Basic House fits in your pocket
Light enough to play catch with, Basic House is a shelter to fold up and carry with you. Read the full story
Supreme Court says feds cannot install GPS without warrant
In a ruling with wide implications for the privacy of drivers, the Supreme Court ruled that federal agents may not install a GPS in a vehicle without a warrant. Read the full story
This follow-up to last week’s column on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere considers ways to exploit the earth’s own capacities to absorb the gas. Read the full story
Philadelphia’s Postgreen Homes lures buyers with a rare promise: eco-friendly new construction for less than $300,000. Despite a tough economy, the company has sold nine houses. Here’s why. Read the full story
U.S. in 2035: Oil imports slashed, renewables rise
The EIA’s annual energy outlook projects the U.S. will produce more crude than it has since the early 1990s. If they’re right, U.S. dependence on foreign oil could fall dramatically. Read the full story
Design is on the agenda at Davos
At the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland this week, the “d”-word, as in “design,” promises to be discussed often as a business and innovation strategy. Read the full story
Video: Solar storm erupts, worried earthlings scramble
The biggest solar storm in seven years is reportedly already causing a bit of an air traffic mess. Read the full story
Bigger company, more innovation? Scale matters, study says
New research speculates that most innovation is more likely to come from larger companies more so than from small entrepreneurial startups. Key takeaway: big companies need to be entrepreneurial, too. Read the full story
The rise of CEOs as urban planners?
The CEO of Zappos is investing $350 million to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. Are we seeing a new trend in CEOs taking urban planning into their own hands to revitalize struggling downtowns? Read the full story
Kids get educated on ‘green’ golf
Gary Ingram, the golf course superintendent at Oakland Metropolitan is teaching kids about what it means to be better environmental citizens through their program, the Oakland Turf Grass Initiative. Read the full story
NASA video shows global warming is real
Since the year 2000, we’ve experienced nine of the 10 warmest years on record — and it’s about to get even hotter. Read the full story
Dhaka development eyes growth, climate change
A new development on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital city will create a “garden city” with an infrastructure focused on managing water. Read the full story
What autopilot shares with seatbelts: Big Brother will require it in your car.
MIT says self-driving vehicles will be a mandated safety feature. European automakers VW, BMW are well down the road. Another reason to provide cars like cellphones, ‘free’ in a service package. Read the full story
Job’s Jet memorial: ‘Stay hungry, Stay foolish’
Virgin America has dedicated one of its Airbus A320 models as a Steve Jobs tribute. Read the full story
A wand that ‘vanishes’ flames? (video)
DARPA’s new fire suppression wand electronically rubs away flames. Read the full story
The Morning Briefing: Radiation storms, electronics and reactors
“The Morning Briefing” is SmartPlanet’s daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we’re reading about radiation, in light of the storm to hit Earth today. Read the full story
Peak oil preview: London motorists could soon be without gasoline
Call it a fire drill for the day the world runs out of petroleum. A refinery supplying a sixth of England’s southeast halts deliveries. Read the full story
Obama expected to highlight oil, gas production
President Obama’s State of the Union speech will highlight how domestic oil and gas production has surged during his Presidency. Obama is expected to set goals to advance domestic energy sources while respecting the environment. Read the full story
US, Germany, Japan lead in innovation: GE Global Innovation Barometer
Global economic growth needs to come from the bottom up. Global economic growth needs to come from the top down. Should governments come to the rescue? Read the full story
Poet’s cellulosic ethanol strategy: Dump fed loan, partner with DSM
Poet announced today its plan to bring advanced biofuels to market by next year — without a federal loan guarantee. Read the full story