research

Awesome Antarctic research station can crawl out of the snow

Antarctica isn't the friendliest place on earth. It's cold. It's snowy. It's tough on researchers and tough on their research stations. The cold continent has seen its fair share of stations abandoned as they're slowly consumed by layers of snow and ice. A new research station is looking to outlast its predecessors by crawling up above the snow when needed.

The Halley VI research station is the newest addition to the family for the British Antarctic Survey. It's known as the "first fully re-locatable research station in the world." That means it's got legs and it knows how to use them.… Read more

The real-life consequences of a Facebook unfriending

Which came first? The unfriend or the unfriending?

This is the disturbingly scientific thought that wracks my sinews on hearing of a devastating piece of research performed by the University of Colorado Denver.

You might have thought that the virtual world is just that, that Facebook is merely a collection of make-believe friends who make believe that they're interesting -- and interested in you.

Allegedly not.

This research insists that if someone unfriends you on Facebook, it alters your behavior -- yes, your real-world behavior.

A fulsome and neurotic 40 percent of people admitted that if someone defriended them … Read more

Low Latency No. 50: Better late than never

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.… Read more

iPhone users pay highest phone bills

Rumors of a cheaper iPhone on the horizon may come as welcome news for fans of the device -- especially because iPhone users reportedly pay the highest monthly phone bills, no matter the carrier, according to AllThingsD.

Android, Windows, and BlackBerry users spend less per month to use their smartphones, according to data by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners that was acquired by AllThingsD. It seems that the higher costs come from carriers charging more for iPhone data plans and additional wireless fees.

"We think it has to do with their data plans and carriers, rather than their usage habits,&… Read more

BlackBerry's last stand: Z10 unveiled

Wednesday's CNET Update has the BlackBerry breakdown:

It's the start of a new chapter for BlackBerry. Today's show explains the basics of the Z10 and Q10 smartphones, as well as the new features of the BlackBerry 10 operating system. For a deeper dive, check out the links below:

- Full review of the touchscreen BlackBerry Z10

- First impressions of the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone with keyboard

- Full review of the BlackBerry 10 operating system

- RIM sheds old name, becomes BlackBerry

- The big apps available on BlackBerry 10

- Carrier and price details for the Z10 and Q10 … Read more

The 404 1,198: Where we captcha your mace face (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- This man will take your picture while macing you.

- Ticketmaster does one thing right, dumps captchas.

- PornHub's rejected SFW Super Bowl ad is brilliant marketing.

- Swedish police raid teenagers playing Call of Duty.… Read more

Why isn't the keyboard-rocking BlackBerry Q10 out sooner?

commentary With BlackBerry 10 and the all-touchscreen BlackBerry Z10, Research in Motion is looking to the future.

But BlackBerry shouldn't forget its heritage and position its QWERTY keyboard-rocking BlackBerry Q10 play as the second-string product.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what BlackBerry is doing by launching the Z10 first. CEO Thorsten Heins said the Z10 will launch in mid-March in the U.S., while the Q10 will likely launch in April.

BlackBerry wants to create the impression that its all-touchscreen BlackBerry can compete against the iPhone and elite Android smartphones such as the Galaxy S3. Heins wants to barrel into … Read more

Here's how the Z10, Q10 get BlackBerry back in the game

After years of anticipation, frustration, and delays, Research In Motion (now re-branded BlackBerry) finally lets BlackBerry 10 loose. So now what?

That's the question a lot of folks in the industry are asking now that BlackBerry is just days (or months, depending on the region) from competing in the market with its first legitimately new product in more than a year and a half. BlackBerry 10 offers a refreshingly slick and unique experience, and the two smartphones, the Z10 touchscreen BlackBerry and more traditional Bold-like Q10, look fairly competitive.

But whether they're enough to turn some heads and … Read more

RIM updates BlackBerry World with movies, music, and more

RIM is trying to amp up interest in BB10 by beefing up its BlackBerry World store with new music, movies, and TV shows.

BlackBerry users will find a variety of individual songs ranging in price from 99 cents to $1.49. Full albums will cost anywhere from $7.99 to $11.99. You can preview any piece of music to help you decide whether you want to buy it.

People looking for their favorite movies or TV shows will find them available for rental or purchase. The prices are comparable to those at competing app stores, ranging from $2.99 … Read more

Only 1 in 8 would consider a BlackBerry 10 device, says poll

RIM may have trouble luring in buyers for its BlackBerry 10 devices, at least based on the results of a new poll.

A healthy 47 percent of consumers were intrigued by certain features found on the new BB10 phones, according to a poll from mobile app developer Bite Interactive. But only 13 percent would consider buying one, and just 1 percent plan to get one right away.

Specifically, one in two of those polled said they definitely would not buy a BB10 device, while one in four said they're unlikely to buy one.

RIM will pull back the curtains … Read more