Plasma propulsion may very well be our ticket to visit those little green men on Mars, which is why NASA is becoming besties with Ad Astra, makers of the VASIMR VX-200 plasma rocket. After successful terrestrial testing, the next step is to try out a VF-200 flight model in space — and a new agreement gives NASA engineers access to VASIMR while letting Ad Astra leverage NASA’s spacecraft expertise to get it into orbit. The plasma rocket was assumed to be destined for use on the International Space Station because it requires far less fuel than conventional boosters — making it better suited than the propellant-hungry thrusters keeping the station in orbit today — and can take advantage of the ISS’s considerable electrical power (250kW) to fully test VASIMR’s 200kW output. Plasma rockets produce sustained thrust, as opposed to the quick bursts of its chemical cousin, which makes it the preferred means of propulsion for space travel as well. NASA hasn’t fully committed to either use — but if Marvin and his fellow Red Planet denizens know what’s good for them, they’ll be watching VASIMR’s development with great interest. NASA and Ad Astra team up to test VASIMR plasma rocket in space originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Twitter to developers: we want to own the pipes, water, and faucets, but feel free to make soap
March 11, 2011 No Comment
An announcement by Ryan Sarver, a member of the platform team at Twitter , could spell bad news for makers of third-party apps that access the growing social network and new ones looking to get in on the action. In a move that will inevitably cause quite a ruckus among developers and tweeters alike, Twitter has essentially decided that no new apps should be developed “that mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.” He goes on to say that existing apps will continue to function, but that the bar will be raised in terms of quality and consistency. Specifically, he cites differences across apps in terminology for core functions like @-replying and trending topics as confusing to users and at the root of the change. According to Sarver, over 90 percent of Twitter users access the service through official Twitter apps, so for many the change won’t be drastic. The company hopes developers will shift their focus to other areas of the ecosystem that “focus on areas outside the mainstream consumer client experience” such as publishing tools, curation, and social CRM (consumer relationship management). Still, it’s incredibly interesting — and frankly, disheartening — to see a Web 2.0 company making such an un-Web 2.0 move. Of course, this could all be part of Twitter’s plans to eventually monetize the service, but for now we’ll have to take the company at its word, even if that means our choice of clients becomes a little less diverse in the future. Twitter to developers: we want to own the pipes, water, and faucets, but feel free to make soap originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 23:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Survey shows the many advantages of virtual offices (beyond the ability to work sans pants)
March 11, 2011 No Comment
Those of us who do almost all of our work from the comforts of our homes will not be surprised by what follows, but the rest of the world should take note. A new survey of directors of 600 small to medium sized business reveal that upper-management sees major benefits of so-called ” virtual office ” work environments. So what are those advantages? Well, no shockers here, chief among the perceived advantages are lowered costs, flexibility for employee (such as the ability to hire people in different geographic locations), and cutting down on pollution and commute times and costs. In fact, over half of businesses reported a cost savings of around $10,000 a month by using the “virtual” environment. So… welcome to our world, world! Survey shows the many advantages of virtual offices (beyond the ability to work sans pants) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April?
