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Google searches get smarter

2012-05-16T17:16:15Z

Google on Wednesday began making its search engine smarter in a major upgrade that looks beyond query words to figure out what people are actually seeking online.

Google revamps U.S. search

2012-05-16T18:36:04Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google is revamping the way it handles searches in the United States to give users quick access to answers without leaving the page, the company said. The new search process is based on what Google calls the "knowledge graph" -- meaning that it tries to pinpoint faster the context surrounding its users' keyword searches. "Over the years, as search has improved, people expect more," said Amit Singhal, vice president of engineering at Google and the head of search, in an interview. "We see this as the next big improvement in search relevance. ...

Sprint CEO sees more telecom M&A's possible

2012-05-16T20:21:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel believes U.S. regulators are open to large telecom deals despite their opposition to an AT&T Inc deal last year, but Sprint itself will try to avoid doing a big deal until 2014, according to Chief Executive Dan Hesse. Hesse said Sprint would ideally wait until it is finished a costly two-year network upgrade project that wraps up around the end of 2013 before he embarks on any major deals. ...

DoubleLine's Gundlach recommends shorting Apple

2012-05-16T19:44:37Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jeffrey Gundlach, one of the world's most widely watched credit investors, recommended betting against computer company Apple Inc, retailer Nordstrom Inc and the main U.S. stock index, the Standard & Poor's 500. The Nordstrom stock "looks like death," said Gundlach, who runs $34 billion DoubleLine Capital. He likes natural gas and Spain's main stock index. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss)

MIT names provost new president

2012-05-16T17:24:33Z

MIT provost L. Rafael Reif, an internationally recognized electrical engineer who learned to speak English after coming to the U.S. for graduate school from his native Venezuela, was named MIT's 17th president on Wednesday.

‘iPad mini’ coming this fall, report claims

2012-05-16T20:30:05Z

Analysts for Barclays said in a note to investors that a new 7-inch iPad will be released this fall, Business Insider reported on Wednesday. “Following up on comments made last week, recent research still leads us to believe that Apple may be planning to add another form factor to its iPad line in the 7? range for the fall,” the note read. The banking firm states that a smaller iPad would be useful in promoting Apple’s education agenda and could also help the company’s gaming efforts. Rather than sullying the iPad brand and iOS ecosystem, Barclays states that a “lower priced iPad [is] a necessary entry point to make the tablet market the size of the PC market by 2015 in

Income Inequality Apparently Too Touchy a Subject for TED

2012-05-16T20:58:12Z

If you’re plugged into the Internet, chances are you’ve seen a TED talk—the wonky, provocative web videos that have become a sort of nerd franchise. TED.com is where you go to find Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg explaining why the world has too few female leaders, or Twitter cofounder Evan Williams sharing the secret power of listening to users to drive company improvement. The slogan of the nonprofit group behind the site is “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

The next digital image revolution?

2012-05-09T05:57:33Z

Despite the explosive innovation around digital picture-taking, the end result has actually changed very little. A photo is still a photo. And a poorly focused photo is still as bad as ever. Ren Ng aims to fix that.

Italy Microsoft head in pole for CEO position at RCS: sources

2012-05-16T18:52:20Z

MILAN (Reuters) - Pietro Scott Jovane, CEO of the Italian unit of Microsoft, was in pole position to take over as chief executive of Italian media company RCS MediaGroup, two sources close to the matter said on Wednesday. "This time it seems that there really is a pre-chosen one -- it's Pietro Scott Jovane ... There is agreement among the shareholders," one of the sources said. ...

Micron up on report of Elpida contract with Apple

2012-05-16T17:54:54Z

Shares of chip-maker Micron Technology Inc. rose Wednesday as investors hoped that the Japanese company Micron is in talks to buy recently received a big order from Apple Inc.

Google strives to enlighten with new search tool

2012-05-16T19:28:45Z

Google is introducing a new tool, designed to make its search engine smarter.

With Knowledge Graph, Google Wants Search to Be a Learning Experience

2012-05-16T18:24:33Z

Over the next few days, you may notice a lot of changes on your Google search pages. Recognizing that people need more context when searching for something, Google is launching the Knowledge Graph to make it quicker and easier to find information. It's one of the most aggressive updates to Google's flagship product in years and, we think, one of the most useful. Let us show you how it works.

