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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: bug

bug stories: 13 news summaries

'Every iPhone
in the World' at Risk Tomorrow

Text-messaging flaw could let hackers take over your mobile

Jul 29, 09 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The iPhone’s text-messaging system has a dangerous flaw that hackers could exploit to take control of your phone, researchers say. They’ll reveal the trouble at a conference tomorrow, Forbes reports. So if you get a text with a “single square character,” turn off your phone right... More »

MORE ABOUT:
iPhone • hacker • computer virus • bug • text message • computer security • Google Android • Windows Mobile • SMS

OPINION

 Fly Strike 
 Shows Another 
 Side to Prez 



No 'negotiation' in direct smack

Jun 21, 09 6:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - President Obama’s precision fly-swatting has caught the nation’s attention—perhaps because it showed a surprisingly forceful approach, writes Maureen Dowd in the New York Times. “Some Americans fear that President Obama is too prone to negotiation, comity and splitting the difference,” Dowd notes. “This moment... More »

MORE ABOUT:
bug • negotiation • Maureen Dowd • insects • President Obama • fly

 PETA to Obama: 
 Flies Have 
 Feelings, Too 

Group unhappy with prez's brutal fly attack

Jun 18, 09 9:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - At least one group isn’t impressed with the president’s killer reflexes: PETA. The animal-rights group sent Obama a no-kill trap after he nailed a fly, midair, during a CNBC interview Tuesday. The bug-battling tool captures insects alive. “We support compassion for even the smallest animals,” says... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • PETA • bug • insects • President Obama

analysis

Sorry Folks, No 'Twitpocalypse' Tonight


Jun 12, 09 7:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rumors of a Y2K-style Twitter bug crashing the microblogging site tonight are mere tweeter-tattle, Ryan Paul writes on Ars Technica. True, Twitter assigns each missive with a numerical ID, and their total will soon exceed 2,147,483,647—the most a 32-bit assigned interger can fit. But the site,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
social networking • computer virus • bug • Twitter

 Scientists  
 Name Beetle 
 After Colbert 

Researchers honor comedian on his birthday

May 8, 09 10:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists who bestowed names of Bush administration officials on a trio of bugs have named a new Venezuelan beetle after Stephen Colbert, the Washington Times reports. "Last year, Stephen shamelessly asked the science community to name something cooler than a spider to honor him," said one of the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • science • bug • late night talk show • Stephen Colbert • The Colbert Report • name • comedian • beetle

BlackBerry Maker Faces 'Storm' of Criticism

Bugs and design flaws in newest, much-anticipated model irk dedicated users

Dec 4, 08 4:08 PM CST
(Newser) - BlackBerry’s newest model, the Storm, has provoked frustration among users over bugs and bad design choices, MSNBC reports. Though the phone gained favorable early impressions for its “clickable” touchscreen, BlackBerry-related websites have recently been buzzing with criticism, as many have found writing email on the screen to be... More »

MORE ABOUT:
iPhone • Research In Motion • design • BlackBerry • bug • accelerometer • tech review • BlackBerry Storm • touchscreen

 Scientists Master Fly-Swatting 

To defeat a 100 milliseconds reaction time, stealthy swatting is crucial

Aug 29, 08 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists using high-speed cameras have figured out why it is so difficult to swat pesky houseflies, the Independent reports. A fly's tiny brain can detect a threat, adjust flight course, and take evasive action in 100-thousandths of a second. The researchers, writing in the journal Current Biology, recommend thinking one... More »

MORE ABOUT:
bug • insects • pests • pest control

 Save the Planet: Eat Bugs 

Switching from beef to protein-packed bugs could help combat climate change

May 31, 08 9:06 AM CDT
(Newser) - Chowing down on creepy-crawlies is a concept that's likely to nauseate most Americans, but insect eats may be the way of the future, Time reports. The critters are rich in protein and far more efficient to raise than cows or pigs, making them a possible solution to the problem of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
food • bug • insects • Grasshopper • crickets

 Scientists Building
 Better Bug Spray 

Pepper compounds keep mosquitoes away 3 times longer than top dog DEET

May 27, 08 3:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - Researchers have found bug repellents that keep mosquitoes from biting for up to 73 days, WebMD reports. Compounds found in pepper kept bugs away nearly three times as long as industry leader DEET, which manages just 17.5 days under the same conditions—though a normal human would sweat or... More »

MORE ABOUT:
parasites • research • bug • insects • DEET • insect repellent

Voyeurs Sneak Past MySpace Privacy Blocks

Months-old bug permits viewing of teen photo albums set to 'private'

Jan 18, 08 11:06 AM CST
(Newser) - Voyeurs have been exploiting a MySpace bug for months to see supposedly private teen photos, reports Wired. The bug first cropped up in the fall and has gained traction on ad-based websites that make it easier to take advantage of it. The revelation comes just days after MySpace struck a... More »

MORE ABOUT:
privacy • online privacy • pedophile • bug • sexual predator • glitch

Did Bug Bites Do in Dinos?

Disease-carrying insects may have contributed to dinosaur extinction

Jan 9, 08 1:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Disease-carrying insects may have contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago, entomologists write in a new book. Scientists found malaria and other parasitic pathogens in insects preserved in amber, and the same parasites were found in fossilized dinosaur waste, the Guardian reports. New plants, pollinated... More »

MORE ABOUT:
disease • extinction • bug • dinosaur • insects • entomology • biodiversity • K T extinction

Bedbugs Make Bloodthirsty Comeback

Once thought gone for good, pests are
on the rebound in US

Aug 20, 07 5:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - Despite admonitions about not letting the bedbugs bite, Americans are doing just that, and infestations are being reported across the country. Once thought wiped out by the now-banned pesticide DDT, the insects have been found in hospitals, schools, and even high-end residences, the Times of London reports. "Saturday Night... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Saturday Night Live • carbon dioxide • bug • infestation • Maya Rudolph • bedbugs • insects • DDT • pesticide • carbon emissions

They're Here

Jun 1, 07 7:52 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Brood XIII cicadas are emerging throughout the Midwest in an every-17-year fit of Darwinian survival.  Scientists theorize that their abundance — they emerge by the millions per acre—is an evolutionary advantage: Because of their numbers, predators (primarily birds, insects and fish) cannot possibly eat all of them.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Midwest • Brood XIII • cicadas • bug • infestation

13 Stories


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