Horizon highlights – future cyber war, future solar plants, and future TV shows
Our regular roundup of sci-tech stories from across the web includes: massive solar energy plants, using Facebook to get a job, and one man's attack on Georgia's cyber infrastructure. Let's kick it off:
Jobs – The social network as a career safety net
If you have avoided social-networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook with the excuse that they are the domain of desperate job hunters or attention-seeking teenagers, it's time to reconsider. In a world of economic instability and corporate upheaval, savvy professionals like the technology consultant Josh So epitomize the benefits of brushing up your online image and keeping it polished. [via NYTimes]
War – How I became a soldier in the Georgia-Russia cyberwar
Having read so many contradicting accounts, I knew that the only reliable way to find out what was really happening was to enlist in the Russian digital army myself. [via Slate]
From the Monitor's archive – Anatomy of a cyberwar in Georgia: "While the Russian government or military may yet be found to be playing a part, criminal gangs or savvy computer hackers in Russia ('hackivists') may be acting on their own."
Economics – Beware the strengthening dollar
The steady crumbling in the value of the US dollar over the last two years has given a big boost to reported earnings at many American companies that sell goods overseas in local currencies but report in dollars. [via Barron's]
Energy – Massive solar photovoltaic plants are California-bound
The new plants would provide 1.65 billion kilowatt hours each year, enough to serve nearly 250,000 homes, according to Jack Keenan, CEO and senior vice president of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. [via CNET]
From the Monitor's archive – MIT team plays with fire to create cheap energy: "New solar dish harnesses power from heat – at a size and cost that make soaking up the sun even more attractive."
Culture – Leaked shows signal start of 'pre-air' season online
With just a month before new television shows begin airing for the fall season, pilots and other unaired programs are taking file-sharing networks by storm.
