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Wednesday 15 May 2013

DIY iPhone Microscope Costs $8 to Make



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Larry Page Reminded Us Why We Love Google Today

40 años del lanzamiento del Skylab

El Skylab fotografiado desde el Apolo SL 4

SL4-143-4706: El Skylab fotografiado desde el Apolo SL 4 - NASA


Casi se me pasa el 40 aniversario del lanzamiento del Skylab, la primera –y única– estación espacial estadounidense, que a diferencia de la Estación Espacial Internacional no fue ensamblada en órbita sino lanzada de una sola pieza a lomos del último Saturno V.


Afortunadamente a Daniel Marín no se le ha escapado y en 40 años del Skylab hace una magnífica semblanza de este proyecto, desde sus orígenes hasta su herencia.


[…] un proyecto que surgió a destiempo entre dos épocas, la «vieja» era del Apolo y el rutilante futuro que prometía el transbordador espacial. Un proyecto que pudo haber sentado las bases para una presencia permanente en el espacio por parte de los EEUU, pero que la NASA prefirió dejar pasar.

De lectura obligatoria para espaciotrastornados.


# Enlace Permanente







via Microsiervos http://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/ciencia/40-anos-del-lanzamiento-del-skylab.html

El Kepler sufre una avería que pondrá fin a su misión como cazaplanetas

Kepler en órbita - NASA

Impresión artística del Kepler en órbita - NASA


Hacía meses que venía dando problemas, pero según se puede leer en Kepler Mission Manager Update , al final ha fallado un segundo giroscopio en el telescopio espacial Kepler de la NASA.


Los volantes de reacción del Kepler - Ball Aerospace

Los volantes de reacción del Kepler van montados en la parte inferior de la sonda - Ball Aerospace


En estas condiciones es imposible mantenerlo estabilizado con la precisión necesaria como para que siga adelante con la misión para la que fue diseñado, la de localizar planetas extrasolares, pues para ello miraba fijamente una porción del espacio próxima a la constelación del Cisne con el objetivo de detectar las pequeñas variaciones en la cantidad de luz que le llegaba de las estrellas cuando pasaba por delante de ellas un planeta, utilizando el método de los tránsitos.


Detalle de la zona que cubre el fotómetro - NASA

Detalle del área que observaba el Kepler - NASA


Pero en realidad no se ha portado nada mal, pues el Kepler llevaba ya desde 2012 en su misión extendida, que estaba programada para haber durado hasta 2016.


Durante todo este tiempo ha recogido ingentes cantidades de datos, que aún tendrán que terminar de ser analizados, y ha permitido la localización de 2.749 de candidatos a exoplanetas, de los que se habían confirmado 114 hasta febrero de 2013, incluyendo los planetas extrasolares similares a la Tierra más pequeños conocidos hasta ahora.


En cualquier caso, aunque el Kepler no pueda seguir a la caza de planetas más allá de nuestro sistema solar eso no quiere decir que no pueda seguir realizando otro tipo de observaciones que necesiten menos precisión en su estabilización, algo para lo que aún tiene combustible para años.


# Enlace Permanente







via Microsiervos http://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/ciencia/kepler-sufre-averia-pondra-fin-mision-como-cazaplanetas.html

Google Play Music All Access Hands On: All You Want (Minus Friends)

Indoor Mapping Startup Meridian Adds Notification Zones To Their Strategy

Meridian Zones

Indoor mapping software startup Meridian, continues to evolve their product strategy with a recent update to their offering.


Called Zones , the company’s newest update to their indoor mapping platform — and indoor is the key word here — allows geo-fence style app push notifications to be scheduled, by drawing polygons on location maps. When customers with the accompanying app walk into one of those indoor areas represented by the polygon on the map…Bam! They get a push notification.


To be sure, it’s a real marketing opportunity and a concept underserved by the current, mostly GPS-based location awareness model for mobile devices.


Differentiators

There are several geo-fencing platforms out there — PlaceCast, Digby Localpoint, Wifarer and ShopKick all come to mind — so what is the big deal here? Meridian’s VP of Marketing Jeff Hardison, believes there are several differences in the Meridian approach.


First of all, this notification system will work even when the accompanying app is not open nor in active use — essentially working while the app is in background mode — without significant battery drain. Other geo-fence providers might be able to do this via GPS or cell tower triangulation, but not by WiFi sensing, which is how Meridian works. This means that once the WiFi network the location is using is recognized, that network can “wake up” the app and send push notifications when different Zones of the store are passed through.


Most importantly, per Meridian’s secret sauce and strategy, this works with Wi-Fi triangulation for indoor maps and can function at a sensitivity of about 10 feet. This gives the system an advantage in locations where GPS antennas often fail — like, say, in a casino under ground parking garage.


Recap

To recap how Meridian’s technology works, the company has built a CMS and rapid app building platform so that partnered companies can upload maps of their locations into the CMS.


Once their location maps are digitized and uploaded to the CMS tool, the geo-fences can be drawn on the location maps. The new or existing WiFi hotspots in the locations are then coupled with the map data.


Accompanying mobile apps — also built with this system — can access the map data in order to display accurate indoor maps, based on location. Now the push notifications have been added to the mix.


Software Development Kit

You may have uncovered what could be seen as the Achilles Heel in the strategy, in that a brand’s native app must be built with Meridian’s app rapid builder technology (another offering they have). That could seem like a limitation for brands that already have their own app, and don’t want to rebuild with Meridian’s proprietary app-building tool.


However, Jeff said the team is currently piloting an SDK approach for the Zones platform, so brands with existing apps can use the new push notification system with an existing app. This will be deployed in the coming months.


