TECH-SCIENCE

This Is How an Earthquake Propagates Through the Entire Planet

2009-11-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

Wired thinks that Roy A. Gallant's 1950 classic science books need to be updated with 21st-Century style and information. They're right, but while their artwork may be flashier and more accurate, it is not necessarily clearer. Take these two examples.
In the first one, you can try to see how earthquakes propagate through the entire planet in three dimensions. I say "try" because, while the graphic looks very cool, the interpretation of all those information layers is not easy in 3D space. In this case, a classic bi-dimensional cut—using the latest scientific data—would do a much better job at explaining what is basically a symmetric movement through the planet's core. The only better technique would be to add time through animation.
The slicing of Earth's atmosphere has the same problems. It may be fun, but not necessarily clearer than the old 2D version:

Courtesy: Gizmodo

Inside...

2009-11-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

Inside...
A Microsoft Data Center?

WOW! Courtesy: CNET

Large Hadron Collider Circulating Particle Beams Again

2009-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

No, it's not going to destroy the world. But the collection of photos of the LHC at the Big Picture is a great reminder that this might be the most impressive piece of machinery humanity has ever built.

Courtesy: Gizmodo

Chevy Volt Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled

2009-11-25T18:21:00.001-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

New Posts Coming

2009-11-20T16:00:00.001-08:00

For everyone who reads our blog, we know we are behind with new posts. Thank you for your patience with us. Within the next week (at the latest) we will be updating close to regularly again. Another thing we (at least I am) are going to do is update some old posts, for example our Zune HD. vs. iPod Touch articles because as you know, over time technology advances and comparisons have to be made again based on advancements with each technology. Thank you, Nick.

The Curious Case of Flash on the iPhone

2009-10-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

iPhone, Flashified? Will it happen? Does it even make sense?

Earlier in the week, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen announced that a mobile implementation of the full Flash Player 10 would be making its way onto several smartphones by October. In addition to Android, other mobile operating systems, including Windows Mobile, Palm's WebOS, and Symbian have signed on. Missing from that list, to absolutely no one's surprise, is the iPhone.
Everyone from users, developers, and website owners to cartoonists and pornographers have been clamoring for Flash on the iPhone since the gadget's launch two years ago. In that time, both Apple and Adobe have (both individually and jointly) announced that a Flash player for the iPhone is in the works -- but neither would elaborate further as to when or if said player would ever be released for public consumption.
I'm not a huge proponent of Flash, but I believe it has its place. I think it's both overused and misused on today's desktop Web, but I also think that when used correctly it's capable of delivering some incredible interactive experiences, unmatched (so far) by Web standards.

FLASH ON ANDROID

Take a look at the video above of Flash running on the T-Mobile G1, and it's pretty hard not to lust after Flash on the iPhone. The thing is, I don't see it happening anytime soon, if ever. Here's my reasoning.
Flash on OS X is a processor hog
Flash has always been a dog on the Mac. I can't watch a YouTube clip without the fans on my Macbook Pro kicking in -- and kicking in loudly. Ars Technica recently ran some benchmarks comparing Flash Player 10's performance on OS X versus Vista, and the results are astounding. Watching a Hulu video on a Mac Pro utilized 56 percent of the CPU's processing power. The same video on the same Mac running Vista in Boot Camp used only 7 percent. Now, imagine the beatdown this severely lackluster performance would lay on the iPhone's ARM processor. Visiting a website with Flash ad banners (like PopSci.com) would melt your phone.
Apple would never allow this. Flash has been on OS X for as long as OS X has existed, and Adobe (Macromedia before it) still hasn't gotten it right. We won't see Flash on the iPhone until it performs flawlessly, and if history is any indication that's going to be a long time coming.
AT&T's network can't handle it
The biggest disappointment of the iPhone has never been the hardware or software, but the network it's on. AT&T can't even handle MMS on the iPhone, much less the millions of video-streaming sites that would instantly become available via a Flash plug-in for mobile Safari. Earlier this year, fears of its own inadequacy led AT&T to cripple the SlingPlayer iPhone app, so that users could only stream video via Wi-Fi, and not over its rickety 3G network. What's extra puzzling/insulting is the fact that the Motorola Q, Blackberry, and other smartphones are allowed this functionality. If AT&T is skittish about Sling users, it must be wetting its pants at the prospect of millions of users beaming Hulu or Netflix to their iPhones.
Apple would no longer have a dictatorship
Part of me -- well, most of me -- thinks Apple is purposely keeping Flash off of the iPhone. Flash isn't just a simple plug-in for playing animations -- it's a full-fledged application environment. If Flash were allowed on the iPhone, you could circumvent the App Store to sell your videos and games. The App Store would be made redundant. Why on Earth would Apple ever cede its chokehold on iPhone commerce to Adobe?

Secondly, I think Apple sees mobile Safari as its chance to shape the entire mobile Web. In just two years, Safari has snagged close to 70 percent of the mobile browser market. Put another way, most people accessing the Web from smartphones are doing so on the iPhone. Safari has no real competition on the iPhone, and so Apple can basically define what the mobile Web is and becomes. It can dictate which technologies are used and which aren't. So, as John Gruber of Daring Fireball has suggested, while Flash has become the standard means of delivering video on the desktop Web, QuickTime has a shot at becoming the standard on the mobile Web. Flash's days may be numbered, anyway
A massive and exciting upgrade to the underlying technology powering the Web is currently underway, and it's called HTML 5. Thanks to Microsoft leaving most of HTML 5's specifications out of Internet Explorer (the most popular desktop browser by a longshot), widespread proliferation of HTML 5 is years off -- perhaps even a decade away. But it's a different story on the iPhone (home to the most popular mobile browser by a longshot), where the latest version of Safari already supports HTML 5. Why does this spell doom for Flash? Because HTML 5 includes things like Canvas for animating graphics, audio and video tags that make plug-ins obsolete, and local data storage for applications that can work offline. In other words, it's taken a lot of the Rich Internet Application goodies you can only get from Flash (or Microsoft's Flash clone, Silverlight) and built them right into the browser. HTML 5 could potentially kill Flash off someday, so you have to wonder if Apple sees Flash on the iPhone as a technological step backward.
An interesting side note about Flash on the iPhone: An iPhone developer named Jonah Grant has actually created an app that he claims installs Flash on mobile Safari. He even submitted it to the App Store! Of course, Grant's app was rejected by Apple. So far he hasn't released it to the illegal Cydia app store for jailbroken phones. Here's hoping he does!

Source: PopSci

Thanks for reading!

Phones

2009-10-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

China is doing something about Bejing's Problems....Good!

2009-10-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Source: Gizmodo: They may have some of the dirtiest city skies in the planet, but at least the Chinese authorities are doing something about it. Check out the green, beautiful urban planning for the future of Beijing Central Business District:

I don't know if the lush gardens, the green public transportation, and the pedestrian and bike-friendly road network would help with their contamination problems, but they sure look pretty. SOM—the architects who won the Beijing Central Business District competition—say that it will help save a lot of money and resources:

The SOM plan defines new strategies for building municipal infrastructure and high performance buildings. Implementation of the plan could reduce energy consumption within the district by 50%, reduce water consumption by 48%, reduce landfill waste by 80%, and result in a 50% reduction in carbon emissions. Reduction in emissions from office buildings alone would equate to a reduction of 215,000 tons of CO2 per year, which is the equivalent of planting 14 million adult trees.

Now, if they could make the Chinese government to respect Human Rights, then this city expansion would be truly people-friendly.

Thanks for reading! -Nick

New Motorola/Verizon/Google Smartphone Impresses!

2009-10-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

The much hyped and rumored Motorola Droid Andriod Phone is coming to Verizon Wireless November 6th, for $199.99. It will be the first phone to launch with the 2.0 Version (Eclair), of Google's Android Mobile Operating System. Here are some pictures courtesy of BGR:

Like it? We do!

Here are some Official Specs:

Those Specs are taken directly off Motorola's Website, found HERE.

Want to check out Verizon's Official Page? Take a look HERE.

Want a Review? Read below :D Courtesy of CNET.

Product summary

The good: The Motorola Droid boasts a gorgeous display and the benefits of Android 2.0, including a faster Web browser, Google Maps Navigation app, and better messaging and contact management. It also offers excellent call quality and improved speed over previous Android devices.

The bad: The QWERTY keyboard feels flat and the dialpad control is restricted to the home screen. Music and video capabilities still trail behind the competition. Dual-mode functionality for world-roaming capabilities would have been a nice addition.

