4 biggest challenges facing Google Glass

Google Glass faces four big issue it must overcome in order to transform itself into a mainstream product. [Read more]

Order vintage-style photo prints from your iPhone

Printic turns your snapshots into Polaroid-like prints and delivers them in a cute little envelope, all for 99 cents apiece. [Read more]

Former GTA producer: Don't expect 3 consoles in the next generation

That's the word from Jeremy Pope, who spent nearly a decade at Rockstar Games before leaving to found his own mobile startup, Rally Games. [Read more]

Pinterest pins now offer more information

Thanks to third-party Web sites, Pinterest users can see what it costs, where to buy it, and much more. [Read more]

Social TV guide NextGuide goes from mobile to the Web

The app, which keeps track of your favorite shows and brings together live TV with streaming videos, is now a Web platform. [Read more]

Get a $50 Zinio digital magazine credit for free

That's good for 18 single issues of your choice or six "mini-subscriptions." [Read more]

Benchmark test Blu-ray helps you set up your TV like a boss

We go hands on with the second edition of the "Spears and Munsil HD Benchmark" test Blu-ray. [Read more]

On eve of Xbox reveal, Sony teases PS4 peek for E3

Microsoft may be showing a whole lot of the next Xbox on Tuesday. Sony's response? A blurry reminder. [Read more]

Disney making 'Star Wars Rebels,' a new animated show

The show will air in 2014, first as a one-hour special and then as a regular series. It's set chronologically between the third prequel film and the original "Star Wars" movie. [Read more]

Apple testing 1.5-inch display for iWatch, claims report

A couple of tidbits making the rounds Monday suggest that development of Apple's so-called iWatch is ticking ahead. [Read more]

Sprint buys Handmark, OneLouder to boost ad service

The deal for the mobile app developer and advertising company immediately gives Sprint an advertising team, an ad platform, and top-rated mobile apps that serve millions of customers each day. [Read more]

Samsung to unveil 13.3-inch 3,200x1,800 LCD display

The new 13.3-inch WQXGA+ display would pack 276 pixels per inch, surpassing the pixel count found on existing notebooks. [Read more]

Get a 3-in-1 charging cable for $6.99

Unlike most hybrid cables, this one includes a Lightning connector for newer iDevices. [Read more]

Yahoo quickly gets into the Tumblr spirit

Along with its billion-dollar intent to purchase Tumblr, Yahoo finds a new home for official blog -- and tries to drive home the message that all will be OK. [Read more]

Wordpress: 72K blog posts exited Tumblr in 1 hour over Yahoo deal

Wordpress founder Matt Mullenweg says he usually sees 400 to 600 blog post defections from Tumblr per hour. But that figure apparently skyrocketed after news of the deal surfaced Sunday. [Read more]

Apple hits record revenue per store visitor, says analyst

During the first quarter, Apple stores took in $57.60 per visitor, setting a record, says mobile analyst Horace Dediu. [Read more]

LG to demo bendable, unbreakable smartphone screen

One of the products taking the stage at Display Week 2013 will be a flexible, 5-inch OLED smartphone screen. [Read more]

Yahoo confirms $1.1 billion Tumblr acquisition

The company said today that "substantially all" of the acquisition was payable in cash, and Tumblr will remain a separate entity. [Read more]

Jolla smartphone lets fly with Sailfish OS

The open-source operating system Sailfish is "Android app compliant." Jolla hasn't said so, but that suggests you'll be able to install standard Android apps on it. [Read more]

Purple Haze: Tumblr faithful blast Yahoo deal

A quick scan of posts tagged "Yahoo" offers a difficult sense of hurt, pain, anguish and incomprehension inflicted by the $1.1 billion deal. [Read more]

Yahoo-Tumblr: 7 ways to evaluate the union

Tumblr needs to be woven into Yahoo's fabric to help it become more pervasive, mobile, social, personalized and profitable, as well as younger and faster growing. [Read more]

Xbox next: What to expect at Tuesday's Xbox reveal event

Microsoft is bound to play up the non-gaming entertainment features of the new console, focusing on streaming video, Skype calling, and deeper integration with other devices and services. [Read more]

CTIA 2013 preview: Spring show quietly fades away

Verizon Wireless, Kyocera, and a few celebrities headline what is expected to be a lackluster final conference. [Read more]

The changing face of mobile photography

Mobile phone photography has come a long way since the first grainy iPhone shots started a phenomenon. [Read more]

Computer visionary says he knows who invented Bitcoin

The identity of the creator of the virtual currency has eluded even its core developers. But computer visionary Ted Nelson thinks he has the answer. [Read more]

They WANT to EAT YOUR COMPUTER - welcome your ANT overlords

Whole corner of America faces life without computers

A massive horde of computer-killing "crazy ants" are invading the southeastern US, killing other species as they go.…

Canadian regulators welcome US Bitcoin refugees with open arms

Money laundering not a problem here, eh

Canadian Bitcoin traders will not be clobbered by laws similar to those being used to target virtual currency exchanges in America, according to a leaked letter from the country's financial investigations unit.…

Securo-boffins uncover new GLOBAL cyber-espionage operation

Two-pronged attack hits victims in 100 countries

Government ministries, technology firms, media outlets, academic research institutions and non-governmental organisations have all fallen victim to an ongoing cyberespionage operation with tendrils all over the world, according to researchers.…

It! Started! With! A! GIF!... Yahoo! Actually! Buys! Tumblr! for! $1bn!

Mayer gets animated, 'promises not to screw it up'

Yahoo! has "promised not to screw it up" after agreeing to acquire cat'n'porn blogging site Tumblr for about $1.1bn.…

Petshop iPad fanboi charged with filming up young model's skirt

LAPD throws book at fondleslabber

A Los Angeles fanboi has been charged (PDF) with using an iPad to take upskirt footage of an underwear model.…

Amazon cloud-watcher shows some love for Microsoft's Azure

Cloudy beancounter Newvem: 'We're not trying to do 50 clouds ... half-way'

Newvem has been peddling its Cloud Care monitoring and costing tools for virty public infrastructure since it uncloaked last November for Amazon Web Services.…

Crack Army pilot to be first PROPER British astronaut IN SPAAAACE

Ground control to Major Tim, countdown commencing, engines on

Ex-Apache helicopter pilot Tim Peake will become the first bona fide British astronaut in space - and live and work on the International Space Station.…

UK.gov STILL wants to tout pupil data - don't use the word 'product'

Is that a screeching U-turn we hear from Gove? Oh, no

At the end of 2012, Education Secretary Michael Gove told Parliament that he wanted "to share extracts of data held in the National Pupil Database for a wider range of purposes than possible in order to maximise the value of this rich dataset".…

Marks & Sparks accused of silently bonking punters over the tills

Bank cards bought stuff ALL BY THEMSELVES, say shoppers

Analysis High-street socks'n'frocks chain Marks and Spencer is accused of quietly taking money from shoppers' contactless bank cards at the tills.…

Schmidt: Don't like our tiny tax bills? Google this... 'Change the law'

Ad biz chairman says he can't wait for reform

Google chief Eric Schmidt has once more defended his advertising giant for its pitiful UK tax bills: the search supremo said his biz abides by the rules, and claims he can't wait for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to reform those rules.…

Biz bods: Tile-tastic Windows 8? NOOO. We lust after 'mature' Win 7

Tired corporates prefer predecessor, says analyst

Windows 8 won't become an enterprise IT standard as customers dump Microsoft's legacy PC operating system XP. Instead, corporate IT departments will stick to what they know and install Windows 7.…

So you want to be a contractor? Well, here's how it works

Free advice from Reg headhunter Dominic Connor

Back in the heady days of 1984, working on the development of Microsoft Unix (yes, that was a real product, AKA Xenix), we needed to write an Ethernet driver, but none of us really felt up to that. We needed to hire an expensive specialist.…

Give porno danger classes to Brit kids as young as FIVE - parents

Sex ed must cover web smut, families tell heads

Schoolteachers should warn British children as young as five about the "dangers" of finding pornography online, say families.…

Cameron's Tech City: Desks? Yes. Cash? Yes. Coders? Nope

Silicon Roundabout's stovepipe-hat-wearers can't find the staff

Lack of skilled staff is hampering the growth of almost half of all tech businesses based around East London's Silicon Roundabout, a survey has found.…

Gay marriage? We'll put a stop to that 'human BUG', says Nintendo

Sayōnara, Mr and Mr Robotto

A bug that permitted same-sex marriage in a Nintendo game was a mistake by the developer rather than a victory for equality, we're told.…

Hello, Goodbye ... to $408,000: John Lennon axe under the hammer

Not much Vox for an awful lot of bucks

A guitar played by both John Lennon and George Harrison has sold at auction for a cool $408k.…

Intel's answer to ARM: Customisable x86 chips with HIDDEN POWERS

Let's all play find the secret hardware register

With new CEO Brian Krzanich and new president Renée James in control of Intel, all kinds of changes are very likely in store: the chip giant wants to expand beyond its dominance in PCs (a declining market) and servers (one that is profitable but not growing very much) to other aspects of the computing landscape.…

NetApp boffins first to go in 'WORKFORCE DECIMATION' plan

300 R&D bods out the door in proposed cull of 1,300, say insiders

Storage array biz NetApp has laid off 300 people at a research and development centre in India and “hundreds” more in the US, according to industry sources.…

'Untidy' Shoreditch just CONFUSES American techies - Olympic hub team

Come join the tech mall in Stratford instead, US firms told

A leading American tech incubator is considering opening a British outpost on the site of the Stratford Olympics, The Register can reveal.…

Is it time for the great Jihad against networked storage?

