Aug 02

General Motors upping Chevy Volt production by 50 percent in 2011

Posted in: car, Cars, electric, ev, Today's Chili, Transportation

On Friday, during a visit from President Obama to its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, GM announced some good news for all the Volt fans out there. Production from 2011 to 2012 for the electric vehicle — originally slated at around 30,000 units — has been boosted to a projected 45,000 units, a 50 percent increase. The Volt, which has a range of 340 miles (on gas — it goes approximately 40 miles on battery alone) is being produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which received $336 million in investments to prepare for the production. The full press release is after the break.

Continue reading General Motors upping Chevy Volt production by 50 percent in 2011

General Motors upping Chevy Volt production by 50 percent in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Green Car Reports  |  sourceGM  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Aug 01

Firefox Download Counter Rolls Over 400 Million

Posted in: Firefox 3, Freeware, Mozilla, Software, Today's Chili

This article was written on September 07, 2007 by CyberNet.

400 Million Firefox Downloads Back in February Firefox hit 300 million downloads, and now 7-months later it is rolling the counter over again as they hit 400 million downloads! Of course that is the number of downloads the browser has, and doesn’t actually represent the number of users. Actually Mozilla recently posted information regarding things they’re trying to do to improve their user retention rate, and the graph they provided implies that they have around 40 million daily users…just 10% of the number of downloads.

Now it is time to go onward and upward! April 15th, 2008 is my estimated date that Firefox will hit 1/2 billion downloads. And we should see 1 trillion downloads sometime in the year 8049 if their current growth rate continues.

Congrats to Mozilla and the Firefox team! Keep up the great work, and I’m looking forward to Firefox 3 which is expected later this year.

Get Firefox
Source: CNet

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

Related Posts:


No Comments | Tags: , ,
Aug 01

Infinitec opens pre-orders for ‘infinite’ USB memory drive, touts dual-WiFi

Posted in: pre-order, stream, streaming, Today's Chili, usb, video, wifi, Wireless

We’re guessing that the past six months have dragged on (or zipped by, depending on viewpoint) for the folks at Infinitec as they waited for this day, but the device we first spotted at the Engadget trailer during CES 2010 is finally up for pre-order. Hailed as the world’s first “infinite USB flash drive,” this ad hoc streaming device enables any two locally networked devices to send content to one another, and as of today, those who have longed for just this thing can get in line. The startup’s also taking this opportunity to gloat about the “dual-WiFi” capabilities included (a video explanation awaits you past the break), which essentially enables an IUM-equipped laptop to connect to another device while retaining its live connection to the web. Hit the source link to part ways with your $129, and if you buy in early, you’ll be gifted with gratis worldwide shipping come August 31st. And you can’t beat that deal with a stick, USB or otherwise.

Continue reading Infinitec opens pre-orders for ‘infinite’ USB memory drive, touts dual-WiFi

Infinitec opens pre-orders for ‘infinite’ USB memory drive, touts dual-WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceInfinitec  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Aug 01

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: solar surpasses nuclear, sewage-fueled rockets and the world’s largest turbine

Posted in: green, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

It was an exciting week for renewable energy, as Inhabitat reported the news that solar energy has trumped nuclear power in terms of cost for the first time! We also looked at two innovative new wind turbine designs – the supermassive Aerogenerator, which at 10MW stands to be the world’s largest, and the diminutive home-focused Honeywell turbine, which will be hitting store shelves next month.

Green transportation also received a big boost this week as Stanford researchers revealed a way to transform raw sewage into rocket fuel. Meanwhile, Santiago Calatrava heralded a new era for efficient transportation as he unveiled his awe-inspiring new rail station for the Denver International Airport. And with the summer heat embroiling cities across the states, we’re daydreaming of slipping away to sea aboard this sleek solar Delta yacht.

In other news, wearable technology is changing the way we change our underwear — odor-absorbing astronaut undies have finally hit the shelves. We were also impressed by a new breed of 3d-printed textiles that may one day make needles and threads obsolete. Finally, in the spirit of summer this week we showcased 6 innovative designs that harness the power of play – from energy generating soccer balls to water-pumping merry go-rounds.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: solar surpasses nuclear, sewage-fueled rockets and the world’s largest turbine originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Aug 01

Entelligence: Let’s get digital

Posted in: column, interface, Today's Chili, ui, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone7

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

One of the more recent trends in UI design has been the attempt to make the digital appear analog. It arguably started with the NeXT OS, which had photorealistic icons and used clever grayscale techniques to give three-dimensional depth to windows, scroll bars and other elements. Today, Apple’s iPhone compass app looks like it might be more at home on an 18th-century clipper ship, and the voice recorder app looks at home in a recording studio somewhere around 1950 — tap on the “microphone” and the VU meter will react much as it would in real life. Google’s added subtle 3D effects to Android’s app scrolling. I haven’t thought that much about this trend until I recently spent some time using Windows Phone 7.

