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Skyfire for iPhone hands-on (video)

2010-11-04T23:48:00.001-07:00

Also though Skyfire for iPhone could be virtually precisely prefer its Android counterpart, it has continue to no longer on the legal market for download during the App Store because of server problems, therefore we have a tendency to consideration you may gain desire to detect the way it works. We have seen enhancements on the Flash-to-HTML5 conversion servers during the past mean solar day or so, which brands watching videos a breeze. The app itself serves as an absolutely purposeful browser allowing for the same old features you would are hoping to find: bookmarking, a dedicated search bar, custom homepage, plus even non-public browsing. Pages render rather temporarily, although scrolling and pinching to zoom is the legal little bit rough around the advantages. As for basically watching Flash videos, it could not be simpler -- once you've got navigated to a page embedded along with a video, a popup window is sufficient to appear and you are sensible to head. Unfortunately, though, the browser lacks the facility to scrub videos. Less than hey, if you have been waiting three-plus years to play flash videos on your 3.5-inch display, Skyfire would possibly ( or might not) be the response to your burning desire. Build certain to take a look at the browser in action once the break!
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Clearwire's 4G iSpot brings wireless broadband to Apple devices... plus something else along allowing for the WiFi pulse

2010-08-04T03:04:00.001-07:00

Check it out, Clearwire possesses determined to carry out up an Apple-centric version up of its Spot 4G hotspot, therefore it has kind of naturally fashioned it during the shape of a Magic Mouse plus glued an i prefix to the front of the device. Really, readily available is nothing new or Apple-exclusive which we have a tendency to will be in a very position to learn these -- up to eight devices can hook up to the present portable 4G emitter via WiFi and the overall most effective authentication required is the password. So yes, kind of a lot of products prior to it, the iSpot has done the ignoble factor of associating itself allowing for iPhones, iPads and iPod touches simply for the reason that the ones devices tend to be thought of the cool youngsters of the digital playground nowadays. Then once added, Clearwire would possibly decide to be challenging and refuse to sell you one of these excellent-sounding $25 (pre-tax) a month 4G broadband packages that compliment the iSpot if you are doing no longer be afflicted by an i-something else in tow. If you are fancying about that curvy little accessory for your mobile gear, it costs $99, less than are often had for $29 on sale from Clear today, ahead of an August 10 launch at serious outlets.
Display full PR text

Clearwire Introduces iSpot™ Nation's Initial Dedicated 4G Support for Apple® Mobile Devices New CLEAR iSpot Non-public Hotspot Brings Unlimited Wealthy Mobile Broadband Experience to Apple Mobile Product Lines Monthly Service Plans Supply High-Speed, Cost-Effective, Unlimited 4G Mobile Broadband Features for iPad™, iPod touch®, and iPhone® Information Service KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), a number one provider of wireless broadband services and operator of the biggest 4G network in the country, today announced the introduction of the obvious iSpot™, a personal hotspot with dedicated support for Apple's line of mobile devices*, which included the iPad™, iPod touch® and iPhone®. The iSpot brings the speed and mobility of true mobile broadband to a user base primed for the wealthy on-line experience of 4G. "With the iSpot, Apple consumers carry out not have to sort through confusing service plans with overage costs, nor have they got to worry concerning what kind of data they are definitely employing," said Thomas Enraght-Moony, senior vice president of promoting at Clearwire.
"Instead, with CLEAR, customers can run all of his or her or him Apple mobile devices at true broadband speeds for a single, simple monthly fee." The iSpot is CLEAR's first 4G personal mobile hotspot constructed totally for Apple mobile products, including iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices. iSpot users can percentage 4G speed with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled Apple mobile devices simultaneously. The CLEAR iSpot's ergonomic artwork and white casing were specifically engineered to complement the long-lasting symbol of Apple products. Using CLEAR super rapid mobile internet® service, Apple's iPad, iPod touch or iPhone can access a rich mobile broadband experience with average mobile download speeds of three to six mbps with bursts over 10 mbps**. For instance, using the CLEAR iSpot an iPad user can stream unlimited movies or television presentations via the Netflix app from home, match or on the go back, whereas an iPod user can stream Pandora® music or measure sports play-by-play on the commute home. The iSpot expands the CLEAR line of personal mobile hotspots, which contains the CLEAR Spot 4G and CLEAR Spot 4G+. With personal mobile hotspots, CLEAR provides thousands of Wi-Fi enabled devices, from laptops to netbooks to non-public gaming devices the ability to access super fast mobile internet service anyplace in CLEAR coverage. iSpot Pricing and Availability The iSpot is on the market nationwide from www.clear.com today and on the market in CLEAR retail retail outlets and authorized dealers beginning August 10. The iSpot has an MSRP of $99.99*** and users can get pleasure from unlimited 4G data usage for an first low monthly service providing of $25*** while not a necessary term contract. In conjunction with today's launch, new CLEAR customers can take benefit of a one-day introductory sale offering important savings on the iSpot (and alternative CLEAR Spot devices) once activating qualified CLEAR mobile service. Special one-day pricing is available through August Five, online purely at www.clear.com. For additional knowledge about CLEAR, go to www.clear.com. You can also follow the CLEAR Blog at www.theclearblog.com or on twitter @Clear.
Detailed corporate information about Clearwire is available at http://www.clearwire.com. For press and broadcast: Product pictures, video footage and corporate trademarks can be downloaded from the Clearwire internet web site at: http://www.clearwire.com/newsroom. To subscribe to Clearwire's RSS news feed, click here. About Clearwire Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), through its operating subsidiaries, is a number one provider of wireless broadband services.
Clearwire's 4G network is currently available in spaces of the U.S.
where approximately Fifty-one one thousand thousand individuals live, and the corporate plans to continue to expand its 4G coverage. Clearwire's open all-IP network, combined with significant spectrum holdings, provides an unprecedented combination of speed and mobility to deliver next generation broadband access. The company markets its 4G service through its own whole known as CLEAR in addition to through its wholesale relationships with Sprint, Comcast and Previous point Warner Cable. Strategic investors come with Intel Capital, Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable, and Bright Own residence Networks. Clearwire is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. Additional information is available at www.clearwire.com. *Apple does not endorse Clearwire products or services and is simply not affiliated with Clearwire. ** CLEAR performance claim is based mostly mostly on average download user speeds achieved throughout tests performed by CLEAR on the CLEAR commercial network, versus. other national wireless carriers' recently published,
download speed information. Actual CLEAR network performance can vary and is not guaranteed. Unlimited plans at the mercy of CLEAR's Acceptable Make use of Policy, posted at www.clear.com/legal/aup. ***Plus taxes. Clearwire, CLEAR, the CLEAR emblem and super fast mobile internet are trademarks or registered trademarks of Clearwire Communications LLC. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective homeowners; use of these names does not indicate official support or endorsement of Clearwire products or services. © 2010 Clear Wireless LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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ASUS Lamborghini VX6 plus VX7 peel out allowing for NVIDIA Ion Two and Core i7, respectively

2010-06-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

ASUS might suffer from spent the majority from of its Computex press conference talking tablets plus pads, less than the corporate could be absolutely descending as to the display allowing for a bunch of new laptops. The Eleven.6-inch Lamborghini VX6 and Fifteen.6-inch VX7 tend to be amongst the the majority of eye catching -- ASUS has got redesigned the premium systems with new glossy casing, swish automotive adornments, chiclet keyboards and a Bang & Olfsen ICE power sound system. We're completely swooning over the smaller VX6, which packs a dual-core Atom D525 processor, USB 3.0 and NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics, though the higher finish Core i7 VX7 and its NVIDIA "enthusiast graphics" sound lovely darn brilliant though neatly. No word on once these dangerous boys are definitely going to be going up of nil to sixty to a store close to you, but provided with the undeniable proven truth which the systems at the show did no longer boot we have a tendency to are journeying to install a not awfully soon. We'll permit you to are aware after we listen to added, but you can certainly desire to head on a look at the surprise shots of these puppies beneath.

ASUS Lamborghini VX6 and VX7 Show full PR text Asus Kickstart Computex 2010 With Cloud-computing And Gaming Showcases Asus are exhibiting at computex 2010 during the week, showcasing the hottest innovations and merchandise across five serious categories - cloud computing, gaming, laptop components, inexperienced computing and multimedia As leaders in cloud-computing solutions, ASUS supply a superior mixture of devices, wealthy in quality and performance, to users who requirement real-time connectivity and multimedia sharing - which included the whole spanking new Eee Pad and Eee Tablet geared toward the mobile user and Fourth generation Eee PC models which bring function and fashion closer together. ASUS ROG products have been the decision of gaming champions for the reason that the brand's inception in 2006. Through close contact with players around the global, the ROG maintains unwavering dedication to meeting the desires of the gaming community. The latest Three-d innovations in the G73Jw, G53 and G51 3D demonstrate the simplest way genuine life and gaming are closer in comparison to ever prior to, and extreme solutions in motherboard and graphic card designs build certain optimum stability and performance for serious enthusiasts. ASUS is enough to be at Computex between Initial and Fifth June 2010 - exhibiting at the Taipei International Convention Center, Booths TF1B and 1F1I. For information concerning ASUS at Computex 2010 please visit: http://event.asus.com/2010/Computex/Press Eee Tablet - Taking notes hasn't ever been about that easy: The groundbreaking Eee Tablet amalgamates the excellent assets from both the notebook and e-reader formats and boasts an 8'' Passive TFT-LCD touchscreen and a massive 10-hour battery life, to deliver scholars and mobile economic users each one of the function they deserve to keep productive throughout the solar day in addition to a transportable media player. Carrying a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen, the Eee Tablet is one of the world's most accurate and sensitive digital note taking devices. With the at hand built-in notepad templates, users can store, sort, tag, organise and read through his or him or her notes and make text annotations on-the-fly. For additionally faster information capture users can take advantage of the two megapixel camera to take detail pictures of presentation slides - then add their notes. Once keep at home or in the workplace, the Eee Tablet are often synced easily together with a p. c. or notebook via USB or Micro SD, making sure content and calendars are necessarily up-to-date. The Eee Tablet also facilitates simple and comfortable reading even over long periods, with lag-free text file page turns taking simply 0.1 seconds-9 times faster than the ones of conventional e-readers. Eee Pad - Pocket-sized computing at its best: The ultra-slim Eee Pad has been engineered for tech-savvy individuals who are always on the go back. Acting as a supplementary Windows-based portable tablet PC, it permits users to keep everything they wish to have - social networking, movies, video-conferencing - at their fingertips. The 12" Eee Pad EP121 is an absolutely featured slate computer that serves as a multimedia player, e-reader, compact PC and Internet device in one narrow package. Powered by a CULV Intel® Core™ 2 Couple processor and the final Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system, it handles multitasking effortlessly, enabling users to take a look at their email and calendars, have interaction in video conferencing, and process Microsoft Word and Excel documents all at the identical previous point. Offering two convenient modes of character input - an embedded virtual keyboard and a special docking-station-keyboard - the Eee Pad EP121 delivers more than just 10 hours of swish, continuous computing. For those demanding even more mobility, the 10'' Eee Pad EP101TC fits the bill at a pocket-friendly 12.1mm and feather-light 675g.
Users can briefly access their favourite applications by adding them to the major desktop. The Eee Pad EP101TC runs on Windows Embedded Compact 7 - an entire toolkit with the latest Windows 7-based technologies and tools that cause attractive user experiences and delivers connectivity to the Windows world. Quaternary Generation Eee PC's - Combine style and cloud-connectivity: The following generation Eee PC number facilitate snappy, easy and on-the-move access to cloud services, with a decision of features including speedy USB 3.0 technology, 500GB on-line storage and desktop synchronisation. With up to a whopping Fourteen hours of battery life (thanks to the eco-friendly Super Hybrid Engine technology) mobile computer users can get pleasure from an enriched experience in all day entertainment and productivity. The daring new Eee PC assortment encompass artwork and contours tailored to express user groups from the socialite to the business professional, or from the everyday mobile Internet user to the high-tech fashionistas. Included inside this shocking new series is the legal ultra-slim Eee PC 1018P, the colourful Eee PC Seashell 1015 range and the Eee PC 1016P, a premium netbook crafted from highly stylish aluminium - a thrilling initial for the ultra-lightweight and razor-thin Eee PC series ASUS could also be the first OEM worldwide to launch its own store; the ASUS App Store, which explains powered by the Intel® AppUpSM Center. This store delivers quick downloads to users of helpful applications whenever they connect online. This service will be preinstalled in all ASUS Eee PC models with the Intel® Atom™ processor. 24" Eee High series - The world's first one-touch performance boost: The USB 3.0 Eee Top PC ET2400 series is the first all-in-one PC that permits the user to complement performance with a straightforward touch of an icon - purely one click and the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine boosts CPU performance by up to fifteen percent**. With ASUS Sonic Master technology**, the ET2400 delivers transparent and distinct audio previously unheard from an all-in-one PC. It also complements bass and produces a virtual 5.1-channel surround sound experience to deliver theatre-quality audio from the ET2400's built-in speakers. The top-of-the-line ET2400 3D** takes all-in-one entertainment to a higher level by immersing the user in a very true-to-life 3D world of movies, games, and pictures. No further apparatus is wanted - mind blowing visuals can be experienced without delay through the integrated Twenty-three.6" widescreen display. The recent ASUS-Lamborghini series - Satisfy the requirement for speed: The ASUS-Lamborghini VX6 (12.1") and VX7 (15.6") are the latest wonders in the stunning range of machines co-branded with the prestigious Automobili Lamborghini. Offering unimaginable visuals with the NVIDIA ION graphics platform and 512MB VRAM, and outstanding audio designed by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, the VX6 exudes a degree of performance and quality only matched by it has superior design, paying homage to the smooth styling of the supercar icon. Home Server TS Mini - Proportion content anytime, anywhere: The ASUS Home Server TS Mini is the final word choice for home users hunting for a powerhouse in security, information storage and security. With automatic back-ups from up to ten home computers and an additional 500GB cupboard space online, the ASUS Home Server TS Mini allows access for multiple home and remote users to a range of multimedia including music, footage and surveillance footage - with the further peace of mind of error small print via email to support remote troubleshooting. G51 3D, G53 and G73 Notebooks - Significantly superior gaming: The ASUS G73Jh has proven to be an international sensation with a distinctive F117 stealth fighter design, ergonomic cooling and an illuminated keyboard. The most recent model, G73Jw, extends this success as one of the most powerful gaming machines on the market. Because the worldwide premiere for NVIDIA's new generation mobile GPU platform on a 1080p 3D-ready notebook, the Seventeen.3" G73Jw brings full 3D support and outstanding graphics power to the G73 range.
Together with the G51 3D, the G73Jw sets the same ancient for 3D entertainment at home and on the move. The brand new G53 is the world's first 15.6" gaming notebook with NVIDIA's 3D Vision-enabled next-generation GPU - providing a lighter option with full support for 3D visuals and the new HDMI 1.Four revision for spectacular action. ROG CG8490 Desktop - Dominate the Gaming Battlefield: The new Republic of Gamers (ROG) CG8490 desktop gaming station is the latest and greatest gaming rig to go back into into the fray, combining a tradition of winning performance with uncompromising reliability. Encased within an armour-styled chassis assembled to face up to punishment and withstand degradation, the CG8490 boasts an all-new Intel® Core™ i7-980X six-core CPU, 12GB of DDR3 memory and dual Radeon HD5870 graphics cards powering superlative DX11 graphics across three-display Eyefinity. For additional punch, the CG8490 unleashes over 20% balanced overclocking capability* when compared to reference. Immensity concept - Bridging the space between graphics cards: ASUS ROG leads the marketplace for both Intel and AMD gamers with motherboard solutions that bring out the better in hardcore performance. New Immensity is the legal concept-stage super-motherboard and the first in the world to pair an onboard GPU with Lucid - a technology that creates it potential to bridge a minimum of two graphics cards notwithstanding chipset or vendor. Such forward thinking innovation guarantees unrivalled performance and adaptability for serious gaming enthusiasts. Rampage III Extreme - Optimum Motherboard technology: The Rampage III Extreme features Intel's X58/ICH10R chipset, plus exclusive overclocking tools such as ROG Connect, OC Kit, RC Bluetooth and all-new iPhone-based overclocking management. Such outstanding features have constructed it an official benchmarking record-breaker, whereas the extraordinary Engine Digi+ thermal design ensures stability even beneath extreme emphasis for safe and reliable overclocking. The Crosshair IV Formula brings optimum gaming and tuning enjoyment to AMD builds, including the world's first dual-channel 2000MHz DDR3 for AMD, adding the advantage of Core Unlocker to the combo - users can faucet hidden cores on new AMD CPUs. Turbo Key II brands for whole overclocking control, while GameFirst guarantees better performance in online gaming. MATRIX5870 and ARES cards - Unstoppable graphics: On the trail to photo-realistic immersion, ASUS ROG presentations the approach with better implementation of graphics card technology. The MATRIX5870 takes AMD's design and bolsters it with added features such as iTracker 2, ProbeIt and the Super Hybrid Engine, garnering superlative overclocking potential balanced with excellent power efficiency. The mammoth ARES super-card is one of the world's most powerful desktop graphics card solutions, with gaming muscle in the shape of dual Radeon 5870 cores, 4GB GDDR5 and massive cooling methodology. About ASUS ASUS is a number one corporate in the new digital day and get older, with a extensive product portfolio that incorporates notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, presentations, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that completely meet the desires of today's home and office users. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the computer industry with the Eee PC™. With a global workers of more than 10,000 and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2009 used to be US$7.5 one thousand million.
ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek's InfoTech One hundred, and has been on the
listing for 12 consecutive years.

