Wednesday 30 April 2014

E-Fan electric aircraft makes first public flight



Manned electric-powered aircraft have made record-breaking flights and turned more than a few heads in the past few years, and it's not a trend that's likely to slow down. Last week, the E-Fan electric trainer airplane developed by the Airbus Group made its first public flight before a collection of French dignitaries. Currently a demonstrator for electric aircraft technology, Airbus says that is will be used as the basis for building a new pair of electric training aircraft models... Continue Reading E-Fan electric aircraft makes first public flight

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Airbus, Aircraft, EADS, Electric, Electric Aircraft, Experimental, Lithium-ion

Related Articles:
eGenius electric aircraft makes successful maiden flight
Airbus and DLR testing fuel cell technology to cut aircraft pollution and noise emissions
Airbus A350 XWB takes to the air for the first time
Airbus A380 becomes the world’s largest private jet
China’s first home-grown large passenger jet unveiled
Airbus A350 XWB makes surprise visit to Paris Air Show

Update: NASA announces winner in Z-2 spacesuit contest



The votes are in as NASA announced on Wednesday the winner of its Z-2 spacesuitdesign challenge. For the challenge, the public was invited to choose one of three alternative designs for a new prototype spacesuit with the “Technology” option winning with 233,431 votes, or about 63 percent of the total vote. The Technology design will now be used in the completed Z-2 suit as part of NASA’s project to create a new spacesuit for the exploration of Mars... Continue Reading Update: NASA announces winner in Z-2 spacesuit contest

Section: Space

Tags: Competition, Mars, NASA, Prototype, Space Suit

Related Articles:
NASA asks public to vote on Z-2 spacesuit design
NASA's first new spacesuit in 20 years is its own airlock
NASA testing lighter space suits for asteroid work
Shannon Lucid's spacesuit heads to auction
Two slightly used space suits for sale
NASA announces new rover mission for Mars

Boeing reveals future CST-100 commercial spacecraft Interior



Captain Picard’s ride seemed to have landed in Las Vegas today, as Boeing unveiled a mock-up of the new commercial interior of its Crew Space Transportation (CST-100). Under development as part of a NASA program to put a privately-owned and operated manned spacecraft to ferry American crews and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), the new interior reflects Boeing’s design strategy and it ambitions beyond NASA. .. Continue Reading Boeing reveals future CST-100 commercial spacecraft Interior

Section: Space

Tags: Boeing, CST-100, International Space Station, NASA, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
Boeing CST-100 (virtually) flown to space
Boeing completes preliminary design review of CST-100's Launch Vehicle Adapter
Boeing provides first look at CST-100 space capsule
Boeing to construct CST-100 spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center
Space Adventures and Boeing team up for space tourism
NASA narrows commercial manned spacecraft competition

Monday 28 April 2014

NASA's Spitzer and WISE telescopes find star colder than the North Pole



We tend to think of stars as being very, very hot, but what about a star that you could use as a deep freeze? Astronomers using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Spitzer Space Telescope have discovered a dim star-like object with the catchy title WISE J085510.83-071442.5.0 that is colder than the North Pole. Lying about 7.2 light years from Earth, it is not only the coldest brown dwarf on record, but the fourth-closest star system to the Solar System... Continue Reading NASA's Spitzer and WISE telescopes find star colder than the North Pole

Section: Space

Tags: Brown dwarf, NASA, Space telescope, Spitzer, WISE

Related Articles:
Binary star system found right under our noses
Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer finds no evidence of phantom planet hiding in the solar system
Astronomers find exoplanet floating through interstellar space
Hubble discovers most distant galaxy ever observed
NEOWISE returns first test images post hibernation
First rogue planet discovered

British government okays £200 million Antarctic science ship



What’s big and red and costs £200 million? The answer is the new flagship of Britain’s polar research fleet complete with helideck and robot submarines. On Friday at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne announced that the British government had authorized the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to go ahead with the design and construction of a new state-of-the-art vessel for polar research and to maintain the British presence in Antarctica and the South Atlantic... Continue Reading British government okays £200 million Antarctic science ship

