Opera Mini 4.1 steps out of beta
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 11:07:00 PDT
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Opera Mini 4.1 ices the popular cell phone browser with a stable set of new features.
StumbleUpon's Stumble Video adds new content partners
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 11:01:00 PDT
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CollegeHumor, DailyMotion, Vimeo, and a handful of other video content and hosting sites now turn up in the "discovery" site's video section.
McCracken leaving PC World
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 11:01:00 PDT
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PC World Editor in Chief Harry McCracken announced he would leave the magazine in June.
Vaulting the competition: Nissan plans electric car by 2010
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:35:00 PDT
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Vaulting the competition: Nissan plans electric car by 2010
Sony BMG releases more DRM-free music
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:30:00 PDT
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Download prices at Dada Entertainment aren't bad, but the selection leaves a lot to be desired.
Hacker steals Chileans' data, posts to Net
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:23:00 PDT
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Hacker steals and briefly posts to the Internet personal data of 6 million people to show how poorly secured the servers are, a Chilean newspaper reports.
Google chooses 50 finalists in Android Developer Challenge
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:11:00 PDT
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The 50 finalists get $25,000 each, and are eligible for up to $275,000 in the final round of judging for the best applications developed for Google's Android mobile operating system.
Deal may turn HP into networking leader
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:10:00 PDT
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Acquisition of EDS ups the ante for HP in the enterprise networking space and puts the company in a much better position.
Fisker Auto plans second electric sedan, seeks funds
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:44:00 PDT
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An anticipated $65 million round will go to "tooling" of the $80,000 Karma, a part-electric sports car. On deck: a version at half the price.
'Gears of War 2' to headline Xbox showcase Tuesday
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:38:00 PDT
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In an annual event in San Francisco, Microsoft Game Studios will pull back the curtain on many of its most-anticipated Xbox 360 games.
CSC settles with feds over kickback allegations
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:32:00 PDT
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As part of broader investigation, major contractor agrees to pay $1.37 million after complaint that it took pay-outs from tech vendors in violation of government contract rules.
Dell to cut XPS gaming desktops, embrace Alienware
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:02:00 PDT
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The company announces plan to shift gaming focus to Alienware, including providing Dell R&D resources.
Photobucket to launch group albums
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT
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The News Corp.-owned photo-sharing site will let members collaborate on photo groups--something that most of its rivals already do.
The market's irrational expectations of open source
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT
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Featured links from the CNET Blog Network
The market's irrational expectations of open source--The very thing that the companies most need to do (i.e., take a long-term view of open source's benefits for their businesses) is the thing most likely to punish them in the market. Who said markets are rational?
Stimulate this: Buy American-made audio with your tax rebate check--The economic stimulus tax rebate checks are in the mail, and the Audiophiliac knows where they might do some good for our economy.
Rumor: Tibco getting acquired?--Will Tibco Software be the next enterprise software company to be consolidated.
R.E.M. offers 45 rpm vinyl--The new R.E.M. album comes in several formats, including long-playing 45 rpm vinyl, which apparently sounds better than 33 1/3.
Scarlett Johansson album debuts on Imeem
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:58:00 PDT
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It's the latest high-profile music release to use a streaming music site for a preview, which pulls in ad revenue while making users wait for a physical download.
Red Hat lives on the edge with Fedora 9
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:57:00 PDT
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The ninth incarnation of Red Hat's hobbyist version of Linux made a jump Ubuntu couldn't: KDE 4.
'Grand Theft Auto IV' nets Guinness record
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:48:00 PDT
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The hit game nets a new honor and breaks a record held previously by the last Harry Potter book.
For Hezbollah, it's fiber warfare
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:45:00 PDT
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Tension increases in Lebanon over the design of secure, attack-resistant data networks, as Hezbollah defends the private fiber-optic network it has laid there.
Apple to highlight iPhone platform development at WWDC
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:07:00 PDT
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At its Worldwide Developers Conference, developers can work with Apple engineers to design apps that focus on the device's multitouch user screen, animation tech, and APIs.
Windows Server 2008 goes down-market
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:00:00 PDT
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Company to offer public preview for Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Server Solutions 2008, both based on mainstream server release from earlier this year.
Fisker to counterfile against Tesla Motors
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 07:49:00 PDT
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Fisker Automotive plans to file for arbitration in an attempt to derail its electric-car rival's suit over trade secrets. Founder Henrik Fisker calls the suit "sour grapes."
