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in the news...

Zombies to fill brains at University of Baltimore

No, really. Students getting a minor in pop culture will be learning about the walking dead and how they are represented in various types of media.

New Firefox beta offers audio API, menu tweaks

A new audio data API, default hardware acceleration, and a return of some menu options that had been missing in previous betas are the keystones to Firefox 4 beta 5.

Microelectrodes help brain signals 'speak'

Using two grids of 16 microelectrodes implanted atop the brain, Utah researchers are one step closer to enabling paralyzed people to speak via their thoughts.

Court allows warrantless cell location tracking

Philadelphia appeals court rules that no search warrant is needed for police to track Americans' cell phone whereabouts but says individual judges can "sparingly" require one.

Coming Wednesday: Live at Google's search event

Google plans to host a search event featuring top executives and engineers Wednesday, and we'll provide live coverage in this post.

Why iTunes song samples are still only 30 seconds

Apple in "active negotiations" for song samples with rights holders, but some music publishers want Apple to pay. How the negotiations fare could set the mood for negotiations over cloud music.

Android app is like Foursquare meets Pirate Bay

Created as part of The Guardian's Music Hack Day, Piracy app lets users "drop" songs from their music collection in physical locations for other users to pick up later.

Dell prepares for Windows XP's final act

Computer maker will end sales this month of machines factory-downgraded to older OSes to prepare for an October deadline to halt all shipments of XP.

Facebook closes hole that let spammers auto-post to walls, friends

Social-networking site plugs a second hole that allowed spammers to automatically post to people's pages.

PS3 firmware update reportedly blocks jailbreaks

System software update 3.42 contains features that PS3 owners say patch the exploit used to let console owners play pirated games.

ZigBee Alliance coordinating vehicle-to-grid technology

What will happen when millions of electric vehicles plug into the grid at at the same time? If ZigBee Alliance's blueprints for the smart grid go according to plan, not much.

HP suing former CEO Mark Hurd

Hewlett-Packard accuses Hurd of breach of contract and potential misappropriation of trade secrets a day after he signs on to become Oracle's co-president.

Google taps State Dept. vet for Google Ideas

Jared Cohen, known as a tech evangelist within the State Department, will be joining Google to launch a think tank called Google Ideas.

New IBM projects striving for cleaner water

Harnessing the power of its World Community Grid of users, Big Blue embarks on a series of projects designed to improve the quality of drinking water around the world.

Report: Android to win half of smartphone market

A bevy of Android devices will ultimately mean that Google's mobile OS will control largely half of the market, according to a Piper Jaffray report.

SoloPower trumpets certification for flexible solar modules

Silicon Valley-based company claims industry-first UL certification for solar modules made from thin-film CIGS material which are making their way to market from multiple suppliers.