Science

Another big merger in the media business: Cable provider Comcast is buying popular movie ticket website Fandango in its quest to create a one-stop entertainment destination site coming this summer.

The online world is rife with opportunities for free expression, but many foreign nations have laws prohibiting anti-government speech. That's pitting those governments against their critics — and websites like YouTube that allow them to be heard.

In the ongoing battle over use of copyrighted materials online, software makers now have a product that actually watches video to check for infringement. But if sites like YouTube use it, they could be headed down a slippery slope.

Digital downloads are forever changing the way we find and listen to music — and that's changing the way the whole industry works, says Daily Variety's Mike Speier.

A compound produced naturally by tomato plants might be just what you need to keep insects away this summer. It doesn't have that bug spray smell and it's safe for kids, which could make it a best-seller.

Google has introduced a new feature called My Maps that lets you save locations and directions — with photos and video — and then share them with your friends or the world.

Music's Internet age and a wave of geek pride have led to . . . nerds rapping. About computers and video games and sci-fi. Some are even touring and making enough cash to live off. No joke yo.

One influential data company is factoring climate change into its prediction that the coming hurricane season will be a rough one. And it's having a big effect on on hurricane insurance rates.

A day after Apple and EMI announced a deal to provide music downloads minus copy protection, Apple's been accused of breaking E.U. competition law for selling music at different prices in different countries.

Apple had previously called on the big three record labels to remove digital rights management restrictions on their downloadable music — and this morning EMI announced that it's willing to play along.