] Since 2001, I've conducted semiregular roundups of the
] latest digital cameras. (To prevent the FedEx boxes from
] burying my entire front yard, I limit the survey's
] entrants to those with a street price under $300.)
]
] Over the last four years, the cameras have blossomed.
] Crude point-and-shooters have become attractive, compact
] wonders with full manual controls and circuitry that's
] fast enough to capture full-TV-screen movies with sound.

State of the Art: All This, and They Take Pictures, Too

] Indeed, in the past couple of years, the increasing
] sophistication of search technology and
] comparison-shopping sites have allowed online businesses
] cheaply and effectively to market their products to
] millions of potential customers. Often, these innovations
] are bringing less-well-known brands and merchants to
] consumers' attention. People simply type what they're
] looking for into a search site, and they're instantly
] spoiled for choice. The forces being unleashed have not
] been lost on that icon of e-tailing, Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
] He recently told a New York audience: "We're going to see
] more richly varied products for people."

E-Tailing Finally Hits Its Stride

] The Bay Area tech industry has a tremendous amount of
] financial and human capital that can be directed toward
] developing and marketing green energy technology.

Bryan McConnell of O'Reilly Network espouses on how Silicon Valley can direct it's considerable expertise towards renewable energy development. Couldn't agree more - but the dynamic that McConnell misses is that this is much more of a marketing, development, and integration play for the Valley, not a creation or true innovation play. Big Oil and Detroit/Stuttgart were smart in the 90s. Flush with some cash, they bought most of the startups and promising technologies for renewable energy, high efficiency engines, and other techniques - essentially slaying David before he could slay Goliath. For a decade these things languished under their watch. But now that renewable energy is 'fashionable', it's clear that it's being viewed as a market differentiator. Think about it: would you rather sell another $13K car with little or no margin, or a $50K car with new technologies that has a huge marketing differential and higher margins?

Renewable Energy - The Next Opportunity for Silicon Valley

] G.M. is also teaming up with Shell Hydrogen to place four
] refueling "service hubs" around the country, plus a fifth
] that would be mounted on a mobile platform. A $2 million
] Shell station is already open and dispensing hydrogen in
] Washington.
]
] Fuel-cell cars still face daunting obstacles on the road
] to commercialization. Joseph Romm, a former Department of
] Energy official and the author of "The Hype About
] Hydrogen" (Island Press, 2004), is skeptical about G.M.'s
] announced target of developing a market-ready fuel-cell
] car by 2010. "I think all of the hurdles are immense, and
] the biggest is the infrastructure," he said. "We have
] 180,000 gas stations in the U.S., and 30,000 to 40,000 of
] them would have to be equipped to supply hydrogen."

Idiot. Since it's obvious that Shell can produce a working refueling station for the paltry price of $2M, then it's easily conceivable to see that gradually phasing in stations across the US would not be the economic disaster that everyone keeps talking about. Does anyone remember when Exxon replaced all their TigerMarts in the late 90's???

Fuel Cells in the Deep Freeze

] This is an excellent time, then, for "The First Amendment
] Project," four short films that, seizing various entry
] points, examine with flair what "freedom of expression"
] really means -- and the threats it's facing.

set your PVRs

The First Amendment examined

] Allen told the court she has mental problems.

clearly.

Woman hit teens after golf ball struck car

N.A.G. (Network Auralization for Gnutella) turns the process of searching for and downloading MP3 files into a chaotic musical collage. The software continuously checks the status of all downloading songs and uses their respective download speeds to prioritize song segments for real-time playback while they download. Users can control many different aspects of the algorithm, such as how many songs may play simultaneously, how quickly N.A.G. moves amongst songs, and whether N.A.G. varies playback speed and volume in proportion to the download speeds of each song. Essentially, N.A.G. becomes a simple instrument with which users can "play" the Gnutella network.

N.A.G. (Network Auralization for Gnutella)

Target is selling blowjobs for $9.99

Target : Entertainment : Blowjob

] A billboard recently put up in Orlando bearing a smiling
] photograph of President Bush with the words "Our
] Leader" is raising eyebrows among progressives who
] feel the poster is akin to that of propaganda used by
] tyrannical regimes.

I have no problem with this type of advertising. It's helpful to hang a flag out and show everyone how stupid you are. What I do have a problem with is that the company which is sponsoring it controls a majority chunk of several media in this country, and it's becoming clear that the line between political stance and objective reporting is more blurred and hidden than it's ever been.

George W. Bush: Our leader

... There is so much wrong with this. Are they instructors, or cheap hookers? YOU make the call.

The ladies of Boiler Training