News From Yellow Business Pages » Wired: Top Stories

How To: Make Your Own Flavored Vodka

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

Add flavor to your favorite firewater using a process called infusion. Well, technically, it's called maceration, but the effect is the same -- tasty flavored cocktails of your own design.

First Look: New Dungeons & Dragons Stats Leak to Web

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 7:30pm EST by Underwire

Tags: [edit]

The Dungeons & Dragons Experience turns out to be a rich source of information about the upcoming fourth edition of the classic game.

Giugiaro Build's the World's Ugliest Prius, But Boy Is It Quick

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 6:45pm EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

One of Italy's most famed designers unveils the Quaranta concept, a solar-assisted hybrid supercar that's as quick as it is ugly.

Leap Year Code Glitch Shutters South Carolina DMV

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 6:30pm EST by Threat Level

Feb. 29, 2008, a leap year day, caused South Carolina's DMV to shut down for half a day due to software glitches, and one other government site -- a volcano webcam -- could be affected for months to come.

Prolific Spammer's Conviction Upheld in Virginia

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 5:45pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The state Supreme Court affirms the nation's first felony conviction for spamming, ruling that Jeremy Jaynes is not protected by the free-speech provisions of the First Amendment.

Prolific Spammer's Conviction Upheld in Virginia

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 5:45pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The state Supreme Court affirms the nation's first felony conviction for spamming, ruling that Jeremy Jaynes is not protected by the free-speech provisions of the First Amendment.

Airborne Bacteria Make It Rain, Researchers Find

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 4:45pm EST by Brandon Keim

Tags: [edit]

Next time it rains, blame bacteria. According to a study published this week, airborne bacteria are the most common particles that let ice crystals -- the precursors of raindrops -- form in clouds.

Judge Allows WikiLeaks to Resume U.S. Operations

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 4:30pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

The anonymous whistle-blower site WikiLeaks is allowed back online in the United States as a federal judge rescinds his earlier order shuttering the site for publishing leaked Swiss banking records that hinted at money laundering.

California Snags Another Half Billion for Stem Cell Labs

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 3:50pm EST by David Jensen

Tags: [edit]

California's stem cell agency has announced that grant applicants have raised nearly $500 million in matching funds, qualifying for another $262 million in state money for the construction of stem cell research laboratories.

Want to Win Google's Love? Pony Up the Cash

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 3:15pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

The only way Ed Reese has been able to get Google to acknowledge his business is by paying monthly fees to local listing networks such as Superpages.com and Yellowbook.com. His experience begs the question: Does local search work, or do you need to pay to play?

TED 2008: Scientist Gives Riveting Account of Her Own Stroke

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 2:15pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

When neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor experienced a stroke in 1996, the first thing to go was her sense of being separate from the objects around her. Taylor gave a first-person account of her experience at the TED conference in Monterey this week.

Worth the Wait: Chumby Lands at a Desk Near You

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 1:30pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

The wireless internet widget device Chumby touches down after years in development hell and it's totally worth the wait.

Worth the Wait: Chumby Lands at a Desk Near You

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 1:30pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

The wireless internet widget device Chumby touches down after years in development hell and it's totally worth the wait.

Baidu.com Sued Again, This Time by One of Its Own

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 11:15am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The Chinese downloading service is targeted by a local music industry group, which accuses it of "unfettered piracy."

Baidu.com Sued Again, This Time by One of Its Own

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 11:15am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The Chinese downloading service is targeted by a local music industry group, which accuses it of "unfettered piracy."

Microsoft, After Some Wrangling, Cuts Price of Vista

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 10:50am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The software maker will cut between 20 and 48 percent off the price of some versions of its operating system, but not without some internal turmoil.

Microsoft, After Some Wrangling, Cuts Price of Vista

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 10:50am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The software maker will cut between 20 and 48 percent off the price of some versions of its operating system, but not without some internal turmoil.

Technical Problems, Cost Overruns Plague Mars Project

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 10:30am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Engineers must redesign the heat shield for the Mars Science Laboratory, adding another $20 million to $30 million to NASA's ambitious project that is already $165 million over budget.

Microsoft Wants Sync to Control More Than Gadgets

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 12:45am EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft wants to bring the internet to our cars -- oh, and advertising, too.

Facebook Launches Band Pages

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 12:15am EST by Listening Post

Tags: [edit]

Look out, MySpace -- Facebook Music adds cool ways for bands to promote themselves on the popular social networking site.

Rock Star-Turned-Physicist Trades Keyboard for Atom Smasher

Posted: February 29th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Kim Zetter

Tags: [edit]

Physicist Brian Cox played in a band that recorded what became the anthem of Britain's Labour Party. Now he's about to simulate the big bang at CERN's super collider. A Wired.com Q&A from the TED conference in Monterey, California.

Teenage Hacker Is Blind, Brash and in the Crosshairs of the FBI

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Kevin Poulsen

Tags: [edit]

A 17-year old from East Boston, blind from birth, has nevertheless gained access to telephone company systems over and over again. It's pissing off AT&T and Verizon and making him the target of federal prosecutors and the FBI.

Regina Lynn's Sex Drive: Internet Pushes Polyamory to Its 'Tipping Point'

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Regina Lynn

Tags: [edit]

After heating up on Usenet and relationship blogs, "responsible, consensual nonmonogamy" boils over into the mainstream. Commentary by Regina Lynn.

Feb. 29, 45 B.C.: Julius Caesar Takes the Leap

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Randy Alfred

Tags: [edit]

Julius Caesar figures out that those extra hours have added up, and he reforms the Roman calendar by adding an extra day every four years. Enter the leap year.

TED 2008: Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes, Susan Blackmore Says

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 8:30pm EST by Kim Zetter

Tags: [edit]

British scholar Susan Blackmore says that as memes -- ideas or information that copy themselves from person to person through repetition -- are evolving much like genes. In fact, Blackmore argues that humans are mere vehicles for the replication and evolution of memes.

The Cold War-Era Assault on Comic Book Culture, Revisited

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Josh McHugh

Tags: [edit]

Author Dave Hajdu tells the story of an infamous time in magazine history in the United States in his new book, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America. While today's gamers eagerly await the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, we recall a time when the ten-cent comic book was about as titillating as it got, and what the U.S. did to try to purge it.

The Cold War-Era Assault on Comic Book Culture, Revisited

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Josh McHugh

Tags: [edit]

Author Dave Hajdu tells the story of an infamous time in magazine history in the United States in his new book, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America. While today's gamers eagerly await the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, we recall a time when the ten-cent comic book was about as titillating as it got, and what the U.S. did to try to purge it.

