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A few days ago, we reported on Macworld's benchmark results for the new Sandy Bridge-equipped iMacs. Macworld found them to be, on average, about 16 percent faster in the Speedmark 6.5 test than the previous generation. Now Primate Labs has put together a report detailing the iMac's speed increases based on user-submitted Geekbench 2 results.

According to Primate Labs, the new Sandy Bridge iMacs are up to 25 percent faster than their Lynnfield predecessors. 25 percent isn't earth-shattering, but it's a nice bump for the newest models. When Primate Labs pitted the Sandy Bridge iMacs against the two-generations-old Wolfdale Core 2 Duo iMacs, however, the newest iMacs ran a whopping 70 percent faster. Time for an upgrade, Core 2 Duo iMac owners?

New iMacs 25 percent faster than previous generation originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 07 May 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's a big problem with Skype on the Mac: and no, it's not its ugly UI (although that is a big problem). As noted by Mashable's (and former TUAW blogger) Christina Warren, the latest version of Skype for Mac has an unpatched security flaw that that allows a person to gain remote access to another's machine simply by sending a Skype message. The flaw was discovered last month thanks to the work of researcher Gordon Maddern from the firm Pure Hacking.

Maddern contacted Skype, who was reportedly already aware of the vulnerability and working on a fix. They then issued a hotfix for the security hole in a minor update (Skype for Mac version 5.1.0.922) on April 14th. However, responding to the issue in an official blog post today the Skype for Mac team said, "As there were no reports of this vulnerability being exploited in the wild, we did not prompt our users to install this update, as there is another update in the pipeline that will be sent out early next week."

What's that mean to you as a Skype for Mac user? The cat's out of the bag, and if someone who has the skills to take advantage of the flaw now knows about it, Skype for Mac users who have not updated to version 5.1.0.922 are theoretically at risk. Don't wait for the automatic update to Skype next week. Be sure and download the April 14th update right now by clicking here, or simply run Skype on your Mac and choose Skype > Check for Updates.

Now about that UI...

Skype security flaw already patched, but you have to download manually originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 07 May 2011 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechCrunch is reporting that Apple is in the process of some sort of deal with Nuance Communications, one of the leading companies in the field of speech recognition. Many readers may be familiar with Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking software, however the Dragon speech engine is also licensed and used in a number of apps for Windows, OS X, iOS, and Android.

What could the deal be? The most obvious choice is an acquisition, but as TC points out, it would cost Apple at least US$6 billion to buy the company. Apple's got the cash, but even for them that would be quite a purchase. TechCrunch thinks it's most likely the two companies are entering into some sort of partnership "that will be vital to both companies and could shape the future of iOS."

Speech recognition has been rumored to be a big part of the future of iOS. Last year, Apple bought another speech recognition company, Siri, which itself is powered by Nuance technology. Perhaps with the release of iOS 5 we'll be talking to our phones more than using them to talk to people.

Is a Nuance and Apple deal in the works? originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 07 May 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who says you need your sight to solve a Rubiks Cube? Thanks to designer Konstantin Datz, blind individuals can now take part in the classic brain teasing (and let’s be honest, infuriating) game. The prototype will be at MoMA as early as July.

Full story at LikeCool.

More inspiring designs.

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Joe Hewitt helped build Firefox, he built the wildly popular developers' tool Firebug and then he single-handedly created one of the world's most widely used iPhone apps: the Facebook app. Today he announced on his blog that he's leaving Facebook and going independent.

What's he going to do? Build tools. "[T]ools for writers, designers, programmers, whatever," he writes. "Wherever people are using computers to turn their ideas into reality, I want to help." That sounds awesome.

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Hewitt continues:

"I've spent the last four years of my career working on a very different kind of software. At Facebook, I've gotten to build communications tools that reach hundreds of millions of people. I've had the honor of seeing people, even my own parents, using my apps while walking down the street, in restaurants, on trains, in planes and everywhere I go. Still, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Firebug.

"Technologies have a way of growing faster than the ecosystem of tools needed to support them. Over the last four years, we've seen the rise of mobile apps, the cloud, and now HTML5. Most developers building on these new platforms are using the previous generations of tools along with a mix of ad-hoc scripts and Web apps to get things done. It works, but it is far from ideal. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the Ajax climate back in 2006 when I decided to make Firebug.

