Gizmodo
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space
Selene's Final Approach Before Crashing Into the Moon
The Selene lunar probe has captured amazing footage of the surface of the moon, but on June 11th it finally crashed into the surface. This is a reconstruction of its final approach, based on flight data. [JAXA via Pink Tentacle]
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133
By Adam FrucciComment by Geisrud: Is that the "dark side", as in the unseen side? Or the side currently not getting any sunlight? 22 Responses | Other threads
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directv
DirecTV PC Tuner Officially Canceled
DirecTV has officially canned their efforts to bring the HDPC-20 tuner to market. The device would have allowed subscribers to integrate their service with Windows Media Center. More » -
pioneer
Pioneer Inno XMP3: Portable Satellite Radio that Totally Doesn't Suck
CNET got their hands on Pioneer's new Inno XMP3 portable satellite radio receiver/mp3 player, and found it to be at the top of the heap in its category. Reception isn't stellar, but is significantly better than previous portable receivers, and sound quality and the player's GUI are both excellent. Internal memory is pretty scant, but the MicroSDHC slot takes care of that, and the player has easy-to-use and efficient recording and scheduling capabilities. If you're an XM subscriber who wants satellite radio on the go, the $279 Inno seems like a solid choice. [CNET]
3,162
By Dan NosowitzComment by digiprod: I will give you a hint, Pandora FREE on the iPod touch and iPhone! I will be surprised if satellite radio... 3 Responses | Other threads
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moon
Japanese Satellite Spots No Ice On Moon for Fuel, Drinkies After All
It's been a decade since NASA's Lunar Prospector satellite gave tantalizing hints—in the form of unexpectedly sparkly reflections—that the Moon's poles may have frozen water at or near the surface, but new data from a Japanese satellite looks like it's quashed the rumor. Kaguya's been in space since late last year, but it's now trained its very highly sensitive cameras, that can see even into the near darkness inside polar craters, on the same spot of the moon Prospector saw. And all it found was dull lunar soil. There may still be water buried beneath the surface of course, but this discovery may be bad news for hopes of using plentiful hydrogen for fuel cells when we go back to the Moon in a decade or so. [NewScientist]
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By Kit EatonComment by Unknown2U: I wish they'd take some pictures of where the Apollo Astronaughts landed back in the 60's-70's. 3 Responses | Other threads
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in russia...
Vladimir Putin Tests Russian GPS on His Own Dog
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been pushing for a Russian satellite navigation system known unfortunately as GLONASS, and yesterday the system had its first launch: a tracking collar for the PM's dog, a black labrador named Koni. According to Putin, "She's wagging her tail, she likes it." More » -
macbook pro
Toshiba Satellite E105 Is a Big Fan of the MacBook Pro
Toshiba's Satellite E105 is almost run-of-the-mill as far as new notebooks go—Centrino 2, latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 4GB of RAM, integrated graphics (boo), HDMI out—but a couple of things make it stand out. What instantly struck me is that the silhouette—which you can see more of below—is obviously inspired by the MacBook Pro. More » -
at&t
AT&T to Dump Dish Network, Start Selling DirecTV
After punting their agreement with Dish Network to sell satellite as part of a triple play package, AT&T has decided to settle down with DirecTV. They'll keep hawking Dish through Jan. 31, after which they'll offer DirecTV anywhere they can't give you U-Verse as a TV option. Multichannel notes that this leaves second-place Dish without a major reseller partner, so not great news for them. [Multichannel]
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Comment by squishyalt: Wow! AT&T signs pact with the great Satan! Just in case you folks didn't know, AT&T is NOT the AT&T... 3 Responses | Other threads
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Google Gets Exclusive Rights to your Pants
Google Military-Controlled Satellite Reaches Orbit, We Don't Feel Lucky
According to the company, the GeoEye-1 satellite is the highest resolution commercial satellite orbiting the planet right now. It reached orbit yesterday, but in reality, it's not an ordinary commercial satellite: it's fully controlled by the Department of Defense's U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. And two guys named Larry and Sergei.
