Pirates Kill U.S. Hostages, So U.S. Forces Kill Pirates

U.S. forces uncovered a gruesome scene Tuesday off the Somali coast: Four Americans who had been taken hostage by pirates aboard their yacht were shot fatally by their captors. That prompted a deadly U.S. response.

A raiding team came aboard the captive vessel Quest after pirates shot at U.S. forces from the yacht at about 1 a.m. local time. According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, the team killed two of the pirates, detained another 13 and found the corpses of two others, dead from a different incident. The command assessed that 19 pirates were involved in the capture of the Quest on Friday, though it’s not clear what happened to the final two.

Pentagon Orders Massive Bunker-Busters for Underground WMD

North Korea may be readying another nuclear test — one of many reasons why the Pentagon is stepping up efforts to neutralize hardened bunkers, packed with weapons of mass destruction. It’s a tricky problem; to do it, you need something out of the ordinary. Which is why the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency has an ambitious goal of developing a bunker buster five times as strong as the current models by the end of the year, and ten times more powerful by 2013. They’re doing it with a combination of improved guidance, “novel payloads”… and much bigger bombs.

One key strand is the Integrated Precision Ordnance Delivery System (IPODS), which will destroy targets “far down a tunnel.” How? Rather than simply hitting the bunker, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency is aiming for a small target – those vulnerable blast doors at the tunnel’s mouth. As Danger Room revealed previously, the U.S. Air Force has looked at ’skip bombing’ with bunker-busting munitions to attack tunnel doors using a special guidance system. Instead of hitting vertically, the bomb is skipped off the ground in front of the door and goes through horizontally. IPODS looks like it may take a similar approach, but perhaps using something even bigger.

Army Wants Low-Level Soldiers Linked Into Its Data Nets

The Army’s on a crash course to get its futuristic information network available down to the lowest possible levels, says its deputy leader, a move that will provide soldiers with a “tremendous advantage that we’ve never had before.”

Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C., Gen. Peter Chiarelli hailed the initial development of the Army’s Common Operating Environment as a potential gamechanger for the nation’s ground forces. Its proliferation will pave the way for soldiers to one day get equipped with smartphones, each linked in to access information from across a warzone or back home. It may take years to get networked phones to soldiers, but the Army’s trying to push its networks out to the “squad and team level.”

China's Huawei wins injunction against Motorola

BEIJING – Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei has won a preliminary injunction from a U.S. court barring Motorola Inc. from transferring business secrets in a planned deal with Nokia Siemens Networks.

The order by a federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday prohibits Motorola, which is a vendor of Huawei equipment, from transferring any confidential information about the Chinese company pending resolution of the dispute.

Huawei Technologies Ltd. filed a lawsuit last month saying Motorola's proposed $1.2 billion sale of its network equipment business to Nokia Siemens Networks, a Finnish-German joint venture, would improperly transfer those secrets to a competitor.

The GBU-28 Bunker Buster

Technical improvisation in times of war is an artform, and a very good metric of where real capabilities lie. Those who can cobble together a vitally needed resource at short notice, with limited time and budgets, are worthy of admiration - their efforts more than often produce decisive results. If for no other reason this is because the opponent has no idea that a new tool will be used against them. Recent noteworthy examples were the refuelling probes and tanker refits produced for the RAF during the Falklands war, or the run-time software for the TIALD pods deployed during the Gulf War.

Secret Rocket Balls Target WMD Bunkers

The Pentagon has a new secret weapon to neutralize sites containing chemical or biological weapons: rocket balls. These are hollow spheres, made of rubberized rocket fuel; when ignited, they propel themselves around at random at high speed, bouncing off the walls and breaking through doors, turning the entire building into an inferno. The makers call them "kinetic fireball incendiaries." The Pentagon doesn’t want to talk about them, but published documents show that the fireballs have undergone tests on underground bunkers.

There are plenty of bombs which could destroy a lab, and bunker-busting weapons can tackle hardened underground facilities. But blowing up weapons of mass destruction is not a good idea. Using high explosives is likely to scatter them over a wide area, which is exactly what you want to avoid.

Microsoft yanks Windows Phone 7 patch after “small number” of handsets bricked

An initial patch intended to pave the groundwork for a pair of forthcoming Windows Phone 7 updates ended up "bricking" a number of Samsung smartphones this week, forcing Microsoft to pull the update and giving Redmond a black eye in the process.

Microsoft has "temporarily" pulled the patch for Samsung-made Windows Phone 7 devices to "correct the issue" and will re-release the patched patch "as soon as possible," a spokesperson told WinRumors.

