Tech News

For those who study earthquakes, one major challenge has been trying to understand all the physics of a fault -- both during an earthquake and at times of "rest" -- in order to know more about how a particular region may behave in the future. Now, researchers have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces the available observations of both the fault's seismic and aseismic behavior.

Astronomers have performed the first-ever computer model simulation of the structuring of the entire observable universe, from the Big Bang to the present day. The simulation has made it possible to follow the evolution of 550 billion particles. This simulation, along with the two additional runs expected by late May 2012, will provide outstanding support for future projects dedicated to the observation and mapping of the universe. These simulations will shed light on the nature of dark energy and its effects on cosmic structure formation, and hence on the distribution of dark matter and galaxies in the universe.

Microsoft has come a long way in its acceptance of open source. And its motto doesn't seem to be (this time) to embrace and extinguish.

The Latitude 10 is a traditional 10-inch slate, while the XPS 12 is a 12.5-inch convertible tablet.

The social network's new photography app appears to replicate many features of Instagram which it is buying for $1bn.

When 4G services start rolling out next year, two million homes will find it affects their TV signal, Freeview's boss warns.

Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog. - Doug Larson

Hardware: where the people in your company's software section will tell you the problem is. Software: where the people in your company's hardware section will tell you the problem is. - Dave Barry, Claw Your Way to the Top