mining

Use-it-yourself orbiting space telescope in the works

Planetary Resources, a pioneer in asteroid mining, announced today that it is planning to launch the world's first publicly accessible space telescope.

The company, led by X Prize Foundation Chairman Peter Diamandis, said in April, 2012, that it planned to prospect and mine asteroids. But today the company expanded on that mission, saying that it is engaging "in another passion of our team: to make space exploration accessible to everyone." … Read more

Superman trailer re-created Minecraft-style

Superman is getting a fresh reboot in the upcoming film "Man of Steel." The third teaser trailer for the film is a shot-by-shot remake of the official trailer, done in the style of the Minecraft video game -- complete with square planets and a blocky Russell Crowe with a pixelated mustache.

Superman's chunky cape makes for some particularly amusing moments as it blows awkwardly around in the wind. Plus, we get Clark Kent as a Minecraft super-baby.… Read more

Minecraft is a chip off the adventurer and creator's block.

Minecraft is to my 25-year-old self as Legos were to my 5-year-old self: a time-sucking, mind-bending, and sleep-depriving experience in the simplest of activities. It hits the right tune on the subject of creation: it really does provide building blocks for your imagination.

Minecraft has no real direction, anchoring plot, or specific guidelines. Players are dropped into a world with only the ability to carve out resources from the surrounding land; you're a miner (duh!).

The game's graphics won't impress, but leaves you with one direction and focus: to build. Soon you'll find out that as … Read more

Mining asteroids to 3D-print space stations: Beyond pie in the sky?

I'm in search of a new phrase to replace "pie in the sky" to describe the latest ambitious space mining startup. On its face, the notion of 3D printers on asteroids seems more ridiculous to me than a simple lemon meringue in the clouds, and yet that is exactly what the just-launched venture Deep Space Industries (DSI) proposes to do.

Less than a year after Planetary Resources announced its own plans to mine asteroids in space, DSI is upping the ante with its own vision for zero-gravity resource extraction that goes one step further to include actually producing things in space using the company's "MicroGravity Foundry... a patent-pending breakthrough in 3D printers able to output complex metal components using a simple process with few moving parts."

The idea is that it should be much cheaper and more efficient to build what's needed to further space exploration using resources extracted from asteroids than shuttling materials from Earth. Imagine sending a robot into a mountain with some mining tools and a 3D printer. The robot mines material to feed into the 3D printer, which prints up more robots and supplies to build a smelter at the mouth of the mine, which is then used to build even bigger things. You get the idea.… Read more

Rare-earth mining company replaces CEO amid SEC probe

Mark Smith, the chief executive of rare-earth mineral mining company Molycorp, was replaced today, a month after the company disclosed it was under a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation regarding the accuracy of its public disclosures.

Rare-earth minerals are key ingredients for mobile phones, as well as wind turbines, hybrid cars, and night-vision goggles. The vast majority of rare-earth minerals are mined in China. But Molycorp is one of a handful of Western companies hoping to elbow into that business. This summer, Smith gave CNET a tour of Molycorp's Mountain Pass, Calif., mine as part of a series on … Read more

Giant wind-blown ball rolls around and detonates landmines

There are 110 million active landmines strewn across 64 countries around the world, according to the United Nations, leading to thousands of people being killed or maimed every year. Huge stretches of land are danger zones. Clearing those areas is a hazardous and delicate operation that puts people at great risk.

Afghanistan-born designer Massoud Hassani has come up with an unusual minesweeper that uses the wind to propel itself in a search for landmines. The Mine Kafon is made from bamboo and biodegradable plastics. The plastic feet push against the ground, triggering landmines with pressure.… Read more

Opt out of Facebook's online and offline tracking

Protecting your privacy online sometimes seems like an uphill battle, but it is certainly worth the effort. Facebook has paired up with a data collection company called Datalogix with the goal of improving its advertisement system. The process uses information from programs like loyalty cards and pairs online data with offline data, putting your privacy at a greater risk.

Luckily, opting out of this service (and protecting your privacy) is as simple as following a few links and filling out a form. Read on to see how to do it.

Step 1: Open a web browser and go to … Read more

Data mining for the masses: Google merges Trends, Insights

Quick show of hands: Who knew that West Virginia leads the U.S. when it comes to searches for spooky things? Or that the interest in the topic line " red hot chili peppers" waxed and waned in different regions of Europe this summer when the band by the same name toured there?

Those are two of the data points Google said you'd be able to glean in conjunction with its merger of Trends and Insights for Search into a new product containing features from both products.

The changes, which Google says will make it easier to analyze … Read more

Digging for rare earths: The mines where iPhones are born

MOUNTAIN PASS, Calif. -- About 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas, in a mine some 500 feet deep, the beginnings of an iPhone come to life.

But the sleek, shiny iPhone is far, far removed from the rocks pulled out of this giant hole, which looks like a deep crater on the moon. A very deep crater. The ground is covered with rust-colored boulders, rocks, and pebbles. The walls etched with striations in varying shades of black, are notched, every 75 feet or so, creating steps that only a giant could use to climb out of the pit.

The base … Read more