"And so, I'm independent now, and I'm going to pour myself into understanding the needs of modern developers and designers, and creating software to fill those needs. There are so many opportunities that I can't even predict what I will end up building, but I am pretty sure I know where I am going to start. I can't wait."

Other blogs will focus on Hewitt's incredible success building Facebook's mobile offerings, but imagine the wisdom from that experience turned to face outward. Leading developer and former director of developer tools at Mozilla Dion Almaer writes tonight, "I have never been as excited about someone leaving a company as hearing that Joe Hewitt has moved on for Facebook to become an independent developer."

Hewitt's plan to build tools for other developers (much less writers and designers!) points towards a future where the Web is a platform for democratized creation again. A generative force, not a new walled garden silo for passive consumption of media on a mass scale.

Facebook is many things; on the positive side it's been an incredible introduction to a writeable, personalized, feed-driven, mobile, social, place-aware Web for hundreds of millions of people. Just like AOL was too often mistaken for the entirety of the Web in the old days, though, there's a risk that many people will treat Facebook like the entirety (or at least the center) of the Web today and in the future.

There's nothing hotter right now than mobile design and applications and there are few things online more conflicted with potential and confusion at the same time as HTML5. Some tools-driven leadership could come in very handy in both departments.

Joe Hewitt creating for creators, on the open Web, sounds like very good news for the Web and its future.

Discuss

The flood of news regarding companies rolling out support for in app subscriptions for their magazine content continues today with a report from the New York Post claiming that Conde Nast is set to launch the subscriptions for eight of its ti...

This past November, the blogosphere was briefly set on fire when a comment Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak made in passing stated that Apple had acquired the voice recognition company Nuance. Wozniak quickly came out and corrected that comment, and most believed that he had simply confused Nuance with the company he mentioned right afterwards, Siri — a company that Apple actually did acquire in April 2010. But as it turns out, Wozniak's comment, whether he knew it or not at the time, may not have been as off as it seemed. Apple has been negotiating a deal with Nuance in recent months, we've heard from multiple sources. What does that mean? Well, it could mean an acquisition, but that is looking fairly unlikely at this point, we hear. More likely, it means a partnership that will be vital to both companies and could shape the future of iOS.

Google has begun testing a new design for its search engine results page, one that sports a new color scheme and a lot more white space. A Googl…

By now it’s common knowledge that the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death broke on Twitter. Donald Rumsfeld’s Chief of Staff, the…

Skype plans to push out an important update to its Skype 5 for Mac software next week that will fix a bug that could be leveraged by hackers. The bug doesn't affect older versions of Skype and a "hotfix" update is available right now.

Apple and the musical instrument retailer Guitar Center have teamed up to offer weekly workshops in GarageBand, according to Guitar Center's website. Starting May 7th from 10-11 AM and running every Saturday, Guitar Center will be offering four free Recording Made Easy workshops at all of its 216 stores. The aim of the workshops is to teach musicians "How to record your first song using Mac and GarageBand...You'll learn everything from basic tracking to creating a finished song."

The first workshop on May 7 covers "Signal Flow and Microphone Techniques." May 14 is "Virtual Instruments and Loops." May 21's workshop is "Effects" and the final workshop on May 28 is "Mixing and Publishing." After the May 28 workshop, the workshops will begin again on the next Saturday, starting with the first one. You must register for the workshops to attend. Clicking the register button on Guitar Center's site takes you to Apple's Seminars & Events page where you can complete your registration.

Apple and Guitar Center to offer GarageBand workshops originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has launched a new site called Apple Customer Pulse which allows select users of Apple's products to submit feedback on a variety of issues. Currently the site is only accessible to those users who have received an email invite from Apple. Several TUAW reads have contacted us saying they have received invites, but there is no firm way to know what the total numbers of invitees are or how Apple goes about choosing them.

The site launched quietly a few weeks ago and represents an expanded effort on Apple's part to generate relevant and focused customer feedback. MacRumors did some digging and found out the site is administered by Socratic Technologies, a San Francisco-based market research firm that has worked with other tech companies, including Adobe. A WhoIs search lists the domain management MarkMonitor Brand Protection, a company Apple frequently uses to secure domain names. Additionally, the administrative registrant contact is Apple's Ken Eddings.

