Furious activity is no substitute for understanding. -- H. H. Williams Why Linux Is Wealthier Than Microsoft Linus Torvalds can muster more creativity from his far-flung rank and file than Bill Gates can from his corporate monolith Sun and AOL form StarOffice pact for cheap desktops Fresh off a major Linux desktop win in China, Sun Microsystems has found a PC friend closer to home with AOL now piloting a program to ship sub-$300 desktops running StarOffice. SCO To Expand Its Lawsuit Beyond Linux The man who claims there are Unix copyright violations within the Linux open source operating system is taking his fight to the Berkeley Software Design (BSD) community, which maintains an open source "genetic" version of Unix SCO hires bodyguards for execs The debate over SCO Group's claims on the Unix and Linux operating systems has never been polite. Molecule by Molecule, NC State Scientists Design a New Transistor When amazing new computers and other electronic devices emerge, they will have been conceived and incubated in university laboratories like that of Dr. Chris Gorman, professor of chemistry at North Carolina State University. There, the scientist and his multidisciplinary team are working to build, molecule by molecule, a nanoscale transistor. Is Space Mining Feasible? There is a large amount of precious minerals on the Moon and Mars. Would it be feasible to bring these valuable materials back on Earth? Space.com says that mining specialists and space engineers, who gathered at the latest Space Resources Roundtable, think the answer is yes. Ebola Vaccine Tested On Human Electron micrograph of Ebola virus (Photo: AP) A volunteer has received the first human inoculation of an experimental vaccine designed to prevent infection by Ebola, a highly lethal African virus that some officials fear could be used as a weapon of bioterrorism. Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera) European Swallow (Hirundo rustica) After spending some time last month trying to develop alternate graphic presentations for kinematic ratios in winged flight, I decided to try to answer one of the timeless questions of science: just what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? Epson Develops World's Smallest Flying Microrobot Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson") has developed the FR ("Micro Flying Robot"), the world's smallest (according to Epson) flying prototype microrobot. Epson developed the FR to demonstrate the micromechatronics technology that it has cultivated in-house over the years and to explore the possibilities for microrobots and the development of component technology applications. Defining, Designing and Defending NASA's Post-Shuttle Spacecraft NASA's Orbital Space Plane is touted as the nation's next space vehicle aimed at providing crew rescue and transfer for the International Space Station (ISS). If given a go-ahead, the project may well serve as needed backbone, quite literally, to spearhead the rekindling of human space venturing beyond low Earth orbit. Easter Island's statues await facelift The steep side of dormant Rano Raraku volcano is the most photographed spot on mysterious Easter Island. This one looks a little like Learch. Delphion's Gallery of Obscure Patents From the unusual to the bizarre (C) Shouting Red Goanna Inc. A wholly subsidiary of Screaming Blue Wombat Inc. / Avenging Green Seahorse Industries