| NASA READIs early detection GPS network, aids first responders with earthquake warnings Apr 25th 2012, 12:21  After tacking space shuttle Discovery onto the back of a 747, the brainy gang over at NASA's READI for a new challenge -- earthquake detection. The agency's GPS-monitoring system, known as the Real-time Earthquake Analysis for Disaster Mitigation Network, is being tested with the goal of more accurately detecting the scale of quakes and, consequently, getting tsunami warnings out as soon as possible. The setup, made possible by a partnership between the Department of Defense, the National Space Foundation, and the United States Geological Survey, works by measuring ground displacement in real-time to provide a faster, more detailed assessment of imminent damage, thereby giving first responders a head start on determining aid. So the next time you look up to the night sky and wish upon a tracking star, keep in mind that sometimes privacy-skewing, positioning tech could just save your life. NASA READIs early detection GPS network, aids first responders with earthquake warnings originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  NASA | Email this | Comments | | Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video) Apr 25th 2012, 12:01  Sadly we can't all be spacemen. Commercial travel beyond the atmosphere is getting closer but still priced way, way, way beyond the budgetary constraints of mere human beings. The closest many of us will get to outer space is photography and, thanks to ever-cheaper and ever-more-durable cameras, getting those pictures is easier than ever. We recently visited Project Aether on location in Fairbanks Alaska, a group working to study what happens in the upper atmosphere and, along the way, inspire students around the world. Using a helium-filled weather balloon and a payload made of carbon fiber tubing, the team lofted a set of GoPro HD Hero 2 cameras, one of which captured photos of the green aurora borealis and, off to the side, the lingering the glow from a long-set sun. That black arc below? That's the earth. We'll have much, much more to come on Project Aether in an upcoming Distro feature, but for now, enjoy the video below -- and keep your head in the clouds. Continue reading Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video) Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Sprint reports Q1 2012 results: 1.5 million iPhone sales but a $255 million operating loss Apr 25th 2012, 11:25  Sprint Nextel has just deployed its Q1 2012 financials and it's a bit of a mixed bag, with a five percent net revenue growth over this time last year and a whopping 1.5 million sales of that iPhone it paid so dearly for -- twice as many as it sold last quarter and, of those, 44 percent were new subscribers. That helped to drive an overall postpaid subscriber growth of 263,000 but, despite some good news, the company is still suffering a $255 million operating loss and a $863 million net loss. Sprint reaffirmed its LTE plans, a pilot launch of six cities sometime in the middle of this year, with 12,000 sites going online before 2012 turns a year older. Will it be enough? Tune in next quarter to find out. Sprint reports Q1 2012 results: 1.5 million iPhone sales but a $255 million operating loss originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Sprint | Email this | Comments | | Sci-fi publisher announces Tor and Forge will go DRM-free with all e-book titles Apr 25th 2012, 10:48  Science fiction is often said to foresee the future, and today, that news couldn't ring more true. Tom Doherty Associates, a subsidiary of Macmillan and publisher of popular sci-fi and fantasy brands such as Tor and Forge, today announced that as of early July, all of its current e-books will be distributed without DRM restrictions. The company's president, Tom Doherty, revealed the shift as a long-time request of both its readers and authors -- which unsurprisingly, are a rather tech-savvy bunch. In addition to the move affecting all of Doherty's current sales channels, the move will allow the publisher to seek out independent e-book dealers that sell only DRM-free titles. While the move is unlikely to extend to the rest of Macmillan's properties anytime soon, just leave it to the sci-fi community to show others the way forward. Perhaps the future isn't gonna be so scary after all. Sci-fi publisher announces Tor and Forge will go DRM-free with all e-book titles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Boing Boing, paidContent | Tor Books | Email this | Comments | |