Alt Text Video: Link's Weapons in Zelda

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Lore Sjöberg

Tags: [edit]

Wired's Lore Sjöberg dives into the Legend of Zelda universe for a look at Link's boomerangs, swords, bombs and other tools of destruction. Join us each week for Lore's cartoons and his insightful, slightly warped commentary.

How to 'Google Bomb' an Enemy

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 7:45pm EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

Got a bone to pick with an internet adversary? Peeved at a scofflaw organization or a shady political figure? Get revenge in proper geek fashion by crafting a Google bomb.

Will New Blu-ray Drives Suck Your Laptop Battery Dry?

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 7:30pm EST by Bryan Gardiner

Tags: [edit]

One reason Blu-ray drives haven't shown up in many notebook PCs may be that early versions of the drives are power hogs, eating up so much battery life that you might only get halfway through a movie before needing to plug in.

NASA's Lunar Lowrider

Posted: February 28th, 2008, 7:00pm EST by Brandon Keim

Tags: [edit]

The Chariot is NASA's radically new design for a lunar rover. No doors, no windows and no seats -- and each of its six wheels has independent steering.

Get "Free" for Free

Posted: February 25th, 2008, 12:00am EST

Tags: [edit]

It's free -- really. No subscription, no purchase. Just fill out the form and be one of the 10,000 who can get this issue for $0.00.

Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business

Posted: February 25th, 2008, 12:00am EST

Tags: [edit]

King Gillette's 1895 disposable blades made good freebies to help sell other products. Companies use his business model today to create demand for their goods: Give away the cell phone, sell the monthly plan; make the videogame console cheap and sell expensive games. Now, the underlying technologies that power the web are making "freeconomics" a full-fledged economy.

Feb. 25, 1723: He Built His City With Rock and Rule

Posted: February 25th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Randy Alfred

Tags: [edit]

Christopher Wren is known today mainly for his magnificent architecture, but his accomplishments in hard science are also something to behold.

Wired.com Photo Contest: Red

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Wired.com Photo Department

Tags: [edit]

Submit your best "red" photo and win a spot in a gallery on Wired.com.

Top 10 Wired Holga Photos, Decided by You

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Wired.com Photo Department

Tags: [edit]

We challenged our readers to give us their best Holga photos and vote on which ones they liked best. Here are the results.

Editor's Picks for Best Wired.com Holga Photos

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Wired.com Photo Department

Tags: [edit]

These photos didn't get the most votes in our Holga contest, but we thought they were exceptional.

Matching Up Current Tech News With Oscar-Nominated Films

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 6:00pm EST by Gadget Lab Blog

Tags: [edit]

In observation of the 80th annual Academy Awards, the Gadget Lab crew attempts to see all the year's best in a crazy movie marathon week. They match up three of this year's nominees with their favorite current tech stories.

Pakistan Bans Access to YouTube

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 5:30pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Pakistan bans access to the video-sharing website YouTube because of anti-Islamic movies that users have posted on the site.

Donahue Tackles Iraq in Body of War

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 4:00pm EST by Underwire

Tags: [edit]

Talk-show legend Phil Donahue speaks with Wired.com about his film, Body of War, which he and co-director Ellen Spiro use to explore the tragic ramifications of a foolish, illegal and unnecessary war in Iraq.

Microsoft Calls It Quits With HD DVD

Posted: February 24th, 2008, 3:45pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft announces it will stop making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 videogame system after Toshiba ceded the high-definition video format battle to Sony's Blu-ray.

Anatomy Lesson: How to Assemble a Chickensaurus

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 7:00pm EST by Geek Dad

Tags: [edit]

As a lesson in anatomy, Kevin Kelly and his son reassemble a chicken skeleton from the bones remaining after a chicken dinner. See the results on Wired.com's Geek Dad blog.

Pirated Flicks Yield DIY Oscars Screenings

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 5:30pm EST by Underwire

Tags: [edit]

Torrent sites serve up the vast majority of movies nominated for Academy Awards. Vote for your favorite Most Wired films.

Judge Greenlights Suit Against Microsoft Over Vista OS

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 5:30pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

A federal judge approves a class action lawsuit against Microsoft over the way it advertised computers loaded with Windows XP as capable of running the Vista operating system.

FDA Breast Cancer Drug Approval Prompts Mixed Reaction

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 4:30pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

In a surprise decision that could represent a shift in standards for assessing the effectiveness of cancer medicines, the FDA clears Avastin for use in treating breast cancer. The federal agency is judging the drug's effectiveness based on measurements of tumor growth, not patient survival.

Japan Aerospace Agency Launches Communications Satellite

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 3:30pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Japan's space agency launches an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission at home and in Southeast Asia.

Gates: Speech Software Will Overtake Keyboards

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates says people will increasingly interact with computers using speech or touch screens rather than keyboards, and in five years, more Internet searches will be done through speech than through typing on a keyboard.

Portal Perfection, Unreal Problems at GDC

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 1:30pm EST by Game/Life

Tags: [edit]

The secret to crafting Portal's perfect blend of gameplay and story, according to Kim Swift and Eric Wolpaw, is to cut, cut, and cut some more. Susan Arendt reports from the 2008 Game Design Challenge.

How-To Share MP3s With Your Facebook Friends Using DoubleTwist

Posted: February 23rd, 2008, 12:00am EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

Want to get started sharing your DRM-free MP3s with your friends? Follow our guide in the Wired.com How-To Wiki and you'll be sharing music with your Facebook buddies in minutes.

Geek ChicGallery: Costumes of WonderCon 2008

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 9:30pm EST by Jenna Wortham

Tags: [edit]

From superheroes to pirate queens, WonderCon attendees love to dress up as characters ripped from the pages of comics and from the silver screen. Wired.com presnnts a gallery of some of the best costumes seen at San Francisco's comics convention.

Can Apple Patent the Pinch? Experts Say It's Possible

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Bryan Gardiner

Tags: [edit]

Apple has filed many patent applications relating to multitouch interfaces like that found on the iPhone -- including patents on the "pinch" gesture used to zoom in and out. As other manufacturers bring multitouch devices to market, Apple's patent applications could prove a major stumbling block.

Microsoft Says It Wouldn't Move All of Yahoo

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 7:00pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Yahoo shares fall sharply in early trading Monday but are off their lows following the surprise weekend announcement that Microsoft withdrew its $47.5 billion takeover bid.

