a conference call with Lenovo, and sources familiar with the matter say the group will be integrated with Google's Android team, where Dugan will report to Sundar Pichai but maintain a more independent role. Dugan, who was named to The Verge 50 earlier this year, manages a team of just under 100 people, all of whom will be moving from their current offices in Sunnyvale to Google's Mountain View office..."

Google Keeps ‘Vast Majority’ Of Motorola Mobility Patents In Sale To Lenovo | TechCrunch: "Motorola Mobility is being sold to Lenovo, in a deal worth $2.91B. Google is divesting itself of the handset division it purchased for $12.5B in 2011, but it will keep some of the assets — including patents..."

Official Google Blog: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility: "... Lenovo has the expertise and track record to scale Motorola into a major player within the Android ecosystem. They have a lot of experience in hardware, and they have global reach. In addition, Lenovo intends to keep Motorola’s distinct brand identity—just as they did when they acquired ThinkPad from IBM in 2005. Google will retain the vast majority of Motorola’s patents, which we will continue to use to defend the entire Android ecosystem. The deal has yet to be approved in the U.S. or China, and this usually takes time. So until then, it’s business as usual. I’m phenomenally impressed with everything the Motorola team has achieved and confident that with Lenovo as a partner, Motorola will build more and more great products for people everywhere."

Microsoft's Open Compute Move: Just Good PR?
InformationWeek
Microsoft surprised the tech industry Tuesday when it joined the open-source hardware movement, announcing at the Open Compute Summit in San Jose that it would offer the Open Compute Project (OCP) specifications used in Microsoft datacenters as well ...

Amazon to Offer Kindle Checkout System to Physical Retailers
Wall Street Journal
To accelerate the project, Amazon last year bought certain technology and hired some engineers from GoPago Inc., a San Francisco startup that offered checkout systems linked to a smartphone app, the people said. GoPago is now a unit of DoubleBeam Inc.

Microsoft is about to take Windows XP off life support
CNN
After April 8, Windows XP computers will be more susceptible to malware and viruses beginning, since Microsoft will no longer address major holes in the software. Although antivirus software will continue to fend off some malicious attacks, Microsoft's ...

Exclusive: Google close to settling EU antitrust probe - sources
Reuters
EU regulators will not seek feedback from the 125 rivals, including Microsoft and third parties, who commented on Google's previous proposals as they have a clear idea of their thinking after the last two market tests, the official said. RIVALS READY ...

5 Apple Patents Hint At Surprises
InformationWeek
If such a device comes to market, a 2011 Apple patent that describes an iPad keyboard accessory is sure to generate attention. The patent describes a flexible Smart Cover that doubles as a keyboard, broadly like Microsoft's Type Cover for its Surface line.
“Honey Encryption” Could Trick Criminals with Spoof Data | MIT Technology Review: "...Juels and Ristenpart will present a paper on Honey Encryption at the Eurocryptcryptography conference later this year. Juels is also working on building a system based on it to protect the data stored by password manager services such as LastPass and Dashlane. These services store all of a person’s different passwords in an encrypted form, protected by a single master password, so that software can automatically enter them into websites...."

MEXICO CITY: Monarch butterflies drop, migration may disappear - Technology - MiamiHerald.com: "The stunning and little-understood annual migration of millions of Monarch butterflies to spend the winter in Mexico is in danger of disappearing, experts said Wednesday, after numbers dropped to their lowest level since record-keeping began in 1993. Their report blamed the displacement of the milkweed the species feeds on by genetically modified crops and urban sprawl in the United States, extreme weather trends and the dramatic reduction of the butterflies' habitat in Mexico due to illegal logging of the trees they depend on for shelter."

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Android Now Has 70% Of Smartphone Sales Globally

Chinese Android OS smartphone manufacturers dominate growth in China, developing countries --

Kantar: Android Accounted For 70% Of Smartphone Sales In Q4, But Samsung Is Now “Under Real Pressure” | TechCrunch: " . . . Android continues to be the most popular mobile platform, with its share of smartphone sales climbing in every major market in Q4 2013, now accounting for 69.5% of all sales across 12 key markets versus 23.7% for number-two Apple, according to figures out today from Kantar Worldpanel, a market research subsidiary of WPP. But the story is shifting when it comes to looking at what the engine is behind that growth...."

Android gains in key markets | News24: "In the United States, the survey showed Android share rising more than four percentage points over the past year to 50.6%, while Apple's share declined to 43.9%." Add those 2 together and you get 94.5% of the market, leaving only 5.5% for Microsoft Windows, BlackBerry and everyone else.

“It’s no surprise that everyone is concentrating on high growth China, but currently local brands are proving clear winners. In December, Xiaomi [with Android OS] overtook both Apple and Samsung to become the top selling smartphone in China – a truly remarkable achievement for a brand which was only started in 2010 and sells its device almost exclusively online. The combination of high spec devices, low prices and an ability to create unprecedented buzz through online and social platforms has proved an irresistible proposition for the Chinese.”

http://uk.kantar.com/media/635508/kantar_worldpanel_comtech_smartphone_os_barometer_27_01_14.pd

Global Smartphone Shipments Top 1 Billion For The First Time Thanks To Cheap Android Devices, Says IDC | TechCrunch: "...Samsung continued to lead in worldwide smartphone shipments. Samsung saw a decline in 4Q2013 shipments, but still maintained a double-digit lead over Apple. The Cupertino-based company posted record shipment volume in the quarter, thanks to the launch of new markets for the iPhone 5s and 5c, but it still had the lowest year-on-year increase of all the leading vendors...."

