Europe Solves Cell Phone Charger Problem

The European Union has reached an agreement with all major mobile phone manufacturers to produce a common phone charger. Apart from reducing the frustration of customers juggling incompatible chargers, proponents say the agreement will encourage recycling and reduce electronic waste.

Long Distance Shrinks Amid New Phone Technology

The days of constant TV ads and pesky phone pitches to switch long-distance service are long gone. Changes in telecommunications industry ground rules, and new competition from cable, Internet and wireless have transformed the business.

The Extraordinaries: Will Microvolunteering Work?

Got five minutes? Rather than check on your car insurance, you can engage in all sorts of do-good efforts these days thanks to a slew of Web sites, including The Extraordinaries, a microvolunteering service. But the idea has plenty of potential pitfalls — and could end up just a flashmob in the pan.

China Delays Internet Filtering Plan

China has delayed a controversial plan to bundle Internet filtering software with personal computers aimed to block pornography. The plan has been criticized as ineffective, intrusive and commercial unfair. Anthony Kuhn China's attempt to block pornography has been criticized as ineffective, intrusive and unfair.

Search Engine Helps Users Connect In Arabic

A new program, Yamli, allows users to spell out Arabic words phonetically using a Western keyboard. Yamli not only searches Arabic script; it also looks for Western variations. Creators say it can help non-native Arabic students practice the language.

Steve Jobs Returns To Apple After Medical Leave

Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs is back at work after a six-month leave of absence for health reasons. Many investors worry about an Apple without Jobs, and the company's share price often rose and fell based on reports about his health.

Coming Soon: Thinner Screens

In the coming years, our computer, television and mobile phone screens will get thinner, clearer and smarter. Omar Gallaga, who covers technology culture for the Austin American-Statesman, offers his insight.

Smart Phones Make Comparison Shopping A Snap

Bargain hunting has never been easier. Several smart phone applications allow users to type in a model or scan the bar code of a product, then search for a cheaper price online. That is forcing some bricks-and-mortar retailers to change the way they do business.

Rainwater, IPhone App Help Thirsty California Farms

California farmers grow most of the nation's fruit, nuts and vegetables. While some farmers there are fighting over dwindling water resources, others are reducing water use via technology and returning to natural rain as a water source for their crops.

New U.S. Cyber Command Raises Privacy Concerns

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has created a new cyber command in the Pentagon that will be headed by the director of the secretive National Security Agency. Privacy advocates worry about the role of the NSA and the militarization of the Internet.

Of Fuel Cells And Chicken Feathers

Each year, the agricultural industry must dispose of billions of pounds of chicken feathers. Richard Wool, a chemical engineer at the University of Delaware, says when feathers are heated, they develop nano-sized caverns in which hydrogen can be stored.

Wind Has Soaring Potential, Study Finds

Wind alone could provide more than 16 times the electricity needs of the U.S., according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Harvard professor Michael McElroy and Revis James, of Electric Power Research Institute, discuss the challenges of harnessing wind power.

Video Pick: An Airplane That Flies ItselfNo Pilot Required

Meet the V-Bat: it's about 70 pounds, eight feet tall, equipped with computers and flies without a pilot. Engineer Stephen Morris, the president and CEO of MLB Co., describes how the plane works and what it might be good for.

Is Apple Obliged To Say More About CEO's Health?

A hospital disclosed this week that the computer maker's CEO had a liver transplant because he had "end-stage liver disease" and was the sickest patient on the list, raising questions about whether the company should have disclosed more about his condition to investors.

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