DECE's 'digital locker' take-anywhere DRM dubbed UltraViolet, launches later this year

We're still not sure if we believe in the promises made by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) yet -- buy a piece of content once in physical or digital format, and gain access across all formats and devices via a cloud based account -- but we're closer to finding out for ourselves now that it has a new name, UltraViolet.

Palm Pre hits 1.2GHz courtesy of SR71 Blackbird kernel, not for the faint-hearted

Whoa! After breaking the 1GHz barrier just three weeks ago, dauntless modder unixpsycho is back with yet another insane hack for the aging Palm Pre. What's new? Why, this "SR71 Blackbird" custom kernel,

Kindle's digital book sales overtake hardcover, device purchases triple after price drop

While Amazon is being as coy as usual when it comes to an actual number (still keeping to the vague "millions" figure), the company has revealed that sales of its Kindle hardware has tripled since the price took a plunge from $259 to $189. While it's hard to gauge just how many champagne corks are being popped over that statistic, news that downloaded kindle books has overtaken its hardcover brethren is certainly cause for major celebration.

Nokia Kinetic concept offers some ideas Nokia might want to heed

Cellphone concepts are a dime a dozen, but a couple of particularly interesting ones have cropped up in recent days, including Andrew Kim's HTC 1, and this so-called Nokia Kinetic concept from British designer Jeremy Innes-Hopkins. Obviously, the most eye-catching aspect here is that prominent base, which is not simply a design flourish but actually houses an electromagnet that allows the phone to spring up on cue -- when an alarm goes off, for instance, or during a hands-free video call (simply flip the phone back down to dismiss the action).

Iron Man fanatic crafts his own repulsor, shows you how to do likewise (video)

It's certainly not the first homegrown Iron Man repulsor to surface, but it's definitely one of the best. And frankly, we're fond of any mod where the modder details the build process to the rest of the peons in attendance (us included).

RIM finally catches up to the competition with non-GPS-based BlackBerry 'Locate Service'

It's hardly the first company to implement the technology in a smartphone, but it looks like RIM finally has an answer for folks not satisfied with the GPS capabilities of their BlackBerry.

Aptera co-founder expands Epic Boats beyond boats, spurs hiring spree

It certainly looks like Aptera co-founder is Chris Anthony is intent on making a name for himself with his own company, Epic Boats, which has recently be renamed Epic Electric Vehicles to better suit its more ambitious goals.

iHome iA100ZE iPad alarm dock raises questions, supplies few answers

So, the iA100ZE iPad dock isn't anywhere in the same league as the iTar. To be fair, you can't fault iHome for trying to stir up some interest in an over-saturated market by strapping an iPad onto a fairly typical FM radio / alarm clock / dock. And if that's your bag,

The Ribbons Of Life Lamp Draws Inspiration From The Source

The DNA inspired double helical design would look especially great in any mad scientist's lair, or geneticist's dining room. Tough to believe this popped out of a 3D printer.

How To Hide a Cell Tower

While older cell towers were topped with those those unsightly satellite-looking antenna fixtures, newer ones can be contained entirely in sleek, featureless polls and thus disguised as trees.

iPad Projector Renders 3D Objects for the Naked Eye

N-3D DEMO from aircord on Vimeo.

Experimental design team Aircord Labs has released a proof of concept videodemonstrating an iPad with 3D capabilities visible to the naked eye. The effect is achieved with a specially designed projector that beams images into a pyramid shaped screen.

Airbus' Lightweight Plane of the Future Features Holographic Projections and Invisible Floors

What sorts of airplanes will we be flying in 2030? According to Airbus, this "fantasy plane" concept is a reasonable guess, a lightweight model with curled wings and a U-shaped tail. Oh, and invisible floors.

Feed This Machine Rice And It'll Spit Out A Fresh Loaf Of Bread

If you want to make delicious bread out of rice, you normally have to get rice flour and work from there. But with the Sanyo Gopan rice bread machine, all you have to do is pour in handfuls of rice.

Holy Giant Steel Balls!

What weighs 4.5 tons, measures 8 feet in diameter, it's made of pure steel, and can destroy 50 acres of woods per hour? The bowling ball lumbering machine, that's what.