In Developing Countries, Google and Facebook Already Defy Net Neutrality | MIT Technology Review: "... Internet access is expensive in developing countries—exorbitantly so for the vast majority of people. In Kenya the top four websites are Google, Facebook, YouTube (which is owned by Google), and the Kenyan version of Google. That pattern is fairly typical of Web usage in dozens of developing nations. And free services like Facebook Zero and Google Free Zone don’t have many critics among users, says Erik Hersman, founder of iHub, a tech-startup incubator in Nairobi. Asked if it’s seen as problematic, he says, “Not at all.” “In the United States it’s practically free for you to get on Google and Facebook, as Wi-Fi is almost everywhere or cheap relative to income. Here, that’s not the case,” he says. “It’s a different relationship to the Internet when you only get it on your phone, and you don’t have a traditional Internet connection at home or work.”..."

Intel’s voice recognition will blow Siri out of the water—because it doesn’t use the cloud - Quartz: "... For true voice interaction with computers, the kind that involves clarifications and a genuine dialogue, our devices are going to have to respond to our voice just as quickly as a human would—or even faster."

Google sees less geeky future with new Glass designs
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Google unveiled new designs for its Glass wearable technology today and signaled that future versions will look more like regular spectacles than a gadget for tech geeks. Four new Glass frames — called Bold, Curve, Thin and Split ...

Apple's Marginal Quarter
Wall Street Journal
This was particularly so with the iPhone. Apple shipped 51 million of these in its first fiscal quarter ended Dec. 28. This represented a gain of only 6.7% year over year, and fell short of Wall Street's expectation of about 55 million. The miss was ...

Microsoft Rebrands SkyDrive, Touts Xbox Acquisition
InformationWeek
After announcing strong enterprise earnings last week, Microsoft made two announcements Monday that emphasized its ongoing ambitions to woo consumers: the official rebranding of SkyDrive, the company's cloud storage service, as OneDrive; and the ...

Google buys artificial intelligence start-up DeepMind
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Google has acquired London-based start-up DeepMind to expand further into the field of artificial intelligence. DeepMind describes itself as a "cutting-edge artificial intelligence company." It combines techniques from machine learning ...

Microsoft Buys Rights to Hit Videogame Franchise
Wall Street Journal (blog)
“This franchise, and these fans, are part of the soul of Xbox,” said Phil Spencer,Microsoft's head of videogame development for the Xbox, in a statement. “By acquiring this franchise, Microsoft Studios will continue to offer them more of their ...

Microsoft Backs a Tech Movement That Seems a Threat
Wall Street Journal (blog)
But the Open Compute Project is mainly targeted at hardware–and there Microsoft thinks it has something to offer the group. Besides selling software, Microsoft offers the Bing search engine and competes with the likes of Amazon.com in offering an ...

Google's DeepMind buy would add smarts to search, robots and homes
Computerworld
Google confirmed on Sunday that it has acquired DeepMind Technologies, a London-based artificial intelligence (AI) company. Various reports say the company paid $400 million for the company, though Google has not commented on the specifics of the ...

Microsoft Office Web Apps to be renamed 'Office Online'?
ZDNet
Currently, consumers who want to use the free, Webified versions of Microsoft's core Office apps -- the suite known as "Office Web Apps" -- need to know to go to SkyDrive and click on the "Create" tab to find Word Web App, Excel Web App, PowerPoint Web ...

Evidence Shows Prehistoric Humans Used Fire 300000 Years Ago
RedOrbit
New findings reported in the Journal of Archaeological Science suggest that prehistoric humans were able to control and use fire at their will. A team of Israeli scientists discovered the earliest evidence of unequivocal repeated fire building over a continuous ...

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Dell VP Says Tablets Are Not For 'Real Work'

Of course this is stating the obvious, but somebody needs to tell Microsoft. On the other hand, Google Chromebooks are great for getting real work done!

Dell VP: Tablets Aren't Cut Out For 'Real Work': "Dell's vice president of commercial sales operation, Bobbi Dangerfield . . . In a recent interview, the exec shared that "the tablet is great if you're trying to do a little email or you want to read something or whatever. But if you've got real work to do then they're still not a substitute for the PC.""

Google and Samsung reach global patent license deal — Tech News and Analysis: "... Lo’s comment about “innovation” may be seen as a rebuke to Apple, Microsoft and other companies that employ a controversial technique known as “privateering” in which they arm shell companies with old patents. The shell companies, which are largely immune from counter-suits because they have no assets, then set about demanding money from productive companies — the result has been a growing train-wreck of lawsuits drawing in a wide swath of industries. “Privateering lets a company split its patent portfolio into smaller sub-portfolios “stacked” on each other, increasing the number of entities a firm must negotiate with and multiplying licensing costs. This behavior unfairly raises competitors’ costs, ultimately driving up prices for consumers,” said a Google spokesperson in response to an email question...."

Google-Samsung patent truce will boost Android and wearable tech, say analysts
PCWorld
The Android ecosystem and wearable technology will probably get a boost from the patent deal Google and Samsung have struck, but the agreement is unlikely to have an influence on Samsung's intellectual property disputes with Apple, analysts said ...