Section: Marine

Tags: Antarctic, British, British Antarctic Survey, Environment, Research, Ships

Related Articles:
Halley VI Antarctic research station opens for business
Bharathi Antarctic research station built from shipping containers
Antarctic record for scientific balloons
Polar Rover blows through Antarctica
Antarctic Exploration Concept vehicle for two
Logbook from the famous 1872-1876 journey of HMS Challenger goes to auction

Sunday 27 April 2014

Modular design puts picnic cutlery in your pocket



Unless you enjoy whittling twigs into chopsticks or stabbing tinned ravioli with a pen knife, forgetting the cutlery and reverting to eating with one's hands can be one step too far removed from civilization for many campers. Piltz Design's modular Picnic cutlery is something a bit more elegant for those not interested in joining the usual spork brigade... Continue Reading Modular design puts picnic cutlery in your pocket

Section: Outdoors

Tags: Camping, Modular, Picnic, Pocket, Utensils

Related Articles:
Baladeo ultralight multi-tool – for dining anywhere
Kitchenware for eccentric people
Springtime picnic kit sits neatly on the back of a bicycle
The Messermeister Magnablock Pro
HAPIfork: The smart fork that monitors your eating habits
Knife Block eliminates germs

DARPA seeks drop-in autopilot system to assist pilots



Flying a military aircraft is the classic example of long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of terror. Part of the reason for this is that despite half a century of creating automated flight systems, emergencies still require flight crews to multitask like a one-tentacled octopus. DARPA is hoping to change this with its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program aimed at producing a drop-in automated flight control system designed to make the pilot's life simpler while reducing the size of flight crews... Continue Reading DARPA seeks drop-in autopilot system to assist pilots

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Aircraft, Automation, Autonomous, autopilot, DARPA

Related Articles:
DARPA confirms splash down of HTV-2 hypersonic vehicle on second test flight
Global Hawk UAVs fly in close formation as part of aerial refueling program
DARPA's ARES program developing unmanned modular delivery aircraft
Terrafugia to contribute DARPA flying car program
AVX flying-car concept – the Vertical Takeoff and Landing SUV
Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 crashes on second test flight

Crowdfunding push to bring 36-year old spacecraft out of retirement



Putting classic cars on the road or classic boats on the water isn’t that odd, but what about putting a classic spacecraft back into service? The ISEE-3 Reboot Project is a crowdfunding effort aimed at reactivating a comet-chasing space probe launched in the 1970s. Using a radio telescope and a software emulator of the original control equipment to contact and reactivate the hibernating unmanned probe, the hope is to use the International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) to conduct a privately funded mission to fly by a comet. .. Continue Reading Crowdfunding push to bring 36-year old spacecraft out of retirement

Section: Space

Tags: Crowdfunding, ISEE-3, NASA, Spacecraft, Unmanned

Related Articles:
NASA loses contact with Deep Impact probe
NASA declares Deep Impact lost
NASA's Deep Impact studies Hartley 2 comet close-up
After 12 years and over 3.5 billion miles traveled, it's farewell to Stardust
Juno sends back "starship" view of Earth while ham radios say "Hi"
Rosetta comet probe wakes up, phones home

Saturday 26 April 2014

SpaceX confirms successful Falcon 9 soft landing on the Atlantic Ocean



SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket that boosted the CRS-3 Dragon spacecraft into orbit made a controlled power landing on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. The historic first controlled landing of a liquid booster was tracked by telemetry and recorded on video. Unfortunately, heavy seas destroyed the rocket before recovery operations could retrieve it... Continue Reading SpaceX confirms successful Falcon 9 soft landing on the Atlantic Ocean

