We can't say we didn't warn you. Looks like the kids at Comcast have to answer some questions over at the Justice Department -- and the FCC -- before they get their hands on NBC. Both agencies have pledged to "examine the transaction closely," says AP, being ever-vigilant as they are to protect consumers and competition in this free market society of ours. The review could last upwards of a year, but if that means that 2011 could see the debut of NBC-Universal's "Comcastic!" theme parks, it will... [read more]

So, we brought you along for the big reveal and some playtesting, and even presented you with this handy guide just in case you had any more questions. You still haven't got enough of Sony's new motion controller? You're going to want to hop on over to Joystiq for an enjoyable interview with Sony Worldwide Studios VP Scott Rohde where he gets down to brass tacks and answers questions involving the ins and outs of Move game distro, whether the preponderance of "shovelware" mini-game collections ... [read more]

China's top internet official warns that Google will "pay the consequences" if it does not comply with censorship laws.

Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong cautions that the search giant must adhere to China's laws on censorship.

At Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's BuildingEnergy conference, the focus is on deep cuts in energy through efficiency and on-site power.

But the source of the Zeus banking Trojan is back in action after unidentified agents cut off upstream connectivity to an ISP in Kazakhstan.

When the Ricoh GXR hit the review circuit back in December it certainly intrigued but didn't necessarily impress with its swappable lenses and sensors. However, now that we're seeing all the various and wonderful things it can do with its toys, we're more tempted than ever to give this little transformer a shot. Ricoh recently set up an exhibit to show the body dressed up as everything from a portrait shooter to a tripod-mounted sniper support, hanging off the end of a giant Kowa spotting scope... [read more]

The last time we heard anything about the launch schedule for Google's Chrome OS it was summer of last year. At that time we were told a rather vague "second half of 2010" and, now that we're entering the second quarter of the year, forgive us if we were starting to get a bit doubtful about that timeline. But, Google's Eric Schmidt is here to assuage our fears, speaking at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit and indicating the little OS is still on track for that same, rather vague release window. That... [read more]

There are 2,073,600 pixels in a 1080p TV, yet Carnegie Mellon student Chloe Fan has blown our minds by showing that you only need 64 of them to have a little fun with Super Mario Bros. She wired an Arduino to an 8 x 8 LED matrix through a breadboard, then scaled the first level of the game down to a resolution that makes the 160 x 144 resolution Game Boy look positively high def. The controls are similarly simplified: one button to move Mario (the slightly more orange dot) right, and a second t... [read more]

Lazy humans, your dream has come true: a robot that could carry food and drink from the kitchen straight to your couch-borne position without you having to get up. It's the Toshiba Wheelie, a balancing bot that zips around on two wheels like an autonomous Segway, but with the added bonus of retractable runners on the front and back to keep it from toppling should it ever suffer an abrupt power failure. It sports stereo cameras on top and a laser range finder as well, enabling it to find its way... [read more]

Twitter co-founder Evan Williams believes social networks will be the fundamental way the public communicates with government.

Maybe it's a sign of SXSW excess or perhaps it's a prank, but RSVP While You Sleep is advertising a $37 service that tasks overseas virtual assistants with responding to your party invites.

Video game developers, artists, and producers gather to share ideas on the future of gaming at the Game Developers Conference, the world's largest professionals-only video game convention.

The talk at an annual building conference in Boston is about how to reduce energy use in houses by more than 50 percent, which early pilots show can be done but with steep costs.

Epic Games has announced that its wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 has now added NVIDIA's 3D Vision to its list of supported technologies. We've already come across Batman: Arkham Asylum being played with NVIDIA's signature shutter glasses so this isn't a huge surprise per se, but it does put a stamp of compatibility on the vast catalog of games -- both current and future -- built upon Epic's graphics engine. Those include Borderlands, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 1 and 2, and that all-time clas... [read more]

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPad_ready_for_pre_order_will_you_buy_one'; After years of rumor and speculation, Apple's now taking orders for its iPad tablet. And now that cash money is involved we'll finally see if Apple has a success on its hands by filling the void between smartphones and netbooks/laptops -- something Microsoft and its hoard of vendors just haven't been able to muster. Today's order is delivered on April 3rd (in the US) for free and orders are limited to two per ... [read more]

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/world_news/Microsoft_loses_second_Word_patent_appeal'; And the intellectual property rollercoaster continues. Microsoft's second appeal of that $240m judgment banning sales of Word with features infringing on i4i's XML-related patents has been rejected, leaving the Redmond giant with a huge fine to pay atop its undoubtedly sky-high lawyer bills. The appeals court held that Microsoft was explicitly aware of i4i's patents before implementing the relevant XML code into ... [read more]

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Top phone makers Nokia and Apple will seek a U.S. court hearing in a key patent battle in mid-2012, a court filing showed, raising the specter of a prolonged legal struggle.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China warned Google, the world's largest search engine, against flouting the country's laws on Friday, as expectations grow for a resolution to a public battle over censorship and cyber-security.

Yesterday we brought you pictures of the touchscreen-loving user interface on Sony's genre-straddling camera concept, so what better way to improve on that than with video and a few specs? Beyond the break you shall find one of those excessively stylized promotional vids you know and love to hate, but tolerating the fluff with reward you with some nice hints about how the shooter is operated plus finally some word on what's inside. An Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor is touted, along with the accompany... [read more]

When the Ricoh GXR hit the review circuit back in December it certainly intrigued but didn't necessarily impress with its swappable lenses and sensors. However, now that we're seeing all the various and wonderful things it can do with its toys, we're more tempted than ever to give this little transformer a shot. Ricoh recently set up an exhibit to show the body dressed up as everything from a portrait shooter to a tripod-mounted sniper support, hanging off the end of a giant Kowa spotting scope... [read more]

The digital election: Should we prepare to be spammed?

A backlash to the Google Buzz backlash indicates that people have grown comfortable relinquishing their privacy. Call it Generation X-hibitionist, developing on Web sites like Loopt, FriendFeed, Flickr, and Blippy.

At the annual Las Vegas event, Microsoft plans to show its latest browser and give developers the tools they need to write software for the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 series devices.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is making headway with its plans to stop filtering search results in China. Quoting Eric Schmidt as saying that "something will happen soon," the latest report is that Google is engaged in negotiations with multiple government agencies in China, and the likeliest scenario at this point is that the search giant will remain in the People's Republic, though it may be in a slightly altered state. "There will be a way for Google to not pull out 100%" say... [read more]