Android extends gains in key markets: survey
AFP
Washington — The Android smartphone platform has extended its lead over Apple's iPhone in key markets including the United States, Europe and China, a survey showed Monday. Windows Phone, meanwhile, has made inroads to secure a strong third ...

Microsoft's quandary: Big profits from software or shrinking margins with devices
Computerworld
Computerworld - For all his talk of "devices and services," when Steve Ballmer hands over the reins to a new CEO, he will leave an economic powerhouse that prints money by making software, but not one that makes much on anything else. The next chief ...

Microsoft ditches SkyDrive for OneDrive after BSkyB dispute
CNET
The move comes several months after a British court ruled that Microsoft's use of the SkyDrive name was infringing on a trademark owned by British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) Group's Sky trademark. Rather than continue to battle it out in court,Microsoft ...

Google exec boosts GOP data effort
Politico
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt may have helped Barack Obama build a political technology juggernaut, but now another top Google executive is trying to help Republicans catch up....

Google's DeepMind buy deepens firm's robotics portfolio
Washington Post
Stepping up its efforts on the robotics front, Google confirmed Monday that it has acquired the advanced artificial intelligence firm DeepMind. The London-based start-up specializes in machine learning, and its Web site states that its technology can ...

Google Takes Defamation Case to India's Supreme Court
Wall Street Journal
The case against Google was brought by Visaka, which makes corrugated cement and asbestos fiber sheets, after an anti-asbestos blog hosted by Blogspot contained allegations Visaka was being protected because it was backed by leaders of the ruling ...

Microsoft Acquires 'Gears of War' From Epic, Assigns Next Game To Black Tusk ...
Forbes
Microsoft has put a padlock on its Xbox One war chest by acquiring the rights to the popular Gears of War franchise from Epic Games, the software giant announced today. This means that future Gears of War games can and probably will remain exclusive to ...

Google Glass Aims For Games
InformationWeek (blog)
Google Glass faces a problem: Too many people still see it as a threat. DespiteGoogle's ongoing efforts to promote Glass as a fashionable tool with practical uses, Glass recently made headlines as a suspected piracy tool: A man wearing Glass in a ...

Ezra Klein Is Joining Vox Media as Web Journalism Asserts Itself - NYTimes.com: "... creating a digital media company takes years. (And $25 million, give or take.) With the price for web advertising dropping by the second and new competitors coming out of the screen at a very high rate, it would seem like a terrible time to jump in. But what we are witnessing now is not the formation of a bubble, it is the emergence of a lasting commercial market, a game that has winners and losers, yet is hardly zero sum."

In Developing Countries, Google and Facebook Already Defy Net Neutrality | MIT Technology Review: "In much of the world, the concept of “net neutrality” generates less public debate, given there’s no affordable Net in the first place...."

Samsung, Ericsson Deal Ends Patent Spat
PC Magazine
Ericsson and Samsung have ended their patent scuffle with a settlement that includes a cross-license agreement for patents relating to GSM, UMTS, and LTE standards for networks and handsets. According to the deal, Samsung must pay an undisclosed ...

Stone-Age Hunter Had Blue Eyes And Dark, African Skin
Forbes
A stone-age hunter's wisdom tooth has revealed that he had an unusual mix of racial traits – dark, African skin, curly brown hair and blue eyes. Preliminary DNA analysis of the 7,000-year-old skeleton, dubbed Brana-1, has overturned ideas about the descent ...

An experimental virtual tour through the Grand Canyon
Tucson Citizen
The Arizona Geological Survey is experimenting with new ways of communicating geology and geologic stories to Arizonans and K-12 educators. AZGS has produced its first-ever map story which follows geologist Steve Rauzi and a team of geoscientists as ...

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Google-Powered Chromebooks Overtaking Microsoft in Education Market

Chromebook: How to create and share a document (more Google Chromebook videos here)

Beginning next school year in the US, students in grades K-12 in most states will take tests administered by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (standardized tests) that are designed to be taken on computers. Because of the new tests, schools are thinking about new technology purchases and Google Chromebooks are the best solution --

Google-Powered Chromebooks Take Microsoft, Apple to School - WSJ.com: "Chromebooks have come from nowhere to grab nearly a fifth of U.S. school purchases of mobile computers, posing problems for Microsoft and possibly even Apple. The inexpensive laptops, which run Google software but are mostly sold by other companies, accounted for 19% of the K-12 market for mobile computers in the U.S. in 2013, according to a preliminary estimate by Futuresource Consulting. In 2012, Chromebooks represented less than 1% of the market, according to the research firm, whose estimate includes both tablets and notebook PCs but excludes desktop computers. Mobile computers running Microsoft Windows slid from 47.5% of that market in 2012 to 28% in last year's third quarter, said Futuresource, which isn't yet providing comparisons for all of 2013. Data from IDC analyst Rajani Singh that includes purchases by U.S. colleges and universities as well as K-12 schools shows a similar pattern, as well as signs of stagnation for Apple's iPad in the education market." (read more at Wall Street Journal wsj.com link above)

Google patents ad-powered taxi service that would offer free rides to shoppers | Ars Technica: "Advertisers would pay for your transportation in the hope that you buy something...."