Dell Latitude 2110 updated allowing for Pine Trail Atom, already brooding concerning fall semester

2010-05-11T23:19:00.001-07:00

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also can put Avc, Video, Video, MPG, Realmedia (RM, RMVB), AVI (Video, XviD), ASF, Mpeg on your apple iphone. We have a tendency to aren't journeying to lie, it could be the legal small past due during the sport for Dell to update its Latitude netbook allowing for Intel's Pine Trail processors -- you tend to be aware, for the reason which the chips were released back in January -- less than it has got better late in comparison to never, we assume.
The 10-inch Latitude 2110, just prefer the previous 2100, is continue to terribly a lot aimed toward scholars, plus helps to back its chassis in tact with the identical rubber canopy (available in red, blue and black) in addition to that anti-microbial keyboard to shield against insect secretions, out from place mayonnaise and far-flung mucus particles. The studious laptop are definitely going to be out there with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM and Ubuntu for $389, and clicking the Windows Starter option ought to spice up the pricetag to $419.
That is a little touch costlier than the average Pine Trail netbook these days, but who would no longer spend a bit further for a couple added durability for the kids? In case you've were given not seen the small guy prior to, we've got got a couple of good appearance shots under (and an announcement once the break).
Dell Latitude 2110 press shots Display full PR text

NEW Economic Consumer PORTFOLIO Up of DELL Offers Consumers GREATER FLEXIBILITY And selection • Economic and organizations of every one of them sizes can better drive workforce efficiency with new versatile computing capabilities • Enhanced portfolio offers customers the flexibility to centralize and management desktop management • New features as to new Dell Latitude E-Family laptops offers better security and mobile collaboration Around ROCK, Texas, Can 12, 2010 -As today's workforce becomes increasingly dispersed and mobile and requirement for secure instant access presentations no signs of abating, Dell these days unveiled a sequence of latest solutions and services that enable customers to streamline and control desktop virtualization deployments. Dell's new Flexible Computing virtualization offerings facilitate customers simplify virtual symbol management thus that they be afflicted by got increased application access and performance and heighten IT control to improve security. In addition, the latest solutions and services permit for match in flexible environments to motivate a added mobile and productive workforce. "Today's workforce has turned into more globally dispersed and highly mobile with the expectation of 24/7 access to important information and applications," said Steven Lalla, vice chairman and general manager, Client Merchandise Cluster, Dell. "We are committed to offering cutting edge and versatile virtualization solutions that help customers lessen costs, increase security and improve manageability. About that approach to flexible computing additionally has the facility to enable decision and adaptableness to help boost productivity inside our customers' workforce. Dell Flexible Computing Solutions Dell's new portfolio of Flexible Computing solutions and services offers virtual desktops though a managed service and provides granular application and profile features offering customers greater flexibility to centralize and control desktop management whereas enjoying the uncompromised experience of a thorough Laptop. As a effect, organizations can currently more than just ever, maximize workforce management and productivity. • Dell Managed Virtual Client- Dell's managed service enables customers to spend fewer previous point supporting his or her finish users, and concentrate on more strategic activities through enhanced end user productivity, simplified operations, enhanced security, and improved cost control. Dell's optimized virtual desktop architecture are often deployed in the customer's or Dell's cloud. • Application and Profile Virtualization: Dell's new application and profile virtualization address customers specific make use of cases with more granular options than ever before. • Application virtualization provides new delivery models, either virtualized or streamed, for purchasers who are shopping to trimmed back the management of application deployment. • Profile virtualization enables IT to deliver an experience where the user has the talent to modify their desktop environment to suit the approach they're employed. It provides the the majority of appropriate delivery mechanism for the OS and Applications to be chosen for both and every user while retaining the flexibility users have become accustomed to together with a conventional desktop approach. • Virtual Remote Desktop: Dell's Virtual Remote Desktop enables users to figure with a virtual desktop on a remote server, with the virtualization software emulating a neighborhood, desktop-computing experience. Users get access to their own virtual desktop (their data, applications, settings and resource tools) on a remote server. They use native, networked devices to connect with, and work while not delay on the server where their virtual desktops are living - but they maintain the computer productivity experience. "Having recently standardized on Dell systems, one of our IT department's largest goals was once to provide students with a wealthy desktop experience and decrease the quantity of employees time spent maintaining hardware and patching systems," said George Thornton, Network Operations Manager, 1st viscount montgomery of alamein ISD. "To support this goal, we actually have place in place a mixture of Dell Latitude laptops and Dell OptiPlex desktops running On-Demand Desktop Streaming and Virtual Remote Desktop. This has resulted in reduced help-desk decisions and tool consumption, while increasing our ability to manipulate our infrastructure." Dell E-Family Latitude Laptops Dell also today launched new additions to its portfolio of Latitude E-Family laptops, each certified with Citrix and VMware purchasers. • Dell Latitude E4310: the ultraportable Dell Latitude E4310 is constructed for the administrative and frequent traveler and combines swish looks with exceptional durability and complicated wireless connectivity. The Thirteen.3-inch Latitude E4310, available now, starts at $1449 USD. • Dell Latitude E5410 and E5510: the 13.3-inch and Fourteen.61-inch Dell Latitude E5410 and E5510 professional laptops, respectively, are engineered to help simplify IT by reducing cost, deployment time and repairs with an emphasis on stability, inter-compatibility, global support and business-class control. The new systems, available now, begin at $X and $X USD, respectively. Enhanced features of new Latitude laptops include: • A hot Rapid Response For free Fall Sensor and StrikeZone™ shock absorber that can help prevent data loss from drops; • Latitude ON - Reader & Flash Version for immediate access to access to e-mail, calendar, contacts and virtual desktops without booting the system; • New architecture comprises Intel Core i technology, Windows 7 and WiMax; • Three-year guaranty battery for reduced add cost of possession throughout laptop life cycle; • Inter-compatibility across every E-Family system with one dock to fifteen laptops and counting and 5 year assurance on dock, adapters and optical drives; • Advanced Security and Systems Management that supply flexible and secure data protection, asset monitoring and remote management while permitting for instant IT response to business threats; • Choose configurations offer Energy Star and EPEAT certifications. Dell Latitude 2110: Building on the good fortune of the 2100 at high colleges and elementary schools, Dell now offers the 2110 to organizations to help solve a growing need for an affordable secondary computer for coaching workstations or desktop users. The Latitude 2110 permits simple collaboration, handy guide a rough connectivity and versatility while at the office or on the line. Enhanced features of new Latitude netbook include: • Extended battery life up to ten hours; • Collaboration tools, which included advanced audio, state of the art microphone and optional webcam; • Anyplace connectivity options such as WiFi, mobile broadband and WiMax; # # # Concerning Dell Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to its customers and uses that insight to develop and deliver personalised technology solutions to government, healthcare and educational organizations worldwide.
Learn more at www.dell.com.

Synaptics extends multitouch Gesture Suite to Linux, Chrome OS included

2010-04-20T18:23:00.001-07:00

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can even put Avc, H.264, Avc, MPG, Realmedia (RM, RMVB), AVI (H.264, XviD), ASF, Dat in your apple iphone. Neatly, it had to happen sooner or later. After eons up of watching Mac OS plus Windows users swiping away nonchalantly though to his or her or him touchpads, Linux portable patrons can currently also be section of the legal multitouch fray. Synaptics possesses announced official Gesture Suite support for a extensive selection of Linux-based OS flavors -- Chrome OS, Fedora, Ubuntu, RedFlag, SuSE, and Xandros get name-dropped during the clicking unleash -- which could be enough to every one advantage up of its decided of multi-fingered touch and swipe responses. The infamous pinch-to-zoom is kind of naturally included in the Suite, which will come back bundled allowing for new installations of these operating systems. We have a tendency to aren't seeing all or any mention of a downloadable update as nevertheless, less than we imagine that'll be corrected in due course, whether or no longer by the corporate itself or the resourceful Linux community. Full PR after the break.
Display full PR text Synaptics Gesture Suite(TM) Now Out there for Favored Linux Operating Systems Wider Availability of Industry-Leading TouchPad(TM) Gestures Empowers Portable OEMs to Leverage Synaptics' Advanced Gesture Capabilities in Linux-based Operating Systems SANTA CLARA, Calif., April Nineteen /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synaptics Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNA), a number one developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, nowadays announced the extension of its industry-leading Synaptics Gesture Suite™ to the Linux operating system environment. About which release extends the Synaptics Gesture Suite-which comprises sophisticated multi-finger gestures-to OEMs that provide Linux-based solutions. Synaptics is the recognized leader in the mobile computing and hand held human interface spaces, with added in comparison to only 700 1000000 devices shipped because 1995. Synaptics contains a robust leadership position in the Microsoft Windows-based TouchPad™ market and Synaptics Gesture Suite (SGS™)-currently available on a majority of Synaptics TouchPads delivered to PC OEMs around the world-allows users to counterpoint their productivity with thousands of Microsoft Windows-based applications available today. Today's announcement extends the industry's broadest gesture suite across a wide number of leading Linux operating systems. "The Synaptics Gesture Suite for Linux enables our OEMs to leverage a extensive range of gesture capabilities across Linux operating systems, and offers extensibility back to new Linux flavors such as Google Chrome OS and further support for touch-enabled remote management devices," said Ted Theocheung, head of Synaptics PC and digital home products & ecosystem. "SGS ensures optimized interoperability of gestures, minimal gesture interpretations errors, and proven usability performance across the widest range of TouchPad sizes from little remote controls and netbooks to giant powerhouse notebook PCs, in addition to customization capabilities to OEMs' exacting specifications." Supported Linux operating systems come with Fedora, Millos Linpus, Red Flag, SLED Eleven (SuSE), Ubuntu, and Xandros. SGS for Linux (SGS-L) supports a wide range of pointing enhancements and gestures which included two-finger scrolling, PinchZoom, TwistRotate, PivotRotate™, three-finger flick, three-finger press, Momentum™, and ChiralScrolling. Bundled with Synaptics' enhanced driving force interface, SGS-L is equipped freed from charge to Synaptics OEM/ODM partners once ordered with Synaptics TouchPad and ClickPad™ products. Synaptics Gesture Suite for Linux (SGS-L) is helping manufacturers bring new interactivity and productivity to their notebook PC systems and alternative peripheral devices that make use of Synaptics TouchPads. To discover more concerning Synaptics Gesture Suite for Linux, please contact your Synaptics sales representative or attend www.synaptics.com/go/SGSL . About Synaptics Synaptics (NASDAQ: SYNA) is a number one developer of human interface solutions for the mobile computing, communications, and entertainment industries. The corporate creates interface solutions for a selection of devices including notebook PCs, PC peripherals, digital music players, and mobile phones. The TouchPad™, Synaptics' flagship merchandise, is integrated into a majority of today's notebook computers. Shopper electronics and computing manufacturers use Synaptics' solutions to enrich the interaction between humans and intelligent devices through improved usability, functionality, and industrial artwork. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. www.synaptics.com
Synaptics, TouchPad, ClickPad, Synaptics Gesture Suite, SGS,
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Sony produces Seven.4-inch OLED display for professionals, prices it accordingly

2010-04-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

We're continue to waiting for the legal OLED revolution to form our monster LCD HDTVs obsolete, less than until it at last gets these we're left covering niche devices prefer about that, the 7.4-inch PVM-740 professional monitor from Sony. It encompasses a 960 x 540 resolution, tend to be often connected directly to camera systems, could be rack-mountable, plus is declared to "deliver wonderful high distinction, high colour pictures, also in ambient lightweight." Which we have a tendency to will believe after we learn it, but supplied with the $3,850 MSRP ($1,000 costlier compared to the consumer-oriented 11-inch XEL-1), we carry out not be expecting to ever be seeing one during the wild anyway.

Nintendo 3DS to feature Three.4-inch Sharp parallax barrier display?

2010-04-01T23:43:00.001-07:00

As to hand tend to be not lots from mass production features out there once it projects to glasses-less 3D displays for Nintendo's forthcoming 3DS hand-held gaming console. Plus according to early leaks up of Japan, the legal special Nintendo 3DS display is supposedly assembled by Hitachi and Sharp employing a parallax barrier system. Thus guess where about that new 3.4-inch, 480 x 854 pixel display is probably going headed? Whereas Sharp does not say for certain, it is the legal smart bet which this parallax barrier 3D LCD are going to be fronting the user interface on the 3DS. Not prefer the 3D displays you is sufficient to notice in up to date 3D HDTVs requiring the viewer to erosion and tear active or passive glasses, Sharp's display uses a parallax barrier system to form a feeling of depth by employing a series of vertical slits in an ordinary LCD to direct light-weight to the concession and left eyes. The panel offers a 500nit brightness, 1,000:1 distinction, and is obtainable allowing for or while not a touchscreen. A non-touchscreen version of the display is going back into mass production prior to June less than there is no specific mention of the touchscreen timeline (but we have a tendency to imagine it will not be a lot behind). In different words, shall we suffer from a Nintendo 3DS on the market before the vacations. Simply asserting. Guess we'll find out for sure at E3 in June.

InVisage envisions the legal global where cell phone cameras carry out not suck, embraces quantum dots

2010-03-23T12:52:00.001-07:00

The discovery up of nanocrystal semiconductors -- added ordinarily known though quantum dots -- has got spurred scientists to cause everything up of precisely-colored LED lamps to higher-density flash memory. As to hand could be additionally been a handful of speak of applying a solution of the little crystals to create higher sensitivity cameras, plus according to an organization named InVisage, which latter utility is virtually in a position for economic production. By smearing light-amplifying quantum dots onto the
existing CMOS sensors utilized in cell phone cameras favor such a lot
strawberry jam, InVisage claims it is sufficient to provide smartphone sensors
that experience four times the performance and twice the dynamic number of
existing chips by the finish of the year, and roll out the conveyor
belts in overdue 2011, simply in previous point for the contract to end on your
terrible new cameraphone.

