Wired.com Overview

Wired's NextFest to Award Largest Space Prize Ever

2007-09-05T13:12:00.043-07:00

The X Prize and Next Fest team up to offer the biggest X Prize ever, winner to be announced on September 13 in Los Angeles.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Sept. 4, 1888: Photography Leaps Into the Late 19th Century

2007-09-05T13:12:00.041-07:00

George Eastman gets his patent for roll film and, suddenly, photography is at the fingertips -- or shutter finger -- of a waiting public.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Drug Test: Kicking Cocaine Addiction With ADHD Treatment

2007-09-05T13:12:00.039-07:00

Scientists pay crack cocaine addicts to test an ADHD drug to treat their addiction. They're not sure it works, but we're pretty sure the volunteers are willing.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Planetary Imagery: 30 Years From Voyager Spacecraft

2007-09-05T13:12:00.037-07:00

The Voyager probes are now the farthest manmade objects from Earth, continuing to relay data 30 years after their launch. We've assembled some of the more astonishing images the probes have captured in this retrospective slideshow.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Sept. 5, 1980: If You Can't Drive Over the Alps, Drive Through the Alps

2007-09-05T13:12:00.035-07:00

It opens as the longest highway tunnel ever built, and traveling between Switzerland and Italy just got a lot easier. Sometimes, boring is good.

Source: http://www.wired.com

New Genome Map Shows We're More Diverse Than Scientists Thought

2007-09-05T13:12:00.033-07:00

J. Craig Venter, genome scientist extraordinaire, takes his genome analysis to a new level of detail, showing humans are not 99.9 percent similar to each other as previously thought.

Source: http://www.wired.com

BCI - Brain to Control Games Directly, Maybe Vice Versa

2007-09-05T13:12:00.031-07:00

Medical practitioners raise concerns about a new breed of videogame that would allow users to control gameplay using thoughts alone.

Source: http://www.wired.com

What's Behind the Epidemic of Municipal Wi-Fi Failures?

2007-09-05T13:12:00.029-07:00

With a rash of muni Wi-Fi projects collapsing, companies and cities realize their initial approaches to providing ubiquitous, free network connectivity aren't working. The problem is Wi-Fi is too expensive to deploy, and there's not enough user demand.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Holy Smoke! Hacked IPhone Explodes

2007-09-05T13:12:00.027-07:00

Many iPhone hacks require opening up the case -- and that can lead to trouble, as one would-be hacker discovers, when a wayward screwdriver punctures the battery, causing it to explode.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Fetish: Audio Masterwork, Porsche-Tuned Drill

2007-09-05T13:12:00.025-07:00

The Zeppelin iPod-speaker system is majestic to behold and does justice to any Jimmy Page riff. Plus, the Porsche Design P'7911 drill is as rad-looking as it is easy to maneuver.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Gadget Lab Live-Blogs Apple's 'The Beat Goes On'

2007-09-05T13:12:00.023-07:00

What will be the subject of the San Francisco event? If the promotional tag -- "The Beat Goes On" -- is any indication, El Jobso will release his latest round of iPods. The fun starts at 10 a.m. PDT.

Source: http://www.wired.com

How to Tweak Your IPhone to Impress Buddies, Mom and the Boss

2007-09-05T13:12:00.021-07:00

If you want to get the most out of the iPhone's pocket reality-distortion field, you'll have to do a bit of optimization. Our handy step-by-step guide makes it easy.

Source: http://www.wired.com

China Denies Alleged Pentagon Hack

2007-09-05T13:12:00.019-07:00

China says a Financial Times report Monday blaming the People's Liberation Army for a hack into Pentagon computers through a computer system in Defense Secretary Robert Gates' office is false. Chinese officials say they are opposed to cybercrime.