Exascale Computing Requires Chips, Power and Money

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 7:00pm EST by Alexis Madrigal

Tags: [edit]

Scientists at two national laboratories are launching an effort to create new computers capable of completing one million trillion calculations per second.

Judge Dismisses RIAA Racketeering Lawsuit

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 6:45pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

A legal attack on the Recording Industry Association of America is suffering a setback after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing the recording label's lobbying arm of racketeering. The suit sought to represent "thousands" of individuals the lawyers claim were falsely sued by the RIAA for copyright infringement.

Gallery: The Hard Science Behind Videogame Technologies

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Alexis Madrigal

Tags: [edit]

Wired.com takes a look at some of the real-world scientific applications of the latest gaming gear on display at the Game Developers Conference.

Wild Ideas for Interspecies Gaming

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 2:45pm EST by Game|Life

Tags: [edit]

Three videogame vets think way outside the box during the Game Design Challenge, pitching concepts for getting dolphins, dogs and bacteria into the game.

Forumwarz: Hilarious NSFW Satire Skewers Web Culture

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 2:45pm EST by Compiler

Tags: [edit]

The role-playing game Forumwarz takes an offensive but deadly funny approach to lampooning the poor grammar, childish humor and bad manners of the web's underbelly. Players accumulate points by wreaking havoc on a series of fake websites, insulting others as they go.

U.S. Spies Want to Find Terrorists in 'World of Warcraft'

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

The nation's intelligence community launches a program to see if it can detect terrorists playing in virtual worlds and games like Second Life and World of Warcraft. The project hopes to study what normal people do in online games in order to later detect people who want to kill for politics, not fun.

Honey Bees Give Clues on Virus Spread

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Carl Zimmer

Tags: [edit]

As scientists try to solve the mystery of dying bees, it becomes more and more clear that nature is awesomely complex. Commentary by Carl Zimmer

Nurture Your Newborn Leopard -- Optimize Mac OS X With Free Software

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 1:45pm EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

Apple's native operating system provides a wealth of helpful applications right out of the box. But by downloading some free software and making a few tweaks to the system, you can make it do so much more. Wired's How-To Wiki shows you everything you need to trick out your Mac.

Review: M-Audio's MixLab Tutors Aspiring Digital DJs

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 1:30pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

M-Audio's MixLab is a perfect start for wannabe DJs: It lets you drag and drop tracks into two virtual on-screen decks. From there, you can take the tunes and run with them.

Google's Brin Calls Microsoft Bid a Threat to Innovation

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 11:55am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

A Microsoft-Yahoo merger would threaten innovation on the internet, says Google cofounder Sergei Brin, who describes the maneuver as "unnerving."

DNA Testing Confirms Mankind's African Origins

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 10:25am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Anthropology's long-held theory that Africa is our common point of origin appears to be borne out by new DNA sampling from a variety of cultures.

Appeal Trial Begins for Disgraced Japanese Net Mogul

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 10:15am EST

Tags: [edit]

Takafumi Horie, the flamboyant former CEO of Livedoor sentenced to 2-1/2 years for defrauding shareholders, will try to avoid actual prison time. Not surprisingly, his attorney says Horie is innocent.

Computers Are Smart, but They Don't Understand Apostrophes

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 10:05am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

It's a common piece of punctuation that continues bedeviling computers well into the information age. The reason? Sloppy programming, mostly.

EU Skeptical of Microsoft's Promise to Share Technology

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 9:55am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Regulators say the software maker still hasn't addressed past monopolistic practices, and continues bundling Internet Explorer with its Windows OS.

Bridging the Future: Behind the Scenes at the Bay Bridge Construction

Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 12:00am EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

Take a look up close at the steel and concrete skeleton of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as it's being built. It's one of Caltrans' biggest engineering challenges in decades, featuring a cantilevered design, 5,000 miles of steel strands and 450,000 cubic yards of concrete.

Feb. 22, 1918: A Really Big Kid From Alton, Illinois

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Tony Long

Tags: [edit]

Robert Pershing Wadlow is born and will soon astound the world as the tallest man who ever lived.

Fearless War Docs Fight the Good Fight at Oscars

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 8:30pm EST by Jason Silverman

Tags: [edit]

Indie filmmakers' gritty, controversial coverage of Iraq and Afghanistan go where mainstream media fears to tread. The unvarnished truth may bomb at the box office, but the stories need to be told.

In First-Ever Online Primary, Obama Wins the Expatriate Vote

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 6:30pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Even a scientist working in a location as remote as Antarctica logged in online to cast a vote for Democrat Barack Obama, who won the global primary Thursday.

Genetic 'Junk' Could Answer Riddle of Vertebrate Evolution

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 6:30pm EST by Brandon Keim

Tags: [edit]

The sudden appearance of vertebrates 600 million years ago has been a bit of a mystery to evolutionary biologists. New research suggests the development of backbones may be tied to microRNA, which is produced by so-called "junk" DNA.

First 10 Teams Register to Compete for Lunar X Prize

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 6:00pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

The first 10 teams to officially register for Google's $30 million robotic race to the moon promise to win. They'll compete with other great robotics teams, such as the crew from Carnegie Mellon University who won the Darpa Urban Challenge and the Romanians who made a run for the money in the Ansari X Prize.

How to Optimize a Fresh Windows Installation

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 3:40pm EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

Whether you're starting from scratch with a brand-new computer or you've decided to go back to a totally clean slate and reinstall your entire operating system, here are some tips and tricks to make a fresh installation of Microsoft Windows up-to-date, more secure and more usable.

Readers Send Us Their Lunar Eclipse Photos

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 2:15pm EST by Wired Science Blog

Tags: [edit]

The lunar eclipse on February 20 was captured by Wired.com readers from Santiago, Chile to Waterloo, Ontario. We publish some of the best reader submissions.

New York Wants a Clean, Green, Iconic 'Taxi of Tomorrow'

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 1:15pm EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

New York City wants to shake up the cab industry by dictating the terms of taxi design to create the "taxi of tomorrow" -- cleaner, greener and much cooler.

Google Tests Text-Ad Overlays for Videos

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 11:45am EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

In an effort to boost ad revenue, Google rolls out AdSense for video beta. Under the program, publishers are expected to boost their advertising revenue.

Smart ForTwo Sales Driven by Novelty, Convenience

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 11:00am EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

The Smart ForTwo is a big seller in surprising markets -- like La Vista, Nebraska. That’s good news, but it raises questions about why people are buying the car and how long it will be a hot item.

