An Amazon.com security flaw allows some customers to log in with variations of their actual password that are close to, but not exactly, their real password. The flaw lets Amazon accept as valid some passwords that have extra characters added on after the 8th character, and also makes the password c

Robots that look like oversized hockey pucks, dune buggies or refrigerators may be practical for cleaning floors, exploring Mars or dispensing beer, but it’s the walking robots that capture our imagination. The trick is making them use their legs to walk efficiently, not like stiff-legged metal mons

I was very happy to appear on the NPR and WBUR radio program On Point last week, for an hourlong discussion of haiku with the host, Tom Ashbrook. Guests included Frogpond editor George Swede and economist Stephen Ziliak (the author of an essay called “Haiku Economics” in the most recent issue of Poe

Most of the tablets released in 2011 will be Android-based, but a few stalwarts are sticking with Windows. We recently got a closer look at two tablets shown off in Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s CES 2011 keynote: The Acer Iconia and the Asus Eee Slate EP121. Together, they show the potential — and t

A game currently in development by Mattel will let you play Angry Birds in real life. The iPhone and iPad game has been near or at the top of the Apple App Store’s “most popular” list for months, and has been downloaded more than 50 million times. It’s been praised for its realistic physics engine,

If you don’t like the options for 3-D content, go out and make some of your own. That’ll be an increasingly practical option in 2011, thanks to a handful of new 3-D consumer cameras and camcorders. Previously, you had to be a pretty serious stereophotography enthusiast to make 3-D images or video. T

U.S. iPhone customers have been eagerly awaiting a Verizon-branded iPhone almost since day one. Starting February 10, they’ll have that option. Verizon announced Tuesday that it would soon offer the iPhone 4 on its 3G network. The 16-GB model will cost $200 and a 32-GB model will go for $300, both w

U.S. iPhone users frustrated with AT&T’s frequently dropped calls, limited geographic coverage, delayed delivery of iPhone tethering, elimination of unlimited data plans, poor customer service, and alleged cooperation with warrantless wiretapping by the NSA may soon have an alternative.* Verizon yes

LAS VEGAS — This year’s Consumer Electronics Show is more about incremental upgrades than massive breakthroughs. And, of course, there are the tablets. Check out this video for a quick, two-minute overview of the highlights. Full story: Video: What’s Hot at CES | Gadget Lab | Wired.com.

LAS VEGAS — Put this tubular object in your backpack, and you can generate juice for your cellphone — just by walking around. The nPower PEG (short for “personal energy generator”) contains a weight, a spring, some inductive coils and a battery. Put it in your pocket or your backpack, and it wiggles