BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is now in a struggle for survival after its latest quarterly report underscoring its deteriorating position against other smartphone makers, analysts say. The firm, which is headquartered in the ironically named city of Waterloo, Ontario, appears on shaky ground. Not only did RIM report a widening loss of $518 million […]
Archive for June, 2012
New Robin app for Android is a magnificent travel companion
Robin is your imperfect Siri-like girlfriend available for free on your Android device. She likes to boss you around while driving and might even give you the wrong directions. But, Robin will take your feedback and patch up her problems unlike your perfect girlfriend. Hmmm… sounds interesting, right? If you enjoy trying apps while in […]
Storm Damage in the US: Did it Affect You?
A scruffy, young Steve Jobs worked at Atari before he founded Apple. “Pong,” one of the world’s first video games, was born there, as was “Centipede,” a classic from the era of quarter-guzzling arcade machines. “Call of Duty” creator Activision was started by four of Atari’s former game developers. Views: 0
Virginia storm knocks out servers for 3 websites
NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix, Instagram and Pinterest are using Twitter and Facebook to update subscribers after a Virginia storm caused server outages for hours. Netflix and Pinterest restored service by Saturday afternoon. Instagram engineers are working to restore service but no data was lost. The three websites are customers of Amazon Inc.‘s web services […]
Leap Second Science: NASA Explains Earth’s Longer Day Today
Today will be one second longer than usual, and we have the moon to thank for the extra time. A “leap second” will be added to the world’s official clocks this evening (June 30), to account for the fact that Earth’s rotation is slowing ever so slightly — meaning our days are getting longer, at […]
More clues soon in hunt for Higgs particle
More clues are expected next week in the worldwide hunt for an elusive sub-atomic particle, the Higgs boson, that is the missing piece in the standard model of physics. Sometimes referred to as the “God particle” because it seems to be everywhere, the Higgs boson is believed to give objects mass, but physicists armed with […]
NASA’s Flying Fish: Riding Aboard the Super Guppy Aircraft
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — On Saturday (June 30), visitors to The Museum of Flight in Seattle will get an up-close look at a very unusual NASA aircraft. In fact, it’s not uncommon for air traffic controllers and even fellow pilots who spot the “Super Guppy” to ask a simple but telling question: “What […]
Space Station Crew to Return to Earth Sunday
Three astronauts living on the International Space Station will return home to Earth Sunday (July 1) after spending more than six months in orbit. NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers are scheduled to undock from the space station in their Russian-built Soyuz capsule at 12:48 a.m. […]
Human Yawns Unleash Dog Yawns
Dogs catch yawns from their sound alone, new research indicates. They also catch their owner’s yawns easier than those from others, supporting the theory that contagious yawns are empathy-based and emotional in nature, the researchers say. “Unexpectedly, results showed an interesting interplay between contagion and social effects,” Karine Silva, of the Universidade do Porto in […]
New Moms Reveal the Truth About Postpartum Sex
Starting up sex again after the birth of a child can be a fraught issue for new parents. Now, a new study finds that much of what drives women’s desire in the postpartum period are not physical factors, but psychological ones. In many cases, social factors such as spousal support and the baby’s sleeping habits […]
AstraZeneca hungry to refill medicine cabinet
LONDON (Reuters) – Simon Lowth may only be the interim chief executive of AstraZeneca Plc but he is ready to sign off on bold deals. The decision to pair up with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co to buy diabetes specialist Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc shows the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker is stepping up its deal-making, despite the management hiatus at […]
Lance Armstrong to face formal anti-doping charges
An early wake-up call, a quick run and a nap. Could’ve been a typical Saturday morning for almost anyone in Jamaica, though for Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt, this was anything but typical. Views: 0
Use Caution When Exercising in Hot Weather
SATURDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) — During hot weather, people who exercise outdoors need to take steps to avoid heat injury, according to the American Council on Exercise. Staying hydrated is essential, and can be accomplished by drinking a large amount of fluids (until you’re just short of feeling bloated) 30 minutes before exercising, drinking […]
Ed Miliband: The night that kept the Red Flag flying
By Quentin Letts PUBLISHED: 17:26 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:37 EST, 30 June 2012 A few nights ago the Parliamentary Labour Party gathered for a slap-up feed in the Strangers’ Dining Room, Westminster. It was the first PLP dinner for ages. ‘We stopped them holding them in the Blair-Brown years because we didn’t […]
People smuggling: The Mr Big making a mockery out of the so-called immigration crackdown
Operation smuggles 5,000 migrants a year into Britain from northern France By Sue Reid, Figen Gunes and Faruk Zabci PUBLISHED: 17:36 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:40 EST, 30 June 2012 Gangmaster: Fahruddin snapped by a hidden camera at the migrants’ camp in Teteghem Standing on a patch of grass 46 miles across the […]
John Prescott’s office splurged £52,000 on luxury hotels and meals at top restaurants in just nine months
By Gerri Peev PUBLISHED: 18:03 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:46 EST, 30 June 2012 John Prescott’s department amassed £52,000 of credit card bills in less than a year, splashing out on luxury hotels and meals at fine restaurants, it has emerged. There was a three-figure bill for one restaurant in Ottawa called Fat […]
True test of genius or monumental waste of time? Can you solve the hardest ever Sudoku?
By Paul Milligan PUBLISHED: 18:27 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:51 EST, 30 June 2012 Fancy yourself as a Sudoku whizz? Can you complete the tasks faster than all your friends? Well, now comes the ultimate test – the world’s most difficult puzzle. Finnish mathematician Arto Inkala spent three months designing a Sudoku grid […]
British Banking: We were betrayed by our ‘trusted adviser’: 28,000 small firms fell victim to cynical bank fiddle
Companies were mis-sold complex loan agreements Compulsory ‘interest rate swap agreements’ meant firms paid banks compensation when interest rates fell Financial Services Authority accused big four banks of ‘serious failings’ By Becky Barrow, Business Correspondent PUBLISHED: 17:16 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:54 EST, 30 June 2012 Britain’s banking giants were yesterday found guilty […]
Child safety online: Ministers WON’T protect from web porn as Internet firms will be spared tough new restrictions
Leaked email says internet firms have been assured they will not face stringent filtering systems Comes after Government launched consultation on dealing with online porn By Kirsty Walker PUBLISHED: 18:31 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 06:02 EST, 30 June 2012 An automatic block to protect children from internet porn has been ruled out by […]