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Thursday, 30 June 2005
RTF Update
T -13 days, 8 minutes.And counting.
Background Information
Yep, it's that Hatbag time of the week again. Go, read, vote! Thanks!Especially you, Richie!
Today In History
On this date in 1971, cosmonauts Viktor Patsayev, Georgi Dobrovolsky and Vladislav Volkov died during the return to Earth in their Soyuz 11 vehicle after leaving the Salyut 1 space station, due to decompression of the Soyuz spacecraft during descent.
Impact Astronomy
For any skywatchers in the audience, here's some info on watching the Deep Impact comet collision Monday.
RTF Update
Today's the day.NASA senior managers are currently winding down the two-day Flight Readiness Review for the STS-114 Return to Flight mission, during which they will decide if and when Discovery will be ready to launch.
An announcement of an official launch date could come as early as 11:30 a.m. CDT.
Addendum: Make that no earlier than 1:30 p.m. CDT.
iPhone Update
So according to this article, Motorala's iTunes-equipped phone will be unveiled within the next few weeks and will begin shipping by the end of the year.The article also posits that an entire line of iTunes phone -- from low end to high end -- will be announced, which is news I like, because there's a limit to how much I would pay for it.
Still unsure as to how interested I am in the phone. To be tempting, it would ideally have iTunes, a camera, possibly Bluetooth, and, of course, an Apple logo somewhere.
Addendum: Additional information -- some interesting, some dubious -- at Cult of Mac.
Wednesday, 29 June 2005
The Last Planet
You can send your name to Pluto on NASA's New Horizons mission.
Web Ring
When I saw this link, it struck me as sounding almost like one of those too-good-to-true Web things, but I tried it last night, and it works. Mobile17 will let you turn an mp3 file into a ringtone and send it to your phone for free. Pretty darned cool.(Now all we need is for Joe to compose a special limited-edition ATW ringtone.)
Editorial Note
After several months of growth, traffic at hatbag.net slumped the last couple of months (pretty significantly in April), but my webstats are showing that, with two days left in the month, June already holds the record for most unique IP visits to the domain. Thanks, all!
Today In History
On this date 10 years ago, the Space Shuttle docked with Mir for the first time, on the STS-71 mission of Atlantis (roughly 20 years after the previous international space docking).
Fly Buy
With the issue of U.S. access to ISS nearing a crisis point, the White House is petitioning Congress for relief. After earlier remarks indicating it would not reach this point, the administration has asked Congress to amend the Iran Nonproliferation Act to allow NASA to purchase Soyuz seats from Russia. Without the amendment or some other agreement, NASA would no longer be able to use the Russian vehicles starting next spring. While the agency would be able to use the Shuttle to carry astronauts to and from the Station, they would not be able to stay for long duration missions without a lifeboat to assure a safe return to Earth in the event of a problem.
Humaniform
It's been a while since this blog has done a good robot holocaust update, but this story about a lifelike robot certainly seems to fit the bill pretty well.
RTF Update
All the pieces appear to be on the table, and NASA's senior managers are meeting today and tomorrow for the Flight Readiness Review that will determine officially the launch date for STS-114.Administrator Mike Griffin said that, barring the unforeseen, the agency will most likely emerge from the FRR ready to go.
According to the currect schedule, today is two weeks until launch.
Tuesday, 28 June 2005
Movies A La Muppets
Statler and Waldorf review the trailers.For the Muppetphiles in the audience.
What's The Frequency
From Wired.com:How's this for irony?
A sacked TV pilot about a large number of people who stay in touch through an underground data network has popped up on ... well, an underground data network.
The WB television network passed on the pilot for Global Frequency, a sci-fi adventure series based on the graphic novel by English scribe Warren Ellis.
But that didn't stop someone from leaking the pilot on the internet. The file eventually found its way into the BitTorrent network.
RTF Update
Given the mainstream media coverage of NASA, it's no wonder a lot of people have the opinions they do. Yesterday, the independent Return To Flight Task Group announced that, while it agreed that NASA had met 12 of the CAIB recommendations, it believes agency had failed to meet three others.I saw the first official report on the Netscape home page last night, which had a headline along the lines of "NASA slammed on safety."
Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. Here are some quotes from yesterday's hearing:
"I would not have a concern about flying," [board chair and former astronaut Dick Covey] said.
Said board member Joe Cuzzupoli: "We feel it is a safe vehicle to fly, based on their inputs."
While the mainstream headlines have backed off a bit from yesterday, they still strike me as a bit more negative than the facts warrant.
The article I linked to also indicates that NASA senior managers plan to give a "go" for launch next month at this week's Flight Readiness Review.
In other RTF news, loading of hypergolic propellants began last Wednesday, and will be completed this week, another sign that the agency appears to be serious about launching soon.
As of this writing, we are at T -15 days, 5 hours, 37 minutes. And counting.
How Quaint
Still one of those folks using one of those old-timey black-and-white-only iPods? Well, it's now officially obsolete.
It's Been... Years
To be sure, this is definitely one from the "I'll believe it when I see it category," but apparently the success of the new Battlestar Galactica TV series may provide enough leverage to bring about a classic Galactica big-screen movie, which could be kinda cool. Hard to imagine a greenlight for two different versions of a property being released at the same time, but less so than it once was.
Monday, 27 June 2005
Indian Enterprise
So that little symbol to the right is the logo of India's space program, the Indian Space Research Organisation. One wonders where they got the idea.
RTF Update
Should the launch be delayed beyond the next window, which extends until the end of July, the next available opportunity will begin in September (STS-121 is currently scheduled for launch during that window, with a date now set for NET Sept. 9).
When the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost on January 28, 1986, the next launch was not until two years and eight months later, on Sept. 29, 1988.
It has now been two years and almost five months since the loss of Columbia. If STS-114 launches either in July or September, the RTF delay this time will be less than the last; this hiatus would not pass the post-51-L gap until October 3.
FYI, the year-or-more pauses in American spaceflight have been:
- Post-STS-107 RTF: Feb. 1, 2003 until ... -- 2 years, 4 months, 26 days, so far
- Post-51-L RTF: Jan. 28, 1986 until Sept. 29, 1988 -- 2 years, 8 months, 1 day
- Apollo/Shuttle Gap: July 24, 1975 until April 12, 1981 -- 5 years, 8 months, 19 days
- Gemini/Apollo Gap: Nov. 15, 1966 until Oct. 11, 1968 -- 1 year, 11 months, 27 days. (Includes Apollo I RTF, from Jan. 27, 1967 until Oct. 11, 1968, 1 year, 8 months, 15 days.)
- Mercury/Gemini Gap: May 16, 1963 until March 23, 1965 -- 1 year, 10 months, 7 days
Addendum: The launch date announcement will be Thursday.
Cingularity
In potentially good news for this blog, Cingular is reportedly considering offering the planned Motorola iTunes phone, which will reportedly be released sometime during the next three months.Still waiting for some sort of details about the phone itself, though, before I know whether it would actually be something I'd be interested in.
Golden Halo
From TheStreet.com:Apple's increasingly looks like it is as good a short-term trade here as it is a long-term investment.
...
Regardless, pretty much every indicator and check that I can find confirms that the magnitude of the halo effect is quite profound, and that any impact that the processor transition is going to have won't affect that magnitude except on the extreme fringes. Indeed, I think Apple has cooked itself up a heckuva strong quarter yet again, and that it's going to sail past the Street's estimates and raise guidance going forward.
Bucking The Trend
You know, just because Jason Todd is apparently back in the DC Universe, that does not mean that Marvel needs to follow suit. Some people should just stay dead, you know.
Sunday, 26 June 2005
All They Survey
Saturday, 25 June 2005
Bewitched
Just got back from watching Bewitched. Not as bad as I'd been led to believe. As a whole, it has some issues, but it does have some decent parts.
On a side note, the theater we watched it at is showing both Bewitched and The Honeymooners.
Or, for those that are tired of movie retreads of old sitcoms, there's also The Longest Yard and Herbie.
Plus, throw in Star Wars and Batman, and a full half of the dozen movies playing on the 18 screens are properties more than two decades old.
