SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple's iPad Mini will bring a lot more excitement and a little more confusion to the holiday shopping season.

Q: I have thousands of songs in my iTunes at home that I would like to listen to at work and I don’t want to pay Apple to use iTunes Match. Any other suggestions? - Nicholas

WASHINGTON — Big Bird is endangered. Jim Lehrer lost control. And Mitt Romney crushed President Barack Obama.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Known to the Twitterverse and the president of the United States as "Mohawk Guy" of the Mars mission, Bobak Ferdowsi could be the changing public face of NASA and all of geekdom.

Q: I’m strongly considering a jump from my iPhone to the Samsung Galaxy S III but concerned about getting all my stuff over. Is this an easy thing to do or is it going to be a nightmare? — Glen

The recent success of Amazon's Kindle Fire has given Google hope that the small-screen, inexpensive tablet market is worth pursuing. Google has set the tech world abuzz by announcing its new Nexus 7 tablet, the result of a partnership with ASUS, a multinational computer hardware and electronics company.

You know what they say about Arizona’s weather: It’s paradise, except for the three months when we languish mercilessly in the triple digits. Options for getting out and about do dwindle in the summertime, but we more than make up for it the rest of the year — when we pick peaches, race ostriches, dance at outdoor concerts, browse arts festivals, run foot races and navigate corn mazes.

You know what they say about Arizona’s weather: It’s paradise, except for the three months when we languish mercilessly in the triple digits. Options for getting out and about do dwindle in the summertime, but we more than make up for it the rest of the year — when we pick peaches, race ostriches, dance at outdoor concerts, browse arts festivals, run foot races and navigate corn mazes.

Steve Jobs was mourned around the world Thursday through the very devices he conceived: People held up pictures of candles on their iPads, reviewed his life on Macintosh computers and tapped out tributes on iPhones.

Steve Jobs was mourned around the world Thursday through the very devices he conceived: People held up pictures of candles on their iPads, reviewed his life on Macintosh computers and tapped out tributes on iPhones.

Steve Jobs was mourned around the world Thursday through the very devices he conceived: People held up pictures of candles on their iPads, reviewed his life on Macintosh computers and tapped out tributes on iPhones.

Jay Espano lived in Thailand and used those experiences for Theater Works’ production of “The King and I.”

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

SAN FRANCISCO - They're technology celebrities who are responsible for one of America's hottest products (the iPad 2), its most transformative cultural trend (Facebook), and one of the coolest additions to the national vocabulary (Googling).

It’s taken a long time for Stewart Reeder to perfect his salsa recipe, a slow-simmered jalapeño blend developed from a salsa his mother made famous in the neighborhood.

Journalism is in a revolution. Ten years from now, maybe sooner, the professional news business as we know it may be replaced by something entirely new and still unknown.

NEW YORK — In Facebook's vision of the Web, you would no longer be alone and anonymous. Sites would reflect your tastes and interests — as you expressed them on the social network — and you wouldn't have to fish around for news and songs that interest you.

Tammy Smith and Elizabeth Johnson share dysfunctional histories and criminal pasts. Now, both face hearings on felony charges in connection with the disappearance of Johnson’s 8-month-old son Gabriel.

'Willy Wonka Junior’

The Droid stands out from the crowd of iPhone wannabes with a slim but weighty body, noticeably angular look and large touch screen.

Ever wondered what percentage of the Earth’s weight is made up of Legos? The iconic plastic building brick turned 50 this year, and the Lego company estimates that in the course of five decades it has sold some 400 billion Legos.

What will be the top trends of 2009? Here’s what professional trend spotters forecast: