List of scientists, researchers Obama honored during White House ceremony

July 17th, 2009 Obama to have news conference on WednesdayWASHINGTON — The White House has announced on its Twitter page that President Barack Obama will have a prime-time news conference on Wednesday. The White House on Friday said that Obama will meet with reporters at the White House at 9 p.m.

October 7th, 2009 Obama awards national science, technology medalsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama linked scientific discovery to helping the struggling economy Wednesday as he honored those who invented batteries for implanted defibrillators, mapped the human genetic code and made global positioning systems possible. Awarding the National Medal of Science and the Medal of Technology and Innovation, Obama said the United States must continue to invest in "the next generation of discoveries and the next generation of discoverers." Repeating his pledge to put thousands more students in college classrooms, he committed to spending 3 percent of the gross domestic product to educate future scientists and researchers.

May 1st, 2009 White House joins FaceBook, Twitter, MySpaceWASHINGTON — OMG. The White House is joining the popular social network sites of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

May 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's tech-savvy administration has taken another leap into cyberspace with the roll-out of 'White House 2.0.' linking it to social networks MySpace and Facebook and hot micro-blogging service Twitter. 'Today the White House is taking steps to expand how the administration is communicating with the public,' the White House blog said Friday announcing the additions to the recently launched official Flickr photostream.

May 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Reports indicate that US President Barrack Obama is planning to create a "cyber czar," a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks. According to a report in the Washington Post, the adviser will have the most comprehensive mandate granted to such an official to date and will probably be a member of the National Security Council.

June 9th, 2009 Webby winners take awards with 5-word speeches NEW YORK — Who needs Twitter's 140 characters? Five words were enough for the winners at the 13th annual Webby Awards ceremony, where Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, took the prize for breakout of the year. Sticking to the Webbys' tradition of acceptance speeches limited to just five words, he said: "Creativity is a renewable resource." Also at Monday's ceremony, "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane was honored for his Web series "Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy." Said MacFarlane: "What is this for again?" Arianna Huffington, whose Huffington Post won for best political blog, said: "I didn't kill newspapers, OK?" Jimmy Fallon, cited for using the Internet to flog his taking over NBC's "Late Night," said: "Thank God Conan got promoted." On the Net: www.webbyawards.com

July 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Popular microblogging website Twitter is not banned in the White House, it has emerged. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was said to have previously said on C-SPAN that rules at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue required the use of the website be prohibited.

September 8th, 2009 Obama advises caution in what kids put on FacebookARLINGTON, Va. — In a pep talk that kept clear of politics, President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged the nation's students to take pride in their education — and stick with it even if they don't like every class or must overcome tough circumstances at home.

July 8th, 2009 White House among targets of sweeping cyber attackWASHINGTON — The powerful attack that overwhelmed computers at U.S. and South Korean government agencies for days was even broader than realized, also targeting the White House, the Pentagon and the New York Stock Exchange.

July 22nd, 2009 Homeland Security revamps Web siteWASHINGTON — The Homeland Security Department relaunched its Web site Wednesday and became the first Cabinet-level agency to follow the tech-savvy White House directives on social media. President Barack Obama's aides have been urging agencies to add interactive components to their Web sites, such as videos and blogs.

June 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - If a new, tech-savvy White House is using new social networking tools - Twitter, Facebook and text messages - to spread its message, it is because media in the United States has turned to them in a big way to provide news and instant analysis. As President Barack Obama delivered his historic address to the Muslim world Thursday, the White House's Twitter feed and Facebook page flooded the Internet with a flurry of messages.

May 29th, 2009 Obama calling for better security for computers WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling digital security a top priority, whether it's guarding the computer systems that keep the lights on in the city and direct airliners to the right runway or those protecting customers who pay their bills online. To oversee an enhanced security system for the nation's computer networks, Obama is creating a "cyber czar" as part of a long-awaited plan stemming from a review he ordered shortly after taking office.

April 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States will create a new military command to coordinate the defence of Pentagon computer networks and improve offensive capabilities in cyberwarfare, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The initiative will reshape the military's efforts to protect its networks from attacks by hackers, especially those from countries such as China and Russia, the influential daily said citing unnamed 'current and former officials familiar with the plans.' The new command will be unveiled within the next few weeks, it said citing Pentagon officials.

May 29th, 2009 Obama setting up better security for computersWASHINGTON — America has for too long failed to adequately protect the security of its computer networks, President Barack Obama said Friday, announcing he will name a new cyber czar to take on the job. Surrounded by a host of government officials, aides and corporate executives, Obama said this is a "transformational moment" for the country, where computer networks are probed and attacked millions of times a day.

May 29th, 2009 PROMISES, PROMISES: Battling cyber turf warsWASHINGTON — The digital battlefield is proving to be difficult terrain for President Barack Obama. As he unveiled his plan Friday to make the nation's computer networks more secure, he fulfilled a campaign pledge to make cybersecurity a top priority.