Category Archives: Technology

Watch World’s First Live 360 Degree Video of Rocket Launch Today

NASA, Technology

NASA, in coordination with United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Orbital ATK, will broadcast the world’s first live 360-degree stream of a rocket launch. The live 360 stream of the cargo resupply mission liftoff to the International Space Station may be viewed on the NASA Television YouTube channel starting 10 minutes prior to liftoff at https://go.nasa.gov/2oI2epW. Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft will launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket carrying more than 7,600 pounds of science research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory. Launch is targeted for today, April 18, during a 30-minute window that opens at 11:11 a.m. EDT.

To view in 360, use a mouse or move a personal device to look up and down, back and forth, for a 360-degree view around Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Note: Not all browsers support viewing 360 videos. YouTube supports playback of 360-degree videos on computers using Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera browsers. Viewers may use the YouTube app to view the launch on a smart phone. Those who own virtual reality headsets will be able to look around and experience the view as if they were actually standing on the launch pad.

While virtual reality and 360 technology have been increasing in popularity, live 360 technology is a brand-new capability that has recently emerged. Recognizing the exciting possibilities opened by applying this new technology to spaceflight, NASA, ULA, and Orbital ATK seized this opportunity to virtually place the public at the base of the rocket during launch. Minimum viewing distance is typically miles away from the launch pad, but the live 360 stream enables viewers to get a pads-eye view.

On the technology front; good news this week.

Computing, Technology,

Two advances in technology come to be this week that will have substantial impact (hopefully for good) on the future.

First being the heavily recognized Net-Neutrality.
Although the legal battles will begin, the Supreme Court potentially overturning, and possible loopholes in the FCC ruling; this will make everyone that uses the Internet very happy.
Net-Neutrality is the premise that the Internet should be available for everyone like it always has been.
Basically, you are for Net-Neutrality unless you are an evil person (or entity).
If you still don’t understand (and more importantly care to know) check out the tid-bit from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Net Neutrality.

The second lesser known is that the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) (via the IESG) approved the new HTTP/2 protocol for release. It is an update to the currently used HTTP 1.1 protocol that you use to browse the web with. It’s what makes those HTTP:\\ and HTTPS:\\ work.
This change should be virtually transparent to the user and will make websites load faster. Potentially bring new features to websites that currently cannot be done.
I do have some reservations that this technology will also be used for some nefarious purposes. The obvious one being new methods of sending advertisements to you, that may not be able to be blocked by Adblock/AdblockPlus tools.
The second would be much worse; as those same advertisement redirects could include crackers (bad hackers), attacking and using your computer in new ways that currently we don’t have any protection against.
Eventually those problems will resolve themselves over time and HTTP/2 will be come the new bedrock that HTTP 1.1 has been.

So amidst the chaos, confusion, and the sad loss of Leonard Nimoy (known for Mr. Spock from Star Trek). There is some good news this week that will (hopefully) have some substantial impact towards our future.

#Utopia2040/60

Microsoft and Windows 9

Computing, Technology, , ,

Two videos of the preview of Windows 9 give hope to Microsoft and the Windows Desktop.
They have finally integrated some long wanted features into the desktop. For example, a standardized Notification Center, multiple desktops (behavior similar to Mac OSX), and downscale of the Metro interface.
http://bgr.com/2014/09/15/windows-9-features-videos/

Along with those; the rumored integration of Cortana will make it a completely competitive desktop to Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS.

With the addition of Microsoft’s relationship with Osterhout Design Group. ODG has some amazing tech including Augmented Reality glasses (http://www.osterhoutgroup.com/)
Which will hands down beat Google Glass and Oculus Rift as the interface of choice.

If you’re unsure, check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrDgFjBSVuE#t=447

The whole video is pretty cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrDgFjBSVuE

The future..
microsoft-augmented-reality-glasses

Symphony of Science “We Are All Connected”

NASA, Science, Technology

Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan

“We Are All Connected” was made from sampling Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, The History Channel’s Universe series, Richard Feynman’s 1983 interviews, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s cosmic sermon, and Bill Nye’s Eyes of Nye Series, plus added visuals from The Elegant Universe (NOVA), Stephen Hawking’s Universe, Cosmos, the Powers of 10, and more. It is a tribute to great minds of science, intended to spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through the medium of music.


symphonyofscience.com

science is real

Environmental, Science, Technology, , ,

I’m sitting in the bus, and these two people are talking about how they wished that some of that technology on Star Trek would come true. Like the lapel button you can push to talk to someone. I simply replied “I want one of those communication devices that you can talk to anyone anywhere. Oh we have those, it’s called a cell phone. And your button, it’s called blue tooth headset.”

This started with my watching of F@x Ooz about “Do you believe Global Warming is real?”

Seriously?? Do you believe that Science is real? I mean that’s the question you’re asking. Are you real? Only the people that “Believe” that global warming isn’t real are the same people that “believe” computers are run by black magic inside.

Seriously people, we live in the modern age. If Science is real, then Global Warming is real. If you don’t believe that, get out of my society and go back to the trees that you belong in!