Libertarian Bob Barr Hopes to Scoop Up Ron Paul's Internet-Driven Support
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT
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Former Georgia congressman Bob Barr is hoping to harness this election cycle's multimillion dollar wave of dissatisfaction with the GOP as he launches his bid to become the Libertarian party's presidential nominee.
Microsoft's Bid for Family-Friendly Xbox Games
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 15:50:00 GMT
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With Halo and Gears of War, Microsoft's got the grown-up gamer covered. Now its British studio, Rare, is tasked with a more difficult challenge: Making games that kids and parents can both enjoy.
The Clouds Part on HP's Computing Strategy
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 15:15:00 GMT
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Also on Portfolio
Five years ago, if Hewlett-Packard bought EDS, everyone would've thought it was pretty much like when IBM bought PwC -- a play to create a powerful data processing consulting business that could coexist with a computer hardware business. In fact, that's been a great model for IBM.
But with HP today buying EDS for $12 billion, the smart thinking goes in a different direction. It's looking like a red-hot area going forward for IBM, Amazon and Google will be so-called cloud computing -- a.k.a. hardware as a service.
If you're a startup or a corporate IT manager, you increasingly won't have to buy computers to run your business. You just rent capabilities from some computing giant and move the information there and back over the internet. If something crashes, the data is always backed up and stored somewhere out there in the cloud. This is the ubiquitous computing idea IBM has pushed for a decade -- making computer power something like electric power.
If you tack together some of HP's other purchases under CEO Mark Hurd -- as Om Malik did -- it seems even more obvious that HP is at least as interested in cloud computing as consulting. And EDS is a solid cloud-computing play because a core business is owning and running giant data centers.
As part of the interview I did with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (the video is now on Portfolio.com), we discussed Amazon's push into cloud computing.
"We've been working on our Infrastructure Web Services for four years," Bezos said. "We launched our first one two years ago, the Simple Storage Service, and I am astonished -- I rarely meet a startup company these days who isn't using our web services and now we're starting to get, you know, deployment inside Enterprise level data centers as well. So it's a very exciting."
Asked about Google's plans to get into a similar business, Bezos said: "Well ... we really do have a practice of not talking about other companies. But this, like our retail business, (there) is not going to be one winner. I think there are going to be multiple winners pursuing different flavors or strategies, different kinds of products.... I think our web services business is going to be part of what becomes an important industry. And ... important industries are rarely made by single companies."
So maybe there is room for HP, Amazon, IBM, Google and others to play in the cloud computing space. The HP deal is telling us that the concept is ready for prime time.
Don't Peel & Stick Me, Bro!
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 14:44:00 GMT
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Taser International is introducing a peel and stick laminate that "becomes electrified, providing a powerful deterrent to protect officers and keep suspects or rioters at bay." What could possibly go wrong?
Modified Human Embryo Stirs Fears of 'Designer Babies'
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 14:35:00 GMT
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Scientists genetically alter a human embryo for the first time, drawing fire from critics who say they're tampering with nature and run the risk of creating babies with specific genetic traits, a charge the lab coats deny.
Wind-Powered Energy More Than Just Hot Air
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 14:25:00 GMT
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Within 20 years, the United States could be generating as much energy from the wind as it currently gets from nuclear power, the Energy Department says as it lays out a plan for prospective growth.
How to Geotag Your Digital Photos
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 04:40:00 GMT
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Add geographic metadata to your photos, and you can easily browse photos by location. Even better, you can make it easy for other people to find interesting locations you've shot. here's how to add that data to your photos quickly and painlessly.
New Spider Species Named After Neil Young
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 01:00:00 GMT
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Fandom takes many forms, and some are truly creepy. An East Carolina University biologist names a species of trapdoor spider after his favorite rock star.
McCain Breaks From Bush on Climate Change, Calls for Mandatory Caps
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 01:00:00 GMT
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Sen. John McCain throws his support behind the idea of placing mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions. He calls for the United States to lower its emissions to "at least 60 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050."
May 13, 1637: Cardinal Richelieu Makes His Point
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 01:00:00 GMT
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1637: Perhaps weary of watching dinner guests picking their teeth with the points of their daggers, Cardinal Richelieu orders the blades of his dinnerware to be ground down and rounded off. Et voilà, the modern dinner knife is born.
