Wash Post Technology

The Big Money: The Pennies Add Up at Swoopo.com

Mark Gimein — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Imagine for a second that you've set out to come up with an online shopping site that would take advantage of everything we know about consumer behavior.

Click by Click, Reviewers Gain Clout

Mike Musgrove — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

If you value your spare time, don't start posting comments and reviews on Amazon, Mark Espinosa suggests. It can be a hard habit to break.

Help File: Playing DVDs From Abroad; Strange Downloads in Safari 4

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

QI've got some DVDs I picked up overseas that don't work in my DVD player. What's my cheapest fix for this problem?

Fast Forward: Social Networks Can Be Breeding Ground for Viruses

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

You can get the most amazing messages from friends on Facebook.

Rosetta Stone Suing Google Over Advertisers' Trademark Use

Cecilia Kang — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Rosetta Stone, the Arlington language-learning software firm, said yesterday it has filed a lawsuit against Google for trademark infringement, alleging the Internet search giant allowed other companies to use Rosetta Stone's trademark brand for online advertisements without permission.

Shenandoah National Park Goes High-Tech With GPS Ranger Trail Guides

Christina Talcott — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Christina Talcott puts a GPS Ranger to the test at Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park. Can the high-tech global positioning device's video and audio tours measure up to a hiking tour led by a real-life ranger?

South Korean Web Sites Disrupted in Third Round of Attacks

Blaine Harden — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, July 9 -- South Korea was bombarded Thursday with a third wave of cyberattacks, which disrupted and in some cases halted access to government, banking and media Web sites.

D.C. Area Transit Agency Adopts Zero-Tolerance Policy on Texting by Operators

James Hohmann — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Metro has toughened its policy against texting by train or bus operators, following the release of a video showing a train operator apparently doing so while his train speeds down the tracks.

Fast Forward: Google's 'Chrome OS': The Web Is the Computer

Rob Pegoraro — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Google announced a new Web-centric, laptop operating system Tuesday night and called it "Chrome OS," but the company could just as well have titled this software "Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's Revenge."

'Virtual Assistants' Find Demand for Services in Tight Labor Market

Emma L. Carew — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Michael Hanik used to have 12 employees, a warehouse and trucks to run his medical devices catalogue company.

U.S., South Korea Targeted in Swarm of Internet Attacks

Ellen Nakashima, Brian Krebs and Blaine Harden — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

U.S. and South Korean authorities yesterday were investigating the source of attacks on at least 35 government and commercial Web sites in the two countries, officials said.

PCs Used in Korean DDoS Attacks May Self Destruct

Brian Krebs — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:41:29 EDT

There are signs that the concerted cyber attacks targeting U.S. and Korean government and commercial Web sites this past week are beginning to wane. Yet, even if the assaults were to be completely blocked tomorrow, the attackers could still have one last, inglorious weapon in their arsenal: New...

Venture Capitalists, Start-Ups at Odds Over Who Should Get Funds

Kim Hart — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Executives from small technology firms descended on the halls of Capitol Hill yesterday to protest a proposed change to the federal Small Business Innovation Research Program.

Government Web Sites Targeted By Attack

Brian Krebs and Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A widespread and coordinated cyberattack during the past few days has targeted Web sites operated by major government agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security and Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, according to several computer security ...

Researchers: Social Security Numbers Can Be Guessed

Brian Krebs — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:05:00 EDT

Researchers have found that it is possible to guess many -- if not all -- of the nine digits in an individual's Social Security number using publicly available information, a finding they say compromises the security of one of the most widely used consumer identifiers in the United States.

Sen. Kohl Demands Investigation of Wireless Carriers

Cecilia Kang — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A senior senator yesterday demanded a federal probe of alleged anti-competitive practices in the wireless industry, escalating recent congressional concern that too much power is concentrating in the hands of a few carriers.

Md. School Joins Test of Online Courses Tailored to Girls

Michael Birnbaum — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

When the Online School for Girls flickers to life this fall on computer screens across the country, students will take part in an unusual experiment that joins two trends: girls-only schooling and online teaching.