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By Jesus DiazComment by DayWeSpilledThePaint_GitEmSteveDave: From what I heard on NPR a few weeks back from the guy who runs the satellite, anyone can buy... 9 Responses | Other threads
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happy birthday
Spitzer Space Telescope Celebrates 5th Birthday With Portrait of Stellar Nursery
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the last of the space agency's Great Observatories satellites to launch, celebrated its fifth birthday recently... giving me the opportunity to post this amazing multigenerational picture of star-forming region in the constellation Cassiopeia, 6,500 light-years from Earth. The photo takes in an area equivalent to four full moons and puts on show how one generation of massive stars can give birth to the next. More »
10,229
By Elaine ChowComment by Fagatron: @dlmoody: There is definitely a red skull! The aliens are trying to tell us something... more » | Other threads
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satellite
Dish Network Will Broadcast in 1080p, Streaming Blu-ray Quality Video Now Possible (But Unlikely)
Dish Network is upgrading their boxes' firmware to display 1080p resolution. Given the lack of 1080p network source material, the existing 720p/1080i compressed HD signals, and the fact that there's no standard limiting the compression quality—1080p can be compressed to crap like any other picture—it's tough to believe this is going to be really useful for consumers. But maybe we are mistaken, because the company actually thinks that their 1080p quality is on par with Blu-ray discs: More » -
sirius xm radio
Sirius and XM Officially Married, Now Sirus XM Radio
With the FCC's approval, Sirius and XM had a shotgun wedding over the weekend, and is now officially Sirius XM Radio, with over 18.5 million subscribers (technically XM is a subsidiary of Sirius, making it the wife, I guess). Let the promised savings and awesomeness begin. [InfoWeek] -
dealzmodo
15.4-Inch Toshiba Satellite Notebook On Sale For $398
Let's say that you did have some disposable income at some point in time, but it happened to turn into a spankin' new iPhone 3G right before you realized Junior desperately needed a new computer for the school year. Don't worry, Gizmodo's here to help make up for your bad parenting without throwing you deeper into debt: Starting Sunday at 8am, Wal-Mart will be selling a 15.4-inch Toshiba Satellite notebook with an Intel Celeron processor for $398. The Toshiba will be decked out with 2GB RAM, a 120GB hard drive, CD-RW and Windows Vista Premium. [Check Out Blog] -
satellite
New Dish Network Satellite Launched, More HD Channels On the Way
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] -
notebooks
Satellite Pro S300, Tecra A10 and M10: Toshiba's First Centrino 2 vPro Notebooks Can Be Fixed Wirelessly Even While Frozen
The Satellite Pro S300, Tecra A10 and Tecra M10 all have Toshiba's EasyGuard with shock and spill protection, a business card reader, a combo USB 2.0 eSATA port, and sleep-and-charge USB ports. A point of differentiation is that the Tecra A10 and M10 both rock Centrino 2 vPro, which has tech for the enterprise set so IT can fix your comp wirelessly, even when it's frozen. More » -
global imaging
GeoEye-1 Commercial Satellite Packs Military Power
Next month, a commercial satellite named the GeoEye-1 will go into the Earth's orbit. Its highest resolution photos—shots that will spot a 16-inch beachball—will be reserved for military use. However, slightly lower resolution imagery will be made available in the commercial sector, like Google Earth. More » -
skynet
Britain Launches Final Real-Life Skynet Satellite, Dubs it Skynet with No Sense of Irony
The UK has just sent up a new communications satellite that's completed their Skynet, the highly-advanced network that's going to give them the ability to allow robotic military units at long range. You know, like in the apocalyptic vision of the future from the Terminator movies. The network's name in those movies? Skynet. Have you learned nothing, England?! More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by JEmlay: There are so many HOLES in the theories of that movie it's disgusting! IMPOSSIBLE! more » | Other threads
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espionage
News Corp. Hires Hacker to Break Into Dish Satellite Network, Steal Security Codes for Pirate Cards
This is classic corporate espionage/sabotage at its finest. Dish Network is accusing News Corp.—which used to have a 39 percent stake in DirecTV and still provides its security tech—of hiring hacker Christopher Tarnovsky to break into Dish's network, steal the security codes, and use them to make pirated cards to flood the black market. It sounds insane, but Tarnovsky admitted in court he was paid James Bond villain style, with $20,000 cash payments mailed from Canada hidden inside "electronic devices." More » -
japan
Japan Confirms Kizuna Satellite Internet Is World's Fastest, Blows Our Crappy Broadband Away
Generally speaking, the state of broadband in the United States sucks. Hard. You know what sucks harder than your crappy DSL line? Satellite internet—it's stupid expensive and super slow. Except in Japan. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency is reporting that their tests of the world's fastest satellite internet—155Mbps downstream to homes, and 1.2Gbps to businesses with properly endowed antennas—have been successful. Not only to they plan to cover all of Japan, but a fair bit of the Asian Pacific region. Meanwhile, we shit ourselves over 50Mbps cable that runs $150 a month. [JAXA via Impress, JAXA (More Info, readable)]