Kingston's Two,400MHz HyperX memory kit offers the legal world's fastest Intel-certified RAM

2010-03-16T12:53:00.001-07:00

For the legal ones among u. s. finding it troublesome to settle what blisteringly rapid DDR3 sticks to pair allowing for his or him or her Core i7, Intel possesses decided to perform its own compatibility certification listing (see link below). Plus because the happiest memory maker could be generally the single atop the pile, we tend to need to imagine Kingston is feeling lovely sunny right currently, though its 2.4GHz HyperX memory kit has scooped the head spot away from Corsair's 2.33GHz offering. Running at 1.Sixty-five volts and offering 9-11-9-27-2 timings, about that is still now officially the RAM to possess if you are after headline-grabbing stock speeds. We additionally really like the reality Kingston acknowledges "benchmarkers" as a definite cluster alongside gamers and enthusiasts -- ultimately a bunch from appreciation for those misunderstood souls. Who knows what you describe yourself as, you are going to be ready to become on the freshest speed bandwagon during the second quarter of the current year. Full PR after the break.
Display full PR text Kingston Technology Creates World's Fastest Memory Intel Certifies HyperX Clocked at 2400MHz Sunbury-on-Thames, United kingdom Sixteenth March 2010 -- Kingston Technology Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of Kingston Technology Corporate, the independent global leader in memory products, nowadays announced it has developed the fastest Intel-certified memory in the world.
Running at 2400MHz, Kingston's HyperX® dual-channel DDR3 memory kit (Kingston® part#: KHX2400C9D3T1K2/4GX) gained Intel® XMP certification on the Core i7™ platform. Intel's certification is posted at http://www.intel.com/en_US/Assets/PDF/prodspec/ww09-2010-XMP-self-cert_Core-i7-BlueBadge.pdf. The Kingston 2400MHz kit runs at 9-11-9-27-2 timings at 1.65 volts and was once developed for enthusiasts, gamers, and benchmarkers shopping to scale new memory heights. As with numerous Kingston Technology memory, the 2400MHz kit was constructed with the very best design-engineering principles and subjected to OEM-quality production and checking out standards to gain Intel XMP certification.
The memory was tested to great success on several P55-based systems which included the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard. The 2400MHz kits is enough to be out there in Q2. Kingston HyperX memory is sponsored by a life-time guaranty and for free 24/7 technical support. For detailed knowledge please attend the Kingston Net website at www.kingston.com. Concerning Kingston Technology Company, Inc. Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the legal world's largest
independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Through its global network of subsidiaries and affiliates, Kingston has manufacturing facilities in California, Taiwan, China and sales representatives in the u. s., Europe, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, India, Taiwan, China, and Latin America. For added
information, please call +44 (0)1932 738888 or visit
www.kingston.com/europe

Olympus Pen E-PL1 spins up the legal review cycle

2010-03-08T19:02:00.001-08:00

Olympus' E-PL1 could be the legal legal camera as to a mission -- it now not solely shrinks the entry-level price ticket for Micro Four Thirds cameras to $600, it retains the identical Twelve.3 megapixel sensor, symbol processor, autofocus plus metering systems from its elder, the E-P1, whereas introducing its own advantages which additionally the pricier E-P2 does not provide (hello, integrated flash!). Along allowing for a 720p movie mode, a 14-42mm kit lens, and access to the growing catalog of Micro Four Thirds glass, it really appearance sort of a guaranteed win for the corporate, less than it is usually brilliant to steer it through a couple tests to be certain. While it sports a body rather richer in plastic compared to its senior siblings, we're told the E-PL1 continue to feels robust during the hand, and its management scheme is commended for ending up though accessible to novices and which included a dedicated video recording button. Image quality is ranked, as used to be to be expected, right on par with the added expensive models with only the more professionally susceptible ISO 3200 and 1/2000th shutter speed proving restricting. Get reading for fuller
impressions in addition to a handful of sample video shot with the E-PL1.
Read
- Photography Blog

Read - Pocket-lint
Read -
dpreviewhref="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10444530-1.html">
Read - CNET
Read
- Imaging Resource

White space 'Smart City' network is going up in Wilmington, North Carolina

2010-02-26T18:23:00.001-08:00

White space internet simply took a closer step though to its long, vaporous journey: in addition to the legal 916-person trial in small Claudville, Virginia kicked off go back on year, Spectrum Bridge just launched its initial large-scale "Smart City" network in Wilmington, North Carolina. If you may recall, white spaces tend to be the bits up of spectrum in between Television frequencies, plus a complete host of heavy hitters which included Microsoft and Google pushed the FCC to open them up for information usage once years of lobbying and comically failed tests. Wilmington used to be selected for the massive trial because it absolutely was the first community to switch totally to DTV broadcasting, and the ultimate city's employing the hot network for a selection of infrastructure tasks, including traffic camera monitoring, at no cost WiFi in city parks, and remote wetlands monitoring stations. Readily available could be also added to come back back, including medical uses and more broadband for faculties as previous point is going on. We're assuming NAB is completely SulkyFace5000 right currently, less than we've were given got at hand , it to the White Spaces Coalition -- after each one which speak, they have got at last gotten up and running in an exceedingly bigger community. Anybody in Wilmington care to chime in and let united states know the way it has working?

Notion Ink Adam hands-on (with video) at MWC 2010

2010-02-16T17:58:00.001-08:00

We tend to were given a couple minutes nowadays to take a look at the legal freshest build on Notion
Ink's Adam prototype which we first saw back at CES. Favor we
heard every week or thus ago, on hand could be sufficient to indeed be two versions up of
the Adam --
one which tend to be going to be Twelve.Nine mm thick plus boast the
Pixel Qi 3Qi e-paper screen, and a more in-depth, thinner, non-Pixel Qi
screen. The thinner, lighter version will measure in at Eleven.Six mm
thick. As much as we all be familiar with, the most effective difference during the two
Tegra-powered Adams will be the display, and that we also listen to they are already
shooting for a third quarter of 2010 launch. In the meantime, take a look at
out the footage we got of the near-final prototype, and the overall video
demo of the reader's flash support which explains after the break.
Notion
Ink Adam hands-on

Notion
Ink Adam powered on

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height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"
flashvars="fake=1" name="viddler" />

Samsung to mass generate Three.3-inch touch-embedded AMOLED panels

2010-02-06T10:05:00.001-08:00

Desire a mystery to back you bewildered? These could be one: which layer up of
nothingness between the legal touch-sensing glass plus the overall display though to your
phone. Who knows what that could be, Samsung's concerning to
blow it away along allowing for a recent Three.3-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen
returning in March. The magic lies during the on-cell touch technology --
0.001mm-thick capacitive touch sensors have a tendency to be deposited between the
panel's substrate and the bottom polarizer film, thus hunting down the
same old touchscreen glass canopy and the space that follows. If each one is going
neatly, Samsung ought to be delivering thinner and lighter phones with
slightly brighter touchscreens during a couple months' previous point, or most likely
phones in the present package less than with bigger batteries. Sorry,
LCD, but we've were given got a new crush to concentrate on.

AT&T settles ETF case for $18m

2010-01-31T07:21:00.001-08:00

Hey, if you have a tendency to be a ~~New Jersey~~ AT&T
subscriber plus you paid a flat-rate ETF between January 1, 1plus and
November four, 2009, you be afflicted by a small little touch from $18 one thousand thousand coming back your
approach. which could be the settlement quantity AT&T's agreed to during abwhichthat
contemporary ETF category action -- though same ancient in these cases, it has got miles
added affordable for AT&T to merely throw out a handfroml of money compared to it looks to
fully litigabout thatthis factor, especially allowing the the
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• Subscribed to wireless phonephone fromice from AT&T Mobility
LLC ("AT&T Mobility") plusits predecessors and paid or were
charged a flat-rate early termination fee ("Eany or all) at any previous point once
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NASA unveils rock-climbing Axel Rover, slashes dirt without getting dizzy

2009-02-05T18:13:00.001-08:00

NASA's latest toy is is an oversized robotic yo-yo dubbed the Axel Rover. Developed in collaboration with Caltech, it's designed to to raise and lower itself over any environment with a motorized lever that can be used for tethering as well as scooping up materials for scientific research and maneuvering its two cameras. Two more motors run each of its wheels, which should ensure it's more than equipped to traverse anything from the Garden of Eden to otherworldly terrain right next door to Hell. Check out the rover doing its thing in the video after the break

[ Via: Network World ]

NASA Wants You To Tell Them Where to Point the Hubble Space Telescope [Space]

2009-02-01T18:44:00.001-08:00

We're no stranger to the Hubble telescope here at Gizmodo, but our relationship up until this point has been a passive one. Today, however, NASA is asking the public were to point it. There are six targets in all, and NASA is currently conducting a poll to figure out which one to survey using the venerable (and at times glitch-ridden) space telescope. Voting concludes March 1, so you have some time to deliberate and research your choice. "Spiral Galaxy: NGC 5172" currently leads, followed by the plucky "Interacting Galaxies: Arp 274" in second, and the moxie-filled "Star-Forming Region: NGC 6634" is in third. And guys, a quick aside, if you will. These are space-only locations. "Cute Girl's Window in the Apartment Across the Street" is not one of the options.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

NASA electric lunar rover struts its stuff for the President

2009-01-23T08:37:00.001-08:00

For the Inaugural Parade, NASA astronauts greeted our new President in the style befitting such an august organization (and one that'll take all the funding they can get) by trotting out their Small Pressurized Rover. Hopefully by 2012 this thing will be spending less time cruising around Washington DC and more time on the lunar surface, where it can support two intrepid explorers for up to two weeks at a time. It sure looks cramped, but man, what a view! Check out some video of the thing in action -- in the nation's capital and in the wild -- after the break.

[ Via: Billionaire Boys Club ]

Photos: Obama inauguration viewed from space

2009-01-21T09:28:00.001-08:00

GeoEye-1 took this satellite photo of Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony. At left, crowd. At right, Capitol Building.(Credit: GeoEye) GeoEye-1, the satellite that will supply Google with high-resolution imagery of the Earth, took a high-resolution photograph of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The satellite is expected to start producing data for Google in coming weeks, but in the meantime, this shot shows a bit more tantalizing detail about what will show in Google Earth and Google Maps. It was taken from 423 miles up as the 4,300-pound satellite traveled 17,000 miles per hour. GeoEye launched GeoEye-1 in September, and Google has exclusive rights to imagery for online use. For a larger view, click on the bottom image, which we're publishing at one quarter the original resolution. The two smaller images are are full-size crops. Update 7:52 a.m. PST January 21: Google Earth users can view the photo through the software, according to Google's Lat Long blog. And GeoEye has added the image to CNN's Photosynth view of the inauguration. GeoEye-1 took this satellite photo of Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony. Note the shape of the crowd gathered around the large-screen TV in upper right.(Credit: GeoEye) GeoEye-1 took this satellite photo of the Mall during Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony. Click to see a larger image.(Credit: GeoEye)

[ Via: cnet.com ]

Rogue NASA Science Team Pitches New Spacecraft Designs to Obama [Space]

2009-01-16T08:00:00.001-08:00

NASA, when it isn't finding rogue space lights or mysterious BOOMs of the non-Steve Jobsian variety, is apparently sending rogue science teams to brief President-elect Obama on the future of the space program. These teams weren't sanctioned by NASA top brass, so in a way they are effectively going rogue, not unlike an Alaskan governor in a Saks Fifth Avenue. They were also not towing the company line about the future of the space program. In fact, they argued that NASA should scrap the upcoming Ares rocket program in lieu of a new program called Jupiter Direct, which relies heavily on proven current-gen space shuttle program technologies and rocket parts. On paper at least, the Jupiter Direct program appears cheaper. Using a smaller and less cool-sounding rocket than the Ares 1, called the Jupiter 120, the program would require the modified external tank from the space shuttle, which would be shot into space by two RS-68 liquid-fuel engines. Liftoff would occur thanks to the two four-segment solid rocket boosters engineers would bring over directly from the existing shuttle program (which is obvious once you see that image). And better yet, the Jupiter Direct program has longevity built right in. Because its engine configuration is theoretically more powerful than Ares, the 120 rocket would have the extra oompf necessary for a lunar flyby. A larger Jupiter 232 rocket would allow man (and woman) to land on the moon after a hookup with NASA's Orion lander capsule, which the program leaves unchanged. Ultimately, the plan is about saving money and keeping space flight missions ongoing after the shuttle program is retired, not usurping NASA. The Obama transition team provided no comment on the rogue meeting, or on the Ares program, for that matter.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Apple's final Macworld keynote is Tuesday, and we'll be there live!

2009-01-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

Don't forget kids, Apple (and our main man Phil Schiller) will be doing its final Macworld thing live and direct come Tuesday morning, and as usual, we'll be there doing what we do: liveblogging the hell out of it. Set your alarms, wake the neighbors, and settle in for the mind-blowingest keynote you done ever seen. Here's where you need to check in on Tuesday, January 6th:
Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote
At these times:
07:00AM - Hawaii
09:00AM - Pacific
10:00AM - Mountain
11:00AM - Central
12:00PM - Eastern
05:00PM - London
06:00PM - Paris
02:00AM - Tokyo (January 7th)

[ Via: Engadget ]

NASA taps Orbital Sciences, SpaceX for ISS resupply missions

2008-12-27T23:19:00.001-08:00

The firms not mentioned here are just as important as the ones that are, as the privatization of space has just inched closer to reality. Rather than NASA handling ISS resupply chores itself or farming the job out to mega-corps such as Lockheed Martin or Boeing, the agency has instead awarded one contract each to Virginia-based Orbital Sciences (valued at around $1.9 billion) and California's own SpaceX ($1.6 billion). The two will be responsible for 20 service flights between 2009 and 2016, with each trip requiring delivery of "a minimum of 20 metric tons of upmass cargo to the space station." The agreements also call for "delivery of non-standard services in support of the cargo resupply, including analysis and special tasks as the government determines are necessary." So yeah, if FedEx / UPS have been balking at your request to ship to a Martian eBay winner, you now know who to call.

[ Via: TG Daily ]

Retromodo: The Apollo 8 Original Press Kit

2008-12-26T08:46:00.001-08:00

Used to a thousand inane press kits announcing useless pieces of junk, I wish it was 1968. Then, I could have received this Apollo 8 Press Kit, detailing the first manned mission to the Moon. Forty years ago the crew of the Apollo 8 was—right now—on their trip back to Earth after the successful mission that took them to the Moon. In the Command Module, Mission Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell—who later became Mission Commander for the ill-fated Apollo 13—, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders were probably talking about what they just did in their four-day trip. Or maybe they were just sitting there, checking buttons and counters, in silence, reflecting on their journey, the most amazing ever in the history of mankind.

Like all great trips, theirs came completely out of the blue. Originally, they weren't going to the Moon at all. Apollo 8 was going to be a low-earth orbit to test the Lunar Module and Command Module but, since the Lunar Module wasn't ready, NASA decided to change the mission objectives and send the crew to the Moon. As a result, they had to retrain in record time for a completely new mission. They did, they were cool, and they kicked ass, becoming the first three humans to see the dark side of the Moon a whole five years before Pink Floyd had their other trip to the Dark Side of the Moon. Their unexpected voyage was the first ever to escape Earth's gravitational force and visit another celestial body. And if you kids think that's not cool, I don't know what is. Fortunately, nothing went wrong and their risky odyssey saved 1968 along with Johnny Cash's live concert at Folsom Prison—a terrible year in which the Vietnam War exploded, the Soviet Union invaded Prague, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated, and Richard Nixon was elected the thirty-seventh President of the United States. Here's the original press release and the illustrations from the 101-page press kit announcing the crazy mission: Back on Earth, Neil Amstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Fred Haise Jr.—their backup crew—were probably waiting, maybe talking with them from ground control. And that, my friends, that's a complete different story for next year.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

How to Prepare the Space Shuttle for Another Mission to the ISS [Space]

2008-12-22T18:33:00.001-08:00

The Big Picture has a photo essay showing us every step that the Space Shuttle Endeavor goes through between missions, from touching down to taking off again. Endeavor has gone through this process a whopping 22 times in the past 16 years and will hopefully go through it many more times in the future. This batch of photos show it as it progresses from its landing from its last mission on March 26th through its return from its following mission, 9 months later. Incredible stuff.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Huge Hole Found on Earth's Magnetic Field, Run Around In Panic Now [Nasa]

2008-12-17T08:25:00.001-08:00

NASA's Themis, a satellite flotilla studying geomagnetic disturbances, have discovered a large hole on Earth's magnetic field, which protects us against solar particles, which can cause severe disturbances in power grids, computers, and communication. But don't fret, dear readers, because according to Marit OierosetвЂ”Professor of the University of California at BerkeleyвЂ” even while "it was growing rather fast" the hole only lasted for an hour. During that time, the amount of solar wind getting into the Earth's surface was twenty times higher than usual. The news here is that while scientists thought that the solar breach happened when the Earth's and the sun magnetic fields were in opposite directions, the data gathered from Themis has found exactly the opposite. In other words: These people don't have a clue!