Big boys look wide open with eyes wide shut

Blocks and Files Dheeraj Pandy is running Nutanix as if the company is on a crusade against networked storage. Data delivery latency from networked storage is plain unacceptable, it seems, and clustered virtualised servers should run and present their local storage as part of a pool.…

Streaming music works for us, say US and UK indie labels

Not clear it does for the musician, however

Analysis Are legal music streaming services just Kim Dotcom on a diet, with a lawyer?…

Look behind you, NetApp: Angry investor is coming for YOU

First Xyratex, then Emulex and Brocade... now Elliot's stalking a storage giant

Activist investor Eliott Management, of Emulex fame, always pushes to have its voice heard - especially when it thinks bosses of its "investment companies" don't put shareholders first. Now the fund has actually taken on storage giant NetApp.…

Last time CO2 was this high, the world was underwater? NO, actually

Ice sheets DIDN'T melt 3 million years B.C., say boffins

OK, so levels of atmospheric CO₂ are rising through 0.0004 (or 400 parts per million) at the moment. Disaster, right? The last time the world saw carbon levels like this, some three million years ago, the mighty ice sheets of Greenland and the Antarctic had melted from the heat and the seas were 35 metres higher than they are today. Anybody who doesn't live up a mountain will soon find themselves underwater. Aaargh!…

Boffins find 'scary radio attack'^* against pacemakers

*Attack is actually 'very difficult in real world'

It's a little difficult to credit as a discovery the fact that analogue receivers – whether they be on a bluetooth device or a pacemaker – are vulnerable to radio interference.…

Pakistan signs up for China's GPS rival

Doesn't want no steenking US military tech

China’s home-grown sat-nav system Beidou (BDS) is expected to add yet another customer after Pakistan signed up to host ground stations for the service.…

Intel releases 'Beacon Mountain' Android-on-Atom dev tool

Indroid Inside

Indroid Inside Intel has released “Beacon Mountain” a development environment for Android apps on both its own Atom silicon and ARM chippery.…

US boffin builds 32-way Raspberry Pi cluster

Beowulf cluster built for the price of a single PC

Boise University PhD candidate Joshua Kiepert has built a 32-way Beowulf cluster from Raspberry Pis.…

Massive EXPLOSION visible to naked eye SEEN ON MOON

'Equivalent to 5 TONNES of TNT going off', says NASA

Vid Sensational news today from the Moon, as skywatchers say a huge explosion - as bright as a star, and visible from Earth with the naked eye - has been seen on the lunar surface.…

Yahoo! Japan says 22 MEELLION User IDs may have been nabbed

Suspected breach didn't nab passwords but resets nonetheless recommended

Yahoo! Japan has told its 200 million customers to change their passwords after revealing that 22 million user IDs may have been exposed in a suspected intrusion last week.…

Nintendo throws flaming legal barrel at YouTubing fans

All your walk-through vid revenue are belong to us

Nintendo has contacted fans who post walk-through videos of its games to YouTube, claiming all revenue from their efforts.…

Optus outlines its 4G future

Canberra first for TD-LTE rollout

Optus is hoping to shed its bridesmaid status, unveiling plans for a major rollout across four frequency bands, announcing its first TD-LTE deployment, and adding a bunch of cities and regional centres to its rollout.…

Hold our tiny silicon spheres, say gravity wave detection scientists

Nano-sensors in optical trap for more sensitive instrument

A group of scientists from the University of Nevada at Reno says tiny sensors – small enough to be suspended in an optical trap – could pave the way for a new kind of ultra-sensitive gravity wave sensor.…

EMC vuln gives mere sysadmins the power of storage admins

Time to patch VNX and Celerra software before non-experts do something silly

EMC has warned a flaw in the Control Station software for its VNX and Celerra arrays could allow just about anyone logged into them to do just about anything.…

Four Anons cuffed in Italy

Postal Police go postal

Four individuals accused of being members of Anonymous and participating in “Operation Tango Down” have been arrested in Italy.…

IBM gives a cloudy outlook for COBOL

Zombie language gets XML, Java support

IBM is giving its COBOL environment a cloudy flavour with an update to the ancient venerable and unkillable language.…

Bureau of Stats releases educational SimClone game

Hey kids! Why bother with Minecraft when you could play an evidence-based policy sim?

Australia's Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released a game, Run That Town, that borrows heavily form SimCity to give players the chance to learn about the way statistics are used to shape policy.…

I know identity of Bitcoin's SECRET mastermind, says Ted Nelson

Coiner of 'hypertext' claims to identify the links

Sociologist, philosopher, computer industry pioneer and inventor of the term “hypertext” Ted Nelson is claiming that he knows the identity of Bitcoin inventor “Satoshi Nakamoto”.…

Google builds crowdsourcing into new Maps code stack

Wants a unique map for every user

Google I/O Google has been giving more details about how it has redesigned its Maps software by adding in crowd-sourced photographic and driving directions to its coding scheme.…

Google's Native Code browser tech goes cross-platform

Write web modules in C/C++ that run on both Intel and ARM

Google I/O At its annual I/O conference in San Francisco this week, Google unveiled a new version of its Native Client technology that allows developers to deploy binary code for web applications in an architecture-independent way.…

Yahoo! to 'share something special' in New York on Monday

Is hastily called event related to Tumblr rumblings?

Yahoo! will hold a "product-related news event" this upcoming Monday with CEO Marissa Mayer in attendance to "share something special."…

Adobe's Creative Cloud fails at being a cloud

Sync feature suspended by Adobe FOR TWO WEEKS

The file-syncing part of Adobe's new Creative Cloud family of technologies has been intermittently broken for a week, taking the "cloud" part out of Adobe's "Creative Cloud" redesign of its products. Now Adobe is suspending it "for the next couple of weeks" to make updates.…

NASA signs off on sampling mission to Earth-threatening asteroid

2016 launch date set for OSIRIS-REx mission

NASA has given final approval for a billion-dollar mission to visit one of the most potentially dangerous asteroids to Earth, collect samples and bring them back home for analysis.…

US military welcomes Apple iOS 6 kit onto its networks

The battle with BlackBerry, Samsung marches into the cloud

The US Department of Defense has welcomed Apple's iDevices into its secure networks, and has announced that that it is "taking bold steps to provide sound information and proper analysis as it fortifies its cloud computing, acquisition and data processes."…

Jailed Romanian hacker repents, invents ATM security scheme

Add-on device blocks card skimmers

A Romanian man serving a five-year jail sentence for bank-machine fraud says he's come up with a device that can be attached to any ATM to make the machine invulnerable to card skimmers.…

Climate scientists agree: Humans cause global warming

Of those who have an opinion, over 97% say we're to blame

A major study of nearly 12,000 peer-reviewed papers in the climate-science literature has – again – proven that among climate scientists, an overwhelming percentage agree with the consensus view that human activity causes global warming.…

MIT takes battery-powered robot cheetah for a gallop

Biomimetic big cat needs no power cord, just a walker

Video Fast, agile robots for reconnaissance and rescue have been under development for half a decade or more, but they all have needed to be tethered to a power cable. Now MIT thinks it has cut the leash with a battery powered "cheetah" capable of outrunning a human.…

Google research chief: 'Emergent artificial intelligence? Hogwash!'

'We have to make it happen'

Google I/O If there's any company in the world that can bring true artificial intelligence into being, it's Google.…

Nvidia opens pre-orders for handheld Shield console three days early

Let the feeding frenzy commence

Nvidia is now taking orders for its Shield handheld gaming console, three days early, though the Android-running Tegra-powered gadget won’t make its way into punters’ hands before the end of next month at the earliest.…

Yahoo! triumphs! in! $2.75bn! Mexican! standoff!

Mighty award against it abruptly slashed to $172,500

Yahoo! has said that a Mexican appeals court threw out a $2.75bn ruling against it and Yahoo! Mexico over contracts in the country.…

Tablet? Laptop? HP does the splits with Tegra-based SlateBook x2

Netbook with removable screen, anyone?

HP is to follow its Windows 8-based tablet keyboard combo, the Envy x2, with an Android Jelly Bean version - the computer giant’s take on Asus’ popular Transformer series.…

U.S. Lawyer Booted From Russia for (Allegedly) Refusing to Serve as Kremlin Spy

There are at least two fail-safe ways to get yourself kicked out of Russia. One way is getting caught spying on Russia. The other way is being asked to spy for Russia and refuse.