T-Mobile Goes Old School With Landline Phone Service

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 10:40am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The mobile company is testing a plan that allows customers to keep their existing landline phone -- even their existing phone number -- but obligates them to the carrier's cellphone service as well.

Google, the Big Brother of Health Records?

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 10:30am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Google is testing a new electronic storage service for medical records, a move the company says will make record-keeping more efficient. Privacy advocates have other concerns.

Virus Writers Wanted: Only Fluent Speakers Need Apply

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 9:50am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

With spam and targeted attacks increasingly occurring on non-English language websites, programmers with fluency in the language of the intended target are highly sought after.

Spy Sat Shootdown Shown on Navy Tape

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 9:00am EST by Danger Room

Tags: [edit]

A Navy missile blasts a dying -- and potentially poisonous -- spy satellite just above the atmosphere. Watch the footage.

Review: Sleek Audio SA6 Headphones Sing to Your Ears

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 12:00am EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

Sleek Audio SA6 in-ear headphones offer untouchable, customized audio quality from a 30-year veteran of hearing-aid design.

Disk-Encryption Security Flaw Revealed: Not 'Minor'

Posted: February 21st, 2008, 12:00am EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Princeton and EFF researchers demonstrate they can recover an encryption key from RAM after a computer has gone into standby mode, and even after a few minutes without power.

TVs Pump Brains Full of Poison in 'The Signal'

Posted: February 20th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Jason Silverman

Tags: [edit]

Don't touch that dial. The boob tube turns into the blood tube in a new sci-fi horror flick that paints mass media as a murder-inducing toxin.

HD-DVD Death Is Official; Downloads to Kill Blu-Ray Next

Posted: February 16th, 2008, 8:30pm EST by Gadget Lab Blog

Tags: [edit]

Reuters confirms Toshiba will cease manufacturing HD-DVD equipment, which leaves Blu-Ray as the presumptive victor in the irrelevant optical disk format war. Rob Beschizza reports in his Gadget Lab blog.

Flu Vaccine Is a Poor Match for Current Strains

Posted: February 16th, 2008, 4:45pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

It's shaping up to be a bad flu season, and U.S. health officials say it's partly because the current vaccine doesn't protect against most of the spreading flu bugs. The flu shot is a good match for only about 40 percent of this year's flu viruses.

Digital TV Shift Will Affect Millions of Consumers

Posted: February 16th, 2008, 4:15pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The switch from analog to digital TV broadcasts will be complete in just one year, on Feb. 17, 2009, and many consumers are puzzling over how the shift will affect them. What exactly do they need to make the transition?

The Problem of Scale in Environmental Solutions

Posted: February 16th, 2008, 3:30pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

With several panels dedicated to biofuels at the AAAS annual meeting, the sustainability of growing a large percentage of our transportation fuel is emerging as a major theme of the conference. Alexis Madrigal reports from Boston.

Crowdsourcing Puts Crucial Superdelegates Under a Microscope

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Sarah Lai Stirland

Tags: [edit]

The Democratic Party's pick for presidential candidate may be decided by 795 party members with no obligation to respect the views of rank-and-file voters. Now thanks to collaborative software and lots of volunteers, voters can find out who they are, and how they plan to vote.

Tip the Odds in Your Favor: How to Count Cards

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 7:00pm EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

There are few card games in Vegas with better odds than blackjack, but just knowing how to play the game isn't enough to gain a significant advantage. To really clean up, you need to learn how to count cards. Follow this simple guide from Wired's How-To Wiki.

Project Resolution: Four 1080p Projectors Tested and Rated

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 6:00pm EST by Chuck Cage

Tags: [edit]

We compare four fine 1080p projectors that won't break the bank.

Customers Shrug Off Amazon S3 Service Failure

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 6:00pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

Amazon's virtual storage service, S3, suffered a 2.5-hour service failure Friday morning, causing outages and other problems at a wide range of web businesses. Most customers remained unconcerned, however.

And the 14 Grand Engineering Challenges of the 21st Century Are ...

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 6:00pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

Eighteen of the world's smartest people, from Larry Page to J. Craig Venter, make a 14-point to-do list to save the world.

Inside America's Satellite-Killing Missile

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 4:00pm EST by Danger Room

Tags: [edit]

The weapon that the Pentagon wants to use to shoot down a failing satellite is well-tested. But its one weakness could pose a problem, as the military tries to take that satellite out.

Online Tributes Memorialize Northern Illinois University Shooting Victims

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 3:00pm EST by The Underwire

Tags: [edit]

In the wake of Thursday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, several memorials dedicated to the victims of the tragedy have sprung up on social networking site Facebook and YouTube.

Experts Scoff at Satellite Shoot-Down Rationale

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Danger Room

Tags: [edit]

The Pentagon says it has to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite because of the threat of a toxic gas cloud. Space security experts are calling the rationale "comedic gold."

Nokia N81: First U.S. Cellphone With N-GAGE Platform

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 2:30pm EST by Joe Brown

Tags: [edit]

Nokia N81 Cellphone has new N-GAGE platform, and a lightning-fast camera.

Malfunctioning Mitochondria May Cause Heart Disease

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 1:30pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

Researchers confirm a link between mitochondrial defects and heart disease in mice -- a discovery that could eventually help prevent heart disease in humans.

World's Scientists Converge on Boston for AAAS

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 1:00pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

The annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science attracts more than 8,000 scientists for discussions and presentations of all types. Wired Science provides full coverage from Friday through Monday.

Oceans Are Vast, but Not Big Enough to Escape Humans

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 11:00am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Although the oceans cover 70 percent of the Earth's surface, human activity has affected even the remotest corners of the marine environment -- usually for the worse.

Several Top Execs Leaving Microsoft as Company Shuffles Deck

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 10:50am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Despite denials, the exodus may be prompted by fears of a radical shakeup if Microsoft's attempt to acquire Yahoo is successful.

Want iPhone Apps? Get Ready to Shop in iTunes

Posted: February 15th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Bryan Gardiner

Tags: [edit]

When it releases the iPhone software development kit later this month, Apple will likely use iTunes as the means of distributing third-party software. That has programmers excited, because of iTunes' massive audience -- but also nervous about the amount of control Apple will have.

Search for Hidden Treasures With Google's MyMaps Slideshow

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Compiler

Tags: [edit]

Thanks to the success of its MyMaps tool, Google is currently hosting more than 9 million custom maps generated by its users. That's a lot of geodata, so Google has introduced a new slideshow tool to help you browse the publicly available user-created maps in its MyMaps database.

