News For Wednesday Jul 16, 2008 News For Wednesday Jul 16, 2008

Science & Technology Science & Technology

Scientists: $200M loss from Great Lakes invasives - Added 6 weeks ago

Foreign species that slipped into the Great Lakes in ballast tanks of oceangoing cargo ships cost the regional economy at least $200 million a year, according to a University of Notre Dame study released Wednesday. ...

EBay 2Q profit rises 22 percent but outlook soft - Added 6 weeks ago

EBay Inc. said Wednesday that its second-quarter profit jumped 22 percent, as the online auction company enjoyed strong growth in its e-commerce sites and its PayPal payments service. But eBay's outlook for the current...

PC shipments grew faster than expected in 2Q - Added 6 weeks ago

Computer shipments rose faster than expected in the second quarter, fueled by exceptional demand in emerging markets and a decline in prices in the U.S. and Western Europe, two research groups said Wednesday. Worldwide...

Congress asks Embarq about selling customer info - Added 6 weeks ago

Congress has asked Embarq Corp. about its work with a company that tracks online subscribers' Web traffic for advertising purposes, part of growing concern about Internet privacy. Overland Park, Kan.-based Embarq is...

Video game industry tries to broaden its appeal - Added 6 weeks ago

A tough little blob must splash color over a town wallowing in gray. Bug-eyed rabbits do a dance routine. And then there's the "perfect equine farm" of wild horses for little girls to tame and train. These video games...

Web-based program gives the blind Internet access - Added 6 weeks ago

Blind people generally use computers with the help of screen-reader software, but those products can cost more than $1,000, so they're not exactly common on public PCs at libraries or Internet cafes. Now a free new...

Newspaper reports Microsoft, AOL continue talks - Added 6 weeks ago

Executives from Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL are trying to advance discussions on a possible combination that could give the software maker an alternative to a deal with Yahoo Inc., a newspaper reported...

Pittsburgh abuzz with robotic art - Added 6 weeks ago

A green roller coaster twists above the entrance to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. But this attraction isn't for human riders _ the coaster's cars are filled with plants and a solar panel that triggers the ride to...

Review: Facebook Scrabble flashy, but not better - Added 6 weeks ago

A sanctioned version of Scrabble for Facebook, released this week by video game maker Electronic Arts Inc., boasts animated graphics and true-to-the-board-game design. But underneath its flashy exterior, the new...

Atlanta newspaper cutting staff by 200 - Added 6 weeks ago

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is cutting its staff by nearly 200 jobs, or about 8 percent of its work force, and eliminating some targeted news sections. In a news release Wednesday, Publisher John Mellott said the...

Global Warming: Top 10, Again - Added 6 weeks ago

Earth scored another Top 10 finish in June _ climate wise. It was the eighth warmest June on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday. And the first six months of the year were...

Global Warming: Top 10, Again - Added 6 weeks ago

Earth scored another Top 10 finish in June _ climate wise. It was the eighth warmest June on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday. And the first six months of the year were...

Japan cautious in iPhone's bid for world dominance - Added 6 weeks ago

Kentaro Tohyama is proud of his new iPhone. He stood overnight in line to get it when the device became available in Japan for the first time. But the 29-year-old computer engineer isn't about to part with his...

NASA to workers: Go boldly (in cup) for science - Added 6 weeks ago

The No. 1 need right now for some of the builders of the nation's next spaceship: Lots of No. 1. Space program contractor Hamilton Sundstrand is seeking urine from workers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as part...

Researchers look to air-condition computer chips - Added 6 weeks ago

Purdue University scientists have taken a page from air conditioner technology in their quest for a new way to cool down ever-more powerful computer chips. Their experimental system, which flushes a refrigerant through...

New Dish Network satellite launched successfully - Added 6 weeks ago

Sea Launch Co. has launched a new satellite for Dish Network Corp. A rocket carrying the EchoStar 11 satellite lifted off at 10:21 p.m. PDT Tuesday from Long Beach, Calif.-based Sea Launch Co.'s rocket platform...

Intel 2Q profit jump reflects healthy PC demand - Added 6 weeks ago

Worried that the ailing U.S. economy has spilled abroad and hurt global PC sales, investors had subdued expectations for Intel Corp. in the second quarter. Intel is the world's largest computer chip maker, and its...

