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Google's Project Zero is supposed to goad companies into patching software security flaws before they pose a threat, but that's not exactly how the effort has panned out. As Apple and Microsoft will tell you, the strict 90-day disclosure deadline sometimes leaves developers scrambling to finish patches after the details of an exploit go public. Thankfully, Google appears to be listening to those gripes -- the Project Zero team has tweaked its policies to give programmers a better chance at mending holes. Companies now get a 14-day "grace period" to release fixes if they let Google know that the code won't be ready within the usual 90-day window. Also, the folks in Mountain View won't ruin tech workers' days off by revealing vulnerabilities on holidays and weekends. Project Zero's policy still isn't as forgiving as others, such as ZDI's 120-day schedule. Even so, it could go a long way toward bridging the gap between Google's ideals and...

There's no doubt that doctors would prefer to treat cancer as soon as they spot it, and it looks like nanotechnology might give them that chance. Researchers at the University of Leeds have successfully tested gold nanotubes that are useful for both imaging and destroying cancer cells. Since the tubes absorb near-infrared light frequencies, which both generate heat and render human skin transparent, you only need to zap them with lasers of varying brightness to achieve multiple ends. You can use a relatively low brightness to reveal tumors, while high brightness will heat the tubes enough to kill nearby tumorous cells. The shape also has room for drugs, so you can deliver medicine at the same time. Scientists have only tried this approach in a mouse model of human cancer, so it'll be a long while before the technique is ready for your local hospital. However, it might be worth the wait. Besides saving time, the gold nanotubes both enter and leave your body with minimal fus...

Now that the independent company's got rid of those pesky excess components, it's time for VAIO to make something new. And it's not a smartphone. Yet. The PC maker has announced two new PCs here in Tokyo: the VAIO Z and VAIO Z Canvas. The latter is actually eventual final version of the prototype tablet that did the rounds last year -- but we'll get to that. First, inside the flagship 13.3-inch VAIO Z which goes up for preorder in Japan later today, you'll find a second -generation high-speed SSD and an unspecified fifth-generation Core i7 processor, all bound up in aluminum-carbon shell. However, bare specs aside, the company reckons its a lot of the little details that matter, and we'll get to those right after the break. It's been three years since we've seen the flagship Z series, and VAIO's attempted to bring its namesake right up to date: there's a 'multiflip' mode that allows users to switch between a tablet slate, ole-fashione...

LG is revealing what's (literally) up its sleeve for MWC 2015. It's an Android Wear smartwatch that LG calls its luxury iteration, with an all-metal body, gold and silver finishes and a natural leather strap (which can be swapped out, of course). Between the strap, the Watch Urbane also houses the same heart-rate monitor of LG's other smartwatch; it's not all about the looks. The company says that the new model isn't technically a sequel to the G Watch and G Watch R, but will "complement" its existing Android Wear offferings. The Watch Urbane has the same 1.3-inch circular P-OLED display as the G Watch R, however, the engineers and designers have managed to shave down the bezel around the edges. That's luxury for you. The battery capacity remains the same (410 mAh), however, so if you're still waiting on a smartwatch to break through the three-day battery barrier, you might want to wait out for the next Android Wear round. It probably won...