4 posts and columns on Matthew Rivera

Spot 10 Balloons, Win $40,000

in News on December 4, 2009 at 4:50 pm PT

If you look up and see red weather balloons this weekend, take note. You’ve unwittingly entered into a social experiment. The Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, launched 10 balloons, each eight feet wide, around the country as part of its “Network Challenge.”

Coke Tries Facial-Recognition on Facebook

in News on December 3, 2009 at 7:59 am PT

Coca-Cola wants you to know that Coke Zero is a lot like Coca-Cola Classic. It believes this so strongly that it’s willing to do something unusual to drive the point home, like introducing you to your own doppelganger. Enter the Facial Profiler. The Profiler is a new Facebook application that lets members upload photos of themselves and match them with a similar-looking Facial Profiler user. The idea is that you can find your mirror image, just the way Coke has found its reflection in Coke Zero.

From Taiwan, Via Eyes China's Tech Sector

in News on November 16, 2009 at 2:00 pm PT

President Barack Obama has been spending considerable time on East-West trade agreements while in Asia, but for one chip maker, the negotiations between China and Taiwan are even more important.

Could Swine Flu Take the Internet Down?

in News on October 2, 2009 at 12:59 pm PT

If the H1N1 swine-flu pandemic arrives this fall, one thing that may break under the strain is the Internet. Emergency planners say that school-age children and telecommuting adults could be accessing the network simultaneously, potentially overloading the public Internet’s capacity.