Section: Space

Tags: Elon Musk, Falcon, Rocket, Spacecraft, SpaceX

Related Articles:
SpaceX Grasshopper blasts to new heights in fifth test (video)
SpaceX Grasshopper vertical takeoff and landing vehicle goes for a little hop
SpaceX Dragon CRS-3 launch scrubbed for third time
The SpaceX Grasshopper reusable rocket in action
SpaceX launches improved Falcon 9
SpaceX to develop a fully and rapidly reusable launch system

Friday 25 April 2014

IBM creates world's smallest magazine cover



IBM has unveiled the world’s smallest magazine cover at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC. Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, the micro magazine is a reproduction of the cover of the March 2014 issue of National Geographic Kids and is many times smaller than a grain of salt at just 11 × 14 micrometers. Why, you ask? The tiny cover was created to demonstrate potential of a new nano-scale manufacturing technology, as well to encourage young people’s interest in science and technology... Continue Reading IBM creates world's smallest magazine cover

Section: Electronics

Tags: IBM, Manufacturing, Moore's Law, Nanotechnology, National Geographic,Transistor, World's Smallest

Related Articles:
World Yo Yo record broken
Discovery DNA Explorer Kit
National Geographic dual SIM phone makes great travel companion
Accidental synthesis of two-atom thick glass wins place in Guinness World Records
New line of toys boost scientific learning
My Phones volume-reducing headphones for kids

New DARPA program to develop prosthetics with lifelike sensory feedback





Many modern prosthetic limbs are so intricate that they seem like something from the sci-fi cyborg realm. Unfortunately, to the wearer these marvels still feel like lumps of dead metal and plastic. DARPA's recently announced Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX) program aims to change this. Using implantable sensors linked wirelessly to external modules, the goal is to provide lifelike prosthetic limbs with such a high degree of sensory feedback that they bring a sense of being part of the the wearer’s body, not something just strapped on... Continue Reading New DARPA program to develop prosthetics with lifelike sensory feedback

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: DARPA, Modular, Prosthesis, Prosthetics

Related Articles:
New funds for development of high tech prosthetic limb
DARPA uses nerve/muscle interfaces to give amputees feedback and improve control
DARPA's advanced prosthetics give bomb disposal robot a delicate touch
Bioengineered scaffold could restore sense of touch to prosthetic limbs
New prosthesis eases phantom limb pain
Regrowing major body parts

Thursday 24 April 2014

Arcturus gets the Jump on vertical takeoff and landing for fixed wing UAVs



Fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have a lot of advantages over manned aircraft, but much of that is lost when they get too big to be launched by hand and start needing runways and catapults to get aloft. Vertical Takeoff and Landing systems seem like an obvious alternative, but the extra weight of these systems can limit the advantages they offer. Arcturus UAV in Northern California unveiled its solution this week with its Jump VTOL system. Using self-contained electric lift motors, this add-on system is designed to provide tactical UAVs with VTOL capabilities without the usual penalties of payload and range... Continue Reading Arcturus gets the Jump on vertical takeoff and landing for fixed wing UAVs

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Autonomous, Electric, Quadcopter, UAV, Unmanned, VTOL

Related Articles:
BAE VTOL UAV impresses in autonomous tests
Israel Aerospace Industries unveils tilt-rotor Panther UAV platform
New class of UAVs look more like UFOs
VTOL Flying-Wing: a new take on UAV design
Concept aircraft combines VTOL with fixed wing capabilities
Airscooter develops petrol and electric coaxial rotor UAVs

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Punching mantis shrimp inspires super-tough composites



A new lightweight, super strong material has been discovered thanks to one of nature’s most violent sociopaths. The peacock mantis shrimp may look like a colorful, reasonably mild-mannered aquarium dweller, but its claws have the punch of a .22 bullet. A team of researchers led by University of California, Riverside, has developed a carbon composite that imitates the claw’s structure. The result is a promising new material that may one day be used to build cars and airplanes... Continue Reading Punching mantis shrimp inspires super-tough composites

