Book Worms? Medieval Tomes Hold Surprising Fossil Record

A smattering of white spots found among the ink in medieval books aren't just printing errors — they're actually an amazingly detailed "fossil" record of European beetles, new research finds. The dots represent spots, or wormholes, where hatching beetleschewed their way out of the woodblocks used to print art and illustrations between the 1400s and 1800s. This literary record reveals that two species that...

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How new Kindle Fire compares with rivals

Amazon.com Inc. started shipping a larger version of its Kindle Fire HD tablet computer on Thursday. Here's a look at how it compares with the iPad and other tablets with similar screens. Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire HD 8.9": — Price: $299 for 16 gigabytes of storage, $369 for 32 GB. — Screen size: 8.9 inches diagonally — Screen resolution: 1920 by 1200 pixels, at 254 pixels per inch. — Weight: 1.25 pounds. — Cameras:...

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Wii U: New console launches in a sea of gadgets

NEW YORK (AP) — In the six years since the last major video game system launched, Apple unveiled the iPhone and the iPad, "Angry Birds" invaded smartphones and Facebook reached a billion users. In the process, scores of video game consoles were left to languish in living rooms alongside dusty VCRs and disc players. On Sunday, Nintendo Co. is launching the Wii U, a game machine designed to...

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RIM CEO sees new BlackBerry powering growth

WATERLOO, Ontario (Reuters) - A new line of BlackBerry 10 devices will provide Research In Motion with a framework for growth over the next decade, offering long-term value for unhappy shareholders, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said on Wednesday. In an interview with Reuters, Heins said RIM had identified $800 million of the $1 billion of savings it promised for the financial year ending in...

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Smartphones, tablets spark "post-pie" Thanksgiving sales

(Reuters) - Retailers are targeting "post-pie" commerce, the jump in shopping created by the boom in smartphones and tablet computers which Thanksgiving diners grab as they collapse onto the couch after eating turkey and pumpkin pie. While people relax with family and friends or watch football on TV, they are increasingly shopping online with these mobile gadgets, creating a surge in traffic and purchases that retailers are beginning...

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Intel CEO Paul Otellini to retire in surprise move

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Intel CEO Paul Otellini dropped a bombshell on the company's board of directors last week, telling them in private that he plans to retire from the world's largest maker of microprocessors in May. Otellini's move comes at a time when Intel faces a shaky economy and a mobile gadget craze that is eating away at demand for its PC chips —and it gives the company just six months to find a new leader. Intel's...

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