The bottom line: Some minor design issues and multimedia quibbles aside, the Motorola Droid is the most powerful and fastest Google Android device to date. It fully embraces the openness of the Android platform and offers Verizon customers a smartphone that certainly rivals the other touch-screen devices on the market.

Specifications: Band / mode: CDMA 800/1900 (Dual Band) ; Talk time: Up to 385 min ; Combined with: With digital camera / digital player ; See full specs

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by:

Kent German

and

Bonnie Cha
Reviewed on: 10/28/2009
Released on: 10/28/2009

Editors' note: Over the next few days we will continue to test the Droid and add the results to this review.
You have to hand it to Verizon Wireless: though the Google Android operating system now extends to a handful of devices, the carrier was able to get the tech world "excited" about its first Android phone. First known as the Sholes, the Motorola Droid swirled into the gadget rumor mill this summer. And even as Verizon unveiled its television commercial attacking the iPhone, firm details on the Droid remained few and far between. That is, until now.
Officially announced on October 28 and set for a November 6 release, the Droid delivers on much of the hype. The display is gorgeous, the Android 2.0 updates are excellent, and the handset is lightning fast, particularly for an Android phone. We'll refrain from using the dreaded "iPhone killer" expression, but comparisons between the two devices are obvious, and we see the Droid as a real competitor to Apple's device. On the downside, we weren't crazy about the keyboard and dialpad accessibility, the calendars aren't fully integrated, and we'd prefer to see dual-mode (GSM/CDMA) capability. But for Verizon's first pass at Android, the Droid more than delivers. And even better, it's a clear departure from Verizon's locked-down past. At $199, the Droid is on par with T-Mobile's Android device, but it's slightly more expensive than Sprint's devices.
Design and display
At first glance, you might not think the Motorola Droid's design amounts to much. Its build is rather dull and the sharp angles result in a boxy look. But this is a smartphone with a lot of surprises, the biggest being the positively gorgeous WVGA display. At 3.7 inches, it surpasses even the iPhone and is firmly in the bounds of what we consider to be an acceptable size for a touch-screen display. Color support is generous (16 million hues) and the resolution (440x854 pixels) is some of the richest we've seen. We aren't kidding when we say that this display is bright and brilliant with vibrant colors and sharp graphics. It also lends itself well to the welcome Android 2.0 interface updates (more on that later).

As we said, the Droid's display is spectacular.

Of course, with such a large display, the Droid is rather big (4.56 inches tall by 2.36 inches wide by 0.54 inch thick), but that's a small price to pay for the top-notch display. You'll notice that the Droid is heavy (5.96 ounces) compared with other smartphones, but the trim design keeps it portable. We also welcome the solid feel in the hand, even if the slider mechanism is a bit quirky. The actual sliding motion is quite stiff, but the front face doesn't really lock into place on either end. Indeed, we noticed that even a gentle nudge can start to close the Droid. No, it's not a big deal, but it's something to consider.

The Droid is slightly larger than the iPhone.

The capacitive display's touch interface is quick and responsive and we love the added multitouch capability. As with previous Android phones, there's vibrating feedback only for certain functions (like a "long press"), though you can turn off the haptic feedback completely if you desire. When we selected items and scrolled through long lists, there was no lag time in performing the command (more on that later, as well). You also can customize the display's brightness, backlighting time, and animations. The accelerometer will adjust the display's orientation as you rotate the Droid in your hands, but you can turn this feature off.
Outside of the upgrades from Android 2.0 and the Droid-specific tweaks, the basic interface will be familiar to Android users. You get only three home screens--we prefer the five we got on the Motorola Cliq--but you can customize each pane with widgets. And, of course, the central pane has the Google search bar. The main menu is accessible via the pull tab at the bottom of the display. The menu's design is mostly unchanged. You can move icons around and add shortcuts and folders.
Keypad and controls
Below the Droid's display are four touch controls: Back, Home, Search, and Menu. They perform the same functions as on other Android phones, with the search and menu keys being the most useful. The former activates Google search with just one press, and the latter opens relevant menu commands for various handset modes and features. Though the touch controls are responsive, they're not very big. And at the end of the day, we'd prefer actual physical buttons. We know this all comes down to a personal preference, but that is ours.

The Droid has four touch controls below the display.

In a baffling change from previous devices, the Droid does not have a physical Talk control. Instead, you'll have to access the calling functions through a widget on the display. We're not in love with this change, mostly because we prefer to be able to call up the phone dialer without having to go through the home screen. For example, you have to close the browser if you want to make a call while viewing a Web page. The phone dialer interface is mostly the same. The buttons are square rather than round, but you get access to your call log, voice mail, contacts list, and favorites.

We don't love the Droid's keyboard just yet.

When you open the Droid to display the physical keyboard, the screen orientation will change automatically. Though many users will welcome a physical keyboard, we weren't particularly impressed. The keys are flush and squashed next to each other, which makes it difficult to text quickly or by feel. Also, though the buttons do give a slight downward "push," they're a bit slick and we were thrown off by the "dummy keys" on either end of the bottom row. On the whole it is a better experience than the T-Mobile G1, but typing is not nearly as comfortable as with the Cliq or even with the Samsung Moment. Sure, you'd probably get used to it eventually, but on the first pass we have our reservations.
The letters on the keys are large and backlit for dialing in the dark. Four rows of keys do mean that numbers and common punctuation and symbols double up with letters. That's common on smartphones, so we won't make a big deal and we like that the top row of keys isn't too close to the slider. Fortunately, there are a fair number of additional controls. We welcome the two Shift keys and the two Alt keys (they sit in pairs on either side of the keyboard), the large and convenient space bar, and the menu and search keys. You'll also find the usual back and delete buttons. Additional symbols, however, require a separate virtual keyboard.
Speaking of which, the Android virtual keyboard is largely the same, but Google says it revamped the keyboard layout for faster, more-accurate typing. We haven't noticed specific design changes just yet, but we'll explore a bit more. Also, as Google puts it, "the multitouch support ensures that key presses aren't missed while typing rapidly with two fingers." When using either keyboard, Android 2.0 offers a better dictionary that includes contacts names.
The toggle and central OK button next to the display is easy to use. It can help you browse through the menus and select items, but with the exception of games, we barely used it given the fantastic display. It's flush as well, but it's quite large and accessible. On the downside, however, it does shrink the width of the keyboard. Some users may not mind, but we noticed its impact.

The Droid has a 3.5 millimeter headset jack.

The remaining physical controls consist of a volume rocker and a camera shutter on the left spine. Both are almost flat, but we could find the rocker when on a call. The Micro-USB port is used for a USB cable and (thankfully) the charger. You also use it to connect the Droid with the multimedia dock. We're pleased with the 3.5 millimeter headset jack on the phone's top end. Not only can you use your own headset, but it's also in a convenient place. A stiff power control sits next to the port, while the camera lens, flash, and stereo speakers rest on the rear face. Unfortunately, you have to remove the battery to access the microSD card slot.

You must remove the Droid's battery to access its memory card slot.

