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Solyndra, a California-based solar start up, says it's figured out a way to make solar panels cheaper to install and better at producing energy—rolling them up. The company's solar panels are comprised of rows of cylindrical solar cells deposited on glass tubes, a new type of shape that purportedly lets them absorb more light during the day.

The shape also offers less wind resistance than conventional flat panels, making them cheaper and easier to mount on roofs. These advantages ultimately reduce the cost of generating power from the sun, though Solyndra couldn't give a direct answer on how much.

Considering that everyone, from Google to the Vatican, is installing a solar roof these days, Solyndra's innovations could mean a serious boost for the industry. But what's with not actually giving figures? That seems a little... shady. [Technology Review via Dvice]

The proposed acquisition of Macromedia by Adobe is not a done deal. Both companies are under the scrutiny of the SEC, and it must also be approved by stockholders. While Macromedia/Adobe gives this process three to nine months, some industry analysts feel that is being overly optimistic. But assuming that all is goes as planned, Macromedia will cease to exist. Everything will be in the Adobe name and with the Adobe interface.

The W3C Web API Working Group has posted the second public working draft of XMLHttpRequest Level 2. "XMLHttpRequest Level 2 enhances XMLHttpRequest with new features, such as cross-site requests, progress events, and the handling of byte streams for both sending and receiving."

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