Ailing carmaker Opel is considering launching an electric car for inner-city use to tap what it sees as a high-potential market, the firm’s boss said in an interview Sunday. “We are thinking about a small electric vehicle,” the chief of the General Motors unit, Nick Reilly, told Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “We believe there is strong potential … Original post

As 10-year-old Lim Ding Wei blasts alien space ships on a computer screen in his living room, his father Lim Thye Chean looks over his shoulder proudly. “This is way beyond me already, because I do not know how to do 3D programming. I can’t teach him any more,” he said proudly as his son zips around in outer … Original post

At one of Beijing’s many Internet cafes, near-silence reigns: headphones on, eyes glued to the screen, web users play games online en masse, helping to make China one of the industry’s top markets. Young men crowd around terminals for role-playing adventure games while women gamers tap away to keep troupes of dancers in line — and international companies want … Original post

Kazakhstan, home of the space base used to launch rockets to the International Space Station (ISS), is interfering with Russian space missions, the head of Russia’s space agency said Saturday. “Kazakhstan’s position on various matters regarding the use of the Baikonur cosmodrome is complicating the execution of tasks in Russian space exploration,” Anatoly Perminov was quoted as saying … Original post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Three senators are seeking to radically overhaul stalled climate legislation by proposing to dump broad cap-and-trade provisions and take a sector by sector approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a White House official and leading U.S. newspaper reported. Despite strong doubts a climate bill is possible in this election year, Senator John Kerry, a 2004 Democratic presidential … Original post

In today’s world of technology, the most efficient visitor management and access control systems contain an element of integration between electronic access control tools and a visitor management system. In today’s world of technology, the most efficient visitor management and access control systems contain an element of integration between electronic access control tools, such as RFID or bar … Original post

Christopher Allen Lewis pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in the hack and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A Delaware man on Wednesday pleaded guilty to his role in a hack that took down Comcast’s homepage and email service for several hours in 2008 Christopher Allen Lewis, a.k.a. “EBK,” 20, of Newark, Del … Original post

Facebook has won a US patent on news feeds behind the kinds of real-time updates that make social-networking websites a hit with users. “The launch of News Feed in 2006 was a pivotal moment in Facebook?s history and changed the way millions of people consumed and discovered information on the site,” Facebook said Friday in an email response to … Original post

A California start-up launched a TigerText iPhone application that lets people kill embarrassing text messages after they have been sent out. X Sigma Partners founder Jeffrey Evans told AFP that the smartphone program was named before fallen golf god Tiger Woods’ public drubbing for philandering, which saw his alleged lovers tout text messages as proof of his indiscretions. “I understand … Original post

The Pentagon said soldiers will be allowed to Tweet, blog and update their Facebook pages on the US military’s non-classified computer network under a new policy. The decision came after a seven-month review with senior officials concluding that the benefits of social media outweighed the risks associated with free-wheeling web 2.0 sites that are popular with a younger … Original post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators have purchased and will test the Lexus ES 350 once owned by a Tennessee woman whose testimony this week in Congress personalized allegations of unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp vehicles. The Transportation Department said on Friday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would conduct the evaluation at its research center in Ohio, but seek … Original post

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp made its most vehement and public attack on Google Inc on Friday, calling its internet rival’s actions potentially anti-competitive, and urging victims to file complaints to regulators. The broadside comes days after a Microsoft-owned business, along with two other small online companies, complained to European Union regulators about Google’s operations there. Microsoft is also … Original post

VMWare buys EMC information technology management business for $200 million VMware Inc. will acquire part of EMC Corp.’s Ionix information technology management business for $200 million in cash. Under the terms of the deal, EMC will retain the Ionix brand and full reseller rights. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Shares of VMware, which makes … Original post

Pentagon: troops can use military computers to Twitter, blog, post on Facebook, with limits The Pentagon says everyone from troops in the field to the highest brass and civilian leaders will be allowed to Twitter, blog and use Facebook and other social networking sites on the military’s non-classified computer network. The decision comes after a seven-month review in which … Original post

Summary Box: Cheaper computers and software bring special effects even to amateur movies HOMEMADE EFFECTS: Movies popping up online have explosions, spaceships and other visual effects that once had been possible only for big Hollywood studios. TECHNOLOGY’S MARCH: The falling costs of computing power, effects software and cameras are making it easier for everyday people to augment homemade videos … Original post

GT Solar signs new contracts worth more than $200 million GT Solar International Inc. said Friday it has signed contracts worth more than $200 million to provide equipment and services to a large Chinese customer, which it didn’t name, as well as other companies. GT Solar makes equipment and develops technology for the solar power industry. The company said … Original post

Facebook has won a US patent on news feeds behind the kinds of real-time updates that make social-networking websites a hit with users. “The launch of News Feed in 2006 was a pivotal moment in Facebook?s history and changed the way millions of people consumed and discovered information on the site,” Facebook said Friday in an email response to … Original post

Entergy Corp. plan to spin off its wholesale nuclear power plants runs into roadblocks Power provider Entergy Corp.’s proposal to spin off its wholesale nuclear power plants into a separate company has run into snags long past the time it had hoped to close the deal. New York regulators may tighten conditions for creation of Enexus Energy Corp. – if … Original post

AP forms unit to sell digital subscriptions, advertising; plans fee-based iPad app The Associated Press is setting up a division to help the news cooperative, newspapers and broadcasters sell digital products directly to readers on the next wave of Internet-connected devices such as Apple’s iPad. The AP’s chief executive, Tom Curley, announced the new business unit, called AP … Original post