Regina Lynn's Sex Drive: Unexpected Sources Drive Progress of Sex Tech

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Regina Lynn

Tags: [edit]

Sex drives tech, as it drives most things. But tech also drives tech -- sex tech, that is. Some adult products emerge from the most unexpected places. Commentary by Regina Lynn.

How to Hang a Flatscreen HDTV

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by How-To Wiki

Tags: [edit]

Mounting your HDTV on the wall makes for the most dramatic and cinematic viewing experience. Follow the advice of Wired's How-To Wiki to keep everything clean, straight and safe. And please, don't hang it on the ceiling.

Gallery: Scientists Scan Striking Nanoscale Images

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Emmet Cole

Tags: [edit]

The 25th anniversary of scanning tunneling microscopes was marked by an international contest to celebrate the most remarkable images created through this atomic-level technology. See some of the contest's most noteworthy submissions in this photo gallery.

Feb. 15, 2005: YouTube and Your 15 Minutes of Fame

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Tony Long

Tags: [edit]

YouTube makes its debut, and the mass hysteria of video sharing is off and running.

Found: Artifacts From the Future

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 7:00pm EST by Eric Smillie

Tags: [edit]

You say you adore Princess Leia ... well, show the love.

New CO2-Capturing Material Could Make Power Plants Cleaner

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 5:45pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

Chemists unveil a type of material that could eventually help power plants generate electricity without emissions.

House Democrats Stand Up to Bush, Refuse to Rubber Stamp Domestic Spying

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 5:30pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Despite pressure from President Bush and Republican lawmakers, Democratic leaders in the House refuse to rush through a controversial domestic spying bill that includes amnesty for phone companies.

Humans Screwing Up More Than Half of World's Oceans

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 5:15pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

A new map of human impacts on marine ecosystems shows that more than half of the world's ocean area has already been profoundly affected by humans -- and just four percent is still in pristine condition.

Pirated Copies of Aussie 'Sopranos' in High Demand

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 3:00pm EST by The Underwire

Tags: [edit]

A violent, controversial true-crime drama is fast becoming a hit on file sharing networks after authorities pulled it off the airwaves. Thousands of viewers are rushing to download Underbelly, hailed by critics as an Australian version of The Sopranos, shortly after the broadcast premiere Wednesday.

10 Gadgets That Are Better Than Valentine's Dates

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 2:55pm EST by Daniel Dumas and Jose Fermoso

Tags: [edit]

We pick out 10 gadgets we'd rather spend time with on Valentine's Day.

A Wired.com Favorite Photo Site in Trouble: TheOnesWeLove.org

Posted: February 14th, 2008, 2:30pm EST by Underwire

Tags: [edit]

Bandwidth costs threaten to shut down one of the Wired.com Photo Department's favorite photo websites, TheOnesWeLove.org.

China Cracking Down on Internet as Part of Crime Sweep

Posted: February 12th, 2008, 11:25am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Websites deemed illegal, as well as computer markets and internet cafes, are being targeted by Chinese authorities involved in a bigger crackdown on juvenile crime.

U.S.: Arctic Oil Deposits May Be Ours, All Ours

Posted: February 12th, 2008, 11:00am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

New mapping data that shows Alaska's continental shelf extending farther out to sea than previously believed may bolster U.S. claims to oil and gas reserves contained in areas currently the subject of an international dispute.

Columbus Lab Secured to International Space Station

Posted: February 12th, 2008, 10:45am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

It's slow going but good going as astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis and the international space station attach the European Space Agency's laboratory module to the orbiting station.

One Candidate Mastered Online Campaigning. Too Bad It Was Ron Paul

Posted: February 12th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Jason Tanz

Tags: [edit]

The Texas Republican may be shifting his focus to his congressional campaign, but as the Web's favorite dark horse, Ron Paul harnessed the power of the Internet to turn his long-shot candidacy into a powerful rallying cry for disaffected Netizens.

Gallery: How Google Got Its Colorful Logo

Posted: February 12th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Sonia Zjawinski

Tags: [edit]

Designer Ruth Kedar shows various incarnations that led to the now-famous look that marks an internet empire.

15th Anniversary: Wired Cofounder Brews Up Innovative Chocolate

Posted: February 12th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Mathew Honan

Tags: [edit]

Louis Rossetto and a business partner have launched Tcho, a startup that aims to do for cacao beans what Starbucks did for those other beans.

On Darwin's Birthday, Dover Still Isn't Over

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Brandon Keim

Tags: [edit]

It's Darwin's 199th birthday Tuesday, but the debate about evolution still isn't over. Next week, Florida will vote on how to teach evolution in science classes.

Gallery: Finke Photographs Faces of the Friendly Skies

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Jim Merithew

Tags: [edit]

Brian Finke's latest book captures flight attendants in both their professional and personal moments.

Feb. 12, 1878: A Face-Saving Invention From Harvard

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Tony Long

Tags: [edit]

The school's baseball manager tires of seeing his catchers getting skulled by the ball, and he comes up with a solution that revolutionizes the game.

Coming Soon to a Cellphone Near You: Isabella Rossellini Mounting a Housefly

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Adam Goldmann

Tags: [edit]

Isabella Rossellini has directed a series of short films for cellphones and computers called Green Porno, a name specially tailored for search engines.

Watch Game|Life's Weekly Vlog, Episode 1

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Game|Life

Tags: [edit]

The Game|Life reviews you know and love are now also available as videos. Check out how we rate a couple of the latest games, and tell us what you think of our new format.

BlackBerry Service Out in North America

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

A major service outage afflicts users of BlackBerry smart phones across the United States and Canada on Monday. AT&T and Verizon Wireless say manufacturer RIM told them customers of all wireless carriers were affected.

New Mashup Turns Google Maps Into Location-Based Blogging Tool

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 7:35pm EST by Compiler

Tags: [edit]

A map-loving web programmer has turned one of Google Maps' standard features into a simple publishing tool. With a little help from Yahoo Pipes, Tony Hirst's My Maps mashup can generate blog posts with location data attached. Readers of your blog will not know what happened and when, nor where.

Microsoft's Next Move Gives Shareholders the Shivers

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 7:15pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft shareholders have grown increasingly concerned that a deal with Yahoo will cut into earnings.

Starbucks Drops T-Mobile Hotspots, Brings in AT&T WiFi

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 5:30pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

On Monday, Starbucks announced that it will be dropping T-Mobile as its exclusive WiFi provider and instead going with AT&T.

'Misinformed Craze' for Hybrids Delays Greener Technology

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 5:30pm EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

French researchers say hybrids like the Toyota Prius are more hype than substance and may be keeping truly sustainable alternatives to internal combustion from reaching the market.

Gorgeous CNG-Fueled Porsche Clone Debuts in Geneva

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 5:00pm EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

Compressed natural gas vehicles would be more popular in America if we had methane-powered cars like this $70,000 roadster.

Gallery: Backyard Wrestling Meets Live-Action Japanese Monster Movies

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 5:00pm EST by Bryan Derballa

Tags: [edit]

Take everything you love about Japanese monster movies and pile-drive it into the glorious spectacle of professional wrestling.

Underwater Robot Test is Practice for Jovian Moon

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 2:45pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

NASA scientists are testing a hardy underwater robot that will ply the waters of Wisconsin, then the Antarctic before heading to the icy seas of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.

Date Set for Presidential Candidate Debate on Science 2008

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 2:30pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

The organizers of Science Debate 2008 have sent invitations to the leading presidential candidates in both parties for an April 18 debate that will focus on hot-button science issues like evolution, climate change and stem cell research.

Nokia N96 and More Mind-Blowing Smartphones from GSMA

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 1:30pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

At the GSMA trade show in Barcelona, Spain, the latest high-end smartphones include Nokia's new flagship handset, the N96, a pair of impressive Cybershot camera phones from Sony Ericsson and more.

Start a Nonprofit and Join Election '08 YouTube Free-For-All

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 1:00pm EST by Sarah Lai Stirland

Tags: [edit]

Nonprofits have begun using YouTube and rapid video production in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election while ducking financial-disclosure laws.

Q&A: Ubisoft CEO Says Games Need More Emotion

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 1:00pm EST by Game|Life

Tags: [edit]

Wired.com speaks to Yannis Mallat, CEO of Ubisoft's Montreal game development studio, on topics ranging from emotion in game design to casual games and Wii.

Coming Recession Expected to Hit Tech Spending Hard

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 10:50am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Analysts turn gloomy, lowering their predictions on new technology spending as the nation slides into what may be a long economic recession.

Smelling a Winner, Netflix Jumps on Blu-ray Bandwagon

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 10:45am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Persuaded by the fact that four major studios have endorsed Sony's Blu-ray high-def DVD technology, the online movie renter says it will offer only Blu-ray discs from now on.

As Expected, Yahoo Spurns Microsoft's Marriage Proposal

Posted: February 11th, 2008, 10:30am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

In turning down the $44.6 billion takeover offer, Yahoo is betting on a sweeter bid from Microsoft or finding another way to make its stockholders happy.

Wireless Conference Opens in Barcelona

Posted: February 10th, 2008, 10:00pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Wireless industry players arrive en masse in Barcelona to attend the four-day Mobile World Congress, which gets underway Monday. Mobile broadband is expected to be the hot topic at this year's wireless conference.

Wired.com Photo Contest: Show Us Your Holga

Posted: February 10th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Wired.com Photo Department

Tags: [edit]

Is Virtual Destruction an Art Form?

Posted: February 10th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Clive Thompson

Tags: [edit]

There is a part of gamer psychology that is rarely discussed, but incredibly important: We are thrilled by wanton destruction. We need it like a form of food. Commentary by Clive Thompson.

Microsoft Bid Underscores Online Advertising's Strength

Posted: February 6th, 2008, 11:00am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

And whether the deal to acquire Yahoo ultimately succeeds or not, net advertising is expected to flourish.

Laser-Firing Physicists Take High-Speed Photography to the Attosecond Range

Posted: February 6th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Paul O'Donnell

Tags: [edit]

High-shutter-speed photography has come a long way from Muybridge's galloping horse in 1887 and even from Edgerton's strobe work in the 1950s and '60s. Milliseconds are an eternity compared to the attosecond images of electron drift we see today, if you get our drift.

A Soviet-Era Training Jet Jump-Starts a New Era of Green Flight

Posted: February 6th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Matthew Phenix

Tags: [edit]

A Czech-built plane makes the world's first canola-powered jet flight. Next up: modifying a Learjet.

Tech Donations: Microsoft Loves Clinton; Google, Yahoo Go for Obama

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft employees support Hillary Clinton with their bucks, while Google and Yahoo staffers back Barack Obama with their cash, according to recently updated 2007 filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Lore Sjoberg's Alt Text: A Molecular Gastronomy FAQK

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Lore Sjöberg

Tags: [edit]

It might just might be the next cooking fad, mega-trend, foodie trip. It's meta-cuisine. How about a picture of sushi that tastes like sushi? Or a scented fork to accompany the latest confection? Commentary by Lore Sjöberg.

Feb. 6, 1958: Size Matters, Especially in Electronics

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Tony Long

Tags: [edit]

Texas Instruments files the first patent request for an integrated circuit. Electronics is about to be revolutionized.

Super Tuesday: A Voter's Guide to Election Coverage on the Web

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 5:00pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Wired tracks down the best links -- the ones that let you follow the primaries.

Darpa Nabs Big Bucks for Mach 6 Planes, Giant Blimps, Next-Gen Networks

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 4:30pm EST by Danger Room

Tags: [edit]

Darpa, the Pentagon's mad science division, got a $324 million boost in the Defense Department's new budget -- a 10 percent increase. Which means lots more cash for giant blimps, next-gen wireless networks, Mach 6 planes, shape-shifting drones, and improvised bomb-beaters.

The Bioethics of a Three-Parent Embryo

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 4:25pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

The announcement that British scientists have created an embryo containing the DNA of three people has bioethicists scratching their heads.

In an Internet First, Americans Abroad Cast E-Votes in Democratic Primary

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 4:00pm EST by Nicole Martinelli

Tags: [edit]

Expats form a 51st state in this year's Democratic National Convention, though security concerns over the web-based voting platform abound.

Buy Big or Don't Bother: Five Tiny Gadgets That Suck

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 3:45pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

With gadgets, smaller is generally better -- with a few exceptions. Wired lists five gadgets for which manufacturers' mania for extreme miniaturization is actually a liability.

FCC's Spectrum Auction Approaches $20 Billion in Bids

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 2:15pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

Since its 700-MHz auction began on Jan. 24, the FCC has raised more than $18.8 billion. That well surpasses the agency's own early estimates of attracting between $10-15 billion.

Review: THX Razer Mako Advanced Desktop Speakers Bring the Sonic Ruckus

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

THX Razer Mako speakers produce unusually good sound, and manage to look great in the process.

Being Fat Is More Cost-Effective, Medically Speaking

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 11:40am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Applying logic that only a bean counter could love, a Dutch study concludes that fat people put less of a strain, not more, on the health-care system because they die sooner.

Study: More Web Surfing Dulls Concern for Environment

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 11:00am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

The more time people spend surfing the web and watching TV, the less time they spend in nature. And that loss of contact eventually lessens their interest in protecting the natural environment, a new study claims.

DNA Fiddling in Human Embryos Raises Ethical Concerns

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 10:50am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

British scientists who have created human embryos containing the DNA of not two, but three, people deny they are doing any gene altering. The point is to identify potential health risks and remove them, they say.

Apple Boosts Power, Price of High-End iPhone, iPod Touch

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 10:30am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Apple doubles the memory of its Touch lineup, then reaches out and touches the customer for an extra hundred bills on both.

Most Dangerous Object in the Office: The CO2-Fueled Twister 325 Air Cannon

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Eva Kokopeli

Tags: [edit]

This almighty air cannon let us shoot just about anything from its barrel, wreaking havoc to the Wired office and staff.

Beijing's Skywalk-Linked Megacomplex a City Within a City

Posted: February 5th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Cliff Kuang

Tags: [edit]

A massive compound of interconnected towers will make it possible to live, shop and play in a clean, green, climate-controlled haven amidst the city's pollution and extreme temperatures.

Review: The Lotus 2-Eleven Super Sports Car

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Bruce Gain

Tags: [edit]

The Lotus 2-Eleven roadster is $80,000 of unadulterated sports car that's so damn good that even drivers who don't know oversteer from understeer can look like an F1 star. Sort of.

Permalink for 'Wired__Top_Stories/2008/02/04/Feb._5__1897__Indiana_Pols_Forced_to_Eat_Humble_Pi___pi__'

Feb. 5, 1897: Indiana Pols Forced to Eat Humble Pi (π)

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Tony Long

Tags: [edit]

In one of the most famous attempts to declare a mathematical truth by political fiat, the Indiana legislature comes this close to establishing an exact value for pi. Good thing a math professor happened to be wandering by.

Checking In With The Politically Active Social Networking Generation

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's online and cable broadcast Monday night is a landmark event in a year of experiments with Web 2.0 amid the most exciting presidential race in decades.

New Super-Efficient Chip Could Run on Body Heat

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 8:30pm EST by Alexis Madrigal

Tags: [edit]

MIT researchers have developed a new ultralow-voltage chip that could improve the energy efficiency of low-power electronics tenfold.

Sci-Fi Dreams We Could Build if They Weren't So Damn Expensive

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 8:10pm EST by Gadget Lab Blog

Tags: [edit]

Orbiting hotels, transatlantic tunnels, android armies -- these are all technically feasible projects given today's technology, if you just have a big enough budget. But how big exactly? Wired's Rob Beschizza does the math.

Ban All Cars Getting Less Than 35 MPG?

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 8:10pm EST by Autopia

Tags: [edit]

The former head of Royal Dutch Shell calls on the European Union to ban all cars that don't get 35 mpg, saying it's the only way to force the auto industry to improve the efficiency of its cars. Is he wrong?

Mystery Telephone 'Poll' Boosts Clinton, Slams Everyone Else

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 7:45pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

Ahead of Super Tuesday, independent voters are targeted in a telephone "poll" that seems strangely hostile to every Democrat in the race who isn't Hillary Clinton.

New Yamaha Surround-Sound Receiver Rules Your Home Entertainment System

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 7:15pm EST by Mathew Honan

Tags: [edit]

Yamaha’s new RX-Z11 sets the bar high for feature-rich high-definition amplifiers.

Upgradable Cameras, Tiny HD Camcorders and Booth Babes

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 7:00pm EST by Dave Bullock

Tags: [edit]

Wired hits the highlights of the hottest photography equipment show in the country.

History's Greatest Gadgets, From the Ark to the Turk

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 5:00pm EST by Gadget Lab

Tags: [edit]

Historical inventions like the compass and the Leyden jar join mythical gadgets like the Ark of the Covenant -- rumored to be a sort of early battery -- and outright hoaxes like the Mechanical Turk in this eclectic list of ancient innovation.

Microsoft-Yahoo: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid, Google Says

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 3:15pm EST by Epicenter

Tags: [edit]

Yahoo's fiercest competitor, Google, has raised concerns about the possibility of Microsoft's takeover. Google's motives, of course, are hardly pure.

Microsoft: Windows Vista Update Officially Arrives Mid-March

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Compiler

Tags: [edit]

Software giant Microsoft confirmed Monday that the first update to its Windows Vista operating system will be available as an official download in mid-March. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will address various performance and stability issues and improve the desktop OS's hardware support.

Study Will Measure Crop Planting's Effect on Weather

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 11:25am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

What farmers choose to grow over vast tracts of land could have an effect on regional weather patterns. A NASA-funded study will attempt to figure out exactly what the impact is.

Dot-Post Address May Be Restricted to Postal Agencies

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 10:45am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Unlike dot-com and dot-net internet addresses, which are open to all comers, a proposed dot-post address might be restricted to entities that provide actual postal services. The point would be to instill trust, proponents of the plan say.

Microsoft, Yahoo Corporate Cultures Closer Than They Seem

Posted: February 4th, 2008, 10:25am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Yahoo's reputation for being an edgy startup is years out of date, while Microsoft is stodgy, but not as ossified as many might think. So, should the two merge, reconciling the corporate cultures many not be that difficult.

Google Says Microsoft-Yahoo Merger Would Stifle Internet Innovation

Posted: February 3rd, 2008, 9:30pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

In Google's first public reaction to Microsoft's unsolicited bid for Yahoo, it says the merger could pose a threat to the internet, and could stifle openness, innovation and protection of privacy online.

Listening Post: Want Better Music? Don't Stiff the Songwriters

Posted: February 3rd, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Eliot Van Buskirk

Tags: [edit]

As new digital-distribution plans gain traction, an inevitable fight over publishing royalties breaks out. If songwriters lose, your ears will suffer. Commentary by Eliot Van Buskirk.

Feb. 4, 1915: Improve Your Diet and Live Better, Longer

Posted: February 3rd, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Tony Long

Tags: [edit]

A public-health doctor discovers that poor diet, not airborne microbes, is the cause of pellagra, a debilitating and often fatal disease. He's bucking the medical establishment, though, and his findings are not universally accepted.