Friday, 24 June 2005
Hail The King
The AP just put out an interesting article about B.B. King.
iVideo
It looks like the day of the video iPod is almost here, whether Steve Jobs likes it or not.Per ipodlounge:
Seventy-five movies in the palm of your hand? With the upcoming Movie Player accessory for Dock Connecting iPods, the answer could be “yes” by November, 2005. Over the iPod’s short lifespan, accessories have already evolved Apple’s digital music player into a mini-PDA, voice recorder, photo box, laser pointer, and walking iGuy. Now video game accessory maker Nyko plans to take a giant evolutionary step forward: its Movie Player morphs any iPod, iPod mini, or iPod photo into a full-fledged video player and recorder. Plus, thanks to a high-resolution color screen, it also displays considerably more detailed digital photographs than even Apple’s own iPod photo.
Thursday, 23 June 2005
Working For The Man
Yep, it's that Hatbag time of the week again. Go, read, vote! Thanks!
Unwired
So it turns out the Tutors live in one of the nation's top 100 cities for wireless internet access.
Eye In The Sky
Despite a press release stating that the above image is a picture of a dust ring around a star that gives evidence for the discovery of a new planet, it's pretty clear that the Hubble Space Telescope has discovered Sauron.
Lost Spacecraft Update
Despite what appeared to be weak telemetry data yesterday morning, the solar sail spacecraft Cosmos 1 appears to have been lost.
Technology Chained
TrekToday has an article about one of the designers who played a major role in the look of the Enterprises from the original series movies and the Next Generation. His comments about some of the elements he designed that were never used are kind of interesting.
Wednesday, 22 June 2005
Conjunction Junction
For the skygazers in the audience, Mercury, Venus and Saturn are going to be doing some cool stuff this weekend.
Today In History
On this date in 1978, Pluto's moon, Charon, was discovered by astronomer James Christy.Also on this date, in 1973, the first crew of Skylab returned to Earth after their record-setting stay in space.
Lost Spacecraft
Cosmos 1, the Planetary Society's solar sail spacecraft, disappeared yesterday after its launch on a Russian booster. After ground stations did not receive any signals from the spacecraft, there were reports from Russia that the booster had malfunctioned in a way that caused it to fail to place the spacecraft in orbit. Now, however, mission controllers have announced that they have received what appears to be telemetry from the spacecraft, indicating that it may well be in some sort of orbit.A technology testbed for Cosmos 1 was lost in 2001 due to the failure of its Russian Volna launch vehicle.
Into The Dark
Ah, let the days of joy and frustration begin! The first issue of Kurt Busiek's unsuprisingly-much-delayed Astro City: The Dark Age "maxiseries" hits shelves today. Man, I love me some Astro City.In other comics news, I was amused by this list of upcoming Marvel movies (more Hulk!), which includes things like this:
On next August’s Ghost Rider, Arad said the big-budget Nick Cage "morality tale” will sport a PG-13 rating and a "Southern rock" soundtrack and ethos, that one scene will feature Ghost Rider facing off against a CGI, The Perfect Storm-like tidal wave, and at one point he’ll be completely submerged… though Arad added you can’t extinguish hellfire.
D'oh!
To be sure, the new package design for Season 6 of the Simpsons is clever, and I would probably really like it, if I didn't already have five seasons in more conventional, but matching, packaging. If they had started doing these sets from the beginning, that would be one thing (though I question how it'll look on the shelf), but I don't like them switching in midstream.
Tuesday, 21 June 2005
BTW
Happy first day of summer!
Partners?
The issue of international cooperation in the Vision for Space Exploration has been something of a touchy one. While Bush and former NASA administrator O'Keefe both said from the beginning that the Vision would involve the participation of other nations, other nations have pointed out that none have actually been asked to participate.If this report on Space.com is true, that apparently is changing:
The Russian Federal Space Agency is considering a US proposal to participate in its Moon program.
"We have received an official invitation from NASA to join the Moon program and are now considering it," Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov told a news conference at the Interfax main office on Tuesday.
Perminov said the matter will be discussed in greater detail in autumn. Missions to other planets and the Moon "are only in NASA plans."
Such serious programs can be carried out only through international partnership, he said. "The safety and reliability of flights requires international cooperation," he said.