Hunger Striker Launches Twitter Campaign to Close Gitmo

Detainees can't tweet from inside Guantanamo Bay. So when they want to pressure the government to close the facility, they get their lawyers to tweet for them.

Yahoo to Buy Tumblr and 'Not Screw It Up'

At eight o?clock this morning ? eastern time, before most of its West Coast-centric workforce even woke up ? Yahoo announced it is going to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash. There was a press release, and company CEO Marissa Mayer posted a GIF on her personal tumblr page. ?We promise not to screw it up,? Mayer wrote. ?Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going.?

Recap: The Sacrificial Lamb Does Not See the Knife on Game of Thrones

The third season of Game of Thrones is finally here, and we?re back to chronicle the TV adaptation of George R. R. Martin?s world of Westeros -- and how it differs from the books -- in a series of letters between Wired writers (and Game of Thrones fanatics) Laura Hudson and Erik Henriksen.

Dish Network's Apps Alone Might Be Enough to Make You Subscribe

Now access to Dish's complete On Demand library, previously a perk only for iPad users, is available for iPhones as well as Android phones and tablets.

Connect All the Things

An inexpensive introduction to the Internet of Things, the fully programmable Twine alerts you to all the changes and happenings inside your home.

At Google I/O, Glass and Android Get All the Love, if Not All the Money

Google was built on services and software, but the stars of Google I/O this year had close connections to hardware. Developers could not get enough of Android and Glass.

Sin-Filled Confessionals Harbor the Burdened's Deepest Secrets

For Billie Mandle, Catholic confessionals are not just dimly lit boxes where people go to confess their sins. They're archives that collect and preserve deeply personal moments left behind by parishioners.

Beyond Surveillance: Envisioning the Future Drone Workforce

Jonathan Downey is the kind of guy you want flying you around. The 29-year-old MIT-educated engineer not only has a commercial pilot?s license, but he also helped set the record for longest unmanned helicopter flight (18.7 hours) and pulled off among the highest hovers out of ground-effect (20,000 feet).

Why Buy When You Can DIY? This Startup Lets You Do Both

Craft magazines, websites, and TV shows inspire the imagination -- big box craft retailers, not so much. Go to an art supply store and the endless sea of beige linoleum, harsh fluorescent lights, and surly staffers will conspire to squelch your creativity. Fortunately, an online solution exists: Kollabora, a startup trying to make shopping for art supplies as social and beautiful as making things with them.

Computer Brain Escapes Google's X Lab to Supercharge Search

Andrew Ng built models for processing the human voice and Google StreetView images. The company quickly recognized its potential and shuffled it out of X Labs and into the Google Knowledge Team. And now this type of machine learning could shake up everything from Google Glass, to Google Image Search to the company's flagship search engine.

Robot Guns, Combat Facebook: The Tech of the Army's 'Last' Afghanistan Brigade

The last full-up Army brigade in Afghanistan has all the latest tech.

Fecal Transplants: The FDA Steps In

The US Food and Drug Administration has decided to bring the semi-outlawed ? but very safe and very effective ? procedure called "fecal transplant" under its auspices, ruling that to perform it, physicians must have applied for an "investigational new drug application."

Wired Space Photo of the Day: Dunes of Titan

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show that the sizes and patterns of dunes on Saturn's moon Titan vary as a function of altitude and latitude. The dunes in areas that are more elevated or are higher in latitude, such as in the Fensal region pictured at bottom left, tend to be thinner and more widely separated, with gaps that have a thinner covering of sand. Dunes in the Belet region, pictured at top left, are at a lower altitude and latitude. The dunes in Belet are wider, with thicker blankets of sand between them. The Kalahari dunes in South Africa and Namibia, located in a region with limited sediment available and pictured at bottom right, show effects similar to the Fensal dunes. The Belet dunes on Titan resemble Earth's Oman dunes in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, where there is abundant sediment available. The Oman dunes are shown at top right.

Autodesk Purchases, Revives 3-D Design App Tinkercad

On Saturday, Autodesk announced it is purchasing Tinkercad and reinstating the service. The move comes in time to prevent the previously announced shutdown of any accounts or services, and users can start creating new accounts immediately.

The Schticky Is the Dark Knight Rises of Infomercials

When you?re an insomniac freelance writer who works from home, you end up seeing a lot of infomercials, and eventually, those things will wear you down. No matter how skeptical you might start off, you will eventually get to a point where you?ll start to wonder if there actually is somebody out there with a better way to fry eggs, chop tomatoes and make milkshakes in the comfort of your own home. I mean, television?s never lied to us before, has it? That?s why I wanted to actually check out a few of these things to see if they really were the life-changing innovations they purported to be. Today?s experiment: The Schticky.

Wired Space Photo of the Day: Galactic Wheels

How many rings do you see in this new image of the galaxy Messier 94, also known as NGC 4736? While at first glance one might see a number of them, astronomers believe there is just one. This image was captured in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Penguin Bets Big That The 5th Wave Will Be the Next Hunger Games

In the latest Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast author Rick Yancey talks about his new young adult survival novel The 5th Wave.

Dropping Jaws (And Slowpokes) on Cervelo's $10,000 Racing Bike

As one of just a few hundred limited-edition bikes produced by Cerv?lo's Project California division, the RCA is a neatly packaged compendium of its creator's two-decades-deep body of engineering knowledge.

From S.H.I.E.L.D. to Downton's Dracula: 10 New TV Shows to Check Out This Fall

This week, the broadcast TV networks announced their new shows for the 2013/2014 TV season. If you're overwhelmed by the choice, here are ten to watch.

After $200 Million, Darpa Gives Up on Formation-Flying Satellites

Darpa is ending its experiment with small, close-flying spacecraft, but that doesn't mean the concept is dead.

Slowly, Military Opens the Door to Outside Prosecutions for Sexual Assault

The military doesn't want to take sexual assault cases out of the chain of command. But as scandals compile and Congress prepares to act, it may have to.

Game|Life Podcast: EA Ditches Online Passes and Wii U, But Mostly Wii U

Wired senior editor Peter Rubin joins me to explore two Electronic Arts announcements that might prove quite telling of gaming's future.

Trailer Face-Off: The New Pacific Rim vs. the Atlantic Rim Knockoff

So, there's a new trailer for director Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. However, on another YouTube channel not so far away, there's also a new, not as sleek but equally entertaining trailer for Atlantic Rim ? the mockbuster by The Asylum. How do they stack up? Let's find out.

Star Trek Into Darkness Updates Federation Fashion by Returning to the '60s

Star Trek Into Darkness costume designer Michael Kaplan readily admits that he wasn?t a Star Trek fan prior to being hired for the 2009 reboot. Still, with iconic sci-fi movies like Blade Runner and Armageddon under his belt, he was confident he could capture and improve the look of Starfleet, updating the occasionally clunky aesthetic of the original series into something long-time fans would still recognize and appreciate: ?I certainly want to please Trekkies.?

Watch the Biggest Explosion Ever Seen on the Moon

NASA scientists recorded the biggest explosion from a meteorite impact on the moon that they have seen in eight years of monitoring.

New Efforts to Overhaul Psychiatric Diagnoses Spurred by DSM Turmoil

Tomorrow marks the official release of the DSM-5, a hugely influential diagnostic guide that defines disorders of the mind. Many experts say it's fundamentally flawed, and efforts to develop a better alternative have begun.

The Strangest Ways Wild Animals Crossed Paths With Humans This Week

A roundup of odd ways humans and wild animals crossed paths this week compiled by Jon Mooallem, author of the upcoming book Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America.

What We Supposedly Learned About Technology From 1995's Evolver

Today's dubious lesson in technology as explained by movies: 1995's Evolver in which a teenage videogame fan wins an indestructible military robot in a contest and it works out pretty much exactly as you expect.

How a Massive Glass Casino Represents Traditional Native American Forms

Each week, Wired Design brings you a photo of one of our favorite buildings, showcasing boundary-pushing architecture and design involved in the unique structures that make the world's cityscapes interesting. Check back Fridays for the continuing series, and feel free to make recommendations in the comments, by Twitter, or by e-mail.