Md. Prisons, Wireless Industry at Odds Over Jamming Inmate Cellphones

Henri E. Cauvin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In the war for wireless supremacy, there is Verizon vs. AT&T, the iPhone vs. the BlackBerry. -- And then there's Gary D. Maynard vs. the 23,000 residents of Maryland's state prisons. -- In his bid to snuff out mobile phones in Maryland's two dozen state lockups, Maynard, the state's public safety...

High Crimes Using Low-Tech Attacks

Brian Krebs — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:11:53 EDT

Criminals are resurrecting low-tech attacks to siphon tens of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims. According to financial fraud experts, so-called "man-in-the-phone" attacks require little more than a telephone and old-fashioned con artistry. The scam works like this: The criminal calls...

Personal Tech: Gadget News and Reviews

Rob Pegoraro — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro discusses recent reviews and answers your personal tech questions.

Media Notes: Howard Kurtz on the Personality Preoccupation of Mediaite.com

Howard Kurtz — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Few would quarrel with the notion of Oprah Winfrey as the most influential television host, with Bill O'Reilly coming in second.

Social Security Numbers Guessable, Study Finds

Brian Krebs — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers have found that it is possible to guess many -- if not all -- of the nine digits in a person's Social Security number using publicly available information, a finding they say compromises the security of one of the most widely used consumer identifiers in the United States.

Restrictions Are Eased for Research Using Embryonic Stem Cells

Shankar Vedantam — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Hundreds of embryonic stem cell lines, whose use in the United States had effectively been curtailed by the Bush administration, can be used to study disorders and develop cures if researchers can show the cells were derived using ethical procedures, according to new rules issued by the federal...

Start-Ups Say Innovation Doesn't Grow on Trees

Kim Hart — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Biotechnology start-ups have long relied on grants from the National Institutes of Health to fund research-and-developmentast but a last minute change in the legislation exempted the agency from the requirement to reserve a portion of the money for small businesses.

Fast Forward: Browser Users Can Celebrate an Independent's Day

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Considering it didn't even exist 19 years ago , the Web browser has done pretty well. No other program on a computer can do so many things -- e-mail, mapping and calendars, to name a few -- thanks to all the Web services now available.

Help File: Recycling Old Electronics

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

QI've got an old analog TV collecting dust at home. How can I recycle or safely dispose of it?

DHS Cybersecurity Plan Will Involve NSA, Telecoms

Ellen Nakashima — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Obama administration will proceed with a Bush-era plan to use National Security Agency assistance in screening government computer traffic on private-sector networks, with AT&T as the likely test site, according to three current and former government officials.

Defendant Says Dismissal of MySpace Hoax Case Linked to Suicide Was ÂProper'

Linda Deutsch — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

LOS ANGELES, July 3 -- A Missouri mother said she never should have been prosecuted for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old girl who ended up committing suicide.

Now on the Wii: Aliens, Guns and the Capitol

Mike Musgrove — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

When you're lobbing radiation grenades and fighting aliens on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial on an otherwise quiet Washington evening, it's hard not to feel a sense of history. After all, this is the same address where the climactic final events of one of last year's best video games, Fallou...

Facebook Activism: Lots of Clicks, but Little Sticks

Monica Hesse — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Facebook activism, the trendy process by which we do good by clicking often, was in its full glory last week after the death of Iranian student Neda Agha Soltan, killed by gunfire in the streets of Tehran.

Biden Announces $4 Billion in Grants and Loans in First Round of Funding for Broadband Expansion

Cecilia Kang — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Vice President Biden yesterday announced guidelines for $4 billion in stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet access across the nation, jump-starting a program that has been criticized for taking too long to get off the ground.

TerreStar Launching Pocket-Size Satellite Phone

Mike Musgrove — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

To look at it, you wouldn't know it's a satellite phone -- and that's the idea.

Rust Library in Leesburg to Reopen After Renovation

Kafia A. Hosh — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Loudoun County will have a new chill spot where teenagers can socialize and play video games: Rust Library.