Prior to Richelieu's flash of inspiration (or simple revulsion at bad manners), diners typically used hunting daggers to spear their morsels, which were then conveyed to the mouth by hand or with the help of a spoon. The fork, the implement that really revolutionized chowing down, had existed since biblical times. Despite its utility, however, the fork remained a relative rarity in the West until the 17th century, even among the French royals that Richelieu served with unswerving devotion.
Richelieu's knives became the rage among the court and soon everyone who was anyone in France had a set. The dinner knife became commonplace throughout France after Louis XIV -- who, like most kings, had his own reasons for not wanting sharp blades and pointed tips around -- decreed its universality. Soon afterward, the dinner knife found its way throughout continental Europe to England and, eventually, the American colonies.
It's fitting that the table knife helped refine table manners at the French court. If the French didn't invent good manners (and they didn't: the ancient Egyptians instituted a code of behavior during the Fifth Dynasty), they at least gave the world étiquette, the five-franc word that's synonymous with refined behavior.
Cardinal Richelieu, of course, was more than a simple cutler. As Louis XIII's chief minister, he was no stranger to using sharp implements to influence geopolitical events.
His policies transformed France into a powerful state, bringing it into direct conflict with the House of Hapsburg and the Holy Roman emperors. Allying Catholic France with the Protestant Swedes in the Thirty Years' War, Richelieu looked on as sword-wielding mercenaries laid waste the tiny neighboring German states, helping fuel the grudges that set the stage for modern European history.
(Source: Various)
David Byrne Converts Building Into Giant Instrument
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 01:00:00 GMT
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Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne turns New York City's Battery Maritime Building into a full-size musical installation that will empower visitors to make music off the building itself.
How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 23:25:00 GMT
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Your earthquake preparedness kit is well-stocked, but are you ready for a zombie apocalypse? Make sure you have what it takes to repel an undead army should one appear on your doorstep. Follow our guide and submit your own tips on Wired's How-To Wiki.
International Hackers Indicted for Sniffing Credit Cards from Dave & Buster's
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 22:30:00 GMT
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Three alleged hackers have been indicted in the United States and are accused of siphoning credit card information from customers at a national restaurant chain, Dave and Buster's. The data was purloined as the customers paid for their meals. One of the accused had millions of of stolen credit card numbers in his possession, most unrelated to the restaurant chain, when arrested in July.
Wind Could Power 20 Percent of U.S. Grid by 2030
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 22:20:00 GMT
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A new 248-page report from the Department of Energy suggests that, with the right conditions, wind could power 20 percent of U.S. homes, businesses and factories by 2030.
PC World Editor to Step Down, Start Own Venture
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 21:50:00 GMT
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PC World editor in chief Harry McCracken announced his resignation in a blog post today. After June 2, he will be starting a new product reviews site, McCracken told Wired.com's Epicenter blog.
Apple: iPhone Sold Out Online in U.S., Britain
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 20:40:00 GMT
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Online stores are bereft of inventory, Apple says, a sure sign that stocks are being reduced ahead of the launch of the next-generation iPhone.
Researchers Create First Genetically Modified Human Embryo
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT
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Researchers at Cornell University genetically modified a human embryo in a "proof of concept" experiment in 2007, a British paper is reporting. The experiment prompts questions about what sorts of genetic modifications scientists can ethically undertake.
Renault Will Bring EVs to America -- By Way of Israel
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT
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Renault joins Silicon Valley startup Project Better Place in unveiling the car that may electrify Israel's vehicle fleet. It's just the start. The French automaker promises to bring EVs to the United States by 2010.
Air Force Colonel Wants to Build a Military Botnet
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 17:30:00 GMT
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The U.S. military ponders creating its own zombie army to flood enemies with junk packets. Can Air Force phishing attacks and 4-19 scams be far behind?
Wired.com's WiiWare Launch Guide
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT
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Wondering what WiiWare to buy? Read Wired.com's full impressions of all the titles that launched with Nintendo's new games-on-demand service.
Bot Bartenders Sling Drinks at Roboexotica USA
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT
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: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comSAN FRANCISCO -- Aficionados of alcohol and androids alike celebrated the first stateside gathering of cocktail-serving robots this weekend at Roboexotica.
Patrons delighted in drink-making droids that ranged from a fire-spewing drink warmer, a fully automated mind-reading mixologist and a shot-pouring conveyor belt built entirely from Legos.