"Smart" Alloy Will Make Your Air Conditioner 175% More Efficient

Leaving your air conditioner on full blast all day might soon come with a little less guilt,thanks to an alloy developed by the University of Maryland. The "thermally elastic" material could allow air conditioners to run 175% more efficiently.

Sony Explores Alternative to Split-Screen Multiplayer

A couple of patent applications published recently show that Sony's looking at stereoscopic video for more than just 3D gaming; it could take the place of split-screen local multiplayer.

Night Light Table Provides Ambiance And Utility

Let the subtle glow from one of these colorful bedside tables set the mood in your room, or, pull up a tiny chair, pretend you're in elementary school, and use it as a super rad (albeit small) desk.

This New Combat Jet Is Actually a Cheapo Chinese Copy

They copy computers, cellphones, cameras, video players, watches, bags, and everything man-made—but did you know that the Chinese also copy entire combat airplanes? It's simple: They buy one and measure every part and system to clone it.

This Wall Breathes With the Wind

This thing is called kinetic wall. Made with 250,000 aluminium panels that are sensitive to wind currents, its 53,819-square-feet surface (5,000 square meters) looks like a vertical lake. Watching it in motion is a surreal experience:.

How Close to the Sun Can You Survive?

With July in full force, it already feels like the Sun's rays are slobbering down our necks. But what if it were closer to us? Say, 90 million miles closer? Popular Science investigates how near we could go and survive.

Samsung Creating Unbreakable AMOLED Screens

Samsung is planning to launch a display with an AMOLED plastic panel on the universal board within two years. Why? Because by switching to the plastic panel, the AMOLED display would become unbreakable.

Dick Cheney Has No Pulse

I'm not making a tired funny! Dick Cheney's new implant—a ventricular assist device—needed 'cause his heart is screwed, "leaves most recipients without a pulse because it pushes blood continuously instead of mimicking the heart's own pulsatile beat."

This Inflatable Camera Bag Is An Idea That Could Blow Up

The Kata ABS-HD starts as a pouch about the size of a book. One minute of blowing later, it's a carry-on bag that can protect a full-size camcorder. And that is a really excellent idea.

This Is the Future of War

Watch the Navy shooting down an airplane over the Pacific ocean using the new LaWS (Laser Weapon System) guided by Raytheon's Phalanx Close-In Weapon sensors. Welcome to the future, where we all die in the hands of angry laser-firing bots.

Microsoft Patent Shows A Dual-Mode Xbox 360 Controller

A Microsoft patent shows off a new dual-mode Xbox 360 controller that can be used both wired and wirelessly. Unlike the current play and charge kit, this controller would give you the accuracy of a true wired mode when plugged in.

This Is the Watermelon Cooler You Were Looking For

In the future, when humans are extinct and watermelons evolve into sentient beings capable of mastering fusion energy and interstellar travel,

PCs Get iPad-As-Second-Display Powers With MaxiVista App

Hey, you with the PC! Instead of sitting there sulking because iPad-as-second-monitor app Air Display is Mac-only, you might want to give MaxiVista a shot. It's the PC equivalent, it works wirelessly, and for now it's your best/only option.

The Battle of the Waterless Urinal

On one side, you have a flush-less urinal design that could save immense resources.

Dell Precision M6500 Shoves 32GB of RAM Into a 17-Inch Notebook

Whatever you do with 32GB of system memory in a workstation notebook is strictly your business—but man, am I curious. Still, impressive of Dell to make the M6500 the undisputed champ of laptop memory.

Tron For iPhone: Glorious Multiplayer Light Tanks, With More To Come

The official Tron app just hit the App Store, and it is stunning. The free app currently offers a (very good) tanks game, just with Tron-style weapons and laser-light levels, but even more premium games are on their way.

Livescribe Echo: The Smartpen Gets Some Brilliant Upgrades

The Livescribe Pulse smartpen showed that there was demand out there for a ballpoint pen with a computer inside. Now the Echo has arrived, bringing with it additional capabilities like password protection, increased storage, even more apps.