| Record-breaking freefall advances space suit technology (video) Feb 8th 2012, 23:18 Jumping to Earth from the edge of space is no mean feat. Not only are you dropping like a stone, there's also the minor issue of your blood boiling as you do so. These are challenges daredevil Felix Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos team will be taking head-on -- literally -- with their record-breaking 120,000 foot "spacedive." To ensure Baumgartner lives to claim his honors, the Stratos team is using a custom spacesuit. It's designed by the David Clark Company, which made the first pressurized suits for World War II fighters, and includes a gas-filled bladder and integrated valve to maintain pressure over the various altitudes. While Baumgartner hopes to set new freefall distance, and time (5 minutes 30 seconds) records, there'll also be a lasting contribution to science, with team medical director Dr. Jonathan Clark hoping the developments can lead to advances in space travel and tourism. So in the future when you're opening your pretzels, looking down upon the Earth, raise a complimentary glass to Felix Continue reading Record-breaking freefall advances space suit technology (video) Record-breaking freefall advances space suit technology (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Fox News |  Red Bull | Email this | Comments | | NVIDIA and Rambus settle, sign patent deal, kiss and make up Feb 8th 2012, 22:23 Some of you thought it would never happen. You thought that these two mortal enemies would spend the rest of their multinational corporate lives alternately at each other throats and eyeing the other with suspicion from across the boardroom. After dropping some claims and winning others, Rambus has signed an agreement with NVIDIA that puts to rest their remaining legal disputes. The deal will allow NVIDIA to use patented Rambus tech in its products for the next five years, without fear of legal action -- though, neither side will say how much that privilege cost. Now that the battle between the two, which began way back in 2008, has finally come to a close we can all finally get back to the very important business of forgetting who or what Rambus is. NVIDIA and Rambus settle, sign patent deal, kiss and make up originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | PC World | Email this | Comments | | Path apologizes, deletes user contact data and updates app Feb 8th 2012, 22:01 The path to the executive apologies is paved with good intentions -- like the one issued today by Dave Morin. The Path CEO / co-founder posted a note apologizing for the contact sharing functionality that got his iPhone app in hot water. The letter titled, simply, "We're Sorry," outlines the company's focus on security (which it takes "very, very seriously") and the intended use for the feature, which uploaded user contact info to help connect people on the service. As a sign of good faith, the company will be deleting all of the uploaded information and making available version 2.0.6 of the service, which allows users to opt-in or out of contact sharing. Path apologizes, deletes user contact data and updates app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Path | Email this | Comments | | Google Screenwise panel will pay you to track your every move online Feb 8th 2012, 21:39  Don't mind letting Google watch your every click while browsing the web? Awesome, because the folks in Mountain View want to pay you for letting them do just that. The company is recruiting panelists for a project it's calling Screenwise, a program that will give the internet behemoth more insight into how the general public uses the interwebs day in and day out. Once you opt in, you'll receive a $5 gift card code to Amazon and for up to a year, you'll get additional spending money every three months. But how will The Goog track your mouse clicks? Just before getting paid, you'll have to download a browser extension that will keep an eye on things and send your data back to the mothership. If you're looking to make a little more dough, Ars Technica reports that you'll be able to opt for a more lucrative hardware monitoring option. Here, you'll have to install the Screenwise Data Collector (pictured above) on your home network; however, the pay out is an initial Benjamin and $20 for every month you participate. Sound like something you'd want in on? Hit the source link below to be notified when registration opens. Update: Google has passed along the following statement on the Screenwise project with a reminder that participation in the panel is 100% voluntary. Like many other web and media companies, we do panel research to help better serve our users by learning more about people's media use, on the web and elsewhere. This panel is one such small project that started near the beginning of the year. Of course, this is completely optional to join. People can choose to participate if it's of interest (or if the gift appeals) and everyone who does participate has complete transparency and control over what Internet use is being included in the panel. People can stay on the panel as long as they'd like, or leave at any time. Google Screenwise panel will pay you to track your every move online originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink TechCrunch | Google, Ars Technica | Email this | Comments | | AlphaDog robo pack-mule begins outdoor trials, noisily hikes into your nightmares Feb 8th 2012, 21:17  Boston Dynamics' LS3, better known 'round these parts as AlphaDog, has already wowed us with a display of its stability, power and mobility. Thing is, that little clip we caught back in October took place entirely within the safe and purposefully laid out confines of a laboratory. So, the question is, what happens when you take the rather noisy quadruped outside and strap a bunch of weight to it? Well, pretty much the same thing that happened while it was nice and cozy inside -- the beast powered through the reasonably rugged terrain with nary a hitch. By the end of the tests DARPA hopes to have a mighty robotic porter capable of carrying 400 pounds of gear up to 20 miles without refueling. Though, the trek is expected to be slow and arduous as a full 24 hours is target time frame for such a journey. For full PR and to see the bot in action head on after the break.
Continue reading AlphaDog robo pack-mule begins outdoor trials, noisily hikes into your nightmares AlphaDog robo pack-mule begins outdoor trials, noisily hikes into your nightmares originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink IEEE Spectrum | | Email this | Comments | |