Self-Worth Shattering: A Single Bomb Blast Can Saddle Soldiers with Debilitating Brain Trauma

2012-05-16T18:40:00Z

Self-Worth Shattering: A Single Bomb Blast Can Saddle Soldiers with Debilitating Brain Trauma

Facebook IPO triggers retail investor craze

2012-05-16T16:48:19Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - If "Facebook For Dummies" helped you find friends and post pictures on the world's No. 1 online social network, then consider "Facebook IPO Confidential" which purports to teach you "How To Get Rich With The IPO Of The Century." The e-book is one of about eight self-help manuals that appear to have sprung up overnight to try to capitalize on the frenzy surrounding Silicon Valley's biggest initial public offering. With other titles such as "The Facebook IPO Pitch: Are You In?" and "How To Invest In Facebook", these books are far from bestsellers. ...

Facebook investors to cash out more shares

2012-05-16T16:55:03Z

Insiders and early Facebook investors are taking advantage of increasing investor demand and selling more of their stock in the company's initial public offering, the company said Wednesday.

Why (and How) to Turn Off Facebook’s SocialCam

2012-05-16T18:59:09Z

Friends — I beg of you — TURN OFF SHARING for the SocialCam app on Facebook. SocialCam is a feed of user-generated videos.  Just by clicking on a SocialCam link in Facebook and accepting their app, every SocialCam video you watch from then on is shared to your Facebook friends automatically. The content is questionable, [...]

Paralyzed woman uses her mind to control robot arm

2012-05-16T18:22:03Z

Using only her thoughts, a Massachusetts woman paralyzed for 15 years directed a robotic arm to pick up a bottle of coffee and bring it to her lips, researchers report in the latest advance in harnessing brain waves to help disabled people.

Verizon to kill grandfathered unlimited data plans with 4G upgrades

2012-05-16T18:00:41Z

Verizon Wireless plans to eliminate its $30 per month unlimited data plan that it provides to customers who subscribed to the plan prior to the company’s transition to tiered data plans last July, Fierce Wireless reported on Wednesday. Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said at the 40th J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference that once unlimited 3G data plan customers upgrade to 4G LTE, they will have to purchase the company’s shared data plan. “Everyone will be on data share,” Shammo said. The carrier’s shared data plans are scheduled to launch in the coming months, and will allow users to share a single pool of data between multiple devices. “If I can add as many devices as I want, that is

Barclays upgrades Cisco after recent stock decline

2012-05-16T19:00:32Z

A Barclays analyst on Wednesday upgraded Cisco Systems Inc. after a recent stock decline triggered by a weak guidance.

Facebook boosts IPO size by 25 percent, could top $16 billion

2012-05-16T20:01:18Z

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc increased the size of its initial public offering by almost 25 percent, and could raise as much as $16 billion as strong investor demand for a share of the No.1 social network trumps debate about its long-term potential to make money. Facebook, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room, said on Wednesday it will add about 84 million shares to its IPO, floating about 421 million shares in an offering expected to be priced on Thursday. ...

Apple wins appeal, now can seek injunction against Galaxy Tab in U.S

2012-05-16T18:38:00Z

Things might get rough for Samsung in its U.S. patent fight against Apple.

Apple readies iPhone with bigger screen: sources

2012-05-16T19:44:37Z

TOKYO (Reuters) - Apple Inc plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, people familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. The new iPhone screens will measure 4 inches from corner to corner, one source said. That would represent a roughly 30 percent increase in viewing area, assuming Apple keeps other dimensions proportional. Apple has used a 3.5-inch screen since introducing the iPhone in 2007. ...

Early Facebook employee has memoir deal

2012-05-15T14:30:33Z

An early Facebook employee and former assistant to Mark Zuckerberg will have a memoir out this summer.

Sina shares jump on 1st-qtr report

2012-05-16T18:38:47Z

Shares of Chinese Internet portal Sina Corp. jumped Wednesday as the company's first-quarter profit beat Wall Street expectations and advertising revenue rose.

Verizon sees revenue increase from shared plans

2012-05-16T19:02:35Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless should see an increase in data revenue after it offers new shared data plans this summer, according to a top executive for parent company Verizon Communications Inc. Verizon's intends to allow customers to share their data allowance among different devices, unlike their current offerings, where they have to sign up for a separate data plan for every device connected to the wireless operator's network. Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said he expects the new offering to encourage more customers to connect more devices to its network. ...