Apple launches 'Apple Customer Pulse' feedback site originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechCrunch reports that Apple is rumored to be negotiating some sort of deal with Nuance Communications, the speech recognition company behind the Dragon NaturallySpeaking engine that powers a number of popular applications for Mac OS X, iOS,...

Bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to foreign aid. Small countries can have deep pockets too — and some are much deeper than their larger neighbors. Take Norway, for example. The $4.58 billion it gives away is almost double what Switzerland donates – impressive already, but when you consider the Scandinavian kingdom’s scant population of 4.8 million, that works out to a whopping $936 per capita donation (versus Switzerland’s $295). 

(Click on the infographic below to learn more.)

Via Column Five for Mint

Like infographics? So do we.

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Even though we ooh and ahh about the beauty of our gadgets when they’re bright and shiny and new, that feeling quickly fades as soon as we encounter that dreaded first scratch. But according to Remy Labesque of Design Mind, there’s a certain beauty that even our most worn out devices exude. Scuffs and scratches serve as proof our gadgets are well-loved. The Japanese term ‘Wabi-sabi’ sums up this notion. Wabi-sabi is used to describe the aesthetically pleasing wear and tear of our beloved objects as they decay over time.

Read Remy’s complete ode to old tech at Design Mind.

Get your gadget fix.

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In this edition of your daily cute fix, a persistent pup tries to convince a park statue to play fetch with it. After these repeated failed attempts and adorable doggy cries, hopefully the people recording this video picked up the stick and gave in to the its desperate plea for a playmate.

Full story at Geekosystem.

Everything adorable.

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JSConf 2011 was packed with cool projects. You can find a collection of slides that have been posted here, and you can find slides from NodeConf here.

I've covered a few of the projects I saw at the conference, but it would take way to many posts to cover everything. I'll leave with this final post looking at just three more projects.

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Angular

Angular is JavaScript MVC framework and HTML compiler designed to make it simple to build complex applications and make them testable. It provides bi-directional data binding, validation and templating to achieve these goals. It's available now, but it's yet to reach 1.0 and all APIs are subject to change. It's under development by Miško Hevery, an agile coach at Google.

You can view the presentation on it here.

Batman.js

Batman.js is a forthcoming microframework previewed at JSConf. It's designed to look like Rails, is less than 10KB and less than 1,000 lines. According to the project site:

It's also worth defining a microframework as it applies here: batman.js only includes code to do what it needs to do in order to run. It won't give you utilities to work with objects like Prototype.js or manipulate the DOM like jQuery. But batman.js is a good JavaScript citizen; it won't pollute the global namespace and you can use it with any other library.

Traceur

As mentioned earlier, Traceur is a trans compiler that allows developers to work with features expected to be in the next version of JavaScript.

JavaScript creator and Mozilla employee Brendan Eich criticized Google for its develop in secret, then open-source approach, suggesting that it veers dangerously close to openwashing. (The same complaint could probably be leveraged at Batman.js.)

You can find the presentation here, but it only works in Chrome/Chromium.

What Was Your Favorite Presentation?

What was your favorite JSConf 2011 presentation? What did you take away from the event?

Discuss

Erlang was created in 1986 for telephony applications. But oddly enough, it's emerged in recent years as an increasingly useful tool for building Web servers, database servers and real-time Web applications because of its concurrency and support for distributed computing.

Facebook uses it to power its real-time chat application. The popular NoSQL databases Apache CouchDB and Riak are both built in Erlang. Companies ranging from Rdio and Voalte are also using it. In fact, Voalte's Benjamin King wrote a blog post about why Erlang is right for healthcare communication.

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So should you learn Erlang? I asked Couchbase co-founders J. Chris Anderson and Jan Lehnardt this week at JSConf. "It's hard to write bugs in Erlang, and I'm not a very good programmer," Anderson responded.

"I'm always hesitant to recommend it," said Lehnardt. "Because it's so addictive.

Point and counter-point, I suppose. Anyway, it sounds like a pretty good language to learn if you want to build real-time, distributed applications that can take advantage of concurrency.

Getting Started with Erlang User's Guide

First, a tutorial: Getting Started with Erlang User's Guide from the official Erlang site. It's a basic tutorial for those with some programming experience. It doesn't go deep into Erlang's syntax and features, but is enough to get you started.