Source: http://www.wired.com

DHS Ends ADVISE Data-Mining Program

2007-09-05T13:12:00.017-07:00

Homeland Security ditches a 2003 data-mining program created to monitor immigration, customs, border protection and biological defense after investigators find it was tested with data about real people without meeting privacy requirements. DHS says the Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight and Semantic Enhancement program was too time-consuming to use.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Geek Take: Fred Thompson Good on Cybersecurity, Bad on Free Culture

2007-09-05T13:12:00.015-07:00

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is known for calling hacker Kevin Mitnick to Washington and making federal agencies account for their cybersecurity woes. But Thompson's record on copyright shows he's no friend of the public domain.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Iraq Diary: Shame and Honor in Fallujah

2007-09-05T13:12:00.013-07:00

The focus in Iraq is shifting to winning the hearts and minds of the people, but it's not as easy as just handing out food and soccer balls. Danger Room's Noah Shachtman reports from Iraq.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Oops! Air Force Flies Nuclear Bombs Over U.S.

2007-09-05T13:12:00.011-07:00

It was a mistake, the Air Force says -- and the public was never in danger. But nevertheless, a B-52 armed with six nuclear warheads flew for more than three hours last week across several states. They meant to take the warheads off the missiles before they mounted them under the wings, but somebody goofed. A commander is fired over the incident.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Japanese Robot Keepon Dances to Spoon Hit, "Don't You Evah"

2007-09-05T13:12:00.009-07:00

By day, Keepon is a deceptively sophisticated, Kyoto-based robot and serious child-development research tool. By night, Spoon is a rock band from Austin whose awesome new record, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga," is a serious critical and commercial success. Spoon frontman Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno met the band’s most renowned groupie in July when WIRED brought the trio together in Tokyo to make "Keepon dancing to Spoon's 'Don't You Evah'".

Source: http://www.wired.com

NBC to Sell New TV Shows on Amazon Unbox

2007-09-05T13:12:00.007-07:00

After dumping iTunes as an outlet for its TV shows, NBC Universal says it will sell new fall shows through Amazon's Unbox digital download service. Customers can buy a whole season of Heroes at once, or purchase one at a time for $2, beginning the day after an episode airs.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Aviation Pioneer Steve Fossett Goes Missing in Nevada

2007-09-05T13:12:00.005-07:00

The pilot, who was the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon, is missing after taking off in a single-engine plane.

Source: http://www.wired.com

What Do Potatoes, Armadillos and Labor Day Have in Common?

2007-09-05T13:12:00.003-07:00

If you take a break from something, it's called a "holiday." Few know the word derives from Doc Holliday of Old West fame, when he neglected his daily shooting for a couple of weeks.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Wired's How To Wiki: Get Back Into Work Mode After Vacation

2007-09-05T13:12:00.001-07:00

There are two types of people who don't need to shift gears to return to work: workaholics and magnets of vacation misfortune. If you don't fit one of those bills, here's how you can get psyched up for re-entry into the real world.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Sept. 3, 1935: Campbell Shatters 300 MPH Barrier at Bonneville

2007-09-03T13:53:00.005-07:00

The 1930s is a time for pushing limits and behind the wheel of a car nobody does it better than Malcolm Campbell.

Source: http://www.wired.com

What's Inside: Snausages Snawsomes

2007-09-03T13:53:00.003-07:00

Peek inside the dark and disingenuous world of the pooch treat -- that ingredient list just doesn't match what the label touts.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Johnny Rotten Praises Battling Bands, Trashes Internet Liars

2007-09-03T13:53:00.001-07:00

Listening Post columnist Eliot Van Buskirk talks with the Sex Pistols legend about Bodog's battle of the bands, punk rock, American Idol, boo boys and the "downscaling of humanity" in the digital age.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Burning Man Art Festival Leaves Its Mark on Tiny Gerlach, Nevada

2007-09-02T05:53:00.001-07:00

The annual influx of burners irritates some locals, but others see the wave of outsiders as a way to make a quick buck. And then there's the shot of civic goodwill the desert festival's organizers inject into the town: This year, they plan to donate a massive solar-panel array.

Source: http://www.wired.com

U.S. Neutron Accelerator Sets World Record

2007-08-31T18:14:00.009-07:00

The $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source facility at the Oak Ridge Lab in Tennessee is the world's most powerful accelerator-based source of neutrons for scientific research -- reaching 183 kilowatts this month. The more wattage, the more neutrons, the more researchers can see as they work to make materials lighter, cheaper and stronger.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Pick the Razr2 That's Right for You

2007-08-31T18:14:00.007-07:00

Four U.S. carriers will have the Razr 2, Motorola's successor to its popular phone. But not all Razr 2s are created equal -- enormous differences mark the various carriers' versions. Our Flash animation shows you what's under the skins.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Germany Wants to Send Trojan-Horse E-Mails, Spy on Suspects

2007-08-31T18:14:00.005-07:00

A German proposal to deploy "trojan horse" software to secretly monitor potential terror suspects' hard drives sparks fierce debate over whether the measures violate civil liberties.

