From predicting tsunamis to reuniting old friends, a recently published computer standard could change the way location information is used and shared online.
Armed with GPS devices and an open-source ideology, some grassroots groups are putting street maps in the hands of the people—and are smashing a few "Easter eggs" in the process.
They're not just for nerds anymore. Virtual worlds are being embraced by a variety of users as online environments expand to include concerts, classrooms, and even retail economies.
The magnitude 6.7 temblor was unusual because, unlike most quakes in the volcanic island chain, underground magma movement was most likely not the cause.
Games played on handheld devices facilitate "travel" to Baghdad, save the world from infectious diseases, and give new meaning to the dangers of "pirates" on Wall Street.
The isolated communist country has been stockpiling bomb ingredients for decades, security analysts say, and will probably keep testing "until they get it right."
The eating habits of dung beetles, the attraction of mosquitoes to Limburger cheese, and "digital rectal massage" were among the research awarded at this year's Ig Nobels.
At least 7 and perhaps as many as 16 new planets have been found at the heart of the galaxy, leading astronomers to conclude that "there are literally billions of planets" in the Milky Way.
Electronic versions of the rodents' bristles could one day help bots inspect oil pipelines and explore remote locations from the deep sea to outer space.
