Media

Trekify Bing by searching for 'beam me up'

I like my Khan clad in real Corinthian leather, so I'm not warping over to the closest theater to catch "Star Trek Into Darkness." And while many fanboys and fangirls are, Trek enthusiasts can also try Bing for some animation that's as fun as a locker full of tribbles.

The search engine will respond to "beam me up" with a series of interactive scenes promoting the latest installment in the J.J. Abrams reboot series.

Clicking on the floating Enterprise brings you to the bridge (littered with furry friends), where you can explore the science behind concepts from the show like the tractor beam and the tricorder. … Read more

Google: Check out our new Glassware like Tumblr

Google Glass just got a lot more interesting.

Google on Thursday unveiled several new apps -- or "Glassware," as it calls them -- for its wearable computing device. The apps include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Evernote, CNN, and Elle and join the apps already available from The New York Times and Path. The new apps are currently available to Glass owners.

While the apps have limited functionality compared with their mobile and Web versions, many companies noted the first release is only the start of what their Glass apps will soon offer.

"We believe that wearables are the … Read more

Yahoo adds tweets to its news feed

Yahoo's news feed will now include tweets from Twitter, CEO Marissa Mayer announced Thursday in a blog post, cheekily titled "@yahoo delivers #bestoftheweb."

The company will roll out the new feature to U.S. desktop and mobile users over the next few days. Mayer has been trying to breathe new life into the company by buying mobile startups, updating Yahoo's home page, and now by harnessing the popularity of Twitter as a news source.

"Updates direct from politicians, celebrities, media outlets, and other publishers have become an important source of real-time news and information. 140 … Read more

Amazon adds NBC shows like 'Grimm' to streaming catalog

Amazon on Thursday added several NBCUniversal titles to its Prime Instant Video streaming catalog, including "Grimm" and "Suits."

Prior seasons of "Grimm," an NBC fantasy drama based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, are available Thursday on Amazon, as is USA Network's "Suits" and "Covert Affairs." NBC's "Hannibal" psychological thriller will be available later this year, and Syfy's "Defiance" will be available early next year. USA Networks and Syfy are both owned by NBCUniversal.

All previous seasons are exclusive to Amazon, and Prime … Read more

'Star Wars' and 'Doctor Who' fans in altercation at sci-fi convention

I had always imagined that attendees at sci-fi conventions were peaceable sorts.

I know they turn up waving lightsabers and other implements of war, but I imagined that these served no greater threat to society than an elongated ball-finder at a golf course.

And yet word reaches me that fans of "Star Wars" were embroiled in a confrontation with aficionados of "Doctor Who" at a sci-fi convention in the U.K.

Alright, that word initially came from my religious reading of the Sun. But it is supported by reports from august organizations like the BBC.

It … Read more

Charges dropped against teen in science experiment 'bomb'

It's more enjoyable when sense doesn't prevail.

It allows for so much more humor and head-shaking.

However, Kiera Wilmot has probably shaken her head enough lately and will now be grateful for a little stillness.

Should you have been unaccountably arrested for expectorating in your high school cafeteria recently, you might not have heard about Wilmot.

One morning at Bartow High School in Florida, she put toilet cleaner and aluminum foil in a water bottle to see what might happen. It was just, she said, an experiment.

Even her school principal admitted that it merely sounded like a … Read more

Police accused of erasing cell phone footage of fatal beating

Cell phones seem to be causing the police increasing unease.

It's quite easy for ordinary people to film officers in the line of duty, and sometimes that duty can seem to be excessively dutiful.

This seems to be the view of Maria Melendez, who says she used her phone to film a case of what appeared to be fatal police brutality, only to have it confiscated without a warrant. Worse, reports are now emerging that some of the footage may have been deleted by the police.

As The New York Times reports, Melendez was leaving the Kern Medical Center … Read more

TV bakery enjoys astonishing Facebook melt down

"You people are all s***. Yelp s***, Reddits s***. Every s***. Come to here, I will f***ing show you all."

On reading these words in isolation, you might imagine they were written by someone whose senses had departed for chillier climes. Or perhaps merely by an exposed politician, contemplating a loss of fame and privileges.

But, no. These words actually adorn the Facebook page of Amy's Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The name is something of a mouthful, but the sentiments expressed by its management (yes, these words are from the management) … Read more

Watch ABC app arrives with live TV for iOS, Web

ABC's new live TV video service Watch ABC has arrived on smartphones, tablets, and the Web, though its availability is highly limited for now.

Disney/ABC on Tuesday announced the availability of the live programming feature in its mobile app in New York City as well as Philadelphia though local respective networks WABC-TV and WPVI. The update adds a "live" button to ABC's newly renamed Watch ABC software for iOS devices that lets users in those markets watch live streams of those two stations, just like they would on a TV.

News of the feature came over the weekend … Read more