"Boeing stock takes a beating" as engineers work out how to reinforce the spot where the carbon-fiber composite wings meet the fuselage. Not only are people saying it'll delay a first 787 flight by months, but Boeing engineers are hanging their heads low...or privately trash-talking management that ignored the problem for on-time promises: "Although the issue popped up during tests last month, Boeing initially didn't think it would affect the first flight," reports the Everett Herald's Michelle Dunlop. more ›

The P-I is running an AP story this morning about the new carbon fiber composite belt that some bike manufacturers (Trek, in the article) are switching to. The article makes all sorts of claims for belt superiority. We imagine they are quieter, and of course there's no chain grease involved, but we drew up short at this: "And one belt will typically last three years--the life span of three chains." Is that for real? Our chain is...let's see...carry the two...about 35 years old. It still seems to do the trick. What's the deal with these one-year chains? more ›