Unfortunately, the move comes too late for a "small number" of Samsung Omnia 7 users, who wound up with frozen phones after trying in vain to install the patch. Microsoft has been telling the owners of stricken handsets that there's little to be done beyond sending them back for a replacement, WinRumors reports.

Cisco Kills off Its Hosted E-mail Product

Cisco Systems has decided to kill its cloud-based e-mail service Cisco Mail, only 13 months after it was introduced, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday.

With the growing acceptance of cloud services, Cisco saw a chance to offer e-mail services along with its successful WebEx Conferencing service, which combines desktop sharing through a web browser with phone and video conferencing. But it seems customers weren't as interested in getting e-mail from the networking giant.

Cisco's failure, after investing US$250 million, demonstrates the challenge of penetrating a mature market, and the difficulty in delivering a complex and demanding cloud-based application service, Matthew Cain , vice president and lead e-mail analyst at Gartner, wrote in a research note.

NZ earthquake death toll at 75 as search continues

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Some screamed from inside collapsed buildings. One woman used her mobile phone to call her children to say goodbye. Others tapped on the rubble to communicate with those on the outside.

Search teams used their bare hands, dogs, heavy cranes and earth movers Wednesday to pull 120 survivors from the rubble of a powerful earthquake in one of New Zealand's largest cities. Officials raised the death toll to at least 75, with 300 others listed as missing.

Ind. eatery pulls billboards with cult references

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A northern Indiana restaurant that erected billboards referring to the 1978 Jonestown cult massacre in which more than 900 people died has removed the signs following complaints that the signs were offensive.

Jeff Leslie, vice president of sales and marketing at Hacienda, acknowledged that the billboards were a mistake. He said the South Bend-based company ordered the signs removed less than two weeks into Hacienda's new advertising campaign.

Libya: Gadhafi vows to fight on, die a martyr

CAIRO – Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi vowed to fight on to his "last drop of blood" and roared at his supporters to take to the streets against protesters in a furious, fist-pounding speech Tuesday after two nights of bloodshed in the capital as his forces tried to crush the uprising that has fragmented his regime.

Gadhafi's call portended a new round of mayhem in the capital of 2 million people. The night before, residents described a rampage by pro-regime militiamen, who shot on sight anyone found in the streets and opened fire from speeding vehicles at people watching from windows of their homes. Tuesday morning, bodies still lay strewn in some streets.

Man has 39 wives, nearly 100 children

GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) – The more, the merrier is certainly true for Ziona Chana, a 66-year-old man in India's remote northeast who has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren -- and wouldn't mind having more.

They all live in a four storied building with 100 rooms in a mountainous village in Mizoram state, sharing borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, media reports said.

"I once married 10 women in one year," he was quoted as saying.

Home Schooling Parents Don’t Have Budget Woes

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - In the current economic climate, schools across the country are venturing into the great unknown. Nearly all public schools in Texas know they’re budgets will be slashed, but they don’t know by how much. But there are some parents who say school district money problems don’t concern them.

Families that home school their children don’t have to worry about budget cuts.

Subaru RWD Sports Car Technology Concept

Back in 2008, Toyota and Subaru set out to make a RWD sports car that would take advantage of both of their strengths, and later details and images of these car made their way into our pages and put giant smiles on our faces. We would think that the next step would be the unveiling of production versions of the Toyota FT-86 and the Subaru FT-86, but instead,Subaru is taking a step back by unveiling the RWD Concept at the Geneva Motor Show. Really? Give us a break!

Pac-Man-ready space station arcade tabletop? Check!

Like something straight out of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arcade Tables' jumbo "Stealth" tabletop is a perfect blend of futuristic style and retro arcade games. Old school gaming never looked so sexy.
With over 60 classic arcade titles housed in a gorgeous "high gloss, easy care 10 coat two-pack and glass exterior" every golden-era gamer would die for one of these.

Car drifting at high speeds on a frozen lake looks insanely fun

Gotta give this pair of Japanese comedians some major props for having the courage to take a ride in a car — drifting at breakneck speeds — on a frozen lake in Hokkaido. Actually, that sounds quite exhilarating!
Out of all the strange things that come out of Japan, I think car drifting on ice while blasting snow several feet into the air is probably the most extreme stunt that I actuallywant to try, after skydiving.

Nose breath-controlled cyborg camera mask is wicked to the core

For his wife's art opening/masquerade party, Ryan Sturmer didn't want to get a paperPhantom of the Opera mask. Instead, he made his own functional cyborg mask, complete with a scary Terminator-esque glowing red LED for an eye. Did we mention that the eyepiece is nose breath-controlled?

One tablet to rule them all?

Which tablet is the fairest in all the land? We just can't decide — so this handy infographic might help point you in the right direction.

