Stories by Brennon Slattery

Facebook fugitive's 15 minutes are finished

Usually when convicts escape from prison, they go into hiding, maintain a low profile, and try to disappear from the public eye. Others, like Craig "Lazie" Lynch, cannot resist the tug of fame and make public spectacles of themselves, flaunting their "brilliance" by taunting police. And then they get caught.

True Companion sexbot alters the dating landscape

It's a new year, and with it comes a renewed lust for companionship. Combined with the recession's effects on dating and the narrowing channels of discovering love outside the Internet, many are hunching over their laptops flirting in hopes of finding a mate.

Ratings scandal kills more than 1000 iPhone apps

Bogus reviews have landed Chinese iPhone app developer Molinker in deep trouble, resulting in all 1000-plus of its apps being removed and banned from the App Store. This is great news for consumers who are tired of downloading subpar apps based on inflated reviews, and bad news for companies looking to shill their products with internal misdeeds.

Windows Black Screen of Death: What you need to know

Any Windows owner is familiar with the Blue Screen of Death, that much-dreaded white text on a blue background that essentially says you're through. But what you may not know is that there's a new contender in town: The Black Screen of Death. So what is this horrible-sounding thing, where did it come from, what's being done to fix it, and how bad is it? Here are five things you need to know about the Black Screen of Death.

AT&T Loses in Court, but Catfight with Verizon Continues

Yesterday a federal judge slapped down AT&T's (rather whiny) restraining order against Verizon over the now infamous "There's a Map for That" advertisements. The ads show a U.S. map comparing AT&T's 3G coverage to Verizon's more impressive reach. AT&T did not deny its 3G coverage was pathetic but rather stressed that customers can still get cell reception and use the mobile Internet via its 2G EDGE network. To that, Verizon released a snarky legal filing that essentially said "the truth hurts."

Is Google's cheap cloud storage worth the price?

Google has always been generous with its storage space for Gmail and Picasa, giving users roughly 7GB and 1GB, respectively, for free. For most people, this is plenty of room to accumulate e-mail and post high-resolution photos online and have them backed up and protected by Google's powerful servers. What some of you might not know is that Google offers additional storage at a price. Now those prices have been slashed and the storage increased — but is it worth it?

Motorola Droid debuts, then disappears

The hotly anticipated Android-powered Motorola Droid smartphone made a brief and surprising visit on the Web yesterday as Motorola "accidentally" launched the phone's site. Before Motorola caught onto the mistake, blogs like Boy Genius Report and Unwired View nabbed pictures, including all of the upcoming phone's specs. Most of these specs were leaked in August and are now just being confirmed.

Grand theft auto? iPhone app unlocks, starts car

There are boatloads ofdumb iPhone apps, but some are so idiotic they boggle the mind. Enter the Viper SmartStart iPhone app, which remotely locks, unlocks, and starts your car. So the next time you're casually mugging an iPhone user, be sure to check if they have this app ... cause you might get a free car out of it too!

Miley Cyrus quits Twitter, world ends

In what's certain to become the most devastating news your 8-year-old daughter has heard in her short life, Miley Cyrus has ... gasp! ... quit Twitter. Details on the pop star's last-minute ditch are scarce, but celebrity blogs are scrambling to fill in the blanks, seating most of the blame with Cyrus' male love interest. Or something.

Google Adds More Mobile Search Options

In today's bustling world of smartphone apps, Google has kept an eye on the guy who may not have hundreds to drop on a phone. Google continuously revamps its mobile browser edition so basic handhelds get the same thorough search experience you'd find on a smartphone.

iPhone Avoids Getting Shot in Apple Store

iPhones aren't without their problems, but do they deserve public execution? Apparently so. Donald Goodrich, 38, threatened to stuff his broken iPhone with 9mm bullets at a Cincinnati-area Apple Store before getting arrested for aggravated menacing and carrying a concealed weapon.

Windows Mobile 6.5 arrives, mostly disappoints

The reviews of Microsoft's new mobile OS, Windows Mobile 6.5, are in -- and none of them are glowing. It seems that Windows Mobile 6.5 is more of a superficial cosmetic overhaul, not a bona fide upgrade capable of handling the mobile market's stiff competition.

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