"You have liquor, fire and robots," said Johannes Grentfurthner, Roboexotica organizer and member of art collective monochrom in Austria. "How could we go wrong?"
The annual gathering of booze-pouring robots is usually held in Vienna, Austria. To celebrate its approaching 10-year anniversary, organizers threw a San Francisco satellite event.
Though the U.S. event was slightly smaller than its Viennese counterpart, the barbots landed with a booze-fueled bang.
Left: Artists, engineers and automatons gathered in downtown San Francisco on Saturday night for a high-tech brand of mixology. Crafted for fun as much as function, barbots kept serving at the booze-fueled bash as long as partygoers could ask for another: Roboexotica's bartenders don't have a clock-out time.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com
Robogames founder David Calkins eyes his homespun creation, a bartending bot named Chapek as he whips up a martini. Designed to prepare and serve four different cocktails, Chapek is equally famous for delivering cheeky one-liners and having a drinking problem. During one demonstration, instead of serving a bar patron a freshly mixed cocktail, Chapek malfunctioned and downed it himself. "He's a greedy bastard," Calkins said.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comFor partygoers who've overindulged, the Breathalyzer Genie was on hand to dole out handy advice like "Switch to fancy water," and "Did you bring your skates?" Kinetic artist Chris Palmer let us in on a little secret: The bot is a Breathalyzer in name only. "It doesn't actually measure blood-alcohol count," he revealed. Tipsy patrons rest their drink in the genie's hand, blow into the machine's nose, triggering the machine to dispense a fortune. Palmer elected to forgo practicality in favor of fun: "There were too many sanitation issues," he said.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comOnce you have your drink in hand, it's time to make a toast. That's where Daniel Fabry's "cheersing" machine comes it. Fabry, a monochrom member and media teacher in Austria, spliced together 20 clips of actors toasting from well-known films like The Shining and Once Upon a Time in America. The computer is outfitted with a special theremin, so as guests lift their glass toward the screen, the activity sets the looped footage in motion, and the actors onscreen lift their glasses.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comSimon Davalos brought El Espanol Borracho to serve Spanish coffee, a potent mixture of Kahlua, coffee and high-proof alcohol like Bacardi 151 Proof Rum. After pumping the liquors into a mug, the machine ignites a high-pressure stream of fuel, engulfing the cup in fire for several seconds. "It packs a bit of a punch," Davalos said as the contraption blazed a steady stream of fire. Her contraption warmed the cocktail before serving.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comBay Area-based videogame designer Anthony Fudd displays his Shot Bot, a fully automated system that serves shots of sake and vodka. Select your spirit and the machine pumps out the liquor into a Dixie cup before sending it down a conveyor belt. Made entirely from Legos and operated using the geeky toy company's Mindstorm software, the Shot Bot can also sling any two-ingredient drink. Though Fudd was having problems getting the conveyor belt to function properly, the crowd didn't seem to mind: The automated shot-pouring feature worked without a hitch.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comNot all of the bots at Roboexotica serve booze -- some, like the Alcotron, just facilitate the drinking process. A modified version of Russian roulette, partygoers pick a color to bet on, and set the electronic wheel in motion. Depending on where the spinner lands, patrons either get their drinks free, half-priced or at an inflated rate.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comCan't decide what you'd like to drink? The Mind-Reading Martini Maker will do the work for you. The neurofeedback machine collects EEG brain scans and mixes drinks based on the output. The more Alpha brainwaves the machine reads, the drier the martini. And the drinks are neither shaken nor stirred: The contraption filters gin through a sieve of ice to cool the booze. Roboexotica organizer and Shifz member Magnus Wurzer operates the setup while Melissa Steele sits in as a test subject.
: Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.comChassis, an automated keg on wheels, zoomed around the show, serving thirsty patrons beer throughout the night. Controlled by a wireless remote, Chassis also cracked jokes, insulted and flirted with guests -- thanks to a mic setup. Monochron member Daniel Fabry gets a fresh refill of Sierra Nevada from Chassis, as the bot's sculptor, Al Honig, looks on.
Source: Apple, HBO Content Deal Imminent
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 15:30:00 GMT
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Apple is close to announcing it has signed a deal to sell HBO programs and movies on the iTunes website, according to HBO employees involved in executing the agreement.
The deal marks the first time that Apple has agreed to a separate price structure for a content provider, one of the employees said.
The HBO insiders said that the new service would be launched and announced simultaneously, most likely in a week or two.
