By Cynthia Herbert :: 10:27 AM
Have you ever wanted to aske a question to someone in space? Well, today you can, In a first for the space agency, NASA will host a Google+ Hangout live with the Astronauts on the International Space Station this morning from 10:30 a.m EST to 11:30 a.m. EST.
Google+ Hangouts allow many people to chat face-to-face while thousands more can tune in to watch the conversation live on Google+ or on YouTube. This opportunity will connect NASA fans with astronauts living and working on the orbiting laboratory 240 miles above the Earth.
During the event, several video questions will be selected and answered by astronauts on live on the space station and on the ground. Additionally, NASA will ask real-time questions submitted by followers on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Unique and original questions are more likely to be selected. You can view the Hangout live on NASA’s Google+ page or the NASA Television YouTube channel to watch the astronauts answer the questions.
To ask a real-time question during the event on Google+ or Twitter, use the hashtag #askAstro. You can also post a comment on a thread on NASA’s Facebook page that will open for questions on the morning of the event.
To join the hangout, and for updates and opportunities to participate in upcoming hangouts, visit NASA’s Google+ page at http://plus.google.com/+NASA.
During the hangout, astronauts Kevin Ford, Chris Hadfield and Tom Marshburn will answer questions and provide insights about life aboard the station. Station crews conduct a variety of science experiments and perform station maintenance during their six-month stay on the outpost. Their life aboard the station in near-weightlessness requires unique approaches to everyday activities such as eating, sleeping and exercising.
By Gilbert Falso :: 7:04 AM
A newly revealed patent filing shows that Apple Corp. is researching design and power options for a wearable glass watch, which many have already taken to calling the iWatch.
The patent application explores the idea that kinetic energy from the wearer’s hand and wrist movements could be converted to a power source to recharge the watch’s battery. The filing also suggests that the watch’s screen could be situated in a type of holster that converts it from a straight piece of glass to a wristband shape as it is placed onto the wearer.
Apple filed the patent application in August, 2011 showing that the company has had this idea for quite some time, even though the rumor drumbeat has only intensified over the past several weeks.
The details of the device itself are vague, but do make reference to an array of sensors that will monitor the wearer’s exercise patterns and heart rate, payment functions, access to maps, voice control and bluetooth integration with other devices.
Just because the patent has been filed doesn’t necessarily mean the product will ever see the light of day, but it does at least lend credibility to the rumors flying through the industry right now.
Engadget is reporting that Apple has assembled a team of about 100 product developers for the project, and that Foxconn, the contractor that manufactures iPhones and iPads in China, is in talks with Apple about making the device.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 6:43 AM
The visitor center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center marked a major milestone yesterday in its construction of the 90,000-square-foot, $100 million home for space shuttle Atlantis by announcing the grand opening date of June 29, 2013.
Atlantis’ new home will showcase the retired shuttle as if it were in space—raised 30 feet off the ground and rotated at 43 degrees, and also will tell the story of the history of the entire shuttle program, and how it paved the way for today’s new space programs and the future of space exploration.
Sixty interactive exhibits and simulators will provide visitors with a new perspective on the shuttle’s complex systems, components and capabilities.
“We are so proud to partner with NASA to build the only place in the world to experience the remarkable voyage of Atlantis – one of the most storied spacecrafts in the U.S. space program. Without question, Kennedy Space Center is the best place to experience, learn about and be inspired by space exploration – past, present and future. With the addition of Space Shuttle Atlantis to the world-class Visitor Complex, visitors can now experience a space shuttle in “flight” – which is truly an engineering marvel,” said Rick Abramson , who was president and chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Next month marks another milestone in the exhibit’s construction with the beginning of the installation of a full-scale external tank and two solid rocket boosters at the entry to the new Atlantis structure. These components of the space shuttle “stack” will serve as a grand entryway, with guests walking beneath the massive orange external tank, which will be suspended 24 feet above the ground, mounted between the two solid rocket boosters and reaching 185 feet into the air. Installation of the entryway structure will be completed by June.
Construction will continue on schedule inside the exhibit as well. In May, Atlantis will be unwrapped from the shrink wrap protective coating that was applied in November to protect it from construction dust and debris. The payload bay doors will be opened and a full-scale model of the Hubble Space Telescope will be installed. This view, with Atlantis rotated at a 43 degree angle, showcases the shuttle on the same angle as if it were in space, as only the astronauts from its 33 missions have had a chance to see from the International Space Station. Atlantis’ Canadarm (robotic arm) also will be extended in the exhibit.
By Paul Thomson :: 1:12 AM
Zendesk, a customer service software provider announced a few hours ago that it was the victim of a hacker attack that allowed its system to be compromised. Customer data was accessed by the hackers, and those customers affected included the social media websites Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest.
The company told customers about the breach in a blog post published on Thursday night. Tumblr in turn send a notification to affected users in an email at approximately 9:30 p.m. Twitter and Pinterest have also followed suit.
Zendesk’s blog post reads, “Our ongoing investigation indicates that the hacker had access to the support information that three of our customers store on our system. We believe that the hacker downloaded email addresses of users who contacted those three customers for support, as well as support email subject lines. We notified our affected customers immediately and are working with them to assist in their response.”
At this time, it appears that only customer emails addresses, and in some cases names and phone numbers were taken. Zendesk does not believe that passwords, encrypted or not encrypted, were compromised. However, the investigation is still ongoing. Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr have not reported that any user accounts on their networks have been compromised yet.
This story is developing, and more information will be posted as it becomes available.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 10:53 PM
In alignment with the 2013 National Day of Unplugging on March 1, the recently launched Tech Timeout is challenging people to take a break from their tech-toys for one hour each day, year round, in an effort to reconnect with loved ones and analog life throughout the year.
TechTimeout.com and the Tech Timeout Facebook page are working to make it easier by providing the tools needed to help participants be successful.
The site provides a list of more than 50 things to do without technology and offers downloadable Tech Timeout pledge forms to be printed and displayed in homes as a daily reminder to refresh and reconnect.
The idea is the brainchild of Foresters, an international life insurance provider, and BVK Creative Director, Gary Mueller , who came up with the concept while observing the behavior of other families around a pool during a recent family vacation in Florida.
“It was crazy,” recalls Mueller. “I am sitting there watching a dozen families who should be laughing, swimming and interacting with each other in the pool and instead you have dads on their laptops working, moms on iPads and kids either texting or playing games on their phones. That’s when the idea of launching Tech Timeout was born.”
Of course, the irony of using social media tools like Facebook to promote an effort to get people to take a break from them is not lost on Mueller.
“Unfortunately, that’s just the reality of the world we live in,” explains Mueller. “I look at it as simply fighting fire with fire.”
Moving forward in 2013, the Tech Timeout Facebook page will function as a gathering place for people taking “timeouts” to share their tech-free success stories and struggles, as well as for a source for news, resources and reference to inspire tech-free ideas.
The fourth annual National Unplugging Day is scheduled to take place from sundown to sundown spanning March 1-2.
[More info: Tech Timeout]