Jolla Announces First Meego Phone Available By End 2013

x_IamSpartacus_x writes "Jolla, the Finnish company that continued Nokia's work on the MeeGo mobile platform, announced details of its first smartphone on Monday. Availability for the Jolla device is expected by year end and can be pre-ordered now; the phone will be priced at no more than €399 (US $512.26). The Jolla hardware looks similar to that of Nokia's Lumia, with a clean, button-less front face that houses the 4.5-inch touchcscreen. The phone will use a dual-core processor and support 4G LTE in some regions. Internal storage tops out at 16 GB, but can be expanded via microSD card. The phone also includes an 8 megapixel rear camera with auto focus. The phone is also 'Android app compliant' which, in a move similar to that of BlackBerry, can help with available apps at launch."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Over 100 Hours of Video Uploaded To YouTube Every Minute

jones_supa writes "Google's YouTube is celebrating its 8-year birthday, and at the same time they reveal some interesting numbers. 'Today, more than 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That's more than four days of video uploaded each minute! Every month, more than 1 billion people come to YouTube to access news, answer questions and have a little fun. That's almost one out of every two people on the Internet. Millions of partners are creating content for YouTube and more than 1,000 companies worldwide have mandated a one-hour mid-day break to watch nothing but funny YouTube videos. Well, we made that last stat up, but that would be cool (the other stats are true).'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Interviews: McAfee Says House Fire Was No Accident

According to reports a bush fire burned down John McAfee's home in Belize on Thursday. The local fire department was unable to to contain the blaze and the the two main buildings were completely destroyed. Property Manager Noel Codd (who was not there at the time) estimated the value of the buildings at $250,000 each. Despite the reported cause of the fire, McAfee says that the destruction of his compound was no accident. We caught up with him to talk about why he thinks the fire was set and what he plans to do now. Read below to see what he had to say.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Yahoo Pinkie-Swears It Won't Ruin Tumblr

Nerval's Lobster writes "Yahoo has agreed to acquire Tumblr for $1.1 billion. As you know, Yahoo is a major corporation with a need to monetize its assets in a way that makes its shareholders happy, leaving open the question of whether it'll alter Tumblr's DNA in order to make the latter more of a significant cash generator. But at least for the moment, Yahoo seems content to leave its new property alone. 'Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business,' read the company's press release. 'The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators.' Tumblr CEO David Karp, who has been known to make some very anti-advertising comments in the past, will remain in place. Even so, anyone who likes Tumblr may have some cause for concern, because Yahoo has a history of making high-profile acquisitions that subsequently implode. Back in 1999, for example, it paid over $3 billion for GeoCities, another blogging network that it eventually shut down after years of failing the update the property. In 2005, it acquired popular photo-sharing Website Flickr, which it likewise allowed to languish and die. That same year it bought Delicious, a popular Webpage-bookmarking site, and did exactly nothing with it. So when Yahoo starts off its Tumblr press release with a promise not to screw things up, it's a self-deprecating nod toward all that history. New Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has been on a bit of a buying spree of late, snatching up startups such as Summly in an attempt to make her company 'cool' and relevant."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Uptick In Whooping Cough Linked To Subpar Vaccines

sciencehabit writes "Whooping cough, or pertussis, has exploded in the United States in recent years. A new study (abstract) confirms what scientists have suspected for some time: The return of the disease is caused by the introduction of new, safer vaccines 2 decades ago. Although they have far fewer side effects, the new shots don't offer long-lived protection the way older vaccines do."

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Dark Matter, WIMPS, and NASA's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Data

cylonlover writes "Recently the media has been saturated with overly-hyped reports that NASA's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer may have detected dark matter. These claims may have some justification if the word 'may' is shouted, but they rest on a number of really major assumptions and guesses, some of which are on weak and shifting soil. So just what was seen in the experiment, and what are the possible explanations?"

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Open Source Projects For Beginners

itwbennett writes "Whoever said 'everyone has to start somewhere' has clearly never tried contributing to an open source project — the Linux Kernel development team in particular is known for its savagery. But if you're determined to donate your time and talents, there are some things you can do to get off on the right foot. Of course you should pick something you're interested in and that you use. Check, and double check. You should also research the project, learn about the process for contributing, and do your utmost to avoid asking questions that you can find the answers to. But beyond that there are some hallmarks of beginner-friendly open source projects like Drupal, Python, and LibreOffice — namely, a friendly and active community, training and mentorship programs, and a low barrier to entry."

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NWS Announces Big Computer Upgrade

riverat1 writes "After being embarrassed when the Europeans did a better job forecasting Sandy than the National Weather Service Congress allocated $25 million ($23.7 after sequestration) in the Sandy relief bill for upgrades to forecasting and supercomputer resources. The NWS announced that their main forecasting computer will be upgraded from the current 213 TeraFlops to 2,600 TFlops by fiscal year 2015, over a twelve-fold increase. The upgrade is expected to increase the horizontal grid scale by a factor of 3 allowing more precise forecasting of local features of weather. The some of the allocated funds will also be used to hire some contract scientists to improve the forecast model physics and enhance the collection and assimilation of data."

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Mageia 3 Released

Freshly Exhumed writes "Forked from Mandriva Linux back in 2010, Mageia Linux has hit a new release milestone. Trish at the Mageia blog announces: 'All grown up and ready to go dancing: Mageia 3's out! We still can't believe how much fun it is to make Mageia together, and we've been doing it for two and a half years. For people who can't wait, get it here; release notes are here. To upgrade from Mageia 2, see here.'" Adds reader hduff: "It offers cutting edge and stable versions of your favorite applications and desktop environments as well as a version of the STEAM gaming software."

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Music and Movies Could Trigger Mobile Malware

mask.of.sanity writes "Lights, sounds and magnetic fields can be used to activate malware on phones, new research has found. The lab-style attacks defined in a paper (PDF) used pre-defined signals hidden in songs and TV programmes as a trigger to activate embedded malware. Malware once activated would carry out programmed attacks either by itself or as part of a wider botnet of mobile devices."

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Ask Slashdot: Wiring Home Furniture?

b1tbkt writes "So it seems that furniture manufacturers have not yet acknowledged the realities of modern life. Kitchen tables could benefit greatly from built-in concealable receptacles. Even more obvious is the need for electrical wiring in couches and coffee tables. I realize that there are safety (fire) concerns but as it stands most families that I know already have power cords for laptops, tables and phones draped over, under and through their couches at any given point. If someone wanted to wire their furniture with AC or some type of standardized LV DC system, what are some dangers to watch for and what, if any, specialized hardware exists for the purpose?"

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Medical Firm Sues IRS For 4th Amendment Violation In Records Seizure

cold fjord writes "A healthcare provider has sued the Internal Revenue Service and 15 of its agents, charging they wrongfully seized 60 million medical records from 10 million Americans ... [The unnamed company alleges] the agency violated the Fourth Amendment in 2011, when agents executed a search warrant for financial data on one employee – and that led to the seizure of information on 10 million, including state judges. The search warrant did not specify that the IRS could take medical information, UPI said. And information technology officials warned the IRS about the potential to violate medical privacy laws before agents executed the warrant, the complaint said." Also at Nextgov.com.

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Military Dolphins Discover 1800s Torpedo

First time accepted submitter The0retical writes "A couple of mine-sweeping dolphins dredged up what is known as a 'Howell torpedo' dating from 1870 to 1889. Only 50 were ever produced, this being the second example known to exist. The 11-foot-long brass torpedo had a maximum range and speed of 400 yards at 25 knots. The new example will be displayed at Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Wash. alongside the only other example."

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Apple Mobile Devices Cleared For Use On US Military Networks

puddingebola writes with this excerpt from a Bloomberg report: "The Pentagon cleared Apple Inc. (AAPL) devices for use on its networks, setting the stage for the maker of iPhones and iPads to compete with Samsung Electronics Co. and BlackBerry for military sales. The Defense Department said in a statement [Friday] that it has approved the use of Cupertino, California-based Apple's products running a version of the iOS 6 mobile platform. The decision eventually may spur a three-way fight for a market long dominated by Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry.'" Also, Apple devices are best for uploading viruses to alien craft.

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Mice, Newts Retrieved After a Month Orbiting Earth At 345 Miles Up

The Associated Press (as carried by the Washington Post) reports that a living payload of newts and mice has been retrieved after a month orbiting earth in a Russian space capsule at an altitude of 345 miles, far higher than the ISS's orbital distance of 205 miles. Says the story: "Fewer than half of the 53 mice and other rodents who blasted off on April 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome survived the flight, Russian news agencies reported, quoting Vladimir Sychov, deputy director of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems and the lead researcher. Sychov said this was to be expected and the surviving mice were sufficient to complete the study, which was designed to show the effects of weightlessness and other factors of space flight on cell structure. All 15 of the lizards survived, he said. The capsule also carried small crayfish and fish."

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IBM Takes System/z To the Cloud With COBOL Update

hypnosec writes "IBM is taking its COBOL server platform to the next level by updating the mainframe platform in a bid to extend and enable its mainframes to host cloud based applications and services. The latest update is looking to add XMLS Server as well as Java 7 capabilities to the System/z COBOL platform and this update would extend the overall lifespan of COBOL by taking it up a notch and gearing it towards the cloud computing arena."

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Google's Nexus Q Successor Hits the FCC

With the kind of cagey phrasing found in many such electronics approval applications, Google describes a device that some are taking to be the successor to its discontinued Nexus Q thus: "The device functions as a media player." From the article: "Some of the specs of the device includes a 2.4GHz WiFi b/g/n connectivity. The FCC report does not contain test photos so we do not know what the device looks like. It is likely that the H840 will support Google Play Music All Access and will have similar functionality as a Sonos media player that can be connected to external speakers."

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Yahoo Board Approves a $1.1B Pricetag For Tumblr

TechCrunch reports that Yahoo's string of acquisitions may soon include Tumblr: "The Wall Street Journal is now reporting via Twitter that the rumored $1.1 billion cash acquisition deal for social blogging site Tumblr has been approved by Yahoo’s board of directors. The Tumblr acquisition was rumored last week, with a price tag reportedly north of $1 billion, which appears to be accurate if the WSJ’s sources are correct." The article notes, too, that "Yahoo had only $1.2 billion cash on hand as of its most recent quarterly earnings, which makes an all-cash offer for Tumblr a lot more of a stretch than it would be for someone like Apple, or even Facebook, which acquired Instagram for $1 billion in a mix of both cash and stock."

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Trade Group: US Software Developer Wages Fell 2% Last Year

First time accepted submitter russotto points out the claim of industry group TechAmerican Foundation (reported by Computerworld) that "wages for the software industry are falling, not rising. Wages fell 2% to $99,000 in 2012." Averages are one thing; the article points out though that wages vary vastly within the industry, and that some jobs are harder to fill (thus, better paid) than others. An excerpt: "Victor Janulaitis, CEO of Janco Associates, a research firm that also analyzes IT wage and employment trends, cited a number of reason for the decline in wages for software professionals. First, technology is becoming easier to implement without having an IT professional, he said. Also, the option of turning to outsourcing creates less pressure to increase wages. As the recession continues, companies continue 'to look at productivity and will often look to hire individuals who are lower cost employees,' said Janulaitis. That could include displaced baby boomer workers who have been out of work for some time and 'will take a lower paying job just to get back into the workforce.'"

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Wikileaks Releases Docs Before Trial of TPB Founder Warg

Pirate Bay Founder Gottfrid Svartholm Warg is to be tried starting tomorrow in Sweden, after his indictment last month for computer hacking and fraud. Wikileaks has released several documents related to his detention and the associated charges. From the summary of this material: "This material includes inter alia the interrogations with GSW and his co-accused, internal correspondence from the Swedish Foreign Minister and the Swedish embassy in Cambodia, damage assessment reports by the companies and the authorities concerned, and correspondence between GSW and Kristina Svartholm and the Swedish prison authorities. The material is formally public, but the Swedish prosecution authority has refused to provide the documents in digital format. Photocopying this volume of paper costs around £350." Notable is the refusal of Warg's request to obtain a graphing calculator while in prison.

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John McAfee's Belize Home Burns To Ground

Velcroman1 writes "The former island home of anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee burned down Thursday afternoon under circumstance he told FoxNews.com were 'suspicious.' It's an odd choice of words from a man whom the Belize police found suspicious, following the November 2012 murder of American expatriate Gregory Faull, a well-liked builder from Florida who was shot at his home in San Pedro Town on the island of Ambergris Caye. 'I believe that there are a select few with great power in Belize that will go to great lengths to harm me,' McAfee said. 'This fire was not just a strange coincidence.'" Watch for more from McAfee soon.

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Amazon, Google and Apple Won't Need To Pay Tax, Despite Goverment Threats

girlmad writes "Despite moves by government to get Google, Amazon and Apple to admit they make sales in the UK and US, and therefore should pay tax on these earnings, this article argues these are empty threats and that any taxes paid will get returned to the tech giants in government grants and subsidies. Tough luck to the small firms out there."

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NetBSD 6.1 Has Shipped

Madwand writes "The NetBSD Project is pleased to announce NetBSD 6.1, the first feature update of the NetBSD 6 release branch. It represents a selected subset of fixes deemed important for security or stability reasons, as well as new features and enhancements. NetBSD is a free, fast, secure, and highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system. It is available for a wide range of platforms, from large-scale servers and powerful desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices. Its clean design and advanced features make it excellent for use in both production and research environments, and the source code is freely available under a business-friendly license. NetBSD is developed and supported by a large and vibrant international community. Many applications are readily available through pkgsrc, the NetBSD Packages Collection."

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Charge Your Cellphone In 20 Seconds (Eventually)

New submitter GoJays writes "An 18-year-old from Saratoga, California has won an international science fair for creating an energy storage device that can be fully juiced in 20 to 30 seconds. The fast-charging device is a so-called supercapacitor, a gizmo that can pack a lot of energy into a tiny space, charges quickly and holds its charge for a long time. What's more, it can last for 10,000 charge-recharge cycles, compared with 1,000 cycles for conventional rechargeable batteries, according to the inventor Eesha Khare." This one in particular has been used so far only to power an LED, rather than a phone or laptop, but I hope in a few years near-instant charging of portable electronics will be the norm as supercapacitors grow more common.

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Yahoo! Japan May Have Had 22 Million User IDs Stolen

hypnosec writes with report of the possible theft of up to 22 million user IDs revealed by Yahoo! Japan. That scale is massive, but, he writes, "According to Yahoo, the information that was stolen didn't have passwords or any other information that would allow unauthorized users to carry out user identity verification." A story at the Japan Times adds a bit more detail.

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Turkey's Erdogan visits Microsoft, Apple, Google

The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been touring Silicon Valley companies this week, on the heels of a similar tour by Turkish President Abdullah Gül last month. Both men received VIP tours of facilities at Microsoft and Google, and met privately with officials from Apple. All three companies are hoping to land a contract to supply the country with at least 10.6 million tablets for the country's students....

Yahoo confirms Tumblr acquisition, Tumblr to remain independent

Yahoo has confirmed it has bought Tumblr, in a deal noted yesterday to be in the region of $1.1 billion. The search company has already moved its company blog over to the blogging platform, and despite CEO Marissa Mayer saying "We promise not to screw it up," there is reportedly a large jump in the number of users moving from Tumblr to Wordpress....

Rumor: fifth-gen iPad to enter full-scale production in July

A report in the Taiwanese trade paper DigiTimes -- which has a mixed track record of accuracy -- claims that Apple will begin large-scale production of the fifth-generation iPad in July, with a possible launch in September. The new model is said to be significantly thinner than the previous full-size model, which was unveiled last September. The report also claims the unit will be a third lighter than the current model....

Kodak unveils new Mac-oriented scanner model

Kodak, continuing its journey back from bankruptcy, has introduced a ScanMate i940 scanner specifically aimed at Apple users for the North American and European market. In addition to featuring increase image accuracy and precision capture, the unit now comes bundled with NewSoft software for Macs, including Presto Pagemanager 9 for scanning images and doing OCR on the scanner as well as Presto BizCard Xpress business card-scanning software....

Teen killed during attempted iPad theft; two men arrested

Two men have been arrested and charged with open murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in the death of 15-year-old Marcos Arenas in Las Vegas last week. Jacob Dismont, 18, and Michael Solid, 21, were charged Saturday over the incident. According to police, the two attempted to steal an iPad away from the youth but he refused to let go of it, resulting in his being dragged and run over by the two men....

Review: MaxUpgrades MaxConnect Optical Bay for Mac Pro 2006-2008

Nobody outside of Cupertino's privileged bunch knows the future of the Mac Pro line for sure. Despite Apple's reluctance to tell us what the line holds, there are a large number of machines in service all getting a bit long in the tooth, relatively speaking. As production Mac Pros have been replaced with new iMacs and even the Mac mini, IT departments are looking for creative ways to repurpose some of the older machines to preserve dwindling budgets and continued expansion of needs. Regardless of generation, the Mac Pro makes an excellent server for the home or business, limited only by the dr...

Reviews: MaxUpgrades MaxConnect for 2006-2008 Mac Pro

Nobody outside of Cupertino's privileged bunch knows the future of the Mac Pro line for sure. Despite Apple's reluctance to tell us what the line holds, there are a large number of machines in service all getting a bit long in the tooth, relatively speaking. As production Mac Pros have been replaced with new iMacs and even the Mac mini, IT departments are looking for creative ways to repurpose som ......

Mini review: Samsung Galaxy S4 with Exynos 5 Octa SoC

We have already published our full review of the Galaxy S4 for the US, which ships with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor. In some international markets, the Galaxy S4 ships with Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa, an eight-core chip that uses ARM's big.LITTLE architecture. We have been using one for the past week, putting it through its paces, although our focus here is to see whether US customers are missing out on any performance....

'Crazy ant' invading Texas, destroying electronics

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered that the US fire ant population is being pushed out by "tawny crazy ants," with an affinity to the interior of electronic devices. The ants are capable of nesting in nearly any container, and as they travel, they disrupt other ant populations....

MacUpdate Weekend Sale:

This weekend MacUpdate has slashed prices on Painter 12 and Painter Lite. <a href="https://deals.macupdate.com/deal/14292/5274">Painter 12</a> retails for $429, but has been reduced by 54% to $199. <a href="https://deals.macupdate.com/deal/14296/5274">Painter Lite</a> has seen a 58% price cut from $69 to $29. Hurry, because these deals are only available until May 19th 2013.

MetroPCS bows out of Net Neutrality lawsuit against FCC

In a court motion filed earlier today, MetroPCS is dropping its net neutrality opposition lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission. The company filed a motion for voluntary dismissal, leaving Verizon to willingly fight the decree and US government on its own....

