Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Digital View-Master

What do you get when you take two cheap-o LCD key chain picture frames and add it to an classic kids 3D picture disc viewer? You get something magical… No, not really  but you do get a hand held 3D image viewer that you can load up with your favorite stereo pairs.
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Japan’s Internet Cafe Homeless

Nice to know that if I’m ever in Tokyo and need a place to sleep I can just hunker down in an Internet cafe for the night. Apparently there are a few thousand people that just can’t get enough work to afford an apartment in Tokyo. You have to remember that when you undertake the renting of an apartment you have to pony up about four months worth of rent as the down payment. Ouch! You also have to have a co signer in case you can’t make the rent, if you don’t have one of these your out of luck. It’s no wonder that these guys will spend 980 yen ($US) for a place to sleep. The deal breaker is the free coffee and soda that the cafes offer.

[via boingboing and futurismic]
The internet cafe refugees – no friends or prospects, and only a cubicle to call home

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Google Sponsors Lunar X PRIZE

Ripped from the headlines of today…

The X PRIZE Foundation and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a robotic race to the Moon to win a remarkable $30 million prize purse. Private companies from around the world will compete to land a privately funded robotic rover on the Moon that is capable of completing several mission objectives, including roaming the lunar surface for at least 500 meters and sending video, images and data back to the Earth.

Well this is just cool, a $30 million dollar (US) prize may not sound like all that much when your talking about going to the moon but the money isn’t what is at stake here. Charles Lindbergh didn’t set out to win the Orteig prize (Started in 1919 by a wealthy hotel owner, it offered $25,000 for the first allied aviator(s) to fly non-stop from New York NY to Paris France vice-versa) just for the cash. I’m sure the money was part of the incentive, but the achievement of winning was it’s own reward. When Lindbergh finished his 30 plus hour flight his accomplishment ushered in a new age for aviation. I can see
No one has eve said that space travel is easy. It may possibly be the single hardest task to accomplish in the world. It’s full of risks, high costs, the potential for catastrophic disaster is high. But the long term rewards are fantastic. The knowledge gained by undertaking such a task could benefit mankind for years to come. If your one of those people that think that thing like the exploration of space and a contest to get robots to the moon is just a waste of time and money I’d like you to give a long hard look at what your reading this on. If it’s a computer, and I bet I’m right, then you yourself have already reaped the rewards of technology that was pioneered for space exploration. No matter how you slice it, setting a mark and offering people a chance to excel breeds innovation and advancements that the entire world benefits from.

[via CNN Money]

Google Sponsors Lunar X PRIZE to Create a Space Race for a New Generation

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Space Shuttle Mission STS-118 is Underway!

Today the latest space shuttle mission to the International Space Station launched without a hitch. One goal of this flight is to deliver a third starboard truss segment to the space station.

NASA – STS-118 Mission Page
NASA – Latest News
NASA Video

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Space Shuttle Lands

Very good to see the crew made it back safe and sound.

Space Shuttle Atlantis descended to a smooth landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., concluding a successful assembly mission to the International Space Station. With Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault at the controls, Atlantis landed at 3:49 p.m. EDT on Friday

NASA – Space Shuttle

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Mr. Wizard, Dead at 89

I just read that Don Herbert, TV’s ‘Mr. Wizard’ passed away today at the age of 89. Mr. Wizard was and shall remain a remarkable man in that he introduced thousands of kids to the idea that science can be fun. His TV program started in 1951 and ran for 14 years and was revived in 1970 and then again from 1983-90. I remember watching the revival of his program on Nickelodeon in the mid 80′s and being amazed at how well he could explain the concepts of science to kid. His legacy lives on in the countless number of scientists and teachers that credit him for their early interest in science. I can only hope that there is someone out there that is inspiring the youth of today to be the scientists of tomorrow.

[via boingboing]
Don Herbert, 89; TV’s ‘Mr. Wizard’ taught science to young baby boomers – Los Angeles Times
The Official Website of Mr. Wizard Studios

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