Mac's Tiny Graphical Screen Transformed Personal Computing 30 Years Ago
eWeek
NEWS ANALYSIS: When Apple first started selling the Macintosh, few people realized how it would change almost everything about personal computing. When I was introduced to the original Macintosh early in 1984, I looked at the device on the table in front ...

World chess champ beats Bill Gates in 80 seconds
New York Daily News
He is the second-richest man in the word and Bill Gates was certainly second best when it came to playing chess against the world's No. 1. The Microsoft founder was challenged to a game of chess by world champion Magnus Carlsen, a 23-year-old ...

Internet of Things: Advantages May Far Outweigh Its Drawbacks
Guardian Liberty Voice
People may not realize it but the Internet of Things is already gaining traction and slowly influencing how people live in this connected world. Right now, its perceived advantages may far outweigh its feared drawbacks. Some analysts even called the ...

Mysterious Sight of the Mantis Shrimp Closer to Being Solved?
Guardian Liberty Voice
The mantis shrimp (a.k.a. stomatopod) are colorful marine crustaceans, renowned for their ability to pack a punch. Found in tropical and sub-tropical marine habitats, the marine shrimp's powerful claws can deliver over 90 kilograms of force – an ability that has ...

Polar bears are modifying their diets to adapt to climate change
TheCelebrityCafe.com
Polar bears have shown that they will be able to survive the ice melting by changing their diet and adapting to the new climate. Polar bears are often thought as the animal that is most effected by global warming, but new research has shown that when the ...

Hawking, co-discoverer of black holes, now says there's no such thing
Geek
The scientific duo of Penrose and Hawking is not quite so legendary as other pairings, from Watson and Crick to Lewis and Clark. Their contributions to science have been just as monumental, however, redefining our ideas about the theoretical limits of the ...

Apple Developing New Mobile Payments Service [Report]
Ubergizmo
Customers can already use their iTunes account to purchase a plethora of content ranging from books to movies, music and apps, but apparently Apple is now looking into the mobile payments arena. It may even be planning to launch a new service, if the ...

Frogs' love calls attract predators
The Japan Times
WASHINGTON – A frog's evening serenade beckons his would-be suitors but also summons competition from rivals and attracts predators, making dating a dangerous endeavor, international researchers say. The tiny brown tungara frog, found in Central and ...

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Blackberry to start free voice calls on BBM

Google could do this, if they wanted (they already have the technology in Google Talk/calling from Gmail, and Hangouts), and wrap it up in the "Google version" of Android as a "killer app" -- will they?

Blackberry to start free voice calls on its instant messenger app by February - The Economic Times: Smartphone maker Blackberry will introduce free voice calls on its instant messenger app over next month through an update which will also allow users to surf and create BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) channels, share content and geographical location on the go...which will put BBM in direct competition with apps like Viber, Line and WhatsApp, that allow users to make free calls and send audio as chats. The Canadian company that had launched BBM voice for BB 10 users last year, will make the free calling feature available across Android, iPhone and BlackBerry OS 5 upwards smartphones. Around 100 million people worldwide use BBM across OS platforms...

Microsoft retains weapon to silently scrub XP
Computerworld - Computerworld - Microsoft will be able to silently reach into Windows XP PCs for more than a year after it stops patching the aged OS to clean ...

Stop Harassing Google Employees
InformationWeek - A protest group calling itself Counterforce on Tuesday demonstrated in front of the Berkeley, Calif., home of Google engineer Anthony Levandowski ...

Google Glass seen as future of porn industry
San Jose Mercury News - The adult film industry will survive and thrive if it can evolve its X-rated content onto wearable devices such as Google Glass, as well as mobile phones ...

Apple to Build Mobile-Payments Service, Report Says
Mashable - Apple sells billions of dollars worth of movies, music, books and apps ...Apple could simply act as a mobile wallet, which is what Google Wallet tried ...

Republic Day Google doodle celebrates Janbaz daredevil ...
NDTV - Sunday is Republic Day in India and Google is celebrating it with a doodle on the Google India homepage. The tricolour Republic Day doodle is a ...

Google ad patent would offer e-shoppers a free taxi to stores
CNET - Brick-and-mortar retailers might one day be able to serve up high-tech Web ads that do the math and potentially offer big-ticket shoppers free rides to ...

Google to give away $2.7 mn at Pwnium hacking contest
Zee News - New Delhi: Search engine giant Google will offer USD 2.7 million to researchers who can hack its browser- based operating system, Chrome OS as ...

Apple iWatch Might Be Health-Focused
ValueWalk - Naturally a company the size of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is always ...Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s big rival Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is also ...

Microsoft confirms 'law enforcement inquiries' documents stolen by ...
Tech Times - (Photo : Mikael Altemark) Microsoft said "documents associated with law enforcement inquiries" were stolen and is preempting another attack from the ...

Microsoft considering competitively pricing digital games - Destructoid
destructoid (Wesley Ruscher) - Speaking in a Reddit thread,regarding the state of digital downloads forMicrosoft's Xbox One, Larry....

Distance Card in Google Search - Google Operating System - Blogger
Google Operating System (Alex Chitu) - A few months ago, I wrote about Google's directions card. You can find the distance between two places and the driving directions directly from Google ...

Apple CEO Tim Cook jokes about iRing in interview with ABC ...
Pocket-lint (Jake Smith) - It's not often Apple executives sit down for an interview, but to celebrate the Mac's... Apple said to be working on mobile payment service to rival Google Wallet, others ... Digital Xbox One games may be cheaper than physical copies soon, says Microsoft .... Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013) review.