It's time Apple came clean about Steve Jobs' health

Apple can no longer remain silent about its CEO's health. This is no longer a debate about corporate responsibility or fair disclosure to shareholders. Now that Paparazzi are following Jobs and taking photos or videos of him outside the cancer treatment facility, Apple must respond. Silence is bad for Apple, bad for its shareholders and quite possibly damaging to Jobs' recovery. How would you feel about seeing your photos in the National Enquirer? How would it affect your cancer recovery?

Historic legacy for NASA's pioneering shuttle Discovery (photos)

PHOTOS

Study to test human ability to control robotics with the mind

Researchers are ready to advance their tests of a novel brain-computer interface (BCI) from animals to human subjects, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency just granted them more than $6 million over the next three years to get those human clinical trials under way.

Japan eyes sending humanoid robot into orbit

NASA's tough-looking Robonaut 2 is slated to ride the Space Shuttle Discovery into orbit this month, and now Japan says it wants to shoot its own humanoid robot to the International Space Station too.

Japan's space agency JAXA says it may put a humanoid on the ISS in 2013 so it can watch over crew members while they sleep and monitor their health and stress levels.

Engineers at the University of Tokyo and staff at advertising giant Dentsu apparently are working on the space droid.

It would be intended for communication--sending pics to Earth via Twitter and boosting public interest in the ISS. NASA, on the other hand, wants humanoid robots to perform tasks on space walks in the future.

3D 'bioprinting' remakes skin today, body parts tomorrow

As DVICE readers already know, 3D printing technology can do some amazing things. Now, the medical community is looking to add another trick to that repertoire: printing skin and body parts.
Right now, the immediate application of bioprinting — a buzzword that's spawned from the increasing promise of 3D printing in the medical realm — is to quickly patch up wounds by "printing" new skin. This would be amazingly helpful for your average injury, of course, but could even mean whole new approaches to, say, the injuries of a severe burn victim.

Super cute milk carton reminds you to shut the fridge door

Do you have a tendency to stand in front of your open fridge, pondering what snack you should make? Perhaps you need a cute little reminder about how much power you're wasting, courtesy this little Japanese talking milk carton.

In this bowling game, the faster you kiss, the faster the ball rolls

Move over Kinect, there's a new gaming controller input in town — one where "users control a bowling game by moving their tongues while kissing." Making out for the sake of gaming? Oh, yeah!

4 American hostages killed by pirates, US says

NAIROBI, Kenya – Four Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors Monday, the U.S. military said, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.

U.S. naval forces, who were trailing the Americans' captured yacht with four warships, quickly boarded the vessel after hearing the gunfire and tried to provide lifesaving care to the Americans, but they died of their wounds, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured and detained, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement from Tampa, Fla. The remains of two other pirates who were already dead for some time were also found. The U.S. military didn't state how those two might have died.

Quake in New Zealand kills at least 65, traps more

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – One of New Zealand's biggest cities lay in ruins Tuesday after a powerful earthquake toppled tall buildings and churches on a busy weekday, killing at least 65 people in the country's worst natural disaster in decades.

The quake even shook a massive chunk of ice from New Zealand's biggest glacier, some 120 miles to the east of Christchurch, where most of the damage was reported.

Wisconsin governor warns of layoff notices

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker warned Tuesday that state employees could start receiving layoff notices as early as next week if a bill eliminating most collective bargaining rights isn't passed soon.

Walker said in a statement to The Associated Press that the layoffs wouldn't take effect immediately. He didn't say which workers would be targeted but he has repeatedly warned that up to 1,500 workers could lose their jobs by July if his proposal isn't passed.

"Hopefully we don't get to that point," Walker said.

Witnesses report bodies in the streets in Libya

CAIRO – The bodies of slain protesters littered the streets of neighborhoods in the Libyan capital Tuesday and frightened residents hunkered down in their homes as forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi sought to crush anti-government demonstrations by shooting anyone outside on sight, residents and an opposition activist said.

Pentagon Looks to Militarize the Cloud

Store tactical military data on distributed servers, accessible through networked computers or mobile devices? Ask most officers about cloud computing and they’ll look at you patronizingly and say: Yes, Google Docs is nice, but it’s not secure enough for our secrets. (I write from experience.) But Darpa’snew budget shows that it wants the military all the way up into the cloud, and plans to set up mobile wireless hotspots so troops can reach the cloud from the most connectivity-forsaken places.

Desperate Qaddafi Bombs Protesters, Blocks Internet

Hosni Mubarak’s goons used rocks, sticks, camels and knives against the Egyptian demonstrators who ultimately overthrew him. In neighboring Libya, Muammar Qaddafi is using far more drastic measures to avoid Mubarak’s fate: air strikes on his own people and fiery deaths for security officers who refuse his commands.