Learn You Some Erlang

Learn You Some Erlang by Frederic Trottier-Hebert is a variation of Learn You a Haskell by Miran Lipovača. Unlike LYAH, LYSE is only available online. It's written for someone with programming experience, but not necessarily any experience with functional programming.

Erlang Programming WikiBook

Erlang Programming is a nearly finished WikiBook on Erlang. It's not to be confused with Erlang Programming by Francesco Cesarini and Simon Thompson Programming Erlang by Erlang creator Joe Armstrong.

Concurrent Programming in Erlang

The Erlang site includes the entire first section of the book Concurrent
Programming in Erlang by Armstrong, Robert Virding and Mike Williams. The PDF of this section is here.

Bonus

Here's the now classic Erlang: The Movie:

And just for fun, here's BoingBoing contributor Dean Putney's remix of the video.

Discuss

Whoa there tipsters, slow down. We've just been bombarded with tips coming our way that Google has rolled out a new-look search results page. Scanning Twitter, it looks like there are in fact a lot of people seeing this. And boy is it ugly. I mean, it's great that Google appears to be trying to clean up the look of the results page, which has gotten pretty cluttered over the years as they add more and more types of information and snippets. But the new design is too sparse. And the colors are too soft. It looks like Bing on a bad day.

Notable developer Joe Hewitt has left Facebook to pursue independent projects. From his blog: "Today was my last day at Facebook. Normally when I leave a job I go out cursing the management and wishing I had left much sooner. In the case of Facebook, I sent heartfelt emails to all of my managers thanking them for the privilege of letting me work there, and I genuinely meant it. Facebook was the longest I ever worked at one company, and the best employer I've ever had." Updating.

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Mac users may want to be extra careful when using Skype, thanks to a nasty zero-day vulnerability in the Mac OS X version of the client. Securit…

Will Apple pull the old chip switcheroo again, and embrace ARM CPUs on its Macs instead of Intel silicon? You bet it might, say new rumors, because it could mean your MacBook lasts pretty much all day on a charge.

Only a handful of years ago, Apple abandoned its long relationship with IBM and the PowerPC line of processors for shiny new Intel silicon. The switch from G5 to Intel caused an upheaval of epic proportions among the user community and for the people who code for Apple software--and even required Apple to nursemaid the transition with special dual-mode compatibility code in its OS X for years. But Apple's never looked back, and thanks to a few early-access treats from Intel, and special treatment like the unique one-off processor designed to make the original MacBook Air such a paradigm-breaking machine, the two have kept working together. That may, according to a new and surprisingly emphatic rumor, all be about to change.

SemiAccurate, a publication that was previously correct in predicting Apple would swing away from using Nvidia GPUs, is the source of the latest rumor. It's based on some insider information, and some smart deductive work: In just a few years, ARM is expected to transition its CPU design to full 64-bit addressing, which would significantly boost the computing power, while retaining the core light power requirements that's a characteristic of ARM's design. A transition to ARM CPUs in two to three years would enable Apple to quickly make use of a whole new class of super-powerful chips that eat batteries much less quickly than competing chip architectures. And it would come just a short while after Apple takes its first steps in incorporating lessons from iOS devices like the iPhone (which runs on an ARM chip) back into its computing operating system OS X, with the latest update into OS X Lion.

And don't forget Apple already has lots of ARM design expertise in-house, thanks to its acquisition of PA Semi for close to $300 million in 2008.

With two more generational tweaks to OS X, and continued development of iOS, Apple could easily make OS X work on ARM chips instead of Intel's. This would also align how code is written for pretty much every device Apple makes. Supplying an emulation system, like it did for the transition to Intel chips inside Macs, wouldn't be difficult, and the fact that Mac apps are now slightly cheaper to buy (thanks to the Mac App Store, and halo effect of the iOS App Store) would mean users wouldn't feel hard done by when, in say four to five years, Apple stopped supporting Intel x68-only software for its ARM-based Macs.

But there's one big reason Apple would want to pull off this trick, which would be timed to the A15 ARM generation: Mobile computing. There's an undeniable move away from desktop PCs that was initially driven by advances in laptop tech, boosted by the netbook phenomenon, and is now being rocketed into the stratosphere by the tablet PC paradigm. Users now expect ever-more powerful portable machines. And though Intel has teased its next-gen low-power 3-D chip solution, the main reason it's currently shut out of the tablet market is that its chip architecture simply can't compete with ARM chips in terms of power consumption.