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Mars in 3D, Deathmatch For Charity, Closing

2008-12-14T08:49:00.001-08:00

Today is already the last day of the Gizmodo Gallery, and we've got a few special things happening before we close up shop today at 4PM and send all the gear back to its makers. • More showings of NASA's Mars Rover images, for the first time in 3D. And to Bowie!
• More Deathmatch for Charity.
• Raffle prize collection starts near the end of the day, so check your emails if you donated earlier in the week or earlier today. (Those of you showing up today, we'll save you some goodness, probably dispensed on the spot.)
• Also, I've got another favor to ask. Chris and I and the gang are very tired from working on planning and running the Gallery for a few weeks straight now — we're almost out of steam, and if Kaiser, SteveDave or any of our other star commenters in the NYC area can come and help us close up shop later on, we wouldn't say no to the help. Thank you ladies and gents, we love you more than we love big TVs.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Inside NASA's 747 Flying Telescope [Nasa]

2008-11-28T20:44:00.001-08:00

Although still three years from starting actual scientific missions, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) airborne observatory is tenaciously getting closer to its first job day. After two decades of research and $500 million modding a Boeing 747вЂ”including the 2.5-meter telescope itself that you can see tested in this videoвЂ”SOFIA got a High-speed Imaging Photometer for Occultation two weeks ago, an instrument that will help it to measure objects' surfaces and atmospheres. Now, NASA is completing final tests at their Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility before its first open-door flight later this year. Why twenty years and so much money spent in this observatory? Well, while it's not as spectacular as a space telescope, the daily challenges that SOFIA will face are greater than those of Hubble. From the high-tech door system in the modified 747 to the technology needed to compensate for the extreme in-flight vibration, SOFIA needs a lot more daily love than Hubble does. In fact, it's not that expensive: The $500 million price tag is a bargain when you consider the $2.5 billion paid for the Hubble Space Telescope's construction. Not to talk about the Hubble's total bill, including the servicing missions, which is estimated at between $4.5 billion to $6 billion without the more than half billion dollars that Europe put into the project. For sure, SOFIA is not as flexible and won't take the same kind of breathtaking photos that Hubble does. The telescope is designed to only work on the infrared and far-infrared light spectrums. But then again, in those light ranges, flying will allow it to get results as good or better than Hubble (it's mirror is almost 4 inches larger than Hubble's). After all, SOFIA won't have to deal with 99% of the atmospheric vapor that disturbs these kind of instruments at ground level. On the other side, repairing it won't require dangerous and costly space missions. If it breaks down, they will fix it in the hangar. Tests for SOFIA will being this month, while actual science missions will start in 2011, getting into full capability in 2014. [NASA]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Dealzmodo: $10 FireFly Christmas Ornament

2008-11-27T06:20:00.001-08:00

FireFly may have gone down in flames, but the Serenity flies on with a little help of string and your Christmas tree. Usually going for upwards of $20—not that we obsessively check prices on all FireFly gear—the Serenity ornament is now on sale for a sweet $10. And just in case Joss Whedon stops by as part of some magical Christmas miracle, he'll recognize that he should vacate the premises immediately, lest you request him to play the role of Angel in a Buffy Season 2 Episode 13 reenactment.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

How the Weird Mars Science Laboratory Floating Sky Crane Works

2008-11-24T05:28:00.001-08:00

When I read that the UFO-looking Mars Science Laboratory's aeroshell would use a floating craneвЂ”called Sky Crane by NASAвЂ”to softly land the rover on Mars, I couldn't believe it. Now, watching this hyperrealistic NASA simulation, I still can't believe how the whole thing works: The rockets of the aeroshellвЂ”a protective armor that will protect the MSL and guide it through its descentвЂ”will fire to steer the capsule towards the desired angle. When this is achieved, a long parachute will open to slow down the Mars Science Laboratory as it enters zooms down the Martian atmosphere. As soon as the capsule slows down, the heat shield will eject leaving the rover exposed inside the aeroshell, attached to the floating crane mechanism. That's when the whole landing process gets weird: The floating crane's rockets will fire up to further slow the descent. The top part of the aeroshell will then detach completely, leaving the sky crane alone holding the MSL rover, slowly descending towards the planet's surface. A few hundred meters above the terrain, the floating sky crane will start lowering the rover down using "a trio of bridles and one umbilical cord" until it touches down. At that time, the sky crane will detach from the rover and fly away, probably to fall over the home of some poor old Martian grandma. I don't know about you, but the whole operation mesmerizes me to no end.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

NASA's New Ejector System Borrows Tech From Yesterday's Apollo Program [Nasa]

2008-11-24T05:24:00.003-08:00

If something goes wrong with the upcoming space shuttle replacement program, and we hope it does not, this is what could save the astronauts' lives. As they hurdle hundreds of miles per hour into the heavens, and their ship begins to break apart, mission control will scream "ABORT!" (or perhaps something a bit more technical), and the astronauts will be ejected from the capsule with a force that's actually much greater than the g's they'll experience during launch. What you're seeing above is a test of this new ejector seat system, dubbed the Launch Abort System. It burns through half of its fuel in three seconds flat, NASA says, but then again if you're escaping from an exploding, disintegrating tin can filled with jet fuel, that's kind of the idea.

Fun fact: Like much of the Orion capsule/Areas rocket program, this ejector mechanism is also an example of NASA going back in time to deliver tomorrow's explorers to the moon. In the LAS's case, the Apollo program's old-school abort system is the inspiration.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Astronauts Jiggle ISS Water Recycler Handle But Crew Can't Drink Pee Just Yet [Space]

2008-11-24T05:24:00.001-08:00

The multimillion dollar water recycler recently installed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station is still experiencing some minor issues this evening, meaning crew members will just have to wait to have their first peetinis, Long Island Iced Pees, Whiskpee Sours and other lame pee-themed drinks I have yet to think of. The prototype recycler, which separates waste from water using a centrifuge system, was brought to the station aboard the latest shuttle mission. It malfunctioned two hours after installation, although a separate sweat and waste water recycler is working as expected. Phew! An early fix was attempted today by shuttle captain Michael Fincke and fellow astronaut Don Pettit (*no $100,000 tool bags were harmed in the making of this repair). The two astronauts reported hearing a "new sound" from the machine after the repair, and three hours later it shut down again. It was able to process "about a gallon of urine" in that time period. Under optimal conditions, the recycler is supposed to run four hours a pop. Now, we joke about drinking urine, but this is actually a pretty serious issue—especially if the ISS crew is going to double from three to six in 2009 as planned. Theoretical missions to Mars will also rely on the prototype, because water is heavy, and lugging it between planets is prohibitively expensive. And, making matters worse is the fact that this urine-cleansing uber-gadget is one-of-a-kind. There is no cosmic Home Depot that NASA can go to for a replacement. "We haven't started talking about when we'd stop troubleshooting on orbit and decide to bring the unit home," Courtenay McMillan said. "That's a pretty big decision to make." Indeed. And so is taking that first sip of urine water. Cheers!
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

NASA Scales Up 1966's Moon Image to Amazing Ultra-High Resolution [Sunday Eye Candy]

2008-11-16T19:02:00.001-08:00

When NASA released this image from their Lunar Orbiter 1 back in 1966, the first photograph ever of the Earth rising above the Moon's surface, it was low resolution but they still amazed the world. This week, they have surprised every space aficionado re-releasing the same image in ultra-high definition. The cool part now is that NASA hasn't used any upscaling or magical infinite zoom-in filter from CSI. Instead, they have created a new technology that uses refurbished analog machines and a new digital process that fully extracts the information stored in the program's old magnetic tapes, something that was impossible to do in the 60s. Click on the image to watch it in its 3673 x 1740 pixel glory. The Lunar Orbiter missions included five spacecrafts dedicated to map the entire lunar surface, a task necessary to select the landing sites for Apollo. The first three missions focused on twenty potential landing sites, while the two last onesвЂ”which flew high altitude polar orbitsвЂ”took photographs of 99% of the surface with a resolution that ranged from 60 meters to an stunning 2 meter. While these probes were not as sophisticated as the HD cameras of the Selene spacecraft developed by the Japanese space agency, the NASA orbiters had a clever imaging system that achieved similar results four decades ago. It included a dual lens cameraвЂ”one 610 millimeter narrow angle for high resolution and an 80 millimeter wide angle for medium resolutionвЂ”, a film processor, and a scanner. Both lenses were aligned to expose the same part of the 70 millimeter film roll, so the high resolution image area was centered with the medium resolution area. This was more complicated that it sounds: Since the spaceship was cruising above the lunar surface, they had to compensate for that motion. Using an electro-optical sensor to measure the distance while a small motor shifted the film so the second exposure exactly matched the first one. After that, the film was processed, scanned, and the information send back to Earth, where it was stored in analog tapes. Now, the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project at NASA's Ames Research Center, is retrieving and analyzing all the data stored in those tapes. To do this, first they restored the original tape recorders and 1,500 of these tapes. Then they digitized the data into modern computer, putting it through special software designed to extract all that information to produce the image you are seeing here. Their goal is to do this with every single image lurking inside those tapes, which then will be mapped to standard coordinates and sent to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Their objective is not only preserving and enhancing these historical documents, but also provide the scientific community with refreshed information prior to next year's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. [NASA] More Gizmodo Sunday Eye Candy

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXVII: 2PG PSP knockoff adds second controller, nothing else

2008-11-16T00:31:00.001-08:00

The 2PG TC8281 is one hard working portable game console -- and trust us, it ain't easy trying to make a living under the shadow of the PSP and its less expensive (and downright irreputable) siblings. Don't blame the poor guy if he was born with "brand name style," as they say in the business -- what he lacks in originality, or in technological ability, he more than makes up for in hard work. Yours for just under $50, this handheld is compatible with the ever-popular Cool Boy game console, and ships with 117 games (5 on-board, 112 on the cartridge) including Milk Nuts, Space ET, Zippy Race and perennial favorite Mappy. And if all that weren't enough, the device includes A/V outputs for bringing the party to your television, and a separate Playstation-like controller so you can get your game on multi-player style. Ready to take a chance? More pictures after the break.

[ Via: Technabob ]

Mars Phoenix lander goes silent, NASA ends mission

2008-11-10T17:25:00.001-08:00

The inevitable has happened. Our friend, the loved and loving Mars Phoenix lander has gone quietly into that long, good night once and for all. Even though we joyfully joined the lander on its adventures as it Tweeted from beyond the stratosphere, and thrilled at its explorations, pitfalls, and pratfalls, try not to feel the familiar sting of humanity at the thought of our little robotic buddy facing that call to interminable sleep we all must answer one day. Let's rest easy knowing that the NASA-spawned craft served dutifully and fearlessly right up to the end, when it was overpowered by a horde of space zombies and turned into an undead killing machine. We'll miss you, pal.

[ Via: Engadget ]

Spherical Satellites Aboard the ISS are Gary Gygax Approved [ISS]

2008-11-09T18:15:00.001-08:00

It's too bad Gary Gygax is no longer with us, because it would be interesting to get his opinion on SPHERES (for Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites). These prototype devices are currently floating around aboard the ISS as part of an experiment developed by MIT students. The goal is to test flight formations that could one day lead to autonomous maintenance satellites capable of building large spacecraft while in orbit.

Smaller, multiple satellite missions are economical and provide redundancy. Instead of launching one big, heavy satellite, launching lots of little is easier. They can orbit Earth in tandem, each doing their own small part of the overall mission. If a solar flare zaps one satelliteвЂ”no problem. The rest can close ranks and carry on. Launch costs are reduced, too, because tiny satellites can hitch a ride inside larger payloads, getting to space almost free of charge.

The idea sounds great, but I can't help but want to see numbers painted all over these things.

NASA's Ares 1 Rocket in Trouble Again: Could Crash Into Launch Tower [Nasa]

2008-11-09T17:46:00.001-08:00

NASA's Ares 1 rocket may be facing another large technological hurdle before it can take part in the future lunar missions: it's apparently in danger of banging into its own launch tower if the wind is up. Actually, the wind needs only be a gentle-sounding 12.7mph from the south-east to cause problems, and it's all to do with how the rocket's solid fuel motor causes it to "hop" on ignition, before it powers upwards. Computer models are reportedly showing that during this crucial moment, the wind could cause enough "liftoff drift" that the rocket could get dangerously close to the tower. And if it managed to avoid an impact, there's still the danger of the flaming rocket gas output badly damaging the tower's structures. NASA itself seems confident it can overcome this problem (if it ultimately proves to be a significant enough one) by positioning the tower differently or redesigning the launchpad: both requiring time and money that could impact the bigger program. After the earlier reports of "tuning-fork" problems with the manned missile, the calls for an alternative solution to the whole Constellation program begin to look interesting again: what's your opinion chaps? My take on this: this sort of hurdle comes up frequently when you're in a program of this scale and complexity—some sort of better workaround will surface eventually.

Popular Science Names 100 "Best of What's New" Technologies [Popular Science]

2008-11-08T21:43:00.001-08:00

Just last week, Time announced what they considered the 50 most important technological breakthroughs of 2008. Not to be outdone, today Popular Science has named their 100 "Best of What's New." Unlike Time, PopSci has categorized their awards into achievements in Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets (of course!), Green Tech, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Health, Recreation and Security. But you've had enough of a tease; you just want to see the winners: Automotive

2009 Nissan GT-R
BMW MyInfo
Carnegie MellonвЂ™s Boss
BMW 7 Series Sign Reading Camera
Audi Harmonic Drive Steering
Lexus LX570 Wide-View Cameras
Infiniti EX-35 Self-Healing Paint
Ford Eco-Boost Engine
Honda FCX Clarity
Mercedes SL63 Speedshift
Ford Capless Fuel Filler

Aviation & Space

Computing

Engineering

Large Hadron Collider
Bahrain World Trade Center
Hillman Composite Beams
GlubamвЂ™s quick assembly bridge
KajimaвЂ™s new demolition method

Gadgets

Green Technology

Serious Materials EcoRock
ElectraTherm Green Machine
Envirofit Clean Indoor Cookstove
Enphase Energy Micro-Inverter System
Mariah Power Windspire
Agroplast All In One System

Home Entertainment

Sony OLED TV
Audiovox FPS10 Subwoofer
Lucas ArtsвЂ™ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Sonos ZP120 Digital Amp
Sony BDV-IT1000ES Home Theater System
Onkyo TX-NR906 A/V Receiver
Hitachi UltraThin TVs

Home Technology

Honeywell Specialty Materials Storm-a-Rest
Craftsman VibraFree Sander
Home Comfort Zones MyTemp
Festool Lapex Miter Saw
Remington PowerMower
Gorilla Super Glue
FreshAire Paint
PF WaterWorks PermaFLOW

Personal Health

Recellularized Heart
CellScope
SensAble
Toshiba Aquilion One CT
Fraunhofer InstituteвЂ™s Magnet-Controlled Gut Camera
BioXcell INVOcell Fertility Assist Device
Pro-Neck-Tor
Nintendo Wii Fit
Electronic Taste Chip
Hewlett Packard Smart Drug Delivery

Recreation

Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 Di2 Electronic Shifting Components
Poseidon Mk IV Discovery Rebreather
Speedo LZR Swimsuit
Schoeller Cold Black
Atomic Double Deck Skis
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleep Pad
OвЂ™Neill XDS-Air Insulated Neoprene
Energy Integration Technology Aevex Gloves
Moog Guitar

Security

Thruvision T5000 Camera
Noblepeak Vision Triwave
Rotundus GroundBot
Ingenia Technology Laser Surface Authentication System
Lumidigm Venus Series Sensors
Raytheon Controlled Impact Rescue Tool (CIRT)
Landshark IED Robot
RedX Spray-On Bomb Detector
ARA Safety FIT-5
The Streetlab Mobile

So what do you think? Was PopSci dead on or dead wrong? Lay it out in the comments. We were personally affronted that disemvowling didn't make this particular list. [PopSci]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

23 NASA Missions Omega Watches for Just $125,000 [NASA Watches]

2008-11-07T20:24:00.003-08:00

Absolute. Spacenerdgasm. 23 Omega Speedmaster Watches. In a cool space suitcase. The first is a replica of the original 1957 Speedmaster Broad Arrow, while the next 22 of them are the NASA missions ones, with patches on the 9 O'Clock position from the coolest NASA missions ever. From the 1965 Gemini V launch to the November 1973 Skylab SL-4 mission, and going through the Apollo 11 watch, you have them all:

Gemini VI, Gemini VII, Gemini VIII, Gemini IX, Gemini X, Gemini XI, Gemini XII, Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo 9 вЂњGumdrop & SpiderвЂќ, Apollo 10 вЂњSnoopy and Charlie BrownвЂќ, Apollo 11 вЂњColumbia and EagleвЂќ, Apollo 12 вЂњIntrepid and Yankee ClipperвЂќ, Apollo 13 вЂњOdyssey and AquariusвЂќ, Apollo 14 вЂњKitty Hawk and AntaresвЂќ, Apollo 15 вЂњEndeavour and FalconвЂќ, Apollo 16 вЂњCasper and OrionвЂќ, Apollo 17 вЂњAmerica and ChallengerвЂќ, Skylab 1, Skylab 2, and Skylab 3

They are being sold on eBay for $125,000. To give you an idea of how much these precision time machines are worth, the previous set in the series was sold in Switzerland last year for 368,900 Swiss Francs. A whooping $313,000 and they are not even the ones that went into space. []

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

A MySpace portable audio player? (Design your own!)

2008-11-07T20:24:00.001-08:00

MySpace has long been associated with music, and the site's recent push into commercial sales has prompted rumors that it might release a device of its own -- "it's possible," said the site's co-founder Chris DeWolfe when asked about it yesterday. For the time being, however, the social networking site will be wisely concentrating on what it does best: maintaining the world's foremost photographic archive of suburban tweenagers flashing gang signs and providing a much needed creative outlet for people with names like IfUaHATERthenDon'tbeHatin, « ASHLEE » and Psycho♥Rée. And to keep you entertained as you wait for another episode of MySpaceTV's Sorority Forever, feel free to check out the MySpacePMP Blingee after the break.
Update: We've found ourselves so visually inspired by the concept of a MySpace player that we've decided to run a Photoshop contest (that grandest of traditions) to see what you can come up with. Fire your best 'shops on over to contests at engadget dawt com, and together we can create a brighter future.

