First Orion spacecraft begins testing

First Orion spacecraft begins testing: "The first Orion crew module has begun testing at Lockheed Martin's Space Operations Simulation Center (SOSC) in Denver, Colorado. This 41,000 square foot research facility will test the ability of NASA's next-gen multipurpose exploration spacecraft to safely fly astronauts through the severe environments of deep space. Orion will be phased in as the sun sets on the Space Shuttle Program with the first orbital flight test planned for 2013 and first crewed mission by 2016."

BMW teams with Sixt for world’s first “premium” car sharing service

BMW teams with Sixt for world’s first “premium” car sharing service: "With much of the traffic clogging city roads made up of vehicles that carry a single occupant to work, sit idle for the day (usually attracting inflated parking fees) and then return home, driving in urban areas is a headache that just keeps getting worse."

earTones earphones feature Microban antimicrobial protection

earTones earphones feature Microban antimicrobial protection: "While the sound quality of over-the-ear headphones is generally much better than a set of earbuds, the convenience of using earbuds while on the go can't be denied. Many earbuds are fairly similar feature-wise, so the deciding factors for most people will usually be sound quality and price."

Home-built solar electric scooter fits in a suitcase

Home-built solar electric scooter fits in a suitcase: "Three years ago, Terry Hope was working as an engineer on a Canadian schooner. He wanted to take along an electric scooter, but was told by the captain that he couldn't bring aboard anything that couldn't fit in a suitcase. His response, naturally, was to set about designing an electric scooter that could fit inside a suitcase."

Scientists use bacteria to create fuel from sunlight and CO2

Scientists use bacteria to create fuel from sunlight and CO2: "Researchers from the University of Minnesota have announced a breakthrough in the quest to create a viable fuel alternative using greenhouse gases. The process uses two types of bacteria to create hydrocarbons from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Those hydrocarbons can in turn be made into fuel, which the scientists are calling 'renewable petroleum.'"

StemCAPtain - not a bike lock, but a bike CLOCK

StemCAPtain - not a bike lock, but a bike CLOCK: "Consider your bicycle's handlebar stem cap for a moment. It's right there in front of you as you ride, yet it tells you nothing. Colorado mountain bikers Graeson Lewis and Mike Hogan obviously thought that just wasn't good enough, and decided to put the humble stem cap to work."

Sifteo Cubes take interactive gameplay to a new level

Sifteo Cubes take interactive gameplay to a new level: "Earlier this month we featured some novel building blocks that help teach robotics to kids, and grew from a project at Carnegie Mellon University. Now it's MIT's turn, with the Sifteo Cubes – 1.5-inch gaming blocks sporting full color screens that respond to motion, and interact with the player and each other as they are moved around. Games and apps can be bought online and wirelessly transferred onto the cubes via an internet-connected computer or laptop."

Galaxy Tab takes thinnest tablet crown - twice

Galaxy Tab takes thinnest tablet crown - twice: "Samsung has unveiled not one, but two new tablet additions to its Android mobile product line at Florida's CTIA Wireless 2011."

F-22 Raptor hits Mach 1.5 on camelina-based biofuel

F-22 Raptor hits Mach 1.5 on camelina-based biofuel: "The U.S. Air Force's goal of acquiring 50 percent of its domestic aviation fuel via alternative fuel blends derived from domestic sources by 2016 got a boost on Friday March 18, when an F-22 Raptor was successfully flown at speeds of up to Mach 1.5 on a 50/50 fuel blend of conventional petroleum-based JP-8 (Jet Propellant 8) and biofuel derived from an inedible plant called camelina."

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet gets price and release date

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet gets price and release date: "RIM has announced that consumers can place orders through Best Buy for its PlayBook 7-inch tablet from today. Weighing less than a pound (425g) and measuring up at just 0.4-inch (10mm) thick, the Wi-Fi enabled device will come in three storage flavors, and is expected to be in stores in the U.S. on April 19."

Gateway outs new AMD Fusion powered notebooks

Gateway outs new AMD Fusion powered notebooks: "Gateway has announced three new additions to its NV notebook family, each taking advantage of the latest AMD platform. The new models all feature a stylish satin black case, a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution LED-backlit display, Radeon graphics and run on Windows 7 Home Premium."

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet gets price and release date

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet gets price and release date: "RIM says that the BlackBerry PlayBook is the world's first professional-grade tablet, delivering 'industry-leading' performance which includes multitasking capabilities, support for Adobe Flash 10.1, high definition multimedia, and out-of-the-box enterprise support."