Section: Science

Related Articles:
Mantis shrimp may hold the secret to lighter, tougher body armors
Mantis Stand for iPad - pricey if not deadly
Mantis takes flight - the UK’s largest ever fully-autonomous UAV
Mantis – a two ton turbo diesel hexapod you can drive
Replicating hardest known biomaterial could lead to better solar cells and batteries
Your very own self-sustained micro-ecosystem

"Optionally piloted" Black Hawk takes to the air



While autonomous aircraft are now a well established part of military operations, there are some areas where “pilot optional” is still very much synonymous with “cutting edge.” Case in point is Optionally Piloted Black Hawk (OPBH) Demonstrator developed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. In cooperation with the US Army, Sikorsky demonstrated the helicopter's capabilities for the first time in an autonomous cargo delivery exercise on March 11 at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center... Continue Reading "Optionally piloted" Black Hawk takes to the air

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Aircraft, Autonomous, Helicopters, Sikorsky, UAV, Unmanned, US Army, VTOL

Related Articles:
Boeing and Sikorsky to team up on X2-based rotorcraft for U.S. Army
Sikorsky’s X2 demonstrator sets unofficial world record speed of 250 knots
Next generation MH60-R submarine hunter and surface attack helicopter begins production
Sikorsky to Build and Test X2 Technology Demonstrator Helicopter
Sikorsky’s X2 demonstrator outpaces conventional helicopters at 208 mph
Sikorsky Prize claimed: 64 s of human flight end 33 years of toil

Denza all-electric vehicle production model premieres in China



The auto market in China looks set to continue expanding dramatically and this hasn't failed to catch the eyes of the big players in the car industry. At Auto China 2014 in Beijing, Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd presented the world premiere of the production model of its Denza; the first all-electric vehicle for the Chinese market produced by the first Sino-German electric car joint venture... Continue Reading Denza all-electric vehicle production model premieres in China

Section: Automotive

Tags: Auto China 2014, Beijing, BYD, Cars, China, Daimler, Electric Vehicles,Vehicle

Related Articles:
Daimler / BYD joint venture delivers first EV prototype
CH-Auto shows electric sports car prototype in Beijing
Daimler buys 10 percent stake in Tesla
Toyota adds two unnamed EV's to its Chinese portfolio
e-mobility Berlin project to provide 500 EV charging points
smart electric drive continues the ten year smart success story

Tuesday 22 April 2014

"Going up" at 45 mph: Hitachi to deliver world's fastest elevator



Hitachi has announced that it’s installing the world's fastest ultra-high-speed elevators in the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre skyscraper in Guangzhou, China. Making up two out of a total of 95 elevators in the building, the new lifts use a range of technologies to produce record-breaking speeds of 1,200 m/min (that's 44.7 mph, or 72 km/h) while still meeting the necessary standards of safety and comfort according to Hitachi... Continue Reading "Going up" at 45 mph: Hitachi to deliver world's fastest elevator

Section: Architecture

Tags: China, Elevator, Hitachi, Skyscrapers, World's Fastest

Related Articles:
Hitachi to build tower to demonstrate fastest-ever elevator - 40.26mph
Mitsubishi Electric installs elevators to carry 80, possibly the world's largest
New vacuum elevator installs in a few hours at a budget price
UltraRope could make kilometer-high elevators possible
DigiGage gives elevators a window to a virtual world
Mitsubishi develops ultra-high-speed elevator technology

Dassault achieves world's first formation flight of combat drone and manned aircraft



Dassault Aviation announced that last month it came a step closer to making science fiction reality when it conducted a formation flight of the nEUROn unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with a Rafale fighter and a Falcon 7X business jet. The flight off the coast of the south of France took place on March 20, and for almost two hours the nEUROn kept station with the other planes as they flew over the several hundred kilometers out over the Mediterranean. According to Dassault, this was the first time an unmanned combat aircraft achieved formation flight... Continue Reading Dassault achieves world's first formation flight of combat drone and manned aircraft

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Dassault Aviation, Drone, UAV