U.S. Joins Whistleblower Suit Alleging SAIC Rigged Contract

Amit R. Paley — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SAIC, one of the Pentagon's largest contractors, conspired with federal officials to rig a $3.2 billion technology contract and tried to cover up the scheme by destroying documents and electronic records, federal prosecutors said in newly unsealed court documents.

Lawmakers Question Arbitron's Data on Minority Radio Listeners

Mike Musgrove — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A congressional committee has launched an inquiry into a local company's new system for gauging listenership of radio stations and whether it leaves out minority households.

Expansion-Minded RCN Sparks Bidding War for N.Y. Telecom

Cecilia Kang — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

RCN, the Herndon cable network operator that has been searching for ways to expand, has offered to purchase New York-based network services firm FiberNet Telecom for $96 million -- setting off a bidding war in the process.

Help File: Archiving Old Home Movies To DVD, Vista ÂMemory DumpsÂ Defined

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

QI've got some old reels of Super 8 film. What are my options for transferring that to DVD?

Apple's New iPhone Has Learned New Tricks, but So Have Competitors

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Two years ago, the original iPhone was the phone that changed everything. The new iPhone 3GS can't make the same difference, not when it shares the market with both predecessors and competing models that have learned some of the same tricks.

Workers in Manassas Make Computers That Power Spacecraft Sent to Moon

Jennifer Buske — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NASA officials are exploring the moon for the first time in almost a decade, thanks to a computer system manufactured in Manassas.

Verizon Is Now a 2nd Option in Charles for Internet/TV Service

Matt Zapotosky — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Comcast now has competition in Charles County. After reaching an agreement with the county this spring to offer its TV services, Verizon has begun offering its FiOS TV and Internet service to about 8,000 homes and businesses in Waldorf and La Plata. Verizon also agreed to a build-out that will bring...

Government Launches Web Site to Track IT Spending

Kim Hart — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:29:58 EDT

NEW YORK, June 30 -- Vivek Kundra, the federal chief information officer, on Tuesday announced a new Web site designed to track more than $70 billion in government information technology spending, showing all contracts held by major firms within every agency.

FFSearcher: A Stealthy Evolution in Click Fraud

Brian Krebs — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:46:34 EDT

Every so often, a new piece of malicious software comes along that introduces a subtle yet evolutionary technological leap, a quickly-mimicked shift that allows cyber crooks to be far more stealthy in plying their trade. According to research released last week, this happened most recently in the...

Newborns' Blood Samples Are Used for Research Without Parents' Consent

Rob Stein — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Matthew Brzica and his wife hardly noticed when the hospital took a few drops of blood from each of their four newborn children for routine genetic testing. But then they discovered that the state had kept the dried blood samples ever since -- and was making them available to scientists for medic...

Biotech Start-Ups Show Dedication, Line Up Again for Tax Credits

Kim Hart — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Last year, Scott Allocco spent 12 hours sitting on a downtown Baltimore sidewalk, waiting to turn in his application to get a tax credit He was the third company in line. This year, he was the first.

Metro Crash May Exemplify Paradox of Human-Machine Interaction

Shankar Vedantam — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Sometime soon, investigators will piece together why one train on Metro's Red Line hurtled into another last Monday, killing nine people and injuring dozens. Early indications suggest a computer system may have malfunctioned, and various accounts have raised questions about whether the driver of the...

With Kindle DX, Amazon Writes New E-Book Chapter

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Lots of novels have the potential for one good sequel, but not too many can sustain a story over a third book.

Gates Establishes Cyber-Defense Command

Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued an order yesterday establishing a command that will defend military networks against computer attacks and develop offensive cyber-weapons, but he also directed that the structure be ready to help safeguard civilian systems.

White House Seeks Public Input on Classified Records Policy

Kim Hart — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

President Obama wants your advice on how the government should keep its secrets.

China, Cuba, Other Authoritarian Regimes Censor News From Iran

Ariana Eunjung Cha — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING -- Out of fear that history might repeat itself, the authoritarian governments of China, Cuba and Burma have been selectively censoring the news this month of Iranian crowds braving government militias on the streets of Tehran to demand democratic reforms.