With iOS 7, are we seeing a less confident, more malleable Apple?
iDownloadBlog.com (Oliver Haslam) - Time was once when Apple was infamous for not giving its users choice. Steve Jobs himself famously said that consumers didn't know what they ...

Top Gear Track Google Street View - The Awesomer
The Awesomer (Lambert V.) - Google took its Street View cars to the Top Gear test track in the UK. Just head to....

Sacramento Kings become first team to incorporate Google Glass ...
Android News, Rumours, and Updates (Justin Herrick) - The Kings are the first team to utilize Google Glass during a game. Kings Host Scott Freshour used Google's wearable gadget to give TV and web ...

iClarified - Apple News - Why an 11.88-Inch Retina MacBook Air ...
iClarified - Apple News and Tutorials - Recent rumors have Apple releasing a 12-Inch MacBook Air with Retina Display. Here's why that makes sense....

Spike Jonze, Google Glass and the future of search - Castleford Media
Castleford Media (Castleford Staff) - In October 2013, Google celebrated its 15th birthday by announcing the ... and can easily be viewed as a response to Apple's Siri smartphone voice ...

Ex-Formula One boss vows more steps against Google | Capital News
Capital News (AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE) - BERLIN, Jan 26 – Max Mosley, the ex-Formula One boss, on Sunday vowed more legal action against Google after a German court ordered the ...

API Overview - Gadgets API — Google Developers
google.com - Gadgets are mini-applications built using HTML, with JavaScript, Flash or Silverlight for dynamic behaviors. Since gadgets can run on multiple sites ...

Lost in translation, or how I got around Tokyo with Google Translate ...
latimes.com - How well does Google Translate really work? The translation service supports more than 70 languages on Android and iOS (and 80 languages on the ...

Apple's Mac still influences, 30 years after debut | Dallas Morning ...
dallasnews.com - Apple sparked a revolution in computing with the Mac. ... Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs and his team got much of their inspiration from the ... especially as Microsoft's Windows operating system grew to look like Mac's software.

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Microsoft Consumer Sales Tank and Nokia Windows Phone Sales Decline

Microsoft today: enterprise sales still strong but consumer sales in decline. Will enterprise follow?

Microsoft Windows Sales - Business Insider: "Basically, consumer PC sales are tanking, but sales to enterprises are strong.  Suh said Windows revenue for consumers was down 20%. Windows revenue for enterprises was up 12%. He said the consumer sales drop was affected by China, where there is an inventory build up. But, even if you don't include China, the consumer drop is still 14%"...".... didn't provide any guidance on whether corporations are buying Windows 8, or Windows 7 licenses. (If we had to guess, we'd guess Windows 7 is more popular since he didn't say anything either way. If Windows 8 was hot, Microsoft would want to brag about it."

Nokia Earnings - Business Insider: Nokia says it sold 8.2 million Lumia phones last quarter. Lumia phones are the devices that run Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system. Lumia sales had actually been growing quarter over quarter in 2013, but saw a decline in the final quarter. It sold 8.8 million Lumias in Q3 2013.That's a troubling stat since sales declined during the holiday season.

Microsoft results show tough realities of company's expansion into hardware - GeekWire: "Microsoft this afternoon posted record revenue of $25.5 billion for the December quarter, an increase of 14 percent. And yet the company’s profits were up just 2 percent, to $6.56 billion. So what’s going on? A quick glance at Microsoft’s Devices & Consumer segment helps to explain what’s happening — and illustrates how the company is being reshaped by its expansion into hardware. Revenue in the Devices & Consumer segment was up 13 percent, to $11.9 billion, driven by strong sales of the Xbox One and Surface tablets. However, the segment’s gross profit declined to $5.8 billion — a decrease of 14 percent from the same quarter a year ago...."

Microsoft Form 10-Q: "Launched in October 2012, Windows 8 was designed to unite the light, thin, and convenient aspects of a tablet with the power of a PC." Problem: Windows 8 is a debacle - "Threshold" to be Called Windows 9, Ship in April 2015 | Windows 8 content from Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: "there's no way to sugarcoat this. Windows 8 has set back Microsoft, and Windows, by years, and possibly for good."

Microsoft Earnings Illustrate Move to Devices and Services From Software
New York Times
Apple's success in new product categories like tablets and mobile phones — and Microsoft's weakness in those areas — is a big reason Microsoft has taken the once unthinkable step of making its own computers and mobile phones, although both crimp...

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Google, ISPs, Video Quality Report

Google is watching all ISPs, and they are going to give the public a ranking of every ISP

Google Starts Ranking ISPs Based on YouTube Performance | DSLReports, ISP Information: "... Google has posted a new video quality report. Right now the report is simply a series of slides explaining how video gets delivered to you, but ultimately Google is going to start logging ISP connection speeds and ranking them based on YouTube streaming performance...Ultimately Google will list the best ISPs in each region based on YouTube performance, and when ISP subscribers are able to watch 90% of the YouTube videos in HD (720p) at consistent quality, that ISP will be branded as "YouTube HD Verified...." See also Netflix's Open Connect CDN

After Moto X, Moto Go, Motorola launching $50 smartphone: Great specs, lowest price | Northern Voices Online: "... now the company is going to do even better in terms of pricing of its smartphones by coming out with as low priced as $50 smartphone in the market. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside Woodside says, “We’re going to look at that and just delivering on that value promise is super important. I mean why can’t these devices be $50? There’s no reason that can’t happen so we’re going to push that.” So get ready for the party pretty soon."

