Stories by Larry Greenemeier

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the jetliner at the junction of several international air traffic control regions—the kind of fringe location where radar coverage is known be spotty

Researchers are developing adapters that let smartphones take high-quality images of the eye that could be used to remotely screen patients for eye conditions or disease. Larry Greenemeier reports

 

Tech companies--Facebook, Google and IBM, to name a few--are quick to tout the world-changing powers of "big data" gleaned from mobile devices, Web searches, citizen science projects and sensor networks.

A consortium including Facebook and Qualcomm wants to launch solar-powered atmospheric satellite drones that can carry equipment for relaying wireless networks in remote areas that currently have no Internet connections. Larry Greenemeier reports

 

In his first public address since leaking government surveillance secrets last June Edward Snowden talked about encryption, lack of oversight and his motives

In many ways "big data" and "encryption" are antithetical. The former involves harvesting, storing and analyzing information to reveal patterns that researchers, law enforcement and industry can use to their benefit.

If a July mission to test the pressurized aluminum dive suit goes well, the technology will allow scientists to immerse themselves in deep-sea luminescent life

Competitions like the Firearms Challenge could give guns that use radio-frequency tags, biometrics and other tech a push into the mainstream. Larry Greenemeier reports

A hybrid concept car would use solar power for short trips

Pressure that built up within a muscle, nerve and blood vessel group in the forearm of the longtime CNN and PBS science correspondent threatened both life and limb

The virtual currency’s once largest exchange, Mt. Gox, has abruptly shut down. A bitcoin expert explains the potential impact

For many people, the largest smart gadget they own is not their phone or tablet--it's the automobile sitting in their driveway. Cars have been able to connect to Android, iPhone and mobile Microsoft devices for years now--primarily via voice commands--to access apps aimed at communication and entertainment.

Before Jan Koum sold his company, WhatsApp, to Facebook for a mind-numbing $19 billion, he had a Post-It note affixed to his deskput there by WhatsApp co-founder Brian Actonthat set out the companys philosophy: No ads, no games, no gimmicks.

For the first time, an X PRIZE is offering award money to participants during a competition

California wants to be the first state to mandate antitheft features on mobile devices, but carriers fear lost insurance revenue. Larry Greenemeier reports

Many of the Web sites we visit every day are under cyber attack by malicious hackers looking to disrupt business transactions, discourage people from using a particular online service or exact payback for some real or perceived slight.

If the open-source approach to building robot surgeons can cut costs and improve performance, patients will increasingly find them at the other end of the scalpel

Paramount Pictures is the first of what will be many studios to release major motion pictures in all-digital, forcing small movie houses to upgrade their technology. Larry Greenemeier reports

 

A new smartphone for youngsters is being marketed for its ability for parents to set parental filters and strict guidelines for use. Larry Greenemeier reports

 

The 80,000 or so football fans converging on MetLife Stadium for Super Bowl XLVIII are paying anywhere between $500 and $2,500 per ticketor much, much more on the resale marketfor the privilege of being there.

The Super Bowl poses mammoth security challenges in any given year. This years championship gamethe first since last Aprils Boston Marathon bombingraises the stakes by bringing the game, which the Department of Homeland Security designates a Level One national security event, to New Jerseys MetLife Stadium.

Using data about when you drive, the times of your starts and stops, and your speed, insurance companies may be able to also tell where you go, even without GPS. Larry Greenemeier reports

 

In his speech on Friday the U.S. president made no apologies for the National Security Agency’s work. The government will, however, stop storing citizen phone records

The speech should provide some insight into the future of how the U.S. government keeps tabs on friends and foes