Tech

Droid sent out to battle iPhone

Verizon’s smart phone employs Google’s Android operating system

In one corner is Apple’s iPhone. Launched in 2007, it revolutionized the smartphone market with its sleek exterior and a collection of applications that seems to grow more extensive by the day.
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Report: Turk plant is 15% in

SWEPCO work is told to PSC

Construction of Southwestern Electric Power Co.’s $2.1 billion coal plant in Hempstead County is about 15 percent complete — essentially on schedule — the independent consultant monitoring the project said Thursday in a regulatory filing.
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MARKET REPORT Dow up 200 on jobs, Cisco news

A drop in unemployment claims and an upbeat forecast from Cisco Systems Inc. gave investors a jolt of confidence a day before a key government report on jobs.
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Big flat-panel TVs gobble the power

The popularity of big flatpanel televisions has drawn the attention of energy agency officials and conservationists because of higher electricity consumption.
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Google sparks phone switch

More cell firms turn to Android

Since 1996, Microsoft Corp. has been writing operating systems for pocket-size computers. It was a lonely business until the company’s perennial rival, Apple Inc., introduced the Web-browsing, music-playing iPhone. But now that smart phones are popular, Microsoft’s operating system, Windows Mobile, is foundering.
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Personal beacons testing the limits

Cries of ‘wolf’ irking rescuers

Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world’s most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon’s parched and searing Royal Arch Loop. Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon — just in case.
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Droid takes on Apple iPhone

Verizon, Motorola capitalize on rival’s shortcomings

Verizon Wireless’ answer to the iPhone — the Droid — will go on sale for $200 on Friday as the company taps into the growing appetite for smart phones that go far beyond making calls.
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TECH SPOTLIGHT: 2 new Nikon cameras offer impressive features for amateurs, serious hobbyists

With the holidays approaching, I’m on the lookout for a good camera. I’m used to taking a ridiculous amount of photos using a good camera. But I can take far less and still get the great shot with a great camera.
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ON COMPUTERS: Computer-virus trick targets millions, report says

Computer security company Symantec found 250 programs that promised to protect your computer from virus infections and then infect your computer.
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Technology news in brief

PlayStation 3 to catch Netflix stream PlayStation 3 owners will soon be able to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix to their TVs using the gaming console, just as Xbox 360 owners have been able to do for a year.
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NEWS IN BRIEF

7 electric, gas firms join efficiency plan Seven Arkansas electric and gas companies propose to spend $2.2 million in the Energy Efficiency Arkansas program over the next three years, the utilities said Thursday in testimony before the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
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Help turn wood into gas, group asks state

An Illinois-based group is looking at Arkansas and other states to set up a facility to turn timber scraps into a synthetic natural gas to power cars, run factories and generate electricity for homes.
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TECH SPOTLIGHT: No ‘Blue Screen of Death’ in sight; Windows 7 finally brings stability to PCs

I tried. I really tried. I tried to do what I’ve been able to do since 98 - Windows 98, that is. It sounds insane, but I actually tried to bring on the infamous Blue Screen of Death.
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Little spaceflight outfit aiming high

It wants to take cargo, people to orbit, but some at NASA opposed

Asked what bugs them most about NASA outsourcing the job of flying crews to the international space station, some astronauts roll their eyes and say: “Dragon.” That’s the name of the capsule being built by SpaceX, the aerospace startup founded by Internet tycoon Elon Musk. It’s a vehicle that’s designed to be fully automated.
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Providers say e-book users reading more

Buyers cite convenience, revived interest in books

Book sales are down this year, despite prominent offerings by Dan Brown and the late Edward M. Kennedy. Wal-Mart and Amazon are locked in a war for e-commerce dominance, creating new worries among publishers and authors about dwindling profits.
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