joint

The Army of today is making plans for the helicopter of tomorrow -- fast, tough, and even semi-autonomous.

And with the Pentagon's target date of 2030 to begin fielding a fleet of these next-generation vertical-lift aircraft, one can only hope that the Army won't be overly beholden to designs based on the futuristic blueprints of today.

The term "vertical lift" is key here: the aircraft that eventually goes into the service would use rotors for lift, in helicopter fashion, but might also include wings in the manner of the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey or in an even … Read more

While CNET cannot endorse any form of drug paraphernalia, I would like to give credit to the creators of the iHit iPhone case for not dancing around their product's real intention--especially since that honesty might cost them funding and retail opportunities.

The name says it all. The iHit is an iPhone 4 case intended to hold one joint, presumably for emergency use. Of course, it could also hold a single standard tobacco cigarette, but think of the serious smokers you know. They'd need about 24 iPhone cases a day to cope with their habit. The iHit is for the wake-and-bakers. If you're confronted with a jonesing Grateful Dead fan threatening to play an endless guitar solo if he doesn't take a trip to the laughing tree, you can whip out the iHit. … Read more

Data comparing students at two schools in St. Louis, Mo., suggest that just two hours of gaming or texting a day can negatively impact joint health, and that the younger the children are, the more severe the reported pain.

"Our study has shown the negative impact that playing computer games and using mobile phones can have on the joints of young children, raising concerns about the health impact of modern technology later in life," said Yusuf Yazici, a rheumatology professor at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York, in a press release.

Yazici is presenting his … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission is a step closer to approving the $37 billion joint venture between Comcast and General Electric's NBC Universal.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski gave his blessing today to the new joint venture, which was announced a year ago. He circulated an order among the four other FCC commissioners stating that he believes the venture, which will be controlled by cable giant Comcast, will be in the public interest, paving the way for the full FCC to approve the marriage between the two companies.

That full FCC approval isn't expected until January. The deal must also … Read more

Aunt Jill Schlesinger of CBS MoneyWatch is back again on the show today, and admits that she wants to marry CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.

So, what does today's show title mean? If you're a news junkie, you probably already know, but to Jill and Wilson's surprise, even in the financial capital of the country, nobody really knows who the heck Elizabeth Warren is. (In case you don't know, she's the Chairman of the TARP Oversight Committee and will likely be appointed as a "Special Adviser to the President" to run and build the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.)

Warren has been a leading advocate for consumer financial protection for decades and was the person who initially came up with the idea for the CFPA. But what's interesting is that it was really the Internet, "The Daily Show", and social media that has made her into the "Money Momma." Unfortunately for Jill, "Money Aunt" doesn't seem to have the same ring to it. We won't get into other M-related alliterations.

As usual, Aunt Jill has some great advice for anyone who needs a little financial guidance in these trying times. For the tech enthusiast, there's Mint.com to manage and track your personal finances, and the best feature is its capability to automatically categorize your spending on your credit and debit cards. But keep in mind that you are giving up your personal financial information, user names, account numbers and passwords to a third party.

Some bullet points also to follow:

Don't buy actual gold; buy gold-based traded funds.  In general, don't buy gold unless you know what you're doing.

Follow Jill at @jillonmoney for daily financial tips.  We're still thinking of a Twitter hashtag for her to use.  Send us your suggestions.

The First Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit has expired.

Only consolidate your student loans (and loans in general) if you're going to get a lower rate.

You're probably "SOL" if you bought a brand new car a few years ago, are still making payments, and want to get a new car.  Jill's advice is to buy used always.  She even did, and she definitely makes more money than any of the guys.

Finally, couples who want to start a joint bank account together should find a bank or network that is close by.  If you're adventurous look into credit unions.  And there are a few banks that don't really have branches but will refund all ATM fees.

If you have any financial questions or just want to send your love to Aunt Jill and The 404, feel free to send us an e-mail at the404 [at] cnet [dot]. Or call us at 1-866-404-CNET (2638) and leave a message. Jill demands that you follow her on Twitter @jillonmoney, or follow us at @the404, @rhapsodyartist, @malusbrutus and @jeffbakalar.

Silicon Valley has faced tough times before. But climbing out of its current downturn may prove more challenging than ever, says a new report.

Hit by the recession, overseas competition, and political gridlock in California, Silicon Valley--a region virtually synonymous with the high-tech industry--has lost its competitive edge and appeal, according to the "2010 Silicon Valley Index" (PDF) released Thursday by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. As a result, the region has been less able to attract and retain talented workers, leaving it at a standstill with recovery uncertain.

"Silicon Valley'… Read more

RealNetworks and Viacom plan to spin off the Rhapsody subscription music service, the companies announced Tuesday.

Rhapsody, which has struggled for years to grow its subscriber base, was operated by a joint venture formed by Real and Viacom, parent company of MTV Networks.

At the same time, Real has decided to give up a controlling interest in the music service. The company will no longer own a majority stake in the company and will hold slightly less than 49 percent of the company's shares. Viacom owns a similar amount.

Real agreed to contribute $18 million to the new company. … Read more

Cisco Systems, EMC, and VMware announced Tuesday a joint venture to sell a new integrated data center product.

The venture will sell and provide maintenance and service support for the product, which is called V-Block. It will combine EMC's storage equipment, Cisco's virtualized servers and networking equipment, and VMware's virtualization technology.

The deal had been rumored since September, when the Wall Street Journal reported the companies were working on a collaborative effort code-named Alpine. Talk of the deal heated up late last week and early this week.

The joint venture will market and provide maintenance for the … Read more

Manning security checkpoints is hazardous duty, but vehicles still must be checked. So the U.S. Army is helping develop products that will allow soldiers to do their job, preferably from a distance.

Researchers and scientists at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (aka TARDEC) have focused on semi-autonomous robotic systems capable of remotely inspecting a vehicle's undercarriage for explosives or roam the line looking for suspicious activity.

TARDEC will showcase a couple of its favorite autonomous robotic systems this week at the Michigan Security Network Market Leadership Conference. Both units were developed for … Read more