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Comment by Nemo Adam: Here's an immediate solution to Australia's painfully slow internet speeds. more » | Other threads
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toshiba
Toshiba X205-SLi5 and SLi6 Gaming Notebooks Pack Penryn and SLI Goodness
Along with the re-designed and cheaper Satellite notebooks from last week, Toshiba's tossing out a pair of gaming notebooks packing Penryn chips (Core 2 Duo 8300 or 9300) and NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT running in SLI, with HDD configs up to 400GB. Starting at two grand, which isn't bad for "gaming" notebooks, but churning the 8600M GT seems a bit old and busted with 9-series cards right around the corner. Plus, the plain Jane looks aren't going to turn any heads. [Toshiba] -
xm
BlackBerry Users Get XM Radio, Excuse to Take Phones Into Bathrooms For $7.99 a Month
I used to sleep through class by tuning my cellphone's FM radio to a classical station, sitting in the back, and putting a jacket over my face, so this XM Radio on BlackBerry is pretty spectacular news. All you need is a BlackBerry 8800, 8700, Pearl or Curve and $7.99 a month. You'll get 20 "exclusive" XM channels (list after the jump), and you can download the app here or text "XM" to 47201. Time for a nap. Since this uses the phone's regular data connection, you hopefully won't be forced to wear giant ridiculous looking headphones in order to get reception. More » -
laptops
Toshiba Satellite Laptops: New Fusion Look, Charge-Anytime USB Ports, Cheaper Prices
Mr. T's favorite laptop maker rolled out slick, useful and budget-minded updates to its Satellite line today. First up, the 13.3" U400, 14.1" M300, 15.4" A300 and 17" P300 have a new look called "Fusion," a shiny finish with pinstripes and smoothed edges, not unlike that sucka HP's successful smooth-n-shiny-n-pinstripey look. The eight shots in the gallery make the design look a bit greenish, so we'll have to wait to pass final judgment. It's one thing to look nice on the outside, but like T, these have a lot going on on the inside, too... More » -
satellite
XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You
XM and Sirius just cleared the largest (and longest) hurdle on their path to getting all conjoined: The Justice Department officially okayed Sirius's $5 billion buyout of XM. They said that the growth of mobile broadband "made it even more unlikely that the transaction would harm consumers in the longer term," squashing arguments from radio and broadcasting groups the merger would be anti-competitive. The DoJ thumbs up makes the merger more likely to happen, which Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin has repeatedly promised will make for cheaper, better programming.
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700mhz
Dish's Surprise 700MHz Win Means What?
Dish Networks, sat TV provider, has won a block of the 700MHz band in the FCC's recent auction. Given Dish's primary business is television from the heavens, one has to wonder what they're up to. At first, I thought internet, as DirecTV has. But the analysts say that the tiny corner of the band that Dish bought is actually not suitable for 2-way communication, and is better for broadcast. Maybe they're planning to pipe their channels over the airwaves. That could be useful in portables. [Yahoo] -
satellite
Proof Satellite Sucks: Dish and DirecTV Get FCC Approval to Downgrade HD Channels Until 2013
High-def channels consume bandwidth like Britney Spears at a Frappuccino trough (props, last night's South Park). That's a problem for twinkly satellite providers Dish Network and DirecTV, who just don't have the capacity to blast every channel in HD—so the FCC just gave them the nod to downcovert broadcasters' HD signals until 2013. Basically, it means that just because a channel is broadcast in HD, they don't have to give it to you in HD. More » -
airplanes
DARPA Close To Awarding Contract For Spy Plane That Stays Aloft For 5 Years
According to Flight Global, DARPA is close to awarding a contract to build an unmanned aircraft that can stay in the air for up to 5 years at a time. DARPA describes the "Vulture" project as a "persistent pseudo-satellite capability in an aircraft package." In other words, the aircraft can hover over a single area, narcing, communicating, or surveying for years at a time. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by jtowntex: This tech. has already been proven in such harsh conditions with standard aircraft materials like carbon fiber. Additionally, stonger/lighter fibers... more » | Other threads
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space
Boeing to Design New DARPA's Networked Swarm Spacecrafts
Start buying Cold War nuclear shelters and piling up the canned food, because Boeing Advanced Systems has started System F6, "DARPA's Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information Exchange space technology program." In other words: multiple, networked specialized spacecraft swarms that are intelligent enough to perform a single coordinated task together, like analyzing the crops or deciding to destroy humanity, Skynet-style. Actually, it could completely change satellites for the better, according to some experts: More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by ntrgc89: LOVED the picture, absolutely hilarious more » | Other threads
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question of the day
Question of the Day: Which is Better? Satellite, Cable, Download, or Antenna?