Source: http://www.wired.com

NBC Universal Drops ITunes Downloads

2007-08-31T18:14:00.003-07:00

Come December, popular NBC shows like Battlestar Galactica and The Office will no longer be available through the iTunes Store, after NBC (the No. 1 supplier of digital videos to iTunes) decides not to renew its contract with Apple. The decision follows Universal music's shunning of the iTunes Store and announcement of the upcoming Hulu, NBC Universal's own stab at online television.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Difficulties Plague Giant 'Mechabolic' Gasifier at Burning Man

2007-08-31T18:14:00.001-07:00

The creators of a 130-foot science/art project designed to highlight the relationship between mankind and our energy-hungry machines struggle to make the thing work.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Aug. 30, 1885: Daimler Gives World First 'True' Motorcycle

2007-08-31T08:14:00.037-07:00

The German auto pioneer adds an internal combustion engine to a bicycle frame to make the first gasoline-driven hog.

Source: http://www.wired.com

NASA Tests 5M15 Rocket Engine in Mojave Desert

2007-08-31T08:14:00.035-07:00

NASA tests the 5M15, which runs on compressed liquid methane. The odorless substance is cheaper than conventional rocket fuel, requires much less insulation, and exists on several planets.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Scientists Sue Government, Caltech Over NASA Background Checks

2007-08-31T08:14:00.033-07:00

More than two dozen high-level Jet Propulsion Lab employees fight back in court against what they call an incredibly intrusive security-screening process.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Gene-Therapy Deaths Raise Ethics Issues

2007-08-31T08:14:00.031-07:00

After nearly two decades of research, success is not a word generally associated with gene therapy. It's even led to deaths that some experts believe should never have happened.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Scorecard: Who's Suing Google

2007-08-31T08:14:00.029-07:00

You can't tell the litigants without a scorecard. Here's a handy list of five plaintiffs searching for Google's gold.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Review: Nokia N95 Is Faster, Sleeker and U.S.-Ready

2007-08-31T08:14:00.027-07:00

The new version of the Nokia N95 is slightly smaller than its predecessor, and offers a much faster 3-G data connection. Best of all, it works with U.S. carriers.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Sony Ditches ATRAC, Connect Music Store

2007-08-31T08:14:00.025-07:00

Sony's decision to drop its ATRAC file format and shutter the Connect music store signals a radical departure for the electronics giant, which has tried for 15 years to market its proprietary file format as a viable competitor to MP3 and other digital music formats.

Source: http://www.wired.com

U.S. Presidential Candidates Love Iowa Ethanol

2007-08-31T08:14:00.023-07:00

Iowa residents notice the White House hopefuls who regularly tour their state, one of the nation's premier agriculture regions, don't mention farming much, but they love ethanol. Other ag issues may take a backseat, but a pro-ethanol stance translates to farm support -- it means high prices for corn and soybeans.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Verizon, Gov't Seek Dismissal of Data-Mining Suit on Free Speech, Secrecy Grounds

2007-08-31T08:14:00.021-07:00

Claiming national security concerns, and backed by Justice Department special counsel, the phone provider argues in federal court that a lawsuit against it for ponying up millions of phone records for a secret government data-mining program should be dismissed. Ryan Singel reports from the courthouse.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Screenshots: Lair, Project Sylpheed and More

2007-08-31T08:14:00.019-07:00

Get a peek at a pack of new flying games that will send your spirit soaring or make you sick to your stomach.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Take Flight With 'Lair' and Other New Games

2007-08-31T08:14:00.017-07:00

Ready to soar like a dragon through medieval world or fly through space on a psychedelic rocket ride? Lair, Project Sylpheed and Space Giraffe let you get your altitude on, with varying degrees of success.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Sony Ditching Connect Music Service

2007-08-31T08:14:00.015-07:00

Its proprietary audio technology was a flop, says Sony, as it announces at a Berlin consumer electronics trade fair it will shutter its Connect digital music store and open its portable media players to other formats.

Source: http://www.wired.com

YouTube Agrees to British Music Royalty Deal

2007-08-31T08:14:00.013-07:00

A YouTube deal with the British society that collects royalties for composers, songwriters and publishers means artists will be paid for tracks used to back clips on the video-sharing website. The agreement will also give YouTube a defense when media companies holler "piracy."

Source: http://www.wired.com

Hollywood's Next Anti-Piracy Crusade: Crappy Cell Phone Copies

2007-08-31T08:14:00.011-07:00

Source: http://www.wired.com

'Crude Awakening' Art Installation Arises at Burning Man 2007

2007-08-31T08:14:00.009-07:00

Artists build the desert gathering's tallest structure yet -- and plan to lick the sky with a monster flame fed by 900 gallons of surplus NASA jet fuel -- all to make a point about man's relationship to petroleum products.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Burning Man's Icon Rises Anew, Ready for His Next Date With the Inferno

2007-08-31T08:14:00.007-07:00

A concerted effort gets the Burning Man festival's iconic effigy standing again, less than three days after an unexpected blaze threatened to throw cold water on Saturday's planned big burn.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Exclusive: A Fiery Q&A With Paul Addis, the Prankster Accused of Burning the Man

2007-08-31T08:14:00.005-07:00

Paul Addis, a San Francisco prankster with a history of outrageous stunts, won't confess to setting the Man on fire. But he thinks the early burn sent the right message about an event he says has "become just as nefarious a cultural programmer as General Electric or Disney."

Source: http://www.wired.com

Kerouac's "On the Road" Remains an Anthem for the 'Crazy Ones'

2007-08-31T08:14:00.003-07:00

We pay a lot of lip service to the idea of the rugged individualist, but Jack Kerouac's amped-up classic reminds us that real freedom remains a precious, elusive thing. Commentary by Tony Long.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Wired's How To Wiki: Appear to Be in the Office While Working From Home

2007-08-31T08:14:00.001-07:00

Learn how to get away with working from home without letting your clients, your colleagues or maybe even your boss know that you're not chained to your desk at the office.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Astronomers Get First Look at Protoplanetary "Rainfall"

2007-08-29T20:54:00.009-07:00

An embryonic star, just beginning its life as the center of a planetary system, is apparently deluged with massive rainfall as icy material vaporizes and refreezes. Astronomers are observing one such star in a nebula about 1,000 light years from Earth with the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Bad News for Free Wi-Fi: Earthlink's Muni Wi-Fi Chief Is Out

2007-08-29T20:54:00.007-07:00

Among the 900 layoffs announced by Earthlink is John Berryman, the vice president in charge of Earthlink's municipal Wi-Fi projects. Under his wing was a high-profile project to blanket San Francisco with wireless connectivity.

Source: http://www.wired.com

MPAA's Disc-Sniffing Dogs Nail Alleged DVD Pirates

2007-08-29T20:54:00.005-07:00

Two black Labrador retrievers trained to sniff out chemicals in optical discs assist Queens County and movie industry officials in catching suspected counterfeiters in New York.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Verizon and Feds To Seek Dismissal of Anti-Spying Suit

2007-08-29T20:54:00.003-07:00

Will a judge throw out a lawsuit seeking millions in damages for the alleged mass transfer of customer calling records to the National Security Agency? The request for dismissal is complicated by recent admissions that corporations helped the anti-terrorism spying effort.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Game Developers Strive to Stay True to Golden Compass

2007-08-29T20:54:00.001-07:00

Shiny Entertainment's Dax Berg outlines the challenges of bringing the beloved books to interactive life in videogame form, even as a movie adaptation rolls toward the silver screen.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Aug. 28, 1845: Scientific American, the Magazine for the Rest of Us

2007-08-29T10:56:00.027-07:00

Its formula for success: Writing about complicated scientific subjects in a way that makes them accessible to the average, educated reader.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Researchers Hope Creatures From Black Lagoon Can Help Fight Cancer