[ Via: Electronista ]

Dell affirms plans to integrate white space radios into future wares

2008-11-06T06:11:00.001-08:00

Barely 24 hours after the FCC voted yes to unlicensed white space use, we've already got one powerhouse lined up in support. According to PC World, Neeraj Srivastava, director of technology policy at Dell, has stated that the company "intends to integrate white space radios into future Dell products." As for what "products" actually means? We could see the modules in anything from laptops to netbooks to "any other devices that provide wireless network access." Sadly, he wouldn't say when the technology would be added, but we'll go out on a limb and suggest sometime after the impending digital TV transition.
[Image courtesy of mhzkid]

[ Via: Engadget ]

ESA Reveals Next-Gen Reentry Pod, Makes NASA's Plans Look Kinda Low-Tech [Space]

2008-11-06T06:08:00.001-08:00

This is ESA's video unveiling of its Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle, a test-bed for a next-generation reentry pod. The IXV is due to rocket aloft on Europe's new small Vega launcher in 2012 and test out a range of systems for a "proper" future vehicle. Ditching the simplicity and limitations of the now old-fashioned conical-pod-with-heat-shield design, it's a lifting-body shape with a thermal protection system somewhat like the Shuttle's. The wingless pod is steered by aerodynamic body flaps with reaction jets as backup and for orbital maneuvers, and when it's low and slow enough it'll pop a 'chute and plop into the Pacific. And it'll do it all autonomously. Clever stuff. [ESA via Slashdot]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Anthropomorphized Mars lander in terminal "Groundhog Day" mode, tugging heartstrings

2008-11-06T06:07:00.001-08:00

Dear Phoenix lander, you always find new ways to both delight and torture us. We listened anxiously for your updates about the weather on Mars, watched you "think" your way out of nearly fatal situations, and marveled at your liquid discoveries. It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for your send off. And what new violence is this you're doing upon our souls? Oh, that's right: you're dying. Not shutting down. Dying. Not quickly, either. And you're going to suffer from what is essentially a NASA-induced nightmare terminal case of Alzheimer's now, too. As early as tonight, the NASA team will upload repeating commands designed to "wring a few additional weather measurements" out of Phoenix by placing it in "terminal science mode," meaning that the lander will repeat the same sequence of actions over and over again, every day before shutting down for 19 hours. The team has also discovered that the craft is now unable to fully recharge its batteries, causing it to lose its memory each night when it shuts down. So the lander wakes up in the morning, does some science, goes to sleep, wakes up again, doesn't remember a thing, does some science... oh, you get the idea. The Phoenix team doesn't know how much longer the lander is going to survive, but they indicated that it could be "several weeks." Please, just let the pain end. Hit the read link for the long, sad story.

[ Via: Engadget ]

LaCie's Internet Space is sparse, available (in the UK)

2008-11-06T06:03:00.001-08:00

We don't blame LaCie for continuing Neil Poulton's 2001-esque drive designs -- they're pretty attractive -- but they're not exactly taking us on a mind-bending trip through space and time, if you know what we mean. "Internet Space," the newest entry to the line, is nearly exactly the same as their previous "Network Space" product -- in both looks and specs. The drives clock in at 500GB, 750GB or 1TB sizes with a single gigabit Ethernet port for looping into your network, but unlike the old version, data stored on this model can be accessed via a portal on LaCie's internet website. They're only available in the UK right now (as far as we can tell), and retail for £114.99 ($183) for the 500GB, £129.99 ($207) for the 750GB, and £159.99 ($254) for the 1TB models, respectively.

[ Via: New Launches ]

Election '08 coming home in HD like never before

2008-11-05T05:31:00.001-08:00

Sure, not every station's pulled out the Star Wars / Iron Man-style holograms for the 2008 election, but they're all trying to put shiny new HD studios to full use and get as many eyeballs as possible until things are decided. NBC & ABC immediately jumped out front at 7 p.m. with data pouring in on the widescreen edges of their HD feeds, with CNN waiting until states were decided to begin updating their lists. ABC's chosen to lean on its touchscreen display and forgo side graphics altogether, while despite Fox's claim as "America's Election HQ", with totally bare shoulders and boring sets, we're pointing our flatscreens elsewhere. PBS, despite airing the clearest, most high quality video available of three old guys at a table, has no slick touchscreens or HD graphics packages to speak of. Think about that as you check out the rest of the screens after the break, and during the next donation drive. Big Bird deserves better.

[ Via: Engadget ]

FCC votes yes on unlicensed white space use

2008-11-05T05:29:00.001-08:00

You win some, you lose some -- so says FCC chairman Kevin Martin (pictured), in a roundabout way, at least. The hard-fought campaign for using the freed "white spaces" from the upcoming DTV transition in America has at long last led to victory for proponents such as Google, Microsoft and Intel, but suffice it to say, not everyone is thrilled about the decision. Essentially, the approval will allow unlicensed use of the soon-to-be-liberated spectrum, would could pave the way for mobile broadband access in rural locations (for example). Fuming TV broadcasters will theoretically be protected from any unwanted interference, as any device "offered by a technology company for use on the white spaces will have to go through a rigorous certification process." More wireless in '08 -- now isn't that something we can all agree on?

[ Via: TechCrunch ]

Spaceship "force field" could protect astronauts on trip to Mars

2008-11-04T18:36:00.001-08:00

While there's certainly no shortage of folks working on sending robots to Mars, there's also thankfully a few researchers focusing on making the trip a bit more bearable (and survivable) for us humans, and a group from a consortium of different institutions now say they've made some real progress on that front. Their idea is to use a portable "mini-magnetosphere," which would protect a spacecraft from harmful solar storms and cosmic rays in much the same way the Earth's magnetosphere naturally protects the planet. That is actually an idea that has been around for decades, and was shown last year to be at least theoretically possible, but it has only now been taken beyond the realm of computer simulations. That was apparently possible thanks to the use of an unspecified "apparatus originally built to work on fusion," which allowed researchers to recreate "a tiny piece of the Solar Wind" and confirm that a small "hole" in the wind would indeed be all that would d be necessary to keep astronauts safe. Of course, the leap from the lab to an actual spacecraft is another matter entirely, but the researchers seem to think that there's quite a bit of promise in the idea.

[ Via: PhysOrg ]

Intelsat retires Marisat-F2 satellite after 32 years of service

2008-11-03T21:36:00.001-08:00

The Marisat-F2 satellite may not have garnered quite the fame of other mission-defying spacefarers like the Mars Opportunity rover (it even seems to have been a bit camera shy), but it's earned it's own little place in the history books nonetheless, with it stretching its original five-year design life to a hefty 32 years of service. That apparently made it the oldest commercial communications satellite still actively operating in space but, sadly, that streak has now come to an end, with Intelsat announcing that it has decommisioned the satellite and is using its remaining bit of fuel to raise it to "disposal altitude" in order to keep it out of the way of other satellites. Originally built by Hughes Aircraft in 1976, the 700-pound satellite had been primiarly serving ships at sea and scientists at the South Pole, who were using it for internet access in more recent years, since it had actually proven to be more capable than the two other more recent satellites serving the area.

[ Via: Engadget ]

At Last, Space Football Is Coming! [Sports]

2008-10-31T09:02:00.003-07:00

Stand aside Michael Jordan, because ex-Washington Redskins linebacker Ken Harvey has been pitching NASA scientists and venture capitalists alike on a high concept sport: Float Ball. Planned for venues including space shuttles, the Moon and even Mars, needless to say, it's a crazy idea. Actually, scratch that. It's only a half-crazy idea. Float Ball is a combination of football and basketball in a zero gravity environment. Players bounce their way through the court, ricocheting off the floor, ceiling, obstacles and other players. The goal is to throw the ball through the hoop. The bigger goal is to throw your player with the ball through the hoop—a maneuver we're coining right this second as the space jam. Despite Harvey's popularity space entertainment circles, he has no plans on how to fund the space sport. But he doesn't expect the vision to actualize over night. Astronaut fitness programs coupled with VR simulators would naturally progress into high stakes competitive sportutainment. And while he may be right, Harvey forgets about one thing: Geeks hate jocks. So go build your own spaceship, a'hole. [NYT]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Debunk: Xbox 360 streams HD Netflix over component just fine

2008-10-31T09:02:00.001-07:00

There's some hysterical outrage out there right now over the New Xbox Experience's HD Netflix HDCP restrictions -- apparently it only works with HDCP-compliant digital displays, which is prompting a lot of hand-wringing about copyright restrictions and whether older 360s will get "locked out." Well, we're here to make it all better -- that's our NXE-equipped 360 connected over component, happily playing back HD Netflix at 1080i. See? Works fine. The problem is that some older LCD monitors don't support HDCP over DVI, so if you're in the minority of people using an HDMI to DVI adapter to drive an older display that doesn't do HDCP, HD Netflix won't work, since it can't authenticate. That's not the best situation, but DVI isn't a default supported 360 output, so we wouldn't expect 100 percent compatibility -- and besides, you can always run VGA. We're waiting on official confirmation from Microsoft of all this -- we want to get things absolutely right -- but in the meantime you can console yourself with another shot of HD Heroes over component after the break.
Update: Yes, it works with movies too -- we just tried it with The Orphanage (above), and it looked great.

[ Via: Engadget ]

Google, NASA Team Up to Bring Internet to Space [Space]

2008-10-28T09:52:00.001-07:00

Google and NASA are partnering up to let space beings (and astronauts) wander the web from up in orbit. Google VP Vint Cerf and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have started working together to create a standardized internet for space, which can finally replace the one-time-use radio equipment system we've been shooting up there since the 1970s. Communicating in space presents a bunch of problemsвЂ”the Earth's rotation causes senders and receivers to be constantly changing positions, and the long distance causes equally long delays. Our current radio-based network is tailored to almost every new mission, meaning that older equipment can't be repurposed for newer shuttles. Cerf, who more or less co-created the internet, is now figuring out new protocols that'll work in the final frontier. The project, called Interplanetary Internet, will be tested aboard the International Space Station in 2009. If it works out, space missions in the future will be able to use the same systems, ultimately making communicating from above much, much cheaper and easier. I wonder what their ping rates will be. [Technology Review]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

EA-18G Fighter Jet Growls Enemy Networks Away [Airplanes]

2008-10-28T06:15:00.001-07:00

When I first came across this photo I thought it was a new classified starfighter being tested by the Navy and Boeing Phantom Works in a secret underground anechoic chamber in the Moon. Then I realized it had the shape of something closer to Earth: It looked like an F-18 but it is not. It's an EA-18G Growler, a variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet Block II that is not designed to kill kill faster faster, but for airborne electronic attacks. Now finishing its testing phase as it gets ready to enter action next action, the EA-18G will replace the current and aging EA-6B Prowler. With its two F414-GE-400 engines, totalling 44,000-pound of trust, it's a much more powerful beast than the 4-seater Prowler. The EA-18G's mission is to jam the enemy networks from the air, using a variety of systems installed on a pallet in the gun bay and in two wingtip pods. The remaining nine weapons stations are available for other pods containing the electronics necessary for standoff jamming, escort jamming, time critical strike, and communications countermeasures. In the cockpit, it has an active electronically scanned array radar, which is capable of pinpointing the targets that need to be jammed (or destroyed using specialized radio-bound missiles) with greater accuracy than ever before. In other words, to give mess with the Wi-Fi network of all those terrorist living in their desert caves.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

NASA demos 2020's 12-wheeled, pressurized lunar rover concept car

2008-10-26T18:54:00.003-07:00

We've all seen black and white footage of astronauts on the moon hot doggin' it over craters and dunes in a trick electric buggy, but that was over thirty years ago. In 2020, when a new generation of astronauts head there, they'll need a new generation of whip too, and that's just what NASA recently demonstrated to the public. Called the Small Pressurized Rover Concept, it looks to be an evolution of the 12-wheeled Chariot prototype we saw earlier this year, pimped out with an air-tight cabin that sleeps two and some bitchin' gold dubs. Inside a pair of explorers can go lunar RVing for up to two weeks at a time, covering 625 miles on one charge at a leisurely 6 mph, hopping out through rear-mounted (non-next-gen) spacesuits when something interesting catches their eye. You know, like aliens or something. Could happen.
[Thanks, Peter D.]

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: lunar rover, lunar vehicle, LunarRover, LunarVehicle, moon, nasa, small pressurized rover concept, SmallPressurizedRoverConcept ]

Hubble's 486 Computer Blue Screens (i.e. Fails), Repair Efforts Remain in Limbo [Hubble Space Telescope]

2008-10-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

Hold the phone, people, the Hubble is still broken. There was word early Thursday morning that a Monkey Island-era 486 backup computer was going to take the reigns and begin mission critical operations, but a day later NASA scientists revealed the dusty old thing was better suited for minesweeper than capturing awe-inspiring deep field images of the observable universe. The 486 was activated Thursday, and that went well, NASA scientists said. It was everything else on board the aging space telescope that pooped the bed, unfortunately. When the 486 fired up, a low-voltage power supply issue sidelined one of Hubble's cameras, and prevented it from rebooting properly. Not good. After that, further unidentified "computer trouble" hit Hubble hard, and ended all recovery efforts instantly. Now NASA is tasked with going through piles of data beamed back from Hubble since the malfunction on Friday to find a cure. Today the best case scenario for Hubble is that engineers get it up and running late next week, said Art Whipple, a Hubble manager. The worst case scenario is Hubble has to wait for human hands to arrive next year as part of a shuttle mission. And fixing the telescope with astronauts is no joke. As we noted in September when this mess first started, fixing Hubble by hand is more risky that you could possibly imagine. Unless you're an astronaut, of course. [MSNBC]

NASA Returns to the Moon as Indian Spacecraft Stowaway [Space]

2008-10-26T18:53:00.003-07:00

The Chandrayaan-1, literally "Lunar Craft", launched today from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, on the southeastern coast of India. The spacecraft will orbit the Moon for two years, charting its mineral composition, searching for ice, and helium-3, all three fundamental for the establishment of a lunar outpost. Or a call center. It can go either way. Chandrayaan-1 is India's first mission to our satellite, and it's also NASA's return to the moon after the Apollo missions:

Two NASA instruments to map the lunar surface will launch on India's maiden moon voyage. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper will assess mineral resources, and the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar, or Mini-SAR, will map the polar regions and look for ice deposits.

Apart from these two NASA instruments and three European Space Agency instruments, the Chandrayaan-1 is carrying the C1XS, an X-ray Spectrometer to get high-quality, X-ray spectroscopic mapping of the Moon, a near infrared spectrometer called SIR-2 to study the chemical composition of the Moons crust and mantle, and SARA, the Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyser which will study plasma-surface interactions in space for the first time. [ISRO and NASA]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA Preparing to Service Hubble for the Last Time, In Glorious Pictures [Nasa]

2008-10-26T18:53:00.001-07:00

The Boston Globe's Big Picture blog continues its incredible coverage of all things wonderful to look at today with a spread relating to the space shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis is scheduled to launch on October 8, equipped with all manner of instruments, batteries and gyroscopes for Hubble. Pictured above is one of the massive Atlantis engines being moved to the main bay for installation. That's just one engine, though—there's plenty of space-related tech porn to be found in the rest of the spread, too.

Servicing Mission 4 astronaut Drew Feustel uses the "Pistol Grip Tool," a computer-controlled power tool, to install the Wide Field Camera 3 into a high-fidelity Hubble model. Just another day at the office.

Feustel gets all the fun gadgets, apparently. In this image he's practicing with one of the cameras for the mission. It's certainly no Nikon D90, but—what am I saying. This thing is one of the most advanced pieces of gear in the solar system. It's Labor Day today. I need this thing for a barbecue.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

How the Weird Mars Science Laboratory Floating Sky Crane Works [Awesome]

2008-10-26T12:14:00.001-07:00

When I read that the UFO-looking Mars Science Laboratory's aeroshell would use a floating craneвЂ”called Sky Crane by NASAвЂ”to softly land the rover on Mars, I couldn't believe it. Now, watching this hyperrealistic NASA simulation showing how the mechanism actually floats, lowers the rover, and then flies away, I still can't believe it. This is the kind of stuff that makes the kid in me wake up and pay attention with my eyes and mouth wide open. The rockets of the aeroshellвЂ”a protective armor that will protect the MSL and guide it through its descentвЂ”will fire to steer the capsule towards the desired angle. When this is achieved, a long parachute will open to slow down the Mars Science Laboratory as it enters zooms down the Martian atmosphere. As soon as the capsule slows down, the heat shield will eject leaving the rover exposed inside the aeroshell, attached to the floating crane mechanism. That's when the whole landing process gets weird: The floating crane's rockets will fire up to further slow the descent. The top part of the aeroshell will then detach completely, leaving the sky crane alone holding the MSL rover, slowly descending towards the planet's surface. A few hundred meters above the terrain, the floating sky crane will start lowering the rover down using "a trio of bridles and one umbilical cord" until it touches down. At that time, the sky crane will detach from the rover and fly away, probably to fall over the home of some poor old Martian grandma. I don't know about you, but the whole operation mesmerizes me to no end.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Google's Very Own Fighter Jet Taking To The California Skies [Google Army]

2008-10-26T10:08:00.001-07:00

The Mountain View Voice has sleuthed something interesting in Google Land (which the Times's Bits blog also picked up on)вЂ”H211 LLC, the company controlled by the G's execs that operates Larry, Sergey and the rest of the Googlers' private jets, has recently acquired a fighter jet. A Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet, to be exactвЂ”a light attack and trainer jet used by air forces around the world. So, aside from performing high-speed low-altitude fly-bys of Jerry Yang's crib, what else does Google have planned for a military aircraft? Science, of course! H211 LLC uses many of its jets for NASA-sponsored experiments, since they operate primarily out of Moffett field, a NASA-controlled airstrip that's conveniently located right next to Google's Mountain View HQ. The jet was acquired to carry scientific instruments that could not be rigged up to Boeing 757/767 and Gulfstream jets the company already operates, some of which were used to monitor the re-entry of the ESA's Jules Verne satellite. So other tech companies probably don't need to worry about an escalating proliferation of military hardware in preparation for a Silicon Vallery air superiority battle just yet. DГ©tente! [">Mountain View Voice, NYTimes]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

SpaceX slated to transport cargo and crew on Falcon 9

2008-10-21T11:21:00.001-07:00

If that homebrew rocket you've been building in your backyard isn't working out, maybe SpaceX will have some room for you on one of its many upcoming Falcon 9 missions. Now that the F1 has successfully achieved orbit, the F9 is slated for launch in Q1 2009. As you may recall, the aptly named Falcon 9 has nine engines rather than one, as with the F1. These redundancies were inspired by the the Apollo's Saturn V and Saturn I rockets, noted for their flawless flight records despite engine failures. If all goes well, the launch will be followed by three more, including one with a crew and an F9 "Heavy" -- handy if you've got 25,300 lbs of marbles or whatever to haul up to the International Space Station. If you plan on hitching a ride, get your job applications in now -- only valued employees are scheduled to be passengers at this time. Got a more exotic destination in mind? Next up Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, has his sights set on building a "Mars lander of some kind."