Features
The Motorola Droid offers a number of the same core features as previous Android devices, such as the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment. However, it's distinct in that the Droid is the first smartphone to run Android 2.0, which brings a crop of new features and interface enhancements. For this review, we'll concentrate more on the new rather than the old, but to learn more about some of Android's main functionalities, please check out reviews of other Android smartphones.
Android 2.0 updates
As we mentioned earlier, the home screen and main menu on Motorola Droid don't look terribly different from, say, the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G's at a glance. However, as you use the device, you'll notice subtle changes and enhancements that make the user interface a bit more refined and streamlined; the gorgeous display doesn't hurt, either.
Also, although it's a Motorola phone, the Droid does not use the MotoBlur software that we saw on the Motorola Cliq. Part of the reason is that the Droid is targeted for a bit of a different audience than the Cliq (read: older, more business-oriented) so it didn't really jibe with the experience that Moto and Verizon want to offer to its customers, and we think that was a good decision. In MotoBlur's place, there is a Facebook widget on the Droid that you can use to update your own status and scroll through your friends' updates. Other preloaded widgets and shortcuts include YouTube, a corporate calendar, and something called "Power Control" where you can turn on/off your wireless connections, adjust brightness, and so forth--quite handy.
Some other minor changes include the slightly revamped onscreen dialer mentioned in the Design section, as well a new lock screen that features a sliding curve that allows you to unlock the phone as well as adjust the its volume simply by dragging your finger from one side of the screen to the other.
E-mail, calendar, and contacts
Perhaps one of the top highlights of Android 2.0 is the expanded capabilities of the personal information management tools, including e-mail, calendar, and contacts.
The Droid now offers native Microsoft Exchange synchronization out of the box for e-mail, calendar, and contacts, in addition to support for Gmail and POP3 and IMAP accounts. Note that only Exchange and Gmail offer push delivery, while POP3 and IMAP messages are retrieved at user-specified time intervals, starting at every 5 minutes up to every hour. With Android 2.0, you can have messages from various accounts displayed in one unified in-box; messages are color-coded by account so you can visually differentiate them at a glance. Of course, you can also choose to separate them if you like to keep your personal and work lives separate.
Unfortunately (well, depending on your preference), it doesn't appear that you can combine work and personal calendars as you can on the Palm Pre. Instead, you'll find separate apps for your corporate calendar and your personal one. The corporate calendar is full featured in that you can send messages to meeting attendees, see who has RSVP'd to an event, and/or create your own invites and have it all synced back to your PC.
With the support for various accounts, contact management could get a bit dodgy, but the Droid offers a pretty smart contact management system. Similar to the Palm WebOS Synergy feature, the Droid merges contact information from various accounts, Exchange, Gmail, and Facebook, and combines them on a single contact card for an individual. When you pull up a contact, you'll then be able to see the contact's Facebook status, photos, various e-mail addresses, IM handles, and so forth.
There's also a handy Quick Contact feature: you simply tap on a contact's photo and a toolbar offers you the various ways to get in touch with that person. It's also smart in that you can choose to sync all your Facebook contacts or just those who are already in your contacts database.
Browser
Android 2.0 also brings some improvements to the Web browser, which now supports HTML5. You can add visual bookmarks and toggle between multiple windows through a simple list view. What's more, thanks to the aforementioned multitap support, you can now double-tap on the screen to zoom in and out of Web pages. It's certainly easier than tapping the magnifying glass numerous times, but we still like the simplicity and ease of use of the pinching gesture used on the iPhone or the Palm Pre.
Most importantly, though, the browser feels faster. With a cortex A8 processor and support for Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network, CNET's full site loaded in 14 seconds while CNN's and ESPN's mobile sites came up in 8 seconds and 5 seconds, respectively. For comparison, we checked out the same sites on the Samsung Moment for Sprint and the Moment's browser results were 40 seconds, 9 seconds, and 8 seconds in the order listed above. We'll continue to test the browser over the next few days, but the difference in speed doesn't go unnoticed.
Finally, while the Droid's browser doesn't have Flash Lite support, it does have a plug-in that will support Adobe's Flash 10 player when it's available. We also like the refurbished browser interface that includes bookmark thumbnails.
Universal search
With all this information stored on the Droid and the World Wide Web in the palm of your hand, search is key and the Droid certainly delivers on that front. From the home screen, you can easily enter terms into the Google search box either by typing or using Google Voice search and the Droid will search the Web, your text and multimedia messages, your contacts, and your multimedia library for any relevant results. It can search through messages, but you must be in your in-box to do so.
Google Maps Navigation
The Motorola Droid is equipped with GPS/A-GPS, but what's different is the new Google Maps Navigation app. While still in beta, you can now get voice-guided, text-to-speech directions, instead of just text-based instructions, on Google Maps. And the best part? It's free. You don't have to sign up for a monthly subscription or pay a day-use fee for a location-based service, such as VZ Navigator, and in fact, VZ Navigator isn't even offered as an option.
Google Maps also offers layered maps with traffic data, satellite view, and Google Latitude. You can perform searches simply by typing a term, or you can use Google Voice search and speak a business name or general category right into the phone. Once done, Google Maps displays your search results; you can tap on a result, which will bring up numerous options, including navigation, call, or street view. While all of this is wonderful, there are some limitations.
Since we've only had the smartphone for a few hours, we haven't been able to take the Droid and Google Maps Navigation for a road test, but we certainly will over the next day or two. It looks very promising, however, and is certainly a huge feature addition for Android 2.0. We'll be interested to see what kind of affect it will have on LBS providers if it takes off.
We should note that a separate car mount will be available for $30. Once docked to the car cradle, the Droid will automatically display a navigation menu from where you can plan a trip, view maps and directions, and search businesses. Undocked, there's an app called Car Home that shows the same options.
Multimedia
One area that remains relatively untouched by Android 2.0 is the built-in media player. There aren't any major enhancements to the player in terms of interface or functionality, which is too bad. You still get support for MP3, AAC, AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI, and Windows Media Audio 9 formats and the player includes shuffle, repeat, and playlist creation. You can advance and revisit previous tracks by tapping the forward and back buttons or you can swipe the album covers using the touch screen. Unfortunately, there is no syncing software to help you manage and transfer your music. As it is right now, you have to use the old drag-and-drop method using the USB cable or sideload them using a microSD card.
Of course, you can also download songs via the Amazon MP3 store. The store allows you to browse by album, song, artist, or genre. You can download the DRM-free songs over Wi-Fi as well as Verizon's 3G network, though the Droid advises you switch to Wi-Fi when possible since it's faster. We downloaded several tracks from Amazon using the carrier's 3G network and it took an average of around 1 minute and 15 seconds from purchase to download.
Music quality was quite good. Thanks to the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, we plugged in our Bose On-ear Headphones and enjoyed rich-sounding songs. We listened to a variety of music, from punk rock to pop to classical, and found a nice balance between treble and bass. Songs even sounded decent coming from the phone's speakers. There was plenty of volume and while slightly harsh, the audio wasn't as tinny as it is on some other smartphones we've tested.

We like the Droid's multimedia dock.

Motorola offers a multimedia dock accessory, which also is sold separately for $30. When you slip in the Droid you get a nifty digital clock interface with instant access to local weather, the media player, the photo gallery, and the alarm clock. You can even change the backlighting color for a softer look. The dock is very handy as a stand for watching videos and you can connect the charger to power the phone while it's inserted. Unfortunately, a wired headset is not included in the Droid's box.
As with other Android devices, there's a dedicated YouTube app. You can comment on clips, favorite them, or share videos via e-mail and Facebook, as well as view them in high quality if available. Obviously, load times and quality depend on the video, but in general, we found that video playback was smoother and didn't require much rebuffering. One of the features that Motorola and Verizon highlighted when giving us a demo of the Droid was its multimedia capabilities, but we think that Google really has to step it up and make more moves, like expanding the video capabilities (for example, the capability to purchase videos from other services), in the near future to make the statement really ring true.
Camera
The 5-megapixel camera takes pictures in three resolutions and boasts a slick user interface. For example, it's now easier to switch to video mode. With previous Android phones, we've complained about the lack of camera editing options. Fortunately, Android fixes that problem by adding four white balance settings, several "scene" modes (night, landscape, sunset, and so on), three image quality choices, an autofocus, a macro setting, and seven color effects. The Droid also has a dual-LED flash.

The Droid's camera lens and flash are on its rear side.

Camcorder settings are fewer, but you can edit the video quality and the length allowed for each clip. You can film for 30 seconds if you're adding the video to a multimedia message, but you can go for up to 30 minutes in normal mode. When finished with your clips and shots, you can store them on the phone or transfer them off using e-mail, a multimedia message, Bluetooth, the memory card, or a USB cable. You even can upload shots directly to Facebook and Picasa with geotags.

The Droid's photos had a pinkish tone.