Abracadabra! Bush Makes Privacy Board Vanish

Posted: February 3rd, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Ryan Singel

Tags: [edit]

President Bush has failed to nominate candidates for a congressionally empowered privacy board intended to police anti-terrorism programs. Privacy groups charge that the administration fears the board's independence.

Writers Reach Breakthrough in Contract Talks

Posted: February 3rd, 2008, 12:30am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Hollywood studios and striking writers reach a breakthrough in contract talks, which could lead to a tentative deal as early as next week.

Afghan Student Sentenced to Death After Downloading Report

Posted: February 3rd, 2008, 12:30am EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

A 23-year-old student journalist in Afghanistan is sentenced to death for downloading and distributing a report that is critical of the oppressive treatment of women in some Islamic societies.

Amazon Begins Offering Data Center Services

Posted: February 2nd, 2008, 2:15pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Amazon begins selling storage, computing power and other behind-the-scenes data center services. Its new web services may keep the company strong if an economic downturn hits retailers.

A Conversation With Writer Brian K. Vaughan

Posted: February 2nd, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Underwire

Tags: [edit]

Adam Rogers interviews Rave-award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan following the release of the final issue of comic book Y: The Last Man.

Microsoft's Yahoo Bid: A Means to Counter Google Threat

Posted: February 2nd, 2008, 1:15pm EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft is trying to force Yahoo into a merger so that the two companies together will have a better chance of tackling Google.

San Francisco Mayor Targets MoveOn Members for Clinton Votes

Posted: February 2nd, 2008, 1:00pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says he plans on pursuing the MoveOn vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton even though the group has endorsed her rival Barack Obama.

Super Bowl How-To Special: Set Up Your HDTV, Plan a Party, Throw a Football

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 8:30pm EST by Compiler blog

Tags: [edit]

Planning a Super Sunday shindig? Still trying to figure out where to plug in the HDTV? Consult our Super Bowl How-To guide for tips on geeking up the big game.

Next-Gen Point-and-Shoots and Hot Lenses at PMA 2008

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Dave Bullock

Tags: [edit]

Wired News presents a gallery of highlights from the Photo Marketing Association's 2008 trade show in Las Vegas, including digital cameras, high-end lenses and other photo goodies.

Permalink for 'Wired__Top_Stories/2008/02/01/FCC_Auction_Ensures_Open_Access___151__If_in_Name_Only'

FCC Auction Ensures Open Access — If in Name Only

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Bryan Gardiner

Tags: [edit]

An anonymous bidder has met the reserve price for the so-called C-block of 700 MHz in the FCC's ongoing auction, virtually guaranteeing that the FCC's open-access conditions will be met. Open-access advocates greeted the news with mixed reactions.

Pirate Bay Says It Can't Be Sunk, Servers Scattered Worldwide

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 6:30pm EST by Threat Level

Tags: [edit]

The Pirate Bay says it won't shutter, even if its operators are convicted. Its servers are scattered across the globe, out of reach of the Swedish authorities. Defendant Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi says the charges are "lame."

Skeptics Doubt We'll See ZAP's $30K Electric Sports Car in 2009

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 5:00pm EST by Chuck Squatriglia

Tags: [edit]

Can't afford $98,000 for a Tesla Roadster? ZAP's Alias costs 69 percent less and has 25 percent fewer wheels. ZAP says to look for it in 2009; analysts say don't bother.

Microsoft Bids for Yahoo: Do Two Losers Make a Winner?

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 5:00pm EST by Betsy Schiffman

Tags: [edit]

The key to Microsoft's proposed $44.6 billion acquisition of Yahoo is both companies' desire to build an advertising platform that can compete with Google's AdWords.

Hulu to Stream Super Bowl Commercials After Game

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 4:30pm EST by Underwire

Tags: [edit]

Revel in the coolest and most-expensive marketing spots following the Patriots-Giants showdown, as the video site serves up a post-game advertising blitz.

The Damage Done, Terry Semel Steps Down from Yahoo Board

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 3:30pm EST by Epicenter Blog

Tags: [edit]

On the eve of Microsoft's $44 billion bid for Yahoo, former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel announced his resignation from the Yahoo board of directors. Semel presided over a multiyear decline in Yahoo's market share, while collecting nearly half a billion dollars in compensation.

Jumper Applies Showbiz Science to Teleportation. Beam Us Up!

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Michelle Kung

Tags: [edit]

Doug Liman, director of the new sci-fi thriller Jumper, employs teleportation technology to connect two different environments for a split second.

Flickr Rebellion Brews at Specter of MS Acquisition

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 2:30pm EST by Compiler

Tags: [edit]

A small but vocal minority on Flickr are already staging cyber-protests at the prospect of a Microsoft takeover of Flickr's owner, Yahoo. Flickr is one of several popular Web 2.0 sites owned by Yahoo that loyal users fear will suffer under Microsoft ownership.

'Twisted Metal' Director Talks Car Combat

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 2:15pm EST by Game|Life

Tags: [edit]

David Jaffe talks about the "extra twisted" PlayStation 2 version of Sony's classic videogame that's ready to roll next week.

Microsoft-Yahoo Merger By the Numbers

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Epicenter blog

Tags: [edit]

Microsoft's $44 billion bid for Yahoo translates into nearly $1,200 for each unique monthly visitor to Yahoo's web sites. You want more metrics? We got 'em. Get your red-hot data here!

Camera Vendors Busting Out the Megapixels, HD Video at PMA08

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Dave Bullock

Tags: [edit]

PMA08 in Las Vegas features some of the latest in photogeek equipment, from increases in megapixel capabilities to stunning HD video equipment.

Berkeley to Host Tribute to Missing Renowned Scientist Jim Gray

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 1:00pm EST by Wired Science

Tags: [edit]

Berkeley will host a tribute for Jim Gray, the renowned former Microsoft engineer who went missing at sea in January 2007.

Nostalgic NASA Launching Beatles Tune to North Star

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 11:30am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

Driven by nostalgia as much as the desire to lay a really good song on some appreciative aliens, NASA will beam the Beatles' "Across the Universe" to Polaris, a distance of 2.5 quadrillion miles.

India's Net Service About 80 Percent Restored

Posted: February 1st, 2008, 11:00am EST by Associated Press

Tags: [edit]

A day after losing most of its internet service as part of a wider Mideast-Asia blackout, India expects to have most customers back online by sundown Friday.