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Technology

• MySpace upping ante in online social games
  

  AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - MySpace began courting videogame developers as it moved to capitalize on the booming popularity of playing games online at social networks.

  
  
• S.Korea warns Google over mobile games content
  

  AFP - SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea on Thursday warned Google it would be penalised if its mobile games content was not regulated, a government official said.

  
  
• New racing videogames set to rev up sales
  

  Reuters - LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Blatant disregard for oncoming traffic and speed limits will get you into serious trouble on the road, but drivers seeking similar thrills can indulge in a fleet of new racing video games due out soon.

  
  
• Sony unveils new motion-controlled gaming system
  Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sony Corp has unveiled its new motion-controlled video game system, pitching it to both casual and hard-core gamers alike, as the company looks to ride one of the hottest trends in gaming.
• Motorola, Microsoft in deal to put Bing on phones
  

  Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Motorola Inc has reached a deal with Microsoft Corp that will put Bing search and mapping services on its phones that use Google's Android operating system.

  
  
• US city schools locked down after online threat
  

  AFP - CHICAGO (AFP) - A vague threat apparently posted by an Australian on two social networking sites led to the lockdown on Wednesday of all schools in the busy midwestern US city of Minneapolis, officials said.

  
  
• Amazon.com says move into Canada would create jobs, could lower shipping prices
  The Canadian Press - TORONTO - Amazon.com Inc.'s proposal to open a Canadian distribution centre could bring jobs and lower prices to Canadians, the U.S. web retailer says.
• I4i says U.S. court reaffirms its victory over Microsoft in patent dispute
  The Canadian Press - MONTREAL - Software company i4i says it has another legal victory over Microsoft Corp. in its patent infringement dispute.
• Cable, satellite TV operators ask for government intervention in fee dispute with broadcasters
  The Canadian Press - The most recent showdown left millions of Cablevision Systems Corp. customers around New York without an ABC station at the start of the Academy Awards.
• Best Buy bets on 3D TV, but no quick payoffs seen
  

  Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - While James Cameron's 3D sci-fi epic "Avatar" took the box office by storm instantly, the road to success will be much longer for Best Buy Co Inc, which is making a big bet on 3D televisions this year.

  
  
• Bing gains US search market share for ninth straight month
  

  AFP - NEW YORK (AFP) - Microsoft's new Internet search engine Bing slightly increased its share of the US search market in February, the ninth straight month of modest gains, online tracking firm comScore said Wednesday.

  
  
• After 3 rejections, global Internet agency reopens discussion on '.xxx' address for porn sites
  The Canadian Press - NAIROBI, Kenya - A global Internet oversight agency is reopening discussions about whether to create a ".xxx" domain name as an online red-light district where porn sites can set up shop away from the wandering eyes of children and teenagers.
• Google chief sees outcome "soon" in China row
  

  Reuters - ABU DHABI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google expects an outcome soon from its talks with China over a censorship and hacking dispute, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday.

  
  
• Quebecor says it won't rush to market with its new wireless business
  The Canadian Press - MONTREAL - The head of Quebecor Inc.'s cable TV and cellphone division said Wednesday the company won't rush to market with its wireless service, especially after seeing the struggles of some recent new entrants into the Canadian cellphone arena.
• Amazon ruffles Canadian feathers with depot plan
  

  Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Internet retailer Amazon.com has smashed up against Canadian pride in its efforts to open a distribution center in Canada, as booksellers grumble that it can't understand the role of Canadian culture.

  
  
• Summary Box: Struggling Palm may find strong technology, accomplished leader not enough
  The Canadian Press - PALM'S PROBLEM: As smart phones have gotten more popular, Apple Inc.'s iPhone and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerrys have benefited while Palm has fallen behind.
• Palm, struggling in turnaround, may find innovative smart phones and software are not enough
  

  The Canadian Press - SAN FRANCISCO - Last year, Palm thought it had all the pieces for a turnaround in the market it pioneered: A new CEO known for making the iPod a household name, a sleek new smart phone called the Pre and fresh, intuitive operating software.

  
  
• Cloud video game service OnLive to launch in June
  

  Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - OnLive is set to launch its "cloud-based" video game service in June, as the closely watched start-up looks to challenge home console heavyweights with the promise of on-demand gaming.

  
  
• US military to step up video-game training
  

  AFP - WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military plans to step up the use of video-games, hoping to curb casualties on the battlefield by training troops through simulations, a commander said Wednesday.

  
  
• Azerbaijan court rejects 'donkey video' bloggers' appeal
  

  AFP - BAKU (AFP) - An Azerbaijani court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by two bloggers jailed after satirizing the government with an Internet video that showed a donkey giving a press conference, their lawyer said.

  
  

Tech News & Reviews

• Conan's lone Twitter followee: 'It's totally nuts'
  

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• 10 great geek cakes
  

  
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• Global agency reconsiders address for porn sites
  A global Internet oversight agency is reopening discussions about whether to create a ".xxx" domain name. It would be an online red-light district where porn sites can set up shop away from the wandering eyes of children and teenagers.
  
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• Can MySpace overhaul lure users back to site?
  

  
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• Panasonic's first 3-D TV set in $2,900 package
  Panasonic Corp. on Wednesday revealed the price for its first 3-D TV set, confirming that $3,000 is about what it takes to be among the first to watch 3-D movies in the home.
  
  
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• Google Maps now features bike lanes
  Google Inc. is adding a bike lane with its latest online mapping option.
  