[ Via: Wired ]
[ Tag: cargo dragon, CargoDragon, crew dragon, CrewDragon, elon musk, ElonMusk, f1, f9, f9 heavy, F9Heavy, falcon 9, Falcon9, mars, mars lander, MarsLander, spacex ]

NASA Chamber Tortures Hubble, Makes Spanish Inquisition Good [Space]

2008-10-17T22:09:00.001-07:00

After its latest problems, the space telescope Hubble is back online, getting back into the whole UFO catching business while waiting for the life-extending risky repair mission that will give it a new computer and updated components. Like the 486-based back-up computer, these components will have to work flawlessly for a long time, which is why NASA is putting them through the chamber of horrors you can see in the video. NASA's chamber of horrors contains all the necessary equipment to make the components going up in Hubble suffer. The centrifuge machine, for example, makes them go through G-forces that can't be stand by any human, including Mr. T: 30 Gs. After the centrifuge test, the components go through vibration testing on special tables that simulate the rigors of the launch on board the shuttle. It's the same case as with the sound vibration test, because even while there's no sound in space, there's soundвЂ”and lots of itвЂ” during the lift-off. There's even a test operated by dozens of engineers pushing hydraulic actuatorsвЂ”why they have to be engineers instead of machines we don't knowвЂ”which test the resistance of the new composite payload carrier that will hold the Hubble components by pushing and pulling it. Then you have the electronic interference test, which is pretty easy when you compare it to the Space Environment Chamber, a place that puts components from 300F above zero to minus 310 degrees in a matter of minutes, to simulate going from the sunlit part of Earth to the dark one. All this is great, my only questions is: Are the tested components copies of the actual ones going into space or the real thing? Because if it's the real thing, wouldn't all this excessive stress make it more prone to break later? Ah questions, questions. But at last it's Friday, so we can forget about looking for answers as we go down the usual path of numbness, cocktails, and partying. You know, the one that started last Monday.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

BALLS 17 Experimental Rocket Competition, In Photographs [Rockets]

2008-10-08T06:53:00.001-07:00

"BALLS 17 is a venue for projects that should NOT be flown publicly due to safety and legal restrictions. This may include, but is not limited to, LARGE rockets, complex staging or clustering, metal rockets, self designed and/or fabricated rocket motors and new technologies being developed or proven." That's the disclaimer on the BALLS Experimental Rocket Launch website. Their 17th annual meeting just concluded in Nevada's Black Rock Desert where at least one rocket cracked 70,000 feet. Many others had successful flights. And some just blew up. Photography by Erik Charlton. See more of his fantastic shots from the event here.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

A Look at Steve Fossett's Super Secret Flying, Diving, Space Bound Submersible [Submersibles]

2008-10-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

Unbeknownst to most of the world, the late super rich adventurer Steve Fossett had started work on an amazing flying submersible that would one day theoretically touch the stars. More importantly, however, was that the design would have allowed adventurers and scientists alike (and most importantly Fossett himself, of course) to venture into the deadly depths of the Mariana Trench, some 36,000 feet below the ocean's surface. Sadly, the design was put on hold immediately after Fossett went missing about one year ago, but that hasn't stopped San Anselmo inventor Graham Hawkes from detailing the project that Fossett tapped him to create two years before his death. Called the Deep Flight Challenger, the submersible would have been "part spacecraft, part airplane and part submarine," Hawkes said. And somehow, thanks to the stuff street racers use to trick out their dashboards, the Challenger would have been capable of withstanding pressures of 20,000 pounds per square inch, (approximately 15,000 times the atmospheric pressure), he said. The "stuff" we're referring to is carbon fiber, and Hawkes said he opted for that material over conventional technologies, which use titanium. "The best and strongest materials such as titanium will only get you about halfway down to the ocean floor. We used carbon fiber that's laid down filament by filament under computer control, the same as what's used on rocket motor nozzles," he said. Fossett's remains were found amidst his plane's wreckage last week, confirming what many people had already suspected about the doomed billionaire adventurer. The fate of the submersible is unknown. Currently, the design belongs to Fossett's estate. [Marinij]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

SpaceX's Falcon 1 makes orbit after four attempts

2008-09-30T10:19:00.001-07:00

It's been a long road plagued with disappointments and major mishaps, but SpaceX (and founder Elon Musk) has finally made history -- on Sunday the company's Falcon 1 rocket reached orbit. After three attempts to bring the dream to life, the space exploration company succeeded in putting the first privately-developed rocket into space. The liftoff was seen live during a webcast, and the company's site was continuously updated with news, including a message written at 16:26PDT reading:

T+0:08:21 Falcon 1 reached orbital velocity, 5200 m/s
Nominal Second stage cut off (SECO) - Falcon 1 has made history as the first privately developed liquid fueled launch vehicle to achieve earth orbit!!!!!!
Needless to say, after the trials and tribulations SpaceX has gone through (including the loss of Star Trek star James Doohan's ashes), this must be welcome relief... as well as the birth of a potentially lucrative new enterprise. Er, no pun intended.

[ Via: Slashdot ]
[ Tag: elon musk, ElonMusk, falcon 1, Falcon1, launch, orbit, spacex, success ]

First Picture of Jules Verne Spacecraft Re-Entry Destruction [Space]

2008-09-30T10:16:00.001-07:00

This is the first picture of the spectacular re-entry of Jules Verne, the Automated Transport Vehicle that fell from orbit today at 9:31AM Eastern time. Taken from a DC-8, it shows the moment in which it starts to break at 9:43AM, just before falling into the Pacific Ocean. Apparently, the show was amazing because this thing was gigantic. Check its scale compared to the Apollo and a Progress capsule. Update: More pictures coming in now.

Let's hope there are better ones coming.

Jules Verne "carried almost five tonnes of food, breathing air, drinking water and fuel on board." There are two more ATVs in construction right now, and one of them may be in charge of bringing down the International Space Station when it reaches its end of life at the end of the next decade. Watch this space for more pictures and videos coming soon. [ESA and DLR]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Japan planning its own damn space ladder

2008-09-25T08:31:00.001-07:00

If the third time is the charm, yet you botch that attempt just like the earlier two, then what? That's the problem facing NASA and its Space Elevator Challenge, which has for three successive years failed to live up to the vision of Arthur C. Clarke. Japan isn't waiting for a fourth, announcing plans to spend $7.3 billion on its own lift to whisk passengers (and cargo) 22,000 miles aloft on composite cables. It's the cables that are the problem, as they need to be 180 times stronger than steel and obviously much, much lighter. The Japanese are focusing on carbon nanotubes, and while they will need to be engineered four times stronger than current stock before they're up to the task, their highly conductive nature means they can not only support the lift vehicle but also power it. Useful, that, because the ride up could take a couple of days or even weeks, and astronauts will need some way to recharge their PMPs.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: japan, nanotube, space elevator, space tether, SpaceElevator, SpaceTether ]

Japanese Scientists Plan to Build Space Elevator [Space Elevators]

2008-09-22T18:38:00.001-07:00

Japanese scientists are so hyped up on the possibilities of building a real life space elevator that in just two months' time the country is playing host to a conference designed to set a production timetable. Carbon nanotube technology has advanced so rapidly that a material capable of withstanding the amazing forces in the space elevator cable is almost within reach: according to the chairman of the Japan Space Elevator Association it'd only need to be four times stronger than the current strongest nanotube rope. The potential benefits of accessing space by crawling up a cable versus launching rockets are mind boggling...especially when you realize it could be 100 times cheaper to get there than using a Space Shuttle. But building a more than 36,000km-long carbon rope (or more likely a series of parallel ropes) to connect an Earth-based "launch pad" with a geostationary-orbiting elevator hub still seems a lot like science fiction. Yet it turns out that development of carbon nanotube technology has seen a more than 100 times increase in the fiber strength in the last five years: four times more strength certainly seems possible. The Space Elevator Association's director also thinks technology similar to the Bullet train's could be used to build the elevator cars, since nanotubes can be used as electrical conductors. Lets hope his vision that "just like travelling abroad, anyone will be able to ride the elevator into space" comes true: my savings fund for going aloft in Virgin Galactic is going to take waaaay to long to fill up. [Timesonline]
Picture: HighLift Systems.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Italian Scientists Claim New World Record for Fastest Wireless Transmission [Wireless]

2008-09-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

Fiber optics have a new competitor, if a group of Italian scientists can get their claim of a new world record for wireless data transmission confirmed by the people who confirm such things. The scientists, based in Pisa, claim that during an uninterrupted 12-hour experiment, they achieved throughput speeds above 1.2 Terabits per second. They say the speeds beat the previous wireless data transmission speed record of 160 Gigabits per second, set by some speedy Koreans. The Italians also claimed these speeds were previously attainable only with fiber optics. That's fitting considering both methods involve communicating with light. Don't get too excited though, as there are major issues keeping this experiment from becoming widespread. At least, on earth. Via the original article, the Harvard Broadband Communication Laboratory provides this explanation of Free-Space Optical Communications and gives some insight as to why this method doesn't work very well unless used under optimal conditions:

"Free space optical communications is a line-of-sight (LOS) technology that transmits a modulated beam of visible or infrared light through the atmosphere for broadband communications. In a manner similar to fiber optical communications, free space optics uses a light emitting diode (LED) or laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) point source for data transmission. However, in free space optics, an energy beam is collimated and transmitted through space rather than being guided through an optical cable. These beams of light, operating in the TeraHertz portion of the spectrum, are focused on a receiving lens connected to a high sensitivity receiver through an optical fiber."

The hurdles with this form of "wireless" are many, and it really only gets optimal speeds in places like space. Rain, fog and snow can all affect the transmission here on earth. Even wind has a tendency to make the beam "wander" off course.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Hubble Repair Mission More Risky than You Would Ever Imagine [Space]

2008-09-07T18:47:00.001-07:00

If you think that the final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope is going to be boring, you haven't seen this video yet. Not only the astronauts will be risking their lives as usual at 366 miles above the Earth, but the sheer amount and the difficulty of the tasksвЂ”from repairing components to replacing them to installing new gadgetsвЂ”makes the mission an almost-impossible one, with soundtrack to match. I never imagined this was going to be such an ambitious and daunting work. First, there's the pressure the astronauts are going to be facing. In addition to the stress of the spacewalks and the manual work in a weightless environment, they know this is not only the final mission, but also a single shot to service the mighty telescope. If some of the tasks are not completed, there's no way to return back another time and fix whatever is broken. The mission crew knows that Hubble is a vital instrument to scienceвЂ”one that keeps expanding our knowledge of the Universe, helping to answer the most crucial question Humanity has ever faced: where the hell do we come from?вЂ”and that the astronauts are men and women of science. And they are going to be the ones responsible for giving science this amazing tool for ten more years. Then there's the time constrain: just eleven days. As John GrunsfeldвЂ”one of the mission astronauts with Andrew Feustel, Gregory Johnson, Megan McCarthur, Michael Good, Scott Altman, and Michael MassiminoвЂ”puts it: "We got a lot of things we want to repair in Hubble and upgrade in Hubble, and not a lot of time to do it." During that short time, this is all the things they have to do:

Repairs вЂў Repair two failed instruments in space, which is the first time such a task is going to be attempted. This will be a test to see if Nasa can do this kind of tasks in future missions to the Moon and Mars. The repairs will require removing 110 (yes, a hundred and ten) little screws. While this seems easy, not only it will take a lot of time in zero gravity, but the screws, like any other floating debris, may become a big problem for the security of the astronauts up there. вЂў The first instrument to be repaired is the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). It was installed in 2002, and then died after being the most used instrument in Hubble for years. вЂў Then they have to fix the Space Telescope Imagine Spectrograph (STIS). This is a black hole hunter which also did the first detection and chemical analysis of a planet orbiting another star.

New instruments вЂў They will install the fanciest, most advanced spectrograph in space: the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph. вЂў In addition to the COS, they are also going to install the Wield Field Camera 3. This new camera is ten times better than the current instrument, and will let us see into the past of the Universe deeper and farther than ever before.

Spacecraft service вЂў In addition to the pure science aspect of the mission, Nasa also wants to upgrade and fix the spacecraft itself, starting with the gyroscopes, which will be upgraded. вЂў They also are going to install a refurbished fine guidance sensor. вЂў The batteries are going to be replaced for the first time since Hubble went into space. вЂў A new outer blanket layer, this time a solid shield, will be put on top of the current blanket. вЂў Thermal insulation will be replaced on several bays of the telescope. вЂў A new capture instrument will be installed to recover the Hubble at the end of its life. Seems like a lot to me, but maybe is the Jerry Bruckheimerish soundtrack that makes it all more exciting. The really exciting part however, if the mission is completely successful, is that Hubble will be better than ever, ready for action for the next ten years. What does this really mean? Awesome eye candy for the next decade. And maybe showing to us that the origin of the Big Bang is really a huge bowl full of Froot Loops that went horribly wrong during one of God's breakfast.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA Tests Orion Parachute (Result: Spectacular Failure) [Ouch]

2008-08-22T11:20:00.001-07:00

Filed under the "good thing we tried it out first" department is this recent test of Shuttle-replacement Orion's parachute re-entry system. Based on the same system used for Apollo, the group of eight parachutes deploys after re-entry, ensuring the Orion capsule glides down back to terra firma for a pillow-soft landing. That's what's supposed to happen, anyway. Here, the initial chutes that position the craft for the main chutes' test (so, not a part of the final system) failed shortly after being dropped from a C-17 cargo plane at 25,000 feet. As you can see, it all goes downhill from there, terminating in "a landing that severely damaged the test mock-up." Well said, NASAвЂ”I'm guessing any test dummies inside for pressure measurements had to be scraped off the desert floor with a knife.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Giant Cold-War Era Russian Proton Rocket Successfully Launches Giant Satellite Into Space [Rockets]

2008-08-20T10:45:00.001-07:00

The Inmarsat-4, or I4-F3 broadband satellite to its friends, is a big satellite. Almost as big as a double decker bus and with an unfurled solar wingspan as wide as a football field, it needed an appropriately big ride into space. And so it hitched onto a Proton Rocket, a 58m-high, 700-ton monster used for sat positioning since 1996, but before that, used in the 1960's to visit planets for scientific research and deliver parts of the International Space Station and Mir Space Station. The flight was perfect.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Next-gen NASA spacesuit contract mothballed

2008-08-15T23:52:00.001-07:00

It may be true that no one can hear you scream in space, but we'd be wagering that a whole lot of people can hear the yelling coming out of Houston-based Oceaneering International, Inc., who just lost their two month old $745 million NASA contract to build the next-gen space suit. Of course, the bid was not without its fair share of bitching and moaning by competing contractors (apparently long time space suit-makers Hamilton Sundstrand and ILC Dover made a big stink after the contract was awarded to their upstart competitor), but them's the breaks when your gear's headed to space. Too bad though, we were really looking forward to the gear -- especially since now we have absolutely nothing to wear to the astro-prom.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: moon,nasa,Oceaneering International,OceaneeringInternational,orion,space,space suit,SpaceSuit ]

Traffic from Space Videos Blow Our Minds, Pants, and Socks [Magic From Space]

2008-08-12T18:18:00.001-07:00

Here's how the air, ground, data, landline, cellphone, and sea ship traffic looks from space in Great Britain, one of the busiest countries on Earth. The BBC's Britain from Above documentary took satellite and air images and mixed it with 3D GPS data to create these breathtaking high resolution pictures and videos: Air traffic in Great Britain.

Ships crossing the English Channel.

Data and phone calls across Great Britain.

Absolutely beautiful. I, for one, love Britain from above and the British people. Britain on the ground, however, is a different matter altogether. [Britain from Above]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA might bring plasma rocket to ISS for testing

2008-08-11T07:56:00.001-07:00

Ad Astra's VASIMR plasma rocket is about ready for testing, only problem is it requires the vacuum of space to do it in. NASA is now considering taking the rocket up to the International Space Station, clipping it on and firing her up -- perhaps even using it to reposition the station. Formerly of NASA, Franklin Chang Diaz left to form Ad Astra and perfect his plasma rocket, which he hopes will be able to take space vehicles from low-earth orbit to the moon. The rocket draws its own power from solar cells, and then uses radio waves to heat argon into plasma, and directs that plasma using magnets. Pretty fancy stuff, and since the rocket is reusable and can propel payloads double the size of equivalent chemical engines, there could be cost savings in the long run. Right now it seems the main hang ups for NASA are where to attach the rocket to the ISS where it won't be interfered with, and how to get it into space after the space shuttle is retired in 2010

[ Via: Newlaunches.com ]
[ Tag: ad astra,AdAstra,international space station,InternationalSpaceStation,iss,plasma,plasma rocket,PlasmaRocket,vasimr ]

Abandoned NASA Trailer Found Roadside, Full of Retro NASA Awesomeness [Retromodo]

2008-08-11T05:22:00.001-07:00

Since it came about in the 1930s as the Army's rocket research lab, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been a part of just about every major unmanned U.S. space mission to date. JPL also has a somewhat surprising history of running major missions out of modular trailers scattered around their Pasadena HQ, which are packed with all of the stuff you need to, oh, I don't know, monitor a spacecraft on its way to Mars. Photographer Richard Harrington stumbled upon one of these trailers, abandoned on a dusty lot somewhere between L.A. and Las Vegas, and as you would expect, it's a retro space-tech dream inside. The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.It's a little puzzling as to how something like this could find its way to a derelict desert in the middle of nowhere, but with NASA's budgetary fluctuations, I guess sometimes you have to rip and run. The whole thing has a definite abandoned-seconds-before-the-apocalypse kind of vibe. If anyone has any idea what kind of machines we're seeing here, fill me in. More pics: [Richard Harrington via FFFFOUND]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

New robotic arm promises to mind Newton's third law

2008-08-07T18:21:00.001-07:00

Don't you hate it how simply moving a robotic arm in a microgravity environment can produce enough negative reaction forces to alter a spacecraft's orientation? Well, a group of researchers from Cornell University have now devised a new type of robot arm that they say could make that pesky problem a thing of the past. To do that, they've employed a device known as a control-moment gyroscope (or CMG) instead of a motor to control the arm's joints, which not only reduces the amount energy requied to move the arm, but lets it move faster as well. As you can see above, they've already tested the arm on board NASA's famous Vomit Comet, but there's no indication just yet as to when or if the arm will actually see action in space.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: cornell, cornell university, CornellUniversity, robot arm, RobotArm, robotic arm, RoboticArm, space, vomit comet, VomitComet ]

SpaceX's Elon Musk figures out Falcon 1 mishap, hopes for flight 4 next month

2008-08-07T18:18:00.001-07:00

Wipe those tears away, budding astronaut. SpaceX's latest failure wasn't completely in vain. According to head honcho Elon Musk, the problem came just after a "picture perfect first stage flight" when a longer than expected thrust decay transient of the new Merlin 1C regeneratively cooled engine became "just enough to overcome the stage separation pusher impulse." You honestly may need to be a rocket scientist to digest all of that, but here's something even the layman can understand: Musk wants flight 4 in the air as early as next month. We're told that the long gap between flights 2 and 3 was simply due to all that engine engineering, but technologically speaking, nothing will change for the next attempt. Godspeed, Falcon 1 (v4).

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: crash,elon musk,ElonMusk,fail,failure,Falcon 1,Falcon1,galaxy,launch,rocket,satellite,space,spacex ]

Modded Millennium Falcon Can Pass for Real Movie Prop [Star Wars]

2008-08-07T07:51:00.001-07:00

Giz reader Peter Clute saw the impressive Hasbro Millennium Falcon and instead of just buying it to play and go all pew-pew with it, he decided to make it better, painting new wear and tear details, and adding a motion sensor and infrared sensor, and a load of extra LEDs. The results are impressive:

The very next thing I did was set to tearing it apart to see how it worked. Once I had it apart, I decided to add some additional LED running lights and some interior lights as well. In all I have about 18 hours into this project and I am pleased with the results. Needless to say Pete Jr is certainly excited about it too.

If the cockpit wasn't out of proportion, this would have been a perfect model for the movie. [Peter Clute]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket fails to reach orbit... again

2008-08-03T18:17:00.001-07:00

Aw man, and we had such high hopes that the third time really would be a charm. SpaceX's third attempt to launch a payload rocket into outer space failed this weekend, with launch control confirming an "anomaly" just five minutes after liftoff. Elon Musk, SpaceX chairman and CEO, did admit that it was "obviously a big disappointment not to reach orbit on this Flight 3 of the Falcon 1," but he has assured the world that his firm won't be wasting any time feeling sorry for itself. The Falcon 1 was carrying a minuscule satellite dubbed Trailblazer for the Pentagon's Operationally Responsive Space Office, though we've no idea how costly the loss was. Thankfully, we can all look forward to SpaceX trying again sometime in the future, but unless the tables turn in a hurry, we'd say the odds are still stacked against it.

[ Via: Wired ]
[ Tag: failure,Falcon 1,Falcon1,launch,military,rocket,space,spacex ]

SpaceX's Falcon 1, Dreams of Space Conquest Begin in 10, 9, 8... [Rockets]

2008-08-03T10:06:00.001-07:00

Like watching rocket launches? Then check out the live webcast of SpaceX's Falcon 1 launch from the Marshall Islands at 7pm EST. The Falcon 1 measures 90 feet, weighs roughly 103,000 pounds and uses a two stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene vehicle to blast off. SpaceX, started up by Elon Musk of PayPal fame, is one of several new commercial companies trying to commercialize space travel, wrestling the mostly government-funded industry into the privatized world. Depending on how the launch goes, Falcon 1 will either prove itself to be a reliable way to transport satellites out to low Earth orbit or the project that turned Musk from billionaire to broke (read: millionaire). Update: looks like the launch keeps on being delayed, so check in and see if you've missed it yet. [SpaceX]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA says Phoenix lander is sampling water on Mars

2008-08-03T06:06:00.001-07:00

Yep, just like we'd heard, the Phoenix lander has identified water in a soil sample it collected in Mars earlier, and NASA's extended the mission for another 90 days to go look for more. There's no analysis of the ice yet, but it doesn't look like there's any organic materials in the sample, and it'll take another three to four weeks before there's any more data to reveal. Hopefully that means we'll be packing up our silver go-go boots and taking off for our fabulous future lives on Mars in a month, but we'll see how things go.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ice,nasa,phoenix,phoenix lander,PhoenixLander,space,water ]

Does This Finger Sized Tube Carry The Secrets of the Big Bang? [Big Bang Theory]

2008-07-25T06:32:00.003-07:00

PopSci has a great article about scientists who are trying to recreate the events of the Universe, such as the big bang and black holes, with controlled lab experiments. The Universe in a Teacup, shown above, cools Helium to 0.0003В°F above absolute zero, and moves around the particles so that little whirlpools remain after the Helium settles. The state inside this pinky-sized tube is thought to be the condition of the universe just after the big bang.Scientists also believe that when two large, planar bodies, referred to as branes, collide in the universe, they release enough energy to create a rapid expansion that can spawn a new universe (see explanatory gallery here).
While they can recreate scenarios they believe to be the same as these events, the lack of monitoring tech available makes it impossible to verify. The list of mysteries and theories that scientists have attacked over the last few years makes this an interesting read for fans of Hawking-esque space thinking. [PopSci]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA Wants to Get You in Bed for $17,000 [Siestas]

2008-07-25T06:32:00.001-07:00

NASA wants to get you in bed, and if that wasn't luring enough, she wants to pay you $17,000 for 90 days. Sadly, there is no french lingerie involved: their Bed Rest Project wants to study the effect of long-term microgravity in humans, putting you in a sightly-tilted bed, with your head down and feet up:

Participants will live in a special research unit for the entire study and be fed a carefully controlled diet. After the first 11-15-day period, participants will spend 90 days lying in bed, (except for limited times for specific tests) with their body slightly tilted downward (head down, feet up). Every day, they will be awake for 16 hours and lights out (asleep) for 8 hours. During the bed rest time they will also take part in a number of tests to find out changes in the state of their bone, muscle, heart and circulatory system, and nervous system, as well as their nutritional condition and their ability to fight off infections.

In other words: like blogging, but even more boring.And yes, knowing that this is the closer I will get to the space program, I've already signed in. [NASA via Wired—Thanks discounteggroll]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

High-Res Mars Photographs are Absolutely Stunning [Space]

2008-07-25T06:30:00.001-07:00

The Big Picture, my favorite new blog to come around in ages, has 17 of the most remarkable high res images from Mars you're likely to see. It includes everything from detailed photos of the surface to photos from above to animations of dust devils, and you've really got to see it. Above is a high-res pic of the Pheonix lander taken about a week ago, where you can clearly see its arm scooping up Martian dirt for analysis. Amazing. Be sure to follow the link to see the other 12 pictures. [The Big Picture]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

750,000-Brick Kennedy Space Center Is the Mother of All Lego Models [Giz Goes To Lego]

2008-07-25T06:28:00.003-07:00

Forget about the Lego Airbus A380 and the Lego Death Star, because this video will show you the mother of all Lego models: the 750,000-brick Kennedy Space Center. Using 1,506 square feet, it took 2,500 hours to build. It includes a 6.13ft-tall Space Shuttle on the launch pad, the space center with a 9ft-long Saturn 1B rocket, and the Vehicle Assembly Building—8ft long x 6ft high x 5ft wide—made out of 50,000 Lego bricks. I know. Mindblowing. This thing is so massive that it can probably affect Earth's orbit. Update: if Lego's Kennedy Space Center is the mother of all Lego models, Giz reader Florian Frischmuth has sent us his pictures of the father: the 1,300,000-brick Lego Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Germany. This titan contains a mindblowing 30,000 mini-figs inside. The Allianz Arena Lego model was built following the original plans from Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, using 4,209 hours of work and over a million pieces. It can glow red, blue, and white using interior LEDs, achieving the same lighting effects of the original stadium thanks to a special translucent brick specially manufactured for the project. [Giz's Lego Trip]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

SpaceShipTwo Spied, May Turn Out to Be A Private Space Turtle [SpaceShipTwo]

2008-07-25T06:28:00.001-07:00

Flightglobal has a picture of what looks like the cockpit for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the successor to (you guessed it!) SpaceShipOne, which successfully completed the first private manned flight into space. Like the SpaceShipOne, it is being built by Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA, where these shots were taken. The picture might not seem like much to look at, but it represents a tangible step towards the era of low earth orbit booze-cruises, which I believe to be historically notable. Full wingered analysis at [Flightglobal Hyperbola].

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Most Powerful Visualization System Ever Is Faster than 600 Consoles [Hyperwall-2]

2008-07-25T06:27:00.001-07:00

What you see here is not a simple array of LCD displays. This is NASA's hyperwall-2, the world's highest resolution visualization system. At 23 by 10 feet wide, hyperwall-2 uses 128 screens driven by 128 graphic processing units with a total of 1,024 processor cores capable of displaying quarter billion-pixel graphics. That's 74 teraflops of powerвЂ”the number-crunching capacity of six hundred last-generation consolesвЂ” accessing 475 terabytes of dat, what scientists and Led Zeppelin technically classify as "a whooping whole lotta love." Instead of gaming, however, this massive display will be used for more mundane things like, you know, black holes or saving lives. NASA says that this system will be key to visually analyze massive data sets. These goes from peeking at black hole collisions to studying global weather patterns, and the design of the new vehicles needed for future manned space programs, as well as assisting in the safety of existing ones. Using hyperwall-2, NASA engineers will be able to analyze re-entries for the space shuttle.

NASA Develops World's Highest Resolution Visualization System
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. The power to visualize highly complex information in a way that's easier for the human mind to grasp is taking a giant leap forward with the advent of NASA's new hyperwall-2 system unveiled today at Ames Research Center. Developed by scientists and engineers in the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division at Ames, the 128-screen hyperwall-2, capable of rendering one quarter billion pixel graphics, is the world's highest resolution scientific visualization and data exploration environment. The new tool enables scientists to quickly explore datasets that otherwise would take many years to analyze. The 23-foot-wide by 10-foot tall liquid crystal display wall is being used to view, analyze, and communicate results from NASA's high-fidelity modeling and simulation projects supporting the safety of new space exploration vehicle designs, atmospheric re-entry analysis for the space shuttle, earthquakes, climate change, global weather and black hole collisions. "The hyperwall-2 offers a supercomputer-scale environment that is truly up to the task of visualization and exploration of the very large datasets routinely produced by NASA supercomputers and instruments," said Bryan Biegel, NAS deputy chief. "The system also will be used to get highly detailed information on how NAS supercomputers are operating, enabling staff to quickly and precisely diagnose problems or inefficiencies with the supercomputers or the software running on them." Designed and developed by the NAS visualization team in partnership with Colfax International, Sunnyvale, Calif., the system is powered by 128 graphics processing units and 1,024 processor cores, with 74 teraflops (one teraflop equals one trillion floating point operations per second) of peak processing power and a data storage capacity of 475 terabytes (one terabyte equals one trillion bytes). The hyperwall-2 allows researchers to quickly determine trends across an array of related simulation results, or to view a single large image or animation. It would take nearly 600 video game consoles to equal the hyperwall-2's graphics processing capabilities. "We are proud to continue partnering with NAS as it offers advanced, innovative solutions for high-performance computing," said Gautam Shah, chief executive officer, Colfax International. "As NASA Ames successfully responds to support the visualization and data analysis needs of researchers to maximize the understanding of scientific results, Colfax International is pleased to be part of the hyperwall-2 visualization cluster project," Shah added. Colfax previously built a "mini" hyperwall for NAS used for demonstrations at national conferences. With a direct, high-speed connection from the supercomputers at NAS, including the Columbia supercomputer, hyperwall-2 will enable NASA to meet its increasing needs for advanced visualization and analysis of large, high-dimensional simulation results. With more than 100 times the processing power of the original 49-screen hyperwall developed in 2002 by the NAS visualization team, hyperwall-2 will be integrated with the team's software tools. This includes a state-of-the-art concurrent visualization framework to provide NASA scientists and engineers with ultra-high resolution images and videos to explore results of their research and analysis.

[NASA] Really, this is so amazingly cool that it requires a whole lotta of equally cool music.

God bless Dread Zeppelin, Robert Plant's favorite cover band*. * Yes. It's a fact. Led Zeppelin + Reggae + Elvis = WIN.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Video of the Moon Passing in Front of the Earth Taken From 31 Million Miles Away [Space]

2008-07-25T06:25:00.003-07:00

We don't have too many cameras out there in space past the moon, which is why most of our space shots are either looking outward, such as the shots taken by Hubble, or taken of Earth from the moon or closer. Which is why this video is so astounding. It's a video of the moon passing directly in front of the Earth, taken by NASA's EPOXI spacecraft from a whopping 31 million miles away.

