Comments

TheRHogue

Science

Oh, Mama Mia!

By Posted on 2.20.2009 15 Comments
The Swedes revere their beloved ABBA the same way Americans do the Boss. So it comes as no surprise one former band member is weighing in on the music copyright trial of the century currently taking place in the land of IKEA. On Tuesday, Björn Ulvaeus slammed supporters of the defendants in the case (The Pirate Bay), who “speak with trembling voices about their 'freedom' on the internet."

2.23.2009 at 07:26pm - Comment by TheRHogue

The pro-piracy folks are just another consumer for a different market. Consumer pirates would rather pay for blank DVD's and pay for cloning and compression software which breaks copyrights to create their own DVD, than to pay NetFlix $9.95 a month. This debate seems more idealogical than practical. Those who comment here that "information is free" are creating statements based on ideology, and not historical reality. Pirates don't seem to mind paying large corporations for blank DVD's. Pirates don't seem to mind paying other pirates for software that let's them clone a DVD. Big corporations may want our money for a product, but pirates also want our money for thier products. Therefore, pirates are not idealogically pure as they would like the consumer to believe. Pirates are capitalists who want our money, while wanting to make us think they are serving a greater socialogical good. Big corporations are good at marketing, and so are pirates.
Cars

Test Drive: The Electric Mini

By Seth Fletcher Posted on 11.21.2008 9 Comments
Regenerative braking, the process through which an electric car grabs otherwise wasted energy from the brakes as the car glides to a halt, is a brilliant bit of engineering for efficiency—take energy that's otherwise only good for burning up brake pads, and turn it into electricity that charges the battery. It may also make the uninitiated driver want to vomit.

11.20.2008 at 08:05pm - Comment by TheRHogue

The range is 150 miles. Here is the link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4288459.html?series=19 Also, the recharge time is 24 hours using a 110 volt house plug. They have a 240 volt 48 amp connection for a 3 hour recharge. I'd like to see the electric cost compared to gas cost to go 150 miles. The car is also super heavy, and they had to adjust the suspension accordingly. All this proves that battery technology is not for the masses yet. Hybrid vehicles are probably the best way to go with multi-fuel abilities. For really short trips less than 20 miles the battery is used, and for longer trips some fuel is used. I would guess that by the time light weight 300 miles electric cars came to market, hydrogen fuel cell cars will be ready for market. I'm not holding my breath.
The Environment

Global Warming: Not So Bad?

By Posted on 7.26.2008 31 Comments
So it looks like it's not all gloom and doom after all. A few recent studies have managed to find the slim silver lining of climate change. Below, a look at the three small positive outcomes of global warming.

7.26.2008 at 06:15pm - Comment by TheRHogue

I applaud this article. Thank you PopSci for some basic science around climate change. I think the world will continue a gradual and normal change when it comes to climate, and there are a number of things we can learn from this transition. The global warming CO2 cultists who will threaten to ban people from the internet only shows they are like religious zealots, and they can't be trusted with the truth. Within the next 50 years, we will know the truth, and nature will adapt to it as it has done for millions of years. #$@!...oh, no...$#@@...my internet connection is getting cut off...$%^... TheRHogue
The Environment

Greening Green Fuels

By Posted on 7.18.2008 9 Comments
Last week scientists were extolling the virtues of duckweed—this week, another type of pond scum is being called a possible savior. Norwegian scientists believe microalgae could slash CO2 levels—responsible for a lot of our global warming woes—and even be tapped for a more effective biofuel in the future.

7.19.2008 at 08:27pm - Comment by TheRHogue

The APS has reversed it's position on Global Warming: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=12403 Perhaps, Popular Science will do a blog on this, as well as all their other greeny CO2 blogs. The IPCC results were flawed. I wonder if Nobel Prizes can be taken back? This is why people have to wait until the scientific community regulates itself before coming to conclusions. Politics and science are a really bad mix, and Global Warming is proof of it. If people want to reduce oil, coal, natural gas etc...and move to solar and wind, lets create proper incentives as a culture, and move in that direction in a methodical and planned way which allows failures to be over come. Please don't use unproven science as an excuse for fear mongering. TheRHogue
Entertainment & Gaming

Downloading the Olympics

By Posted on 6.26.2008 2 Comments
Bill Gates is taking over the Olympics. The supposedly retired CEO of Microsoft has taken his antitrust antics to new heights with the launch of NBC Olympics on the Go. Using a dedicated video player provided by TVTonic, users can specify their viewing preferences and events will download automatically when they're available. Commuters taking public transit can even watch saved video without an internet connection.

6.29.2008 at 06:27pm - Comment by TheRHogue

The 2,200 hours of video will be using Microsoft SilverLight which works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, iMac Intel, and Linux. http://www.silverlightshow.net/items/NBC-Olympics-Silverlight-site-preview-review.aspx It seems Brett Zarda has quit his day job, and become yet another opinionated "journalist". Popular Science should report facts, not op-ed's. Bill Gates taking over the Olympics...please. Your position on TVTonic needs backup. Are you sure XP users need an "upgrade" of their OS? Do you consider getting auto updates, a constant "upgrading" of a persons computer? I don't like writing negative comments, but the op-eds on climate change and other things in PopSci are lowering their standards. Please report facts, not dogma. rhogue
The Environment

Human Cause, Global Effect

By Posted on 5.14.2008 29 Comments
Retreating glaciers. Melting permafrost. Off-kilter bird migrations. Few of these reports are news to anyone following the global warming beat. Yet the first effort to gather thousands of scientific findings into a cohesive narrative of cause and effect has been published in the journal Nature.

5.15.2008 at 10:03am - Comment by TheRHogue

The PopSci post used the words “likely” in quotes. So, I’m assuming they are only reporting what is in the article, and not making an opinion. Climate models using recent data are proving the prediction methods of the older models were not accurate. So, science has a long way to go to prove the "Global Warming Armageddon" hypothesis. Right now, people are using “Global Warming” as a marketing mechanism for business, ideological reasons and for political correctness for short term gains which heightens the emotional response. What is essential and important is that humans continue to become more efficient through science and technology via free market systems. My guess is that more people will buy an electric hybrid to save money from $10 a gallon gasoline, than to protect the planet from “Global Warming” because human nature is ultimately self serving and short sighted.
Cars

THiNK Electric Car Maker Again Sets Sights on the US

By Posted on 4.24.2008 16 Comments
A Norwegian electric-vehicle manufacturer best known for a Y2K-era commuter-car venture with Ford is plotting a solo return to the states. Flush with cash from Silicon Valley angel investors RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins, Caulfield and Byers, THiNK North America plans to start selling a version of its 95-percent-recyclable City car to US buyers starting in 2009. The company also plans to introduce the larger Ox (pictured) by 2010/2011.

4.27.2008 at 10:01am - Comment by TheRHogue

I think commute cars should follow the cell phone model. Small commute cars should be bought like cell phones with monthly fees. After two years, you can exchange the car with another one which will have the latest upgrades in technology. The dealer can recycle what it can. This forces the manufacturer to create a component based car which can be easily upgraded, perhaps at the dealership. This creates cheap cars, with the latest technologies, which will some day drive themselves to work or locally around town. We may still "own" a luxury car for long trips using fuels like hydrogen, ethonal or gasoline. But the bulk of energy will get shifted to electrical grid which will require more Nuclear plants, solar farms, wind farms etc...