Sprint Wiring Itself for a Comeback with Cost Cutting, Palm Pre

Cecilia Kang — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

One year ago, many were questioning Sprint Nextel's chances of survival. The firm was reeling from a disastrous $35 billion merger that brought together conflicting technologies and warring cultures. Its customer service was so bad that subscribers were leaving at a rate of 12,000 a day. Its bloated...

Administration Kills Bush Program to Give Police Access to Spy Satellite Data

Spencer S. Hsu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced yesterday that she will kill a controversial Bush administration program to expand the use of spy satellites by domestic law enforcement and other agencies.

Personal Tech: Gadget News and Reviews

Rob Pegoraro — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EDT

The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro discusses recent reviews and answers your personal tech questions.

Clear's Quick Airport Screening Service Shut Down

Jonathan Starkey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Frequent fliers shuffled back into long security checkpoint lines in airports across the country yesterday after Verified Identity Pass shut down Clear, its expedited screening service.

Arab Activists Watch Iran And Wonder: 'Why Not Us?'

Sudarsan Raghavan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CAIRO, June 25 -- Mohamed Sharkawy bears the scars of his devotion to Egypt's democracy movement. He has endured beatings in a Cairo police station, he said, and last year spent more than two weeks in an insect-ridden jail for organizing a protest.

New York to Pay Women Who Give Eggs for Stem Cell Research

Rob Stein — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

New York has become the first state to allow taxpayer-funded researchers to pay women for giving their eggs for embryonic stem cell research, a move welcomed by many scientists but condemned by critics who fear it will lead to the exploitation of vulnerable women.

A Metro Train Control System Fails a Post-Crash Test

Lena H. Sun and Maria Glod — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A train control system that should have prevented Monday's deadly Metro crash failed in a test conducted by federal investigators, officials said yesterday, suggesting that a crucial breakdown of technology sent one train slamming into another.

Metro Crash Investigation Turns Up Electronic Control 'Anomalies'

Lyndsey Layton, Maria Glod and Lena H. Sun — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Federal investigators said yesterday that they found "anomalies" in a key component of the electronic control system along the Metro track north of Fort Totten, suggesting that computers might have sent one Red Line train crashing into another.

U.S. Presses China on Censorship

Kim Hart — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Senior U.S. officials are pressuring the Chinese government to shelve a proposed rule that would require all computers shipped in China to be equipped with Web-filtering software, citing concerns that the order may violate China's commitments under the World Trade Organization.

Md. Firm Buys Maker of Hit Video Games

Mike Musgrove — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ZeniMax Media, the Rockville-based parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks, announced yesterday that it has acquired game development studio Id Software.

Even Recession Can't Dampen Demand for Faster iPhone

Mike Musgrove — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Evidently, a faster iPhone is enough to get consumers to reach for their wallets again. Apple announced yesterday that it sold 1 million units of its latest iPhone over the weekend.

The Download: Digital TV Switch a Boon for One Local Station

Kim Hart — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The switch to digital TV has caused static and headaches for thousands of viewers in the Washington region. But for one local station, the transition has been something of a revival.

Media Notes: Howard Kurtz on Nick Denton, Founder of Gawker

Howard Kurtz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NEW YORK -- Nick Denton is sitting amid the rows of screen-staring digital workers in the fourth-floor walkup that serves as Gawker headquarters, having neglected to build himself a private office.

Does 'Tiananmen + Web = Tehran'?

Jose Antonio Vargas — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:23:55 EDT

Twenty years ago this month, Thomas Ho was aboard Amtrak en route to Washington, pressing his pocket transistor radio to his left ear, sitting by the window to get better reception. A fourth-generation Chinese American, he couldn't stop listening to the latest news on the standoff at Tiananmen...

Metro Relaunching System to Provide Data on Next Bus's Arrival Time

Lena H. Sun — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Metro is relaunching a long-awaited real-time bus arrival system that is supposed to tell riders when the next Metrobus will arrive at their stop. The system could make the area's largest regional bus service a more viable option for thousands of people who now shun it because of its unreliability.