The quality isn't the best, but it doesn't need to be; it's still absolutely breathtaking. This is an alien's-eye view, my friends, seen for the very first time. Amazing. [Bad Astronomy via Neatorama]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

THEMIS Satellites Discover Northern Lights Are Powered By Magnetic Fields Snapping Like Rubber Bands [Nasa]

2008-07-25T06:25:00.001-07:00

Five NASA satellites from the THEMIS mission were recently able to closely witness the chain of events that occurs to create the northern lights for the first time. Complex stuff going on here, but it involves the Earth's massive electromagnetic fields being stretched to their limits by magnetic bombardment from the sun, and then snapping back into place like giant rubber bands, all of which the five THEMIS birds were able to witness at precisely the right moment. Awesome. "Explosions of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon," says NASA, "power substorms that cause sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis...We discovered what makes the Northern Lights dance." The process is called magnetic reconnection (check back to that incredible video of visible magnetic field lines for a general idea) and when we're talking about the fields generated by the whole Earth, it involves a lot of energy. When the fields snap around like rubber bands, charged particles collide with atmospheric gasses and release visible light energy, and boom, aurora borealis:

The THEMIS crafts' mission is to study these explosions of magnetic energy, called substorms, and learn how they affect the Earth. PS: It's solar wind day here on Giz. The release:

NASA Satellites Discover What Powers Northern Lights GREENBELT, Md. — Researchers using a fleet of five NASA satellites have discovered that explosions of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon power substorms that cause sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis, called the Northern Lights.
The culprit turns out to be magnetic reconnection, a common process that occurs throughout the universe when stressed magnetic field lines suddenly snap to a new shape, like a rubber band that's been stretched too far. "We discovered what makes the Northern Lights dance," said Dr. Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California, Los Angeles. Angelopoulos is the principal investigator for the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission, or THEMIS. Substorms produce dynamic changes in the auroral displays seen near Earth's northern and southern magnetic poles, causing a burst of light and movement in the Northern and Southern Lights. Substorms often accompany intense space storms that can disrupt radio communications and global positioning system signals and cause power outages. Solving the mystery of where, when, and how substorms occur will allow scientists to construct more realistic substorm models and better predict a magnetic storm's intensity and effects. "As they capture and store energy from the solar wind, the Earth's magnetic field lines stretch far out into space. Magnetic reconnection releases the energy stored within these stretched magnetic field lines, flinging charged particles back toward the Earth's atmosphere," said David Sibeck, THEMIS project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "They create halos of shimmering aurora circling the northern and southern poles." Scientists directly observe the beginning of substorms using five THEMIS satellites and a network of 20 ground observatories located throughout Canada and Alaska. Launched in February 2007, the five identical satellites line up once every four days along the equator and take observations synchronized with the ground observatories. Each ground station uses a magnetometer and a camera pointed upward to determine where and when an auroral substorm will begin. Instruments measure the auroral light from particles flowing along Earth's magnetic field and the electrical currents these particles generate. During each alignment, the satellites capture data that allow scientists to precisely pinpoint where, when, and how substorms measured on the ground develop in space. On Feb. 26, 2008, during one such THEMIS lineup, the satellites observed an isolated substorm begin in space, while the ground-based observatories recorded the intense auroral brightening and space currents over North America. These observations confirm for the first time that magnetic reconnection triggers the onset of substorms. The discovery supports the reconnection model of substorms, which asserts a substorm starting to occur follows a particular pattern. This pattern consists of a period of reconnection, followed by rapid auroral brightening and rapid expansion of the aurora toward the poles. This culminates in a redistribution of the electrical currents flowing in space around Earth. THEMIS is the fifth medium-class mission under NASA's Explorer Program. The program, managed by the Explorers Program Office at Goddard provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class space investigations in heliophysics and astrophysics. The University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., managed the project development and is currently operating the THEMIS mission. ATK Space (formerly Swales Aerospace) of Beltsville, Md., built the THEMIS satellites. The THEMIS team's findings will appear online July 24 in Science Express and Aug. 14 in the journal science. For more information about the THEMIS mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/themis

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA's First Solar-Sail Powered Craft Set to Ride on a Stream of Photons Next Week [Come Sail Away]

2008-07-25T06:24:00.001-07:00

NASA's getting set to launch the NanoSail-D next week, its first solar-sail powered spacecraft which catches photons like wind on a 10 square-meter sail made of a thin metallic polymer. The craft uses a crazy Rube Goldberg-like method to deploy the sail that involves burning fishing line at critical moments to release the spring-loaded sail, which is getting shown off in the video here.

It is hoped that sails many times larger (we're talking football fields) will eventually propel long-range missions into deep space, with the help of lasers here on Earth firing light into their sails. The NanoSail-D is sticking in near-Earth orbit to perform its tests, which will inform later uses of the tech. One caveat is that the launch is scheduled for July 29 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket, which like to go ka-boom and have yet to deliver a payload into orbit successfully. Our fingers are crossed for the little sailor. [Technology Review]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA Shows Off Fireworks In Space [July 4th]

2008-07-23T09:49:00.003-07:00

Before we completely bid adieu to our nation's birthday, we here at Gizmodo would like to give one more shout out to the fourth of July. Seems like even the stars in the sky can't resist putting up a display for good ol' American freedom. These red-white-and-blue pictures of Supernova remnant SN 1006 are what's left over from a star explosion first observed by humans in year 1006. The flash in the sky is a remnant of a blast 7,000 light-years away in the Lupus constellation. Scientists say that it was the brightest observed supernova in recorded history, and that the light from the explosion could be seen in the daytime for weeks afterward. The supernova sent a shockwave that traveled outwards at nearly 20 million mph. In the 1960s, radio astronomers first detected the ring of material pushed out by the shockwave. With the latest imagery, released by the Hubble Space Telescope's science team, you can see a gossamer stripe with starlight shining through it вЂ“ the rocket's red glare indeed.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA Points to the Sky Tonight For a Different Celebration [Space]

2008-07-23T09:49:00.001-07:00

In your daily dose of science geekiness, you may appreciate another event going on in the sky this July 4th than the annual combustion of your neighbor's illegal stash of gunpowderвЂ”Mars and Saturn will align for the evening. Then on the 5th, the Moon will join those two for a little celestial mГ©nage Г trois. We know, it's usually too much work to grab your telescope for these things. But since you'll be staring at the sky already... [NASA via TFOT, Image]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Help Save the Arecibo Observatory: ET Is Counting on You [Aliens]

2008-07-23T09:48:00.003-07:00

The Arecibo Observatory has been plagued with budget problems for years now, but it appears that the future of the world's largest radio telescope is looking bleaker than ever with cuts looming that could shut down the project for good. That grim reality has prompted the guys behind SETI@home to call out to the public in a last ditch attempt to secure donations and support for the Senate bill and House resolution to continue funding. With our luck, E.T. will try and make contact the day the observatory goes offline, so hit the following link and show your support. [Seti@home]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Micro Satellites Geared Toward Private Sector Make Tin Foil Hats a Good Idea [Satellites]

2008-07-23T09:48:00.001-07:00

The Guardian wrote a neat feature on Surrey Satellite Technologies, who are currently working on scaled down, fully functional satellites for commercial consumption that only cost 10 million dollars, only weigh 220 pounds, and only take 18 months to build. But when compared to full-sized satellites ($500m, 1000 kg) used by government agencies and large corporations, these micro-satellites are amazingly compact and cost effective. Surrey will be sending 5 of these into orbit on the back of an old soviet rocket in Kazhakstan. The "diminutive" satellite will be able to take photos for various applications, like surveying natural disasters, evaluating agricultural fraud, so on and so forth. However, the paranoid schizophrenic in me thinks it's really going to be used for personal world domination. [The Guardian via John Dvorak via Gizmo Watch via Dvice]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

New Dish Network Satellite Launched, More HD Channels On the Way [Satellite]

2008-07-23T09:45:00.001-07:00

In order to offer more HD channels, satellite providers need more satellites. So happy day for Dish Network subscribers, their EchoStar XI satellite was successfully launched this morning after a satellite propelled into space last March didn't reach the right orbit. This'll let Dish add 17 new HD channels shortly, bringing them up to 100. DirecTV says they'll have over 150 by the end of the year, though Dish's upcoming all-HD TurboHD package could wind up being a better deal if history is any guide. [Reuters]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

NASA Collecting 8 Gallons of Employees' Urine Daily For Space Toilet Research [Yuck]

2008-07-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

NASA workers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston received what may be the high point in inter-office email last week requesting they begin to pay regular visits to the good folks of Hamilton Sundstrand, aka the "Wee Wee Contractors." They're collecting urine in massive quantitiesвЂ”eight gallons per dayвЂ”as part of their contract to build the toilet for the upcoming Orion lunar spacecraft. But why do they need so much? I'm sure it's all there in the email... The researchers need this massive amount to try to figure out what to do with all the urine the Orion astronauts will produce over the course of their missions on the lunar surface, which could last as long as six months. Urine is full of solid particles that tend to clog waste venting systems, making it a challenge to dispose of efficiently. And as Jeff Lewis, head of life support for the Orion craft told the AP, "you can't make fake urine." Here's the full email in all its glory:

Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 3:00 PM Subject: Urine Collection Study Donor Request Who: All Houston-SLS Associates, employees at 2200 Space Park, and any visitors to the building What: Please donate your urine to our study When: Monday, July 21 - Thursday, July 31 from 6 a.m. until goal amount is collected each day including weekends Where: First floor lab Kick-off Meeting: Thursday, July 17 11-11:30 am in the first floor conference room SLS-Houston Associates, The Orion Program will be holding a urine collection study starting Monday, July 21 and running through Thursday, July 31, 2008. We are looking for donors as we need to collect a large amount of urine per day for the entire 11 day period. Please contact [deleted] at [deleted]@hs.utc.com to express interest in donating or to get answers to any questions you have regarding the study. We will be hosting an informational meeting with encouraged attendance for potential urine donors from 11-11:30 a.m. Thursday, July 17, 2008 in the first floor conference room. In this meeting we will go over instructions and guidelines for the study and introduce volunteers to the equipment that will be used in the study. If you are unable to attend this meeting due to scheduling conflicts, we can set up another time to clarify the study operations on an individual basis. Please see the attached Donor Guide for further information on donating. Urine Collection - Donor Guide General Guidelines 1. Do not add urine to the collection that was collected more than 1 hour before addition. This is necessary so that urine is exposed to the pretreatment chemical in a timely manner. 2. Do not add urine with blood in it into the system. This is an issue of personnel safety. 3. Some previous tests have limited donation size to 350mL per donation. While this is not a regulation of our testing, you are not encouraged to over-hydrate as this could dilute the urine we collect. 4. Our test is meant to be as flight-like as possible. This means that unlike in the doctor's office, you do not need to worry about starting collection midstream. Our testing will be more accurate if you collect as much of the entire urination as possible including the beginning. Procedure for donation 1. Donation 1. At work 1. Take a wide mouthed beaker to the bathroom to collect your urine. You may pick up a beaker from the first floor lab in advance. 2. Fill the beaker and take it to the first floor lab to pour it into the collection. 3. Fill out the donation sheet as instructed in step 2. 2. At home 1. If you are collecting urine at home in the morning before coming in to work, remember to take collection beakers and labels home with you. You are welcome to take both a wide mouthed beaker for collection and bottle with a lid for transport. Record the volume of your sample before transferring as the bottles with lids are not marked with volumetric measurements. 2. Once you put the urine into the bottle with a lid, fill out a label or a piece of masking tape with the time of collection and sample volume and stick it on the bottle. 3. Urine older than 1 hour cannot be put into the system, so please keep that in mind when collecting urine at home. We suggest that morning urine be collected at home but not nighttime urine. 2. Fill out the donation sheet with the following information:
1. Time of sample collection
2. Time of addition to the system
3. Volume 1. Measure donation volume while it is in the wide mouthed beaker, before pouring it into the bottle with a lid 4. Your donor number
1. A donor number will be assigned to you so that we can keep track of donations without listing names

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

GPS-Like System Being Developed For Moon Astronauts [Moon Travel]

2008-07-23T09:42:00.001-07:00

When astronauts finally get back to the moon sometime between now and 2020, they will have an advantage that their predecessors did notвЂ”GPS. Well, it's not technically GPS given the fact that there are no satellites orbiting the moon, but the astronauts may not know the difference. The new system being developed by Ohio State researcher Ron Li will "rely on signals from a set of sensors including lunar beacons, stereo cameras, and orbital imaging sensors" to simulate GPS.

Li explained how the system will work: images taken from orbit will combine with images from the surface to create maps of lunar terrain; motion sensors on lunar vehicles and on the astronauts themselves will allow computers to calculate their locations; signals from lunar beacons, the lunar lander, and base stations will give astronauts a picture of their surroundings similar to what drivers see when using a GPS device on Earth. The researchers have named the entire system the Lunar Astronaut Spatial Orientation and Information System (LASOIS)

NASA has awarded Li a $1.2 million grant to develop the LASOIS system over the next three years. He hopes that it will help the astronauts explore the lunar surface with a greater degree of confidence and avoid the stress that comes with getting lost. After all, losing your bearings on the moon is a far cry from taking the wrong exit on the highway. [Physorg]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]

Mars Phoenix lander has near-perfect landing, says "it's really cold out here"

2008-07-23T09:40:00.003-07:00

Things are looking good for the Phoenix lander which touched down on Mars at 4:53pm on Sunday, May 25. The NASA nerds are reporting an almost perfect landing, with the spacebot tilted only one quarter of a degree. In fact, they're claiming that this landing was "far smoother than any simulation or test that was ever done." The lander's north-pole location is measured at -106 degrees Fahrenheit and chock-full of life-preserving ice. Phoenix will chill on Mars for 90 days, sniffing soil and looking for frozen Martians in whatever form they may take. Now that Mars Oddyssey -- one of its main communication uplinks -- has passed over the lander, we have our first pictures, one of which is above. Nice work, guys!

[ Via: The Phoenix Mission ]
[ Tag: mars, nasa, phoenix, phoenix lander, PhoenixLander, space ]

Mars Phoenix lander to touch down on the red planet tonight

2008-07-23T09:40:00.001-07:00

Suit up, space nerds, because the Phoenix lander is mere hours away from touchdown on Mars, and NASA's blowing this thing out. Not only will you get a live video feed from their site, but apparently Mission Control ops will be liveblogging the touchdown and ensuing alien encounters / totally boring rock digging. Festivities kick off at about 6:00pm ET, prepare to set faces to stunned.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: mars,nasa,phoenix,phoenix lander,PhoenixLander,space ]

NASA's new suits are one giant leap for space fashion

2008-07-23T09:39:00.003-07:00

NASA just awarded its future spacesuit contract to Oceaneering International. The US firm must now design, test, and produce two suits -- the default suit (pictured after the break) worn on-board for launch and landing and a second, more versatile, cheese-proof suit worn during space walks and upon the surface of the moon. The suits must be ready for the first scheduled launch of the Orion Space Capsule in 2015. The contract is valued at the government special price of just $745 million. Hey, we have to keep up appearances at the International Space Station, you know.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: moon,nasa,oceaneering international,OceaneeringInternational,orion,spacestation,spacesuit ]

First team sets a date for Google Lunar X-Prize attempt

2008-07-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

Just under a year after Google ponied up the money for the Lunar X Prize, there's a team set to attempt a launch and claim the $20M reward. The Aeronautics and Cosmonautics Romanian Association (ARCA) has scheduled up a launch of a 92-pound rover called the European Lunar Lander within the next three months, with the plan being to float a balloon over the sea to a height of 11 miles, at which point a STABILO rocket will carry the payload to space. To win the prize, the ELL has to land, travel 500 feet on the surface of the moon, and send video, images, and data back to Earth. That's quite a tall order -- we'll be watching this one closely, since even if ARCA succeeds, there's still several $5M prizes out there for second places and the completion of several other objectives.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: acra, Aeronautics and Cosmonautics Romanian Association, AeronauticsAndCosmonauticsRomanianAssociation, ell, European Lunar Lander, EuropeanLunarLander, google, lunar, lunar x prize, LunarXPrize, space, x prize, XPrize ]

Unmanned Japanese Cargo Spacecraft Could Be NASA's Next Space Shuttle [Space]

2008-07-23T09:11:00.003-07:00

With the dinosaur Space Shuttle set to retire in 2010, and Orion due to be finished (optimistically) by 2015, NASA may purchase the $131 million unmanned HTV cargo vehicle from JAXA, Japan's space agency, to guarantee fresh shipments of space-Doritos flowing up to the brave souls on the International Space Sation. While they had initially planned to fill this gap by relying on commercial space cargo flights by companies like SpaceX, Reuters is reporting that delays in the private-sector space companies have caused NASA to look elsewhere to avoid being crippled by the Shuttle's retirement. UPDATE: NASA issued a statement this afternoon saying the Reuters' report was full of baloney. They're still dedicated to finding commercial haulersвЂ”full release below.

Statement on Inaccurate Reports About Japanese Cargo Services WASHINGTON — Contrary to news reports, NASA has not officially or unofficially been discussing the purchase of H-II Transfer Vehicles (HTV) — uninhabited resupply cargo ships for the space station — from the Japanese Space Agency, or JAXA. NASA is committed to domestic commercial cargo resupply to the space station and does not plan to procure cargo delivery services from Japan. As part of our original agreements as compensation for common system operating costs NASA has limited cargo capability on the Japanese and European cargo vehicles. NASA has recently issued a request for proposal for the cargo needs of International Space Station beyond those supplied by our current international agreements. NASA has chosen to depend on commercial resupply of cargo delivery to the station.

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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First Look At New Russian-Euro Lunar Capsule [Spacecraft]

2008-07-23T09:11:00.001-07:00

Here it is, fellow space-geeks, the first official image of the new joint Russian-European manned spacecraft, and we'll be damned if it doesn't look like something out of the Ikea Kitchen Collection. It's made to ferry up to four people (cosmonauts or astronauts?) to the moon and back, with a two-stage orbiter-and-lander design much like the original American lunar missions. What's interesting is that the craft uses thrusters to slow its descent to the moon's surface as well as to launch itself off the surface. The Russians state that they expect a launch in 2018, though a launch could happen sooner if stock rockets currently available are modified, which sounds perfectly and totally safe to us. [BBC]

[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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