The [list of the 52 Sony CD’s](http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/titles.html “sonybmg.com”) that contained Containing XCP Content Protection Technology (rootkit).
Thankfully, I don’t own any of these.
When scientists developed an efficient device for emitting light, they hadn’t realised butterflies have been using the same method for 30 million years. Fluorescent patches on the wings of African swallowtail butterflies work in a very similar way to high emission light emitting diodes (LEDs).
Read (BBC)
The alternative fuel may find its market in a surprising place: folks who need to heat their homes. And it may soon go beyond niche — your used cooking oil could become a commodity. BioHeat is available in 5%, 10%, or 20% (B5, B10, and B20) blends.
Switching all heating-oil customers to 5-percent biodiesel could reduce oil consumption by more than 330 million gallons a year; changing to 100-percent biodiesel (B100) would decrease it by 6.7 billion gallons a year. But biodiesel is more expensive than regular heating oil.
A 5-percent biodiesel blend costs about 5 cents more per gallon than regular heating oil, even at today’s higher prices. Higher-percentage blends are even more expensive. Most residential homes burn between 800 and 1,000 gallons a year, this translates into an annual cost increase of $50 for B5 and $750 for B100.
Read (Wired)
We’ve used 600 gallons of heating oil each winter for the last 4 years, and I could certainly live with the additional cost of the B5 blend. Now, do any heating oil distributors in Roanoke offer BioHeat?
Hybrid taxis, Ford Escapes, that get double the gas mileage of traditional cabs while generating far less pollution have begun rolling in small numbers (6) on New York’s streets.
Read (AP via WTOP)
Tapping the power of the wind doesn’t have to mean peppering the skyline with vast turbines. The inventor of a pocket-sized windmill that uses piezoelectric materials says the tiny device could power wireless networks of sensors in remote locations.
The article also states that the tiny windmills are a more reliable source of power than photovoltaic cells.
Read (Nature)
Flex-fuel vehicles are cars and trucks that can run on either ethanol or gasoline, and they are becoming more popular, especially in the Midwest. Flex-fuel technology is a relatively cheap option. For a few hundered dollars per vehicle, car makers can add metal fuel tanks, larger fuel injectors, and software needed for a vehicle to run on either ethanol or gasoline. There are approximately 6 million cars and trucks on the road today that can run on ethanol in any mixture up to 85% (E-85).
There are only about 500 gas stations nationwide, 0.28% of all gas stations in the U.S., that sell E-85. I checked to see if there are any stations in Virginia that [sell E-85](http://www.e85fuel.com/database/locations.php?state=vaVirginia), and I found that there’s only one station open to the general public. There are a couple of other stations in Northern Virginia and Tidewater, but they appear to only be for government use.
Ethanol also creates a secondary market for corn, which increases demand and farmers’ income.
Read (Detroit News)
They have been dubbed “the Pumpkin Patrol,” and they were out in full force Halloween night. Ham-radio operators from throughout New York state were monitoring bridges along the Thruway on Halloween night, as they have for about 20 years. They were looking for people who toss pumpkins, rocks or other objects from overpasses onto vehicles below. If any suspicious activity occurs, they call state police and the state police respond immediately.
Read (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
At the speed of light — before a shot is even heard — a new technology reveals exactly where gunfire is coming from, pinpointing a location for return fire. Given human reaction time, is it worth a huge military investment for the extra nanoseconds?
Read (Wired)
Smaller Internet access providers who are trying to find a new way to connect with consumers may have found it in wireless technology.
Read (New York Times)
Something curious is happening to television: it’s simultaneously growing gigantic and minuscule, stretching across living room walls at the same time it slips into pockets.
[Read](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/arts/television/30kant.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=0a0f5280f9d74484&ex=1288324800&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss) (New York Times)
DeLaval, 122-year-old dairy equipment company, has used embedded Linux in a robotic cow-milking system (the system is robotic, not the cows). The Voluntary Milking System (VMS) allows cows to decide when to be milked, and gives dairy farmers a more independent lifestyle, free from regular milkings. A single VMS can milk a herd of 60 cows three times per day.
Read (Linux Devices)
A self-contained sensor system with a built-in neural network can tell the difference between burning toast and a burning building.
Read (New Scientist)
Cheap technology found in wireless headsets could form a 500,000-strong “phased-array” transmitter for communicating with deep space probes.
Read (New Scientist)
One answer to lessening the country’s dependence on foreign fuel imports might be hiding in the six-pack you carry home from the liquor store.
Read (Detroit News)
America’s Big Three auto makers are playing catch-up in the hybrid car market, often having to lease or buy technology from Toyota.
Read (New York Times)