Related Articles:
Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight
Taranis stealth drone set to fly this year
X-47B unmanned aircraft gets its Pax River wings
X-47A Pegasus unmanned flight milestone
First flight of X-47B unmanned aircraft demonstrator in cruise mode
First night flights for X-47B

BAE Systems develops a flat lens that acts like it's curved



Anyone who’s ever needed a pair of thick eyeglasses has a firm idea that lenses are the one thing where form follows function. However, BAE Systems and Queen Mary’s School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science in London have put paid to that idea with a flat lens that works like a conventional curved lens, yet without any reduction in bandwidth performance. Using a combination of composite metamaterials and transformational optics for the first time, they have created a lens that's able to bend electromagnetic waves, yet isn't bound by its shape for its function. .. Continue Reading BAE Systems develops a flat lens that acts like it's curved

Section: Electronics

Tags: Antenna, BAE Systems, Communications, Electromagnetic, Lenses, Light,Metamaterials, Queen Mary University of London

Related Articles:
MIT produces new metamaterial that acts as a lens for radio waves
iPro lens provides fisheye for the iPhone guy
Overnight lenses correct farsightedness
One size fits all Mobi-Lens improves the camera of almost any device
Turtleback launches TurtleJacket PentaEye lens wheel for iPhone5
Event-hiding "temporal cloak" demonstrated

US Navy announces sea trials for electromagnetic railgun



Watching old war movies, we expect firing a navy gun to be accompanied by a deafening bang and a dramatic cloud of burnt powder. This being the 21st century, the US Navy has other ideas as it prepares to install and test a prototype electromagnetic railgun on a Spearhead-class joint high speed vessel in 2016 as part of a program to develop the naval artillery of the future... Continue Reading US Navy announces sea trials for electromagnetic railgun

Section: Military

Tags: BAE Systems, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Prototype, Railgun,Research, US Navy

Related Articles:
U.S. Navy evaluating a second railgun prototype
U.S. Navy set to test first industry railgun prototype
The electric cannon delivers shells over 200 miles at Mach 5
First industry railgun prototype launcher gets all fired up
The electro-magnetic gun program gets US$14.7 million
Concorde meets railgun – SpaceX founder's plan for future rapid transport

Monday 21 April 2014

Boeing's Phantom Badger packs a lot of combat vehicle into a small package



The US military fields some pretty impressive vehicles, but they aren't worth much if they don’t fit on the aircraft intended to transport them. Last month, the US Navy removed one obstacle when it cleared the Boeing Phantom Badger combat support vehicle for transport inside a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. After a battery of tests, including form-fit checks, pressure tests and structural evaluations of over four G’s, the modular vehicle was a step closer to deployment by the US Marine Corps and US Air Force Special Operations... Continue Reading Boeing's Phantom Badger packs a lot of combat vehicle into a small package

Section: Military

Tags: Aircraft, Boeing, Combat, Modular, Transport

Related Articles:
Boeing’s hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye goes higher for longer on second flight
Boeing’s hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye taxis closer to second flight
Boeing's Phantom Eye autonomous aircraft makes its first flight
Phantom Ray UAV completes low-speed taxi tests
Boeing Phantom Ray unmanned aircraft begins flight testing
Boeing announces Phantom Phoenix family of small satellites

Astronauts to get green thumbs with NASA sending veggie garden to the ISS



The International Space Station (ISS) may be a remarkable piece of engineering, but it’s so drab that it needs a window box to brighten things up. That isn't possible in the vacuum of space, but NASA is doing the next best thing on Monday as it sends its Vegetable Production System (Veggie) to the space station aboard the SpaceX Dragon CRS-3 mission. However, this plant-growing chamber will be more than a horticultural experiment, it's also a bit more culinary as it lets astronauts put fresh salad on the menu... Continue Reading Astronauts to get green thumbs with NASA sending veggie garden to the ISS