Details of the agreement are not yet known, but it is clear that HBO was able to secure better terms from Apple than other content providers, they said.
One possibility is that HBO programming will have a higher retail price than the flat $1.99 fee Apple currently charges for video content; another is that HBO will receive a larger cut of the same flat rate than other iTunes content providers receive.
Apple and HBO spokespeople did not return calls for comment on the deal.
NBC pulled its programming from iTunes last summer after Apple refused to charge more than $1.99 for that network's shows. In May, NBC struck a deal with Microsoft to sell its shows on the Zune website.
The HBO-Apple agreement is a strategic coup for both companies. Apple is trying to increase sales and awareness of its new Apple TV, a device that allows viewers to rent movies and buy content from your television. HBO wants to profit from its archive by letting fans buy old episodes of shows like Deadwood and The Larry Sanders Show.
The terms of this new deal could open a Pandora's box for iTunes. With the advent of pricing variation, movie studios and musicians will want to charge more for their big hits. Apple could be pressured to accept variable pricing for other content, a change it has resisted in the past.
HBO started an online download service earlier this year. It lets HBO subscribers watch 400 hours of programming a month and stream HBO's main channel. The service, called HBO on Broadband, is currently being tested in Wisconsin and will soon spread to other markets.
The deal with Apple is a more dramatic move for HBO, since the broadband service only allows current HBO subscribers to access the content. Selling through iTunes would let HBO tap everyone else.
In the past, HBO has been notoriously slow to offer content through new media, and the deal with Apple is a result of pressure from HBO's parent company, Time Warner, according to HBO employees.
Jeff Bewkes took over as Time Warner C.E.O. from Dick Parsons late last year.
"We should have done this a long time ago," said an HBO insider.
They That Go Down to Sea ... on a Permanent Basis
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 14:35:00 GMT
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An underwater cemetery off Key Biscayne, Florida is touted as the perfect final resting place for lovers of the sea. It's also turning into a pretty popular dive spot.
Track A Solar Aircraft's Virtual Flight Live
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 13:50:00 GMT
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Its actual maiden flight won't be until next year, but HB-SIA solar aircraft is taking a virtual flight right now -- and you can watch the test live at www.solarimpulsevirtualflight.com
Second Gen iPhone To Toggle 3G/EDGE for Battery Life?
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 13:22:00 GMT
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We know you've been agonizing over what your 2nd Gen iPhone battery life will be when you start Tweeting at 3G speeds. Fear not: it looks like the new models will let you turn on the 3G afterburners only when you truly have a need for speed.
First Look: Hands On with the BlackBerry Bold
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 13:03:00 GMT
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The Blackberry Bold, which is unveiled today, is, well, kinda awesome. It has a silver rim, syncs with iTunes ... Hey!
Cablevision Buys Newsday for $650 Million
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 12:27:00 GMT
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Cablevision says it is buying Newsday from Tribune for $650 million. Word of the deal came after Rupert Murdoch withdrew a bid of $580 million bid on Saturday.
Free Music Studio Means No More Excuses
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 04:03:00 GMT
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Hobnox is offering a deep audio tool that really ought to get you off Guitar Hero and turn you into a Guitar Hero. It's a little bit techie, and it's written in Java, but there really isn't anything out there like it. So, now that the recording studio price is zero dollars, will that get you off the couch?
Gallery: How to Make Superstrong, Superflexible Metals
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 03:00:00 GMT
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: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comPASADENA, California -- Researchers at Caltech are pioneering new ways to make superstrong metals that are twice as tough as titanium, and twice as elastic. These "metallic glass" composites are so strong a 3mm rod can support a 2-ton truck and they bend instead of snapping like most other metals of their kind, which are called "glass metals."
The new metals can potentially be used in industries from aerospace to automotive, as well as in consumer electronics. Because the alloy is so strong, less metal is needed, so spacecraft and cars would be lighter.
Glass metals have been around since the '50s. They get their exceptional strength from their disordered atomic structure (hence the "glass" name), whereas most metals have a weaker, crystalline atomic structure that follows a pattern. The downside of the glass structure is that it makes the metal brittle when it's put under too much pressure. The new composites have dendrites of normal crystalline metal structures running through the glass component, which greatly increases the pressure threshold of the alloys.
