Beard himself has to quit the worthy scientific institute he chairs, and he joins the world of techno start-ups.

ECONOMIST: How not to write ��state-of-the-nation�� fiction

Those who saw it as a flash in the pan looked like fools when it took over the wired world, while those who saw it as a techno-utopia that would enlighten (and enrich) the world now hold stock options that are under water.

FORBES: A Net Uncertain

However, will the next Silicon Valley titan to impact the consumer-branded world be techno-driven first and foremost?

FORBES: Brand-Building in Silicon Valley

The motivation comes from a fascination with technology plus the satisfaction of being able to flaunt techno-mastery to like-minded folk around the world.

ECONOMIST: Roll your own CDs | The

Beginning with their fourth album, 1974's Autobahn, the quartet will also play Radio-Activity (1975), Trans Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991) and Tour de France (2003), along with additional compositions from their back catalogue.

BBC: Kraftwerk to play shows in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall

The group will play a series of albums from their back catalogue over the next seven nights, including Radio-Activity (1975), Trans Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991) and Tour de France (2003), along with additional compositions from their back catalogue.

BBC: Kraftwerk kick off Tate Modern retrospective

"John Sankus and his techno-gang operated a faceless world of the Internet and thought they would never be caught, " said US Attorney Paul McNulty in a statement.

BBC: Software pirate gets jail sentence

In passing, we will talk about good versus evil, irrational exuberance versus dark euphoria, techno-utopian abundance versus collapsonimics, and good places to get coffee while watching the world end (or get taken over by Skynet).

FORBES: The Electric Leviathan