DHS built domestic surveillance tech into Predator drones

Homeland Security required that this Predator drone, built by General Atomics, be capable of detecting whether a standing human at night is "armed or not."(Credit:U.S. Department of Homeland Security)The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has customized its Predator drones, originally built for overseas military operations, to carry out at-home surveillance tasks that have civil libertarians worried:...

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Law firm seeks victims of 'bad robot surgery'

Is a robot about to excise your prostate? Well stop right there, mister. Here's some litigation that might interest you. In a surreal twist to the ads you often see for legal help with accidents, arrests, or debt, a Louisiana law firm is fishing for victims of what it calls "bad robot surgery." Becnel Law Firm LLC's ad below looks like something that would play in the background of a sci-fi film,...

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EU close to fining Microsoft, says report

The clock is ticking on Microsoft. Reuters is reporting today that regulators in Europe intend to levy a potentially hefty fine on the software company in connection with a long-running antitrust case. Quoting a couple of people described as being "familiar with the matter," Reuters says the fine might be "significant." Microsoft has been in hot water with the European Commission for some time....

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Get a T-Mobile Jet 2.0 prepaid 4G modem for $19.99

Twenty bucks?! I'll take two.(Credit:T-Mobile)I'm a big believer in the old Boy Scout motto: be prepared.That's why I always pack a prepaid modem in my travel bag, just in case there's no Wi-Fi available wherever I end up. This happens more often than you might think.Through tomorrow, and while supplies last, you can get the T-Mobile Jet 2.0 prepaid 4G laptop stick for $19.99 shipped. Props to reader...

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New Stuxnet whodunit: Malware existed two years earlier than anyone knew

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) visits the Natanz uranium enrichment facilities.(Credit:Getty Images) Cyber security professionals -- especially in Iran -- woke up today to the latest twist in the history of cyberwarfare when researchers at Symantec said they discovered a version of the Stuxnet computer virus which predates by two years the cyber weapon that was used to sabotage Iran's main...

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FDA approves single-lead implantable cardiac defibrillator

The Lumax 740 DX System is now approved in the U.S.(Credit:Biotronik)Cardio med tech company Biotronik today announced Food and Drug Administration approval of the world's first implantable cardiac defibrillator that uses just one lead to sense atrial arrhythmias.Say what?For those unfamiliar with the mechanics of the heart, let's back up. Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heat arrhythmia,...

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Unnamed Powermat case for iPhone 5 to launch in spring

BARCELONA, Spain--We stopped by Powermat's booth at Pepcom's MobileFocus Global show (which happens just before the first day of Mobile World Congress) and found that the company was showing off a new prototype of a wireless charging case for Apple's iPhone 5.Like the Powermat Receiver Case designed for the iPhone 4 and 4S, the iPhone 5 version will let you put your smartphone on a wireless inductive...

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Samsung Oscars ad to feature Tim Burton

He can only add wit, surely.(Credit:The Hollywood Reporter/YouTube; screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)When it comes to advertising, Samsung thinks it has Apple a touch jittery.With ad after ad, Samsung's brand image is becoming sharper, wittier, and more lovable.So the temptation to take over an awards ceremony in which actors desperately try to be sharper, wittier, and more lovable than other actors...

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Difficult-to-repair Surface Pro built more like an ultrabook than a tablet

Cracking Open the Microsoft Surface ProWhen Microsoft built the Surface Pro, the designers packed the power of an ultrabook in the body of a tablet. Unfortunately, they also made the device nearly impossible for a typical consumer or even an in-house tech to service and repair. On this week's episode of Cracking Open, I take you inside the Surface Pro.Full TechRepublic teardown gallery: Cracking Open...

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McLaren P1 supercar to debut as plug-in hybrid

McLaren has been track-testing its P1 supercar, but only now revealed its plug-in hybrid drivetrain.(Credit:McLaren)When McLaren showed off its P1 supercar as a concept at last year's Paris Motor Show, I predicted it would have a similar engine to McLaren's other car the MP4-12C. Turns out I was half right.McLaren announced that the P1, which receives its production debut at the Geneva auto show the...