The Incredible Rise of Mind-Controlled Limbs

2012-05-16T20:23:14Z

A few years ago the thought of a robotic limb controlled by a person's mind was the stuff of science fiction. Today, it seems like there's a new breakthrough in bionic technology every week.

Report: Apple starting production of a 4? iPhone 5 in June

2012-05-16T16:35:24Z

Wish that iPhone in the palm of your hand was a little bigger? According to the Wall Street Journal, your prayers are about to be answered: The new iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch display, a half inch larger than current iPhone 4 … Continue reading ?

Paralyzed woman uses thoughts to control robot arm

2012-05-16T17:03:08Z

Using only her thoughts, a Massachusetts woman paralyzed for 15 years directed a robotic arm to pick up a bottle of coffee and bring it to her lips, researchers report in the latest advance in harnessing brain waves to help disabled people.

Saverin dumps US citizenship ahead of Facebook IPO

2012-05-15T06:55:56Z

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has renounced his U.S. citizenship, a move expected to save him hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes stemming from the company's impending initial public offering.

Facebook raises IPO price as offering nears

2012-05-15T19:37:35Z

Already expected to be the largest-ever initial public offering for an Internet company, Facebook is making its IPO even bigger.

Register Now to Join Mashable and Partners in Brazil for Rio+Social

2012-05-16T16:04:24Z

Registration is now open for Rio+Social, the historic meeting of social media, technology, global development and sustainability leaders during the UN's Rio+20 conference.

Facebook IPO shares tough task for small investors

2012-05-15T04:24:59Z

Hoping to get in on Facebook's hotly anticipated public stock offering? You'll need Facebook friends at very high levels — or a lot of money.

The Unlimited Data Plan Dream is Dead

2012-05-16T19:48:01Z

We have reached the end of the end of unlimited data, with Verizon CFO Fran Shammo announcing that the grandfathered in unlimited 3G data holders will have to relenquish their wealth of data when they migrate over to the 4G network. “A lot of our 3G base is unlimited,” he said at an investor conference (quoted here via Fierce Wireless). "As they start to migrate onto 4G, they will have to come off of unlimited and go onto the data share plan. That’s beneficial for us for many reasons. ...

Several brokerages stop taking Facebook IPO orders

2012-05-16T20:44:44Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors who want Facebook Inc shares when the No. 1 online social network goes public later this week may have lost the opportunity. TD Ameritrade and Fidelity's brokerage arm both stopped accepting orders of Facebook shares as of Tuesday evening, according to representatives for each of the companies. Morgan Stanley & Co did the same, according to three advisers at the firm who declined to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the press. E*Trade Financial also stopped accepting orders as of 4 p.m. ...

Japan firm unveils gesture controlling device

2012-05-16T19:15:27Z

Japanese technology titan NEC has unveiled a gadget that allows users to control their TV, mobile phone or tablet computer using a virtual input device.

Poll: Half of Americans call Facebook a fad

2012-05-15T13:26:38Z

Half of Americans think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. And, in the run-up to the social network's initial public offering of stock, half of Americans also say the social network's expected asking price is too high.

Fiat pulls epic prank on Volkswagen rivals using Google Street View

2012-05-16T16:44:09Z

If there's one thing we can say about European car makers, it's that most of them seem to have a great sense of humor. Nowhere is this more apparent than on a trip past Volkswagen's Swedish headquarters in Google Street View, where … Continue reading ?

Yahoo soap opera features new cast of leaders

2012-05-14T22:58:47Z

Yahoo's dysfunctional turnaround efforts have morphed into a Silicon Valley soap opera, one that has taken another strange twist with the Internet company's ousting of CEO Scott Thompson just four months after his arrival.

How much are you worth to Facebook?

2012-05-16T19:15:49Z

Facebook is just days away from one of the largest initial public offerings of all time. The social networking site is looking to raise more than $16 billion dollars at a valuation in the $100 billion price range. Facebook is worth a lot of money, and a company called Abine has created a program to determine just how much individuals are worth to Facebook. The program, called Facebook Val-You Calculator, determines a user’s worth with the help of seven questions regarding the number of friends they have, how often they “like” things, and even their salary range. Individuals are priced anywhere from $1 to more than $100, however according to research firm Forrester, Facebook made less than $4 per active user in

NY tech fest heralds Silicon Valley of the east

2012-05-16T19:11:30Z

The Big Apple may not have California's weather, but tech fans at New York Internet Week say that in every other way the city is on course to become Silicon Valley 2.0.