smackdown

The 3.0 version of the iPhone firmware is coming in the summer and will feature copy and paste, MMS, search, and more. All things a cheap Nokia phone can do now, but hey, the iPhone couldn't and now it can. So there. We also review the sleek new Dell Adamo and take Australia to task for a fine for hyperlinks.

Live blog: iPhone OS 3.0 preview http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10197216-37.html http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/03/16/the-iphone-os-30-announcement-scorecard/

Hands-on with the Dell Adamo http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10197525-1.html … Read more

Most energy-conscious people know that when it comes to home insulation, more is better. But homeowner Alex Cheimets is literally thinking outside the box with his "superinsulation" plan.

Rather than just blow in a few more inches of standard cellulose insulation in his attic, Cheimets is in the throes of an ambitious project to seal the outside of his home with two layers of insulating foam board.

Known in building industry as a superinsulated home, the foam blanket will keep hot (and cool) air in, and also block the cracks that let in outside air. If all goes as hoped, he will cut oil consumption by 70 percent at his 80-year-old, two-family home in Arlington, Mass.

For Cheimets, superinsulation has become a bit of a hobby, one that's been frustrating at times. He set off two years ago with good intentions--conserving energy for the benefit of his pocketbook and the environment. But like a cutting-edge user of new technology, he has had to overcome a number of unexpected hurdles, notably a lack of basic information and experienced contractors.

Luckily, Cheimets is persistent, organized, and, he admits, "a little obsessed."

Earlier this fall, contractors began work on the job, which is expected to be finished early next year. Along the way, it's become a pilot project that some hope will become a model for dramatically lowering energy consumption in the millions of existing homes.

Leading-edge green Being a guinea pig for superlinsulated homes has paid off in some ways even before the home's co-owners receive next winter's heating bills.

Because his project is considered a model for retrofitting homes to be energy efficient, suppliers have donated windows and materials, halving the estimated price tag of $100,000.

… Read more

You could call it grass-roots green.

The second season of Energy Smackdown, a TV show that challenges homeowners in the Boston area to "green" their lives, kicked off Sunday.

Households, including my own, have signed up to take up several challenges to lower their carbon footprint and compete against families in other nearby cities--in this case between Medford, Cambridge, and Arlington, Mass.

There are a number of challenges, such as coming up with an energy-efficiency plan, reducing travel, and eating local food.

You'd be amazed at what people can do. One of the families that participated in … Read more

In the world of the uber-rich, of course, competition knows no bounds. So we should expect nothing less of the market for Ferrari stretch limousines.

It may not have the kind of gullwing doors sported by one of its chief competitors featured last week, but this six-passenger model from Philadelphia-based Ali Baba Limousine isn't exactly a Mini Cooper either. It's also a relative bargain to rent, at $400 an hour.

Oh, the naivete of youth. There will always be some upstarts who think they can challenge a reigning monarch in any given region or field and, true to form, we now have one that foolishly thinks it can take on the supreme of all supremes: Hello Kitty.

The misguided pretender to the throne in question is Brightonnet, which has introduced its cleverly named "Cat Speaker," a feline-shaped MP3 system with a wired remote--is that an oxymoron?--that looks like a paw. According to Fareastgizmos, it's also supposed to be "scratch-proof" (groan).

Even more brazen, the … Read more

ASUS, for the record, isn't just about Prada accessories and Lamborghinis. Showing that it can back up beauty with brawn, the Taiwanese computer maker late Friday announced two new laptops targeted specifically at hard-core gamers.

The G1 and G2 notebooks, with their respective 15.4-inch and 17-inch screens, are designed to take on even powerful game-oriented desktops. In addition to an Intel Core Duo processor, ASUS touts their advanced graphics, gaming hot keys, long-lasting batteries and various high-speed wireless options, including Bluetooth 2.0.

Fareastgizmos, which first reported the new laptops, adds that their "Game and Night View … Read more