Mozilla delays plans to block third-party tracking cookies in Firefox

Mozilla is delaying plans to start blocking third-party tracking cookies in Firefox by default, according to an announcement. The company states that more work is needed for the anti-tracking feature. "The idea is that if you have not visited a site (including the one to which you are navigating currently) and it wants to put a cookie on your computer, the site is likely not one you have heard of or have any relationship with," explains Mozilla's Brendan Eich. "But this is only likely, not always true."...

Yahoo schedules press event for May 20, topic 'something special'

Yahoo is holding a "product-related" event on May 20. The New York City event will see CEO Marissa Mayer speaking on an undisclosed topic for about an hour at 5PM EST, which the company calls in an mass email "something special."...

Amazon axes Zombieland, Browsers TV pilots; picks up two others

Amazon has cancelled two television pilots, after poor screenings. The television version of Zombieland will not be made into a series by the internet retailer, nor will Bebe Neuwirth's musical comedy Browsers about interns at a Huffington Post-esque website. Amazon has picked up John Goodman's Washington DC satire Alpha House, and Silicon Valley sitcom Betas....

Apple pulls Bang With Friends app after little over one week

Apple has removed a well-publicized iPhone hookup app from the App Store after just one week of it going live, Valleywag notes. Bang With Friends, still accessible via Android and the web, lets people indicate if they'd like to have sex with a Facebook friend. Notifications are sent out only if the feeling is mutual. Since launching in January, the service has already accumulated about 1 million users....

Stitcher for iOS gets Car Mode, other upgrades

Podcast and radio streaming service Stitcher has released an important update of its iOS app, v5.3.0. The major addition is a selectable Car Mode for the iPhone, which brings up a simplified interface. The mode works in both portrait and landscape views....

Study: tablets, smartphones rule mobile gaming; handhelds wane

A report by market analysts App Annie and IDC continue to show that mobile devices such as the iPhone or the Nexus 7 control a clear majority of mobile gaming interest and dollars spent on purchases, with portable handhelds fading rapidly. The first quarter of 2013 saw another milestone achieved for the Android platform, with it seeing more downloads and consumer spending on games than iOS for the first time....

MacBook Air stock beginning to evaporate ahead of WWDC

Third-party vendors are starting to run out of stock of the 13-inch MacBook Air, says AppleInsider. Amazon, B&H, MacConnection, and MacMall are all out of a common configuration, a system with a 1.8GHz processor and a 256GB SSD. Another reseller, J&R, is saying that it only has the configuration at retail stores. Best Buy continues to have some units....

'iRadio' announcement may miss WWDC, say sources

Apple's mired negotiations with the music industry may prevent it from announcing an "iRadio" service at WWDC on June 10th, industry sources tell The Verge. The people note that Apple is having trouble not just with Sony/ATV, but also BMG. At the same time they suggest there's still a lot of "market momentum" behind iRadio, and that major players such as Universal want to see it launch as soon as possible....

Briefly: Moshi Lightning Cables, Gangstar Rio and N.O.V.A 3 now free

Moshi has released its new line of Lightning cables for Apple's latest iOS devices. Encased in aluminum, the 3.2 foot cables are fully certified for use with the iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th gen), iPod nano (7th gen), iPad (4th gen) and iPad mini. Moshi's USB Cable with Lightning is sold online in two color variants, black and white, for $20....

MacNN forums: Retina MBP shuts down while sleeping

This week in the MacNN forums, one Professional Poster was trying to get to the bottom of a problem they had with their Retina MBP shutting down while in sleep mode, a solution has yet to be found. Fresh-Faced Recruit "frozentundra" is wondering when Apple will update the Mac Pro line....

Apple deals: 15.4-inch MacBook Pros from $1,489

A vast selection of refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro models are available at Apple's Online Store. The 15.4-inch MBP with a 2.3GHz Intel quad-core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive has been reduced to $1,489, a savings of $310. A $420 price cut is offered on the 15.4-inch Retina MBP with 2.3GHz quad-core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive, now $1,679....

DealNN: $200 off 12-Core Mac Pro, more

Currently JR.com has the Mac Pro for the reduced price of $3,599.99, that's $199.01 off the list price of $3,799 and the lowest price we have seen on this Mac model, brand new, anywhere. Free shipping is included and sales tax applies for residents of New York and California. The Mac Pro features a 2.4GHz 12-Core Xeon processor, 12GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. A one year warranty on parts and labor is included from Apple....

Apple devices officially OK'd for secure government networks

Apple's iPhones, iPads and other devices running iOS 6 or higher are officially cleared for use on the US government's secure networks, the Department of Defence announced on Friday. The final approval, which we first reported on in March, also grants Samsung Android devices that are running the Korean company's Knox security lockdown, as well as BlackBerry devices running BB10 the ability to be used on secure networks. The move is expected to further hurt BlackBerry, as it faces competition in the military space for the first time....

iPhone Apps: Plants v. Zombies, Walking Dead, Sonic the Hedgehog

Corning introduces Lotus XT Glass, aimed at high-res displays

The maker of the Gorilla Glass used in iPhones and other mobile devices has unveiled its latest fusion-made, resilient glass for high-resolution displays. Corning, which is also continuing its Gorilla Glass line with a third version this year, officially introduced a "second-generation glass substrate" called Lotus XT Glass. The new variant features many of the properties of some of Corning's other products while being easier and cheaper to manufacture -- a fact that may persuade tech companies to use it in figure products....

Air Force estimates savings of $5.7M per year due to iPad use

A move by the US Air Force last year to replace maps, charts, logs and other paperwork contained in a kit with iPads is expected to save more than $50 million over next 10 years. The 18,000 deployed iPads form an "electronic flight bag" that can hold flight manuals, weather and navigation charts and volumes of technical and procedural information -- eliminating the need for the 30- to 40-pound flight bag pilots used to have to carry with them, resulting in savings ranging from fuel costs to printing costs to even reducing pilot back injuries....

UK: Tablets now outselling both notebooks and desktop PCs combined

A report from market analysts IDC looking at market conditions in the United Kingdom says that in the first quarter of 2013, tablet shipments outpaced the combined desktop and notebook PC for the first time. A total of 2.8 million tablets were shipped in Q1, outpacing the 2.3 million PC units (which include Macs alongside Windows desktops and laptops) by a half-million units -- a rise of 188 percent year-over-year. While the report is limited to the UK, the results likely foreshadow future trends elsewhere....

Opinion: Is the HTC One the ultimate iPhone switcher?

The HTC One may be the ultimate iPhone switch-inducing Android device yet, even if the Samsung Galaxy S4 juggernaut remains unstoppable for the time being. There are a few of key aspects of the HTC's Android flagship device for 2013 that makes it the most likely to interest Apple iPhone 4, 4S and 5 users itching for a change of scenery, but who can't wait as long as September when Jony Ive's design-influenced version of iOS could be released. Many iPhone users also love the beautiful industrial designs that Jony Ive has cooked up for the iPhone over the past few years. For many, however, even...

Virgin Mobile US offers 15 percent discount on iPhone 4, 4S

The US branch of Virgin Mobile is now offering a 15 percent discount on the iPhone 4 and 4S. The promotion is applicable only to web orders, and will last only for a limited time, or until supplies run out. Virgin hasn't said when the sale is scheduled to end....

FTC starts sending COPPA letters to app developers

The US Federal Trade Commission has started sending out two letters to app developers, preparing them for changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act taking effect July 1st, according to an announcement. The letters warn developers that restrictions on the collection of personal data from kids under 13 have been expanded, and now cover things like audio or video bearing a child's likeness. Previously, rules only covered the gathering of names, addresses, and phone numbers....

Apple, CW sign deal to put content on Apple TV

A CW app should soon appear on the Apple TV, Deadline reports. CW CEO Mark Pedowitz announced a deal with Apple during the network's annual upfront presentation in New York. A version of CW TV Now is already available for two Apple platforms -- the iPhone and the iPad -- but Apple TV support should put the app in a more viewing-friendly spot, as with the Xbox 360 and Windows 8 apps....

Foxconn continuing to break Chinese labor laws, FLA finds

Apple's biggest supplier, Hon Hai -- better known as Foxconn -- is continuing to break Chinese labor laws, according to a newly-published audit by the Fair Labor Association. The latest evaluation was conducted in January, and did find that Foxconn is complying with 98.3 percent of the 360 points of action the FLA and Apple initially agreed to. 70 out of 76 items that were pending in mid-2012 have been complied with....

Sharp commences production of new HiDPI IGZO LCD panels

According to Sharp, the company will begin production of three types of IGZO LCD panels that boast pixel densities among the highest in the industry. The panels, scheduled to begin production in June 2013 are intended for use in notebook PCs and will come in three sizes: 11.6 inches, 14 inches, and 15.6 inches. A 13.3 inch panel is already being produced by the company....

