There are countless satellites, long deactivated, orbiting the Earth in what amounts to a giant cemetery in the sky. DARPA’s Phoenix program sees these piles of junk not as refuse, but as a resource just waiting to be harvested. The plan is to re-engineer existing technology, like robots used in remote surgery and advanced imaging systems found in off-shore drilling platforms, for the harsh environment of space.

I’m thrilled to be able to share the new website of Jazz and Improv legend Fred Kaz . For the better part of my life Fred’s wisdom and music have been a guiding force in the lives of hundreds of the most creative people on Earth. As a young man Fred played with many of the greatest names in the Chicago Jazz scene where he was introduced to improvisational comedy. He then spent nearly 30 years as the Musical Director of the Second City in Chicago deeply influencing many of the funniest people in the world

What you are seeing here is a project from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, and it could easily be the future. This OmniTouch has the amazing ability to turn any surface into a touchscreen. All of this is possible with this shoulder-mounted device that is both pico-projector and Kinect. So if you want to use your hand to run applications, just hold it out and the proper buttons will appear.

Spencer Ackerman at Wired News : “The fact is America’s military efforts in Iraq aren’t coming to an end. They are instead entering a new phase. On January 1, 2012, the State Department will command a hired army of about 5,500 security contractors , all to protect the largest U.S

Dan Goldman’s Red Light Properties is a serial webcomic about a Florida real-estate brokerage that specializes in exorcising haunted houses and then listing them for cheap. Goldman (who created the fantastic 08 graphic novel ) takes a somewhat lighthearted premise and uses it as contrast to make the fundamental spookiness of his stories stand out in stark relief.