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Google maps draw a line in sand for clean energy

A new set of layers for Google Earth is trying to make it easier for solar and wind farm developers to figure out where they are least and most likely to be challenged.

The Path to Green Energy, as the Google Earth tool is called, provides information on lands legally prohibited from commercial development, on natural habitats of endangered species, and on lands proposed for inclusion into the federal wilderness system.

The tool was developed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Audubon Society with sponsorship from Google.org's Geo Challenge Grants. The grants program provides nonprofits … Read more

Sneaky Cisco plots to take over Microsoft's world

Who is Microsoft's biggest competitor? Some say "itself," and with good reason, as Computerworld points out. Microsoft's biggest Windows competitor is pirated Windows.

But there's another company that is increasingly setting its sights on Microsoft, and it's doing so largely unnoticed. The company is networking giant Cisco, which through a mix of open-source software and collaboration technology is launching a credible campaign to deep-six Microsoft's desktop dominance.

In the past year Cisco has acquired PostPath, which enables it to move Exchange users to its Linux-based, drop-in Exchange clone (PDF), and Jabber, which adds presence and instant messaging. … Read more

A robot for golf fans?

What's green, weighs 650 pounds, goes 3.5 mph, and costs more than $25,000?

Not something you or I will ever buy, but a gadget golf course superintendents may go gaga over.

The RG3 (Robotic Greens Mower 3) from Precise Path debuted a few weeks ago at the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans. It's a robot lawnmower that uses two lead acid batteries to run its 24-volt DC motor, and one to run its computer, offering about three hours of mowing before needing to be recharged.

"Our robot could provide the human precision necessary to upkeep, actually better than a human is capable of, and not costing the large amount in intensive labor costs," Precise Path co-founder, president, and CTO Doug Traster told CNET News in a phone interview.

The founders of the company decided to craft a robot lawnmower for the golf industry because they saw a need that could be filled with a bot, and an industry that would not scoff at a hefty price tag for high-tech maintenance equipment. While the company hopes to continue to develop the tech to bring the price down, right now the RG3 has a suggested retail price of $29,500.

In addition to mowing golf greens, the company is developing add-ons for the device that would allow golf course superintendents to use the robots to also mow fairways, rake sand traps, and spot treat with pesticides and fertilizers.… Read more

Move programs from one folder to another

If you've ever installed a new program, then realized you installed it in the wrong folder, this handy utility may be the perfect tool for you.

Application Mover efficiently takes the contents of any folder and moves them to a user-specified area elsewhere on your hard drive. The easy-to-understand interface makes using the program a breeze. Specify the folder your program or files are in and where you'd like everything moved to, and you're set. Other options include a thorough search of the registry and shortcuts, which are all changed automatically if chosen. Users also can request … Read more

MazeFinger

MazeFinger is a free, fun, fast-paced game in which you use your touch screen to quickly trace the path of maze before you run out of "energy" (i.e., time). The path of the maze becomes increasingly complex and more strewn with obstacles, which you have to time correctly to bypass. Drawing a path through a maze might sound rather sedate and less than stimulating, but MazeFinger amps up the action with frenetic visuals (evocative of psychedelic console games like Geometry Wars), energetic sound effects, and dance-y music--which, thankfully, you can turn off if you're somewhere that … Read more

First Look video: Path Finder

The Mac OS X Finder works great on its own for finding and managing your files and folders, but what if there was something better? Path Finder offers a slew of options for organizing files and folders, giving you more control over your file system. You can use Cover Flow, split-screen, and icon views, and there are several preview options for finding out more about files before you open them. It also allows you to compress and decompress folders from within the program when you need more space on your hard drive.

For a quick overview of Path Finder for … Read more

An insider's view on Red Hat's Qumranet acquisition

If you want an insider's view on Red Hat's acquisition of Qumranet, you could hardly do better than to read Billy Marshall's commentary. Billy used to run North America sales for Red Hat and competes with Red Hat today from his perch at virtualization vendor rPath.

Billy writes:

With this acquisition, Red Hat is escalating the already fierce battle that is raging for control of the software layer that is rapidly replacing the general purpose OS as the access layer for hardware infrastructure. Qumranet is a very savvy acquisition by Red Hat because it plays to their … Read more

Cisco to acquire PostPath for $215 million

Cisco Systems announced Wednesday plans to acquire e-mail and calendaring software maker PostPath in a $215 million deal.

The acquisition, which is scheduled to close by the end of October, is designed to bolster Cisco's collaboration portfolio by including PostPath's Linux-based e-mail and calendaring software with Cisco's "software as a service" platform.

Cisco's collaborative platform includes instant messaging, voice, video, data, document management, and Web 2.0 applications. PostPath will be folded into Cisco's Collaboration Software Group.

"The acquisition of PostPath complements our strategy to develop an integrated collaboration platform designed for … Read more

Return Path buys rival junk-mail fighter Habeas

Return Path, maker of verification systems for e-mail, said Tuesday that it bought its rival Habeas for an undisclosed sum.

New York-based Return Path, which had a tense relationship with its left-coast competitor, said the deal will give it more scale in the "trusted e-mail delivery" market.

"While fiercely competing in the marketplace does create some degree of tension or even mistrust between two companies, that activity also creates a lot of common ground for discussion about the market and the future," Return Path CEO Matt Blumberg said in a statement on the company's Web … Read more