Electronics

Thanks to their GPS systems, smartphones in an array could pick up movements indicating the onset of an earthquake and provide extra seconds of early warning. Cynthia Graber reports  

 

Miniature camera could be self-sustaining in smartphones and for surveillance

Political Twitter followers are largely useless filler according to Obama's re-election architect

Every two years people around the world suddenly obsessively watch odd niche sports like ice dancing, biathalon, and rhythmic gymnastics. So I wish similar enthusiasm could be summoned for the exploration dives of the Deep Discoverer, NOAA’s ROV aboard the research vessel Okeanos Explorer and vehicles like it, which are streamed live on the internet.

Compare and contrast. Zooming in for greater detail: The same fly, the same pose, the same camera settings. All I changed was the background, and the difference in the animal’s appearance between the two photographs is immense.

Blame your service provider—and mobile video

Trust issues plague bitcoin and other digital currencies. Licensed exchanges could change that

New app called Pivot will let gadget users see old and new images of sites as they walk past. Larry Greenemeier reports

Scientific American contributor Keren Elazari argues in a 2014 TED talk that securing cyberspace is impossible without the help of hackers.

Step one: Stop counting on others to protect you

Today's safety features foreshadow the robotic cars of tomorrow

Virtual currencies such as bitcoin rely on this digital public ledger system to guard against fraud, an approach that could likewise secure the coming Internet of things