IBM sells its x86 server business to Lenovo for $2.3 billion | Business Tech - CNET News: ".... companies like Google and Facebook make their own servers rather than buying them already manufactured. And at the same time, Amazon Web Services and rival offerings led many customers away from buying their own machines and instead renting services from others better able to build this large-scale server infrastructure. IBM is the second-place server maker after Hewlett-Packard, as measured by Gartner's estimates of third-quarter revenue, with Dell in third place. IBM's sales accounted for 22.9 percent of a $12.6 billion market, with HP at 27.6 percent and Dell at 16.4 percent. IBM's share had dropped 18.9 percentage points from the year-earlier quarter...."

Microsoft, in midst of CEO search, needs a plan for the mobile future
Washington Post
... pushes to get its mobile Windows products into consumers' hands. They've attacked with prime-time product placement, products aimed at several market segments and ad campaigns that set smug Windows phone users apart from the Apple-Android wars.

Apple iPhones to Come Out With Bigger Screens
Wall Street Journal
The people said Apple plans an iPhone model with a screen larger than 4½ inches measured diagonally, and a second version with a display bigger than 5 inches. Until now, Apple's largest phone has been the 4-inch display on the iPhone 5. Both new ...

Apple Customers Bought More Expensive iPads In Q4
InformationWeek
The 2011-era iPad 2, which Apple sells for $399, registered at just 5% of all iPad sales. It is heavier and bulkier than the iPad Air, doesn't have Retina Display, and includes an outdated processor. With the two iPad Minis coming in at $299 and $399 ...

Apple Mac team to reunite for the big 3-0
MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — The biggest reunion of the team that developed the original Apple Inc. Macintosh computer is taking place in Silicon Valley this weekend, at the same auditorium where the little machine that changed the course of ...

Apple: We're fixing the 'white screen of death'
CNN
(CNN) -- Since Apple released iOS 7, its completely revamped operating system for the iPhone, reviews have been mixed but mostly positive. However, a glitch that has quietly plagued iPhone users — the "white/black screen of death," a bug that abruptly ...

Microsoft lawyer suggests non-US data storage for overseas users: FT
Chicago Tribune
Microsoft, along with Apple Inc, Facebook Inc, Google Inc, Twitter Inc and others jointly called in December for reforms in the way governments use internet surveillance, lobbying for more transparency and a ban on bulk data collection. But the ...

Microsoft-bound Nokia business sees sales slide
Businessweek
HELSINKI (AP) — The Nokia handsets business that Microsoft is due to take over saw sales continue to slide in the fourth quarter as its Lumia smartphones failed to draw business away from larger competitors like Apple and Samsung....

Apple gobbled up the most chips in 2013 -- is that bad?
PCWorld (blog)
Apple outspent Samsung on semiconductor purchases by more than $8 billion in 2013, as it snapped up more chips than any other company in the technology business. According to IHS Technology, Apple spent $30.3 billion on semiconductors alone in ...

Apple and Google want your body
Computerworld (blog)
The next battleground in the unyielding Apple versus Google war will be health, as the two tech giants push their vision of wearable computing into the sector -- and both firms want your body, as well as your mind. Apple and Google want your body ...

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Korean Mobile Carriers To Offer Free Chromebooks?

Korea may start a worldwide carrier trend --

Chromebooks: Mobile Carriers May Offer Free Chromebooks with LTE Subscriptions This Year | BusinessKorea: "Chromebooks, which run the Google Chrome OS, will include LTE connectivity starting this year. Thus, a power shift in the global PC market is likely to occur. According to Reuters on January 15, major manufactures of Chromebooks, including HP, will release 4G LTE-capable versions this year... Chromebooks are in the price range of US$250-US$299. These laptops are so affordable that they might soon be provided free of charge as part of an LTE subscription, depending on mobile carriers and agreements here in Korea...."

T-Mobile moves into personal finance --
How it Works | Reloadable Debit Card | T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card: "Step 1 Purchase a T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card in-store or online. Step 2 Add Money to your Card Account. If you purchase a T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card in-store, you can simply add money at the time of purchase. If you enroll for a card online, you will add money once you receive the card. Step 3 Activate your T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card online or by calling ..."

T-Mobile's 'Mobile Money' blends prepaid Visa cards and no-fee checking features: "T-Mobile's latest service seems to fit its 'UnCarrier' agenda perfectly, since it has little connection to wireless and doesn't actually require users to have the company's phone service. Called Mobile Money, the personal finance product combines a smartphone app (iOS or Android) with a branded prepaid Visa card. Without paying a single fee, T-Mobile wireless customers can deposit checks into their Mobile Money account by taking a picture of them with their smartphone, withdraw money from 42,000 in-network ATMs and reload the cards with cash at T-Mobile stores (non-T-Mobile customers would pay additional fees). There are also no maintenance fees, minimum balances or activation fees."

Facebook decline and abandonment imminent --
[1401.4208] Epidemiological modeling of online social network dynamics: "The irSIR model is then applied to search query data for "Facebook," which is just beginning to show the onset of an abandonment phase. Extrapolating the best fit model into the future predicts a rapid decline in Facebook activity in the next few years...."