BAE's U.S. Chief Quits to Take Over at SAIC

Emma L. Carew — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Walt Havenstein is stepping down after two years as chief executive of the Rockville-based U.S. arm of British defense contractor BAE Systems to take that position at fellow contractor Science Applications International Corp.

Ty Lawson's Vision Already Goes Beyond Basketball

Steve Yanda — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The decision before Ty Lawson related to basketball -- the sport that soon would become his profession -- only inasmuch as it pertained to Ty Lawson. Seated at a conference table inside his agent's ninth-floor office, Lawson munched on a chicken wrap and barbeque chips while staring at a computer...

Gawking at the Media World

Howard Kurtz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:30:00 EDT

NEW YORK -- Nick Denton is sitting amid the rows of screen-staring digital workers in the fourth-floor walkup that serves as Gawker headquarters, having neglected to build himself a private office.

Jobs, on Leave From Apple, Reportedly Had Liver Transplant

Mike Musgrove — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In a possible answer to a health mystery that has had Silicon Valley chattering for months, a newspaper reported yesterday that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is recovering from a liver transplant.

Help File: After the DTV Switch, Some Tinkering Still Required

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

QTwo weeks ago, you suggested that digital-TV reception would improve after analog broadcasts ended. But the DTV signals of channels 7 and 9 seem to have gone off the air.

Sirius XM Rolls Out iPhone App, But No Stern or NFL on the Go

Mike Musgrove — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart fans got a tiny bit of good news yesterday. Sports followers and Howard Stern listeners, not so much.

Facebook Taps Privacy Hawk as Lobbyist

Kim Hart — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Facebook's newly minted lobbyist used to be one of the company's most formidable adversaries.

Crowds Pack D.C. Area Stores for First Bite at Apple's Latest, Fastest iPhone

Mike Musgrove — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Another summer, another iPhone -- and another set of long lines.

TV Preview: ABC Miniseries 'Impact' Has Natasha Henstridge, David James Elliott

Leslie Yazel — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The best part of apocalyptic movies -- in this case, "Impact," an ABC miniseries that begins tomorrow -- should be that they make you imagine the what if. What if you had only a few days before Earth is destroyed? Do you gather with loved ones around the family photo album, munch popcorn and...

FCC to Scrutinize Exclusive Wireless Contracts

Cecilia Kang — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Federal Communications Commission will launch a review of exclusive partnerships between cellphone makers and wireless service carriers, such as the one between Apple and AT&T for the iPhone, to see if the deals harm consumers and hamper competition, interim Chairman Michael J. Copps said...

Unhappy Customer, 79, Dies After Bid to Stop Verizon Van in Vienna

Allison Klein — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A 79-year-old Vienna man who was fed up with his Verizon service died after trying to stop a technician's van from pulling out of his driveway.

Exclusive Wireless Contracts Examined

Cecilia Kang — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Lawmakers yesterday waded into a growing debate on whether the practice of locking in cellphones to exclusive contracts with only one carrier has led to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers and stifled competition in one of the economy's brightest spots -- the wireless industry.

2 D.C. Stations Lost to Viewers in Digital TV Transition

Kim Hart — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Five days after the national transition to all-digital television, WUSA, the area's CBS affiliate (Channel 9), and WJLA, the ABC affiliate (Channel 7), have disappeared from screens around the region.

Malicious Attacks Most Blamed in '09 Data Breaches

Brian Krebs — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:41:46 EDT

Rogue employees and hackers were the most commonly cited sources of data breaches reported during the first half of 2009, according to figures released this week by the Identity Theft Resource Center , a San Diego based nonprofit. The ID Theft Center found that of the roughly 250 data breaches...

Twitter Is a Player In Iran's Drama

Mike Musgrove — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The State Department asked social-networking site Twitter to delay scheduled maintenance earlier this week to avoid disrupting communications among tech-savvy Iranian citizens as they took to the streets to protest Friday's reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Newspaper Archive Project, Chronicling America, Hits Million-Page Milestone

Jacqueline Trescott — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Hours after a monumental earthquake hit San Francisco in 1906, the Evening World, a New York newspaper, blared its account: "Earthquake's Dead May Number 3,000; Fire Is Now Raging."

iPhone 3.0 Includes 46 Security Updates

Brian Krebs — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:11:46 EDT

Apple on Wednesday released the much anticipated 3.0 update for the iPhone , bundling at least 46 security fixes into a new version of the iPhone operating system that includes essential functionality such as cut-and-paste and Spotlight search. Included in the 3.0 bundle are security patches for...