Section: Space

Tags: Farming, Garden, International Space Station, NASA, Plants

Related Articles:
SpaceX Dragon successfully grappled by ISS
Dragon docks with ISS a day late
ISS crew enter the SpaceX Dragon
Dragon docking with ISS rescheduled after malfunction
Update: SpaceX Dragon's hatch opened a day early
SpaceX Dragon returns from first commercial mission

Solar Impulse 2 spreads its wings for the public



What has a wider wingspan than a 747, weighs the same as a car, and can fly almost forever without a drop of fuel? If you were in Payerne, Switzerland on Wednesday, you would have seen the answer as psychiatrist and explorer Bertrand Piccard and engineer and entrepreneur André Borschberg unveiled the Solar Impulse 2. The result of 12 years work, the ultra-light, solar-powered airplane will attempt to fly around the world next year relying exclusively on solar power to keep it aloft for days at a time. .. Continue Reading Solar Impulse 2 spreads its wings for the public

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Aircraft, Aviation, Electric Aircraft, Solar Impulse, Solar Impulse 2, Solar Powered

Related Articles:
Solar powered plane flies through the night
Solar Impulse stops off in Madrid on its way to Morocco
Solar-powered airplane completes trans-America flight
Solar Impulse announces flight across America for next year
Solar Impulse 2 spreads its wings for the public
Solar Impulse completes its transcontinental flight

New US time standard launched with NIST-F2 atomic clock



If you’re someone who is happy to spend an hour setting the clock on the microwave because it has to be just right, then the news out of the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is right up your alley. NIST has announced the launch of a new atomic clock as the official standard for civilian time. Called NIST-F2, it is so accurate that it will lose only one second in 300 million years... Continue Reading New US time standard launched with NIST-F2 atomic clock

Section: Science

Tags: Clock, NIST, Time

Related Articles:
Ytterbium times its run for next-gen atomic clocks
World's most precise clock only a second out every five billion years
World's most precise clock keeps time to 1 second in 3.7 billion years
Super accurate nuclear clock proposed
Dark Pulse Laser emits trillionths-of-a-second bursts of nothing
Bathys Hawaii unveils atomic wristwatch

Friday 18 April 2014

LADEE probe hits the Moon at 3,600 mph



In space, no one can hear you hit the Moon at near-hypersonic speed. Today, NASA's Ames Research Center announced that the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) made a controlled impact on the far side of the Moon some time between 9:30 and 10:30 pm PDT on Thursday, bringing to an end its mission to study the lunar atmosphere... Continue Reading LADEE probe hits the Moon at 3,600 mph

Section: Space

Tags: Impact, LADEE, Moon, NASA, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
NASA's LADEE spacecraft to impact Moon
LADEE sets data transmission record from lunar orbit
NASA's LLCD tests confirm laser communication capabilities in space
LADEE probe heads Moonward despite early malfunction
NASA and ESA to communicate with lunar orbiter using lasers
NASA sends Mona Lisa to the Moon

Fourth time lucky for SpaceX's CRS-3 Dragon launch



It took four tries, but SpaceX’s CRS-3 mission is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS). Today at 3:25:21PM, EDT, the unmanned Dragon cargo spacecraft lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in rainy, overcast weather that NASA said only gave the launch a 40 percent chance of going ahead without delay. The successful launch is SpaceX’s third cargo mission to the ISS and its fourth visit to the station... Continue Reading Fourth time lucky for SpaceX's CRS-3 Dragon launch

Section: Space

Tags: Dragon, International Space Station, Launch, NASA, Spacecraft, SpaceX

Related Articles:
SpaceX Dragon CRS-3 launch scrubbed for third time
Falcon 9 puts its legs up a little longer after SpaceX delays launch
Update: SpaceX Dragon CRS-3 mission launch scrubbed again
SpaceX Dragon to be first private spacecraft to dock at ISS
SpaceX Dragon successfully grappled by ISS
Dragon spacecraft splashes down marking successful completion of historic mission

