Unless you’ve been living in Tora Bora, you’ve undoubtedly heard that a few minor things happened this week. As such, for this week’s toolkit, we’ve rounded up nine objects that we think the U.S. military probably found helpful in their pursuit of Osama bin Laden. More »
While the iPad has ramped up my of internet reading considerably, I still prefer to tackle books in their physical form, largely because there’s no real advantage to reading them on the tablet. Our Choice, the latest volley in Al Gore’s noble crusade for climate change, is evidence that when crafted with care, the electronic book can surpass its paper predecessor in style and substance. More »
Jim O’Donnell, CEO and chairman of BMW North America, recently sat down with the Detroit News to discuss the ActiveE — an electric version of BMW’s 1 Series coupe, available for lease in the US this fall. Most CEOs would’ve probably used the opportunity to wax PR poetic about their company’s bold, forward-looking ethos, because that’s what CEOs do. O’Donnell, however, used the occasion to let us in on a dirty little secret: EVs don’t actually work. According to O’Donnell’s undoubtedly robust calculations, EVs won’t work for “at least 90-percent” of the human population, at current battery ranges. The situation is so dire, in fact, that the US government shouldn’t even bother wasting its $7,500 tax credits on frivolous things like innovation, national security and clean air.
“I believe in a free economy. I think we should abolish all tax credits. What they are doing is putting a bet on technology, which is not appropriate. As a taxpayer, I am not sure this is the right way to go.”
O’Donnell went on to say he’s “far more optimistic” about diesel’s chances of increasing BMW’s US market share — because, you know, it’s not like the oil industry gets any tax breaks, or anything. And it’s not like diverting some money away from oil subsidies and putting it toward EV technology would create the “level playing field” that O’Donnell and his company so desperately need. No siree, the US energy market is just as pure and fair as it’s always been — and it certainly doesn’t deserve to be corrupted by an EV tax credit pestilence. That said, O’Donnell would still really appreciate it if we buy the battery-powered i3 when it launches in 2013. Who knows? He may even throw in a free bridge, too.
CE-Oh no he didn’t!: BMW exec says electric vehicles ‘won’t work,’ but would love to sell you one anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Autoblog Green | 
The Detroit News | Email this | Comments
The incorrect data, which has triggered a federal investigation, was because of a software glitch, she claims. Her lawyer says every false record is because of an “ongoing mistake automatically entered by the software and certain other mistakes identified through the compliance review conducted over the past several months.”
According to media reports, O’Donnell originally claimed she only raised $7.3 million but she later changed that figure. Also up for questioning is the way she used that money, as there are allegations the funds, which are legally required to be used for campaign functions only, went toward her rent and personal debt.
Via Politico
The federal government may be cutting corners left and right, but that hasn’t stopped the NSA from requesting nearly $900 million to help beef up its supercomputing capabilities. According to budget documents released by the Department of Defense yesterday, the NSA is looking to construct a massive new High Performance Computing Center in Maryland, designed to harness plenty of supercomputing muscle within an energy efficient framework. As with many other data centers, the NSA’s $896.5 million complex would feature raised floors, chilled water systems and advanced alarm mechanisms, but it would also need about 60 megawatts of power — the same amount that powers Microsoft’s gargantuan, 700,000 square-foot data center in Chicago. According to the DoD, however, the NSA would use that juice judiciously, in the hopes of conserving enough water, energy and building materials to obtain LEED Silver certification. Another chunk of the funding, not surprisingly, would go toward fortifying the facility. The NSA is hoping to pour more than $35 million into building security and perimeter control, which would include a cargo inspection facility, advanced surveillance, and systems designed to detect any radiological, nuclear, or chemical threats. If all goes to plan, construction would wrap up by December 2015.
NSA wants $896.5 million to build new supercomputing complex originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | InformationWeek, Department of Defense [PDF] | Email this | Comments
The EU has commissioned an investigation into how European ISPs handle traffic and manage their networks, in a move that could lead to new legislation on net neutrality. The investigation, to be conducted by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), will cover both mobile and fixed Internet providers, with particularly close attention paid to any barriers consumers may face when changing operators. BEREC will also consult with consumers and corporations to determine whether or not ISPs are being completely transparent about their traffic management practices, or advertised connection speeds. In a speech delivered yesterday, Neelie Kroes, the European Commission’s Vice President for the Digital Agenda, admitted that some ISPs need to restrict some bandwidth-heavy services in order to protect their networks, but promised to publicly name and take action against any operators found to be stifling competition or consumer choice:
“Mark my words: if measures to enhance competition are not enough to bring Internet providers to offer real consumer choice, I am ready to prohibit the blocking of lawful services or applications. It’s not OK for Skype and other such services to be throttled. That is anti-competitive. It’s not OK to rip off consumers on connection speeds.”
