Locals say shifting sea ice frees trapped whales

MONTREAL (AP) — About a dozen killer whales trapped under sea ice appeared to be free after the ice shifted, village officials in Canada's remote north said Thursday, while residents who feared they would get stuck elsewhere hired a plane to track them down.The whales' predicament in the frigid waters of Hudson Bay made international headlines, and locals had been planning a rescue operation with...

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U.S. attack submarine strikes vessel in Gulf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A nuclear-powered U.S. attack submarine struck a suspected fishing vessel shortly after passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf on Thursday, damaging one of the submarine's periscopes but injuring no one, a Navy official said on the condition of anonymity.The Navy's Fifth Fleet said in a statement the vessel appeared unaware of the incident, adding it "continued on...

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From monkeys to surfers, San Diego braces for cold

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Strawberry growers covered their crops while San Diego zookeepers turned on heaters for the chimpanzees as Southern California braced for a cold snap that was expected to drop temperatures to a six-year low.Forecasters warned that a low pressure trough sinking over San Diego County and parts of neighboring Orange County could keep nightly temperatures below freezing in coastal areas,...

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10 Vintage Photographs of Snowflakes

If for some reason you didn't believe no two snowflakes were alike, here's your proof.In 1885, Wilson A. Bentley successfully photographed over 5,000 snowflakes by attaching a camera to a microscope (and in turn honing the field of Photomicrography). His photographs supported his and others' beliefs that all snowflakes were unique.[More from Mashable: 20+ Online Resources for Planning a Winter Getaway]Bentley...

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WSJ says Hostess in talks to sell bread brands

NEW YORK (AP) — The makers of Thomas' English muffins and Tastykake snacks are emerging as the two of the bidders for Wonder Bread and other Hostess bread brands as the company tries to sell off its assets under bankruptcy-court oversight, a newspaper reported Saturday.The Wall Street Journal said Hostess Brands Inc. could reveal as early as next week that Flowers Foods Inc. and Grupo Bimbo SAB are...

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NYC iPhone owner tricks thief using dating app

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City musician used a combination of technology, seduction, a hammer and a bribe to reclaim his missing iPhone from a confused crook.Jazz trombonist Nadav Nirenberg (nah-DAHV' NEE'-run-berg) says he left the phone in a livery cab on New Year's Eve. The next morning, the 27-year-old learned via email that someone was sending messages to women using a dating app on the phone.Nirenberg...

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‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes

After a seven-month run that took Apple (AAPL) shares to an all-time high in late September, the company’s stock plummeted more than 25% and touched new lows as 2012 drew to an end. According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, Apple’s strong portfolio, a reversal of the negative news trend surrounding the company, and a fresh new “iPhone 5S”  will help the stock rebound in 2013, and...

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HTC says licensing agreement with Apple will lead to better devices in 2013

Apple (AAPL) and HTC (2498) signed a 10-year licensing agreement in November that covered all current, pending and future patents and ended the ongoing litigation between the two companies. It has been estimated that the company will pay Apple between $6 and $8 for every Android device shipped, however HTC CEO Peter Chao refuted the claim. Regardless of how much is being spent, HTC China president...

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Nokia’s Lumia 920 remains as expensive as Apple’s iPhone 5

One thing handset industry analysts are watching like hawks is the price graph of the most important Windows Phone 8 model in the European handset market. Nokia (NOK) priced the Lumia 920 very, very ambitiously for its November debut. How long can the model maintain a stiff premium? Was the early pricing just designed to skim high margins from the pool of eager Nokia/Windows Phone early adopters?[More...

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Patent trolls’ latest gambit: Sue businesses if they dare to use office scanners

We’ve seen a lot of ridiculous claims asserted by patent trolls over the past few years, but this one truly takes the cake: Ars Technica reports that an entity called “Project Paperless LLC” has been sending out letters to small and medium-sized businesses demanding licensing fees for using office scanners capable of sending PDFs via email. Steven Vicinanza, founder of Atlanta-based IT services provider...

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Patent agency rejects Apple "pinch-to-zoom" patent in initial ruling

Reuters) - U.S. patent authorities rejected Apple Inc's key "pinch-to-zoom" patent in an initial ruling, the second setback in less than two months for the iPhone maker in its patent battle with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.Apple's shares have taken a beating recently, with investors worried about rising competition from Samsung and other mobile device makers using Google Inc's Android platform.Apple...

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Samsung to be charged with breaking European antitrust laws

The European Commission will charge Samsung (005930) for breaking “EU competition rules by filing lawsuits against Apple (AAPL)” according to Reuters. The watchdog’s vice president for competition policy Joaquin Almunia told Reuters it will be issuing a “statement of objections very soon.”  The investigation comes after Samsung announced on Tuesday it was dropping its lawsuits against Apple for...

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NFC projected to thrive, but not because of mobile wallet apps

Near Field Communication (NFC) is one of those technologies that sounds revolutionary on paper, but in reality, is much more complicated than just slapping a chip inside of a smartphone. Apple’s (AAPL) decision to not include NFC in the iPhone 5 is grounded around the fact that “it’s not a solution to any current problem.” Meanwhile, companies such as Samsung (005930) and Nokia (NOK) have already...

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Nintendo’s amazing triumph in Japan may doom the company

According to Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, Nintendo 3DS sold 333,000 units in the week ending December 16. Sony’s PS Vita limped along at 13’000 units. The new Wii U did an OK 130,000 units and PS3 managed 46,000 units.  The utter hardware domination of the 3DS is reshaping the Japanese software market. Franchises that were thought to be fading have been revitalized in their portable versions....

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How times have changed: Microsoft now eagerly courting Apple developers for Windows Phone 8

A decade or so ago, Apple (AAPL) was the company that had to work its tail off trying to get developers to port their Windows-based games and applications over to its desktop operating system. But with the rise of mobile computing, it seems that the tables have turned and Microsoft (MSFT) finds itself in the same place with Windows Phone 8 that Apple once did with OS X back in the days when it was...

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Samsung Display will show off a 5.5-inch flexible screen at CES

Samsung’s (005930) impending Galaxy S IV may not feature an unbreakable or flexible screen, but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t working hard to get such high-tech displays onto its phones within the next year. Engadget reports that Samsung display panel spin-off Samsung Display is preparing to demonstrate a 5.5-inch, 720 pixel flexible screen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas....

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