CNBC: Korean carrier in talks to buy Sprint - Added 6 weeks ago

South Korea's SK Telecom Corp. is in talks to buy struggling U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp., business news channel CNBC reported Tuesday An agreement would be at best weeks away, CNBC said, citing people...

Astronauts take another spacewalk for tamer job - Added 6 weeks ago

The space station's two Russian astronauts stepped outside for the second time in less than a week Tuesday, taking a spacewalk that proved to be tame compared to last week's work with explosives. Although Sergei Volkov...

XBox 360 to stream Netflix movies - Added 6 weeks ago

Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 video game console will be able to stream thousands of movies over the Internet, thanks to a deal announced Monday with Netflix Inc. that highlights the way gaming devices are expanding into...

Outraged Icahn refocuses on ousting Yahoo board - Added 6 weeks ago

Apparently abandoning hopes for a truce with Yahoo Inc., investor Carl Icahn sharpened his focus on replacing the Internet company's board Monday after his attempt to negotiate a deal with Microsoft Corp. was angrily...

EU wants to cap costs on phone text messages - Added 6 weeks ago

Are mobile phone companies taking advantage of teenagers' addiction to chatting in text messages? The top telecommunications regulator for the European Union believes so, and said Tuesday that a limit should be placed...

Video-game news: Metallica's 'Guitar Hero' album - Added 6 weeks ago

Real news from the virtual world: _ RIDE THE LIGHTNING: Activision's "Guitar Hero World Tour" is one of this year's most eagerly anticipated games, but the company has big news for fans who can't wait for that:...

FTC enforces do-not-call rules, fines cos. $95,000 - Added 6 weeks ago

Two telemarketing companies that sell Dish Network Corp.'s satellite TV services have agreed to pay fines of $95,000 for ignoring the federal do-not-call list and hanging up on customers, federal regulators said...

YouTube, Viacom agree to mask viewer data - Added 6 weeks ago

In a nod to privacy complaints, Viacom Inc. won't be told the identities of individuals who watch video clips on the popular video-sharing site YouTube. Viacom and other copyright holders have agreed to let YouTube...

Lawmakers scrutinize Yahoo-Google ad partnership - Added 6 weeks ago

Congress waded into the escalating fight over the future of Yahoo Inc. on Tuesday, demanding to know whether the Internet company's advertising partnership with Google Inc., intended to keep Yahoo out of the clutches of...

Criminal probe ended, Apple CEO still has hurdles - Added 6 weeks ago

A criminal probe of Apple Inc.'s co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs over stock options tampering is now over, but the potential legal shadow over him and the company isn't going away just yet. Although Jobs is not being...

NASA to workers: Go boldly (in cup) for science - Added 6 weeks ago

The No. 1 need right now for some of the builders of the nation's next spaceship: Lots of No. 1. Space program contractor Hamilton Sundstrand is seeking urine from workers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as part...

EU wants to cap costs on phone text messages - Added 6 weeks ago

Are mobile phone companies taking advantage of teenagers' addiction to chatting in text messages? The top telecommunications regulator for the European Union believes so, and said Tuesday that a limit should be placed...

AOL launches 2 niche sites to grow ad potential - Added 6 weeks ago

AOL on Tuesday launched new sites on personal finance and photography as part of its bid to grow advertising opportunities by serving niche audiences. The new WalletPop expands on an existing site of the same name by...

Outraged Icahn refocuses on ousting Yahoo board - Added 6 weeks ago

Apparently abandoning hopes for a truce with Yahoo Inc., investor Carl Icahn sharpened his focus on replacing the Internet company's board Monday after his attempt to negotiate a deal with Microsoft Corp. was angrily...

Report: US behind in doubling science grads - Added 6 weeks ago

A high-profile push by business groups to double the number of U.S. bachelor's degrees awarded in science, math and engineering by 2015 is falling way behind target, a new report says. In 2005, 15 prominent business...

Video-game news: Metallica's 'Guitar Hero' album - Added 6 weeks ago

Real news from the virtual world: _ RIDE THE LIGHTNING: Activision's "Guitar Hero World Tour" is one of this year's most eagerly anticipated games, but the company has big news for fans who can't wait for that:...

