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Don't flush it--breathe it

Astronauts use up lots of oxygen, but they also produce plenty of raw material for making more of it. The unlikely source: pee. Add filters and electrolysis, and urine could open up new vistas for interplanetary travel. Wired News

IT skills you'll need in 2010

The IT worker of 2010 won't be a technology guru but rather a 'versatilist.' Computerworld

Meet the geek elite

One of the top 100 certified otaku in the world talks about his obsession. Wired News

First half of 2006 is warmest on record

The average temperature for the 48 contiguous United States from January through June was 51.8 degrees Fahrenheit, or 3.4 degrees above average for the 20th century. Associated Press

iPod gadget set for legalization

Gadgets that transmit the output of MP3 players so it can be heard on FM radios tuned to a particular frequency may become legal in the UK. BBC News

The innovation game

Video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi talks about the inspiration behind Lumines and his other hit titles. BusinessWeek

Citizen journalists get rewarded

A picture taken in the aftermath of the London bombings has won the first citizen journalism award. BBC News

Mumbai bombings shake outsourcing community

Even though the major firms came out of the Mumbai bombings unscathed, the attacks spurred a big reality check. eWeek

Gadgets get the feel of the tactile world

We have five senses, so why not use them to control and react to electronic devices? New Scientist

Mind-reading computer gets too personal?

Developed by British scientist Peter Robinson, it can analyze people's facial expressions to read their moods. BusinessWeek

Suspended animation tests successful

A procedure tested on these poor pink porkers may allow surgical patients to flatline for over an hour. Wired News

e-Passports: Ready or not here they come

The State Department expresses confidence in "e-Passports" while technologists fret about their security risks. CNNmoney

Telecommuting's quiet storm

Working at home is close to an explosion as the MySpace crowd commandeers the workplace. Red Herring

Why Dell, Apple declined

There's growing concern that the U.S. computer industry is in for a bigger slump than previously thought. BusinessWeek

Israeli Web sites attacked

Fighting along Israel's northern border has led to hacker attacks against hundreds of sites. Red Herring

'Imitation iPod' invades radio

It's like listening to a middle-aged drunkard's iPod set to shuffle, but the Jack FM radio format is spreading across the dial. Wired News

Standby buttons will be outlawed in UK

The British government is to outlaw standby switches on televisions and video and DVD players to cut the amount of electricity wasted in the home. The Times of London

Google's antisocial downside

news analysis When it comes to the online social-networking party, the search giant is playing the wallflower. Is that a wise move?

Crowdsourcing: Customers turn designers

A new trend allows customers to help design the products they buy. But don't expect to get paid much for your brilliant idea. BusinessWeek

The extinction of mass culture

The advent of 300 channels and the Internet has fragmented audiences--and the explosion of choice has left us poorer. Fortune

Microsoft targets IBM in developer tools battle

Microsoft is calling on its partners to help beat back market leader IBM Rational in the application lifecycle management, team development tools space. eWeek

Big media just wants to relate

Social-networking sites are so popular that advertising companies are spending big bucks to buy their way into the business. BusinessWeek

Tin teachers aid tech students

Microsoft and Georgia Tech plan instructional robots they say will increase enrollment in computing courses. Red Herring

Cell phones join emergency broadcast network

If you feel out of touch with the all the emergency alerts issued by the government, get ready to join the loop. Your mobile phone is now going to be part of the Emergency Broadcast System. Yahoo! News

Google insiders take the money and stay

Execs at Web search giant have reaped eye-popping sums from selling some stock holdings. But they're not bailing out--just getting rich. BusinessWeek

This is a computer on your brain

Scientists are developing a brain-computer interface for Darpa that could help security officers sift through surveillance video or images 10 times faster than an unaided human. Wired News