Thursday 17 April 2014

Kepler discovers most potentially habitable planet yet



The search for extraterrestrial life zeroed in a bit today as NASA announced that its unmanned Kepler Space Telescope detected the most Earth-like planet yet found beyond the Solar System. Named Kepler-186f, the new planet orbits a red dwarf star about 500 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus, is only 10 percent larger than our planet, and could have liquid water, which is essential for life as we know it... Continue Reading Kepler discovers most potentially habitable planet yet

Section: Space

Tags: Cygnus, Exoplanet, Habitable zone, Kepler Mission, NASA, Space telescope

Related Articles:
First Earth-size planets discovered beyond our solar system
Kepler discovers smallest habitable-zone Earth-like planets to date
NASA's Kepler finds exoplanet smaller than Mercury
Kepler spacecraft discovers tiniest solar system yet found
Scientists say at least one in six stars has an Earth-sized planet
Kepler mission discovers first planet orbiting two stars

Land Rover takes wraps off Discovery Vision concept

Land Rover’s been dropping hints about its new Discovery Vision concept in the run up to the 2014 New York International Auto Show. Now before 200 VIP guests, the company has taken the lid off what turns out to be a design template for the new Discovery line as well as a showcase for the technologies that may end up in Land Rovers of the future. The debut aboard the USS Intrepid Air and Space Museum in New York City included a scale model of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft SpaceShipTwo as part of Land Rover’s new partnership with the space tourism company... Continue Reading Land Rover takes wraps off Discovery Vision concept

Section: Automotive

Tags: Concept Cars, Land Rover, New York Auto Show 2014

Related Articles:
Land Rover reveals "invisible" bonnet for Discovery Vision concept
Range Stormer
Discovery 3 gets integrated rear-entertainment
Land Rover Discovery XXV Special Edition commemorates 25 years of off-roading
Land Rover takes wraps off Discovery Vision concept
Evoque will be the smallest Range Rover ever built






Visit Website

Saturday 12 April 2014

Britain's Ministry of Defence using robot soldier for testing protectvie suits





The British Ministry of Defence has a new soldier that costs £1.1 million (US$1.8 million) and goes by the odd name of “Porton Man.” Based at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down, Wiltshire, Porton Man isn't your average squaddie. He’s a robotic mannequin designed to test suits and equipment for the British armed forces in order to help protect them against chemical and biological weapons. .. Continue Reading Britain's Ministry of Defence using robot soldier for testing protectvie suits

Section: Military

Tags: Chemical Weapons, Mannequin, MOD

Related Articles:
Ministry of Defence developing new anti-laser eyewear
British Ministry of Defence scientist develops multiple substance detector
Boston Dynamics releases amazing video of its PETMAN bipedal robot
British Army's Foxhound vehicle gives soldiers better protection, higher-speed
Shades of Terminator as PETMAN tests hazmat suit
Carbon cloth found to be highly effective at removing pollutants

OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return spacecraft gets go-ahead



Getting hit by a giant asteroid can ruin your whole day, so the first United States mission to visit an asteroid and return a sample presents a huge challenge. Lockheed Martin has announced that NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has passed a comprehensive technical review, giving the green light for Lockheed to begin building the spacecraft in anticipation of a launch in 2016... Continue Reading OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return spacecraft gets go-ahead

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, Lockheed Martin, NASA, OSIRIS REx, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission goes to development
NASA visualizes asteroid capture plan
NASA's Dawn spacecraft sets sail for Ceres
Phoenix Mars Lander Spacecraft being readied for August launch
NASA heads underwater to test concepts for future asteroid mission
ESA to test asteroid deflection

Tuesday 8 April 2014

Bonhams auctioning Mercury space suit and other astro-memorabilia



If you've ever wanted to own a space suit from the NASA Mercury project, or maybe a pack of gum that went to the Moon, here’s your chance. On Tuesday, Bonhams auction house is selling a bumper crop of space exploration artifacts as part of its sixth annual Space History Sale in New York. The auction will see 296 lots of memorabilia from the US and Soviet space programs go on the block, including a Mercury-era space suit... Continue Reading Bonhams auctioning Mercury space suit and other astro-memorabilia

