It’s tough to read too much into this, but when  a couple of job applications hoping to bring on folks who can “radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services,” we can’t help but take note. The outfit’s currently seeking a pair of full-timers to be labeled as iOS Maps Application Developers, and it’s honing in on applicants with “excellent skills in object-oriented software design and programming.” We’ve felt for awhile that Apple’s built-in Maps application wasn’t even comparable to Google Maps Navigation, but it could be time for that to change. Even now, iOS users need to fork out cash on a legitimate turn-by-turn app if they’re hoping to navigate with the iPod touch or iPhone, but we can only hope that these applications are hinting at a more full-fledged internal program for the software’s next major iteration.’Course, we’re sure TomTom would.

Lasers destroy missiles, missiles shoot down satellites, and soon, satellites may tell both where to aim, as the United States successfully managed to track an entire ballistic missile launch from “birth-to-death” with its prototype Space Tracking and Surveillance System. After a year and a half in orbit, two Northrop Grumman-built satellites managed the feat last week, in what the company’s calling “the Holy Grail for missile defense.” While we’re not reading about any plans to mount any lasers on the satellite’s… ahem… heads, Space News reports that the US Navy will attempt to relay the satellite tracking data to its Aegis ships with interceptor missiles on board, and hopefully obliterate incoming projectiles with the extra range and reaction time that satellite coordinates afford. The Navy has reportedly scheduled its first game of space-based Missile Command for next month.

 

If you’ve updated your iPhone 4 to iOS 4.2.1 or above, you might be aware that there is currently no unlocking software available for the accompanying basebands. Naturally, we’d imagine the Dev-Team will soon provide a remedy for this lack of freedom, but for now, Gevey has you covered… somewhat. For $70, this imposter SIM promises to unlock, without the need to jailbreak, all the current basebands found embedded within 4.0 – 4.3. In the video after the break, it appears multiple — and frankly, just plain inconvenient — steps are required to get the kit working on your iPhone. What’s more, apparently you’ll need to do all of this again if you switch off the phone. Oh, and we should mention this involves snipping off a corner on your SIM card, and carriers tend not to like that. Our recommendation regarding this contraption? If you’re absolutely in the need of a carrier unlock and have the cash, proceed with caution. Otherwise, patience is your answer....

Source : Tehnology

  

were to venture beyond the web in favor of a more tangible medium to peddle its wares, it might consider something like Telepresence Tech’s new telepresence kiosk for the job. We got a surprise demo of the system at a Samsung event today and came away intrigued. The technology renders 2D images that float and rotate in space, giving retailers a way to let customers see their products as if they were actually there, and at a fraction of the cost — about $1.50 per hour — of paying meatbags to man a traditional brick-and-mortar store. A separate touchscreen lets shoppers scroll through available items, speak face to virtual face with customer service, and make purchases. Check the gallery to see more of what our retail future looks like.

In a new discovery that blurs the lines between stars and planets, astronomers at the University of Hawaii have found the coldest brown dwarf star yet, 75 light years from Earth. Surface temperatures of the star are only around 206 degrees F (or 97 degrees C). Brown dwarfs are sometimes called “failed stars” because they have the chemical properties of stars, but not enough mass to ignite nuclear fusion at their cores. The star, named CFBDSIR 1458 10b (and shown below in an artist’s interpretation), is part of a binary system in close orbit with another brown dwarf star.


The star has an estimated mass of only about 6 to 15 times that of Jupiter, and is the smaller and dimmer of the pair of binary stars. The star is so cold that it may even have a watery atmosphere with clouds. Though Jupiter is very cold, with surface temperatures around -236 degrees F, there have been “hot Jupiters” found that have surface temperatures up to 1000 degrees F. But the size of CFBDSIR 1458 10b is what classifies it as a star.

Study leader Michael Liu, astronomer at the University of Hawaii said, “Over the years there has been steady but slow progress in pushing the boundaries of finding the coldest stars. But with this latest discovery we have made a big leap forward—besting the previous record holder by at least 150 Kelvin [270 degrees F, or 150 degrees C].”

The faint infrared signature of the star was seen from the W.M Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, which are both located on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. But the star may not keep the title of “coldest” for very long. Astronomers with NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope are now trying to confirm another cold brown dwarf that has surface temperatures as low as 86 degrees F.

 

According to a report by a Japanese news agency, a radiation monitoring robot, aptly named Monirobo, is the first non-human responder to go on-site following the partial meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The machine, which was developed by Japan’s Nuclear Safety Technology Centre to operate at lethal radiation levels, reportedly began work Friday, enlisting a 3D camera, radiation detector, and heat and humidity sensors to monitor the extent of the damage. A second Monirobo, used to collect samples and detect flammable gases, is expected to join its red counterpart soon — both robots are operated by remote control from distances up to one kilometer away. They join the US Air Force’s Global Hawk drone in unmanned surveillance of the crisis.

Tonight it’s a Saturday night. It’s going to be beautiful tonight. Huge moons everywhere. I mean, sometimes the moon might seem big because it’s low on the horizon and there’s a tree in the way or something, but that just doesn’t even hold a candle to what’s going on tonight. It’s what’s called the perigee of the moon’s elliptical orbit. That’s an antonym of apogee. But I digress, the perigee is the point in the moon’s orbit where it’s closest to the earth. That’s tonight, and it’s pretty much going to be a full moon. Technically, it’s not going to quite be a full moon here in the Northern Hemisphere, but what are ya gonna do?




This particular astronomical occasion, when the moon is both full and at it’s perigee, only comes on once every twenty years or so. The last time it happened was in March of 1993. While the perigee is about 50km closer to the earth, it’s still 356,577 km away. This does make a siginificant impact to the moon’s visual appearance here on earth. The light reflecting from our lunar companion is going to be brighter, and the apparent visual size of the moon is going to be larger by 14%. I’m going to be howling extra loud tonight.

Take a look at this video, it explains everything. Then go outside tonight and take a look at the moon.

If you like this invention then vote for it here.

Liu says that the robot can fly in a figure of 8 more stably than a real helicopter. He mentioned that he further plans to make his latest invention float at one point in mid-air. In addition, the researcher looks forward to mount a micro camera on the robot by March 2011, reports Physorg.com. 

Though little, the robot has cost Liu a stunning 200 million yen ($2.1 million). It could be used for various purposes like rescuing people from ruins, looking for criminals and even serving as a probe vehicle on the red planet. "First, we need to learn about effective mechanism from natural life forms, but we want to develop something to go beyond nature eventually," said the scientist.

Source : InfNIAC