Thanks to the Internet, the humble ukulele is pushing its recent popularity well beyond anything that old-time performers Don Ho, Arthur Godfrey or even Tiny Tim could imagine. From YouTube to manufacturers’ websites, from bulletin boards to iPhone and BlackBerry applications that mimic ukes and teach chords, the Internet has been stoking the craze for […]

Go ahead, share that status update – not just with all your friends on Facebook but with the whole wide Internet. Facebook unveiled some incremental changes in its privacy policies today, giving users the ability to make some of what they put on the site available to the entire Internet. Sort of like what Twitter has already […]

Walt Disney — the man, not the company — was known for his imagination, his artistry and even his business acumen. But it turns out he also had a huge appetite for technology. He pushed the envelope at his own firm, developing new gadgets to help in the making of his movies. He had a […]

As cellphones become ever more like computers, two giants in communications and computing have come together to hasten the process. Intel Corp., the world’s largest maker of computer chips, and Nokia Corp., which has a 40% share of the handset market, say they will work together to create a new mobile computing platform.

Some Google websites, including the popular search engine, were blocked by Chinese authorities today as Beijing expressed unhappiness with Google serving up porn in its search results. The issue has long been a contentious one between the company and the country. Google said last week that it would block pornography on its Google.cn site, but Chinese […]

In the secrecy that often surrounds Apple Inc.’s every move, industry cryptologists had plenty to study in Monday’s otherwise widely hailed unveiling of the company’s newest iPhone, the 3G S. The focus was on AT&T Inc., the only U.S. provider of the iPhone. That’s because Apple left its partner in an uncomfortable position. Some of […]

Amit Chatterjee worked for three Silicon Valley start-ups and software company SAP, but he was growing increasingly intrigued by global warming and climate change. The more he delved into the issue, the more he became convinced that there was a way to use software to help tackle the problem. His idea — to help companies […]

Sure, Smule — that Silicon Valley start-up featured in today’s Times — has an unusual pedigree, melding computers and music to create applications that turn the iPhone into a musical instrument. But how does it get the word out? Who drums up the fervor among its fans?

iPhone App Firm SonicMule Puts Music at Users’ Fingertips May 7, 2009 Ge Wang blows softly, his fingers move lightly, and “Auld Lang Syne” comes floating out in ethereal electronic notes. Then his instrument rings, so he answers it and starts chattering away.