2007-08-29T10:56:00.025-07:00

Bacteria, algae and fungi that manage to survive in toxic Montana lake left behind by a century of copper mining produce unique compounds to survive in the poisoned, acid environment. Some may inhibit cancer growth. And toxic dumps elsewhere may be incubating biomarvels of their own.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Satellite Image Captures Greek Fires Raging Out of Control

2007-08-29T10:56:00.023-07:00

NASA releases a dramatic satellite image depicting the fires burning in Greece. Huge plumes of smoke drift across the southern part of the country into the Mediterranean.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Aug. 29, 1949: First Soviet Atomic Test Stuns West

2007-08-29T10:56:00.021-07:00

The Americans think the USSR is at least several years away from exploding its first atomic bomb. The Americans are wrong.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Avant-Green Capitalists Trade Pollution Offsets Like Carbon Credits

2007-08-29T10:56:00.019-07:00

Avant-green market traders are going beyond mere carbon offsets. They've started buying up forests and rivers that keep the planet clean and diverse, and then selling shares in the natural services provided by these resources. Will it work?

Source: http://www.wired.com

NASA Compiles Images on Searchable Website

2007-08-29T10:56:00.017-07:00

Partnering with the nonprofit Internet Archive, NASA plans to collect images from the Apollo moon landings, Voyager planetary flybys and space shuttle missions to post on one searchable website. The project will consolidate digital images spread over 3,000 websites and digitize stills, film and video stored in space centers.

Source: http://www.wired.com

NOAA Blames Greenhouse Gases for USA's Hot Year

2007-08-29T10:56:00.015-07:00

A new analysis of last year's near-record U.S. temperatures suggests human activity was the biggest factor in the 2006 warming, according to researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Nanotech Discovery Could Lead to Real Spider-Man Suit

2007-08-29T10:56:00.013-07:00

An Italian nanotech researcher pulls together all the necessary elements to create a wall-scaling supersuit.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Gateway Acquisition Helps Acer, but Will It Help Gateway?

2007-08-29T10:56:00.011-07:00

The $710 million deal gives Acer a leg up in its battle with Lenovo, but important hurdles must be cleared before Gateway will turn around its lagging sales figures.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Gear Gallery: Versatile HD DVR, Custom Coffee Pods and Lots More

2007-08-29T10:56:00.009-07:00

This week, we examine a high-def DVR that puts TiVo to shame, a point-and-shoot camera that delivers on SLR features, and the sequel to the Motorola Q. But wait, there's more! Much more!

Source: http://www.wired.com

Beijing Police Launch Online Cartoon Officers

2007-08-29T10:56:00.007-07:00

Chinese web surfers will soon notice animated beat officers popping up on their browsers -- the cartoon cops will bop across the screen warning them to stay away from illegal internet content. First appearing on 13 of China's top portals, by the end of the year the enforcers will show up on all registered websites.

Source: http://www.wired.com

IPhone's Most Revolutionary Feature: Unauthorized Hacks

2007-08-29T10:56:00.005-07:00

Have iPhone customers won the freedom to tinker with their cool new handsets? Maybe, if you have the skill to do it yourself. But we don't yet know if you're legally entitled to get help.

Source: http://www.wired.com

UK Terrorism-Trial Judge Gets Lesson on Internet

2007-08-29T10:56:00.003-07:00

Key evidence in a terrorism case includes forum posts. A bewigged judge admits, "I do not really understand what a website is."

Source: http://www.wired.com

Yahoo Spouts First Amendment Doublespeak in Auction Disputes

2007-08-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

The web giant argues out of both sides of its web portal in trying to get a lawsuit by Chinese dissidents dismissed. Two years ago, the company took the opposite side in a dispute over the online auctioning of Nazi paraphernalia in France.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Downloadable Coupons Come With Sneaky Extras, Researcher Says

2007-08-29T10:55:00.023-07:00

The PCs of thrifty shoppers who use a discount service get littered with deceptively named tracking files that most people would be afraid to delete, according to a crusading anti-spyware professor.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Inside DCSNet, the FBI's Nationwide Eavesdropping Network

