Stories by Sharon Gaudin

Lenovo goes ultra-portable with $699 laptop

Lenovo is joining the ranks of hardware builders making a run at the fledgling netbook market with a new ultra-small laptop.

MIT: Solar power storage discovery could mean energy nirvana

Researchers at MIT say they've made an energy storage breakthrough that could transform solar power from an alternative to a mainstream energy source. The university is calling the solar project a major advancement in energy research.

Snooping into a co-worker's e-mail? You could be arrested

Ever pass by a co-worker's unattended computer and consider taking a peek at her e-mails? Or have you ever thought it would be a funny prank to figure out your cube mate's e-mail password and break into his work account to mess with him?

CalTech builds high-res microscope that can fit on a chip

University researchers have developed a high-resolution microscope that is small enough to sit on a computer chip.

NASA: Success! Mars Lander finally does first ice test

Just as NASA announced the extension of the Phoenix Mars mission by five weeks, its scientists disclosed that they finally got the first Martian ice sample into one of the analysis ovens onboard the Lander.

IBM software acts as human memory backup

Ever try to remember who you bumped into at the store a few days back? Or exactly what the company president said at the morning meeting?

NASA: After ice test glitch, Mars robot to analyze soil

After hitting a snag in their attempts to analyze Martian ice, NASA scientists are expanding their scope to test dry soil.

Dell dives into entertainment market with mini-desktop

Dell is going small - really small.

Hybrid systems on course to speed corporate apps

When you're dealing with nuclear weapons, figuring out problems and figuring them out fast is Job One. For scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, that means having the most computing power possible.

Gartner: $100 laptops still three years off

Just as the news hit about the unveiling of a US$130 laptop, Gartner Monday released a report stating that a $100 laptop still is three years away.

CalTech: Intelligent robots will explore universe by 2020

Before the year 2020, scientists are expected to launch intelligent space robots that will venture out to explore the universe for us.

RFID chipmaker loses suit; tells users to take urgent action

A Dutch court has given university researchers the OK to publish their research about security flaws in the RFID chips used in up to 2 billion smart cards. The cards are used to open doors in corporate and government buildings and to board public transportation systems.

Intel slashes chip prices up to 31 per cent

Intel Sunday announced that it has dropped the price of seven processors by up to 31 per cent.

Employees hit Dell with class-action lawsuit

Dell has been hit with a class-action lawsuit filed by workers claiming the computer-maker underpaid its 5,000 call center employees.

NASA: Ancient Mars had lakes, rivers and possibly life

For thousands or even millions of years, rivers, lakes and deltas coursed across the surface of Mars, according to data sent from the planet over the past few weeks.