Twitter Survives Earthquake

When disaster strikes, utilites tend to fail. With mobile phones, this is particularly likely, as damage to infrastructure is also going to damage a few mobile phone antennae. In the case of yesterday's earthquake in Los Angeles, people had difficulty communicating via phone,...

Last-Minute Shoppers Hunt for Bargains

"The nation's shoppers - taking advantage of deep discounts and expanded hours - jammed stores over the last weekend before Christmas to try to grab a hard-to-find Wii or scoop up bargains on other items. But the spending surge may not be enough to offset what is shaping up...

'Giving the world something to look at' — Ethanol use is second nature in B...

"SAO PAULO, Brazil: The gap between rich and poor is wide in Brazil, but its drivers are largely equal at the pump. Day laborers jammed in minivans and professionals motoring solo in air-conditioned comfort can buy gasoline — or pay about 40 percent less per tank for...

Spacewalkers try to free jammed array

"Two astronauts stepped outside the international space station on an impromptu spacewalk Monday to try to fold up a stubborn, accordion-like solar array. Space shuttle Discovery's Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang were assigned to get the jammed array to retract...

India Blocks Blogs in Wake of Mumbai Bombings

"As India’s financial capital, Mumbai, observed a moment of silence today to commemorate the serial bombings of its commuter trains seven days ago, a blistering silence blanketed the Indian blogosphere. For reasons yet unexplained by the authorities, the Indian government...