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.
Does the idea of driverless cars make you queasy? Better get used to it: Researchers are predicting that more than 95 million autonomous cars could hit the road by 2035. But, speaking of cars we actually want to drive, Tesla Motors continued its banner year, as the Model S earned the highest safety score of any car ever tested. In other green transportation news, KAIST unveiled a new folding, electric micro car that can fit into just about any parking space. Copenhagen announced plans to launch the world's most high-tech bike-sharing program, which will include bikes with GPS-enabled Android tablets. A grad student at the Royal College of Art recently produced plans for a 3D-printed car concept that actually assembles itself. But the form of urban transportation that looks like the most fun to ride is the Scrooser, a foot-powered scooter with an electric motor that zips around town at speeds of up to 15 MPH. And Vanmoof is set to release a new electric bike in 2014 that is already being billed as the world's most intelligent commuter bike.
Ask anyone about why Bitcoin has suddenly risen to prominence and they may offer one of a number of theories. Perhaps it'll be the one about Cypriots smuggling money out of their country, or the promise of a digital gold rush, or perhaps the tale of a disruptive new economy created by a person who may not even exist. Either way, if you'd like to untangle the myths, half-truths and labored economic newspeak behind the world that is Bitcoin, why not join us after the break?
Filed under: Internet
If you were blasting the Springsteen earlier, you may as well keep it cranked. Velocity Micro's joining the "Assembled in the USA" party and the Windows 8 brigade with its new Edge AIO. The 23.6-inch all-in-one comes in a brushed aluminum frame, packing a 1,920 x 1,080 LED display, 720p front facer, SD slot, ports for HDMI out and USB 3.0, as well as support for WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth. The basic model is set to retail for $799, but expect that price to climb once you factor in a host of available configurations: your choice of Intel's Core i3/i5/i7 processors, a max of 8GB DDR3 RAM, HDD or SSD storage options that top out at 2TB and 240GB, respectively, as well as Home and Pro editions of Windows 7 and 8. Orders for the homegrown rig are expected to begin shipping as early as next week. Hit up the break for the related PR.
Continue reading Velocity Micro announces 23.6-inch Edge all-in-one, begins shipping this month
Filed under: Desktops
Source: Velocity Micro
The struggling economy is finally hitting the video game industry, and hard. EA is preparing to undertake some rather drastic cost-cutting measures, including laying off 1,000 workers. That number represents 10 percent of its total employees, a large enough chunk that several titles and franchises will be getting the ax as well. To further slash costs, EA will be closing at least nine facilities across the globe and condense its teams into fewer offices. Most of the specifics have not been released, but we do know that Black Box Studio (responsible for the Need for Speed series) will move from Vancouver to a location in Burnaby, British Columbia. All told EA expects to save about $120 million a year thanks to the layoffs and closings, but how much that will actually helps its bottom line remains to be seen.
Correction: We regret any confusion caused by this story. It was based on old information and never should have been published. To our knowledge there are currently no plans for additional layoffs or office closures at Electronic Arts. Our sincerest apologies to our readers and EA for any trouble caused by its publication.
Filed under: Gaming
(Correction: no layoffs planned) EA plans to cut 1,000 jobs, close at least nine offices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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"You could argue that there's some value in it."
That's New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking candidly during a recent interview at D10 in California. The topic of conversation? Widespread WiFi, and whether or not the government should be the one thinking about its future ubiquity. More specifically, if WiFi hotspots should be treated like "roads or water supply," as aptly stated by AllThingsD's Kara Swisher.
This obviously isn't the first time such an idea has crossed the minds of those connected to Washington, D.C. Muni-Fi (municipal wireless networks) projects were all the rage a few years back, but one spectacular failure after another swiftly extinguished that momentum. In more modern times, America (as well as other nations) has sought to solve the "rural broadband" problem, bringing high(er)-speed internet connections to places with a higher bovine population than human.
But bringing broadband to places like rural North Dakota seems like an easy chore to a small, but passionate, group of 60,000 sitting some 4,770 miles from San Diego, California. American Samoa may be an unincorporated US territory located closer to pure bliss than the hustle and bustle of Wall Street, but it's no doubt being taken into consideration in recent mapping projects aiming to pinpoint the areas most lacking in terms of digital infrastructure. Unbeknownst to most mainlanders, this fragile island chain is home to the most expensive internet in America, and the political issues surrounding it are astonishing. Head on past the break to learn more on what I discovered.
The most expensive internet in America: fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Who knew that a company which makes a lot of money on the web would be keen to pitch the web as important to the US economy? Google thinks it's as natural as breathing, as it just took significant credit for fueling real-world shopping. About 97 percent of Americans reportedly searched online for a local business -- it's safe to say Google was involved in a lot of those hunts -- and spent an average of nearly $2,000 per person at brick-and-mortar stores last year. The search giant extrapolates to argue that the web pumped about $500 billion into the US economy, even while excluding internet-only sales. That's certainly a staggering number that shows how much of a cornerstone the internet has become for American business, although it comes across as slightly insecure: a company that's reportedly under tight scrutiny from regulators might be eager to show just how much good it's doing for the public in tough economic times.
Google shocker: American web company says web boosted American economy by $500 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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"Made in America." For some reason, my parents -- and the parents of many of my peers -- take great pride in seeing that phrase. I've seen people buy inferior products just because the label on the back proclaimed that it was thrown together in one of our 50 great states instead of across some imaginary line in "another country." Part of me wonders if people actually check to see if said claims are legitimate. As a business graduate, I fully understand the importance of producing goods within one's borders. There's a delicate balance that needs to be struck between imports and exports, and a huge part of a nation's economic growth hinges on how well that balance is executed.
I suspect the generation before mine remembers a very different America than the one I've grown up in -- one where smokestacks outnumbered high-rise buildings, and one where jobs requiring steel-toe shoes were more lauded than those requiring a fancy degree and "knowing the right guy." Manufacturing was the backbone of America through some really, really trying times, and there's some sense of national pride that comes along with images of swinging hammers and climbing ladders. "We built this country," as they say.
Continue reading Made in America: could your next phone be homegrown?
Made in America: could your next phone be homegrown? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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