March 11, 2011 No Comment
A round of leaks today has potentially pinpointed the second week of April as the launch window for RIM’s slick seven-inch PlayBook. An email purportedly sent out by Sears up in Canada confirms earlier echoes , informing buyers that the device will up for grabs on April 10, with preorders possibly beginning as soon as tomorrow. On top of that, an image from Staples’ backend sent to Crackberry pegs a 33-day count down to start on the 15th, which lines up nicely with another leaked shot denoting an “ad date” of April 17. We’ve also received an unconfirmed tip from a Sprint rep saying that the PlayBook would be landing on the 15th, along with an a smattering of cases and a… stylus? Finally, we’ve been sent shots of some PlayBook signage apparently on display in a Future Shop in Canada highlighting the device’s multitasking capabilities, reminding us “it’s whats on the inside that counts.” Oddly, the same signage mistakenly attaches the Xoom moniker, though we’d imagine that’s just a blunder on the retailer’s part. Of course, all of this is still completely unconfirmed by RIM itself, so until we hear otherwise, anything could happen. Signage shot after the break, and other photo goodness available at the source links. Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April? BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Windows Phone 7 marketplace hits 10,000 apps, WP7 updates still way outnumbered
March 11, 2011 No Comment
It’s a milestone in the life of any OS: the day you reach that magical 10,000 app number. Windows Phone 7 is the latest kindred soul to achieve the feat, accomplishing the task in just over four and a half months. For some perspective, it took the Android Market 11 months to hit five figures, and 142 days for the iTunes app store to do the same. Microsoft’s been adding around 1,000 apps a week since it hit 5k right before the New Year, and as of late that rate’s been picking up. Congrats WP7 devs, you’ve officially issued more software updates than Microsoft itself. Your move Microsoft, we’re still waiting for copy & paste . Windows Phone 7 marketplace hits 10,000 apps, WP7 updates still way outnumbered originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It only took a few short hours for iFixit to get its hands on an iPad 2 (the WiFi variety), and of course, they immediately started to tear it apart. It’s a necessarily delicate task, but they’re making progress as we speak, and here are the first things that jump out to us: there is much less open space inside the iPad 2 than the original model , and the battery is very large. There aren’t any huge surprises in here internally yet, but it’s got the 1GHz A5 CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of Toshiba TH58NVG7D2FLA89 NAND Flash. Like we said, they’re still at it with this one, and we’ll update as they do. Until then, hit up the source for all the photos. Update: And they’re done! Head over to check out all the shots of the iPad 2 in its exposed form. iFixit has an iPad 2, and they’re ripping it apart originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you’ve been dying to get your hands on an iPad 2 , but didn’t have the forethought or wherewithal to stand in line for one, then get ready to wait, because Apple’s online store is showing delays of up two to three weeks for the slate. You can go ahead and order one now, but there’s a chance you won’t get your hands on the slab until April — unless, of course, one of these guys is waiting in line to buy you a gift. iPad 2 shipping in two to three weeks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We have this big, fang-filled, claw-sharpened big cat all up in our grill thanks to the researchers at the Smithsonian , who have created a new database filled with over 201,000 pictures of elusive animals in their natural habitats. These candid shots were made possible with motion-activated automated cameras scattered around the world, and feature over 200 species of birds and mammals, and here’s most impressive part — these photos are au naturel . That’s right… there’s no editing here, these are untouched raw shots straight from the rain forests of places like Peru and China — which allow us to see these magnificent creatures as scientists do. If you want more info or desire to check out these wild photos, hop over to the source link or check out the gallery below. Gallery: Smithsonian Wild caught on camera Smithsonian captures 201,000 wild photos with automated cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Just because Microsoft’s Mediaroom IPTV service is finally supported on the Xbox 360 after years and years of expectations (as seen above) doesn’t mean the rumor mill stops, with rumors surfacing of a “Project Orapa” that reportedly combines Xbox Live, Kinect and IPTV service all in one. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley has heard from tipsters that it’s related to the previously rumored Ventura multimedia project and will let subscribers to Mediaroom powered IPTV services like U-Verse use Kinect’s gesture and voice recognition like ESPN3 already does to control their TV experience while Xbox users would get “more content.” We should find out how much of this is reality and how it ties into previous rumors pretty quickly, since it’s apparently going to be in testing this month, and available by the upcoming holiday season. Xbox 360 IPTV rumors ride again with ‘Project Orapa’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Twenty pilot programs to bring off-campus broadband to low-income school districts
March 11, 2011 No Comment
The FCC announced on Wednesday the approval of a plan that will ramp up twenty pilot programs in fourteen states. The program — called Learning On-the-Go — will bring wireless broadband connections to students off campus. The devices will include mobile phones and laptops, enabling students to have internet connections when they’re not at school. Starting in the 2011-2012 school year, 35,000 elementary and secondary school students will be impacted in Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, California, New Mexico and Iowa. The total cost of the program is estimated to be $9 million, but it’ll certainly be paid back in all those Facebook visits during off-school hours, right? Hit up the source link for the full document (warning: it’s a PDF). Twenty pilot programs to bring off-campus broadband to low-income school districts originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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