Photo quality was decent, but not spectacular. Though colors were bright, our images were a tad fuzzy and had a pinkish tone. The flash adds a decent amount of light, but still is a bit dim in completely dark situations. Video quality is actually fairly good--it could handle action better than its Android counterparts and there was little pixelation. Indeed, a closer look at the specs told us why. Not only do videos record at a 720x480 resolution, the Droid films at 24 frames per second (fps) (video playback can go up to 30fps). You can access the media gallery directly from the camera interface. Once there, the normal Android slideshow interface lets you view your work.
Android Market
You can download free and paid apps and games from the Android Market. The Market's interface received a much-needed upgrade with 1.6--we like the white background and the more intuitive search. Android 2.0 doesn't appear to offer any additional changes, which is fine in the short term. On the other hand, the quantity and quality of apps continues to grow every day. For updates and reviews of available Android apps, visit our Android Atlas blog. Of course, you must store apps on the handset's integrated memory, which is limited to 512MB ROM and 256MB RAM. The Droid's memory card slot is only for saving photos, music, and other attachment files. You get a 16GB card in the box, but the slot is compatible with cards up to 32GB.
Basic features
Essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, and an alarm clock. And though we've said it before, we want Android to offer additional organizer options like a world clock, a notepad, a file manager, and a to-do list. Beyond the basics, you'll have 802.11b Wi-Fi, USB mass storage, Google voice search, Google Talk, instant messaging, visual voice mail, PC syncing, and speaker-independent voice dialing. Stereo Bluetooth is also onboard, but Android 2.0 adds object push and phone book access profiles.
Internal performance
The Droid makes a big leap in internal performance. Compared with its rather sluggish Android predecessors, the Droid is lighting fast when opening applications and menus, scrolling through lists and switching display screens. The integrated 600Mhz processor no doubt helps, but we came away impressed and almost amazed with the Droid's internal performance and its capability to run multiple applications at once.
Call quality and performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO Rev. A) Motorola Droid in San Francisco using Verizon service and call quality was excellent. We enjoyed crisp-sounding audio on our end, with little-to-no background noise, so we had no problems hearing our callers or using an airline's voice-automated response system. Our friends also had good things to say about call quality, though they could hear a slight echo at the end of sentences when we activated the speakerphone. On our side, we had no problems with the speakerphone; volume was plenty loud, with no disruptions.
We didn't have any dropped calls during our testing period and had no problems pairing the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset or the Motorola S9 Active Bluetooth Headphones. The Droid has a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M3 and T3.
We admit we're disappointed the Droid doesn't have dual-mode capability for domestic CDMA networks and GSM networks abroad. The Droid is a nice device and we would hate to leave it at home when we left the country. Such capability would also be of great benefit to business users, who are among the Droid's main target market.
The Droid has a rated battery life of 6.4 hours talk time and 11.25 days standby time. According to FCC radiation tests, the Motorola Cliq has a digital SAR rating of 1.49 watts per kilogram.

Thanks for reading! -Nick

Space

2009-10-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Missions to Mars Graphic Shows 52.4% Failure Rate

Computer News

2009-10-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

Have Any Questions About Your Computer?

2009-10-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

(Windows OS Only)
If you have a problem with your computer, email your question to:
Btodell@hotmail.com
or
Nickodell5@hotmail.com

We will try to answer your question and send you back the answer ASAP!
(P.S. This is NOT a service, we are just here to answer QUESTIONS)
Thank You
-Bradley

Fun

2009-10-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

World

2009-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Renewable Energy

2009-10-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Dell's New Solar Parking Lot

2009-10-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

"Think about how hot your car gets on a sunny day. Dell decided to harvest all that wasted energy by installing these solar panels in their parking lot. Now they're keeping cars cool and putting that sunlight to good use." More after the jump.
"The structure generates 130 kilowatts of solar power, enough to offset 145,000 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions annually. There are even charging terminals available for electric cars, but only two can be charged at a time. Seems like a pretty smart way to keep drivers comfortable and harvest some spare energy on the side."
Source: Gizmodo

One thing they forgot to mention, additional energy will be saved because cars will not have to run their air conditioning as much if they sit in the shade. That means they will use less gasoline and therefore cost less. Just saying....

Sharp Triple Layer Solar Cell Sets New Efficiency Record

2009-10-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

"The gauntlet has been thrown down yet again in the solar cell efficiency arms race. This time Sharp comes up with a cell that can harvest 35.8% of available sunlight."
See more after the jump.

"How do they do it? With a triple junction compound solar cell that uses three photo absorption layers made from elements like indium and gallium. I'll leave it to the physical chemistry geniuses among you to explain exactly what that means in the comments.
You might have heard of efficiency ratings that climb into the 40% range. Sharp even lists one in their press release. To clarify, those are different tests. Apparently there's a distinction made in efficiency ratings between concentrated and unfocused light. The more you know, right?
Don't expect to be covering your house in these soon, they're meant for use in satellites."
Source: Gizmodo

Even though they may only be used in satellites at the moment, the new technology could possible be implemented into solar panel type products. I think its great that these technologies are becoming available and are advancing. Thanks, Nick.

The Windows 7 Verdict: You Can Quit Complaining Now

2009-10-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Could Windows 7 accomplish everything that's expected of it? Probably not, but it makes a damn good attempt. We've tested the gold master, the final version going out on October 22. Upgrade without trepidation, people. With excitement, even.

Windows 7 is not quite a "Vista service pack." It does share a lot of the core tech, and was clearly designed to fix nearly every bad thing anyone said about Vista. Which ironically puts the demon that it was trying to exorcise at its heart. What that means is that Windows 7 is what Vista should have been in the public eye—a solid OS with plenty of modern eye candy that mostly succeeds in taking Windows usability into the 21st century—but it doesn't daringly innovate or push boundaries or smash down walls or whatever verb meets solid object metaphor you want to use, because it had a specific set of obligations to meet, courtesy of its forebear.
That said, if you're coming from Windows XP, Windows 7 will totally feel like a revelation from the glossy future. If you're coming from Vista, you'll definitely go "Hey, this is much better!" the first time you touch Aero Peek. If you're coming from a Mac, you'll—-hahahahaha. But seriously, even the Mactards will have to tone down their nasal David Spadian snide, at least a little bit.
The Long Shadow of Windows Vista
The public opinion of Windows Vista—however flawed it might have been—clearly left a deep impact on Microsoft. While we've got final Windows 7 code, it's hard to look 2 1/2 months into the future to predict what the Windows 7 launch will be like. However, based on this code, and the biggest OS beta testing process in history, it sure won't look like the beleaguered Vista launch at all.
If you installed Vista on your PC within the first month of its release, there was a solid chance your computer ran like crap, or your gadgets didn't work, since drivers weren't available yet. That's not how it shakes down with Windows 7. The hardware requirements for Windows 7 are basically the same as they are for Vista, the first time ever a release of Windows hasn't required significantly more horsepower than the previous one. And it runs better on that hardware, or at least feels like it does.
We ran real-world benchmarking on two test machines, a nearly two-year-old Dell XPS M1330 with 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, an Nvidia 8400M GS and a 64GB SSD, and an 18-month-old desktop with 3GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, an Nvidia 8800GT and a 10,000rpm drive. Results suggest there's little actual difference between Vista and Windows 7 performance-wise on the same hardware, as you can see:

Ambiguous benchmarking aside, our experience during the beta period was that Windows 7 actually ran beautifully, even on netbooks that made Vista cry like a spoiled child who'd had its solid gold spoon shoved up its butt sideways, so the difference isn't based entirely on "feelings." Even Microsoft never attempted to market a Vista for netbooks, but is gladly offering Windows 7 to that category.
Installing XP, Vista and Windows 7 on the same hardware over the space of a week also proved that point: Hardware just worked when I booted up Windows 7 for the first time, while my machines were practically catatonic with XP until I dug up the drivers, and gimped with Vista until I dutifully updated. Hitting Windows Update in Windows 7, I was offered a couple of drivers that were actually current, like ones for my graphics cards. Centralizing the delivery of drivers is huge in making the whole drivers thing less over whelming. (It helps that manufacturers are actively putting out drivers for their gear this go-around, rather than waiting until the last minute, as they tended to with Vista.)
Microsoft has even corrected the pricing spike that Vista introduced, even if they didn't fully streamline that confusing, pulsating orgy of versions. A full version of Windows 7 Home Premium is $200, down from $260, and if you were lucky, you could've pre-ordered an upgrade version for $50. (Microsoft says that deal has sold out, but we wouldn't be shocked to find it re-upped in the near future, possibly even as we head toward the October 22 launch.) So yes, most of the early Vista problems—performance, compatibility and price, to an extent—will likely not be early Windows 7 problems.
What's Good
Windows 7 is the biggest step forward in usability since Windows 95. In fact, over half of what makes it better than Vista boils down to user interface improvements and enhancements, not so much actual new features.
Its fancy new user interface—the heart of which is Aero Peek, making every open window transparent except the one you're focusing on at the moment so you can find what you're looking for—actually changes the way you use Windows. It breaks the instinct to maximize windows as you're using them; instead, you simply let windows hang out, since it's much easier to juggle them. In other words, it radically reorients the UI around multitasking. After six months of using Aero Peek and the new launcher taskbar, going back to Vista's taskbar, digging through collapsed app bars, or even its Peek-less Alt+Tab feels barbaric and primitive. I wouldn't mind an Mac OS Exposé ripoff to complete the multitasking triumph, though.
Windows 7 brings back a sense of a tightness and control that was sometimes missing in Vista—there's a techincal reason for this relating in part to the way graphics are handled—moments where I've felt like I wasn't in control of my PC have been few and far between, even during the beta and release candidate periods. The more chaste User Account Control goes to that—the frequency with which it interrupts you was grating in Vista, like standing under a dripping faucet. But it actually works as Microsoft intended now, with more security, since you're less likely to repeatedly hammer "OK" to anything that pops up, just so it leaves you the hell alone.
Other super welcome improvements are faster, more logical search—in the Music folder for instance, you can narrow by artist, genre or album—and more excellent file previews, though they're not quite as awesome as what OS X offers up. (And why aren't they on by default?) There are lots of little things that make you say, "finally" or "that's great," like legit codec support baked in to Windows Media Player, Device Stage when you plug in your gadgets, or the retardiculously awesome background images.
In short, Windows 7 is what Windows should feel like in 2009.
What's Not So Good
There are a few spots Microsoft rubbed polish on that still don't quite shine. Networking is much, much better than Vista—the wireless networking interface isn't completely stupid anymore—but the Network and Sharing Center still doesn't quite nail it in terms of making networking or sharing easy for people who don't really know what they're doing. I wouldn't turn my mom loose inside of it, anyway. The HomeGroup concept for making it easy to share files sounds good in theory, but in practice, it's no slam dunk. I imagine regular people asking, "What's up with crazy complicated password I have to write down? Can I share files with PCs not in my HomeGroup? What's all this other stuff in my Network that's not in my HomeGroup?"
Not all parts of the user experience are sweeter now. Microsoft, just fix the unwieldy Control Panel interface, please. (Hint: Steal OS X's. Everything's visible and categorized.) And Windows Media Player's UI while you're at it. If it makes iTunes look simple, it's got problems. I'd really like to be able to pin folders directly to the Taskbar as well, not simply to the Windows Explorer icon in the Taskbar. It's kind of confusing behavior, actually—why can you pin some icons (apps or files) and not others (folders)?
Internet Explorer 8 ain't so great, either. It's better than IE7, sure, and actually sorta supports modern web standards. But you'll be downloading Firefox, Opera, or Chrome as soon as you get Win 7 up and running, since IE's not better than any of them. And while you could argue you wouldn't be so inclined to use Microsoft's own mail application either, you might, but you'll have to download it first. Instead of being app-packed, Windows 7 gives you an optional update for Live Essentials, with apps like Mail, Photo Gallery and MovieMaker. Some people might like the cleaner install, but this is a fairly senseless de-coupling—not including a mail app with your own OS? I know those European regulators are ridiculous, but come on.
I suppose the biggest thing missing from Windows 7 is any sense of daring (psychedelic wallpapers aside). It's a very safe release: Take what was good about Vista, fix what people bitched about, and voila. We get it, people want a safe operating system, not an experiment in behavioral science. But even as Windows 7 restores some of the joy in using Windows, you get the sense that it could've been more, if it hadn't been saddled with the tainted legacy of Vista. I wonder what Windows 7 would have been without Vista.
The Verdict
Windows XP was a great OS in its day. Windows Vista, once it found its feet several months in, was a good OS. With Windows 7, the OS is great again. It's what people said they wanted out of Windows: Solid, more nimble and the easiest, prettiest Windows yet. There's always a chance this won't be a huge hit come October, given the economy and the state of the PC industry, but it's exactly what Microsoft needs right now. Something people can grab without fear.
Read Part 2
For a more in-depth feature breakdown and what we thought, check out our Windows 7 Best Features and Tips guide.

In Brief:
The redesigned Aero Interface is super slick with lots of transparencies and smooth animations and it actually makes Windows easier to use
It performs great on the same hardware as Vista, even playing nice on netbooks Vista wouldn't
Device Stage makes you want to plug gadgets into your PC
It fixes almost everything you hated about Vista (don't look at me, I didn't think Vista was bad)
Media Player still sucks to use, though "Play To" and internet streaming features are nifty
It'd be nice if the $50 upgrade deal kept running
IE8, while better, still isn't as good as Firefox, Chrome or Safari
The mess that is Control Panel—after all that UI work, what the eff, guys?
Too many versions still

Source: Gizmodo

Missions to Mars Graphic Shows 52.4% Failure Rate

2009-10-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Mars. There has to be little green men with ACME weapons living there. Or we have some incredibly bad luck when it comes to sending spacecrafts to the Red Planet. Most of them fail, for one reason or the other.

Out of 42 missions, only 20 have succeeded. That's less than 50% chance of survival. And it gets worse: Of those, only eight were actually programmed to land on Mars, which is actually the theoretically difficult part.
While the success rate increased after 1971, I would be very nervous if I were a budding astronaut wanting to go up there—and still, I wish I was that astronaut. Better go in style while trying to reach the glory, than staying down here, slowly turning to dust.
Sourc: Gizmodo

Click on the picture to open an HD version in a new tab/window. You simply click to zoom on the new picture.

If you suffer Acrophobia, don't look at this

2009-10-21T18:00:00.001-07:00

Photoshop whiners of the world: Stop saying words! This is not a photomontage. These two doors and the stair are very real, suspended many feet up on the concrete walls of the Congress Hall in Biel, Switzerland. Of course, those doors and the stairs weren't in the original plans. The original architects weren't as crazy as Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann, the artists who built this vertigo inducing piece.
Source, Gizmodo

Badgers

2009-10-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like badgers? There so cute and fuzzy...especially when they cover your screen :)
Check out the Flash Video -

2009-10-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

All Games

Top 10 Games

Random Defence

Age of War

Super Crazy Guitar Maniac Deluxe 2

Swords and Sandals 2

Last Stand

Champion Archer

Gunmaster Onslaught

Bloon Tower Defence 3

Ultimate Assassin 2

Renegade Commanders

More Games

Free Rider 2

Bowmaster Prelude

Sift Heads

Sift Heads 2

Sift Heads 3

Sift Heads 4

Sift Heads 5

Incredibots

Incredibots 2

Cargo Bridge

FWG Island

Learn to Fly

Line Flyer

Ragdoll Avalanche 2

Tanks

Dow Tops 10,000

2009-10-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has topped 10,000 for the first time since October 2008! Recovery on the way? Maybe, but nothing fast, if anything. See MSNBC article after the break.

NEW YORK - When the Dow Jones industrial average first passed 10,000, traders tossed commemorative caps and uncorked champagne. This time around, the feeling was more like relief.

The best-known barometer of the stock market entered five-figure territory again Wednesday, the most visible sign yet that investors believe the economy is clawing its way back from the worst downturn since the Depression.

The milestone caps a stunning 53 percent comeback for the Dow since early March, when stocks were at their lowest levels in more than a decade.

"It's almost like an announcement that the bear market is over," said Arthur Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co. in Boston. "That is an eye-opener — 'Hey, you know what, things must be getting better because the Dow is over 10,000.'"

Cheers went up briefly when the Dow eclipsed the milestone in the early afternoon, during a daylong rally driven by encouraging earnings reports from Intel Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. The average closed at 10,015.86, up 144.80 points.

It was the first time the Dow had touched 10,000 since October 2008, that time on the way down.

"I think there were times when we were in the deep part of the trough there back in the springtime when it felt like we'd never get back to this level," said Bernie McSherry, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Cuttone & Co.

Ethan Harris, head of North America economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, described it as a "relief rally that the world is not coming to an end."

The mood was far from the euphoria of March 1999, when the Dow surpassed 10,000 for the first time. The Internet then was driving extraordinary gains in productivity, and serious people debated whether there was such a thing as a boom without end.

"If this is a bubble," The Wall Street Journal marveled on its front page, "it sure is hard to pop."

It did pop, of course. And then came the lost decade.

The Dow peaked at 14,164.53 in October 2007, then lost more than half its value after the financial meltdown last fall. At its low point, the average stood at 6,547.05. The breathtaking rally since then brings stocks to roughly break-even for the past 10 years.

On Wednesday, the Dow rose 144.80, or 1.5 percent, to 10,015.86, its biggest gain since Aug. 21 and highest close since Oct. 3 last year.

Broader indexes also climbed to 2009 highs. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 18.83, or 1.8 percent, to 1,092.02. The index, the basis of many mutual funds, is up 61.4 percent from a 12-year low in March.

