8 Must-watch geek Valentine's Day videos

Valentine's Day is traditionally imagined as a holiday for romantics and smooth operators, and geeks are traditionally imagined as, well, not romantics or smooth operators. As with any stereotype, there's a germ of truth to this, but we know that geeks can reach the same heights of passion as anyone else -- sometimes, they just express it differently. And so, in honor of building understanding towards our community this Valentine's Day, we offer this collection of videos that will help you better understand the love between two geeks, or between a geek and a non-geek, or between a geek and ... some toys. ...continue reading '8 Must-watch geek Valentine's Day videos'

Only in Japan: The best technologies you can't buy

Just a few years ago Japan's lead in all things digital was easy to see. Japanese consumers could buy new domestic gadgets from companies like Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic, often a year or two before they hit the market in other countries. But now things have changed. With gadgets increasingly coming out at the same time around the world, it's no longer the hardware that makes something cool, but what you can do with it. ...continue reading 'Only in Japan: The best technologies you can't buy'

5 ways to flirt online

Finding a mate online doesn't have to entail filling out endless forms, dropping hefty fees at matchmaking services, or navigating the seven circles of social networking hell. It starts with flirting, which you can do cheaply, easily, and at a distance. Better yet: All the rejection happens offline, so you'll never have to suffer the embarrassment of seeing your best lines fall flat or learning that you have spinach stuck in your teeth. Here are five of the right places to look for love--or something approximating it. ...continue reading '5 ways to flirt online'

What's behind Yahoo's rejection of Microsoft bid?

Yahoo's rejection of Microsoft's acquisition bid is likely a negotiating strategy to elicit a higher offer and shouldn't be seen as an attempt to resist a deal at all costs, according to analysts. ...continue reading 'What's behind Yahoo's rejection of Microsoft bid?'

Android comes to life in Barcelona

Google's Android software platform for mobile phones is coming to life in Barcelona, with a number of chip manufacturers showing it running on prototype or proof-of-concept phones at the Mobile World Congress on Monday. ...continue reading 'Android comes to life in Barcelona'

Microsoft buys mobile software company Danger

Continuing its push into the mobile consumer market, Microsoft announced that it plans to acquire Danger, the developer of software and services that run the Sidekick. ...continue reading 'Microsoft buys mobile software company Danger'

Touch-based interfaces infect show with 'iPhoneitis'

Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung have all caught 'iPhoneitis,' joining in on one of the hottest trends at the Mobile World Congress -- touch-based user interfaces. ...continue reading 'Touch-based interfaces infect show with 'iPhoneitis''

Forrester slashes global IT outlook

Forrester Research said Monday that it is downgrading its 2008 forecast for IT purchasing in both the U.S. and around the world. ...continue reading 'Forrester slashes global IT outlook'

Encryption could make you more vulnerable, warn experts

The use of data encryption could make organizations vulnerable to new risks and threats, a panel of security experts warned Monday. ...continue reading 'Encryption could make you more vulnerable, warn experts'

Zeemote wants mobile gamers to let go of their phone

You might think the last thing you'd need to play games on your mobile phone would be a wireless remote control, but Zeemote's JS1 is just that. The Bluetooth device has four buttons and a thumb-operated analog joystick, and can be held in the left or right hand, leaving the other hand free to hold the phone. ...continue reading 'Zeemote wants mobile gamers to let go of their phone'

Bored astronauts to play with paper airplanes

Sure, space travel sounds exciting - but when you're on the International Space Station for months and months you're not actually going anywhere, so you can imagine that it might get a bit tedious. Now Japanese scientists are anticipating ways to stave off space boredom, by working on a series of origami airplanes that astronauts can actually launch out into space. ...read more

Poll: If you were Microsoft, would you buy Yahoo?

- Yes - MSN isn't cutting it, they need to catch up
- No - It's throwing money at winning the last Internet battle
- They should make a play for AltaVista or HotBot

Vote now!

Facebook privacy chief: Data portability dangers overlooked

The launch of Facebook's Beacon advertising system in November put the social networking site in the middle of a controversy over privacy, as Beacon was criticized for being too aggressive and stealthy in collecting and broadcasting information about users' activities online. For that reason, few people would probably envy the job of Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer and the person most responsible for explaining the site's policies to the public. In this interview, Kelly answers questions about Beacon and other hot topics, including the company's efforts to protect minors from sexual predators, and data portability. ...continue reading 'Facebook privacy chief: Data portability dangers overlooked'

Yahoo rejects Microsoft offer

Confirming weekend rumors, Yahoo rejected on Monday Microsoft's $44.6 billion cash-and-stock offer, saying the unsolicited proposal substantially undervalues the company. ...continue reading 'Yahoo rejects Microsoft offer'

Report: Motorola, Nortel in wireless infrastructure talks

Nortel Networks on Monday declined to comment on a news report that the company is negotiating with Motorola to combine wireless infrastructure units. ...continue reading 'Report: Motorola, Nortel in wireless infrastructure talks'

Attacks aimed at Adobe Reader, Acrobat flaws intensify

The flaws disclosed last week in Adobe System's Reader and Acrobat programs have been used to exploit computers since at least January via malicious banner advertisements, security analysts are reporting. ...continue reading 'Attacks aimed at Adobe Reader, Acrobat flaws intensify'

Sony Ericsson to make Windows Mobile phone

Sony Ericsson will begin selling its first phone using Windows Mobile software this year, Microsoft was due to announce on Sunday, just ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. ...continue reading 'Sony Ericsson to make Windows Mobile phone'

Razr, others designated LiMo Linux phones

The LiMo Foundation plans to announce 18 phones based on its platform, including some that are already on the market, on Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. ...continue reading 'Razr, others designated LiMo Linux phones'

Dell moves AMD consumer PCs offline to retail

Dell has scaled back the range of consumer PCs with processors from Advanced Micro Devices that it sells on its Web site, focussing almost exclusively on systems with Intel processors. ...continue reading 'Dell moves AMD consumer PCs offline to retail'

Red Hat, Ubuntu top vendor's usage study

Ubuntu and Red Hat are the most used Linux distributions among the 35,000 members of content-management vendor Alfresco's community, the company found in its second survey of trends in enterprise open-source software usage. ...continue reading 'Red Hat, Ubuntu top vendor's usage study'