Police in the 1970s urged citizens to “drop a dime” in a pay phone to report crimes anonymously. Now in an increasing number of cities, tipsters are being invited to use their thumbs — to identify criminals using text messages.

Police hope the concept helps recruit teens and 20-somethings who woul…

computing cyber vehicles next-generation consoles megapixel byte novelty iPod fun

Unable to strike a deal on its own, Microsoft Corp. reportedly is hoping to snap up Yahoo’s online search operations with the help of News Corp. and moment Warner Inc.

The latest twist in Microsoft’s convoluted courtship caused Yahoo’s shares to rise more than 3 percent in Wednesday’s sinking stock…

device mistubishi funny byte Nokia radio web gizmo news gizmos phone

In a move that could give a welcome, whether short-lived, boost to consumer electronics makers and retailers, consumers up and down the West Coast are snapping up headsets that let them talk on cell phones while driving — and stay in compliance with a law that took effect in California and Washingt…

keyboard byte electronics avi funny portable media player Memory google cybershot video

A Manhattan district judge gave Google some partial victories that week in its copyright-infringement battle with Viacom by YouTube. Last year, Viacom sued Google and its YouTube site for $1 billion for what it called unauthorized use of video clips from Viacom properties.

In Wednesday’s decision, …

energy IBM new gadgets control media fun laptop creativity flash megabyte

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are suing the office of Justice to obtain official records concerning the U.S. government’s possible use of cell-phone-tracking technology to spy on individuals without first obtaining a court order based on probable cause.

…

Nokia google bluetooth laptop games mice screen IBM realtek gaming

Openmoko has taken the wraps off its Neo FreeRunner, a Linux-based smartphone based on the company’s open mobile-computing platform. Before you yawn about reading yet another product-introduction story — particularly about a handset that lacks 3G capability — what sets the Neo FreeRunner apart is …

Motorola Xbox videogames tvs computer realtek concept portable media player computing camera

The Mozilla Foundation has set a world record and achieved new heights in its battle for browser market share. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Mozilla’s Firefox 3.0 Web browser set a record for the most downloads in a day. It was the first duration a browser-maker attempted to set a…

earphones gizmo news mp3 blu-ray technogoly news cyber Wii new web 2.0 phone