The Nasdaq composite index rose 32.34, or 1.5 percent, to 2,172.23. It's up 71.2 percent since March.

So where does the market go from here?

Some market watchers see 10,000 as an illusion because there are still lingering threats to an economic recovery — rising unemployment, weak consumer spending and a battered housing market.

The investors who have driven stocks higher since March are the pros: hedge funds and institutions whose furious selling hastened the collapse of the market in the first place.

And red flags are showing up in the technical charts that professional investors use as they make their trading decisions. The Dow sits about 18 percent above its average of the past 200 days.

"The market by all technical indicators is completely overbought, just like back in March it was completely oversold," said Rich Hughes, co-president of Portfolio Management Consultants in Los Angeles.

On the other hand, Wall Street analysts say 10,000 is more than just a number — it can have legitimate psychological implications.

A recovering stock market soothes the psyche as people watch their portfolios and 401(k) retirement accounts being replenished. And if people start spending again, that may persuade more investors, including some reluctant pros, to go back into the market.

"Psychology plays a huge role in investing, so when you're trying to overcome the huge levels of panic and fear that we've seen over the last year, psychology shouldn't be discounted," said Carl Beck, a partner at Harris Financial Group.

Many investors, especially individuals, are afraid they'll put money into the market only to watch it disappear if stocks plunge again. It's happened before: In 1975, stocks rose 53 percent in less than four months after a recession. Then they lost 11 percent before climbing again in early 1976.

If stocks follow historical patterns, they could be nearing their peak. Assuming the recession technically ended this summer, as many economists believe, the Dow's surge since March puts it near where past rebounds have started to fade.

On top of that, there are still plenty of problems that could trip up the market. Companies posted better-than-expected earnings in the second quarter, but mostly because of cost-cutting, not the sales increases needed to keep growing.

Earnings reports from chip maker Intel Corp. and banker JPMorgan Chase & Co. gave the Dow its final push past 10,000.

JPMorgan, the first major bank to report third-quarter earnings, stoked the market's optimism as it easily beat Wall Street's expectations, reporting a profit of $3.59 billion for the July-September period. The stock, a Dow component, rose $1.50, or 3.3 percent, to $47.16.

Financial stocks have posted the biggest gains since the rally began, but they were also among the most decimated. JPMorgan is up 197 percent and Bank of America Corp. is up 492 percent.

Intel also beat analysts' estimates, reporting a smaller-than-expected drop in profits and sales after the market closed Tuesday. Intel rose 34 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $20.83.

Individual investors remain cautious. In August, well into the rally, they put $11 into bond funds for every dollar they put into stock funds, according to the Investment Company Institute, the mutual fund trade group.

But they appear to slowly be coming back to stocks. Retail brokerage TD Ameritrade reported an average of 431,000 trades a day in August, up from barely more than 300,000 when the market was sliding in January and February.

If the market can hold Wednesday's milestone, investors should grow even more confident.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it made Joe Main Street more comfortable," David Kelson, portfolio manager of Talon Asset Management in Chicago.

Bond prices fell as stocks soared. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.42 percent from 3.35 percent late Tuesday.

Oil jumped $1.03 to settle at $75.18 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 12.24, or 2 percent, to 623.94.

Source: MSNBC

Airship Concept That Looks 85 Years Into The Future

2009-10-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

This whale-like entry into KLM Indonesia's aircraft design competition reminds me of the French "Manned Cloud" concept from a few years back. The WB-1010 would seat more than 1500 people, and use a combination of super-jet, helium, and wind power.

More after the break...

The concept's designer, Reindy Allendra, imagines the aircraft being constructed from material similar to the giant Airbus A380's GLARE composite: Glass-Reinforced Fiber Metal Laminate made of thin layers of metal and glass fiber.
The WB-1010 would supplement its fuel use with the ability to harvest wind energy into electricity. An extractable robotic stand would also be used during the craft's vertical landings.
Totally pie in the sky stuff, but very cool. Zoom in on the pic above for specifics. I wonder if United will actually have in-flight Wi-Fi on more than 13 planes 85 years from now? [Reindy Allendra via Yanko Design]

Source: Gizmodo

Planet Fixers: This Month's Innovations For a Greener Future

2009-10-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Smoke and Mirrors Mirrors direct sunlight onto the solar plant’s tower, heating air to run a turbine that powers 70 nearby homes. Aora/Haim Fried

Flower Power

Any blossom would stand out in the desert of southern Israel, but you’d be hard-pressed to miss a 98-foot-tall one. The tulip-shaped tower is the centerpiece of the world’s first hybrid-solar power plant, opened this summer by Israeli start-up AORA Solar. An array of 30 mirrors focuses the sun’s rays on the central steel bud. Inside, the solar energy heats air to 1,800ºF, causing it to expand and spin a turbine to generate 100 kilowatts. When night falls or clouds obscure the sun, the plant helps heat the air with a standard diesel combuster running on up to eight gallons per hour to provide consistent electricity output, unlike strictly solar plants. AORA is working with Spanish, Chilean and Australian companies to export the tech, which could be reconfigured to burn biofuel, says Pinchas Doron, the company’s chief technology officer. “Soon,” he says, “it could be green energy 24/7.”

More after the break...

Turn, Turn, Turn: Beacon Power’s flywheels spin to 16,000 rpm and make electricity as they slow. Brian Smith

Power on Tap

Power plants often pump more electricity into the grid than consumers demand, and that unused juice fizzles away. Now Beacon Power’s energy-storage plant uses that excess to power motors that spin carbon-fiber flywheels. When customers need extra power, the motors stop driving the flywheels and, as the wheels decelerate, convert their motion into electricity. The company recently added 10 flywheels—redesigned to run continuously without overheating—to its two-megawatt facility in Massachusetts, making it the first flywheel system that can feed the grid at any time. Next, Beacon will build a 20-megawatt facility in New York State that could save 33,000 barrels of oil a year.

Yo-Yo Kites

A kite flown in a strong breeze will quickly unspool string as it climbs higher. KiteGen Research in Italy aims to turn that action into electricity. The company developed a prototype that flies 200-square-foot kites to altitudes of 2,600 feet, where wind streams are four times as strong as they are near ground-based wind turbines. As the kite’s tether unspools, it spins an alternator that generates up to 40 kilowatts. Once the kite reaches its peak altitude, it collapses, and motors quickly reel it back in to restart the cycle. This spring, KiteGen started building a machine to fly a 1,500-square-foot kite, which it plans to finish by 2011, that could generate up to three megawatts—enough to power 9,000 homes.

Source: Popsci

Dow Puts Traditional Panels to Shame With New Solar Shingle

2009-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Product should shake up the power industry and open up new era for solar

Inventors and designers have long envisioned a roof or window that produced solar power affordably. However, until now no company had mass produced such a device. Instead, the consumer market was dominated by rooftop panels which require a fair amount of maintenance, are relatively fragile, and are rather expensive.

That's all about to change, however. Dow Chemical Co., one of America's most successful chemical firms, is launching the first mass-produced consumer solar shingle next year and will be planning a wide-scale rollout by 2011. The firm foresees a booming $5B USD market for the shingles.

The new shingles use a thin film of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) to capture solar energy. As a result, the cells which are encased in molded plastic are relatively flexible, unlike their photovoltaic cousins. And while these elements (such as indium) are quite expensive in bulk, they're used extremely sparingly, keeping costs low.

The shingles one weakness is that they manage just over 10 percent efficiencies, less than traditional panels. Despite this smaller generation capacity, they produce power at a 10 to 15 percent lower cost on a per watt basis due to production and installation cost savings.

Roofing contractors greeted the news with "an enthusiastic response" according to Dow, as the shingles require no additional special skills to install. A roof of the shingles can be installed in about 10 hours, versus anywhere from 22 to 30 hours of specialized labor to install traditional panels. These installation costs are an important issue as they comprise approximately half the cost of traditional panels.

It is unclear what wiring will be necessary to connect the shingles to household power, but Dow believes it won't be overly challenging. In total, Dow's solution will become the biggest player in a burgeoning market of "Building Integrated Photovoltaic" (BIPV) systems. While other BIPV solutions exist, many are only available to businesses, and the cost is typically 30 to 40 percent higher than Dow's system.

Dow's system is extremely flexible and can be intermixed with traditional asphalt shingles.