Addendum: Meanwhile, Japan is making plans to, by 2025, establish a Moonbase -- for robots!
KSNN RTF
Another NASA site for kids and educators about Return to Flight is now online, and it features a bit more of my work than the last one did.
RTF Update
After being moved back to the pad, Discovery is now a step closer to being ready to launch than it got before the rollback -- the payload for the STS-114 mission has been loaded in its cargo bay.Florida Today reports that NASA officials are confident that the RTF mission will fly in July.
Today In History
Of course, today, one year after the era of private spaceflight began, said era has been on hiatus for well over half a year. SpaceShipOne was effectively mothballed after its second October X Prize flight, and despite all the talk of future vehicles, none has set a launch date yet.
Still, while, unlike a year ago today, it would be no more possible today for someone to fly into space on a private spacecraft than it was two years ago, things are changing. Though no one has a working vehicle today, many are in development, and, while it's quieter than other space races have been, the stakes for the companies trying to be the first to put a passenger into space are very real.
Sail Away
The Planetary Society's Cosmos I spacecraft will launch today at 2:26 p.m. CDT. The Earth orbiter will test a solar-sail propulsion technology demonstrator system, beginning with the deployment of its sails on Sunday.Addendum: While the Planetary Society's site seems (understandably) slow today, Spaceref has an article about how you can spot Cosmos 1 flying overhead.
Unity
Want to be part of the Star Trek universe? A new fan series, Unity, is starting up and looking for people to be involved.
Monday, 20 June 2005
RTF Update
I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, so I could be wrong, but if my math is correct (and, knowing me, that's a big if), the countdown to the launch of STS-114 is now at the lowest point it's ever reached, at 23 days.
Trailer On The Moon
collectSPACE has the teaser trailer for Magnificent Desolation, the 3D IMAX movie coming out in September about the Apollo missions to the Moon. I loved the Space Station 3D movie, and am really looking forward to seeing this one.
Used tags: 3_d, apollo, collectspace, history, moon, movies, space
Manual Progress
From Spaceflight Now:Space station commander Sergei Krikalev took over manual control of an approaching Russian supply ship this evening and remotely guided the robotic craft to a picture-perfect docking after problems prevented an automatic linkup.
The unmanned Progress supply craft, launched Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, was poised for final approach when a problem on the ground prevented Russian flight controllers from sending commands to initiate the procedure.
Shattered Trek
TrekToday has an article about how the recent split of Viacom Inc. will affect Trek, with movies and television now in two separate groups. While there's every possibility that it will end up being bad news for the franchise, I did find this part interesting: "It is likely that joint licensing will occur, but the possibility remains that there will be no single individual at the head of the entire Star Trek franchise as Berman has been for the past nearly two decades."
HMS iPod
A recent article in Entertainment Weekly revealed that Steven Spielberg is an iPod owner, and now it's being reported that Queen Elizabeth II just became the owner of an iPod mini.(Which almost begs for consideration as a playlist topic.)
Sunday, 19 June 2005
Starr Tours
For those on the blog that might be interested in such things, Garrison Starr is starting a tour that will take her to Nashville on Friday, June 24, and to Memphis on Saturday, July 2.
Today In History
Garfield turns 27 today!
Let the people rejoice.
Saturday, 18 June 2005
Occasional HATBG
Today apparently marks the 7th anniversary of the end of regular publication of weekly Hatbag, though it's hard to say for sure.
Friday, 17 June 2005
The Dell, You Say?
Per MacNN:
"If Apple decides to open the Mac OS to others, we would be happy to offer it to our customers," Michael Dell wrote in an email. It's the first time any PC industry executive has gone on record about selling machines with Apple's software. Fortune reporter David Kirkpatrick said executives from several PC companies have told him of their interest in Apple's Mac OS X operating system. "Sadly my sources would not let me attribute these assertions; PC executives are pretty leery of offending Microsoft, which holds enormous power over their businesses." Dell, however, has not been afraid to upset Microsoft. The company has for several years sold servers loaded with Linux, the operating system Microsoft" reviles and dreads."