It’s unlikely, however, that the EU will implement legislation as pointed as the net neutrality rules the FCC unveiled in the US, nor as expansive as the law that Chile introduced last summer. In a report issued yesterday, the EU affirmed that “operators should be allowed to determine their own business models and commercial arrangements” — words that no doubt delighted many in Europe’s ISP community. The results of BEREC’s investigation are due to be published by the end of the year.
EU investigation to take a closer look at net neutrality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Telegraph | EU(1), EU(2), EU [PDF] | Email this | Comments
You know how ebooks are gradually taking over paper books as the most popular format for the consumption of the written word? Well, that’s bad, mmkay? Publishers, librarians, and booksellers are losing their jobs and It’s all entirely the iPad’s fault. Forget the Kindle’s millions of sales, the iPad did it. In a technophobic rant to rival all technophobic rants that have come before it, Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. accuses the iPad’s popularity for the current level of unemployment in his nation, before proceeding to sculpt a rickety argument about how the First Amendment to the US Constitution is being exploited for the benefit of China. See his tirade on video after the break.
Continue reading The iPad is taking away American jobs, Jesse Jackson Junior’s sanity (video)
The iPad is taking away American jobs, Jesse Jackson Junior’s sanity (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 9to5Mac | ShaddapPlease (YouTube) | Email this | Comments
While the US government hasn’t issued an outright ban against the use of ‘conflict minerals’ coming from the Congo, it has passed a law that will require companies who use them to tell all of us when our gadgets have been paid for (in part) with blood. Looks like Apple and Intel weren’t too keen on the bad PR that would come from such disclosures, and joined the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and its Conflict-Free Smelter program. The program requires mineral processing plants either prove that they don’t fund the ongoing hostilities in central Africa or peddle their war-supporting wares elsewhere. For now, that means that the folks in Cupertino and Santa Clara will have to find other sources for the three Ts (tungsten, tin, and tantalum) needed to sate our technological appetites.
Just say no: Apple and Intel stop using conflict minerals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Time Warner Cable is made up of some insanely shady folks. And frankly, it’s not just TWC to blame here — CenturyLink, Embarq and a smattering of other big telecom companies are banding together in order to push the ironically-named H129 “Level Playing Field” bill straight into law. Unfortunately, said bill sailed through the clearly oblivious (or “persuaded”) North Carolina House this week, with just 37 sane individuals voting against 81 delusional proponents. For those outside of the loop, the bill effectively suggests that commercial entities — municipal ISPs like Wilson’s own Greenlight that provide greater levels of service with lower costs — are unfairly competing against for-profit monoliths. In short, that’s an absolute joke. Rep. Bill Faison nailed it with this quote:
“This bill will make it practically impossible for cities to provide a fundamental service. Where’s the bill to govern Time Warner? Let’s be clear about whose bill this is. This is Time Warner’s bill. You need to know who you’re doing this for.”
Yours truly just so happens to reside in the wonderful state of North Carolina, and knows first-hand what it’s like to live in a major metropolitan area with a single high-speed broadband carrier. TWC has only recently announced impending DOCSIS 3.0 coverage, but early installations in the heart of Raleigh have been fraught with latency issues and router difficulties. Oh, and it’s charging $99 per month for a service with 5Mbps up; for comparison’s sake, Greenlight gives customers 10Mbps internet (in both directions), home phone and expanded basic cable for the exact same fare. So, NC lawmakers — how exactly do your constituents gain access to that “level playing field?”
[Image courtesy of IndyWeek]
Big cable-backed broadband bill soars through NC House, one step closer to stifling ISP competition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
So, here’s the scene. You’re out at [insert city center here], completely neglecting any and all work duties, throwing Molotov cocktails at the building of the State you’ve grown to hate. It’s a protest in every sense of the word, and you’re rallying the troops via Twitter and Facebook. It’s actually not an uncommon painting these days, and while America’s not into promoting violence, it is into keeping the personal information of democracy activists secure. According to a fresh Reuters report, the US State Department is currently developing a software-based “panic button” that would wipe a phone’s address book and beam out emergency alerts to fellow protesters if they were apprehended. The goal here is to protect the privacy of those captured while promoting their best interests, and to let others know that trouble is brewing. There’s no clear indication of the status here, but something tells us that it’d be useful yesterday for a certain region of the globe.
America’s ‘panic button’ to wipe phones of democracy activists, perturb repressive governments originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