Jane Palmieri, managing director of Dow Solar Solutions states, "We're looking at this one product that could generate $5 billion in revenue by 2015 and $10 billion by 2020."

The new shingles will be produced domestically, with much of production coming from a 1,350-ton Husky Quadloc Tandem injection press newly installed in Midland, Michigan in 2008.

The first deployments of the shingles will be in new housing projects next year through partners such as Lennar Corp and Pulte Homes Inc. These smaller projects will build up to a full rollout the following year. The U.S. Department of Energy has granted Dow a small loan of $20M USD to help make that vision a reality and complete the commercialization of this promising product.

This will not be Dow's first foray into the solar market. It has manufactured high-efficiency photovoltaic panel material for some time now, and also produces the heat-capturing liquid used in concentrated solar power systems.
Source: DailyTech Article

Slow Motion Bullet Impacts at 1,000,000 Frames Per Second

2009-10-12T16:59:00.001-07:00

10 Green Projects That Just Might Save The World

2009-10-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Faced with massive population growth, melting ice caps and the need to own an ever-increasing number of gadgets, the world needs to find sustainable solutions.And it needs to find them quickly, to meet our energy needs for today and tomorrow.
Luckily, far-sighted engineers and government officials are already taking the action required as these 10 great green projects hopefully prove...

1. Qaidam Basin PV, China
Announced in January 2009, the Qaidam Basin solar farm in north-west China will eventually be the world's biggest, generating up to 1GW of on-grid electricity, although the initial phase - due to begin construction this year - will shoot for a more modest 30MW. But as ambitious as the Qaidam Basin project undoubtedly is, its peak energy capacity is just a fraction of what China's coal-fired power stations produced in 2006 - some 90GW, according to EcoGeek. At least it's a step in the right direction.
2. Markbygden, Sweden
With 1,101 turbines located over 450 square kilometres, the Markbygden wind farm will be one of the world's largest when it goes on stream in 2020. It needs to be. Sweden plans to produce 50 per cent of all its energy needs by then through the use of renewables, and Markbydgen will produce 8 per cent of the total. Currently awaiting approval by the Swedish government, the €5-billion farm will eventually produce 12TWh of energy per year.
3. Three Gorges Project, China
This hydroelectric dam will be the world's biggest when it's complete in 2011, producing 22,500MWh of earth-friendly electricity. However the 39.3km3 dam has also been mired in controversy from the outset, causing the displacement of over 1.2 million people and untold environmental damage. Experts have also warned that the Three Gorges dam's position on a series of seismic faults could also trigger a catastrophic earthquake. However, the Three Gorges dam will also remove some 100 million tonnes of CO2 and 2 million tonnes of SO2 that would otherwise have been generated by coal-fired power stations - and the Chinese authorities have finally wised up to the dam's negative aspects, taking steps to ameliorate them.

[Photo credit: Tim Salmon, Flickr]
4. Acciona Amareleja (Moura) PV plant, Portugal
Completed last year, this solar farm is currently the world's biggest, producing 93 million KWh of electricity per year, enough for 30,000 Portuguese households. The 45MW plant - built and run by energy company Acciona Solar - is the latest in a long line of sustainable energy projects being constructed in Portugal, which has few natural resources aside from an over-abundance of sunshine.

5. Siadar Wave Energy Project, Hebrides
Given the UK's status as an island nation, you'd think our shores would be awash with wave farms - power stations that harness the power of the sea to generate energy. Although that's not quite the case, there are signs that we are catching on, with the Siadar Wave Energy Project (SWEP) being just one great example. Jointly developed by the Scottish government and wave energy experts Wavegen, SWEP will produce 4MW of electricity when it's complete in 2011 - enough to power 1,800 Scottish homes on the Western Isles of Lewis and Harris. The plant will be part of a wider Scottish initiative that aims to produce 5.5GW of energy using renewables.

6. Leyte Geothermal Field, Philippines
A natural abundance of 'hot rocks' has turned the Philippines into the second biggest geothermal producer in the world, generating gigawatts of electricity cheaply and sustainably. Leyte, which produces 708MW of electricity, is the biggest of five geothermal fields in the country - the total output of which is enough to meet 28 per cent of The Philippines' energy needs. [via Enerlix]
7. Topaz Solar Farm, San Luis Obispo County, California
Portugal's Moura project maybe the biggest solar farm right now, but it looks like it won't stay that way for long. Due to open in 2012-13 is a 550MW facility 100 miles north of Los Angeles, which will have enough photovoltaic cells to generate sustainable electricity for over 190,000 US homes. The 9.5 square mile facility will join several others commissioned by Pacific Gas & Energy, which aims to produce 3,600MW by sustainable means.

The Topaz Solar Farm in California will use a photovoltaic array, similar to the ones pictured here at Nellis Air Force Base.
8. Sevilla PV, Sanlúcar la Mayor, Spain
This solar farm near Seville, Spain, has to be one of the most breathtaking in Europe. It comprises an array of 600 steel mirrors that redirect the sunlight to the top of a 115m solar tower. There, water vapour is turned into steam, which then drives turbines that generate enough electricity to power 6,000 homes. Abengoa Solar, the company which runs the facility, says the technology used in the project is actually very simple. Its aim is for the 1.2MW farm to eventually generate enough energy to power 600,000 homes.
9. Maglev wind turbines, erm, anywhere?
Another project that could quite literally take your breath away is the maglev wind turbine. In a nutshell, a maglev wind turbine replaces the ball bearings found in traditional designs with neodymium full-permanent magnets. The result is that the turbines only need very low levels of wind power to turn, and can also produce vast quantities of electricity - up to 2GW per turbine, compared to the 5MW available on the biggest turbines now. Inhabitat says production of maglev wind turbines is already underway in China, with more being made by US company Maglev Wind Turbine Technologies.
10. Babcock Ranch, Florida
Currently awaiting approval, Babcock Ranch is a 19,500-dwelling solar city that will also be home to one of the largest photovoltaic energy generators - producing 75MW of electricity. US developer Kitson & Partners says that will enable the city to be a net contributor to the Sunshine State's energy needs, even if Babcock Ranch inhabitants will still need to rely on conventional heat and light sources once the sun goes down. [via Engadget]

Source: TechRadar

The 2014 Olympic Games Stadium Design

2009-10-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is the winning concept for the 2014 Olympic Games Stadium.
Here are a few more angles of the same concept. It's pretty amazing!!

Pictures courtesy of Gizmodo

Darth Vader Plays Golf

2009-10-09T22:30:00.001-07:00

Funny video of Darth Vader Playing Golf :D

New Worlds Longest Bridge Being Created!

2009-10-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

The new bridge will be over 40km long, which is about 23 miles. See chart below for more info:

Have you ever wondered how wind power is going to get more efficient?

2009-10-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Maglev is making wind turbines that are supposed to be more powerful than 1,000 traditional turbines, cost less, and take up less area!

iTunes Configuration Problem with Windows

2009-10-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

I have been having this problem with iTunes, I tryed looking for answers on the web, and I found this dealing with running a program called Regedit, and change the Permissions. Sadly, it didn't work for me, but many Comments say that it worked for them, so if you are having this problem then try it out and see if you get lucky :) http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5440570 Hope this fixed your problem :D

Tanks!