Left: Making metal composites starts with a special arc welder that completely melts a sample, breaking its crystalline structure and uniformly mixing its atoms. Here, an arc of plasma springs from an electrode to a sample of titanium alloy, melting it instantly. The sample now has the structure of a regular glass metal. Forming the crystalline dendrites comes later in the process.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comThe plasma arc melter can be used to melt nearly any metal except beryllium. When beryllium is melted, it produces vapor that mixes with air and oxidizes forming beryllium-oxide, a dangerous carcinogen. The samples that contain beryllium (even a tiny amount) must be melted inside a similar plasma arc melter inside a room that has negative pressure to prevent the beryllium-oxide from escaping.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comA piece of extremely dark welding glass prevents the brilliant white light from blinding the experimenter while the sample melts. When the shield is removed, an incredibly bright beam of light shines on the wall, lighting up the room in the process.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comAn ingot of metallic glass glows bright orange after it's heated to more than 3,000 Kelvin with an arc of plasma. The copper base is flooded internally with cold water to prevent the copper from vaporizing when the sample is melted.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comNow that the sample alloy has been melted into a homogenous glass, it's time to form the dendrites inside. Ph.D. candidate Douglas Hofmann must first make sure that water is flowing through the copper tray where the sample rests or the tray will rupture from the heat.
Next, the glass vacuum tube that holds the sample and the tray must be emptied of air and replaced with a noble gas such as Argon (held in the blue tanks). This prevents the sample from oxidizing. Finally, Hofmann cranks the dial on the radio frequency inductor to heat the metal sample on the tray to 800-1,000 degrees Celsius.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comThe radio frequency inductor coils heat an alloy sample to between 800 and 1,000 degrees Celsius in a matter of seconds. The goal here is to heat the sample below its melting point to allow only a specified portion of the atoms to form in a crystalline structure. This is the groundbreaking technique that creates the fortifying dendrites within the glass structure.
About 200 volts at 50 amps of radio-frequency energy is pumped through the coil, which heats the sample using induction. The coil itself doesn't get hot, but the sample obviously does. The radio frequency induction provides more control during heating than the arc melter -- control that allows scientists to tweak the composition of the alloy to their specifications.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comA sample of metallic glass composite cools on the melting trough.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comThis copper tray failed instantly and ruptured when a student forgot to turn on the cooling pump during the experiment. The copper has a much lower melting point than the various metals that melt atop it, but thanks to its high level of thermal conductivity, it transfers the heat into the water -- as long as the water is moving.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.comSeveral ingots of metallic glass composite are ready to be machined and mechanically tested.
: Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.com
This scanning electron microscope takes detailed photos of the surface structure of materials, including the metallic glass composite that Hofmann is creating.
: Image courtesy Douglas C. Hofmann/Nature 451 A microscope image shows how the crystalline dendrites affect the way the metals handle pressure. On the left is a composite with a smaller percentage of dendrites, in the middle is a sample with a higher percentage, and on the right is a pure glass metal with no dendrites.
: Image courtesy Douglas C. Hofmann/Nature 451This electron micrograph shows a sample with both crystalline dendrites (labeled "bcc" for body-centered cubic) and glass structures. Compare the ordered geometric matrix of the atoms on the left to the random placement of the molecules on the right (glass).
Hydrogen Cars Won't Make a Difference for 40 Years
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 01:00:00 GMT
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President Bush, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the big automakers agree on this much: They love hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology and its promise of a zero-emission, petroleum-free future.
Unfortunately, experts say it will be 40 years or more before hydrogen has any meaningful impact on gasoline consumption or global warming, and we can't afford to wait that long. In the meantime, fuel cells are diverting resources from more immediate solutions.
"As a climate strategy, it's not very good," said Dr. Joseph Romm, executive director of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions and author of The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate. "We don't have the time."
Climate experts and alternative-fuel researchers, including some hydrogen proponents, agree that hydrogen is at best a long-term solution. In the short and medium term, however, other technologies offer far greater benefit at far less cost: Cleaner internal combustion engines, hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
Some worry that these near-term solutions are being short-changed. But hydrogen advocates counter that the answer isn't cutting hydrogen funding, but increasing funding for research into a wide variety of alternatives to oil.
"The few million we're spending to change our energy policy is like sending one platoon to Normandy," said Paul Williamson, director of the Hydrogen and Alternative Energy Research and Development program at the University of Montana. "It's just not going to happen."
To some extent, politicians and policymakers recognize that hydrogen remains a long way off, which is one reason the California Air Resources Board has told automakers to build 58,000 plug-in hybrids by 2014. And automakers are building cleaner gasoline and diesel engines while developing hybrids.
But the emphasis remains squarely on hydrogen.
Congress appropriated $283.5 million for the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative this year, bringing its investment to $1.16 billion since 2004. California's "Hydrogen Highway" may be floundering, but the Air Resources Board is handing out $7.7 million to build hydrogen stations even though the last three agencies to receive state funding gave it back.
Many hurdles remain to be cleared before hydrogen is a viable source of energy -- not the least of which are making, storing and distributing it on a large scale. Meeting these challenges will require, in the words of several hydrogen proponents, a "Manhattan Project"-level of research and funding. And we're a long way from the hydrogen economy President Bush envisioned in his 2003 State of the Union.
The transition has begun though, and California is leading the way even as it keeps relaxing the rule dictating how many electric and hydrogen vehicles automakers must build. There are 175 fuel cell vehicles in California and more coming. Honda will begin leasing its hydrogen-powered Clarity FCX this summer and General Motors will put its Equinox fuel cell vehicles in 100 driveways this year. Hyundai plans to begin mass-producing fuel cells cars in 2012, and GM -- which has invested more than $1 billion in hydrogen -- says it will have 1,000 vehicles on the road in California by 2014.
But few people expect to see fuel cell vehicles in showrooms before 2020, and we won't see any large-scale benefit from them until 30 years after that.
"2050 is when hydrogen might -- might -- have a significant impact," said John Heywood, director of the Sloan Automotive Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The timeline has more to do with economics than science. There are roughly 240 million vehicles in America and about 16 million new vehicles sold each year. That means it takes about 15 years to turn over the fleet. But it takes even longer for new technologies to penetrate the market.
Heywood cites hybrids as an example. They may seem ubiquitous, but after 10 years, hybrids accounted for just 2.2 percent of domestic auto sales last year. Run the numbers and Heywood estimates fuel cell vehicles will need 25 years to make up 35 percent of new vehicle sales and 20 years beyond that to get to 35 percent of the U.S. fleet.
We can't wait that long. Scientists increasingly agree that industrialized nations must cut greenhouse gas emissions as much as 80 percent by 2050 if we are to curb global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency says fuel economy may have to rise to 75 mpg within 30 years to hit that target. California law requires easing emissions even further than that by 2050. Hitting these targets will require putting 379,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2020 and 7.6 million by 2050, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Hydrogen critics argue that plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles are the answer. But electricity brings its own challenges. Plug-in technology can cut fuel consumption by up to 62 percent, but it adds $8,000 to $11,000 to the cost of the car, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (.pdf). EVs like the Subaru R1e and Mitsubishi's MiEV have a range of no more than 100 miles. The Tesla Roadster gets 220 miles and charges in about 3½ hours, but it costs $98,000 and its lithium-ion battery pack which weighs 1,000 pounds.
"The reality is, as much as everyone in the industry has hoped for affordable, high energy batteries, they don't exist yet," said Ron Cogan, editor of GreenCar.com and Green Car Journal. "We're not there yet with battery electric vehicles or hydrogen. We're on a path to both."
And we'll need both if we're to address global warming and our dependence on oil, climate experts say. Even critics like Romm aren't suggesting we scrap hydrogen entirely. For all its challenges, hydrogen still presents the opportunity, however distant, for a sustainable source of energy that can displace petroleum.
For now, the issue isn't electrics or hydrogen but electrics and hydrogen.
"Given that timeline and the number of vehicles we're talking about, we have to keep working on battery electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicles at the same time," said Spencer Quong of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Both of them have huge challenges, and if we don't work on both of them, we won't meet our objectives."
StumbleUpon's Stumble Video adds new content partners
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 11:01:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
CollegeHumor, DailyMotion, Vimeo, and a handful of other video content and hosting sites now turn up in the "discovery" site's video section.
Photobucket to launch group albums
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
The News Corp.-owned photo-sharing site will let members collaborate on photo groups--something that most of its rivals already do.
The market's irrational expectations of open source
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Featured links from the CNET Blog Network
The market's irrational expectations of open source--The very thing that the companies most need to do (i.e., take a long-term view of open source's benefits for their businesses) is the thing most likely to punish them in the market. Who said markets are rational?
Stimulate this: Buy American-made audio with your tax rebate check--The economic stimulus tax rebate checks are in the mail, and the Audiophiliac knows where they might do some good for our economy.