Section: Space

Tags: Anniversary, Astronauts, Auction, Bonhams, History, Launch Vehicles, NASA,Space Suit, Spacecraft, Spaceflight

Related Articles:
NASA radio transcripts digitized for the web
Two slightly used space suits for sale
Shannon Lucid's spacesuit heads to auction
Aldrin Gemini XII / Apollo XI flight suit under the hammer
Only Apollo camera to make return trip from the Moon to be auctioned
Golden Spike announces plans for commercial lunar exploration

Sunday 6 April 2014

Fujitsu gives speech synthesis a realism boost



Speech synthesis has come a long way from the days when computers sounded like a Dalek with a cleft palate, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. in Kawasaki, Japan are working to move computers away from sounding monotone or perpetually distracted by developing a new speech synthesis system that can quickly produce high quality voices that can be tailored to suit individual environments and circumstances... Continue Reading Fujitsu gives speech synthesis a realism boost

Section: Computers

Tags: Computers, Fujitsu, Japan, Speech, Synthesis

Related Articles:
Groundbreaking new Singing Synthesis software
New software translates users' speech, using their own voice
Scientists develop child-like synthetic voice for children who can't speak
Stephen Hawking chooses a new voice
NEC testing on-the-fly two-way speech translator
Samsung debuts mobile phone with Speech-to-Text Capabilities

Saturday 5 April 2014

Land Rover teases Discovery Vision concept





Land Rover has released a teaser video and image of its new Discover Vision Concept ahead of the 2014 New York International Auto Show, promising that "pioneering technology from Jaguar Land Rover’s Advanced Research will be previewed for the first time," in the new vehicle, which also showcases the design and technology direction for a new family of SUVs under the Land Rover badge... Continue Reading Land Rover teases Discovery Vision concept

Section: Automotive

Tags: Land Rover, New York Auto Show 2014

Related Articles:
Range Stormer
Discovery 3 gets integrated rear-entertainment
New Land Rover Defender for 2015, DC100 Concept to be shown in Frankfurt
Evoque will be the smallest Range Rover ever built
Land Rover's first Electric Defender put through its paces
Jaguar Land Rover launches "industry's most advanced" digital showroom

Thursday 3 April 2014

NASA cuts ties with Russia



The Ukraine crisis reached into space yesterday as NASA confirmed that it is cutting ties with the Russian space program. With the exception of continued cooperation aimed at keeping the International Space Station (ISS) operating, the agency says that in response to Russia’s annexation of the Crimea, it will no longer participate with its Russian counterparts on projects, bilateral visits or communications... Continue Reading NASA cuts ties with Russia

Section: Space

Tags: International Space Station, NASA, Roscosmos, Russia, Soyuz, Space Shuttle, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
Cosmonauts carry Olympic torch in space
Soyuz breaks speed record to ISS
Spacewalk planned to fix ISS coolant leak
Atlantis embarks on final shuttle mission
SpaceX prepares for Falcon 9/Dragon spacecraft demonstration
NASA orders urgent spacewalks on the ISS

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Christophe Claret puts "impossible" escapement in the Maestoso



Some upmarket wristwatches are all bells and whistles, while for others their attraction isn’t in what they do, but how they’re made. One case in point is the Christophe Claret Maestoso showcased at Baselworld 2014, which uses a detent escapement – a movement of remarkable accuracy that’s almost impossible to install in a watch... Continue Reading Christophe Claret puts "impossible" escapement in the Maestoso

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Baselworld, Baselworld 2014, Time, Watches

Related Articles:
The Perrelet Double Rotor TURBINE XL timepiece
Zenith Defy Xtreme wrist watch
Christophe Claret plucks petals to reveal true love with the Margot watch
Latest Monaco V4 watch takes the belt to the tourbillon
The US$930,000 Rebellion REB-5 Black Diamond – the intersection of jewelery and horology
Thrustmaster aims for authenticity with Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On