More Star Wars TV Rumors
So AICN has more rumors, suposedly from McCallum, about the Star Wars TV show, and, frankly, it worries me. Watching how Luke grows up. From what we see in ANH, it just doesn't seem like there would be anything watchable about Luke's formitive years. "Well, time to farm the moisture!"
Batman
Watched the Batman last night. LIked it very much.
Setting up this post for discussion of the movie.
Spoilers welcome.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Apple-Mart
Per MacNN:Apple and [Wal-Mart] have been expanding their pact to sell versions of Apple's iPod from a test to a full partnership, marking a new development as of the last few months, according to Runkle. Runkle said that reports about mounting inventory of Apple products may be exaggerated. "In fact, we do not believe Apple has a major inventory problem," she said. "We think much of the inventory chatter resulted from inventory increases ahead of broadening retail partnerships and sell-in ahead of new product launches."
Today In History
On this date in 1963, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on Vostok 6.
Father's Day
This week's new Hatbag strip is actually timely for two different reasons! Check it out!And don't forget to vote for us on TopWebComics! Thanks!
Editorial Note
I'm in all-day meetings today and tomorrow, so don't know if there will be any blogging.
Associate bloggers are encouraged to do their thing.
And I'm leaving the Blogpoints for Leonardo Code additions at 50 per for the time being.
Later, wdh
Wednesday, 15 June 2005
Can I Get A Witness!
ISS Expedition 11 Science Officer John Phillips became the first person to testify before Congress from space yesterday.Thus bringing the nation one step closer to a space-based State of the Union address.
Rollout II
Rollout of Discovery back to the launch pad began at 12:58 a.m. CDT today, and is apparently ongoing as of this writing.
T -28 days. And counting.
Tuesday, 14 June 2005
Blogpoint Opportunity
It's been a while since I've done one of these, but thought I'd give it a try again. I'm going to list lyrics from songs largely randomly chosen by my iPod. Blogpoints will be awarded to whoever can identify the songs.The first person to post will get 2 Blogpoints per song, the second person 3, etc., with the idea that the earlier responders will be getting the easier songs. Oh, and no fair using a search engine.
On a side note, let me issue a reminder that the next Leonardo Code update is worth 50 Blogpoints. (more)
Used tags: blog, contest, ipod, itunes, meme, monkeys, music
Saturn Live
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville has set up a new Web site where you can watch the refurbishment of the Saturn V live. Work is scheduled to begin this week.
Rollout Update
Discovery's second rollout is now scheduled for tonight at 12:01 a.m. EDT (11:01 p.m. CDT) -- the exact same time that Batman Begins will be premiering on the East coast! Coincidence?
Under Construction
There's been a good bit of speculation for a while, but NASA administrator Mike Griffin recently confirmed it: the Space Shuttle will not be able to fly the 28 missions needed to "complete" the International Space Station before the fleet is retired in 2010. Griffin said he will be meeting with the heads of agency partners to decide how best to carry out assembly of the ISS given the resources available.
Familiar New Worlds
So, it's not exactly a Class-M planet -- an orbital radius so close to its star that it's "year" is under two days would make it pretty inhospitable to life as we know it -- but it's the closest thing ever discovered.Astronomers yesterday announced the discovery of a planet less than eight times the mass of Earth, orbiting a star much like our Sun. The planet is believed to be rocky, like those in our inner solar system. The planet is part of a stellar system with at least two other, Jupiter-class, worlds.
ST:TAS DVD?
There have already been rumors that it would be released earlier this year, only to be a complete no-show, but now there are new rumors that the Star Trek animated series will be released to DVD, this time with a Sept. 6 release date.Other rumored DVD release dates of ATW interest include the two-disc Nemesis collector's edition on Oct. 4, and Hitchhiker's Guide on Sept. 13.
I'm curious what all the Nemesis CE will include, since Nemesis was the only of the Star Trek movies to receive a decent initial release DVD.
iBrand
Per BrandRepublic:LONDON - Apple, creator of the iPod, is the fastest growing brand in the world, with internet brands Google, Amazon, Yahoo! and eBay following close behind, pushing notoriously powerful brands like Coca-Cola off the list.
