Technology from Newser

Microsoft Reveals New XBox, Focuses on TV, Not Games

Kevin Spak — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:20:48 CDT

Microsoft unveiled its long-awaited next-generation XBox today, touting more than anything its bevy of advanced entertainment features, calling it an "all-in-one system for games, movies, and entertainment," and announcing an exclusive, live-action Halo TV show produced by Steven Spielberg. Here's what you need to know, drawn from TechCrunch , the Guardian...

Apple CEO on Tax Shelters: 'I'm Not an Unfair Person'

John Johnson — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:47:19 CDT

Tim Cook is on Capitol Hill today to answer criticism that Apple uses overly creative—but legal—accounting practices to avoid paying billions in taxes . The highlights amount to Cook defending the company's practices, while critics such as Carl Levin and John McCain accuse it of shirking its tax duties....

Melissa Joan Hart: Why My Kickstarter Totally Flopped

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:05 CDT

Melissa Joan Hart's Kickstarter campaign had so many problems, you probably cringed when you read about it . But the actress thinks she's zeroed in on the particular reason she attracted only 315 backers: "We didn’t give [fans] the two things it takes to sell a movie: a poster and a...

Unlikely Presence in Court: the Racy 'Urban Dictionary'

Matt Cantor — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:23:05 CDT

Your average court may not be able to define "nut" as a verb; it may struggle to figure out why a pair of thieves called themselves "jack boys." That's where the Urban Dictionary comes in. In the former case, its definition of "to nut"—"to ejaculate"—helped a court decide...

Tumblr Founder a High School Drop-Out

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:45:00 CDT

At 14, David Karp—who would one day found Tumblr—was already obsessed with computers and bored with school. So his mom, a science teacher, suggested he drop out. "It became very clear that David needed the space to live his passion. Which was computers," Barbara Ackerman tells the New...

Guy Fined $2.4K for Renting Out Condo on Airbnb

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:43:00 CDT

This may give you pause if you were considering renting out your apartment on Airbnb : A New York City man did just that, and now he'll have to pay a $2,400 fine. New York officials initially fined Nigel Warren $7,000 after he rented part of his condo to...

Teen Girl Invents Insanely Fast Battery Charger

Ruth Brown — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:53:03 CDT

Prepare to feel inadequate: 18-year-old California student Eesha Khare has created a supercapacitor that could recharge a cellphone battery in 30 seconds. The invention won her $50,000 in the Society for Science & the Public's huge international science fair, beating out more than 1,600 others from over 70...

Apple Kept Billions Out of IRS' Reach: Probe

Ruth Brown — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:28:23 CDT

A Senate inquiry into Apple has accused the company of keeping billions out of the reach of the IRS through tax havens and a complex network of overseas subsidiaries. The company runs its non-American operations through affiliates based in Ireland, which has a low tax rate. However, investigators say many...

Takeout Tycoons GrubHub and Seamless Merge

Ruth Brown — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:39:00 CDT

Yahoo and Tumblr weren't the only online properties getting into bed together today: GrubHub and Seamless, two of the largest food-delivery websites in the US, have announced a merger, combining forces to fend off an increasing number of startup rivals, Bloomberg reports. "This has nothing to do with cost savings;...