Ian Sample and James Randerson Named after Peter Higgs, an Edinburgh University physicist, the Higgs boson is crucial to understanding the origin of mass. Shortly after the big bang, it is thought that many particles had no mass, but became heavy later on thanks to the Higgs field. Any particles that interact with this field are given mass. The Higgs boson is the signature particle of the field. What exactl ...

Olivia Olarte-Ulherr Have you ever found yourself lost inside a large shopping mall or campus premises without an idea as to where you are and no one to guide you? Worry no more. Finding your way around unfamiliar establishments would in future be as easy as clicking images, as discovered by an Emirati student at the Khalifa University. Buti Mohammad Al Delail, 21, a recent graduate of Computer Engineering ...

By Juan Carlos Perez Microsoft urged enterprises on Tuesday to adopt Windows 8, its upcoming OS for desktops, laptops and tablets which some industry experts believe faces an uphill battle for acceptance by IT professionals. At a keynote speech at TechEd North America in Orlando, Microsoft officials outlined a series of reasons for enterprises to seriously consider upgrading to Windows 8, which is expected ...

LinkedIn Hacked by Russian hackers - 6.5 mln passwords compromised A large set of LinkedIn passwords have reportedly been posted on a Russian hacker web forum, landing millions of accounts in danger of being cracked. ­Thus far, most passwords remain encrypted – the hackers who stole the data asked their “colleagues” to help decipher the files. However, the encryption is quite easy to break, so the users mus ...

by Amanda Rush E-mails, eBooks. and e-cigarettes. Now e-bikes? According to a recent press release from Audi, the automobile makers will be displaying the prototype for a new bicycle that’s part traditional cycle, part digital machine – the Audi e-bike Wörthersee. “The Audi e-bike Wörthersee puts in its first major appearance at this year’s Wörthersee Tour, the 31st meet for Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda fans; t ...

By Brendan McGarry A U.S. mission to send the first unmanned commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station was aborted with a half second left in the countdown. Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the company’s Dragon capsule, attempted to lift off at 4:55 a.m. yesterday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. A computer detected an engine pressure problem, grounding the rocket ...

Ring of Fire Sunrises and sunsets often dazzle, but they'll have a special ring to them in a few days for people in the western United States and eastern Asia: The moon will slide across the sun, blocking everything but a blazing halo of light. It's been almost two decades since a "ring of fire" eclipse was visible in the continental US. To celebrate the end of that drought, nearly three dozen national park ...

By Simon Denyer NEW DELHI — There are few places in the world where the opportunity for solar power is more blindingly obvious than India. There are also few industries where the possibility of collaboration between India and the United States is more tantalizing. But although India’s solar industry is finally taking off, enormous hurdles must be overcome before it can make a meaningful contribution to the ...