According to marketing consultants Vivaldi Partners and Forbes, Apple has managed to increase its brand value by 38% in the last four years -- largely thanks to the ubiquity of its portable music device iPod.
Monday, 13 June 2005
Free X
Here's an interesting column that speculates that the Apple-Intel move has an interesting potential side effect: that Apple may be using the opportunity to draw new switchers by giving PC users a free taste of OS X.Addendum: Here's another take, which probably would go well with a grain of salt while reading.
RTF Update
As of today, the Return to Flight STS-114 launch of Discovery is one month away. (Again.)Rollout is scheduled for tonight. (Again.)
Forward The Foundation
Per TrekWeb:Coto revealed that had they got a fifth season, it would have followed directly on from the events in the two-parter episodes "Demons," and "Terra Prime" "If we had gotten a fifth season, it would have been about the real meat of the Federation being founded," he told the magazine. "I would have melded that to a bit of a return to the exploration theme of the show. We would have found new members to join the Federation and watched it come together in a series of episodes that would have spanned the entire season."
The Future Is Smaller
So apparently "Intel Inside" means not much inside at all. Cult of Mac has posted an image of the Intel-based PowerMac developers can receive, and, compared to its G5-based counterpart, it's pretty hollow.Be interesting to see what happens when you turn Jonathan Ive loose with the new components.
iPhone 2
While we continue to wait for an official release announcement on Motorola's iTunes-capable phone, yet another cell phone manufacturer has announced an upcoming Apple-enhanced product. Nokia is working with Apple to develop a new cell phone Web browser based on Safari. The story also notes that "Nokia said it would continue to cooperate with Apple on other endeavors."
Java-Based
So Alanis' new album, an acoustic version of Jagged Little Pill, comes out today, but only at Starbucks, which traditional music retailers upset. I'm less than excited about the arrangement, but that's largely because I have an irrational distrust of Starbucks and am not happy about having to go there if I want the album before late July.That issue aside, the arrangement doesn't seem that different to me than an artist (as Alanis has) issuing an iTunes-exclusive album, which I'm all for.
I'd be curious, though, to hear if any in the ATW community feel differently.
RTF Kids
After a lot of time and a lot of work, NASA's Return to Flight Web site for Kids went online Friday.
Along with many others, I was part of the team that contributed to putting this site together (and even got to help design it), so I had to show it off here.
Friday, 10 June 2005
Later That Episode
In case you missed it, there was a hidden Easter Egg on this week's new strip. For those that have trouble finding them, that link goes directly to it!
Might As Well Face It
It's been about half a year, but the local Face2Face improv troupe here will be putting on another show this month. The group's third anniversary show will be June 24 in Decatur. They're usually pretty entertaining, so if anyone's going to be in the H'ville area that weekend and would like to go, let me know.
Thursday, 9 June 2005
All The Way From Canada!
This week's new Hatbag strip is online. Check it out! And vote for us on TopWebComics! Please!
RTF TG Update
Per The Orlando Sentinel:With five weeks remaining before space shuttle Discovery's planned launch, NASA moved closer Wednesday to meeting 15 key recommendations for safely returning to flight.
An advisory group led by former astronauts Thomas Stafford and Richard Covey found the space agency had satisfied four more recommendations made by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, bringing the total to 12.
Three key items remain open, but those may be wrapped up after a NASA review of launch-debris hazards scheduled for June 24.
...
"There is nothing out there where we have grave concern," Covey said during a public meeting in Houston on Wednesday. "We don't see anything out there that we have big questions about that are not the same questions that the [shuttle] program is looking at."
Further Fallout
More followups on the Intel announcement from MacNN:- For those that were wondering, even after the switch, OS X will not run on non-Mac computers, even if they have Intel processors.
- BusinessWeek speculates that some of the thunder will be taken out of SteveNote announcements, since people will know faster Macs are coming when Intel announces processor upgrades. Personally, I think this is exagerrating the situation, since when Steve announces new Macs, there are usually factors other than just speedbumps.
- Walt Mossberg says the change is good for everyone, even non-Mac users.
