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NPR
We put pots, dishes and silverware in the dishwasher. But a computer keyboard? Although manufacturers warn against it, NPR's Nell Boyce puts her keyboard in the dishwasher, and it lives to type the story.
By streamlining computer parts, designers could save a lot of electricity that's now wasted.
Reports say QuikScat could fail at any moment. There are no plans to replace it until 2016.
June 12, 2007 ·
Apple CEO Steve Jobs says he will release a powerful new version of Apple's Web browser that runs on Microsoft's Windows operating system. And Google files a suit alleging that Microsoft's Vista operating system is stifling competition.
June 11, 2007 ·
While entering information on a Web page, you may have run into a CAPTCHA — that string of letters you type to prove you're a real person. Luis von Ahn, an assistant professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, wants to harness all that extra typing to streamline the process of digitizing books.
Space
June 9, 2007 ·
School bus driver Peter Homer is the first-ever winner of NASA's innovation competition. The former aerospace engineer designed and built a new and improved astronaut glove with about $500 of materials and his mother-in-law's 1950s Singer sewing machine.
June 8, 2007 ·
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have figured out a way to transmit electric power over the air, meaning one day your cell phone could recharge itself without your having to plug it in. They're calling it Wi-tricity — short for "wireless electricity."
June 8, 2007 ·
The immigration overhaul endorsed by President Bush was pulled from the Senate floor Thursday without a timetable to bring it back. There was disagreement over a business-backed program allowing 200,000 foreign guest workers into the country every year. Technology executives are concerned the bill wouldn't allow enough high-skilled workers to become permanent residents.
June 7, 2007 ·
Exiles from Castro's Cuba are using new technology to help them find their former homes in the island nation. Some file claims against frozen Cuban bank accounts in the United States for their losses. But coffers are running low after a few large payouts.
Business
June 4, 2007 ·
Jim Dunne is a car spy. His work might not be as dangerous as James Bond's, but it is big business. Dunne secretly takes pictures of prototype cars before the public is supposed to see them in showrooms. In the secretive world of the auto industry, a car spy's work is in high demand.
Digital Culture
June 4, 2007 ·
Best Urban Images is a new blog inspired by Google's Street View, which are photos of fleeting moments in neighborhoods across the country. The Best Urban Images blog lets users vote on the best candid-camera photos captured online. One image that consistently ranked near the top was a photo of women sunbathing in bikinis.
June 4, 2007 ·
YouTube allows anyone to watch a video online by streaming it. New RealPlayer technology will let users keep a copy of the video on their hard drives. The big media companies are already sensitive about what shows up on YouTube, and this latest development could make them more nervous.
June 4, 2007 ·
Wall Street Journal tech writers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher discuss the recent All Things Digital conference that included a much-hyped panel discussion between Microsoft's Bill Gates and Apple's Steve Jobs.
May 31, 2007 ·
Don't be surprised if you have fewer unwanted e-mails in your inbox today. One of the world's most active spammers, Robert Alan Soloway, was arrested Wednesday in Seattle. Soloway is accused of sending millions of unwanted e-mails and has been charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
May 30, 2007 ·
Microsoft's new tabletop computer responds to human touch and can interact with devices like digital cameras and cell phones. The Surface was unveiled at the All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif. Michele Norris talks with Glenn Derene, senior technology editor for Popular Mechanics.