News
Prosecutors push for anti-phone theft measures
June 13, 2013 3:57 pm | by MEGHAN BARR - Associated Press - Associated Press | CommentsLaw enforcement officials nationwide are demanding the creation of a "kill switch" that would render smartphones inoperable after they are stolen, New York's top prosecutor said Thursday in a clear warning to the world's smartphone manufacturers. Citing statistics showing that 1 in 3 robberies...
Utah home to NSA's new mega-warehouse for data
June 13, 2013 11:29 am | by BRADY McCOMBS, Associated Press | CommentsThe nation's new billion-dollar epicenter for fighting global cyberthreats sits just south of Salt Lake City, tucked away on a National Guard base at the foot of snow-capped mountains. The long, squat buildings span 1.5 million square feet, and are filled with super-powered computers designed to store massive amounts of information gathered secretly...
SF, NY prosecutors push for anti-phone theft moves
June 13, 2013 11:14 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe top prosecutors in San Francisco and New York planned Thursday to announce the formation of a nationwide initiative and coalition of police, prosecutors and other officials in an attempt to thwart a surge in smartphone thefts. Officials are set to launch what they call the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative at a New York news conference on Thursday.
Leaker Snowden alleges NSA hacking on China, world
June 13, 2013 11:04 am | by KELVIN CHAN, Associated Press | CommentsFor months, China has tried to turn the tables on the U.S. to counter accusations that it hacks America's computers and networks. Now, former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden may have handed Beijing a weapon in its cyber war of words with Washington.
Toyota chosen as best global green brand for 3rd straight year
June 13, 2013 11:02 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsToyota Motor Corp. was selected as the "best global green brand" for the third consecutive year in 2013 for producing fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Prius hybrid, U.S. consulting firm Interbrand Corp. said Wednesday. U.S. automaker Ford came second, followed by Japan's carmaker Honda...
US prosecutors push for anti-phone theft moves
June 13, 2013 10:05 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe top prosecutors in San Francisco and New York planned Thursday to announce the formation of a nationwide initiative and coalition of police, prosecutors and other officials in an attempt to thwart a surge in smartphone thefts. Officials said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and...
3-D TV falls flat: ESPN to kill 3-D broadcasts
June 13, 2013 12:32 am | by PETER SVENSSON - AP Technology Writers - Associated Press | CommentsESPN's announcement Wednesday that it will shut down its 3-D channel by the end of the year is the latest sign the format won't revolutionize entertainment as the industry once hoped. Troubling signs for 3-D have been on the horizon for a last year or so. ESPN 3D's audience ratings were below The...
Army supercomputing center signals growth in Soldier protection solutions
June 13, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | CommentsSupercomputers Army Research Laboratory engineers rely on to influence the direction of future armor solutions and other unprecedented capabilities for the Soldier moved into new space large enough to house five supercomputers each ranging from 4,000 to 20,000 processors each. In the next four years, the center will quadruple its computing capacity....
Army aviation engineers play role in helicopter rebuild
June 13, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | CommentsThe Army has upgraded the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior from 1980s equipment to the most current technology available....
Board studying Utah prison move holds 1st meeting
June 12, 2013 5:46 pm | by MICHELLE L. PRICE - Associated Press - Associated Press | CommentsA committee studying the relocation of the Utah State Prison has kicked off a months-long process to consider moving the facility out of a bustling tech corridor south of Salt Lake City. The Utah State Prison occupies 700 acres in Draper where companies such as eBay Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have...
Luminous bacterial proteins detect chemicals in water
June 12, 2013 4:53 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsThe sensor principle is based on a red and a green fluorescent dye. If a substance to be detected is present in a water sample, then the sensor shines green; a red color, however, indicates that the substance is not present. What is the reason for the color difference?
New additive offers near-perfect results as nucleating agent for organic semiconductors
June 12, 2013 4:46 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsPixie dust may be the stuff of fanciful fiction, but for scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Department of Materials, a commonly used sugar-based additive has been found to have properties that are near magical. By adding minute amounts of it during the fabrication of organic semiconductors...
Renewable energy: World invests $244 billion in 2012; shift to developing countries underway
June 12, 2013 4:33 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsFor only the second time since 2006, global investments in renewable energy in 2012 failed to top the year before, falling 12% mainly due to dramatically lower solar prices and weakened US and EU markets. However, 2012 was the second highest year ever for renewable energy investments, which total $1.3 trillion since 2006.
Challenges to phone records face legal obstacles
June 12, 2013 4:00 pm | by MARK SHERMAN - Associated Press - Associated Press | CommentsThe government's massive collection of Americans' phone records is drawing protests and lawsuits from civil liberties groups, but major legal obstacles stand in the way. Among them are government claims that national security secrets will be revealed if the cases are allowed to proceed, and...
An ultrasensitive molybdenum-based image sensor
June 12, 2013 3:25 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsA new material has the potential to improve the sensitivity of photographic image sensors by a factor of five. In 2011, an EPFL team led by Andras Kis discovered the amazing semi-conducting properties of molybdenite (MoS2), and they have been exploring its potential in various technological applications ever since.