2007-08-29T10:55:00.021-07:00

Take a peek inside DCSNet, the FBI's nationwide eavesdropping network. It's far more intricately woven into the nation's telecom infrastructure than observers suspected. And it's growing.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Snapshots of the FBI Spy Docs

2007-08-29T10:55:00.019-07:00

Source: http://www.wired.com

Gamers Go for Maximum Geek Fun at Penny Arcade Expo 2007

2007-08-29T10:55:00.017-07:00

Videogame fans get a taste of the latest games, including Rock Band and BioShock, and immerse themselves in gamer-geek culture at the Seattle show.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Videogames Make Better Horror Than Hollywood

2007-08-29T10:55:00.015-07:00

When a game constantly subjects you to scary new things, keeping you eternally off balance, the experience frightens far more than gore-heavy horror films that lack suspense and subtlety.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Beastie Boys Dress Up, Go Instrumental and Get Gamed for The Mix-Up

2007-08-29T10:55:00.013-07:00

The semi-reformed rappers explain their latest rad moves, including temporarily ditching vocals and laying down tracks for The Mix-Up, which has been affectionately labeled "porn music."

Source: http://www.wired.com

Burners Plan to Resurrect Man After Arson Shocks the Playa

2007-08-29T10:55:00.011-07:00

Resurrection of Burning Man's damaged namesake sculpture gets under way, after authorities collar a San Francisco man suspected of torching the giant structure. Don't miss the crazy mug shot.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Burning Man Partially Burned During Lunar Eclipse

2007-08-29T10:55:00.009-07:00

Flames engulf the Man at Burning Man during a full moon full eclipse, five days before it's due to be burned in the culmination of the event in Black Rock City, Nevada. Stay tuned for updates as we know more.

Source: http://www.wired.com

The Man Will Burn Again at Burning Man; Disgruntled Burner in Custody

2007-08-29T10:55:00.007-07:00

With a San Francisco man in custody and facing arson charges, Burning Man attendees and the event's organizers reflect on the premature blaze -- and the Hunter S. Thompson fan accused of starting the fire.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Wired's How To Wiki: Lose Weight While You Work

2007-08-29T10:55:00.005-07:00

What if your desk or computer platform was also a treadmill? What if every meeting you attended took place on the indoor office track? Are you an exercise junkie? The Office of the Future and the Mayo Clinic thwarts work day stress by introducing physical activity into the workplace and demonstrates how to lose a few pounds while surfing the net, I mean working.

Source: http://www.wired.com

New Products Needed for Cyberathletes and Console Slugs

2007-08-29T10:55:00.003-07:00

PepsiCo's new Mountain Dew flavor, "Game Fuel," is one of the few products targeting gamers with the empty calories they need. We'd like to see some new gamer-oriented products, like Frito-Lay Chipotle-Ranch High-Power Pwnage Pellets and a Reebok Exo-Armor Expanding Track Suit.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Wired's How To Wiki: Run a Corporate Blog

2007-08-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

Steve Rubel, a senior vice president at the Edelman PR firm who blogs at Micro Persuasion, offers a few tips on how to blog for your company without spilling secrets, getting fired or putting your readers to sleep.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Aug. 27, 1859: America Enters the Oil Bidness

2007-08-27T14:56:00.007-07:00

An oil strike near Titusville, Pennsylvania, results in the first commercially viable well, and signals the beginning of Big Oil in the United States.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Florida Grinds Recycled Glass to Replenish Beach Sand

2007-08-27T14:56:00.005-07:00

New use for old silicon: Broward County officials are using recycled glass to make sparkling new beach sand. No need to dredge sensitive reefs, either.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Google Hires Former NASA Astronaut

2007-08-27T14:56:00.003-07:00

Shortly after launching GoogleSky, the company hires former NASA astronaut Ed Lu, who flew on two shuttle flights and spent six months on the International Space Station.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Researchers Share Sage Insight on Hallucinogenic Herb

2007-08-27T14:56:00.001-07:00

Scientists are discovering that the herb known as "diviner's sage" has psychotropic properties that could treat depression, pain and addiction. But corporate pharmas aren't interested, because they can't patent it.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Wired News Q&A: Green Guru Paul Hawken