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• HTC Legend: Frankly, it feels expensive
  

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• Professors banish laptops from classrooms
  

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• Cisco says new router 12x faster than rivals'
  Cisco Systems Inc, introduced a new router that it says will handle Internet traffic 12 times faster than rival products, as it looks to compete with rivals such as Juniper Networks Inc.
  
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• 'Nobel of computing' goes to early PC designer
  A Microsoft Corp. researcher won the $250,000 Turing Award, one of technology's most coveted prizes, on Tuesday for his work helping design and build what is widely considered the first modern personal computer.
  
  
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• U.S. sits on rare supply of tech-crucial minerals
  Untapped reserves include deposits of both "light" and "heavy" rare earths -- families of minerals that help make everything from TV displays to magnets in hybrid electric motors.
  
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• Microsoft rolls out new MSN site design
  Microsoft is rolling out the new design for its MSN Web portal in the U.S.
  
  
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• Samsung, Panasonic to start selling 3-D TVs
  Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what TV makers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room.
  
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• 112 best free downloads, sites and services
  

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• The dark side of digital 'love'
  

  
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• White House tweets spread president's message
  

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Games

• OnLive game streaming service to start in June
  In an industry first, a new gaming service will start allowing people to "stream" popular games over the Internet in June, using a mechanism similar to watching TV shows or listening to music online.
  
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• New guitar game has players strum real strings
  A new musical video game lets players strum a real six-string electric guitar instead of tapping buttons on a fake instrument.
  
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• Video: 'God Of War III' is over-the-top fun
  

  
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• Top 5 greatest 'Final Fantasy' characters
  

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• Video: Is this your 'Final Fantasy?'
  

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• Former studio heads sue Activision after firing
  Two game studio heads fired by Activision this week are suing the video game publisher, saying it let them go to avoid paying hefty royalties from the popular "Call of Duty."
  
  
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• Leap year glitch fixed on Sony PlayStation 3
  

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• Video: Love is a 'Battlefield'
  

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• Video game sex that's sexy, not sophomoric
  

  
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• Nintendo announces extra-large DS handheld
  Nintendo plans to launch the latest version of its popular handheld video game system, the DSi XL, on March 28 in North America.
  
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• Video: 'Halo' anime is for the fans
  

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• Video: 'Aliens Vs. Predator' flawed but fun
  

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• Is the 'joy' in the joystick waning? 
  With major video game publishers adopting camera and motion controller technologies, the end of the traditional controller -- you know, that thing with all those buttons, sticks and pads -- could be imminent.
  
  
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• Video: 'Heavy Rain' a dark new thriller
  

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• Video: 'Dante's Inferno': Abandon all hope
  

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• Learnin' about lovin' from ... video games?
  

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Innovation

• Are you ready for the toilet of the future?
  

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• Robots to help repair aging water pipes
  

  
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• Air Force gears up for hypersonic test flight
  

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• Altered tobacco plants suck up pond scum
  Engineered tobacco is paving the way for a new generation of plants that could clean up environmental problems -- and do it cheaply.
  
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• Epic iron beard gives mussels super strength
  Beards composed partly of iron help mussels hold onto rocks and ships, according to new research published today in the journal Science.
  
  
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• 'Skinput' turns body into touchscreen interface
  

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• Cosmic Log: Inventors take the prize
  

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• Water-blocking material mimics spider hair
  Scientists have created a flat surface patterned after the body hair of spiders that refuses to get wet.
  
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• Surf the Web at the speed of light
  Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a new infrared laser made from germanium that operates at room temperature. The research removes the cryogenic cooling systems previously needed for infrared lasers and could lead to powerful computer chips that operate at the speed of light.
  
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• Perfect insulator could eliminate heating bills
  

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• You, too, can be a special effects movie wizard
  

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• 10 questions about the Bloom Energy Server
  It appears the much-hyped Silicon Valley startup's "Energy Server" shows a lot of promise, but is the box too good to be true?
  
  
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• Origami boosts solar panel productivity
  

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• Should we geoengineer Earth's climate?
  Proposals at geoengineering range  from sucking carbon dioxide from the air and burying it deep in the ocean to building a space-based sunshield that would block some of the sun's radiation from warming up the Earth.
  
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Science

• Abdulmutallab could not have blown up plane
  

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• Funky chickens have sexual-identity issues
  

  
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• Doomsday seed vault hits 1/2 million mark
  

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• Animal suicide sheds light on human behavior
  

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• Female space pioneer promotes science careers
  American physicist Sally Ride achieved lasting fame in June 1983 when she became the first American woman to travel in space as a crew member of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
  
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• New worm species found in Great Barrier Reef
  

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• Biblical city's true location discovered
  

  
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• U.S. sits on rare supply of tech-crucial minerals
  Untapped reserves include deposits of both "light" and "heavy" rare earths -- families of minerals that help make everything from TV displays to magnets in hybrid electric motors.
  
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• Earthquake in Chile moves city 10 feet
  

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• U.S.-born panda leaves quarantine in China
  

  
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• Deadly quakes are coincidence, scientists say
  

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• Chameleons have weatherproof tongues
  

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• 'Secret' Giotto uncovered in Florence chapel
  

  
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• Top home-school texts dismiss Darwin
  Christian-based materials that leave out evolution dominate a growing home-school education market that encompasses more than 1.5 million students in the U.S.
  
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• Cosmic Log: How quakes measure up
  

  
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• Fossilized eggshells yield DNA
  

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