caps

NASA mission calculates global ice melt and rising sea levels

From 2003 to 2010, NASA satellites systematically measured all of Earth's melting glacial ice--the results added up to 4.3 trillion tons of water and a global sea level rise of half an inch.

Put in perspective, that's enough ice to bury the entire U.S. 1.5-feet deep.

These calculations are detailed in a new study released today by a team of scientists at the University of Colorado. The scientists used satellite measurements from the NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), which launched in 2002 and focused on how melting ice from glaciers and ice caps … Read more

Telefonica criticizes latest EU roaming proposals

It would be counter-productive to make voice, text, and data roaming too cheap, Telefonica has argued in response to strict new proposals by a member of the European Parliament.

Excessively low retail caps would make it too unprofitable for new investors to enter the European mobile market, and stymie the Commission's goal of increasing competition, Telefonica regulatory chief Robert Mourik told a European Parliament debate on Tuesday.

"Don't prescribe a structural solution if you don't think it will work in the first place," Mourik said, referring to less stringent proposals put forward by the European Commission. &… Read more

Stop your toddler from closing his favorite iOS app

Parents with toddlers will be able to relate to this scenario: You give your toddler an iOS device with the Monkey Lunchbox game pulled up, hoping to teach him about shapes as well as keep him entertained for awhile. When you hand over the device, he gets really excited, starts playing, and then presses the home button, closing the app. The cycle repeats enough that this situation eventually becomes a game to the child, and a source of frustration for you, the parent.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you will want to watch the video above. We found a product … Read more

The 404 899: Where we take you to school (podcast)

Wilson begins this episode of The 404 Podcast with a few words of encouragement to our young listeners starting their first day of school today.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Tang excelled in all his classes and never once printed a cheat sheet on a Coke-bottle wrapper--unfortunately Jeff and I can't say the same for our own salad days. Anyone know how to calculate the area of a triangle?

Aside from recalling our high-school days, today's show rundown kicks off with Nike's announcement of the long-awaited shoes from "Back To the Future II." Nike's head designer Tinker Hatfield invited members of the press to a big announcement that's likely to coincide with this preview trailer showing Marty McFly's closet full of Air Mag 2015s. Power laces and light-up soles!

We'll also break news about a partnership between Google and Zagat's (rhymes with "da cat") Restaurant Guide, shed some light on reports about Netflix capping multiple streams, and you'll also find out how you can rent the studio set from the Conan O'Brien late-night show!

The 404 Digest for Episode 899

It's about time: Nike goes "Back to the Future." Conan writers put studio up on AirBnB. Scan shows what the right 3DS thumb stick add-on might look like. Google buys Zagat, in original-content gambit. Video voice mail from David showing a retro pinball arcade.

Video voice mail from Tessa and Matt on a backpacking trip in the Sierras. Justin's Daily Bathroom Break Video: Going to the Store: Normal Guy, Normal Walk.

Episode 899 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Sprint iPhone may portend end to unlimited plan

commentary Once Sprint Nextel gets the iPhone, you can bid farewell to its unlimited-data plan.

If history is any indication, Sprint will have to make some tough decisions, if Apple's blockbuster device starts weighing on its network. It's something the other carriers have done, and it's part of a broader trend of telecommunication companies struggling to keep up with growing bandwidth consumption.

After suffering through years of heavy bandwidth usage from iPhone users, AT&T relented and switched to a tiered pricing plan last year. It only took Verizon Wireless a few months after launching its … Read more

Apple Talk Weekly: Apple's market-cap shuffle

Welcome to the second edition of Apple Talk Weekly, a look back at the week's top Apple news and rumors, along with answers to your Apple questions.

The big news this week--besides Apple successfully nabbing a legal injunction that keeps Samsung from selling its Galaxy tablet in the European Union--was Apple pushing past Exxon Mobil to become the most valuable company by market capitalization. That happened on Tuesday, with the two companies swapping places several times. Exxon eventually closed the day back on top, only to have Apple take back the crown the very next day. Since then, the … Read more

Apple dances with Exxon for market cap crown

Update, 1:15 p.m. PT: With trading closed, Exxon Mobil ended the day with its top market cap spot, according to Google, Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg's count.

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Following a flurry of trading activity today, Apple and Exxon Mobil traded spots in a dramatic race for the title of being the world's most valuable publicly traded company based on market capitalization.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier today that the two companies briefly swapped spots, with Apple garnering a larger market cap, at $341.5 billion, compared to Exxon's $341.4 billion. Exxon later regained its … Read more

Stroke of genius: South African artist's keycap sculptures

Check out these keycap sculptures made by South African visual artist and cultural activist Maurice Mbikayi. Trained in graphic design and visual communication at the Academie des Beaux-Arts in France, Mbikayi's unique mixed-media collages and the keycap skulls represent the artist's thoughts on the impact of technology on Africa and the Earth's dependence on natural resources.

Mbikayi sourced the keycaps from piles of discarded technological remnants left around the streets of South Africa and are used in his works to question their original destination and intent.

Click through the break for more pictures of Maurice Mbikayi's works of art.… Read more

AT&T fires back at Netflix on bandwidth pricing

The war of words over usage-based pricing on Internet service continues to heat up.

AT&T General Counsel Wayne Watts fired off a response to an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) by Netflix General Counsel David Hyman criticizing the need to charge consumers a different price based on the amount of data they consume at home.

The piece, which ran on Friday, said bandwidth pricing was "bad news for consumers and threatens to slow down the innovation powering today's Internet economy."

Watts, however, argued that the continued need to invest capital in … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1509: Hey, Windows Phone 7, how much does a polar bear weigh? (Podcast)

Today on the show, we discover that Windows Phone 7 does have a life in the wild -- at least one phone does, anyway. Also, Plants vs. Zombies are taking over the world and BT, Steve, and I are headed for a Tetris showdown. RIM continues to try to defend its co-CEO setup (why!?) and fans rage, rage, against the dying of the cheap Netflix plans. We direct them elsewhere: toward the studios who want so much for streaming content in the first place.