Meridian is currently wrapping up live pilots with The Bellagio in Las Vegas and also with Fernbank Museum. They’ve also received some recognition from Cisco as a best of breed provider of indoor mapping technology and Cisco has actually integrated some of Meridian’s technology into their own hardware platforms.








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Google TV officially updated to latest versions of Android and Chrome, faster updates promised going forward



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Apple marks 50 billion downloads from the App Store



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Google asks Microsoft to remove YouTube app for WP8, takes issue with lack of ads



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Slickdeals' best in tech for May 15th: Dell UltraSharp display and HTC 8X



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El Observatorio Herschel inicia su último viaje




Durante la noche del 14 al 15 de mayo de 2013 los motores del Observatorio Espacial Herschel se encendieron por última vez para ponerlo rumbo a su órbita definitiva, una vez terminada su vida útil.


Esto era necesario porque la órbita que ocupó durante esta, alrededor del punto de Lagrange L2, era inestable, una situación en la que los responsables de la Agencia Espacial Europea no querían dejarlo para evitar cualquier tipo de problema en el futuro.


Así, las opciones que se manejaban eran o bien hacerlo chocar contra la superficie de la Luna, o bien la que e ha escogido al final, aparcarlo en una órbita estable en la que no vaya a molestar, al menos no durante los próximos cientos de años.


Herschel sigue aún en contacto con el equipo de control de la misión para realizar unas últimas pruebas, pero en cuanto llegue a su órbita será apagado definitivamente.


Claro que eso en realidad no es el fin de la misión, pues aún queda el trabajo de terminar de procesar todos los datos que recogió y publicarlos para su libre acceso, tareas que probablemente duraran hasta 2017.


Y también toca mirar hacia delante, para lo que la ESA se plantea participar en el lanzamiento del SPICA de la Agencia Japonesa de Exploración Aeroespacia.


El Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics, el Telescopio Espacial Infrarrojo para Cosmología y Astrofísica, es una nave similar al Herschel, y de hecho contará con un espejo de 3,5 metros, igual que el del Herschel, pero que a diferencia del de este estará refrigerado hasta los 4,5 kelvin, unos 268 grados bajo cero, lo que lo hará más sensible.


# Enlace Permanente







via Microsiervos http://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/ciencia/observatorio-herschel-inicia-ultimo-viaje.html

Google Wallet will soon let you send payments as a Gmail attachment



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NTT DoCoMo details its 150Mbps LTE rollout, plans to double base stations



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New Google Maps Looks Spectacular



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Stained Glass Labs Launches As A Wearable Computing Startup Incubator

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Wearable computing looks more and more like the inevitable future, so today Stained Glass Labs launches to help entrepreneurs develop apps and businesses around Google Glass and similar devices. The incubator and accelerator will offer mentorship, office space, and one day maybe funding as well.


Stained Glass Labs is spearheaded by Redg Snodgrass, who formerly supported innovation and developers at Alcatel-Lucent, and worked at startups Skout and Taploid. The group aims to give entrepreneurs “the tools, the technology, the connections, and the support to take [wearable computing] products to a main stream market.” Those hoping to join Stained Glass Labs can apply now. It’s looking for both idea-stage companies to incubate, and funded startup with a product in the works to accelerate.


To aid those admitted, Stained Glass Labs will provide office space plus inroads to PR. It has also assembled a team of mentors “who have been successful entrepreneurs from all sides of the industry to be a sounding board and helping hand.” The mentors include Charles Hudson of SoftTech VC, Jacob Mullins of Exitround (and formerly Shasta Ventures), Greg Gopman of AngelHack, Ashwin Navin of BitTorrent, Julie Mossler of Waze, and Andy McLoughlin of Huddle.


Though the organization has no equity investment component, so those admitted don’t have to give up a stake, Stained Glass Labs wouldn’t legally be able to talk about it if they were raising a fund. One interesting quirk is that the incubator has a preference for second-time entrepreneurs rather than rookies.


Stained Glass Labs will operate in a similar space as the better-established powerhouse partnership Glass Collective, which will see Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, and Google Ventures sharing wearable computing startup funding deal flow.


Right now, Stained Glass Labs seems a bit half-baked, but it has a lot of potential. Wearable computing will spawn a huge ecosystem of startups. If Snodgrass and his incubator can forge relationships with these companies early on, they could gain power as the startups grow alongside the wearable wave.








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Google Maps redesigned with improved search, ratings and offers experience



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Google's conversational voice search reaches the desktop through Chrome



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Google Now adds reminder cards, real-time public transit info and music recommendations



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Google Play for Education Makes Software, Devices Affordable



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Google shows off Auto Enhance and Highlights photo-editing tools



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Google launches new Google+ Hangouts with focus on conversations



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Google+ gets a new multi-column card design and ability to automatically add hashtags



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Google Chrome Now Has 750 Million Active Users



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Google Announces Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4



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Google Hangouts: Unified Chat, Unlimited Reach

Feds Seize Assets of World's Largest Bitcoin Exchange

Google intros Play for Education, a curated portal for apps and books



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Google announces new Checkout button, one-click purchases on the go



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Google unveils Samung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android Jelly Bean



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Google Play gets dedicated chart for Android tablet apps, web redesign



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Google launches All Access music-streaming service in the US



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Google Cloud Messaging Gets Faster



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Google Announces 3 New Location Services for Android



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How to Watch the Google I/O Keynote



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Google intros Android Studio, an IDE for building apps



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Google outs new Maps and Location APIs, brings geofencing and low power location services



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