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More competitors for Google Lunar X Prize

More scientists and engineers are about to join the international race to the moon sponsored by Google and the X Prize Foundation.

The foundation announced Thursday it will introduce two new Google Lunar X Prize teams to its already weighty roster of 14 competitors. The announcement will be made Tuesday via a teleconference from Google headquarters. Although the X Prize Foundation organizes a number of innovation competitions, the Google Lunar X Prize is sponsored in conjunction with Google.

Team LunaTrex will also have an announcement to make at that time, according to the foundation.

Then on Wednesday, Google and the … Read more

Marry your home and cell phones with Xlink

A few years ago, I bought a fancy home phone so I could set it to forward calls to my cell. Not long after, I found a better and cheaper solution by ditching the landline completely.

I am not alone. According to Nielsen, 17 percent of U.S. households--some 20 million homes--are without a wired telephone, instead relying solely on mobile phones.

This brings up a question of what we should do with that fancy home phone. I do miss the comfort of using the big handset rather than fumbling on the tiny, onscreen keyboard of my iPhone.

Xtreme Technology … Read more

The 404 202: Where it's hot as hell and Jeff is hungry

Several times throughout today's show, The 404 almost causes the universe to implode. Our Earth-shaking collection of topics today include a story about Viagra missiles, iPhone flaws and young love, divinely drunk intervention, and more Ryan Gosling/Ryan Reynolds confusion...which witch is which?!

One of the more ridiculous stories on today's show is about a man that somehow managed to smuggle a fake, but extremely realistic looking missile into New York with a sticker on the side that proudly read "VIVA VIAGRA." After driving around New York, making stops at Times Square and the Trump Tower, the man ended up in front of the Pfizer corporate building where the company promptly slapped a restraining order and a cease and desist warning on his man-made missile. The craziest part about this story is the fact that one man somehow drove through the Midtown tunnel and several New York police officers with a missile attached to his truck.

Is that all it takes? The man claims that ""New York City cops are smart. They know the difference between a mock-up and the real thing," and that's all well and good, but what about scaring the sh*t out of thousands of New Yorkers? Mass chaos isn't so fun. Do you think The 404 should pull a stunt like this? Clearly it'd be pretty easy to set in motion, and you know we need the publicity! Any suggestions? Leave us a comment and and let us know!

EPISODE 202 Download today's podcast … Read more

Review: 2009 Range Rover Sport HSE

Terrain crawling tech lets the 2009 Range Rover Sport HSE maintain its rugged reputation, but an upscale price means luxury elements, such as real wood trim and a refrigerator in the console. Offroad enthusiasts may think the lack of a fold-down windshield keeps the Range Rover Sport in the soft-road class, but this tank enhances its locking differentials with an air suspension that moves it into high-clearance mode. Terrain programs fine-tune the Range Rover's handling for the slippery and jagged.

The basics of cabin tech are here, including navigation and cell phone integration, but integration is poor. The navigation … Read more

Best of Outside Lands: Beck, Radiohead, Wilco...

If you didn't make it to the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco last weekend (or you did and want to relive it), check out our free playlist and photo gallery below featuring some of the top acts. While everyone had their own unique experience, the climatic triple threat of Bon Iver, Broken Social Scene and Wilco on Sunday was my personal highlight. A common theme throughout the day was crowd participation (there were several occasions when the audience was invited to clap, sing, and scream along). From the reviews that I've read, and from general word-of-mouth buzz, the festival appeared to be a great success. Hopefully the artists and promoters feel the same way and will book a second annual Outside Lands next year!

Free playlist featuring Manu Chao, Radiohead, The Cool Kids, Nicole Atkins, Beck, The Walkmen and more:

Outside Lands photo gallery below courtesy of Ryan Salm - Ryansalmphotography.com

More photos...… Read more

79: What part of a car breaks the most?

Nissan uncorks a convertible G... Land Rover scores an honor that is no honor... the gas pedal that pushes back... and hear two of the sexiest cars on the earth. Listen now: Download today's podcast

Military father gets robotics contract

A robotics company founded by a father who lost his son to the Iraq war has garnered an $800,000 contract with the U.S. military.

Black-I Robotics makes an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) called the LandShark that can be used as a platform to disable bombs, provide reconnaissance, and carry wounded soldiers from the battlefield. The LandShark robot can also be used at home in the U.S. as an aid to first responders for search-and-rescue, firefighting, Hazmat, and SWAT efforts, and even in agriculture, according to a company statement.

"We believe UGV chassis should be thought of … Read more

Home phones get a splash of color

As home phones are continually threatened with extinction, manufacturers have tried to add functions that appear to bring them closer to their mobile counterparts. But perhaps there's a much simpler tactic: paint them in bright colors.

Following a trend that's become commonplace for most mobile handset makers, GE has introduced the "Ultra Slim Cordless Phone" from its Designer Series in candy-apple red, according to SlashGear. (Not exactly our taste, but it could always be worse.)

Other than the shiny finish, the $70 phone has standard functions including a small LCD, caller ID, and a digital answering … Read more

Wireless speakerphone for chaotic households

Introducing the latest appliance for today's digital household: the wireless speakerphone.

No longer associated only with office conferences, the speakerphone is finding its way into kitchens and family rooms as well. Granted, there are many other variations built into answer machines or the handsets themselves, but they're often afterthought functions that don't emphasize quality. So GE's newest land-line system that uses DECT technology has added a cordless speakerphone that features "True Digital Sound" for "enhanced voice reception."

We're still not sure who would need something like this, unless you're a … Read more