ocean

A 10-square-mile pack of jellyfish wiped out a 100,000-fish salmon farm in Northern Ireland, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The billions of jellyfish, piled densely in a 35-foot-deep layer, did in the fish through stings and stress, according to John Russell, managing director of Northern Salmon.

The Pelagia nocticula species, or "mauve stinger," ordinarily is found in warmer waters such as the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists pointed to the presence of the jellyfish, rarely seen that far north, as evidence of global warming.

All of the fish, worth $2 million, are dead or dying and, absent government aid, … Read more

There's much to love about the Helio Ocean smartphone, as evidenced by CNET's 8.0 rating. Of course, the $299 price tag always seemed a little rich for my cheapskate blood. That's why I'm geeked about Helio's new "refreshed" (a.k.a. pre-owned) Oceans, which you can score for just $99. You even get free 2-day shipping.

Helio says these refurbs are "good as new," though I'm troubled by the lack of specifics and warranty details on the company's Refreshed Devices page. Still, it's probably worth a little … Read more

In some of the most ambitious efforts by green tech start-ups, a handful of businesses have emerged with plans to capture large amounts of carbon dioxide by stimulating the growth of ocean plankton.

On Monday, a group of watchdog environmental bodies, including Greenpeace and the ETC Group voiced their opposition to a project proposal from Australia-based Ocean Nourishment.

The company is said to be planning on "seeding" the Sulu Sea between the Philippines and Borneo with a nitrogen nutrient called urea, which would be pumped into the ocean from a special plant.

The idea behind these geo-engineering projects … Read more

A lot of wave and tidal power systems being proposed these days will be capable of generating megawatts of power.

Puget Sound Tidal Power is aiming for 10 to 15 kilowatts with its turbine--barely enough for five homes--but the lower power output also means a lower price tag, according to company President Burton Hamner. The total cost of a single turbine from Puget Sound in mass manufacturing will come to around $10,000 or so, he said. The budget on larger turbines often runs into the millions of dollars.

"We think you could get payback in five to eight … Read more

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy research lab, has come up with a new formula for hydrogen pellets that looks like it holds a lot of energy, per gram.

The PNNL pellet is made out of ammonia borane, or AB, compressed into small pellets. A milliliter of AB weighs about 0.75 grams and can hold up to 1.8 liters of hydrogen. Researchers speculated that a fuel system powered by AB pellets will occupy less space and be lighter in weight than systems using pressurized hydrogen gas. That's one of the pellets (and not … Read more

When we first reviewed the Helio Ocean a couple months ago, we thought the killer application would be its support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, which was unfortunately unavailable at the time. The Exchange integration would work well to bridge the gap between the young hipster types that are Helio's core audience and mobile professionals. Well, today's the day, because that Exchange application is now here. As was reported by Engadget, the Ocean is finally getting the Exchange ActiveSync support, including an improved version of Helio's file viewer that supports Microsoft Office documents. It's not free, though: … Read more

We have 10 years, folks. And then it's man the lifeboats, or head for the hills. That's the conclusion of James Hansen and five other scientists. They've just published a paper with the Royal Society in England. It says melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctic could soon reach a point of no return. The team even says the recent reports from the United Nations' global warming conferences are too conservative in their projections of what could happen.

The paper urges quick and decisive action, including attempts to scrub greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Hansen is outspoken … Read more

While visiting family in Palo Alto last weekend, I came upon a Helio store on the city's main shopping street, University Avenue. I knew the youth-centric MVNO carrier opened four stores in California and Colorado, but this was my first chance to visit one of the locations. I couldn't snap pictures inside, but like the carrier's corporate image, the store's interior was flashy, slick, and comfortable. There were lounge chairs, the staff was quite attentive, and the phones were featured in interactive display cases. My 6-year-old nephew was decidedly unimpressed until I showed him the dual-sliding … Read more

Ever have someone tell a joke and everyone but you laughs uproariously?

That's how I feel about the Helio Ocean. Seems like every reviewer in the U.S. has tripped over themselves with praise. Me? I don't get it. The top row of the keyboard is difficult and uncomfortable to use, and the learning curve for the Ocean's unique interface is only worth the trouble if you're determined to have it as your only device.

If you're a gadget addict like me, you carry a bag for all of your toys. So a big klutzy … Read more