Senators Urge Genachowski To Revive FCC

Cecilia Kang — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Julius Genachowski is widely expected to be confirmed to head the Federal Communications Commission today, following a nomination hearing where he was urged to revive an agency lawmakers said had been mismanaged through years of secrecy and influenced by corporate interests.

Persian News Network Finds New Life in Contested Iranian Election

Mary Beth Sheridan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Voice of America beams a youth-oriented TV show into Iran each evening, usually a mix of Hollywood releases, music videos and tips on high-tech gadgets. This week's show featured a weightier topic: how to evade a crackdown on free speech.

For iPhone Obsessives, Frenzy Over Early Delivery

Michael D. Shear — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:49:00 EDT

If you care enough about gadgets to pre-order the new iPhone, then perhaps it stands to reason that you would surf the Web obsessively to see when the coveted device will show up at your door.

Grad Design Guide: Web Sites to Help With the Stress of Moving to a New Town

Kathleen Hom — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Moving to a new city and starting fresh can be both frightening and exhilarating. There's the stress of packing and moving, coupled with the thrill of discovering a neighborhood and meeting friends. We've compiled some Web sites that can ease the transition.

The Download: New Networking Territory for Tech Groups

Kim Hart — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

It's not every day that you see tech executives and government officials hobnobbing while sipping a Malware Mojito or Cloud Martini, and snacking on Phishing Tacos and Silicon Valley Sliders.

Smithsonian Expert Amanda Young Celebrates the High Fashion of Spacesuits

Kate Kilpatrick — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Spacesuits are the ultimate in couture. Think about it: custom-fit garments, dozens of layers deep, made from innovative textiles that can run $5,000 per square foot, with eye-catching accessories. And the footwear? Near impossible to walk in.

@Play: New Products Can Be Obsolete in a Heartbeat

Mike Musgrove — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Last Sunday, I was lurking at the local Apple store, poking at laptops and feeling a mild bit of concern for my fellow shoppers.

Fast Forward: The Palm Pre -- a New Hope for Smartphones

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The new Palm Pre comes from a company that's been developing handheld gadgets since 1992, but the Pre owes almost nothing to that heritage. It has all the promise -- and many of the limits and glitches -- of a bright, young startup's 1.0 release.

Administration Plans to Replace Controversial Real ID Initiative

Spencer S. Hsu — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Yielding to a rebellion by states that refused to pay for it, the Obama administration is moving to scale back a federal law passed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that was designed to tighten security requirements for driver's licenses, Homeland Security Department and congressional officials...

Security Fix Live

Brian Krebs — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Security Fix blogger Brian Krebs answers your technology questions and offers ways to protect yourself from online security threats.

Iran Election Dispute Plays Out Online -- A Guide to Web Coverage

Liz Heron — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:07:34 EDT

Amid reports that the Iranian government is trying to disrupt communication services and curb traditional media outlets after Friday's disputed election, millions of people are turning to blogs and social media channels to exchange the latest news about the escalating tensions.

Drug Firms Jockey for Space Online

Francesca Lunzer Kritz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

If you're relying solely on TV ads to get drug-company pitches, you're so last month. A growing number of drug firms are trying their luck with social media tools such as Facebook (which is being used to promote several attention-deficit-disorder drugs), YouTube (the asthma drug Symbicort), Twitt...

Apple Patches Java Flaws, At Last

Brian Krebs — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:11:44 EDT

Apple on Monday shipped updates to plug more than two dozen security holes in its version of Java , including a particularly dangerous flaw that Java maker Sun patched back in early December. Last month, Security Fix and others took Apple to task for taking too long to fix Java vulnerabilities. In...

