Matthew J Ward
500 Added | 3 Magazines | 28 Followers | @wardmj2 | Keep up with Matthew J Ward on Flipboard, a place to see the stories, photos, and updates that matter to you. Flipboard creates a personalized magazine full of everything, from world news to life’s great moments. Download Flipboard for free and search for “Matthew J Ward”
Pope Francis attacks 'diseases' of Vatican in Curia address
Pope Francis has unleashed a blistering critique of the Vatican bureaucracy -- or Curia -- criticizing its "illnesses" ranging from the "disease of feeling immortal" to vainglory and excessive planning.<p>In his annual Christmas address to the Curia at the Vatican Monday, the Pontiff warned that "a …
The 12 most important moments in science in 2014
Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Two crashed – and then, 300m miles away, Philae landed on a comet. From the distant origins of humans to our future on the planet, 12 leading scientists pick their key moments and stories of the year<p>1 The West Antarctic ice sheet enters irreversible decline<p><b>13 January</b><p>In …
Navy 'spy fish' headed to an ocean near you
It’s a shark, it’s a whale! No, it’s just a 5-ft., 100-pound robotic bluefin tuna used by the U.S. Navy for gathering intel, and it’s no longer just …
Victims of Sydney siege: A mother of three and a beloved son
Katrina Dawson was having a Monday morning coffee with a colleague at the cafe down the street from their law firm's office when the nightmare began.<p>The 38-year-old mother of three was among 17 people taken hostage by a gun-wielding man with extremist Muslim views who seized control of the Lindt …
NSA Privacy Director says fears of government spying are unwarranted
It was one of the final questions of the NSA's open Q&A today, and one that's weighed heavily on the minds of American citizens since the Prism scandal last year: "Are our fears of being discreetly spied on merited?" They aren't, according to NSA Civil Liberties and Privacy Director Rebecca …
The strange case of the man with two hearts
When a man was fitted with a new heart, his mind changed in unusual ways. Why? The answer reveals a surprising truth about all our bodies, says David Robson.<p>Every second or so, Carlos would feel a small “bump” hitting his tummy. It was the beating of his “second heart”.<p>The small mechanical pump was …
PsychologyThe NSA spent years snooping on the world's wireless carriers
The NSA's got its long, spindly proboscises slurping up sweet, sweet information from within governments and businesses the world over, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that wireless carriers are targets, too. That's the thrust of a lengthy new report from <i>The Intercept</i>: The NSA is capable …
With Cortana on Windows 10, Microsoft's bringing its virtual assistant full circle
After watching early footage of Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana in Windows 10 (below), its impending takeover of the Microsoft Borg seems inevitable. There's a lot riding on Cortana, after all. After being released in the U.S. earlier this year, it's now slowly rolling out across the globe. …
4 Apps For Managing the Absolute Chaos That Is Your Email Inbox
Email is no longer just about communicating with friends or colleagues. These days, our inboxes are also the repository for office tasks, travel …
AppsUS agency infiltrated Cuban hip-hop scene to spark youth unrest
Investigation finds USAid recruited musicians ‘to break information blockade’ as part of covert social project<p>Hip-hop has emerged as the latest covert weapon in the US government’s hapless attempts to unseat Cuba’s communist government.<p>Like its previous efforts, including exploding cigars, Cuban …
Sony uses hacker techniques to fight back over stolen data
As revelations from the stolen files over executive pay, actor strife and poor security continue, Sony Pictures tries to stop people downloading its data<p>Sony Pictures is employing hacking techniques in an attempt to prevent computer users from downloading its stolen data from file-sharing websites, …
10 Awesome Gmail Hacks That Make Life Easier
These top-secret ninja moves will help you take control of your inbox and become a Gmail expert. I'll show you how to save time, avoid mistakes, and add a bit of style to your inbox. Read on, grasshopper.<p><b>GMAIL HACK #1 UNSEND</b><p>Have you ever pressed send only to regret it moments later because of a …
AppsEbola fighters are Time's 'Person of the Year'
Foday Gallah saw the sick child was distressed and felt he had to do something. So he picked the kid up to comfort him.<p>And with that act of kindness, the 37-year-old ambulance supervisor in Monrovia, Liberia, contracted Ebola himself.<p>"Of course, he got vomit all over him and that's how he got …
Rain thrashes California, Oregon; falling tree kills 1 - CNN.com
