In an effort to catch TiVo, Paul Allen-backed Digeo today released a number of new features for its Moxi digital video recorder. The Kirkland company announced that users of the device will now be able to access online video from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu  as well as  online music through RealNetworks’ Rhapsody. It also includes new "eControls" to allow people to control lighting and other networked appliances in the home.

The Moxi HD DVR — costs $800 but unlike TiVo does not have a monthly subscription fee — offers 75 hours of recording space.

Last year, the heavily-funded company laid off half its staff and replaced its CEO. The company is now led by Greg Gudorf, formerly of Sony Electronics.

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and Bill Gates and friends apply for electromagnetic engine patents  

Bill Gates has always been fond of his cars, but new patent applications suggest Microsoft’s founding geek is becoming even more of a gearhead. Gates is listed among 10 inventors on a series of filings seeking patents on various aspects of electromagnetic engines — including a method of retrofitting traditional engines by removing the crankshaft and installing an electromagnetic converter.

The patent applications, made public today, were filed by Searete LLC, which is part of Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue-based invention house and patent company. Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft’s former chief technology officer, runs Intellectual Ventures and is also named among the inventors on the electromagnetic-engine patent applications.

That suggests the filings resulted from one of Intellectual Ventures’ brainstorming sessions, in which Gates has been known to participate. The applications seek patents on an electromagnetic engine that "converts mechanical energy of a piston to and from electrical energy during each piston cycle," in addition to free-piston and opposed-piston variations on the concept.

Will we all someday be using engines dreamed up by Bill Gates? Bigger auto experts than me will need to weigh in on that. Patent watcher "theodp," who tipped us off to the filings, jokes via email, "Forget about the Wankel, a Gates Engine is where it’s at!"

A piston schematic from one of the Searete filings:

"Piston 110 is slidably disposed in cylinder 112, which has two end chambers 114 and 116. In the illustrated embodiment, each end includes an intake valve 118 and an exhaust valve 120, which are configured to admit reactants and to expel reaction product, respectively. Piston 110 includes a magnetic element 122, which may be an electromagnet, a permanent magnet, or a magnetically susceptible material such as an iron core. Piston 110 can be driven in either direction by application of a voltage to converter coils 124, 126, and 128, which together form a converter 130. In addition, the converter 130 is configured to convert mechanical energy of piston 110 to electrical energy. This energy may be stored, for example, in a battery, capacitor, or other energy management system (not shown). The illustrated embodiment includes spark plugs 132, but other ignition sources may be used such as those described elsewhere herein, or the engine may be operated without an ignition source using reactants that spontaneously react in end chambers 114 and 116."

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