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Google looking for Glass Explorers

Wednesday's CNET Update does a barrel roll: Google looking for Glass Explorers Google wants you to fall in love with the idea of a computer on your face. It has released another promo video showing what Google Glass could do (even though it's not a real product yet), and launched a contest for a chance to buy a $1,500 prototype. But as Forbes points out, people are using the #ifihadglass hashtag...

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Where, oh where are all the grounded 787 Dreamliners?

Boeing's 787 Dreamliners on the assembly line at the aviation giant's Everett, Wash. facility.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)There's been no shortage of publicity and investigation surrounding the grounding of the world's 787 Dreamliner fleet after recent battery fires aboard the Boeing airplanes. But there's one question that has gone unanswered: Where are all those Dreamliners?Thanks to our friends...

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A terrific Twitter tutorial -- and saying thanks in social media

A slide full of tips from @SteveButtry, whose deck has more Twitter tips. Aimed at journalists, but anyone can benefit.There are lots of Twitter presentations on the web, but the one below is one of the best I've ever seen. It's by Steve Buttry (@stevebuttry), who has the cool title of digital transformation editor at Digital First Media (I last wrote about him in my blog when he shared very useful...

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The making of Bungie's Halo successor: Destiny

Halo's Master Chief watches over Bungie headquarters in Bellevue, Wash.(Credit:Bungie)BELLEVUE, Wash.--Halo, the multibillion-dollar-grossing video game franchise, set an incredibly high bar for its creator, Bungie, to meet with its next title. "After Halo, a bunch of us thought, 'What comes next?'" Bungie co-founder Jason Jones told a group of journalists visiting Bungie's Bellevue, Wash., headquarters...

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Future PCs threat to Apple? Yes, says Citibank analyst

Like Microsoft's Surface Pro, the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T combines mainstream laptop performance with a tablet design that works with a keyboard. (Credit:Samsung)Apple's "limited innovation" in tablets this year will make it vulnerable to newfangled PCs -- so says a Citibank analyst. Yes, you heard that right, PCs. While financial analysts write lots of research notes about Apple every week,...

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Apple quietly releases shorter Lightning cable, new earbuds

Apple today quietly put out new variants of its Lightning cable and in-ear headphones. The new Lightning cable is .5 meters long, half the length of the one that ships in Apple's latest iOS gadgets, and what's currently Apple's top seller. Despite the shorter length, both of those cables cost $19. The other change is a bit more minor, with Apple adding its larger, fat finger friendly remote to its...

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Twitter follow buttons come to videos

A look at how the Twitter follow buttons appear in videos using Wistia Follow Labs tools.(Credit:Wistia)If you've always wished you could embed Twitter follower buttons directly into video, your wait is over.Thanks to the folks at Wistia, it's now possible to do just that, reports The Next Web. Wistia's new Follow Lab has come up with a way to add one or more Twitter follow buttons -- like the ones...

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Under Armour unveils its Nike FuelBand-killer

An Under Armour trainer demonstrating the Armour 39 system. (Credit:Roger Cheng/CNET)Under Armour is prepared to jump into the heavily contested field of fitness monitoring with its Armour 39 system.Armour 39 consists of a sensor-equipped strap worn around the chest; it includes a sleeve for a "bug," which acts as a computer in storing and moving fitness data to the cloud via Bluetooth. Users can...

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Google sells Nexus 4 wireless charger for $60

For $50, you can get your Nexus 4 wireless charging on.(Credit:Google)Months after Google began selling the LG-made Nexus 4 Android 4.2 smartphone, it (finally) has a wireless charger to offer as well.The charging accessory, available in the Google Play store, resembles a sheared-off Nexus Q and costs $59.99.I personally think this is a hefty sticker price for an add-on that's long been underscored...

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Bang With Professionals goes out with a whimper

It was all over before it even began. So sad.(Credit:Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)There is a sudden trend for casually obtained sex.By "casually," I mean effortlessly, entirely without trying or even seeming to try.The New York Times noticed it, describing how contemporary dating in New York is little more than the booking of an appointment.Then along came "Bang with Friends," a site that,...

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