When it comes to television programming, there is no one service that does everything right. The number of channels, HD programming, and price are just a few of the weapons companies use to compete for your entertainment dollar. And then there are always downloading options from BitTorrent and the like. So, the question is, which one is really the best and why? Hell, I'll even throw in "Antenna" despite the fact that it is about to be phased out. More » -
connectivity
Japan's Kizuna Satellite to Beam Souped Up Internet Connection Back Home
Japan is launching the Kizuna satellite, which will bring high-speed internet access to Japan's remote territories and neighboring countries, as well as providing continuous networking in case of emergency. The $342 million project, spearheaded by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is expected to culminate in internet connections reaching speeds of 1.2Gbps, dwarfing current ADSL connections that typically allow data transfer to occur at below 8 Mbps. Users will need to install an antenna to be able to receive a signal, but for those speeds, I'd be willing to trade in a pound of my very own flesh. More »
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By Haroon MalikComment by buckminster: At an altitude of 22,240 statute miles, one way light time is .11 seconds so latency is a show stopper. more » | Other threads
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kaboom
Video of Spy Satellite Getting Shot Down
Watch as General Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (and apparently Jack Bauer's older brother) shows how the Lockheed Martin's Aegis missile launches and successfully destroys the rogue spy satellite. This is a huge success for the Pentagon and the anti-missiles system that was first conceived in the mid-80s as part of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Specially after many critics were saying it wasn't going to work. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by GOKOR: Stupid Major League Baseball...they should have known they couldn't spy on us forever. more » | Other threads
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nasa
Lunar Astronauts To Have Mobile Phone Service
NASA will definitely beat the Mt. Everest phone calls when they launch mobile phone service on the moon around 2012. Their MoonLite system will link astronauts, the lunar base and Earth via satellite. Even though there is over four years until launch, the service will only have a speed of 3kbps down/2kbps up. One small call for man...ah forget it. [Silicon.com via Newlaunches]
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By Eric ShelineComment by Worf: @ANoel: China Mobile runs GSM, so you don't have to use the Meizus, just stick the SIM card in any... more » | Other threads
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gps
SPOT GPS Tracking Device Is Perfect for Remote Climbers and Jealous Girlfriends
Walt Mossberg has had a look at the SPOT satellite messenger, a GPS gadget aimed at adventurers and thrill seekers. Not only does it call in the emergency services if you're stuck and there's no cellphone tower for miles, but it also sends out position updates to keep friends back home updated on your expedition. It locates you via GPS, and transmits data by satellite to a control center, which routes messages on for you, and its three buttons couldn't be simpler—"OK/Check," "Help" and the one you'll hopefully never click, "911." More juice below. More » -
home entertainment
New DirecTV Satellite Capable of 150 HD and 1,500 Local Channels
The latest DirecTV 11 satellite just built by Boeing could potentially increase the total capacity of their programming network to 150 national HD channels and 1,500 local channels. So get ready to fire up those HDTVs—the satellite is expected to launch in March. [Boeing] -
question of the day
Question of the Day: Cable or DSL
A lot of you read us at work, which is fantastic, but we want to know what kind of pipe you use to read us at home. Are you on some kind of package deal with your cable provider, or are you sucking down bits through your telephone jack. We're assuming that none of our readers have dial-up access here, because that's just shameful. Here's the poll: More »
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By Jason ChenComment by ryman: i'm giving benefit of the doubt and will say gizmodo readers are of higher intelligence. if you FIOS in your... more » | Other threads
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gadgets
Southwest Airlines Testing Satellite Broadband Internet Access For Your Pleasure