Scientists Wonder Whether Painting the World's Roofs White May Be One Way to Slow Global Warming

David A. Fahrenthold — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Could climate change be staved off by making the United States look like a scene from "Mamma Mia!"?

Living on Twitter Time

Howard Kurtz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:48:00 EDT

Is Twitter no longer an ultra-hip refuge for the perpetually plugged-in?

Digital TV Ready to Rule the Tube, Leaving Some Viewers in the Dark

Kim Hart — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Almost 3 million U.S. homes -- 60,000 households in the Washington area alone -- could wake up Saturday to a blank TV screen.

IRS Seeks to Simplify Workers' Cellphone Tax Law

Kim Hart — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In the late 1980s, the image of millionaire Gordon Gekko strolling along a beach with a brick-sized cellphone to his ear in the movie "Wall Street" was the epitome of wealth and excess. Congress passed a law requiring the value of employer-issued cellphones to be included in workers' gross income...

Help File: Freeing Up Disk Space After a Vista Update, A Bogus Spam Defense

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

QIs it true that Microsoft's Service Pack 2 update for Windows Vista can free up disk space by deleting older patch files?

Pentagon Cyber Unit Prompts Questions

Ellen Nakashima — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Pentagon's development of a "cyber-command" is prompting questions about its role in the larger national strategy to protect government and private-sector computer networks and whether privacy can be protected. And the command is fueling debate over the proper rules to govern a new kind of...

Employees May Be Taxed for Texting If IRS Updates Work Cellphone Rules

Kim Hart — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Internal Revenue Service's proposals to evaluate whether to tax company-issued cellphones could cut deep for work-obsessed Washingtonians. The taxes may also apply to text messages on mobile devices, e-mails on company-issued laptops and wireless cards.

Rob Pegoraro's Fast Forward: After Bouts of Static, Digital TV Takes Over

Rob Pegoraro — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Almost all analog television broadcasts ended yesterday, but the world refrained from following suit.

Broadcasters Prepare for DTV Transition

Kim Hart — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:12:00 EDT

The switch is on. Broadcasters across the nation have begun the final push to turn off the analog signals they've been using for more than six decades and move to all-digital programming.

Unmanned Robot and 25-Mile Tether Target Ocean Mysteries

Kari Lydersen — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Skimming past otherworldly tube worms and bizarre crustaceans as they traversed primordial sediments in inky darkness seven miles below the surface, an unmanned yellow robot two weeks ago became the world's deepest-diving unmanned submersible.

The Reality of Digital Television Doesn't Meet the Hype -- Whose Fault Is That?

Paul Farhi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

It was going to be glorious, positively Jetsonian. With digital broadcasting, the television industry once promised, the TV set would be transformed into a miraculous info-appliance, the modern household's electronic brain.

Wash Post Technology

The Big Money: The Pennies Add Up at Swoopo.com

Click by Click, Reviewers Gain Clout

Help File: Playing DVDs From Abroad; Strange Downloads in Safari 4

Fast Forward: Social Networks Can Be Breeding Ground for Viruses

Rosetta Stone Suing Google Over Advertisers' Trademark Use

Shenandoah National Park Goes High-Tech With GPS Ranger Trail Guides

South Korean Web Sites Disrupted in Third Round of Attacks

D.C. Area Transit Agency Adopts Zero-Tolerance Policy on Texting by Operators

Fast Forward: Google's 'Chrome OS': The Web Is the Computer

'Virtual Assistants' Find Demand for Services in Tight Labor Market

U.S., South Korea Targeted in Swarm of Internet Attacks

PCs Used in Korean DDoS Attacks May Self Destruct

Venture Capitalists, Start-Ups at Odds Over Who Should Get Funds

Government Web Sites Targeted By Attack

Researchers: Social Security Numbers Can Be Guessed

Sen. Kohl Demands Investigation of Wireless Carriers

Md. School Joins Test of Online Courses Tailored to Girls

Md. Prisons, Wireless Industry at Odds Over Jamming Inmate Cellphones

High Crimes Using Low-Tech Attacks

Personal Tech: Gadget News and Reviews

Media Notes: Howard Kurtz on the Personality Preoccupation of Mediaite.com

Social Security Numbers Guessable, Study Finds

Restrictions Are Eased for Research Using Embryonic Stem Cells

Start-Ups Say Innovation Doesn't Grow on Trees

Fast Forward: Browser Users Can Celebrate an Independent's Day

Help File: Recycling Old Electronics

DHS Cybersecurity Plan Will Involve NSA, Telecoms

Defendant Says Dismissal of MySpace Hoax Case Linked to Suicide Was ÂProper'

