washingtonpost.com - Technology

Lego Obsession Builds and Builds in Adulthood

Mike Musgrove — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Until recently, Will Chapman worked as a Web software developer near his home in Redmond, Wash. But he quit his job a couple of months ago to become a small-arms dealer.

Help File

Rob Pegoraro — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Q I saw the item about Gmail security. If I don't turn on this encryption in my desktop e-mail program, can I expose my password at wireless hot spots?

FCC Plans New Auction for First-Responder Airwaves

Cecilia Kang — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

New details on a plan to create a national communications network for police, fire and other emergency first responders were announced yesterday by the Federal Communications Commission after an earlier effort to sell the network this year failed to produce a buyer.

Just as Storms Loom, N.C. Town To Switch Away From Analog TV

Kim Hart — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

WILMINGTON, N.C., Sept. 5 -- Residents here have spent nearly six months preparing for the biggest shift in television technology since color TV. At the request of the Federal Communications Commission, this coastal town will be the first market in the nation to shut off traditional analog signals...

Surviving the Storm

Elizabeth Razzi — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The message was hard to miss last week: No more wishful thinking -- it's time to prepare yourself for a grim job market.

In the Beginning, Finally

Mike Musgrove — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

After years of delays, the universe is set to begin this weekend -- and it's about time.

Big-Picture Sites Most Helpful for Online Browsing

Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

With prices falling, I've been thinking about buying a rental house. Like every other home buyer, I've seen the number of "for sale" signs increasing as the number of foreclosures multiplies.

Telecom Reporting Rule May Be Eased

Cecilia Kang — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Phone giants AT&T, Verizon Communications and Qwest today are expected to win approval to report less information to the Federal Communications Commission on such matters as consumer complaints and infrastructure investments.

Ciena Shares Sink As Profit Plunges, Outlook Weakens

Jordan Weissmann — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Shares of Ciena took a hammering yesterday, losing nearly a quarter of their value after the Linthicum Heights company announced a decline in third-quarter profit and warned of a sales slowdown.

Retooled MiddleBrook Gears Up for Big Pitch

Kendra Marr — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

As a senior executive at Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, John S. Thievon tackled the challenge of launching a pricey decongestant in a marketplace filled with cheap generics. Ultimately that drug, Mucinex, trampled its competition.

A Social Network Where You Can Be Too Social

Kim Hart — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

For many, Facebook has become an indispensable tool for managing their social lives. But all the friending, messaging and poking on the online social network has created a hazard: using it too much.

Dell Finally Thinks Small and Chic

Rob Pegoraro — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

One of Dell's latest desktop PCs deserves an adjective that has rarely applied to its products: stylish.

NebuAd Halts Plans For Web Tracking

Ellen Nakashima — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Tech firm NebuAd has put on hold plans to widely deploy an online advertising technology that tracks consumers' every Web click while Congress reviews privacy concerns associated with the technique.

Going Online for a Splash of Nature

Brigid Schulte — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Tom Hillegass has been called the swami of swimming holes. (Seriously. He has.) A man who "swoons" for a swim out in the middle of nowhere, clad or un-. A guru with a gospel. And his holy book? It's his Web site, actually, http://www.swimmingholes.org, with photos, precise Global Positioning Syst...

Security Fix Live

Brian Krebs — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Security Fix blogger Brian Krebs answers your questions about the latest computer security threats and offers ways to protect your personal information.

Sony recalls laptops for possible overheating

AP — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:51:41 EDT

TOKYO -- Sony Corp. is recalling 440,000 Vaio laptop computers worldwide because of a wiring flaw that could cause overheating.

Radiation Detector Plan Falls Short, Audit Shows

Robert O'Harrow Jr. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

An ambitious Bush administration program to use new technology to stop radioactive materials from being smuggled into the country has fallen far short of its aims and will likely be sharply curtailed, according to an audit report obtained by The Washington Post.

Professor Is Convicted Of Sharing Technology

Carrie Johnson — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A federal jury in Knoxville, Tenn., convicted a retired university professor on conspiracy, wire fraud and export control charges yesterday for improperly sharing sensitive technology with students from China and Iran.

Controversy Snarls Upgrade Of Terrorist Data Repository

Robert O'Harrow Jr. — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A major effort to upgrade intelligence computers that hold the government's master list of terrorist identities is embroiled in controversy about the project's management and the work of contractors hired for the job, documents and interviews show.

Google Enters Browser Market With Chrome

Mark Hendrickson — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

TechCrunch's Mark Hendrickson takes your questions about Google Chrome, the search giant's new Internet browser. He'll discuss its features, how it could affect Web and how it fits into the company's long-term strategy.

Back to the Books (and Laptops)

Theresa Vargas — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

French teacher Normandie Lee stood in front of her class yesterday, face to face with the electronic whiteboard she had just learned how to use, and confessed, "Okay, I'm scared."

Facebook Ads Target You Where It Hurts

Rachel Beckman — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

My Facebook page called me fat. Maybe it's my age, my sex or the fact that it knew I was engaged, but the site decided I was a gal who needed to drop a few pounds. And it wasn't shy about its tactics. This was not a close friend taking me aside, telling me in gentle tones that she'd noticed I'd p...