Cancer forces Tasmanian devils to breed earlier - Added 6 weeks ago

The little devils just can't wait. Faced with an epidemic of cancer that cuts their lives short, Tasmanian devils have begun breeding at younger ages, according to researchers at the University of Tasmania in Australia....

Chicago Tribune editor, LA Times publisher resign - Added 6 weeks ago

Chicago Tribune editor Ann Marie Lipinski and Los Angeles Times publisher David Hiller resigned Monday as parent company Tribune Co. cuts staff and shrinks its papers nationwide to save money. Tribune Co. is cutting...

Yahoo's current board versus Icahn's challengers - Added 6 weeks ago

Carl Icahn moved ahead with his attempt to overthrow Yahoo Inc.'s board of directors by submitting his final list of candidates Monday. The nominees remain the same as those he first provided in May, except the list has...

eBay beats Tiffany in court case over trademarks - Added 6 weeks ago

EBay Inc. scored an important victory in court Monday, as a federal judge said companies such as jeweler Tiffany & Co. are responsible for policing their trademarks online, not auction platforms like eBay. Tiffany...

XBox 360 to stream Netflix movies - Added 6 weeks ago

Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 video game console will be able to stream thousands of movies over the Internet, thanks to a deal announced Monday with Netflix Inc. that highlights the way gaming devices are expanding into...

Apple sells 1 million iPhones in first 3 days - Added 6 weeks ago

Apple Inc. said Monday it sold 1 million iPhones in the first three days its newest model was on the market. "IPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend," said Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, in a statement. ...

Outraged Icahn refocuses on ousting Yahoo board - Added 6 weeks ago

Apparently abandoning hopes for a truce with Yahoo Inc., investor Carl Icahn sharpened his focus on replacing the Internet company's board Monday after his attempt to negotiate a deal with Microsoft Corp. was angrily...

Palm launches new Treo on Sprint network - Added 6 weeks ago

Palm Inc., which has been struggling to maintain its position in the hot market for "smart" phones, introduced a new Treo model Monday with Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities. The Treo 800w is the first major new model from...

Tensions escalating in battle for Yahoo's board - Added 6 weeks ago

After more than five months of sparring, the battle for control of Yahoo Inc. has turned into a bare-knuckles brawl with a whiff of desperation hanging over all the key combatants. The showdown intensified late...

Game characters get smarter _ and less predictable - Added 6 weeks ago

In the upcoming video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," the evil Stormtroopers are smart enough to keep players guessing. Throw something at the white-armored troopers, and they may toss a grenade back. Or they...

Microsoft cuts Xbox price by $50, plans 60GB model - Added 6 weeks ago

Microsoft Corp. is trimming the price of its Xbox 360 video game console to make way for a new model with a bigger hard drive. Starting Sunday, Microsoft's mid-range Xbox 360 console with a 20-gigabyte hard drive will...

Yellow submarine: Unmanned sub studies ocean - Added 7 weeks ago

Far out in the Atlantic, a little yellow submarine is trying to slip from current to current, gliding across the ocean beneath the waves. The unmanned sub is nearing the halfway mark in its effort to travel from New...

Software problems bug Apple's launch of new iPhone - Added 7 weeks ago

The launch of Apple Inc.'s much-anticipated new iPhone turned into an information-technology meltdown on Friday, as customers were unable to get their phones working. "It's such grief and aggravation," said Frederick...

FCC chief hopes Comcast sanction serves as warning - Added 7 weeks ago

A recommendation to punish Comcast Corp. for blocking subscribers' Internet traffic should serve as a warning to other service providers, the nation's top telecommunications regulator said Friday. Federal...

Fmr HP exec pleads guilty in trade secrets case - Added 7 weeks ago

An executive who worked at IBM Corp. for nearly a decade pleaded guilty Friday to stealing trade secrets about the company's pricing and trying to pass them off to his superiors at rival Hewlett-Packard Co. when he took...

AMD slashes $880M from value of division - Added 7 weeks ago

Struggling to climb back to profitability, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. suffered another setback Friday when the chip maker disclosed that two businesses it acquired in a pricey acquisition were underperforming. AMD...

Correction: Touch Screens story - Added 7 weeks ago

In a July 10 story about touch screens, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Synaptics Inc. supplies touchpads for Apple's laptops. Synaptics supplies components to Apple, but not laptop touchpads. A...