The iPad works for around 10 hours on a charge, while the new 11-inch iMacs run reliably into four hours of usage, and Apple's existing bigger MacBook Pros can go up to 7 hours with the Wi-Fi on...all with existing tech. Imagine in 3 years' time, with evolutions in battery design, screen technology (so they consume less power when lit) and solid-state memory advances, a MacBook sporting a low-power-consumption, super-fast ARM chip. Hypothetically, that Mac could run for 18 hours or more on a single charge.

If Apple's desktop Macs ran ARM chips, too, then perhaps they'd need much less cooling--leading to quieter, more efficient power needs. And who wouldn't like to run apps on a top-end Mac Pro with four ARM CPUs aboard, sporting up to 32 separate processor cores?

[Image: Flickr user junesey]

Chat about this news with Kit Eaton on Twitter and Fast Company too.

Most Innovative Companies 2011: Apple.

Christina Norman told the audience at our Innovation Uncensored event last week how she was visibly unsure about joining OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network as its CEO. Even a star-powered, deeply funded network is a lot like a small startup, full of twists and turns. In the latest twist a week later, Norman herself has been let go.

Photo: Brigitte Sire

Now that Oprah Winfrey herself has announced she'll be turning her full attentions to her OWN network and plans to bring along her new show, Oprah's Next Chapter, in Jan 2012, she's overseen the network's first big staff move, too: dismissing CEO Christina Norman. The dismissal comes after the network has failed to outperform the channel it replaced, Discovery Health, Brian Stetler reports today on the New York Times' Media Decoder blog. Peter Liguori, chief operating officer for Discovery Communications, takes over immediately--at least through the rest of 2011.

Norman just told us last week about how her first big visit with Oprah was a flop. Oprah had to cancel--her dog died. In case that wasn't a bad enough omen, a second meeting went horribly, Norman said, adding that she was visibly ambivalent about the opportunity.

[video_twistage 1]

Norman was so bad in the interview, she said she remembered Oprah saying, "I thought you needed hormones or something." Norman also admitted: "This is not the kind of job, the kind of person you half-ass it for." She let the bad interview pass but later came to her senses. "I called everybody I knew to get back in it," Norman told her panel's moderator Linda Tischler. But months later, she heard Oprah was still on the hunt for a CEO. So she threw her hat back in the ring. She landed the position.

Until today. Norman never seemed to be kidding herself about the challenges she faced at the network. It is very much a startup, Norman told Fast Company last week, after, it's now being reported, the OWN board had already made the decision to dismiss her--but before the news was announced. "Is it going to work, is it going to fail?" Norman asked about the network. "It's going to be a roller coaster, and how do you sort of lead and navigate through that?"

[video_twistage 2]Video editing by Adam Barenblat

Micro-finance is terrific in concept. All it's missing is a winning platform. In this installment of Work Smart, John Ferber of Microgiving.com describes the important differences between loansharking and micro-giving and lending that's estimated to have helped a billion people in need. Plus, learn about a few micro-lending and giving sites, including a Google-style search site for micro-finance services--proven to do good. 

 

Lex Friedman lusted after the Smart Cover when Apple unveiled the iPad 2 accessory. But after almost two months of real-world use, the shine has worn off.

New version of SketchBook Pro app features high-resolution output, greater interoperability between devices, and a lower price.

Dear Aunt TUAW,

Mother's Day is coming. What apps should I buy for the beloved of my life, the mother of my children.

Tom

Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: What apps should I buy for Mother's Day?

Dear Aunt TUAW: What apps should I buy for Mother's Day? originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ramp Champ, the Icon Factory's delightful skeeball app, has gone free. Originally $1.99, the app is now yours for the downloading. The Icon Factory's Craig Hockenberry told TUAW, "We're pleased to put the fun and addictive play of the original Ramp Champ into the hands of thousands of new users, all for free."

The new pricing does not affect in-app purchases of premium courses. Hockenberry added, "Players who love the built-in ramps can easily add new ones with a 99¢ in-app purchase."

The courses that ship free with the app are plenty of fun to play with. I paid full price when Ramp Champ first shipped and found it well worth my money. Now you can spend your money on adding extra ramps instead of buying the basic ones. You'll be well rewarded with the game play.

