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Google for coders

For most people, open source is a synonym for free software. But for programmers, open source is about sharing code, building on the work of others and not having to reinvent the wheel -- at least, that's the ideal. In practice, code reuse remains very low, because it's often too hard for programmers to find relevant bits of code for their applications.

A new search engine for programmers promises to alleviate that problem by making it easier to find and share code. That in turn could increase programmers' productivity and give a fresh boost to the open-source movement.

Krugle, which launches officially next month, indexes programming code and documentation from open-source repositories like SourceForge and includes corporate sites for programmers like the Sun Developer Network. The index will cover around 100 million pages of what company founder Ken Krugler terms the "technical web" -- high-quality technical pages for professional programmers. (By contrast, Google's index covers about 11 billion pages.)

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Gizmos Trump Gowns at Nerd Oscars

Attendees at the 2006 Scientific and Technical Academy Awards ceremonies in Beverly Hills saw more pocket protectors Saturday than Harry Winston diamonds.

The annual film-industry tech honors recognize devices, formulas and discoveries that change the way movies are made. The ceremony took place at the Beverly Hilton, the same ballroom where the Oscars will unfold in two weeks.

Among the 17 winners accepting awards was Scott Leva, a veteran stuntman who invented a better airbag for stunt falls. Airbags have been used in movie stunts since the 1970s, and Leva had tinkered with new designs for years. But his work on the Precision Stunt Airbag took more a personal turn after a stuntman friend died when an airbag failed to protect him in a fall.

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