snow

The iPad 2 came out today and though I've only laid eyes on it for a few seconds (Donald Bell has been running around the office taking pictures and adding to his ongoing review), I'm definitely impressed with what I've seen so far. Apparently if you're looking to get one too, you'll need to be ready for long lines at the Apple store and an even longer wait if you order online, according to Josh Lowensohn.

Several developers have already updated their applications to take advantage of the iPad 2's upgraded processing power, which can be seen in Infinity Blade, Dead Space, and a few other top-name apps. Real Racing 2 HD also landed today, and looks great on the original iPad, but I have yet to see it in all its glory on the iPad 2.

As you have probably already heard, Apple has released a few apps of its own optimized for the iPad 2, including iMovie and GarageBand. I'll be writing reviews and shooting First Look videos for these early next week, so definitely check back for more info.

This week's apps offer a unique way to measure any object and a 2D snowboard racing game that's challenging, but great fun.… Read more

WASHINGTON--Hopes for a solution to the looming crisis in available radio spectrum for mobile broadband users were raised today.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced legislation aimed at solving some of the biggest threats to the mobile Internet, feeding hopes of bipartisan solutions for spectrum woes in an increasingly divided Congress.

"The Reforming Airwaves by Developing Incentives and Opportunistic Sharing (Radios) Act will set the proper foundation to meet growing demand for spectrum through greater planning and coordination and by promoting more innovative and efficient use of spectrum resources," Sens. Snowe and Kerry said in a statement. … Read more

With many people in the U.S. bemoaning the punishing winter weather this year, solar-panel owners have their own special gripe: sun-blocking snow and ice. But at the same time, very cold temperatures have given some owners a power boost.

A thick blanket of snow can slow a solar photovoltaic (PV) array's production to a trickle. That's something I discovered two years ago when a snowy winter led me to buy a modified snow rake to remove snow from my solar panels. It's now on my list of regular winter chores.

Even with my diligence, this year … Read more

With a multiday, multiregion storm impacting 100 million people over the next couple of days, solar roads that melt snow and ice seem less like a far-fetched pipe dream and more like an obvious investment. Engineers on opposite sides of the country are working to make that happen.

Solar Roadways in Boise, Idaho, received a contract from the Federal Highway Administration to build a solar road panel prototype, which was completed early last year. The 12x12-square-foot road designed by engineer and CEO Scott Brusaw is made out of panels encased in strong and durable glass with the traction of asphalt and that won't cause glare.

Each encased panel generates 7.6 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, and can be connected to smart grids to power homes and business. Wireless LED lights embedded in the glass create road signs and weight-sensitive crosswalks. They also contain heating elements that can melt snow and ice.

The technology to make snow plowing obsolete is similar to what's already used in automobile windshields. Heating elements in the glass melt existing snow or ice and prevent accumulation from developing. By preventing snow-related auto accidents and improving road access for emergency responders, the technology would save a lot of lives.

It could also save cities a lot of money. … Read more

There's nothing like a whole-country Internet disconnect to focus attention on how a so-called "kill switch" would work.

While proposals to give President Obama emergency authority to disconnect privately owned computers from the Internet have circulating on Capitol Hill for a few years, last week's news about Egypt pulling the plug on its Net-connection focused new attention on the topic. (On January 24, CNET was the first to report that the legislation will return this year.)

Legendary technology columnist John C. Dvorak warned that such a proposal "gives the president the power to literally kill … Read more

Recently we were contacted by a MacFixIt reader who has not been able to record video chats in iChat on his new MacBook Air laptop. While video chats work fine, for some reason the "Record Chat" option in the "Video" menu does not work and the program will not allow video chats to be recorded. This is in contrast to both prior MacBook Air models, all other Mac systems that support video chatting.

MacFixIt reader "Joseph" writes:

"I've just discovered that the new MacBook Air, unlike every other current-vintage Apple laptop and … Read more

There's this notion that it never snows in Seattle. Let me tell you, it does. And the snow in Seattle can be especially treacherous, due to a combination of steep hills, a lack of enough snowplows, and the fact that the snow thaws and refreezes, effectively locking the city under a 2-inch thick sheet of super-slick ice. It can get dangerous.

Seattle, like most major cities in the U.S., has a thriving bike community, despite the hills, but the snow renders most non-major streets unrideable for many bikers. So Fritz Rice, who works at Dutch Bike Co., a shop in the Ballard neighborhood, employed a novel way of getting around.

The bike shop doesn't stock studded tires because it really doesn't snow enough in Seattle to warrant them; when it does snow, it's intense and brief, like my relationships. So to get around, Rice installed 62 zip ties (the kind that come 35 to a pack at any drug store) on the rims of his favorite bike. They acted the same way snow chains do, allowing an almost tank-tread-like purchase in the ice and snow.

He told me the first few rides popped a few of the ties. The two packs gave him 70 total, but he only needed 62, so he had some room for error. The trick is to get the tension of the tie to the wheel just right with a little trial and error. Once it's dialed in, it works fine. Sure, it looks kind of silly, but it seems to work. Rice was able to ride, corner, and even brake without slipping into cars. … Read more

In some parts of the country, a little snowfall isn't a big deal, but in my part of the country--Seattle--things can get bad fast.

Seattle, if you're not familiar, is built on a series of steep hills. It also has relatively mild winters, though it usually gets cold enough to snow once or twice a year. A winter storm blew in last week that dumped a few inches of snow and brought record-low temperatures. It also coated the entire hilly city in a good half-inch of slick ice under the snow.

And that's where I had a problem. Walking home on Wednesday night, getting ready for Thanksgiving, I was walking down a street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. I was not wearing snow-sensible shoes. My feet went flying out from under me and I landed on my back. Hard. It hurt.

But before I even realized I was injured (I bruised a couple of ribs, cut open my thumb, and pulled a muscle in my left leg), my mind went to the canvas bag over my shoulder and the unprotected iPad inside.

I pulled the gadget out and surveyed the damage. It was beat up pretty bad and looked like I felt, but it still fared better than me.… Read more