Funds with Facebook hammered as proxy by shorts
(Reuters) - Some investment funds have paid a price for their friendship with Facebook since the social networking giant went public last week. Firsthand Technology Value Fund and GSV Capital Corp, two closed-end funds that bought shares of the social media company before the IPO, have taken a beating, used as proxies for betting against Facebook. "Until investors can actually short Facebook, they have to keep shorting things that can give them some sort of proxy for Facebook," said Thomas Vandeventer, manager of the Tocqueville Opportunity Fund, which owns shares in both closed-end funds. ...

Award-winning Chevy Volt commercial proves electric hybrids will keep you safe from zombies
For all the faults of electric vehicles (in general), the Chevy Volt does have some pretty good selling points. It was named North American Car of the Year, 2010. Its selling price of $31,645 is pretty good for an EV, and the … Continue reading →

First Earth-Size Planets Found in Space
Scientists using NASA's Kepler space telescope say they have found two planets orbiting a distant star -- and say the planets are the first ever that are the size of Earth or smaller. That could be critical in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Facebook settles lawsuit over "Sponsored Stories"
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc has agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged the site's "Sponsored Stories" feature publicized users' "likes" without compensation or the ability to opt out, according to a court document filed on Tuesday. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in a San Jose, California federal court, could have included nearly one of every three Americans, with billions of dollars in damages, court documents say. The terms of the settlement are not spelled out in court filings. ...

Dino Dustup: Battle Over T-Rex Cousin
The skeleton, which was 75 percent complete and belonging to a cousin of the T-Rex, was sold for more than $1 million this weekend by Heritage Auctions but Mongolia believes it originates from there.

Lyrid Meteor Shower of 2012
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks Saturday night and Sunday morning, April 21-22. It's a relatively small shower -- 20 shooting stars per hour -- but a new moon should mean darker skies and better seeing.