fuel

Atari dig aims to uncover infamous E.T. game cartridges

There's a special place 200 miles south of where I live. It's a place of legend, an ancient burial ground. Supposedly, a stretch of land near Alamogordo, N.M., is the final resting place for one of the most infamous disasters in gaming history: the Atari E.T. game.

According to a New York Times report from 1983, Atari dumped 14 truckloads of unsold game cartridges and other detritus into a landfill. "Guards kept reporters and spectators away from the area yesterday as workers poured concrete over the dumped merchandise," it reads.

The E.T. game earned its status as one of gaming's biggest bombs by pretty much stinking up the entire video game industry at the time. Critics and gamers alike hated the plot, the way it looked, and just about everything else about it. That's why Atari got stuck with several million unsold copies.… Read more

The 404 1,280: Where we dig up the truth (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Film crew to dig up Atari landfill site, maybe score 3.5 million copies of E.T.

- The opposite of standing desks: the computer workstation for the person with everything.

- Unlocking The Truth is the most brutal sixth grade metal band ever.

- Hatebeak: a death metal band fronted by a parrot.

- Ex-military snipers called into shoot feral goats from helicopters to protect Galapagos Tortoise population.… Read more

Google, Nike, Jawbone and the fight to win wearable computing

When wireless headset company Jawbone announced plans Tuesday to buy wearable sensor maker BodyMedia for what a source said was more than $100 million, it may well have marked a turning point for wearable computing.

The technology, which includes everything from Google Glass eyewear to heart-rate monitors to sensors that slip into running shoes, has come of age. It's moving past the niche gizmos that only appeal to geeks and gearheads.

As a real business materializes around the technology, a battle is brewing among companies that want to put themselves at the heart of it, and profit from its … Read more

LinkedIn Contacts looks to boost relationships

CNET Update has much to say:

It's hard to remember everything. Apps can help. And LinkedIn's Contacts app wants to help make sure you remember more about your professional contacts.

If you're trying to make it in the business world but don't have time for networking and schmoozing, just pay a ton of money for the chance to become BFFs with Apple's CEO Tim Cook. Coffee is included.

Talking to people can be hard, but Facebook doesn't want you to be shy. It's encouraging more messaging by throwing green dots all over the place. … Read more

Teensy-weensy Fuel emergency phone charger fits on a keyring

There are endless options for battery backup devices for your smartphone. There are battery cases, battery packs, solar chargers, and hand-crank devices. But they all have a common enemy: bulk. You have to find the space in your pocket or purse to keep them with you. This is where the Fuel phone charger comes in. It's as easy to carry as your car keys.

Fuel is shaped like a little red gas canister. Inside the aluminum housing is a 220 milliAmp hour battery. It's just over an inch high and half an inch thick, leading its creator Devotec Industries to claim it as the world's smallest cell phone charger. Fuel isn't going to fully recharge your battery, but it will give you an extra 20 to 30 minutes of talk time when you need it most.… Read more

Under Armour unveils its Nike FuelBand-killer

Under Armour is prepared to jump into the heavily contested field of fitness monitoring with its Armour39 system.

Armour39 consists of a sensor-equipped strap worn around the chest (or right below it); it includes a center sleeve for a "bug," which acts as a computer in storing and moving fitness data to the cloud via Bluetooth. Users can check their progress on a watch or by way of an app on the smartphone. The system will be available on March 20. The strap and bug will cost $149.99, while the optional watch accessory will cost $199.99. … Read more

Nike snubs Google: FuelBand sticks to iOS and Web

Bad news for Nike FuelBand owners waiting for the company to release a companion app on Google's Android platform.

The company today said that's not happening, and that the only way to ferry over data to a mobile device will continue to be Apple's iOS platform.

"To deliver the best experience for all Nike+ FuelBand users, we are focusing on the FuelBand experience across iOS and nikeplus.com, where you can sync your activity, set new goals, and connect with friends," Nike told Droid Life in a statement. "At this time, we are not … Read more

Powertrekk fuel cell charger to be released in spring

While it's been circulating around at trade shows for a while, including Mobile World Congress 2011 and CES 2012, the PowerTrekk phone charger is slated to finally come to the U.S. at the end of this quarter.

Although the $229 device is peddled as a charger that can simply juice up your phone on water alone, it's not quite that simple.

To use the PowerTrekk, you also have to purchase a $4 PowerTrekk Pukk. Once you add a small amount of water (about half a shot), and add a one-time-use Pukk, the latter will immediately begin separating … Read more

Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan target 2017 for fuel cell vehicles

It must be a new season of sharing as major automakers sign agreements to co-develop fuel cell technology. Last week Toyota and BMW said they would work together on a fuel cell system, while today Ford, Daimler, and Renault-Nissan announced they would pool research into fuel cell technology. In their joint press release, Ford, Daimler, and Renault-Nissan said they would produce fuel cell vehicles in 2017.

All of these companies have been working on the technology, and some have demonstrated prototype vehicles. Mercedes-Benz, part of Daimler, has been testing multiple generations of its F-Cell fuel cell vehicle, and currently runs … Read more