Week in pictures: Bots and tots

New tasks for robots include teaching tots, toting guns and putting out fires. Also: Text bullies, LAN mania and fast times in big iron.

Enlisting robots for day care

University's experimental robot is capable of tracking heads, identifying faces and interpreting basic expressions.
June 22, 2005

This robot can even put out fires

Japanese security firm develops a robot that uses sensors and a camera to detect trouble in shops and offices.
June 23, 2005

Gun-bots in training

Robots that shoot are coming, but more testing needs to be done before they can roll onto the battlefield.
June 22, 2005

Trick out your Roomba

For $330, the Roomba Scheduler will vacuum your floors at a preprogrammed time.
June 21, 2005

Stopping text bullies

Children's charity NCH and Tesco Mobile launch a Web site that explains types of digital bullying and offers kids suggestions for getting help.
June 22, 2005

Fast times in big iron

Turnover among the top supercomputers is rampant as ever more powerful machines jockey for advantage.
June 22, 2005

Man battles supercomputer

The United Kingdom's top chess player is going head to "heads" against Hydra, a clustered system of 32 PCs.
June 23, 2005

LAN mania hits S.F.

Game players haul their homemade boxes to Nvidia's GeForce LAN 2.0 fan appreciation day.
June 21, 2005

You wear it well

At a property fair in Beijing, models carry LCD monitors on their backs that show real estate videos.
June 21, 2005

Airships ahoy

At the Paris Air Show, a Zeppelin keeps watch from above, while a craft called "Zeppy" awaits a breeze.
June 20, 2005

The new shape of TV

Hannspree plans to market to younger audiences and novelty collectors with sets shaped like soccer balls, fire trucks and fruit.
June 20, 2005

Destination Mars

At the Mars Desert Research Station in the Utah desert, researchers ready for a future mission to the Red Planet.
June 20, 2005

Tomorrow's virtual reality

On parade at Tokyo virtual reality expo are full-color head mount displays and a mannequin that can convey various moods.
June 22, 2005

Apple sued over iTunes

A diagram in the lawsuit compares Apple's iTunes with the Contois Music & technology patent in question.
June 21, 2005

Dell's $99 laser printer

The black-and-white printer could be the opening shot in a price war to win the home market.
June 21, 2005

Riding the sunbeams

Fate of Cosmos 1 spacecraft is still unknown. It could be in low orbit in space or it may have crashed to Earth.
June 21, 2005