KickStarter projects looks to transform Android tablets from boring to gorgeous [video]
Google has focused a great deal of effort over the years on making its Android operating system more attractive. Android partners’ first attempts at tablets were lackluster to say the least, and while Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich have revamped the user interface, they still leave much to be desired for many users. Luckily, Android users have the option of completely customizing their devices with... Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 2:00pm
Five smart iPhone apps for recent graduates
Congratulations, graduates! You should be proud of your scholastic accomplishments. But just because you graduated from high school or college, does not mean you are done learning. Life is a constant learning adventure. Keep your brain fresh and look sharp at your interviews by keeping up your education with the help of these iPhone apps. Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 2:00pm
Chicago police arrest 15 at futures exchange protest
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Police arrested 15 people blocking the main artery through Chicago's financial district on Wednesday during a demonstration against state tax breaks won last year by CME Group, the world's largest futures exchange company. The 15 men and women, three of whom were in wheelchairs, were escorted to the nearby plaza in front of the Chicago Board of Trade building, where they were detained in an area cordoned off with yellow tape while officers wrote tickets. CME owns the Board of Trade, which offers futures on corn, soybeans and Treasuries. ... Read more...
Yahoo! News: U.S. News, Today, 1:50pm
Viacom increases quarterly dividend 10 percent
Viacom Inc. said Wednesday that it is increasing its quarterly dividend by 10 percent given its solid financial position. Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 1:49pm
Morgan Stanley to adjust prices on Facebook trades
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley told brokers on Wednesday it is reviewing every Facebook Inc trade and will make price adjustments for retail customers who paid too much during the social network company's debut last week, according to an internal memo. Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter of Facebook's initial public offering on Friday, in the memo also said "many" of the first-day trades have now been processed and are appearing in client accounts. The company did not specify how much it expected to pay in total price adjustments. ... Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 1:22pm
Senate Banking panel reviewing Facebook IPO issues
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Banking Committee is reviewing "issues raised in the news" regarding Facebook's botched initial public offering, a Democratic Senate Banking aide said on Wednesday. The review is not considered a formal investigation at this point, but entails briefings among the committee staff and regulators, Facebook and other stakeholders. The announcement by the committee comes on the heels of reports by Reuters that an analyst for lead underwriter Morgan Stanley cut his revenue forecasts for Facebook in the days before the offering. ... Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 1:12pm
Facebook, banks sued over pre-IPO analyst calls
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc and Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter of social networking company's IPO, were sued by shareholders who claimed the defendants hid Facebook's weakened growth forecasts ahead of its $16 billion initial public offering. The lawsuit, which also targeted underwriters JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs among others, comes as Facebook and the... Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 1:07pm
File-sharing prospers despite increased legislation
Despite numerous attempts to halter file-sharing services such as The Pirate Bay, users continue to download copyrighted files. According to Lund University’s Cybernorms research project, file-sharing levels remain stable because those downloading the files out feel that they are doing nothing wrong, and the introduction of aggressive legislation has done little to reduce the amount of file-sharing carried out by young people, TorrentFreak reported. “In Sweden we saw a moderate drop in file sharing in 2009... Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 1:05pm
MIT and Harvard in battle to create life-changing product: Non-stick ketchup bottles
It's the world's biggest non-problemic problem: getting the last bit of ketchup out of the jar. Ketchup is so viscous, and it seems so eager to stick to glass and plastic. But leave it to students at the Massachusetts Institute of … Continue reading → Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 1:01pm
Military leaders, Clinton push for sea treaty
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the nation's top military leaders pleaded Wednesday for Senate approval of a long-spurned high seas treaty, arguing that the pact will boost U.S. national security and create much-needed American jobs. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:59pm
Arizona elections chief says satisfied Obama a citizen
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Arizona's secretary of state has received information from Hawaii that verifies Barack Obama's birth records, satisfying criteria to put the president on the November ballot in the state, his office said on Wednesday. Ken Bennett, who is Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign co-chairman in Arizona, made a request to authorities in Hawaii on March 30 on behalf of more than 4,000... Read more...
