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It's a myth that ostriches bury their heads when they spot danger. It sounds plausible, but in reality, they're just like us: In the face of imminent danger, they either run or attack ("fight or flight"). This makes sense when you stop to think about it. After all, one thing that seems almost painfully obvious is that ignoring signs of danger i...

Google has unleashed Google+ on the world, now completely unfettered by its earlier requirement to join via invitation For its debut, Google has added a slew of enhancements as well....

Here's a smartphone designed for charm. The HTC Rhyme for Verizon actually has a charm designed to dangle outside a purse. It lights up to tell the owner when there's a call. The phone appears to target teenage girls -- that is, except for the price point of US$199.99 with a two-year contract. Perhaps a tad pricey for the very young. It comes with three accessories: a dock, headphones and the charm...

Google has premiered the first version of its Google Wallet app, officially kicking off the mobile phone payment system it first announced earlier this year Google also announced that Visa, Discover and American Express have made the first move toward getting on board with Google Wallet. MasterCard is already a partner....

Before planning the next set of revisions to your e-commerce website, you might consider that consumer behavior is changing -- and search engine optimization (SEO) is becoming less important. Thanks to improvements in trust and safety, as well as predictability enhancements that brands like Amazon and eBay have brought to the space, consumers simply aren't turning to Google to purchase products. ...

Federal agencies are woefully deficient in using modern information technology tools to manage their financial data. Despite calls from Congress and the White House to improve financial data management, agencies "employ a tangled web of disparate manual processes to generate the data," states a recent report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee...

Google's recent plan to buy Motorola Mobility has the potential for reshaping the entire Android landscape. If it wins regulatory approval for the purchase, Google may only have a short time span to connect its marketing strategy When and if this happens, it could further fracture the open source Android operating system. Depending on how Google fo...

In the wake of repeated hacker attacks on defense contractors in the United States comes news that the systems of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan's biggest defense contractor, have been breached Mitsubishi's submarine, missile and nuclear power plant component factories were reportedly targeted by the attackers....

"I messed up. I owe everyone an explanation." Thus begins a blog post by Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, announcing a new change to the company -- a change that is almost guaranteed to further irritate an already angry and frustrated customer base. The change, in a nutshell, is this: In addition to charging separate fees for its streaming and DVD-r...

A team of players of an online game called "Foldit" took three weeks to solve a problem in AIDS research that has puzzled scientists for years The problem was to solve the crystal structure of M-PMV (Mason-Pfizer monkey) retroviral protease....

The U.S. Department of Justice received the support of seven state attorneys general Friday in its opposition to the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile The merger, announced in March and now facing an antitrust lawsuit from the DoJ, would combine the second and fourth largest wireless providers in the nation. It's a move that AT&T claims wou...

The U.S. Department of Justice received the support of seven state attorneys general Friday in its opposition to the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile The merger, announced in March and now facing an antitrust lawsuit from the DoJ, would combine the second and fourth largest wireless providers in the nation. It's a move that AT&T claims wou...

Gary Elliot, chairman of the Association of National Advertisers and vice president of global marketing at Hewlett-Packard, wrote a column in Advertising Age titled "ICANN's Promises Aren't Simply Speculation, They're Outright Fantasy."His arguments opposing ICANN gTLDs echo those of other advertising association leaders around the world While the ...

Sony has changed the rules of engagement -- or rather, terms of service -- for users of its PlayStation Network. In the new agreement, users opt to give away their right to join a class action lawsuit against Sony. In addition, the agreement contains a binding individual arbitration clause.

Struggling through a welter of controversy, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration this week announced plans for a new deep space exploration program At the heart of theSpace Launch System is development of an advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle that will enable human exploration in space....

Relationships are the lifeblood of any business. As a small business achieves the success of a growing network, the question often turns to how to choose the best system for managing the information captured across multiple devices, digital files and scribbled notes. A contact management systems or full customer relationship management (CRM) software is the best way to keep tabs on the relationships contributing to the growth of the business.

Carol Bartz recently showcased what happens to CEOs who don't meet expectations -- and, given Yahoo's board may be fired as well, what can happen if a board acts too slowly. Steve Ballmer has been under fire for some time for underperforming as CEO, but one hit could change him from bozo to star if it is big enough, and Windows 8 is big enough. I'll share my thoughts on Windows 8 and the Intel Ultrabook hardware that could make it into a market star, and what Steve Ballmer could do to either ensure it wins or ensure it loses this week. ...

Providers of apps for mobile devices are just as responsible as other electronic commerce vendors in terms of protecting the privacy of customers. In a recent enforcement action, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) signaled that mobile apps fall within the agency's jurisdiction, and that it will not hesitate to investigate potential privacy violations associated with mobile apps...

Researchers at the University of Michigan have come up with a way to extend the battery life of tablets, smartphones and other devices that use WiFi Kang Shin, a professor of computer science and engineering, and Xinyu Zhang, a doctoral student, have developed E-MiLi, a power management method that could cut energy consumption by about 44 percent f...