Interesting reading…

Nanoparticles could make hydrogen cheaper than gasoline - “The hydrogen economy is getting a shot in the arm from a start-up that says its nanoparticle coatings could make hydrogen easy to produce at home from distilled water, and ultimately bring the cost of hydrogen fuel cells in line with that of fossil fuels…”

I.B.M. to Introduce a Notably Improved Mainframe - “Rising energy costs and environmental concerns are putting pressure on growing computer data centers, with their voracious appetites for electricity. The z10, I.B.M. says, delivers the computing power of 1,500 industry-standard servers, running on personal computer microprocessors, while consuming 85 percent less energy and covering 85 percent less floor space. So the mainframe, it argues, has become the low-cost data center technology, although the machines cost $1 million and up…”

Counting down to the iPhone development kit - “This is supposed to be the week that Apple makes honest coders out of all the software developers who have been busy creating unofficial applications for the iPhone almost since the day it was released last June. Back in October, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the company planned to release an official software development kit (SDK) in February that would allow third parties to create applications that would run directly on the iPhone…”

Verizon Wireless To Release Network Specs For Outside Devices - “Version 1.0 of the technical specifications will be released and published at the carrier’s Open Development Device Conference taking place in New York City on March 19. The specifications will allow manufacturers to create mobile devices that are compatible with Verizon Wireless’ network even if they are not offered directly by the carrier. Software developers also will be able to design products that can operate on the carrier’s network…”

High Tech Cowboys of the Deep Seas: The Race to Save the Cougar Ace - “For some reason, the starboard ballast tanks have failed to refill properly, and the ship has abruptly lost its balance. At the worst possible moment, a large swell hits the Cougar Ace and rolls the ship even farther to port. Objects begin to slide across the deck. They pick up momentum and crash against the port-side walls as the ship dips farther. Wedged naked in the shower stall, Kyin is confronted by an undeniable fact: The Cougar Ace is capsizing…”

Nets Drive Evolution of Small Fish - “The scientists stocked two small lakes in British Columbia with two strains of rainbow trout: one that grows quickly and is more aggressive in chasing down food and another that grows slowly and tends to be more cautious. They then used commercial gillnets to fish the lakes and found that they bagged the bolder fish three times faster than the shy ones, which were left behind to multiply. So we could inadvertently be breeding fearful small fry that are nearly impossible to catch…”

Teens losing touch with common cultural and historical references - “Big Brother. McCarthyism. The patience of Job. Don’t count on your typical teenager to nod knowingly the next time you drop a reference to any of these. A study out today finds that about half of 17-year-olds can’t identify the books or historical events associated with them…”

Temperature Monitors Report Worldwide Global Cooling - “Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded. China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow in all recorded history. North America has the most snowcover in 50 years, with places like Wisconsin the highest since record-keeping began. Record levels of Antarctic sea ice, record cold in Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Mexico, Australia, Iran, Greece, South Africa, Greenland, Argentina, Chile — the list goes on and on…”

Fancy footwear for German police dogs - “The unusual footwear is a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries on duty…”

$499 HP 2133 To Challenge EeePC and Cloudbook - “Little is known right now, but Engadget is reporting that this machine is expected to sport a 8.9″ 1366 x 766 WXGA display, ExpressCard/54 slot, webcam, nearly full-sized QWERTY keyboard, and optional SSD all running inside a 2.5 lbs anodized aluminum casing with either Linux or Windows Vista pre-installed…”

Man-Made Flood Planned for Grand Canyon - “For the third time since 1996, officials plan to unleash a man-made flood in the Grand Canyon next month in an effort to restore an ecosystem that was altered by a dam constructed on the Colorado River decades ago…”

Diet Overkill: 25 Of the Most Ridiculous (and Ineffective) Popular Diets - “Some people will do anything to lose weight, even if it means defying common sense and nutrition. But just because your best friend’s cousin lost 20 pounds by drinking hot-peppered lemonade doesn’t mean you should do the same. These 25 diets are not only ridiculous, they’re ineffective and even dangerous…”

Notes From Buffett Meeting 2/15/2008 - “Students from Emory’s Goizueta Business School and McCombs School of Business at UT Austin were invited to come visit Mr. Buffett for a Q&A session. These notes were reproduced to the best of my ability as I heard and as I could recall them from a collection of mine and other students’ notes…”

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