Now on the Wii: Aliens, Guns and the Capitol

Facebook Activism: Lots of Clicks, but Little Sticks

Biden Announces $4 Billion in Grants and Loans in First Round of Funding for Broadband Expansion

TerreStar Launching Pocket-Size Satellite Phone

Rust Library in Leesburg to Reopen After Renovation

U.S. Joins Whistleblower Suit Alleging SAIC Rigged Contract

Lawmakers Question Arbitron's Data on Minority Radio Listeners

Expansion-Minded RCN Sparks Bidding War for N.Y. Telecom

Help File: Archiving Old Home Movies To DVD, Vista ÂMemory DumpsÂ Defined

Apple's New iPhone Has Learned New Tricks, but So Have Competitors

Workers in Manassas Make Computers That Power Spacecraft Sent to Moon

Verizon Is Now a 2nd Option in Charles for Internet/TV Service

Government Launches Web Site to Track IT Spending

FFSearcher: A Stealthy Evolution in Click Fraud

Newborns' Blood Samples Are Used for Research Without Parents' Consent

Biotech Start-Ups Show Dedication, Line Up Again for Tax Credits

Metro Crash May Exemplify Paradox of Human-Machine Interaction

With Kindle DX, Amazon Writes New E-Book Chapter

Gates Establishes Cyber-Defense Command

White House Seeks Public Input on Classified Records Policy

China, Cuba, Other Authoritarian Regimes Censor News From Iran

Sprint Wiring Itself for a Comeback with Cost Cutting, Palm Pre

Administration Kills Bush Program to Give Police Access to Spy Satellite Data

Personal Tech: Gadget News and Reviews

Clear's Quick Airport Screening Service Shut Down

Arab Activists Watch Iran And Wonder: 'Why Not Us?'

New York to Pay Women Who Give Eggs for Stem Cell Research

A Metro Train Control System Fails a Post-Crash Test

Metro Crash Investigation Turns Up Electronic Control 'Anomalies'

U.S. Presses China on Censorship

Md. Firm Buys Maker of Hit Video Games

Even Recession Can't Dampen Demand for Faster iPhone

The Download: Digital TV Switch a Boon for One Local Station

Media Notes: Howard Kurtz on Nick Denton, Founder of Gawker

Does 'Tiananmen + Web = Tehran'?

Metro Relaunching System to Provide Data on Next Bus's Arrival Time

BAE's U.S. Chief Quits to Take Over at SAIC

Ty Lawson's Vision Already Goes Beyond Basketball

Gawking at the Media World

Jobs, on Leave From Apple, Reportedly Had Liver Transplant

Help File: After the DTV Switch, Some Tinkering Still Required

Sirius XM Rolls Out iPhone App, But No Stern or NFL on the Go

Facebook Taps Privacy Hawk as Lobbyist

Crowds Pack D.C. Area Stores for First Bite at Apple's Latest, Fastest iPhone

TV Preview: ABC Miniseries 'Impact' Has Natasha Henstridge, David James Elliott

FCC to Scrutinize Exclusive Wireless Contracts

Unhappy Customer, 79, Dies After Bid to Stop Verizon Van in Vienna

Exclusive Wireless Contracts Examined

2 D.C. Stations Lost to Viewers in Digital TV Transition

Malicious Attacks Most Blamed in '09 Data Breaches

Twitter Is a Player In Iran's Drama

Defendant Says Dismissal of MySpace Hoax Case Linked to Suicide Was ÂProper'

Help File: Archiving Old Home Movies To DVD, Vista ÂMemory DumpsÂ Defined