Rumor: Tibco getting acquired?--Will Tibco Software be the next enterprise software company to be consolidated.
R.E.M. offers 45 rpm vinyl--The new R.E.M. album comes in several formats, including long-playing 45 rpm vinyl, which apparently sounds better than 33 1/3.
Scarlett Johansson album debuts on Imeem
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 08:58:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
It's the latest high-profile music release to use a streaming music site for a preview, which pulls in ad revenue while making users wait for a physical download.
Hello, lover: HBO-iTunes hookup is official
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 06:22:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Episodes of six shows from the premium-cable network are now available (some at a premium price) on Apple's Store, including all 94 episodes of Sex and the City.
Jackpot! $15 million for Social Gaming Network
Posted: Tue, 13 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Parent company of the Warbook, Jetman, and Super Snake apps clunking up your friends' Facebook profiles has pulled in first-round funding.
Who will reign over Digg: Obama or Jobs?
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 19:29:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Digg's second quarterly "town hall" Webcast reveals that the site's geeky core hasn't been universally happy about the onslaught of politics-related stories in recent months.
Digg Town Hall: The pseudo-live blog
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 16:59:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Tracking the second "town hall" meeting that the social news site has hosted, led by CEO Jay Adelson and founder Kevin Rose.
Welcome to the social mess?
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 12:35:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
With new data portability projects from Facebook, MySpace, and Google, the social-networking experience is on the verge of getting either a lot smoother or a lot sloppier.
Bringing Google into the kitchen
Posted: Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
CNET News.com's Caroline McCarthy tests out Food 2.0: Secrets From the Chef Who Fed Google, the new cookbook from former Mountain View executive chef Charlie Ayers.
As Facebook goes corporate, Mark Zuckerberg loses an early player
Posted: Sun, 11 May 2008 23:18:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
It's part of the natural evolution of a fast-growing company for some early execs to jump ship when they no longer recognize the start-up they helped build. That might've been why longtime Facebook CTO Adam D'Angelo has departed.
Microsoft's big bid for Yahoo
Posted: Fri, 09 May 2008 15:02:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
What Yahoo has, Microsoft wants. But talks break down, and the software giant says a proxy battle isn't worth it. Tune in here for the latest.
Facebook to open the gates with 'Facebook Connect'
Posted: Fri, 09 May 2008 12:32:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Hot off the heels of rival MySpace's announcement that it would be connecting its profile content with other social-networking sites, Facebook revealed its own plan for exporting data to other Web sites.
Report: Rumored Google, News Corp. bids make Blinkx shares soar
Posted: Fri, 09 May 2008 10:39:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Following rumors that the video search engine is looking for a buyer and Google and News Corp. may want it, Blinkx stock rose 50 percent.
Did you get infected? Virus runs amok amid JavaOne
Posted: Fri, 09 May 2008 08:08:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
No, not that kind of virus. An alert from the San Francisco health department says that a number of people fell ill while working or attending events at the Moscone Center since April 30.
Last.fm announces original video programming
Posted: Fri, 09 May 2008 07:30:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
CBS Interactive's social-media site got its start by letting members share audio playlists, but by launching a video show called "Last.fm Presents," it's moving into MTV territory.
Google waves sayonara to Hello
Posted: Fri, 09 May 2008 05:53:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Photo-messaging service, which Google acquired as part of Picasa in 2004, will breathe its last breath on May 15.
For $9,995, your car could run on sugar and tequila
Posted: Thu, 08 May 2008 14:32:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Meet E-Fuel, a company that's created a home ethanol plant so that your car can run on biofuels you create in your backyard. Does it work? The first customers will learn later this year.
MySpace announces 'Data Availability' project with Yahoo, eBay, Photobucket, Twitter
Posted: Thu, 08 May 2008 10:04:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
New initiative will allow the News Corp.-owned social network's members to share their profile data with other sites.
After long negotiations, Facebook agrees to safety plan with state AGs
Posted: Thu, 08 May 2008 08:54:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Social network has reached a deal with attorneys general of 49 states and the District of Columbia to try to make the site safer for youths.
Spammy Twitter accounts to get the virtual guillotine
Posted: Wed, 07 May 2008 14:21:00 PDT
Filed under: tech | Full Story
Twitter used to just "freeze" accounts found to be spam, but a new strategy will actually delete those accounts after notifying the owner.
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