Taylor Swift Marvels at Success in Asia

Countries in Asia are getting a taste for country music thanks to musicians like Taylor Swift. The singer wrapped up the Asian leg of her latest tour in Hong Kong, calling it 'an honor' to take her music around the world. (Feb. 21)

Four Traditional Money Rules to Break

Never borrow against a 401(k). Avoid credit cards. Make a bigger down payment on your home or apartment to avoid paying extra mortgage interest. These are among the tried-and-true financial rules consumers have been told to live by for years. But now -- with interest rates still low and credit staging a comeback -- might be a good time to break them.

This solid financial advice isn't suddenly all wrong, but many of these axioms no longer result in higher savings or less debt. That's because the economic recovery has opened up more exceptions and loopholes to standard advice, says David Peterson, president of Peak Capital Investment Services, a financial planning firm. Advisers, for example, typically discouraged clients from taking a loan from their 401(k) -- but this is now the cheapest way to borrow money, with the average rate at 4.25%, lower than most personal loans, to pay back debt they racked up during the recession. But as some parts of the economy have improved -- equities are once again outperforming fixed income, banks are slowly returning to lending, and consumers are spending more -- the rules for making and saving money are changing, at least temporarily.

Delta plane engine fails, forces emergency landing

MIAMI – A Delta plane's engine failed in mid-air over Florida, forcing the flight to make an emergency landing Sunday morning, authorities said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said it was a so-called "contained" engine failure, meaning small parts such as fan blades came out the back of the engine. A more dangerous scenario would be if the pieces penetrated the engine's cover and were uncontained.

Arrested US official is actually CIA contractor

WASHINGTON – An American jailed in Pakistan for the fatal shooting of two armed men was secretly working for the CIA and scouting a neighborhood when he was arrested, a disclosure likely to further frustrate U.S. government efforts to free the man and strain relations between two countries partnered in a fragile alliance in the war on terror.

Raymond Allen Davis, 36, had been working as a CIA security contractor and living in a Lahore safe house, according to former and current U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk publicly about the incident.

Thousands flee as Philippine volcano erupts

MANILA (AFP) – Thousands of people in the Philippines fled their homes as a volcano erupted on Monday, sending a spectacular column of ash high into the sky, residents said.

The eruption of Bulusan, a 1,559-metre (5,115-foot) volcano, turned mid-morning into night for about 20 minutes across largely farming areas around its slopes, regional army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc told AFP.

"There was a major ashfall. There was zero visibility," Cabunoc said.

State volcanologist Ramil Vaquilar told AFP that rumbling sounds accompanied the ash column that rose between two and 2.5 kilometres (1.2-1.6 miles) above the crater.

China stamps out attempt at Mideast-style protests

BEIJING – Jittery Chinese authorities staged a show of force to squelch a mysterious online call for a "Jasmine Revolution," with hundreds of onlookers but only a handful of people actively joining protests inspired by pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.

Authorities detained activists Sunday, increased the number of police on the streets, disconnected some cell phone text messaging services and censored Internet postings about the call to stage protests in Beijing, Shanghai and 11 other major cities.

Police took at least three people away in Beijing, one of whom tried to place white jasmine flowers on a planter while hundreds of people milled about the protest gathering spot, outside a McDonald's on the capital's busiest shopping street. In Shanghai, police led away three people near the planned protest spot after they scuffled in an apparent bid to grab the attention of passers-by.

12 taxi drivers, fares killed in Mexican resort

ACAPULCO, Mexico – A spate of attacks on taxis in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco has left 12 taxi drivers or passengers dead, police said Sunday, just hours before the Mexican Open tennis tournament is scheduled to start.

Acapulco has been the scene of bloody drug cartel turf wars, and taxi drivers have often been targeted for extortion or recruited by the gangs to act as lookouts or transport drugs.

The organizers of the largest tennis tournament in Latin America said in a statement Sunday that the Mexican government has assured them that appropriate security measures have been taken for the event that starts Monday.

Scientist finds Gulf bottom still oily, dead

WASHINGTON – Oil from the BP spill remains stuck on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, according to a top scientist's video and slides that she says demonstrate the oil isn't degrading as hoped and has decimated life on parts of the sea floor.

That report is at odds with a recent report by the BP spill compensation czar that said nearly all will be well by 2012.

At a science conference in Washington Saturday, marine scientistSamantha Joye of the University of Georgia aired early results of her December submarine dives around the BP spill site. She went to places she had visited in the summer and expected the oil and residue from oil-munching microbes would be gone by then. It wasn't.