<i>Affected by the storm? Send your photos to CNN iReport, but please stay safe.</i><p><b>San Francisco (CNN)</b> -- The Pacific coast's strongest storm in years pummeled California and Oregon on Thursday, leaving at least one man dead and knocking out power in urban areas.<p>Phillip Crosby died when a tree fell on …
Beloit, Wisconsin Police To Residents: ‘Let Us Search Your House for Guns You Might Not Know You Have’
In a move that has pro-gun rights advocates up in arms, a Wisconsin police department has asked its residents to allow them to voluntarily search …
GunsRosetta Spacecraft Suggests Asteroids, Not Comets, Birthed Earth's Oceans
Ice on comet 67P displays chemistry unlike seawater, the spacecraft circling overhead reveals.<p>Asteroids, not comets, likely delivered Earth's ancient oceans from space, concludes a Wednesday study from the Rosetta spacecraft, now in orbit around a comet that is a frozen relic from the dawn of the …
Sony Pictures is worried that North Korea hacked its computers
If you've been intrigued by the hack that took down Sony Pictures' computers, you've probably wondered who the self-proclaimed culprits, the "Guardians of Peace," might be. Are they disgruntled employees? Social activists? According to <i>Recode</i> sources, Sony is worried that they're actually North …
New nuclear weapons needed, many experts say, pointing to aged arsenal
Two decades after the U.S. began to scale back its nuclear forces in the aftermath of the Cold War, a number of military strategists, scientists and congressional leaders are calling for a new generation of hydrogen bombs.<p>Warheads in the nation's stockpile are an average of 27 years old, which …
Intel boss' warning on cyber attacks no joke, say experts
Top cybersecurity experts echoed a dire warning from a top intelligence chief on the vulnerability of the U.S. power grid, with one telling FoxNews.com that state-sponsored hackers could send America’s nerve centers on an “uncontrollable, downward spiral.”<p>Admiral Michael Rogers, director of the …
People are already making awesome fan art for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
Whether or not you were in a theater, we all got our first glimpse of <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i> today. The long-awaited teaser showed off some familiar settings, briefly introduced us to a few new characters, and debuted a cross-shaped lightsaber that has already become both a meme and a source …
DNA smeared on a rocket survives re-entry and tells of life's origins
Well, would you look at that: scientists have discovered that DNA can make it through the hellish ordeal of atmospheric re-entry after all. German and Swiss researchers dotted a rocket's grooves and screw heads with fragments of genetic blueprints to see how they'd fare in situations that could've …
Chef, 90, faces jail, fines for feeding the homeless | Reuters
MIAMI (Reuters) - For decades, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott has hauled pans filled with roast chicken and cheese-covered potatoes onto a south Florida beach park to feed hundreds of homeless people.<p>Arnold P. Abbott, president of the Maureen A. Abbott Love Thy Neighbor Fund, Inc., and culinary skills …
Nevada earthquake swarm increases chance of larger quake
(Reuters) - An earthquake swarm that began in a secluded northwest Nevada region this summer has grown more intense in recent days, increasing the chance of a large quake occurring, geology officials said.<p>The activity is centered just off the state’s northwest border, some 40 miles (64 km) …
'Dark Web' drug site challenge law enforcement
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — No sooner had authorities announced the shuttering of an alleged illegal online drug bazaar than another popped up claiming to take its place.<p>Welcome to the "dark Web," an increasingly popular corner of the Internet where thousands of computer users from around the globe …
WSJ: Elon Musk wants to bring the whole world online with affordable satellites
Small, low-cost internet satellites that provide affordable internet to everyone on the planet. These are what Elon Musk wants to create next after working on reusable rockets, space capsules and electric cars since the early 2000's, according to <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>. The publication says Musk is …
Dark matter? Scientists closer to seeing a vast, invisible universe
Take a look around you, and in your mind's eye, randomly wipe out all but a small fraction of what you can see. Pretend the vast rest of reality is there but invisible.<p>You'd probably like a device that helps you see much more of it.<p>Scientists working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear …
“This is a lot worse”: The wicked truth about the police’s favorite anti-protest tool
The flash-bangs fired by St. Louis County police trying to disperse crowds have raised questions about safety<p>Peter Callahan was caught between two police lines in the West Florissant section of Ferguson, Mo., on Sunday night, when something fiery hot singed his leg. A nearby protester's shirt …