digital camera

If you think iPhone-like features are showing up on other smartphones, apparently Apple's lawyers agree. The iPhone maker said Tuesday it has filed suit against device maker HTC for violating 10 patents relating to user interface, architecture and hardware.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company could "sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it." So, he added, Apple decided "to do something about it."

Android and Windows Mobile Devices

If you think iPhone-like features are showing up on other smartphones, apparently Apple's lawyers agree. The iPhone maker said Tuesday it has filed suit against device maker HTC for violating 10 patents relating to user interface, architecture and hardware.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company could "sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it." So, he added, Apple decided "to do something about it."

Android and Windows Mobile Devices

Creating IT hardware on your own can be real chore. All that time and money spent researching and prototyping, and there's no guarantee it will do the job. But what if getting a custom-built device were as easy as making pizza? Start with a crust of a base module to run an operating system. Add a few toppings -- a GPS unit, an accelerometer, a motion detector, or a 3G connection -- and you've got just what your company needs.

While stocking up on back-to-school pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and clothes for their kids, many parents also are scoping out new gadgets that can entertain and educate. These days they're surprised by what they see in the electronics aisle: kid-friendly laptops, phones, and other gadgets that are growing more sophisticated and look increasingly like their grown-up counterparts.

by Steve Tignor

Sony Ericsson is hoping to boost its sagging handset sales through the launch of two new camera-enabled mobile phones on AT&T's national network, beginning Sunday.

Priced at $179.99 after an AT&T rebate, Sony Ericsson's C905a Cyber-shot sports an 8.1-megapixel camera -- the highest resolution ever offered in a mobile phone from AT&T. And the W518a Walkman phone combines a 3.2-megapixel camera with interactive features targeting the Facebook social-networking site.

Brian Hayes in American Scientist:

by Maniza Naqvi
Ron loved Bosnia. That was his charm.

By Maniza Naqvi
Ron loved Bosnia. That was his charm.