chicago

Mental discomfort often has irrational roots.

There are those who walk into art galleries and feel intimidated by all the serious faces. There are those who stare at menus written in a foreign language and wish they weren't on vacation.

And there are those who look at math problems and wish they had some Xanax.

If you're one of those who is pained by your mathophobia, please let me mop your brow. For the discomfort you feel is, scientifically speaking, little different from physical pain.… Read more

This Sunday, amputee Zak Vawter will stand at the foot of Chicago's Willis Tower and focus his thoughts on climbing. If all goes according to plan, his bionic leg will listen to those thoughts and he'll ascend 103 flights without a hitch.

Vawter, who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident in 2009, will be wearing a cutting-edge, thought-controlled prosthetic that's about to make a very public debut. He'll head up the 1,451-foot skyscraper (also known as Sears Tower) as part of SkyRise Chicago, an indoor stair-climbing fund-raising event for the Rehabilitation Institute of … Read more

AT&T is adopting the Apple philosophy with a mega retail store that focuses on the consumer and not just on selling products.

Opening Saturday, the new 10,000 square-foot store is nestled along Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile. The design of the store offers the promise of a more customer-focused experience than that found at AT&T's usual retail outlets.

The product runway gives customers a chance to check out the latest smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. An Explorer lounge lets people try out different mobile apps based on their interests.

The various products are … Read more

The three Chicago teens who allegedly posted a Facebook video in which they allegedly beat a disabled man and left him with fatal injuries were charged with first-degree murder, according to CBS and the Associated Press.

The suspects, identified as 16-year-old Malik Jones, 17-year-old Nicholas Ayala and 18-year-old Anthony Malcolm, allegedly attacked 62-year-old Delfino Mora in an alley early Tuesday. Mora was found hours later and taken to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition. He died Wednesday afternoon from blunt force trama, according to report.

Ayala and Malcolm are expected to appear in court Monday. A judge denied bail for … Read more

Hacktivists from the online group Anonymous claim to have taken down the Chicago Police Department's Web site in the wake of violent clashes between the police and protesters.

Members of AntiS3curityOPS, which claims to be affiliated with Anonymous, posted a video on YouTube taking credit for a hacking that allegedly brought down the page and accusing Chicago police of brutality during clashes Saturday night with protesters, who were demonstrating against the NATO summit discussing the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

"We are actively engaged in actions against the Chicago Police Department, and encourage anyone to take up the cause … Read more

The Elantra Touring version of Hyundai's previous-generation compact was (and remains) one of our favorite small, cheap wagons.

So, we're not surprised to see a five-door variant of the current-generation Hyundai Elantra debut at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. What you may not have seen coming was the coupe version of Hyundai's fluidically sculptured sedan but that, too, was unwrapped at the show.

The Elantra Coupe doesn't differ dramatically from the Elantra Sedan we tested last year. In fact, about the only measurable differences are the removal of a pair of doors and the addition of … Read more

The news that Nissan updated the 370Z for the 2013 model year seemed promising. The update that took it from the 350Z to the 370Z produced a brilliant little sports car.

But after reading the press release and looking at the photos, published in conjunction with the 2013 370Z's unveiling at the Chicago Auto Show, this is not a car to get particularly excited about. When Nissan launched the 370Z in 2009, it came out with a shorter wheelbase and more power than the outgoing 350Z. The 2013 370Z changes little from the 2012 model, with mostly cosmetic touches. … Read more

You might think possession of a cell phone makes you more dynamic, more modern, more attractive to everyone around.

However, some restaurants in Chicago are now coming to believe that it merely signifies you're a robber.

As CBS Chicago communicates it, so many delivery drivers have been robbed by cell phone orderers in certain parts of Chicago that some restaurants are reportedly now only prepared to deliver to landline possessors.

Chinatown and Hyde Park are the two areas where cell phone miscreants appear to have had their pizza and eaten it.

It seems to have become such a problem … Read more

Verizon Wireless and Leap Wireless announced a spectrum swap as carriers wheel and deal for network capacity.

Under the deal, Leap Wireless will acquire 12 Mhz of 700 Mhz A-block spectrum in Chicago for $204 million. Verizon will acquire excess spectrum in various markets around the U.S. for $188 million.

A Leap venture--Savary Island Wireless--will also sell spectrum to Verizon for $172 million.

The arrangement comes just a few days after Verizon Wireless acquired wireless spectrum from cable providers to bolster its coverage. The Verizon deal with the cable companies was a nice countermove to AT&T, which … Read more