universal

Search results, they are a-changing.

You may have noticed some changes in your Google search results over the last few months. These subtle changes are just a sign of what is coming, as Google continues to roll out its universal search results. While much has been said and speculated about universal search, its subtle reveal still leaves many site owners perplexed as to what it means to them.

In case you are just tuning in, universal search is a blending of the various "vertical" search properties, such as video, news, blogs and images, as well as the traditional … Read more

Camp Pendleton, home of push-ups and pugil sticks, will now offer a three-dimensional, virtual-reality immersion training course complete with smoke, explosions and the wail of the Muezzin to give U.S. Marines a taste of what they're in for.

Known as "FlatWorld," the course is an in-depth blend of stagecraft and high tech created by the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies. Choosing the bureaucratic vernacular of the Pentagon, the Marines call it the "Infantry Immersive Trainer." Whatever the name, it's designed to replicate the chaos and confusion of close-quarter battle … Read more

Apple is trying to convince Hollywood to reduce prices of downloads of TV shows from $1.99 to 99 cents, according to a story in Variety.

The trade publication reported Friday that TV networks have shown little enthusiasm to price cutting, although Apple is telling them that lowering the cost will boost sales, according to the story.

Last week, NBC Universal announced that it would not renew a long-term contract with Apple to sell TV shows via iTunes. Many in the entertainment sector have wanted more control in pricing their products at iTunes, but Apple CEO Steve Jobs has held … Read more

NBC Universal didn't waste any time replacing Apple.

Episodes of The Office and Heroes will begin appearing at Amazon's Unbox starting next Monday, according to a statement released by the companies.

Amazon customers can download the pilot shows for new series, such as Bionic Woman, and Chuck, free of charge and in advance of their network premiers. Other shows will be available on Amazon Unbox the day after they air. Amazon and NBC Universal are offering a range of packages, including a 30 percent off deal when purchasing a complete season in advance.

NBC Universal and Apple engaged … Read more

A disagreement between Apple and NBC Universal escalated Friday as Apple announced that it won't sell NBC's shows for the upcoming television season.

The move comes a day after The New York Times reported that NBC Universal would not renew its agreement to make its TV shows available for download on iTunes.

Apple said in a press release that the dispute over price came after the iPod maker "declined to pay more than double the wholesale price for each NBC TV episode."

This, according to Apple, would have boosted the per-episode price of NBC shows on … Read more

Search (or more precisely the search results) is undergoing some of the greatest changes we've ever seen with the influence of local search, mobile search, personalization, and universal search. Search marketers and site owners alike are bouncing between wild speculation and frantic contemplation of how search will change and what impact those changes will have.

Who better to turn to on the topic of search results than Gord Hotchkiss and his team at Enquiro. Now famous for their eye tracking studies revealing the infamous "Golden Triangle" and F-shaped patterns of user scanning of SERPs, Enquiro takes a … Read more

Scientists at Vanderbilt University have adapted a miniaturized rocket motor from space to power a stronger, faster prosthetic arm here on Earth.

Actually, the power is generated by what amounts to an advanced steam engine. It contains hydrogen peroxide and a catalyst that causes it to burn at 450 fahrenheit, producing steam. NASA uses the same principle to scoot the space shuttle around in orbit.

It's "roughly the size of a pencil" and provides enough energy to operate the prosthetic for up to 18 hours. The prototype arm also weighs less because the motor eliminates the need … Read more

Editors' note: This blog initially misspelled the name of a writer from Wired. The writer is Eliot Van Buskirk.

Watermarking has been in the news twice in the past week. First, Wired's Eliot Van Buskirk revealed that Universal will insert watermarks in the DRM-free files it's distributing through Rhapsody, Amazon.com and other online stores.

Then, Wednesday, Microsoft announced that it's licensing audio watermarking technology developed by its research division to a company called Activated Content. (Microsoft Research used to be devoted entirely to building technology that would later be incorporated into Microsoft products, but a couple … Read more

We just couldn't pass up showing you this how-to video from Carnegie Mellon University's Robot 250 program.

As part of the lead-up to Pittsburgh's 250-year anniversary--a city with strong roots in robotics--the Heinz Foundation, Intel and the Grable Foundation are sponsoring a series of events from Carnegie Mellon to educate citizens on robotics and their city's robotic heritage.

In addition to opening up robot-building to students for education, average citizens and artists have been invited to participate in various events that will run through 2009.

The robotic cucumber hand comes from an event hosted by a … Read more