winter

You might agree that the complex design in a snowflake appears almost comparable to a work of art. Do you know how that tiny frozen masterpiece comes to life, though? If you're like me, you may never have witnessed a complete representation of that journey from cloud to ground before.

The trip isn't as simple as you think. … Read more

In Umea, Sweden, the forecast for Thursday is partly cloudy with a 10 percent chance of precipitation and a high of 25 degrees Fahrenheit. As I write this in dark and damp Portland, Ore., Umea doesn't sound so bad.

But the city, located some 400 miles north of the already northern Swedish capital Stockholm, is for most of the day this time of year cloaked in darkness, with the sun rising at almost 9 a.m. and setting just after 2 p.m.

So the local energy company Umea Energi has begun installing phototherapy lamps in 30 bus shelters … Read more

Halloween's over and done with, the cold November rain is here, and the mercury is dipping. But the gadget ninjas at Tokyo's Thanko do not rest.

They've been preparing for winter, when millions of Japanese face less-than-cozy conditions at home and in the office. Central heating doesn't really exist in Japan, so people use everything from kerosene heaters to blankets to keep warm.

Add to that Thanko's USB Heated Futon Mouse pad.

This cute twist on traditional futon floor bedding, which is, of course, very different from the Western concept of a couch futon, comes in three parts: a mouse-pad mattress, a heated quilt, and a wrist pillow. … Read more

Hacking your own touch-screen gloves will certainly keep your hands warm this winter, but what about your ears? Well, Instructables user Grissini shares a clever trick to mod your existing earphones into a cozy set of earmuffs. He calls them Muff-Fones.

Here's what you'll need:… Read more

The growing evening chill has many a person's fancy turning to the slopes. But as you're picturing yourself shredding a glorious mountainside, you might also be remembering how annoying it is controlling your tunes with fat gloves.

The Mix Master Glove from snowboard maker Burton aims to keep you from fumbling around in your pockets to control the music player on your iPod or iPhone. The glove sports a removable wireless remote. A wireless receiver plugs into your iPod or iPhone. The remote lets you change tracks, adjust volume, and hit play or pause. Check out the video below. (Is that really what shredders listen to these days?)… Read more

A Dutch prosecutor has decided not to charge journalist Brenno de Winter with fraud for publicly discussing security weaknesses in the country's new OV transit chip card.

"Given the public interest, (his) meticulous work and the minimal damage caused, the prosecutor stated that the importance of freedom of information in this case outweighs (claims of fraud) and decided to close the case," a statement from the Dutch public prosecutor in Utrecht said.

De Winter told CNET in an interview that he is relieved at the decision and will now be able to resume his writing on the … Read more

It's pretty remarkable that year after year, the EA Sports NHL series finds ways to innovate and take the franchise to new levels of ice hockey realism. Even though this year the game runs totally unopposed by any other hockey game, NHL 12 makes improvements across the board, both in gameplay and modes.

Plenty of noticeable tweaks have been implemented into NHL 12's gameplay, which add to the title's overall sense of NHL realism. Goalies are now live within the context of the game, meaning they can be bumped and interfered with. Overall CPU player positioning has drastically been improved, which all but eliminates unnecessary off-sides calls due to out of position computer-controlled players. Wingers and defensemen skate logical tracks up and down the ice and are usually in the right spot to anticipate a rebound or one-time pass.

In addition, there are handfuls of aesthetic tweaks to the game. Nets can come off their moorings, players can get checked into team benches, and the full-contact physics engine has been retooled to react appropriately to players of all different strengths and sizes. Player face re-creations also seem more accurate this year.

NHL 12 also marks a significant tweaking to the overall physics of the puck in game. No longer does the puck seem to unnaturally hover like in years past. Instead it now rolls on end, pops in and out of the net organically, and overall has a much more realistic presence. Fans familiar with the franchise will also notice that game speed has been increased just a bit from NHL 11.… Read more

Snow hit all 50 states but one this week, with Florida spared the blanket of white stuff that has disrupted transport nearly everywhere. New York City officials declared a "weather emergency," 5 inches had fallen in Philadelphia, and flights were canceled from Atlanta to Chicago to Boston.

We've seen a flurry of winter gear designed to help you keep warm, have fun in the snow, or just look (un)cool.

There are, for example, these Liquid Image goggles that shoot high-def video; USB-heated furry cat slippers; Freehands gloves with removable fingertips for tapping on touch screens; and the Trane Remote Energy Management Thermostat, which lets you change temperature settings from anywhere in the world directly over the Net.

Of course, for those dreaming of warmer climes, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition has 3D video content. … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--I have to admit, in the six weeks since I got back from covering the Winter Games, there has been a bit of post-Olympic letdown.

So, when British Columbia tourism officials set up a zip line in San Francisco and brought a few Olympians to town, I decided I had to check it out, even if the tech angle was a little weak (as my editor was quick to point out).

For the Canadians, it was a chance to show San Francisco some of what Vancouver has to offer. In addition to the zip line, British Columbia has filled … Read more