A DNA chip developed at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Roche Molecular Systems and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration two weeks ago will usher in a new era, where genetics plays an increasingly important role in defining patient care.

More than 15 years ago, Nic van Zyl started developing an “Intelligent Firearm” that would operate only if it identified its user as legitimate.
Now, science and technology has caught up with his dream, and he hopes to see it become a reality by the end of the year, incorporating biometrics and cameras into the finished [...]

Bacteria may not have to deal with grey hair and wrinkles, but they do appear to grow old. By following microbes with a camera, researchers have revealed aspects of their life cycle. Their innovation could help people investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in ageing.

Hewlett-Packard Co. researchers will introduce groundbreaking nanotechnology today that could replace traditional transistors on computer chips with tiny, molecular structures — a development that could make smaller, more powerful machines possible.

Researchers say they have found a way to build cheap, sturdy homes in one day by spraying a quick-drying ceramic onto flimsy frames. The technology could help the world’s poor, of which the United Nations estimates there are 1.3 billion, they say.

A trio of Swiss businessmen have launched a new drink for gay people called Queer Beer.

Brad Feld: …Simson Garfinkel bought 235 used hard drives between 11/2000 and 1/2003 from eBay, computer stores, and swap meets. He set up a technical infrastructure to mount the drives, image them (using FreeBSD), store the images on a RAID server, store the metadata in a MySQL database, and then mine the data. [...]

Scientists have found how to make eye cells sensitive to light, opening new ways to treat some forms of blindness.

Matthew Green starts his 2005 Ford Escape with a duplicate key he had made at Lowe’s. Nothing unusual about that, except that the automobile industry has spent millions of dollars to keep him from being able to do it.