UPS ports iOS tracking, scheduling app to iPad

Shipping service UPS has launched a native iPad version of its iOS app. An iPhone app has been available for some time, but has never been updated to be universal. Both titles let people track up to five shipments simultaneously, which are displayed on a map....

Cook speaks ahead of upcoming US Senate testimony

Ahead of the Apple CEO's US Senate testimony, Tim Cook has replied to questions about politics and Apple's offshore tax practices in a new Politico interview. "We don't have a large presence in Washington, as you probably know, but we care deeply about public policy and believe creative policy can be a huge catalyst for a better society and a stronger economy," he says....

Latest Apple dividend payment distributes over $2.8B to shareholders

Apple is today paying out its latest dividend to shareholders. The amount is rated at $3.05 per share, translating into a total of about $2.867 billion for all of the company's 940 million outstanding shares. To be eligible for the dividend, a person must have been a shareholder by May 13th; because qualifying purchases must be settled though, realistically, any stock must have been bought no later than the 8th....

Briefly: eBay adds shopping cart to iOS apps, ThinShield for iPhone 5

eBay has released an updated version of its iOS app featuring a redesigned interface with multiple search views, new shopping car functionality, and larger photo views. Unlike previous versions, users can now add multiple items into their shopping cart and pay for all of them simultaneously. The iPad version has also received several new image editing tools, while the iPhone version includes a new account creation tool that can setup a new account by scanning the barcode of a drivers license. Other changes include new "Search By Best Offer" options, feedback filters, and support for uploading...

New OS X 'KitM.A' malware discovered, mostly impotent

A new semi-functional malware has been found for OSX. Discovered on a computer at the Oslo Freedom Forum by researcher Jacob Appelbaum, the OSX/KitM.A is a backdoor application which launches on boot and captures screenshots on a regular basis, which are then dumped in a folder....

MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0 fixes severe crash bug

Apple has posted a new support download for mid-2012 MacBook Airs, MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0. Unusually, Apple states that the patch is mandatory; it fixes a problem with the Air's firmware that can, potentially, prevent a computer from recovering from a crash. The file is a 1.69MB download, and requires either OS X 10.7.5 or 10.8.3....

Briefly: iKlip 2 and iKlip Studio now shipping, Aud 5 Lighting dock

IK Multimedia has announced that its iKlip 2 and iKlip Studio accessories for the iPad and iPad mini are now available for purchase. Designed to securely hold an iPad on a microphone stand, the iKlip 2 evolves from its predecessor through the use of a new ball-joint hinge that improves a users ability to position the device. Meanwhile, the iKlip Studio is a desktop stand that provides 8 different viewing angle options in 10 degree increments. Both products can be purchased from IK Multimedia's online store for $40 and $30 respectively....

Pebble gains $15M funding, updates SDK with two-way communication

Pebble, the smartwatch that started life on Kickstarter, has received an extra $15 million in funding. The additional funding from investors, on top of the $10.2 million received through its Kickstarter campaign, comes at the same time as the company updates its SDK to include two-way communication for third-party Pebble apps....

Apple updates iTunes to 11.0.3, improves Songs view, MiniPlayer

On Thursday, Apple updated its flagship program iTunes to version 11.0.3, which brings some new features as well as addresses a number of minor bugs and improves security and performance for those running and sorting large collections. The main new features include a redesigned MiniPlayer that now features artwork and a progress bar, and some changes to the Songs view that also adds album artwork. Importantly, multi-disc albums are now seen and counted as one album rather than individual discs....

Colored SIM trays may hint at multi-color iPhone 5S

A long-standing rumor that the next iPhone -- presumably called the 5S -- will be available in colors beyond just black and white received a boost with the publication of photos featuring differently-colored SIM trays, along with high-rez pictures of various other small parts said to be from the forthcoming iPhone model, expected to be released sometime this summer. Though the SIM tray images would be easy to fake, Apple has been making the iPod touch and iPod nano in a set of colors and may have decided to follow suit with the iPhone 5S -- and perhaps a future iPad....

Apps: PDFpen, Skitch, Dropbox

Apple moving flagship SF store, doubling size

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Apple will be eventually closing its One Stockton Street store -- which has been a flagship venue among the San Francisco stores -- and moving it about three blocks away, adjacent to Union Square. The new store will feature an updated design with a more glass-centric design, somewhat reminiscent of the Upper West Side store in New York City. It will also be about 45 percent larger than the current location and increase its staff from 350 to 400....

Apple App Store tops 50 billion downloads [U]

[Updated with the winner's name, the winning app and other details] The App Store has officially surpassed 50 billion downloads, Apple has announced. The company has now announced the winner of the associated contest. Brandon Ashmore of Mentor Ohio, who downloaded the 50 billionth app, will get a $10,000 App Store gift card; meanwhile, 50 runner-ups will each get a $500 card....

Windows Phone shipments beat BlackBerry, lags behind iOS, Android

Shipments of Windows Phone devices have overtaken those of BlackBerry phones for the first time, according to a report. Numbers from IDC places the Microsoft mobile operating system in third place, still a considerable away behind iOS and Android shipments, which are said to make up 92.3-percent of all shipments when combined....

Study: Apple, iOS most effective manufacturer and platform for ads

A new study by mobile advertising analysts Millennial Media finds that Apple's iOS is again the dominant platform for ad impressions, a measure of the effectiveness and engagement with in-app advertising. The report found growth in ad impressions across platforms and manufacturers, apart from BlackBerry which continued to shed users. Apple again swept the hardware results, taking the top manufacturer, top smartphone, and top tablet. Google's Android platform, however, continues to make great strides in growth....

AT&T to offer up to $200 for used iPhone 4S in trade-in promo

Hot on the heels of iPhone 5 promotions from T-Mobile and Verizon, AT&T appears to have thrown its hat into the ring with reports that existing, upgrade-eligible customers are being targeted in a new email. The email offers special trade-in pricing for used iPhone 4S models, promising up to $200 in credit towards the cost of an iPhone 5 -- effectively cancelling out the up-front cost of moving up. Appleinsider reports that the email may be only a regional promotion instead of national....

Ted Nugent’s Brother is For Expanded Background Checks For Guns

Jeffrey Nugent, the former CEO of cosmetics company Revlon, doesn’t completely agree with his brother when it comes to the gun control debate. That’s normal for plenty of U.S. families, but Jeffrey’s views have made headlines because his brother happens to be Ted Nugent, the famous rock star who is well-known as a staunch conservative and hunting aficionado.

Jeffrey penned an op-ed for the Washington Post last week, stating that he and his brother are long-time hunters and members of the National Rifle Association (NRA). He also writes that he and his brother own “a large number of guns.” However, he states that the NRA and his brother are wrong on the issue of expanded background checks, saying, “Irresponsible gun owners are bad for everyone.” From Jeffrey’s op-ed:

And I agree with Ted that our constitutional right to bear arms should not be undermined. I want all those who are qualified to purchase a gun to be able to do so. But — and here is where I part ways with my brother — not everyone is qualified to own a gun, so expanded background checks should be a legislative priority.

I believe strongly that expanding and improving mandatory background checks will keep a lot of people who aren’t entitled to Second Amendment rights from having easy access to guns. As of today, a convicted felon can find a gun show or a private seller and buy a firearm without a background check. That loophole should be closed. Every gun transaction must include a thorough background check. Why would responsible gun owners want to protect people who threaten not only our safety but our gun rights?

Ted Nugent has replied to his brother’s essay with his own opinion piece published on Newsmax on Sunday. Ted salutes his brother for standing up for his views, but calls those views “dead wrong.” From Ted’s op-ed:

Passing expanded background checks would do nothing to curtail or suppress thugs or psychos from accessing weapons and committing mass murder, carjacking, the nightly shootouts in Chicago or a gangsta shooting at the Mother’s Day parade in New Orleans.

Paroled thugs or bug-eyed psychotics could not care less about any gun laws. The bold and ugly reality is that they will always gain access to a weapon. I believe at his core, my brother knows this.

Google Combines Keyword Tool, Traffic Estimator Into Keyword Planner

Google has combined the Keyword Tool and the Traffic Estimator into one tool called the Keyword Planner.

“Behind every successful AdWords campaign are well planned out keywords and ad groups,” says AdWords product manager Deepti Bhatnagar. “In the past, you may have relied on tools like the Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator to identify new keywords and ad groups, get traffic estimates, and choose competitive bids and budgets. Over time however, we’ve heard from you that having two tools for search campaign building was cumbersome.”

“We’re constantly working to simplify the process of building campaigns, and today we’re happy to announce the launch of a new tool, Keyword Planner, which combines the functionality of the Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator into a smooth, integrated workflow,” says Bhatnagar. “You can use Keyword Planner to find new keyword and ad group ideas, get performance estimates for them to find the bid and budget that are right for you, and then add them to your campaigns.”

The tool also comes with some new features, including the ability to find new keyword and ad group ideas by “multiplying” keywords (combining two or more lists to generate new keywords. It will now let you target individual cities and regions within a country.

It also lets you add keyword and group ideas to a “plan,” which Google describes as a shopping cart of ideas that you can add to a current or new campaign.