Delta Bound
I'm heading back toward the Delta this evening for Indianola's annual B.B. King homecoming concert, so blogging over the next couple of days will likely reflect that.It's not often, by the way, that you can see B.B. King for only $10 (well, I guess it's a once-a-year thing), so any Mississippi ATW readers with no plans for tomorrow night could do worse than considering a trip to Indianola.
Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Giving Up The Ghost
As an extra bonus, here's another Hatbag take on the Intel announcement.
Open Windows
Though this article is specifically about game developers reacting to the Apple-Intel announcement, it's well worth reading for any Mac users in the audience, as it addresses some of the larger Windows-on-Mac issues.
Today In History
On this date in 1959, Scott Crossfield piloted the X-15 on its first (nonpowered) free flight.
Reorg
Per SpaceRef.com:A massive reorganization has begun at NASA. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin has begun the process by sending out formal notices to more than 50 senior NASA managers aprising them of pending changes in their job titles.
One person has already resigned. Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Adm. Craig Steidle, tendered his resignation today effective 24 June 2005.
Stacking Up
Discovery is being remated to a new ET and SRB stack in the VAB in preparation for a second rollout on Monday, one month before the scheduled Return to Flight launch date.
MS Innovation
The latest issue of Wired has an article about the new version of the Xbox. (On a side note, I found it odd Monday when I realized that pretty soon, Apple's hardware will run on Intel chips, while Microsoft's will run on PowerPC processors.)A few bits I found interesting:
A user profile, maintained at a Microsoft data center, will follow you around and track your progress from game to game.
This one is just paranoia on my part, fueled by the fact that previous articles have acknowledged that an online Xbox does report back to Microsoft on various subjects, including whether the console's owner has made any modifications to it.
The Xbox Live network will also tie into real-world payment systems - à la PayPal - so players can buy, make, and sell virtual weapons, car parts, and clothes via micropayments.
You know, back in my gaming days, when you bought a game, that was the last money you spent on it. And this is considered an improvement.
Where the original Xbox looks like a bulging land mine of black plastic, the silver and white Xbox 360 seems inspired by Apple designer Jonathan Ive.
Again, said as if it's a good thing. Hard to believe a Microsoft product would seem like it was inspired by something Apple did earlier.
HanTV
OK, I'll be glad when Lucas finally announces his plans for the Star Wars television show, and puts an end to reaching speculation like this rumor that the show may be about the adventures of Chewbacca and young Han Solo on Kashyyyk.
Tuesday, 7 June 2005
Hatebag
On the occasion of yesterday's Mac-world-changing Stevenote, here's a little bonus Hatbag for your enjoyment.And, your TopWebComics votes (using the button in the lower left on the Hatbag site) would be much appreciated, since we fell about 100 places over the weekend. Thanks!
RTF Update
Wow... this is the first RTF Update on ATW in almost a month. Per Spaceflight Now:NASA managers today ruled out a third tanking test for the shuttle Discovery, keeping launch of the first post-Columbia mission on target for July 13. The launch window extends to July 31 and as of this writing, engineers have five days of contingency time in the launch processing schedule to handle unexpected problems between now and the opening of the window.
...
Assuming no show stoppers emerge during the meetings later this month, commander Eileen Collins and her crew will fly to Kennedy July 9 for the start of the countdown to blastoff of the 114th shuttle mission. Liftoff July 13 is targeted for 3:51 p.m. EDT (1951 GMT).
Watchmen Watch
So the Watchmen movie is reportedly dead at Paramount and is being shopped around to other studios. The great thing about this movie is that I generally find both the progress and the setbacks to be good news. I have such mixed feelings about it being made that half of me likes whichever way things go.
Monday, 6 June 2005
Ravagers!
So I just learned today that Ernest Borgnine made a movie in Huntsville with Art Carney and Dumbledore Mark I.And, that on a related note, some Huntsvillians today are wanting to make a similar-ish movie.
The Future Of Shuttle
The Shuttle is dead. Long live the Shuttle.While the Space Shuttle system is still scheduled for retirement by 2010, it's looking more and more like there may be a future for some elements of the Shuttle, or at least some of the STS concepts, as the foundation for the heavy-lift vehicle for exploration.