It’s perhaps a minor issue but one of the things I like about WP7 is that it’s not a digital UI pretending to be analog. The user interface is flat. There are no photorealistic depictions of real world items, no shading, and no 3D effects. Everything is conveyed through the use of fonts, shapes and color. It’s digital and it’s proud. Overall, I like it, and the more I use it, the more I prefer it. Returning to a more digital approach means Microsoft was able to rethink the nature of applications and services and create the concept of hubs, where like functions meet similar functions without the need for separate applications. It takes some getting used to, but the more I use it, the more natural it feels.

Continue reading Entelligence: Let’s get digital

Entelligence: Let’s get digital originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Aug 01

Stab-proof Gorilla Glass coming to TVs near you in 2011

Posted in: Displays, screen, Today's Chili, video

If you go to Corning Inc’s website, you’ll see the company advertises its seemingly indestructible Gorilla Glass as being available for LCD TV sets, but to this point, no major manufacturer has taken up this tempting offer. That’s all about to change, apparently, as Corning has recently announced plans to massively expand its production capacity (see press release after the break) and is now predicting it’ll secure its first deal this fall. The benefits of going Gorilla are increased durability, strength and scratch resistance, which some are arguing could be a big selling point to display makers keen on doing away with plastic bezels and exposing edge-to-edge glass surfaces. Of course, the disadvantage is that we’d have to pay up to $60 more for a panel with the extra-tough stuff inside, but then having the option is better than not, right?

Continue reading Stab-proof Gorilla Glass coming to TVs near you in 2011

Stab-proof Gorilla Glass coming to TVs near you in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceYahoo! News  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 01

Official: iPhone 4 jailbreak hits from iPhone Dev Team (updated with video)

Posted in: Apple, AppleIphone, breaking news, BreakingNews, hack, hacked, Hacks, ipad, iPhone, ipod, ipod touch, IpodTouch, jailbreak, Today's Chili, video

The Library of Congress made it legal, MuscleNerd showed us it was a go, and now Comex and company have delivered the long-awaited jailbreak to the fourth rendition of iPhone. According to their new page JailbreakMe, the hack works right on the iPhone 4 (or 3GS, or 3G, or iPad, or…) itself, using via the handset’s Safari browser to reportedly break into most any iOS device. The servers are getting slammed pretty badly, and only a few Engadget editors have so much as seen the page pictured above so far, but rest assured we’re testing this as we speak and will have more details up soon.

Update: Sorry folks, we’ve tried repeatedly, but apparently the servers just can’t handle the load — Comex tweets that the purple screens we’re seeing are evidence of server fail. Here’s hoping for a Cydia celebration when the stampede is over.

Update 2: Comex says you might want to reboot if you got stuck staring at that purple screen, and you could also try their backup server (click our second source link) to help the Dev Team divide the load.

Update 3: We successfully got the jailbreak to start working, but it crashed Safari. Upon reboot of our phone we’ve got… nothing but the Apple logo. Take note, this can brick your phone, so proceed with caution! Video of the experience after the break. After a reset, our phone is giving us nothing but the Apple logo. (Update to the update, the phone has been restored).

Update 4: Our intern Sam has successfully jailbroken his iPhone 4 according to this pic, so it can be done!

Update 5: Comex reports that iPads running iOS 3.2.1 aren’t presently working properly, and that MMS problems after jailbreak are a known issue.

Update 6: Good news? Saurik (of Cydia fame) has pitched in to secure JailbreakMe some better hosting. Bad news? Reports indicate that FaceTime doesn’t work after jailbreak, either.

Update 7: Seven updates? You bet, because it’s looking like there’s already a fix for the missing FaceTime and MMS features. Head on over to Redmond Pie (in more coverage below) for instructions to install the Cydia package that brought video chat back to two of our iPhone 4 handsets. If you’re just downloading JailbreakMe for the first time though, you shouldn’t need to do a thing, as Comex claims both have been fixed in a new version of the hack that just went live.

Continue reading Official: iPhone 4 jailbreak hits from iPhone Dev Team (updated with video)

Official: iPhone 4 jailbreak hits from iPhone Dev Team (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 9 To 5 Mac, @comex (Twitter), @MuscleNerd (Twitter)  |  sourceJailbreakMe (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , ,
Aug 01

iPhone 4 Jailbreak Now Available: One Click, No Computer Required [Jailbreak]

Posted in: ios, ipad, iPhone, iphone 3g, ipod, jailbreak, Today's Chili, top

JailbreakMe 2.0, a mobile Safari-based jailbreak app for iPhones and iPads, has just gone live and pretty much opens up any iOS device you have handy, all the way back to the iPhone 3G. More »

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 01

WowWee’s Roboscooper picks up the stuff too big for your Roomba

Posted in: robot, Today's Chili, toy
WowWee’s robots may be fun, lovable companions, but they aren’t always exactly the most useful things to have around. That’s not the case with the company’s new Roboscooper, however, which will gladly pick up stuff off your floor until its six AAA batteries run out. Of course, it will only pick up small, one ounce objects, and its storage capacity is a tad limited — but hey, every little contribution helps. You can even switch from autonomous to remote-controlled mode if you feel like being slightly less lazy, and you can let Roboscooper have a bit of fun by engaging the “whack” mode, which makes him swat objects out of his way instead of picking them up. Ready to bring one home? You can get your pre-order in now for $70 and look for it to ship at the end of the month.

WowWee’s Roboscooper picks up the stuff too big for your Roomba originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Robots Rule  |  sourceWowWee, Hammacher Schlemmer  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Aug 01

Firebug Reaches its First Milestone

Posted in: Freeware, Software, Today's Chili

This article was written on January 26, 2007 by CyberNet.

Firebug

My oh my how the time flies. It seems like only yesterday I was writing about the Firebug extension for Firefox and singing its praises about how much it helps out when working on websites. The time has come to move it out of Beta and into the hands of millions of people…watch out because Firebug 1.0 has been unleashed! :D

If you don’t design websites then this probably won’t be the most useful tool for you, but even if you just do some casual HTML coding here and there I am sure that you would find a use for it. It can do everything from monitor network activity to figure out what elements are taking forever and a day to load, as well as tweaking the layout so that everything looks exactly how you want it to…without even having to refresh the page after making a change.

Take a look at all the features it has to offer (click on any of the links for more information on that topic).

  • Just the way you like it – Firebug is always just a keystroke away, but it never gets in your way. You can open Firebug in a separate window, or as a bar at the bottom of your browser. Firebug also gives you fine-grained control over which websites you want to enable it for.
  • Inspect and edit HTML – Firebug makes it simple to find HTML elements buried deep in the page. Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, Firebug gives you a wealth of information, and lets you edit the HTML live.
  • Tweak CSS to perfection – Firebug’s CSS tabs tell you everything you need to know about the styles in your web pages, and if you don’t like what it’s telling you, you can make changes and see them take effect instantly.
  • Visualize CSS metrics – When your CSS boxes aren’t lining up correctly it can be difficult to understand why. Let Firebug be your eyes and it will measure and illustrate all the offsets, margins, borders, padding, and sizes for you.
  • Monitor network activity – Your pages are taking a long time to load, but why? Did you go crazy and write too much JavaScript? Did you forget to compress your images? Are your ad partner’s servers taking a siesta? Firebug breaks it all down for you file-by-file.
  • Debug and profile JavaScript – Firebug includes a powerful JavaScript debugger that lets you pause execution at any time and have look at the state of the world. If your code is a little sluggish, use the JavaScript profiler to measure performance and find bottlenecks fast.
  • Quickly find errors – When things go wrong, Firebug lets you know immediately and gives you detailed and useful information about errors in JavaScript, CSS, and XML.
  • Explore the DOM – The Document Object Model is a great big hierarchy of objects and functions just waiting to be tickled by JavaScript. Firebug helps you find DOM objects quickly and then edit them on the fly.
  • Execute JavaScript on the fly – The command line is one of the oldest tools in the programming toolbox. Firebug gives you a good ol’ fashioned command line for JavaScript complete with very modern amenities.
  • Logging for JavaScript – Having a fancy JavaScript debugger is great, but sometimes the fastest way to find bugs is just to dump as much information to the console as you can. Firebug gives you a set of powerful logging functions that help you get answers fast.

This isn’t exactly an extension that I use all of the time so I have placed it in a separate profile that I run Firefox with when testing out websites. I’ve got a few different extensions in that profile like ColorZilla for matching colors, MeasureIt to know exactly how big something is, and View Source Chart to make looking at source code a little easier. I never felt it necessary to install these extensions in my primary profile because I only used them once in awhile, so I created a separate profile and threw Firebug in there as well.

One of the things I use the most in Firebug is modifying the CSS file to get things to line up correctly. After you change something in the CSS file it will instantly be adjusted on the screen, which means debugging layout problems is a million times easier.

I can say from experience that doing any kind of Web development work without the right tools is like cutting a steak with a spoon…sure it can be done but it takes longer than it should.

Thanks to Natmaster for the tip!

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

Related Posts:


No Comments | Tags: