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Google begins launching Internet-beaming balloons
June 17, 2013 10:02 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA & NICK PERRY, Associated Press | News | CommentsGoogle is launching Internet-beaming antennas into the stratosphere aboard giant, jellyfish-shaped balloons with the lofty goal of getting the entire planet online. Eighteen months in the works, the top-secret project was announced Saturday in New Zealand, where up to 50 volunteer households are already beginning to receive the Internet...
Russian tycoon wants to move mind to machine
June 17, 2013 9:58 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsCan the City That Never Sleeps become the City That Never Dies? A Russian multimillionaire thinks so. Dmitry Itskov gathered some of humanity's best brains — and a few robots — in New York City on Saturday to discuss how humans can get their minds to outlive their bodies.
China announces new measures to curb air pollution
June 17, 2013 9:54 am | by LOUISE WATT, Associated Press | News | CommentsChina's Cabinet has announced measures to curb the country's notorious air pollution, one of the many environmental challenges facing the country that are increasingly angering the public. The broad measures approved by the State Council include putting strict controls in place for industries that produce large amounts of waste and pollution...
China calls for explanations of US surveillance
June 17, 2013 9:47 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChina on Monday joined calls for Washington to provide explanations following disclosures of National Security Agency programs which collect millions of telephone records and track foreign Internet activity on U.S. networks. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that Washington needs to heed international concerns...
Chinese supercomputer named as world's fastest
June 17, 2013 9:45 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChina has built the world's fastest computer for a second time, beating the U.S.'s Titan machine. The semiannual TOP500 official listing of the world's fastest supercomputers says the Tianhe-2 developed by the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha city in central China is capable of sustained computing of 33.86 petaflops per second.
Connectors equipped with solder bucket contacts for fast, efficient cable assembly
June 17, 2013 9:38 am | Harting, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsHARTING is expanding its space-saving har-link metric product range by adding a version equipped with solder bucket contacts for fast, efficient cable assembly. This version is particularly effective in prototyping, development and small production runs. Based on 2.0 mm contact spacing, the har-link interface range offers compact, reliable, robust interface connectivity.
Apple details government requests for data
June 17, 2013 7:22 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsApple says it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data for the six months ended in May. The company, like some other businesses, had asked the U.S government to be able to share how many requests it received related to national security and how it...
Making alternative fuels cheaper
June 17, 2013 12:00 am | by Massachusetts Institute of Technology | News | CommentsMIT chemical engineers have devised a cheaper way to synthesize a key biofuel component, which could make its industrial production much more cost-effective. The compound, known as gamma-valerolactone (GVL), is attractive because of its versatility, says Yuriy Román, an assistant professor of chemical engineering and leader of the research team.
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle 'closes capability gap,' Army says
June 17, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | News | CommentsWhile the Humvee has served the Army well for some 25 years, there's a "capability gap" in what it can do for warfighters on a 21st-century battlefield, said the Soldier responsible for overseeing its replacement....
Putting new boots on the ground
June 17, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | News | CommentsWhat it all comes down to is keeping Soldiers' minds on their missions in Afghanistan, rather than on their feet. That's how Ben Cooper views the development of the Hot Weather Mountain Combat Boot at Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, which began in spring 2011....
Individual Carbine competition concludes with no winner
June 17, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | News | CommentsSoldiers will continue to use the M4 carbine or improved M4A1 carbine as their issued weapon, as the Army has concluded the Improved Carbine competition without having selected a winner....
Smaller satellite terminal solution being fielded following Network Integration Evaluations
June 17, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | News | CommentsThe Army is fielding to its first unit a new, smaller ground satellite terminal referred to as "SNAP Lite."...
Microsoft: more user surveillance information
June 15, 2013 3:19 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA top Microsoft Corp. lawyer says the company has secured permission from federal officials to say more about the volume of law enforcement and national security orders it has received to turn over customer information. The disclosure came in a statement Friday from Vice President and Deputy...
Creating a low-carbon, non-nuclear economy: The case of Taiwan
June 14, 2013 5:10 pm | by Massachusetts Institute of Technology | News | CommentsAfter the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, energy experts and policymakers around the world began to reassess the future of nuclear power. Countries, including Japan and Germany, have since scaled back or plan to shut down their nuclear power — sparking a global debate on how nations will replace nuclear.
Microsoft brings Office to iPhone, but not tablets
June 14, 2013 2:24 pm | by ANICK JESDANUN - AP Technology Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsEven as a pared-down version of Microsoft's Office software package arrived on the iPhone, the company is holding out on extending that to the iPad and Android devices as it tries to boost sales of tablet computers running its own Windows system. Microsoft also isn't selling Office Mobile for...