2009-10-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

This game is pretty cool, kind of stupid but fun to see how long you can last and survive. *Game*

Tank 2008 Flash Game

Gunmaster Onslaught

2009-10-07T20:44:00.001-07:00

Try to stay alive, and kill your enemies! *Game*

More Games at arcadecabin.com | Cool Generators

Ultimate Assassin 2

2009-10-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Don't get caught! Kill the boss before you get killed! *Game*

More Games at arcadecabin.com | Cool Generators

Bowmaster Predule

2009-10-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Defeat the enemy castle before the enemy army destroys your army. *Games*

Last Stand 2

2009-10-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Stop the Zombie's FOR THE SECOND TIME! *Games*

Internet Games

Free Internet Games

Last Stand

2009-10-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Don't get Zombied! *Games*
-Last Stand 2-

Free Online Games brought to you by ArcadePoint.Net

Learn To Fly

2009-10-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Penguins don't fly! *Games*

More Games at arcadecabin.com | Cool Generators

Champion Archer

2009-10-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Be a stick figure murderer and win the Stick war! *Games*

Hosted by Daily Free Games

Cargo Bridge

2009-10-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Get your workers across the holes so they can get their supplies back to Base! *Games*

Puzzle Games

Puzzle Games

Renegade Commanders

2009-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Place your armies carfully and search and destroy the ENEMY! *Games*

Renegade Commanders

Online Games

Swords and Sandals 2

2009-10-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Upgrade, battle and defeat your enemies! *Games*

Swords and Sandals 2 full version flash game

Ragdoll Avalanche 2

2009-10-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Don't die from falling spikes! And post your best score! *Games*

Ragdoll Avalanche 2

Free Rider 2

2009-10-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Build your own track! And RIDE IT! *Games*

Line Flyer

2009-10-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Fly down the LINE! *Games*

Hosted by Daily Free Games

Sift Heads 5

2009-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Snipe your targets for the 5th time! *Games*

Sift Heads 4

2009-10-07T19:14:00.001-07:00

Snipe your targets for the 4th time! *Games*

Shooting Games

Shooting Games

Sift Heads 3

2009-10-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Snipe your targets for the 3rd time! *Games*

Sift Heads 3

Powered by: MySpace Games

Sift Heads 2

2009-10-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Snipe your targets for the 2nd time! *Games*

Sift Heads 2

Powered by: MySpace Games

Sift Heads 1

2009-10-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Snipe your targets! *Games*

Sift Heads

Powered by: MySpace Games

Bloon Tower Defence 3

2009-10-07T19:10:00.001-07:00

Don't let the balloons get to the end of the path! *Games*

PLAY Bloons Tower Defense 3

Free Games

Incredibots 2

2009-10-07T18:55:00.001-07:00

Build, Test and Share crazy inventions! *Games*

Action Games

Action Games

Incredibots

2009-10-07T18:53:00.001-07:00

Build cool robots and share them with the world! *Games*

Super Crazy Guitar Maniac Deluxe 2

2009-10-07T18:51:00.001-07:00

Play the Notes and Chords, and try to get a Perfect medal! *Games*

Free Online Flash Games

Age of War

2009-10-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Upgrade your units and destroy the enemy! *Games*

Y3.com - 9500+ Free Games

Y3.com - 9500+ Free Games

Random Defence

2009-10-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

*My Personal Favorite*
Stop the enemies from getting to end. Upgrade and become invincible! *Games*

Internet Games

Free Internet Games

FWG Island

2009-10-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Stop the POLLUTERS from ruining the island! Make the island abundant of trees and natural plants and towers! *Games*

Whistle Pete Made into a BOMB!

2009-10-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Several days before the Fourth of July, I was messing around with fireworks from last year that we didn't use up! I heard how to make these from my uncle; not straight from him, but I heard it from my dad.

Two Great Internet Tablets

2009-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Internet Tablets are PC's FUTURE!

Federer's Amazing Shot at US Open 2009 Semifinals

2009-10-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Its said to be the best shot in the history of tennis!!! :D

The Adventures of Boo-boo and Rye: The Sequel

2009-10-03T00:40:00.000-07:00

Interesting story made for children ages 7-10, great action and funny characters!

Top Five Weather Sites

2009-10-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

Check the weather to make sure your plans won't get washed away :P

Diamond Lake and Crater Lake

2009-10-03T00:38:00.002-07:00

Amazing pictures and scenes!

Home » Games » Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Super-Guide Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Super-Guide

2009-10-03T00:38:00.001-07:00

Gaming Guide for Zelda

If Your Person Doesn’t Move on RuneScape

2009-10-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Annoying things that happen

How to Increase Your Computer’s Speed

2009-10-03T00:36:00.004-07:00

It's so annoying when your computer slows down and you don't know why

Top Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy a Mac

2009-10-03T00:36:00.003-07:00

Mac's SUCK!!!

Five Reasons Why Xbox 360 is Better Than The Wii

2009-10-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

XBOX 360 vs WII

Chevy Cruze

2009-10-03T00:34:00.002-07:00

How to Get Free Music

2009-10-03T00:34:00.001-07:00

Music should be FREEEEE!

Home » Education » The United States Public Education System and Private Schools The United States Public Education System and Private Schools

2009-10-03T00:33:00.002-07:00

Home » Skateboarding » Learn How to Waveboard in Less Than 30 Minutes Learn How to Waveboard in Less Than 30 Minutes

2009-10-03T00:33:00.001-07:00

This Recession is Over: A Much Larger Recession is Starting This Recession is Over: A Much Larger Recession is Starting

2009-10-03T00:32:00.002-07:00

Five Reasons Why Facebook is Better Than Myspace and Twitter

2009-10-03T00:31:00.002-07:00

Top Five Reasons to play a Musical Instrument

2009-10-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

RuneScape Recession?

2009-10-03T00:21:00.005-07:00

What The Federal Reserve Has Done to The United States of America

2009-10-03T00:21:00.003-07:00

How to Make a Simple Lego Stop Motion Video or Movie

2009-10-03T00:21:00.001-07:00

Is a RuneScape Membership Right for You?

2009-10-03T00:20:00.006-07:00

How to Upgrade Your Mining Level in RuneScape

2009-10-03T00:20:00.005-07:00

Mining is tough to upgrade in Runescape, but this will make your mining career the most efficient!

Zune Hd vs. iPod Touch

2009-10-03T00:20:00.003-07:00

Zunes and iPods are both great, but which is better?

Top Five Reasons to Jog

2009-10-03T00:20:00.001-07:00

Stay Health, Live Well, and JOG!!!

Why is Attack, Strength, and Defence Important in RuneScape?

2009-10-03T00:19:00.003-07:00

Strength is the most important, Attack next and Defence last!

The Best Way to Upgrade Your Person in RuneScape

2009-10-03T00:19:00.001-07:00

Best guide I have ever made, please check out!

Five Reasons why not to play Facebook games

2009-10-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

Facebook games are so lame and boring, why can't they make better games!

TECH-SCIENCE

This Is How an Earthquake Propagates Through the Entire Planet

Inside...

Large Hadron Collider Circulating Particle Beams Again

Chevy Volt Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled

New Posts Coming

The Curious Case of Flash on the iPhone

Phones

China is doing something about Bejing's Problems....Good!

New Motorola/Verizon/Google Smartphone Impresses!

Product summary

CNET editors' review

Space

Computer News

Have Any Questions About Your Computer?

Fun

World

Renewable Energy

Dell's New Solar Parking Lot

Sharp Triple Layer Solar Cell Sets New Efficiency Record

The Windows 7 Verdict: You Can Quit Complaining Now

Missions to Mars Graphic Shows 52.4% Failure Rate

If you suffer Acrophobia, don't look at this

Badgers

Dow Tops 10,000

Airship Concept That Looks 85 Years Into The Future

Planet Fixers: This Month's Innovations For a Greener Future

Flower Power

Power on Tap

Yo-Yo Kites

Dow Puts Traditional Panels to Shame With New Solar Shingle

Slow Motion Bullet Impacts at 1,000,000 Frames Per Second

10 Green Projects That Just Might Save The World

The 2014 Olympic Games Stadium Design

Darth Vader Plays Golf

New Worlds Longest Bridge Being Created!

Have you ever wondered how wind power is going to get more efficient?

iTunes Configuration Problem with Windows

Tanks!

Gunmaster Onslaught

Ultimate Assassin 2

Bowmaster Predule

Last Stand 2

Last Stand

Learn To Fly

Champion Archer

Cargo Bridge

Renegade Commanders

Swords and Sandals 2

Ragdoll Avalanche 2

Free Rider 2

Line Flyer

Sift Heads 5

Sift Heads 4

Sift Heads 3

Sift Heads 2

Sift Heads 1

Bloon Tower Defence 3

Incredibots 2

Incredibots

Super Crazy Guitar Maniac Deluxe 2

Age of War

Random Defence

FWG Island

Whistle Pete Made into a BOMB!

Two Great Internet Tablets

Federer's Amazing Shot at US Open 2009 Semifinals

The Adventures of Boo-boo and Rye: The Sequel

Top Five Weather Sites

Diamond Lake and Crater Lake

Home » Games » Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Super-Guide Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Super-Guide

If Your Person Doesn’t Move on RuneScape

How to Increase Your Computer’s Speed

Top Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy a Mac

Top Five Reasons Why You Should Read

Five Reasons Why Xbox 360 is Better Than The Wii

Chevy Cruze

How to Get Free Music

Home » Education » The United States Public Education System and Private Schools The United States Public Education System and Private Schools

Home » Skateboarding » Learn How to Waveboard in Less Than 30 Minutes Learn How to Waveboard in Less Than 30 Minutes