National Archives loses Clinton-era government data

When you work for a Federal body and lose a hard drive containing data for more than 100,000 people, it’s pretty embarrassing. But it must feel even worse when you describe yourself as “the nation’s record keeper.” The National Archives and Record Administration agency, which keeps and maintains around 2% of government documents for legal […]

Google to end trips to the meter cupboard

Google says a tool it designed for householders to measure their electricity use is so successful that utility companies around the world have signed up to extend it across their customer base. The technology, Google Power Meter, only works in homes with a ‘smart’ meter, an electronic device which measures power consumption in more detail […]

Europe calls for glitch-free game guarantees

Proposed European guidelines could mean an end to the misery of bug-filled video games. But manufacturers say the rules would be unworkable and could even limit how many games are developed. The European Commission, the administrative arm of the European Union, says games should lose their current exemption from quality guarantee laws. As things stand, […]

Wolfram|Alpha: truly amazing, but no Google slayer yet

By Sterling “Chip” Camden Contributing Writer, [GAS] Today marks the official launch date of Wolfram|Alpha, a “computational knowledge engine” from Wolfram Research.  The stated goal of Wolfram|Alpha is “to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone.”  Simplistically, you ask it a question and it gives you the answer – along with a […]