Yahoo! News: U.S. News, Today, 12:57pm
Diablo III sales pass 3.5M copies in 1st day
Activision Blizzard Inc. said Wednesday that it sold more than 3.5 million copies of its "Diablo III" video game in the first 24 hours of its release and 6.3 million copies in its first week on sale. Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 12:54pm
Egyptians vote in first free presidential election
World News Headlines - Yahoo! News, Today, 12:49pm
Wall Street falls on euro-zone concerns, Dell
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks lost more than 1 percent on Wednesday, with all S&P 500 sectors trading negative as concerns mounted over Greece's future in the euro zone. Tech shares ranked among the day's biggest decliners as a weaker-than-expected revenue forecast from Dell Inc , the third-largest computer maker, hurt investor sentiment. Euro-zone officials have agreed that each euro-zone country must prepare an individual contingency plan in the event... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:49pm
Fitzgerald steps down as US attorney in Chicago
Patrick Fitzgerald is... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:47pm
Inquiry hears of wider Secret Service misbehavior
The lawmaker leading an inquiry into the Secret Service prostitution scandal reported dozens of "troubling" episodes of past misbehavior Wednesday and appealed to insiders to come forward with what... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:43pm
Highway, bridge tolls higher for out-of-towners
Some tolling authorities have found a way to give local motorists a discount on tolls while charging out-of-towners a higher rate for using the same roads and bridges. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:42pm
How To Find A Lost Cell Phone
We lose our keys, we lose our wallets, but more than anything these days, we lose our cell phones. So in this article we'll tell you the tracking apps to install while you still have your phone. And worst case, we'll tell you how to track a phone after it's lost even if you've done [...] Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 12:42pm
Jury deliberations resume in ex-U.S. Senator Edwards' trial
GREENSBORO, North Carolina (Reuters) - The North Carolina jury deciding whether former U.S. Senator John Edwards violated federal election laws during his 2008 presidential bid entered its fourth day of deliberations on Wednesday after it requested a closer look at some evidence. Jurors late on Tuesday asked to see trial exhibits that might explain the intent behind donor money used to support and conceal Edwards' pregnant mistress... Read more...
Yahoo! News: U.S. News, Today, 12:42pm
BAE signs £1.9bn Saudi jet deal
British defence giant BAE signs a £1.9bn ($3bn) deal with Saudi Arabia to supply Hawk trainer jets, safeguarding over 200 UK jobs. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:40pm
Euro zone to prepare for Greek exit scenario: sources
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Each euro zone country will have to prepare a contingency plan for the eventuality of Greece leaving the single currency, euro zone sources said on Wednesday. Officials reached the consensus on Monday afternoon during an hour-long teleconference of the Eurogroup Working Group (EWG). As well as confirmation from three euro zone officials, Reuters has seen a memo drawn up by one... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:40pm
Euro zone to prepare for Greek exit scenario: sources
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Each euro zone country will have to prepare a contingency plan for the eventuality of Greece leaving the single currency, euro zone sources said on Wednesday. Officials reached the consensus on Monday afternoon during an hour-long teleconference of the Eurogroup Working Group (EWG). As well as confirmation from three euro zone officials, Reuters has seen a memo drawn up by one... Read more...
World News Headlines - Yahoo! News, Today, 12:40pm
Secret Service chief apologizes for prostitution scandal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Secret Service, in his first public appearance since a scandal involving Colombian prostitutes and his employees, apologized for the misconduct on Wednesday but lawmakers expressed doubt that this was an isolated incident. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan, gray-haired in a blue striped suit and tie, faced the... Read more...
Yahoo! News: U.S. News, Today, 12:36pm
Oil drops below $90 for 1st time since Nov. 1
The price of oil dropped below $90 on Thursday for the first time in nearly seven months as U.S. supplies continue to grow. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:35pm
Obama to graduates: 'A new feeling about America'
President Barack Obama is telling graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy that they are the first class in nearly a decade to graduate into a world that has no Osama bin Laden, no war in Iraq and no questions about when the war in Afghanistan will end. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:33pm
Lawsuits pile up over Facebook IPO
Lawsuits piled up Wednesday against Facebook, its underwriters and the Nasdaq exchange as angry investors sought to recover losses from the company's flop $16 billion IPO. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:31pm
Romney to propose voucher-like education overhaul
Shifting from the economy to education, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was proposing a voucher-style system that could significantly alter the public school system and revive the debate over school choice. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:30pm
French rights groups want Google to stop suggesting 'Jew'
A French judge on Wednesday asked a mediator to resolve a dispute pitting Internet giant Google against anti-racism groups who object to the search engine suggesting users add "Jew" to name searches. Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 12:29pm
Belgium says contingency planning for Greek euro exit exists
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian Finance Minister Steven Vanackere said on Wednesday that contingency planning for the eventuality of Greece leaving the euro zone was taking place, even if euro zone governments hoped it would never happen. Asked by reporters ahead of an EU summit in Brussels whether there were contingency plans for a scenario of the debt-laden country leaving the single currency area, Vanackere said: "All the contingency plans (for Greece) come back to the same thing: to be responsible as a government is to foresee even what you hope to avoid. ... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:28pm
Rabies case confirmed in London
A London patient is confirmed as having rabies after being bitten by a dog in South Asia, the Health Protection Agency says. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:27pm
With Mubarak gone, Egyptians vote freely for leader
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians relished their first free leadership vote on Wednesday, with Islamists pitted against secular figures in a contest unthinkable before a popular revolt swept President Hosni Mubarak from power 15 months ago. With no reliable opinion polls, no one knows who will win the presidency, but Egyptians enjoyed the uncertainty after the routinely rigged votes of Mubarak's 30 years in power. "We must prove... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:26pm
Arts A-list gathers for the Queen
Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney and David Hockney are among the leading cultural figures joining the Queen at a reception in London. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:25pm
Mali leader to head to France for health checks
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's interim leader Dioncounda Traore is due to fly to France on Wednesday for medical checks after he was attacked by protesters earlier this week, two diplomatic sources and an official at Bamako airport said. Traore was injured in the face after hundreds of protesters broke into the presidential... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:25pm
Moon chips from Vegas casino mogul sent to NASA
It's been a long, strange trip for what appears to be several tiny chips of lunar rock that found their way into a casino mogul's hands after being collected by the first men on the moon. Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:25pm
Mali leader to head to France for health checks: sources
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's interim leader Dioncounda Traore is due to fly to France on Wednesday for medical checks after he was attacked by protesters earlier this week, two diplomatic sources and an official at Bamako airport said. Traore was injured in the face after hundreds of protesters broke into the presidential palace on Monday. The extent of his injuries was not clear but the diplomatic sources said Dioncounda was due to have checks on his pacemaker. (Reporting by Adama Diarra and David Lewis; writing by Mark John) Read more...
World News Headlines - Yahoo! News, Today, 12:25pm
Battle for Cove Energy heats up as PTT trumps Shell
LONDON (Reuters) - The takeover battle for Cove Energy looks set to run after Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production trumped Royal Dutch Shell with a $1.9 billion offer, underscoring interest in new east African gas finds. Shares in Mozambique-focused Cove jumped as much as 12 percent to 250.5 pence on Wednesday, above PTT's offer of 240 pence a share and signaling investors expect Shell to come back with a higher bid. ... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:23pm
Oracle buys cloud marketing platform Vitrue
Just a day after rival SAP AG announced its latest "cloud" deal, software maker Oracle Corp. said Wednesday that it is buying Vitrue, which helps companies manage marketing campaigns on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Read more...
Yahoo! News: Technology News, Today, 12:22pm
Greece denies contingency plans for euro exit ordered
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's finance ministry on Wednesday denied that a teleconference of the Eurogroup Working Group had agreed each euro zone country should prepare contingency plans in case Greece leaves the bloc. "Such reports not only are false, but actually hinder the efforts of the Hellenic Republic to address its challenges at this critical juncture," the finance ministry said in a statement. ... Read more...
Yahoo! News - Top Stories, Today, 12:22pm