Medium: "Andreessen attempts to draw a parallel between the birth of the personal-computing era and the explosion of the publicly accessible Internet and Bitcoin. These are fundamentally flawed analogies."
BlackBerry on "life-support" gets "transfusion" from US Dept of Defense -- Pentagon likes old legacy phones, particularly since BlackBerry gave the "keys" to China and Russia -- BlackBerry lands 80,000 Pentagon order and stock soars (CNET)

Amazon says it is not planning pay-TV service: "Amazon.com denied reports that it is planning a new pay-TV service. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday that the world's largest Internet retailer was considering a new service that would offer live TV channels..."

[Update] Microsoft And Machinima Respond To Concerns Over Advertising - News - www.GameInformer.com: ""We have asked Machinima to not post any additional Xbox One content as part of this media buy and we have asked them to add disclaimers to the videos that were part of this program indicating they were part of paid advertising.” The move on Microsoft's part to require disclaimers is a step in the right direction. If this practice continues, other advertisers and sponsors would be wise to do the same. "

Hackathon for Cuba kicks off in Miami Jan. 31 - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "Problems with connectivity, censorship, costly service and the lowest cellphone and Internet penetration rates in the Western Hemisphere regularly limit information access in Cuba. For the first time in South Florida, a hackathon will bring together programmers to devise solutions. On Jan. 31, Hackathon for Cuba will gather a mix of developers, as well as tech experts familiar with Cuba’s information barriers, to create smartphone applications and other technologies aimed at strengthening communications and information access in Cuba. Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez is also expected to participate, organizers said. The event is organized by the Miami Beach-based nonprofit Roots of Hope and backed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation ....The Hackathon for Cuba, free and open to the public at The LAB Miami in Wynwood, will kick off at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 with a reception and presentation on the current state of technology and digital access in Cuba. The programming begins at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1, and the event ends with judging and prizes that evening. To register: www.rootsofhope.org/hack."

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Most Americans oppose NSA program

The new reality: governmental surveillance, secret Courts, overreaching, NSA abuses, all in the name of "national security" are in themselves "advanced persistent threats" OR we have met the enemy and he is US --

USA TODAY: "Poll: Most Americans now oppose the NSA program" http://t.co/FMpByv3FEJ - Especially amazing: https://t.co/rKPZNySc31
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 21, 2014

Time for an international convention on government access to data - Microsoft on the Issues - Site Home - TechNet Blogs: "... The issues this time are even more complicated today than in the past. The War against Terrorism is more permanent than these prior wars. Hence, a moment has passed, but an era of concern continues. In addition, technology is more ubiquitous than ever, and the issues involved are more global. The issues of the last year have reminded the world that the strong protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution and in U.S. law seldom apply to other countries’ citizens. In addition, we’ve all been reminded that surveillance takes place by governments internationally. And as industry reports make clear, governments around the world demand access to customer data. As a result, we need to broaden the topic and bring together governments to create a new international legal framework..."

The decay and fall of guest blogging for SEO: "Okay, I’m calling it: if you’re using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop. Why? Because over time it’s become a more and more spammy practice, and if you’re doing a lot of guest blogging then you’re hanging out with really bad company...." -- Matt Cutts of Goole (read more at link above)

Google bans Chrome extensions purchased to deliver adware | The Verge: "...The extensions in question, Add to Feedly and Tweet This Page, both started life as useful additions to Google's web browser, but were soon serving users pop-ups and other intrusive ads. The reason for the sudden change in behavior? In Add to Feedly's case, at least, it was purchased from its developer and quickly began serving ads to its 30,000 users...." 
Warning: Your Browser Extensions Are Spying On You - How-To Geek Discussion (go to link for list of extenstions)

Apple E-Books Case Shines Light on Compliance Monitors
Wall Street Journal
The fiery tit-for-tat that erupted in court last week between Apple Inc. and a court-appointed lawyer overseeing the company's e-book pricing shined a light on something that has annoyed corporations for years: compliance monitors. "The external ...
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HP brings back Windows 7 computers "by popular demand"

Good news! HP brings back Windows 7 'by popular demand' http://t.co/NM9Zy0cgK6 via @verge
— expri (@expricom) January 20, 2014

Editor's note: Windows 7 is the BEST operating system Microsoft has ever made, and it is the best desktop and notebook OS ever made, thus far, by any company.  Finally, HP, at least, has realized knowledge workers and others who use their computers "to get work done" with a real keyboard and mouse, do not want to be slowed-down by the gorilla-arm syndrome and dueling OS built-in to the dumbed-down tablet-touch-screen OS known as Windows 8. Thank you HP!

More info on HP Windows 7 computers: Windows 7 desktop PCs and Windows 7 notebook PCs

Microsoft fixes some (but not all) of Surface Pro 2's recent problems
Wayne Williams - Microsoft's botched December 2013 firmware update caused Surface Pro 2 owners several problems, most notably a 'wake and battery drain' issue....

Google bans Chrome extensions purchased to deliver adware | The Verge: "Google has removed two Chrome extensions from its store due to the way they were serving ads to users. The extensions in question, Add to Feedly and Tweet This Page, both started life as useful additions to Google's web browser, but were soon serving users pop-ups and other intrusive ads. The reason for the sudden change in behavior? In Add to Feedly's case, at least, it was purchased from its developer and quickly began serving ads to its 30,000 users...."

