Technology Slice Blog

Sinkholes Open Up in Oklahoma - A large sinkhole has opened up near Sayre, Okla., and people in the region are wondering if it's related to a string of small earthquakes shaking the region. The hole opened up a couple of days after one of the earthquakes about two weeks ago, the property caretaker told NBC station KFOR. "Kind of spooky. You don't want to mess with it today," Jack Damron told KFOR. "Glad my house wasn't over it," neighbor Tony Bills told the station. KFOR reported that geologists are dubious of a connection between the quakes and the sinkhole. Scientists at the Oklahoma Geological Survey said the sinkhole could have been caused by drought conditions, the dissolving of salt or rock formations, or draining of an old coal mine. Also, Sayre is across the state from the area where the quakes have been centered. That area, about 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, was struck on Nov. 5 by a magnitude 5.6 quake, the strongest ever recorde...

Hillary Clinton Visits Myanmar - "I am obviously looking to determine for myself and on behalf of our government what is the intention of the current government with respect to continuing reforms both political and economic," Clinton told reporters before her arrival here. Activists and citizens of Burma, also known as Myanmar, welcomed the visit but cautioned that Burma's military-backed, nominally civilian government is unlikely to allow full democracy to develop. "It's hard to understand the Myanmar government; they do not speak what is in their hearts," warned U Htaung Ko Thang, a leader of the Chin ethnic group, who was elected a member of parliament in the 1990 elections, whose results the ruling junta annulled. "Unless we establish a democratic government, there is no opportunity for the Burmese people." Burma's parliament approved a law guaranteeing the right to protest, which had not previously existed, and had opened up some polit...

iPhone Explodes Mid Flight - Apple’s iPhones are always among the hottest gadgets of any holiday shopping season, but for one passenger on an Australian flight, the phone was too hot to handle — literally. While on Australian flight Regional Express ZL319 Friday, a passenger’s iPhone 4 (not the iPhone 4S, which is Apple’s latest model) suddenly started “emitting a significant amount of dense smoke, accompanied by a red glow,” according to a Regional Express statement. The plane, which was flying from Lismore to Sydney, was in the midst of landing when the incident occured. “In accordance with company standard safety procedures, the flight attendant carried out recovery actions immediately, and the red glow was extinguished successfully,” according to Regional Express’ statement. After landing, the iPhone was handed over to officials at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. There’s no official word yet on what caused the phone to combust. Exploding Apple products are rare, but ...