Free Republic

It is ever more essential that the news that journalists provide is even more important to our lives in terms of how accurately they report the changes affecting it. On the last day of 2014 I received a lapel pin from the Society of Professional Journalists in honor of my having been a member since 1979, thirty-five years ago. I confess I was a little stunned to think I had been an editor and reporter that long ago. Indeed, I had been one for several years even before I joined the Society. I doubt that today’s generation of young journalists...

Hat tip to reader Scott: the U.S. Navy has demonstrated World's Most Powerful Electromagnetic rail gun (EMRG) at 10.64 Megajoules An electromagnetic catapult, or railgun, is on track for deployment on U.S. warships around 2012, according to the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The Navy's latest test made history with the world's fastest muzzle velocity of 5,637 miles per hour--generating a record 10.6 megajoules of energy (1 joule = 1 watt-second). If the Navy decides to deploy the railgun, it plans to have a final design in place for approval by 2012. Initial prototypes will probably shoot a single projectile,...

A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man to fly to Mars. Aerogel, one of the world’s lightest solids, can withstand a direct blast of 1kg of dynamite and protect against heat from a blowtorch at more than 1,300C.

SIERRA VISTA - Gary Robertson is about to see every inventor's dream come true. The 53-year-old's lifetime ambition of having one of his creations go beyond the drawing board is finally set to be realized. Robertson's invention, called the Solar Tree, has been accepted as an original idea by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. With his patent pending, Robertson is now in the process of getting his new product manufactured with the help of a company called Invent-Tech. The father of five describes his invention as "an innovative new solar-powered home improvement product that will help lower utility bills."...

First, pick a car that matches the kind of driving you do -- city or highway. Here are the scouting reports on six eco-friendly vehicles. I've been shopping for something to replace my aging Toyota (NYSE: TM - News), and I've come to this conclusion: My next car will be a hybrid. I've driven them all, starting in 1999 with Honda's quirky Insight and Toyota's original Prius, each more of a laboratory curiosity than a practical vehicle. In the past three months, with an eye on ever-loftier gasoline prices, I've driven all the mainstream models again, most for a week...

WASHINGTON -- The final piece fell into place today for the U.S. Supreme Court to review its 20-year-old landmark Sony Betamax decision. On Tuesday, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and their supporters filed briefs for the March 29 high court date. The entertainment industry filed its final briefs in January in a case that pits content owners against technological innovation. "This is a direct assault on the Sony Betamax decision," Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumers Electronics Association, said in a press briefing. "Sony has been our Magna Carta." Three years ago, the movie and music studios, along with a number of...

New X Prize Sets Sights on Science, Technology and Social Solutions By Leonard David Senior Space Writer posted: 07 October 2004 04:52 pm ET The X Prize Foundation and the World Technology Network announced today the formation of a joint venture to launch a series of technology incentive prizes to help spur innovation and breakthroughs in a range of scientific arenas. The creation of new X Prize awards follows the success of the twin SpaceShipOne flights that snagged the $10 million Ansari X Prize purse. However, these are focused on other arenas, such as medicine, environment, energy, nanotechnology, and...

The technology industry badly needs a shakeout: A consolidation of the myriad providers that sprang up in the 1990s would benefit both the industry and its customers. Yet because of the interlocking interests of executives and board members, this catharsis probably won't come from within. Interlopers from the edge of the industry or beyond will probably drive the change. During the 1990s, the boom in high-technology spending spelled prosperity for new and established companies alike. The popularity of enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) and electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) systems, preparations for the millennium bug," personal-computer upgrades to take advantage of the Internet...

JERUSALEM (AP) - The United States has asked Israel to suspend sales of military equipment to China over concerns that the technology could be used to threaten Taiwan, officials and the media said Thursday. Israeli government officials were surprised by the U.S. request but had to comply in order not to jeopardize Washington's massive defense assistance program to Israel, the Haaretz daily said. Two years ago, Israel pulled out of a deal to supply China with a sophisticated airborne radar system after the Pentagon warned that the early warning planes could be used in an armed conflict with Taiwan. Israel...