2007-08-27T14:55:00.015-07:00

Leading environmentalist Paul Hawken talks about his new book, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming, and the myriad of environmental organizations that function as a network.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Google Touts Free Wi-Fi While San Francisco Project Languishes

2007-08-27T14:55:00.013-07:00

Although its ambitious plan to provide free Wi-Fi for the city of San Francisco is on hold, Google trumpets its success providing free internet service to the much smaller city of Mountain View, some 30 miles to the south.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Samsung, Sprint Make WiMax Deal for NYC

2007-08-27T14:55:00.011-07:00

Ushering in New York City's fourth-generation high-speed wireless internet, Sprint Nextel taps Samsung to provide WiMax infrastructure for the city. The same duo will create infrastructure and equipment for similar networks in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Boston.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Why You're Not Getting Your Money's Worth Out of That New CPU

2007-08-27T14:55:00.009-07:00

Chip power has increased dramatically in the last few years, thanks to new multicore processors from Intel, AMD and other chip makers. The problem is, software developers who understand how to utilize the new hardware are in short supply.

Source: http://www.wired.com

TiVo Series3: Holy Heavenly Set-Top Box

2007-08-27T14:55:00.007-07:00

Pricey but nearly perfect, this high-def DVR boasts net-connected features and, of course, beautiful video.

Source: http://www.wired.com

How to Spot a Fake Rolex

2007-08-27T14:55:00.005-07:00

A Rolex is probably bogus if you're buying it on a New York City sidewalk. But here are a few more tip-offs that tell you that watch is a knockoff. (Hint: does it tick?)

Source: http://www.wired.com

Embattled U.S. Attorney General Gonzales Resigns

2007-08-27T14:55:00.003-07:00

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, longtime Bush confidante and a key player in the administration's secret wiretapping and data-mining activities announces his resignation. He leaves under fire from Democrats and Republicans, who've questioned his honesty and his botched handling of FBI terror investigations and the firings of U.S. attorneys.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Wired's How To Wiki: Make Friends at the Office Who Really Count

2007-08-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

Friends. How many of us have them? Ones we can depend on? A wiser question has never been asked, especially regarding friends at work. You might think the most important people to ingratiate at work are your team members and, of course, the boss. But there are a few other key teammates who are often ignored and yet very important in making your day-to-day job easier.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Astronomers Spot a Whopping Big Hole in the Universe

2007-08-24T23:57:00.003-07:00

It's a tremendous blank area in the universe -- nearly 6 billion trillion miles of emptiness. Astronomers are puzzling over the cosmic hole that has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Aug. 24, 1995: Say Hello to Windows 95

2007-08-24T23:57:00.001-07:00

There have been other operating systems, and perhaps better ones, but none have had the market impact of Windows 95.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Scientists Simulate Out-Of-Body Experiences

2007-08-24T23:56:00.009-07:00

Researchers in England and Switzerland use video cameras and virtual-reality goggles to make subjects observe "themself" from elsewhere in the room. They learn: "The brain can trick itself."

Source: http://www.wired.com

Key Scientist Resigns California Stem Cell Agency

2007-08-24T23:56:00.007-07:00

The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine is losing its chief scientific officer. It's just the latest kerfuffle in a year of management missteps.

Source: http://www.wired.com

NJ Teen Takes His IPhone, Kisses AT&T Network Goodbye

2007-08-24T23:56:00.005-07:00

Freeing the most hyped cell phone ever for use on the networks of other carriers -- including overseas ones -- a 17-year-old New Jersey kid unlocks the iPhone and says he's using it on T-Mobile's network.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Sexy Safety Shoes for Well-Heeled Hookers Pack Alarm, GPS

2007-08-24T23:56:00.003-07:00

An art project's platform curb kickers give streetwalkers high-tech tools to make the world's oldest profession a little less dangerous.

Source: http://www.wired.com

Music Industry Caps Webcaster Fees

2007-08-24T23:56:00.001-07:00

SoundExchange says it will limit "per channel" fees to $50,000 a year for major internet radio companies streaming music on multiple channels. The ruling means large webcasters, such as Pandora Media and Time Warner's AOL face much higher payments than in the past.

Source: http://www.wired.com