For more on plans and on the tool in general, read this.

The Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator will be sunsetting in about sixty days.

William Fine Dies; Publisher was 86

William Fine, the publisher of dozens of magazines in the 1960s, has died at the age of 86.

According to a New York Times report, Fine died in Beverly Hills, California on Friday, May 17. He is reported to have succumbed to multiple atrophy syndrome.

During the 1960s Fine published magazines for the Hearst Corporation. His magazines included Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Town & Country. After leaving Hearst, Fine became the president of New York department store Bonwit Teller.

Fine is, perhaps, most well-known for influencing drug law in the U.S. According to the Times, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller once sent Fine to Japan to discover why the country had such low drug addiction rates. Fine’s report focused on the harsh sentences drug dealers in Japan were given. Rockefeller soon signed into law harsh mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug possession, increasing prison populations and influencing drug laws for decades to come.

Smartphone Shipments Will Finally Pass Feature Phones This Year

2013 will be the year that global smartphone shipments finally top feature phones, according to new figured from NPD.

According to the research firm, global smartphone shipments will hit 937 million units this year. That will just outpace global feature phone shipments – which will top out at 889 million. Looking forward, NPD says that global smartphone shipments will break 1.4 billion by 2016. That’s an annual growth rate of 26%, starting back in 2011.

”The global smartphone market is expected to continue growing rapidly over the next two years,” said Shawn Lee, research director at NPD DisplaySearch. “With larger, higher-resolution displays, faster processors, and higher-capacity cellular systems being built, the smartphone is not only becoming a must-have device, but is satisfying many needs that formerly required other computing and consumer electronics devices.”

Here are the projections:

NPD points to emerging markets, like China for instance, for the growth in smartphone shipments. In fact, China accounts for 55% of entry-level smartphone shipments. The whole Asia-Pacific region will account for half of all global smartphone shipments in 2013.

The availability of cheaper ($200 or less) smartphones, plus the spread of 3G and 4G data has led to this increase in smartphone shipments.

“To increase revenue share and gain margin in the smartphone market, a variety of new handsets, as well as new products launched by service and content providers, will enter the market,” Lee said. “As smartphone specifications and features become more advanced, and as device replacement rates increase, we can expect further investment in the industry by manufacturers, carriers, and governments.”

This news leaves Newt Gingrich absolutely perplexed.

7 Horses Test Positive For Steroids, Trainer Banned

7 Horses have tested positive for steroids in what is shaping up to be a bigger investigation than the British Horseracing Authority originally thought.

The horses, which were all trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, were screened after 11 other horses from the same stable tested positive. Al Zarooni admitted to giving steroids to four horses and has been banned by the BHA for eight years, though he says he plans to appeal that decision. In a shocking twist, one of the horses involved was 2012 St Leger winner Encke.

“These test results endorse the swift action and measures taken by the BHA in this matter,” said BHA chief executive Paul Bittar. “Whatever the outcome of his appeal before the independent Appeal Board, the gravity and scale of the infringements warranted Mahmood Al Zarooni being removed from control of the yard as quickly as possible. We welcome the news that Saeed bin Suroor’s horses tested negative and this clears the way for him to now take charge of Moulton Paddocks.”

According to The Daily Mail, the horses involved in the latest scandal are:

ENCKE
Raced four times in 2012 concluding with victory in the St Leger (Group 1) on September 15 at Doncaster. Unraced since. The horse was subjected to post race tests (both negative) on 22nd August at York and again at Doncaster after the St Leger.

ENERGIZER
Won at Royal Ascot 2012 when trained in Germany. Finished last of six in the Great Voltigeur (Group 2) at York on 22nd August on only start for Mahmood Al Zarooni. Unraced since.

GENIUS BEAST
Unraced since finishing eighth of nine in 2011 St Leger.

IMPROVISATION
Ran twice in 2012 as a two year old, finishing third to Steeler on his second start in a Goodwood maiden. Won a maiden race at Newmarket on 17th April 2013 after which the horse was not selected for post race testing.

STAMFORD
Ran twice in 2012 as a two year old, finishing third and fourth in maiden races. Unraced since.

STEELER
As yet unraced in the colours of Godolphin. Ran six times for Mark Johnston as a two year old including winning the Royal Lodge (Group 2) at Newmarket and finishing third in the Racing Post Trophy before transferring to Godolphin.

ZIP TOP
Unraced since finishing second to Camelot in Racing Post Trophy in October 2011, when trained by Jim Bolger.

Hummingbird Feeders You Can Make If You’re A Drinker

Word is that a lot of people are currently looking for Hummingbird feeders. ‘Tis the season.

According to Yahoo search data, queries for “hummingbird feeders” have spiked over 400% on Yahoo this week. Searches for bird feeders in general have spiked 35%, and searches for “what to feed hummingbirds” are up as well.

If you like to throw back a bottle or two of beer or liquor from time to time, you might be happy to know that you’re sitting on some potentially wonderful bases for hummingbird feeders as well. Pinterest and Etsy, not to mention other craft-oriented sites have all kinds of ideas for hummingbird feeder designs, and many of them start with bottles.

A quick search on Pinterest for “hummingbird feeders” will unearth a lot of interesting ideas, including some of the designs below.

DeeLuxDesigns (Etsy)

DeeLuxDesigns (Etsy)

Ground Beef Budget

Pinterest

Pinterest

DeeLuxDesigns (Etsy)

MadInCrafts

SimplyGlass (Etsy)

SimplyGlass (Etsy)

Just remember, you’re not feeding the birds the booze.

[via Pinterest]

Sinbad: Bankrupt And $8 Million In Debt

Sinbad, the popular ’90s comedian and sitcom star, is reportedly into the IRS for some major money, and filed for bankruptcy in April

The 53-year old actor allegedly owes more than $8 million to the IRS and several hundred thousand to various creditors, but can only claim about $131,000 in assets. He was forced to put his Hidden Hills estate up for sale a while back in an effort to pay down his debts, and this is the second time he’s filed for bankruptcy. According to court documents, he brings in about $16,000 a month and simply can’t keep up with his bills.

Sinbad isn’t the only celebrity plagued by money problems; last year, “CSI” star Gary Dourdan filed for bankruptcy to get out of credit card debt. Wesley Snipes has also gone to court.

Maybe Sinbad can reprise his guest-starring role on “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” and make some quick cash.

You Will Finally Get To See What The PS4 Looks Like On June 10

There was only one question on the minds of many after February’s PS4 conference – where was the console itself? Well, those desperate to see what the PS4 actually looks like won’t have to wait much longer.

Sony announced today that it’s E3 2013 press conference will be taking place on June 10 at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. To hype people up for the press conference, Sony has also released a short teaser that kind of shows what the new PS4 will look like if you squint really hard:

Of course, we’ll have to wait until June 10 to see what the final PS4 hardware will look like. Well, that is unless somebody decides to leak pictures of the hardware before then. Sony isn’t exactly known for being leak-proof.

In other next-gen news, we’re likely to see the next Xbox hardware tomorrow at its unveiling event. We might even see the next generation of Kinect hardware. Just don’t expect it to be cheap.

Obama Approval Rating Still Solid, Despite Critics

Last week was, perhaps, the toughest week the Obama administration has yet faced. While congressional Republicans were still trying to turn the Benghaz attacks into a full-fledged scandal, two clearly real scandals have appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the past two weeks. One involves the IRS targeting the large influx of tax-exempt Tea Party-related groups for extra scrutiny. The other scandal involves the U.S. Justice Department seizure of Associated Press journalists’ telephone records in secret subpoenas.

It seems, however, that none of the negative press has affected President Obama’s approval ratings. According to a CNN/ORC poll released this weekend, the President still enjoys a 53% approval rating.

This is despite the fact that those polled knew about the recent scandals and even considered them important. 71% of those polled considered the IRS’s actions unacceptable, while 52% thought the Justice Department’s phone record seizures were unacceptable. Over 60% of these same respondents believe that President Obama’s statements about the IRS scandal have been at least mostly true.

Presidential spokespersons have been aggressively combating efforts to link Obama directly to the IRS scandal. White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer this Sunday hit the talk show circuit, stating that the President did not know of the policy before it hit the media.

The President himself did not address the topics this weekend. Instead, the President used his weekly address to speak about building up the middle class in the U.S.:

Stewart/Pattinson Split: Is It For Good This Time?

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have reportedly split up again, despite being seen in public recently holding hands.

The couple have been patching things up since Stewart cheated on her “Twilight” co-star with her “Snow White And The Huntsman” director, Rupert Sanders, but they appear to have hit another rough patch.

“They are going to stay living at Kristen’s house because of the dogs,” a source said. “It’s not fully over or he would have moved out.”

Pattinson reportedly didn’t show up to a birthday get-together Stewart threw for him recently, which started rumors flying about a potential breakup. But friends of the couple say they’ve been through hard times before and they always find their way back to each other.

Stewart released a public apology after she was busted with Sanders, saying, “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry.”