Gethuman 500 Database

The grey-haired among us can remember when customer service lines employed human operators on the frontlines rather than the sycophantic automated phone system that leads the customer through byzantine corridors toward dead-ends or endless loops. Negotiating these labyrinths and reaching a live human being in a call center in some far-off land is often the hardest part of the journey toward customer satisfaction. Whether it …

BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid

The dream of a hybrid BMW just got a little closer to reality with their new X6 concept that was introduced at the Frankfurt auto show over the weekend. Based on the X5, it has a slightly more sleek profile, but still has the robust look to make it a "Sports Activity Vehicle" (SAV), as BMW calls it. Looks aside, the vehicle features a two-mode …

Wired NextFest 2007

From ideas that ran from the creepy (like regenerated body parts including bladders) to conceptually fascinating (like a harp with strings made from lasers and a Lifestraw that kills sinister infectious organisms in water upon contact), over 160 exhibitors at the 4th annual Wired NextFest in Los Angeles this past weekend enthusiastically revealed their visions of the future to receptive nerds of all ages. But …