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Making hybrid vehicles even more appealing
Sep 1, 2007
"HOV" lanes were intended to be the domain for drivers with at least one passenger in their car. Now, some states want to extend their use to folks driving solo... if they're behind the wheel of a hybrid vehicle. But as Cy Musiker reports, Uncle Sam may be putting the brakes on that idea before states can get up to speed.
Ipods, radio, podcasting, and music
Sep 1, 2007
Oh to be in Austin tomorrow. Oh, any day will do, really, but especially tomorrow. It's the start of South by Southwest. The big film and music festival. But you don't have to be in Austin to hear a lot of the new music. This year, the folks at South by Southwest are providing a huge file to download. 750 songs. That's 2.6 gigabites. Download it! Nic Harcourt is music director at KCRW, host of the public radio program Sounds Eclectic -and he's on his way to the big festival.
The cloning pets business
Sep 1, 2007
This week, the United Nations urged governments around the world to ban all human cloning. That includes the cloning of human embryos for stem-cell research. But the UN didn't say anything about pets....In fact, the world's first commercial pet-cloning lab is opening soon in Wisconsin. The company says Mittens or Fido can be replicated for about the same cost of a high-end sports utility vehicle. But as Brian Bull reports, not everyone's purring over the facility.
The trash mining movement
Sep 1, 2007
With oil prices back up, President Bush's timing seems spot on. He was in Ohio today talking up alternatives. Biodiesel, hydrogen fuel, and so-called clean coal technology. No mention of methane. In Fredricksburg, Virginia, they're hoping to harness the methane coming up from a landfill. The idea would be to use it to generate electricity. As it stands, most folks consider landfills as little more than horrible blots on the American landscape. But not always. Just ask around Austin, Texas. From KUT, Michael May reports.
Video games and the inner geek
Sep 1, 2007
It used to be dismissed as the domain of nerds. Nothing like money to improve a reputation. Just ask the folks at the annual Game Developers' Conference. It got underway in San Francisco today. The global video game industry is now worth upwards of $5 Billion. Any wonder that corporate America is ready to embrace its inner geek? As Marketplace's Jeff Tyler reports, that's show biz.
Pfizer, and the cholesterol war
Sep 1, 2007
Today the world's biggest pharmaceutical company offered a peek at what it hopes will be the next big thing. The company already markets the world's best selling drug - Lipitor. It cuts so-called "bad" cholesterol. Pfizer's new drug boosts "good" cholesterol, and it's looking pretty solid in trials. If you put the good and the bad together, what do you get? A combo designed to deal with more than strictly 'medical' concerns. From the Health Desk at WGBH, Marketplace's Helen Palmer reports.
These aren't chips from a bag
Sep 1, 2007
The stock market got a charge this week from National Semiconductor. Yesterday the chipmaker said its net income rose 22 percent in the last quarter. That's a lot of chips in a lot of cellphones, computers, and PDAs. Commentator and engineer Bill Hammack says you might be surprised at what fuels these icons of the new economy.
Steroids and baseball - a winning combination ...
Sep 1, 2007
Here we are in December with baseball making the headlines. In recent days grand jury transcripts have emerged indicating several players used performance enhancing drugs - including steroids. The issue took center stage at the players' union meeting in Phoenix today. This, on the heels of remarks over the weekend from Senator John McCain - he's suggesting Congress might revoke baseball's long-standing exemption from antitrust laws. Marketplace's Matthew Algeo reports.
DVD - The Next Generation
Sep 1, 2007
You know that new DVD player you bought last weekend? By the middle of next year, there's likely to be a new kind of DVD machine - a high definition version. You can't buy one today. Which is a little frustrating, given the hype today from one technology company. As Marketplace's Lisa Napoli explains, it just goes to show you how far in advance the jockeying for position - and consumer attention - begins.
Murdoch's new push for the stars
Sep 1, 2007
Rupert Murdoch's Fox network is a major success on regular TV. His Fox News network has other cable news networks rethinking their approach to news. And now he's got big plans for satellite TV. Host David Brown talks to Fortune magazine writer, Adam Lashinsky about Murdoch's plans for the dish.