According to their own press release, Southwest is going to be testing in-flight broadband satellite Wi-Fi access so you can check your mail and do all sorts of stuff (though probably not surf porn or talk to someone on Skype). They'll start testing on four planes this summer, with a wider rollout to come whenever they damn well feel like it. [PRNewswire]
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By Jason ChenComment by OtakuboyT: I Just Want You To Know, We're All Counting On You more » | Other threads
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cars
Alpine IVA-W505 Video Headunit Plays DivX, iPod Video
Alpine's spring line continues to impress, now with a double-DIN head unit with a DivX playing 7-inch touchscreen. It also has the same iPod connectivity (and video playback to boot), IMPRINT sound mapping that compensates for the acoustic differences from car to car, HD/Sat radio readiness, and Tag & Sync (HD Radio tagging to iTunes store buying of songs) like the IDA-X100 single-din head unit. It has Bluetooth audio streaming, a video input, output, and camera backup input. And it doubles as a GPS if you were to dock the traffic-capable second generation PMD-B200 blackbird handheld into its faceplate. [via Audio Junkies] -
cars
Alpine IDA-X100 iPod Headunit: Cool UI, Tags HD Radio Songs for iTunes Purchase
The Basics: Alpine's IDA-X100 is a foreign affair coming stateside in the spring. Not only does the 2.2-inch touchscreen mime the iPod's UI, but it has Bluetooth audio streaming, a USB port for memory stick audio playback, HD/Sat radio readiness, a "Tag and Sync" function that allows for keying of HD radio songs for later purchas eon iTunes, AAC and WMA support. It also has IMPRINT tech for mapping a car's acoustical peculiarities and overcoming. The line, a follow up to the IDA-X001, includes X200 and X300 models lower down the food chain that lack the nice screen. A pity they don't get that cool flip clock. And none of them get CD players. More » -
home entertainment
DirectTV-Enabled Media Centers Still Coming, Says Microsoft Job Listing
Chris Lanier, Media Center fan, has just found a couple job postings by Microsoft that point to an long-delayed introduction of DirecTV support in their Media Centers. The job postings point to Pay-Per-View access, HD in H.264, two-way communications to and from the satellite, and integration with both US and European satellite systems. The one note that Chris adds is that the Xbox 360 Extender will need to get another H.264 update in order to comply with the DTV's standards before this whole tuner business ships. [Chris Lanier's Blog] -
i need my hdtv
What Satellite Service is Better for Your HDTV?
On Black Friday, some of you walked home with your first HDTV. Or second. Discount voodoo is understandably hard to resist. But unless you've got HD content, you've got nothin' but a pretty frame. Since it's the holidays, you probably don't wanna screw around in customer service hell. If you've narrowed your choice down to satellite because of where you live or a prior (bad) experience with cable, we've done some homework for you, sorting through the near-legalese of HD packages and talking to chipper sales reps from the two majors, Dish Network and DirecTV. Which one offers the most HD goodness at the best rates?
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satellite in satellite
Direct TV Offering NASA HDTV in International Space Station, Service Calls To Be a Real Mother
When it comes to product placement, I can't think of a more high-profile scoop than the International Space Station. DirecTV is wisely offering NASA a chance to install a 42" HDTV, DirecTV Satellite DVR/receiver and a remote covered in Velcro to avoid losing the remote to spacewalk in the orbital lab. Guess you'd get tired of viewing the entire friggin' planet from space after a few days. [Forbes] -
slacker
Slacker Announces Aptly Named "Portable" Music Device
Last month we learned that online music service Slacker would debut its own player sometime before the holidays. Today the company made it official with the announcement of their "Portable" portable music player. The device features a 4-inch screen, 15, 20 and 40 station capacities, the ability to play your existing MP3s and WMAs, 10 hours of battery time, and it will work with Slacker Basic Radio and Premium Radio services. The Portable is now available for pre-order at $199.99 (15 stations, 2GB), $249.99 (25 stations, 4GB ) and $299.99 (40 stations, 8GB) . Expect the device to ship on, or before December 13th, 2007. [Slacker via Gearlog]
2,780
By Sean FallonComment by Hizzle: Why are people comparing the Slacker device to the Zune or IPod? It's not competing with these devices. Wouldn't it... more » | Other threads
satellite
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