Ramp Champ goes free in App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HardMac is reporting that the newest iMacs released this week support up to 450 Mbit/sec Wi-Fi, following in the footsteps of the latest MacBook Pros. To accomplish this, Apple added a third antenna to the machines. Each antenna is capable of a data rate of 150 Mbit/sec. Combined, the three antennas achieve the 450 Mbit/sec speeds using the multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) wireless standard.

MacRumors notes that in order to actually take advantage of the 450 Mbit/sec speed, you'll need to have a compatible wireless router, such as the latest AirPort Extreme or TimeCapsule, and be sure the settings are configured to use both the 5 GHz band and also the use of wide channels.

New iMac, MacBook Pro support 450 Mbit/sec Wi-Fi originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rovio, maker of Angry Birds, has been nominated for three different awards at this year's Develop Awards, honoring some of the best names in video game and interactive software development. The Finnish company has been nominated for Best Use of a License or IP (presumably for the Angry Birds Rio spinoff), Best Indie Studio, and Best Handheld Studio for its work on the mobile platforms.

There are a few other interesting names on the list (including NaturalMotion, who've made a few iOS games themselves, in addition to their physics engines, and Andreas Illiger, maker of the great Tiny Wings), though things seem to be aimed more towards the European continent than anywhere else.

Still, it'll be interesting to see who gets honored. The awards are to be given away in Brighton, England on July 20th of this year. We'll be sure to ask former TUAWer and Brighton native Nik Fletcher to sneak into the ceremony.

Rovio up for three Develop Awards originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember Halley's comet? Twenty-five years ago thousands of people peered through telescopes to see it whiz by.

Early Saturday morning stargazers will have the chance to see bits of the comet rain down during the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Meteor showers are named after the constellation that their radiant is in, in this case -- the constellation Aquarius.

Full story at Discovery News.

More news from Discovery Communications.

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According to believers, a ghost is the spirit of a dead person that either has not moved on to the afterlife or has returned from it. Some describe it as a person's soul, while others believe it is an energetic imprint that a person leaves on the world.

Humans have believed in -- or been skeptical about -- ghosts for thousands of years. They're even mentioned in the oldest known written work of literature, "The Epic of Gilgamesh." But are they real?

Full article at HowStuffWorks.com.

Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.

Photo credit: Fotolia

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Humans have long engaged in a debate of nature versus nurture, a dilemma with undertones of fate versus freewill. Are you the person you are because you were born that way or because of the world in which you've been brought up?

The field of epigenetics adds new fuel to this issue by shedding light on how environment, nutrition and social conditions affect how genes are expressed. In this­ article, we'll examine just how this fascinating field of genetics works, how epigenetic changes affect our lives and what the future may hold.

Full article at HowStuffWorks.com.

Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.

Photo credit: Fotolia

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A new wave of taxi cabs are hitting the roads - hybrids. Kasey-Dee Gardner rides along to find out how they are changing the roadways.

Full story at Discovery News.

More news from Discovery Communications.

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In Marvel Studios' new superhero movie, the comic book character takes on his villainous brother Loki. It's a worthy setup for 2012's The Avengers movie, but will children like its supernatural storyline?

After months of insisting that the perception that "the quality of our content may not be the same or better than that of other published internet content" is "baseless," Demand Media has now acknowledged that some of its offerings are not up to snuff. So, it's taking steps to clean up its act.

Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, GQ and Wired, is on the verge of announcing a pact with Apple to begin selling digital subscriptions to its iPad applications, according to the New York Post's Keith J. Kelly.

Two public interest groups are asking the FCC to look into AT&T;'s new cap on broadband usage, arguing the limits could hamper the national broadband plan and let AT&T; discriminate against online competitors.

For blind ultramarathoner-in-training Simon Wheatcroft, recruiting a quality team of race pacers can be a grueling task.

The gorgeous C-X75 will do zero to 60 in less than 3 seconds, emit almost as little CO2 as a Prius and cost a cool $1.1 million. We'll take two.

In Fringe's Friday night season finale, the smartest sci-fi show on prime time dives into a crazed wormhole meltdown that pits heroes from the normal world against doppelgangers living in an alternate universe. It's almost enough to make you forget about flash-forwards, smoke monsters and mysterious hatches. Here are four reasons Fringe is better than Lost.