Internet

In half-baked phone theft, thief slips, posts pot shot of self on victim's Facebook page

Evidence can be a menace.

You think you've gotten away with something, and then that moment comes along when you suddenly remember that perhaps you've left a clue.

This thought may (or may not) have crossed the mind of an alleged cell phone thief.

As the New York Post reports, police in the Bronx feel sure that what happened is that a certain man -- whose picture they now have -- robbed a 27-year-old woman of her gadget.

He then allegedly used it to take a quite fetching picture of himself smoking pot.

This would not be the … Read more

Google Maps facing ban in Germany as trial advances

A patent battle between Google and Microsoft could see Google Maps banned in Germany.

Florian Mueller, of FOSS Patents, reported from court in Munich today, where he said the tide is shifting against Google:

Judge Dr. Matthias Zigann of the Munich I Regional Court just told Google and its Motorola Mobility subsidiary in no uncertain terms that his court is at this point (prior to counsel's argument on claim construction, infringement and validity) inclined to hold Google Inc., its subsidiary Motorola Mobility LLC and MMI's German subsidiary liable for infringement of a key Microsoft patent, EP0845124 on a &… Read more

Think PCs are dead? Check out these crazy mods

AUSTIN, Texas--The PC is so not dead.

That's what AMD, one of the world's largest makers of processors, wants the world to know. And at SXSW, the chipmaker is putting its money where its mouth is and showing off a collection of modded PCs masquerading as art.

During its Technograffiti event here tonight, AMD will let the world get a glimpse of a series of PC mods that it hopes will convince people who think mobile devices have fully supplanted PCs that there's still some life remaining in the full-size computer.

"We want people to reimagine … Read more

European Parliament blocks citizen e-mails protesting EU 'porn ban'

One member of the European Parliament (MEP) claims the upper house's own IT department is censoring e-mails from citizens.

Pirate Party member Christian Engström MEP blew the whistle on his fellow political colleagues after they had complained to the parliament's IT department that they were receiving vast numbers of e-mails from the very people they represent.

It comes only a day after CNET reported that other European politicians are set to vote next week on a report that could lead to a pan-European EU ban on all forms of pornography in the region.

On his Web site, … Read more

Top U.S. arms control official to talk tech and global security at SXSW

The United States' top arms control official thinks the public can play a vital role in helping to combat international arms control violations and threats.

At South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, this Friday, Acting Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller will take part in a session, to be moderated by CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman, in which she will talk about the U.S. State Department's plans to develop initiatives that utilize technology and public participation in tackling some of the thorniest security problems the United States and its allies face today.

During … Read more

How to win at SXSW -- and live to brag about it

Dear Katrina,

How cool that you're going to be coming to South by Southwest (SXSW) for the first time. You're going to have so much fun, meet a lot of terrific people, and see a lot of cool technology. Sleep? Probably not so much.

I'm glad you asked me for some suggestions on how to get by while you're in Austin. I feel that -- as a seven-time attendee -- I've learned a lot about how to survive. I think I can even help you win SXSW.

So where to begin? A lot of people … Read more

The price of being retweeted by Bieber: Death wishes

Should you have long imagined that the world has recently become marginally more insane, but couldn't put your finger on why, please prepare your finger.

For this is the story of a nonfan who paid a star a compliment and received hate for her troubles.

No, Justin Bieber didn't threaten to kill 15-year-old Courtney Barrasford because she isn't, as the moniker goes, a Belieber.

He was actually quite flattered by her tweeted flattery that read: "Not really a fan of Justin Bieber but his acoustic album is really good!"

Canada's most refined export was … Read more

The Facebook mistakes people make after a date

February can make people excitable.

A new year is barely old. Hope springs eternal. And then there's Valentine's Day to add a little piquancy to their emotional state.

Sometimes, though, lovers suffer from a certain lack of self-control. This can manifest itself on society's everyday manifest: Facebook.

I was moved, therefore, that someone had taken the time to list the major faux pas that occur when social contact accelerates beyond decent norms.

I am lovingly grateful to Ranker, which has taken it upon itself to reduce the rancor that might be caused by Facebooked overenthusiasm -- the site has listed behavior to avoid. … Read more

BlackJet, the Uber for private jets, takes off

SAN FRANCISCO--In an era of "Entourage" and a well-publicized fleet of planes personally owned by Google's top execs, the private jet has never before seemed as accessible to so many.

The truth is, of course, that just a tiny fraction of the population will ever set foot on any plane other than a commercial airliner, but traveling by Gulfstream has become romanticized in popular culture, and as that's happened, there's been a rise in the number of companies aiming to provide a more efficient, and more affordable way to fly private.

Into that new environment … Read more

Helping American designers make it in America (video)

As a graduate of the Pratt Institute with experience working for big names in the apparel and accessory industries, Matthew Bennett was ready to work independently to create his own watch label. While he might have had great ideas and a fabulous sense of design, he just couldn't seem to tackle the logistics of running such an operation. He found a manufacturer in Hong Kong that could produce his designs, but it wasn't always seamless. After OKing one production sample, Bennett later received a shipment of 1,000 pieces of defective goods -- goods he couldn't sell … Read more