A sea-going robotic glider that harvests heat energy from the ocean has been tested by US scientists.

The yellow, torpedo-shaped machine has been combing the depths of seas around the Caribbean since December 2007.

The team which developed the autonomous vehicle say it has covered “thousands of kilometres” during the tests.

The team believe the glider - which needs no batteries - could undertake oceanographic surveys for up to six months at a time.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Robot glider harvests ocean heat

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Tags: Ocean, Science, Exploration

Ryuta Kawashima, the researcher behind Nintendo’s Brain Age series of games for the DS portable system, would rather be working than enjoying $11 million in royalties he could have earned from his creations.

Instead, he used the proceeds to help fund $6.5 million in construction projects on Tohoku’s campus.”My hobby is work,” he said.

“Everyone in my family is mad at me but I tell them that if they want money, go out and earn it.”

Game researcher ducks millions in royalties - Video Game Feature - Yahoo! Video Games

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Tags: BrainAge, Nintendo DS, Charity

Amazon.com, which has been rapidly adding digital downloads to its vast Web store, said on Thursday that it had agreed to buy Audible, the largest online seller of audiobooks.

Amazon will pay $300 million in cash for the company, or $11.50 a share, a 23 percent premium to the stock’s closing price on Wednesday.

Audible, based in Newark, offers 80,000 audiobooks and spoken-word products from magazines, radio shows and newspapers, including The New York Times. It sells its digital files through its own Web site and, since 2003, through Apple’s popular iTunes service.

The move could also allow owners of the Kindle, Amazon’s cream-colored electronic book reader, to download audiobooks directly to the device. Amazon introduced the Kindle to great fanfare late last year.

Amazon to Buy Audiobook Seller for $300 Million - New York Times

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Tags: Amazon, Audiobooks, Apple