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Microsoft

Submission + - Has Bing already overtaken Yahoo? (itpro.co.uk)

Submitted by
nk497
nk497 writes: "Microsoft's newly revamped search tool Bing has already overtaken Yahoo in the US and globally, according to StatsCounter. The net traffic watcher said Bing has topped Yahoo 16.28% to 10.22% in the US, and 5.62% to 5.13% globally. Though the firm noted Bing's popularity may drop off after the excitement wears off, the firm also said: "Steve Ballmer is quoted as saying that he wanted Microsoft to become the second biggest search engine within five years. Following the breakdown in talks to acquire Yahoo at a cost of $40 billion it looks as if he may have just achieved that with Bing much sooner and a lot cheaper than anticipated." Google, of course, still leads by a considerable margin."
Earth

Analysis Says Planes Might Be Greener Than Trains 345

Posted by timothy from the for-some-values-of-greener dept.
New Scientist has an interesting piece up about the calculable energy costs per mile for various forms of transportation. Despite the headline ("Train can be worse for climate than plane"), the study it describes deals with highway-based vehicles, too: the authors attempted to integrate not just the cost at the tailpipe (or equivalent) for each mode of transport, but also the costs of developing and supporting the associated infrastructure, such as rails, highways and airports. Such comparisons are tricky, though; a few years back, a widely circulated report claimed that the Toyota Prius had a higher per-mile lifetime cost than the Hummer (see that earlier Slashdot post for good reason to be skeptical of the methodology and conclusions). I wonder how the present comparison would be affected by a calculation of (for instance) how much it would cost to move by plane the freight currently carried by trains.

Comment Re:Here is another good one (Score 4, Insightful) 456

by werfele (#28188187) Attached to: Sotomayor's Position On Copyright Damages

The problem is that we have two laws in conflict: the original laws forming the EPA (among others) from the late 60's to early 70's, and then executive orders which seek to mitigate them. . . [S]he is supporting the original (Democrat, I think) version of the law, and ignoring the (Republican) executive order that applies.

The problem with this reasoning is that executive orders are not laws. Remember separation of powers. The legislature makes the law, the executive applies the law, and the courts interpret the law. The President has no ability to make law. Executive orders are basically binding policy statements issued to federal agencies. A judge doesn't owe an executive order deference if it conflicts with the statute.
Mars

Half of Mars May Have Ice 66

Posted by kdawson from the submerged-oceans dept.
Ixlr8 sends in a BBC story suggesting that up to half of Mars may have ice at varying depths below the surface. Quoting: "Up until now, scientists had been able to search for water deposits using a spectrometer fixed to the orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft. However, only readings that are accurate to within several hundred kilometers can be obtained. By comparing seasonal changes in thermal infrared patterns, detected by the same Odyssey spacecraft, [scientists] can make readings accurate to within just hundreds of meters."
The Internet

Submission + - Time Warner Customers Get Wi-Fi Hotspots

Submitted by Hotspots
Hotspots writes: In a big win for a little Wi-Fi startup called Fon, Time Warner Cable Inc. will let its home broadband customers turn their connections into public wireless hotspots, a practice shunned by most U.S. Internet service providers. For Fon, which has forged similar agreements with ISPs across Europe, the deal will boost its credibility with U.S. consumers. For Time Warner Cable, which has 6.6 million broadband subscribers, the move could help protect the company from an exodus as free or cheap municipal wireless becomes more readily available.

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