Google eating into Wikipedia page views?
Times of India
NEW DELHI: Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia used by millions around the world, lost nearly 10 per cent of its page-views last year. That's a decline of about 2 billion between December 2012 and December 2013. It's most popular versions are ...

Google set to face Intellectual Ventures in landmark patent trial
Chicago Tribune
Microsoft and Apple were both early investors in Intellectual Ventures. IV often uses subsidiary companies to buy patents, and then transfer them at a later date to related corporate entities, though public records do not indicate whether IV had an ...

In China, Microsoft steps up efforts with Bing, Windows Azure
PCWorld
Bing has barely any market share in China, but Microsoft hopes to change that in the next year or two by investing more resources into the local version of the search engine. ”We have 1,000 people in the Bing team in China,” said Microsoft vice ...

Amazon to ship things before you've even thought of buying them?
CNET
... even thought of buying them. Somewhere in the Bay Area, executives at Googleululated with envy. ... The essence is this: Amazon believes it has a good idea which item of clothing, electronics or beauty product you will covet next. As with so many ...

Apple selling iPhone 4 for Rs 23000 in India is daylight robbery
Firstpost
We already have reservations about whether Apple's possible iPhone 4 relaunch in India is a sound strategy, but it looks like the company is going ahead with it. One thing has changed since the last time we heard about Apple's plan for India. Reports ...

Apple's new Mac Pro as a server platform?
ZDNet
A recent post at the MacWindows blog by editor John Rizzo asked whether the new Mac Pro — a machine that by all measures is designed as a desktop machine — could be effectively used as a rackmounted server, the successor to the long-gone Apple ...

Amazon.in to open second warehouse in India
Business Today
Amazon.in, the Indian arm of world's largest e-commerce company announced on Monday that it would open a fullfilment centre- that is, a warehouse - in Bangalore, which will be operational from February. This will be the e-commerce giant's second ...

Rosetta: Earth waits for comet-chaser signal
BBC News
Rosetta, Europe's decade-long quest to put a robotic lander on a comet, has reached a key milestone. The probe, which has spent the past two-and-half-years moving through space in a deep sleep, was expected to rouse itself at 10:00 GMT, ready to send a ...

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Due to Win8 debacle, Microsoft continues some XP support

When you have nowhere to go but to another platform (MacBook or Chromebook) due to the Windows 8 debacle, Microsoft relents and continues some support for the old operating system:

Microsoft will furnish malware assassin to XP users until mid-2015
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it will continue to offer its malware scrubbing program to Windows XP users for more than a year after it stops patching the operating system. "Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool is aligned ...

Apple's dated iPhone 4 may still cost Rs 23000 in India
Firstpost - We already have reservations about whether Apple's possible iPhone 4 relaunch in India is a sound strategy, but it looks like the company is going ...

Some Microsoft Surface Pro 2 users report a firmware fix rolling out
ZDNet - Summary: The fix for a faulty firmware update for Microsoft's second-generation, Intel-based Surface Pro 2 tablets may be starting to roll out, according ...

Google Buys Nest Just As Internet Of Things Suffers First Global ...
Forbes - When I think about the differences between Apple and Google it seems to me that Apple excels in the device in your hand and Google in the network ...

Microsoft Offers To Pay YouTubers To Positively Promote Xbox One
Cinema Blend - When your console is getting trashed by anyone who doesn't watch TV on their TV, when you have no idea how to win over the silent Japanese ...

Google Glass Traffic Court Ruling Just The Start Of Long Legal Battle
CBS Local - An attendee tries Google Glass during the Google I/O developer conference on May 17, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Eight members of the ...

Apple and Google Are Killing Nintendo's 3DS
DailyFinance - Friday's release suggests that Apple and Google's mobile devices are finally taking a toll on ...

Apple needs to clamp down on its talking cats
The Guardian - It's 4.30 on a gloomy winter's afternoon. I'm sitting with my grandson having one of those conversations in which grandsons explain complicated stuff ... available at: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/talking-tom-cat-2/

Rosetta: Alarm to sound for comet mission
BBC News
One of the most daring space missions ever undertaken reaches a key milestone on Monday. Europe's Rosetta probe was launched a decade ago on a long quest to chase down and land on a comet, and has spent the past two-and-half-years in hibernation ...

'Bio-Bot' Swims Like A Sperm! Self-Propelled Biological Robots Advances [Video]
Design & Trend
Engineers have created a new way to explore the viscous fluid of biological environments unsupervised, like the inside of the human body. Known as "bio-bot," the synthetic machine swims like a sperm, is powered by heart cells, propelled by a tail and can ...

Group: 250 dolphins await slaughter, lifetime of captivity at Japan's Taiji Cove
CNN
(CNN) -- Japanese fishermen rounded up more than 250 bottlenose dolphins in a secluded cove to kill for meat or sell into a lifetime of captivity, U.S. conservationists warned. The annual hunting of dolphins at Taiji Cove highlights the rift between ...

Nintendo needs 'radical new beginning' to recover from Y25bn loss
Financial Times
Amid the smartphone boom of the past few years, executives at the Kyoto-based company have stuck to the basic model that defined the modern gaming industry: sell hardware cheaply, or even at a loss, then make money back through sales of software.

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