6:53 PM
Boeing's Phantom Ray, their newest spy UAV, had its first flight on Monday. The UAV can reach 614 mph at 40,000 feet while carrying 4,000 pounds, one of the fastest UAVs ever. NASA also celebrated this test flight because the UAV rode on a 747 designed to ferry the space shuttle, so NASA proved it could find a new use for space shuttle technologies after the shuttles are retired:
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/boeings-phantom-ray-uav-makes-its-first-flight
The US Army plans to give smartphones as early as next year to soldiers so that they can access real-time intelligence and track fellow soldiers and enemies. Soldiers will get to choose between the iPhone and Android OS. The Army will start testing smartphones in February and plans to give soldiers a monthly stipend so that they can buy apps that they need:
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/12/14/smartphones-going-into-battle-army-says/
Japan's space probe failed in its mission to enter into orbit around Venus. It was supposed to be the first Japanese satellite to orbit a planet other than Earth:
http://www.asdnews.com/news/32301/Japan_space_probe_failed_to_enter_Venus_orbit:_JAXA.htm
Voyager 1 has reached the outer edge of the solar system where wind from the Sun is no longer blowing outward, but sideways. It is expected to exit the solar system and enter interstellar space in about 4 years:
http://www.asdnews.com/news/32449/Voyager_spacecraft_nears_exit_of_solar_system.htm
Florida scientists were able to capture X-rays from lightning for the first time using a camera the size of a refrigerator:
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/12/Imaging-Scientists-capture-X-rays-from-lightning-for-the-first-time/
UConn biologist is showing how *seaweed* can be used to clean up pollution from human sources and even to clean up waste from fish and people. Seaweeds have properties that allow them to clean up excess nutrients in polluted areas, making them healthier, more productive, and more economically viable:
http://today.uconn.edu/?p=26464
Investors are in talks to buy 30% of Nokia Siemens:
http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=461049
Freescale plans to IPO in the first half of next year:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN147732720101215
Google and UC-Santa Cruz students sent 7 Nexus S smartphones into the edge of space to test the durability and information-gathering skills of its compass, gyro, and accelerometer, while dedicated GPS modules were installed in each "shuttle" to help recover the Nexus S as it returned to earth. The "shuttles" were made out of styrofoam beer coolers! Most of the balloons carrying the Nexus S phones went higher than 32,000 meters and the phone survived their trip past 32,000 feet and crash landing, still working after they were recovered. Google is actually in talks with a UK-based satellite manufacturer to build small "commodity" satellites based on the Nexus S technology:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/14/google-fires-nexus-s-into-space-invites-tenuous-galaxy-s-analog/
Yet another sign that the iPhone is coming to Verizon--the iPhone is listed when you go to the page on Verizon's website and go to their "Shop for Smartphones" page:
http://www.tipb.com/2010/12/14/verizon-listing-apple-ios-ipad/
Dell has an AMAZING deal to try to get business during this Christmas shopping season--instead of having to pay for a Droid X, Droid Pro, or HTC Droid Incredible, Dell will *pay* those customers $25! Wow, next time I'm waiting for Christmas season before I get a smartphone...
http://www.droid-life.com/2010/12/15/buy-a-droid-x-incredible-or-pro-from-dell-and-theyll-hand-you-25/
Google added personal voice recognition to their voice search feature, so you can train the voice search on your voice:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/voice-search-gets-personal.html
The Nook Color e-reader will be updated to Android 2.2 in January and have some access to apps on the Android Marketplace. At $249 with WiFi and a fast web browser with Flash and no service plan charges, this could be an interesting Android tablet alternative:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20101214/tc_yblog_technews/bn-nook-color-e-reader-to-get-android-2-2-update-android-market-access
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/boeings-phantom-ray-uav-makes-its-first-flight
The US Army plans to give smartphones as early as next year to soldiers so that they can access real-time intelligence and track fellow soldiers and enemies. Soldiers will get to choose between the iPhone and Android OS. The Army will start testing smartphones in February and plans to give soldiers a monthly stipend so that they can buy apps that they need:
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/12/14/smartphones-going-into-battle-army-says/
Japan's space probe failed in its mission to enter into orbit around Venus. It was supposed to be the first Japanese satellite to orbit a planet other than Earth:
http://www.asdnews.com/news/32301/Japan_space_probe_failed_to_enter_Venus_orbit:_JAXA.htm
Voyager 1 has reached the outer edge of the solar system where wind from the Sun is no longer blowing outward, but sideways. It is expected to exit the solar system and enter interstellar space in about 4 years:
http://www.asdnews.com/news/32449/Voyager_spacecraft_nears_exit_of_solar_system.htm
Florida scientists were able to capture X-rays from lightning for the first time using a camera the size of a refrigerator:
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/12/Imaging-Scientists-capture-X-rays-from-lightning-for-the-first-time/
UConn biologist is showing how *seaweed* can be used to clean up pollution from human sources and even to clean up waste from fish and people. Seaweeds have properties that allow them to clean up excess nutrients in polluted areas, making them healthier, more productive, and more economically viable:
http://today.uconn.edu/?p=26464
Investors are in talks to buy 30% of Nokia Siemens:
http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=461049
Freescale plans to IPO in the first half of next year:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN147732720101215
Google and UC-Santa Cruz students sent 7 Nexus S smartphones into the edge of space to test the durability and information-gathering skills of its compass, gyro, and accelerometer, while dedicated GPS modules were installed in each "shuttle" to help recover the Nexus S as it returned to earth. The "shuttles" were made out of styrofoam beer coolers! Most of the balloons carrying the Nexus S phones went higher than 32,000 meters and the phone survived their trip past 32,000 feet and crash landing, still working after they were recovered. Google is actually in talks with a UK-based satellite manufacturer to build small "commodity" satellites based on the Nexus S technology:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/14/google-fires-nexus-s-into-space-invites-tenuous-galaxy-s-analog/
Yet another sign that the iPhone is coming to Verizon--the iPhone is listed when you go to the page on Verizon's website and go to their "Shop for Smartphones" page:
http://www.tipb.com/2010/12/14/verizon-listing-apple-ios-ipad/
Dell has an AMAZING deal to try to get business during this Christmas shopping season--instead of having to pay for a Droid X, Droid Pro, or HTC Droid Incredible, Dell will *pay* those customers $25! Wow, next time I'm waiting for Christmas season before I get a smartphone...
http://www.droid-life.com/2010/12/15/buy-a-droid-x-incredible-or-pro-from-dell-and-theyll-hand-you-25/
Google added personal voice recognition to their voice search feature, so you can train the voice search on your voice:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/voice-search-gets-personal.html
The Nook Color e-reader will be updated to Android 2.2 in January and have some access to apps on the Android Marketplace. At $249 with WiFi and a fast web browser with Flash and no service plan charges, this could be an interesting Android tablet alternative:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20101214/tc_yblog_technews/bn-nook-color-e-reader-to-get-android-2-2-update-android-market-access