engineers

Agree on which movie to watch with Foundd

I am holding out hope that Foundd means I will watch fewer episodes of "NCIS" or "Leverage" on Friday nights. After a week of work and finally getting the kids to sleep, the wife and I seldom venture into the world of cinema on the eve of the weekend because it takes too long to find something we both want to watch. So, I grab the iPad to watch baseball while my wife fires up an "NCIS: LA" or similar on demand. (She has a surprising affinity for procedural crime dramas, finding them unparalleled … Read more

Rolls-Royce revs up giant Lego jet engine

Gentlemen, start your Lego jet engine. Created by Rolls-Royce and unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow in England yesterday, the engine uses 152,455 bricks and reaches an overall size of 4.9 feet long and 6.5 feet wide. All of those Legos together stack up to an astounding 676 pounds. … Read more

Purported iPhone 5, iPad Mini 'engineering samples' crop up

They may or may not be the real deal, but somebody has gone to the trouble of creating purported "engineering samples" of Apple's next iPhone, as well as a smaller version of the iPad.

In a pair of reports today, tech site GottaBeMobile offers photos and speculation about both sample devices, which the outlet says come courtesy of "a trusted source inside the Apple supply chain."

Of note, neither of these units is functional or looks anything like a finished product. Instead, the iPhone looks to be nothing more than milled aluminum, while the iPad-like … Read more

Roominate: Techy dollhouse for future lady scientists

Recently, the European Commission was roundly criticized for launching an ill-conceived ad aimed at getting girls interested in science. Lego has also stirred up some commentary for coming out with girly toys featuring hair salons and cafes.

If these attempts are off the mark when it comes to interesting girls in science, architecture, and design, then what is it going to take to really reach them? How about a dollhouse? A DIY dollhouse with build-your-own-furniture and working circuits. … Read more

Google launches alleged Amazon Web Services killer

Google launched Compute Engine Infrastructure as a Service in a bid to offer cloud infrastructure much like Amazon Web Services. However, the effort, which is in a "limited preview," lacks the depth and options provided by Amazon.

In a nutshell, Google is allowing users to spin up virtual machines. Coupled with Google's App Engine, Google Apps, and Drive the company is building out its cloud stack.

Google's promise is that it'll provide all the access to its computing power to companies.

The idea of a cloud stack isn't exactly original. Amazon has focused on … Read more

Bright.com: Job searches done the dating-site way

Job searchers can now approach their quest as many do for love -- relying on data and science. Or, at least, "science" (as most anyone who's ever tried online dating can attest).

Bright, a job search engine launching today, uses data to show employees and employers how compatible they are using a scoring system that CEO Steve Goodman said will revolutionize the hiring the process.

"We believe that there is a job for everybody that wants to be gainfully employed," he told CNET in an interview.

The company is backed by a variety of angel … Read more

Ford's 999cc EcoBoost engine wins top honors at Engine Awards

Click through for the full photo gallery and more details.

This year's International Engine of the Year Awards saw many repeats from 2011, but stealing the show was a new sub-1-liter engine from Ford. Using direct injection and a turbocharger, this 999cc engine manages to generate 123 horsepower, enough for most subcompact and compact cars. And in European test cycles, the engine manages well over 50 mpg.

Despite the economy of Ford's engine, the Green Engine Award went to GM for the range extended electric power train in the Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera.

Here are the various … Read more

Canvas 14 creates sophisticated tech illustrations

Canvas 14 from ACD Systems is an enterprise-class technical illustration program. With it, you can create, refine, and publish sophisticated illustrations, animations, and documents.

It combines the drawing and illustrating features of a premium graphics app, the 3D modeling and drafting capabilities of CAD, and the collaborative capabilities of a productivity suite in one surprisingly intuitive package. A quick-start guide, copious documentation, and a helpful sidebar called the Canvas Assistant made getting to know this capable but complex software easier than we expected.

To try Canvas 14 for free, you must select that option during installation and complete the process … Read more

Hands-on with Madden 13 at E3: Kinect's killer app

Normally, a new version of EA Sports' Madden Football is an E3 non-event. Not so at E3 2012: in fact, it became a sort of poster-child for future-forward gaming.

Admittedly, the second-screen Madden prototypes on Xbox SmartGlass shown briefly at Microsoft's press conference aren't real (yet), but Madden 13 does feature integrated Kinect features and completely new player physics, dubbed Infinity Engine.

The most interesting part of the Madden's Kinect feature-set is that it doesn't use the camera: instead, it relies on voice commands as a way of controlling pre-snap adjustments on offense and defense. Joe Montana seemed to pull it off well during Microsoft's keynote, but I needed proof. I tried it in a relatively quiet E3 show floor booth, and it not only worked, but it could end up being a feature I actually use. … Read more