New administrator Mike Griffin had advocated such a system even before returning to the agency. The biggest challenges to a Shuttle-derived heavy launch vehicle, though, could come not from NASA, but from the Air Force, via the White House. The administration a while back tasked NASA and USAF to work together in developing an HLV concept, at the time a seemingly positive move showing that the White House was supportive of the creation of the most powerful American booster in decades. Given the Air Force's reliance on third-party EELV rockets like the Delta and Atlas, it seems likely that agency would be more likely to endorse adapting one of those for the HLV, creating a potential deadlock.
Free Opportunity
After spending a month trapped in a bit of tricky martian regolith, Opportunity is now free! Weeks of careful and deliberate work to free the rover after it got dug in have finally paid off, and safeguards are being put into place to make sure it doesn't happen again.(I do feel like I have to point out, though, that, in my mind, this is yet another example of the importance of human exploration. Yes, the rovers are doing incredible work on Mars, but Opportunity just lost an entire month to a problem that astronauts on the scene could have solved in a day, and this isn't the first time something like this has happened [the pebble caught in Opportunity's rock abrasion tool comes quickly to mind].)
Body By You
Leading up to the release of Sims 2 for Mac later this month, Aspyr has released a free download of Body Shop, which allows you to design Sims 2 characters.
I-Pocket
Is it just me, or do certain elements of the computer technology industry need an injection of creativity. The new i-pocket is just the latest example of more companies mimicing the Microsoft development cycle.
Today
So apparently the rumors of Apple's switch to Intel have basically been confirmed as true.Keynote begins in three hours.
Addendum: More WWDC rumors -- Likely new shuffles, new computers unlikely. Possible announcement of the iTunes cell phone, which I'm eager to see.
Another Addendum: Wired's Cult of Mac blog has an insightful analysis of the Intel switch that makes it seem more logical, or at least believable -- it's all part of Apple's video-iTMS strategy.
Sunday, 5 June 2005
Tomorrow
Lain sent me another story about the rumors of an Apple-Intel alliance that may or may not be announced tomorrow.If an announcement's made, it would come during Steve Jobs' SanFran WWDC keynote, beginning at noon CDT.
Saturday, 4 June 2005
Could It Be?
So, according to this c|net article sent to me by Lain, not only is the rumor true that Apple is going to switch from PowerPC to Intel processors, but they're going to announce the change in two days.At this point, I'm taking it slightly more seriously than I had been.
I have trouble seeing this as a good move, but it could provide some interesting ramifications.
Friday, 3 June 2005
Posthistory
So yesterday's BC strip is yet another that supports my theory that the strip doesn't take place in the past, as many assume, but rather in a post-Apocalyptic future.
Hatbag Sale
I mentioned it on the Hatbag site, but, if anyone's interested, there's a big sale at the Hatbag Cafepress store (as well as the HATBG store) -- $10 off any purchase of $30 or more.
Regular Richie Feature
Sheesh, you can tell what's been on people's minds lately. The following were the top 20 search strings that led people to ATW in the first two days of June:- anakin ghost
- darth vader actor
- end return of the jedi
- anakin at end of return of the jedi
- dungeons and dating
- funny cat or kitten pictures
- hayden as anakin
- hayden christensen anakin
- hayden christensen as darth vader
- hayden christensen return of the jedi
- return of jedi anakin
- the incredibles film review eduacational
- "funny picture"
- Anakin Return of the Jedi
- GOD SPEED JOHN GLENN AUDIO
- Hayden Christensen - Return of the Jed-
- In a Mirror Darkly
- MPA Award 2005
- Off road
- Old Taylor Grocery
National Doughnut Day
In observance of National Doughnut Day today, Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts.
Today In History
No Life?
Per News@Nature.com:The methane in Mars's atmosphere could easily be produced by mineral chemistry, rather than life. That's the claim from a pair of geologists whose calculations suggest that some experts have been too quick to assume a bacterial source for the gas.
Griffin At MSFC
New NASA Administrator Mike Griffin will be here at Marshall today. I'm hoping to hear him speak this afternoon.
Martian Phoenix
With the Mars Exploration Rovers launched almost two years ago still roaming the planet (in the case of Opportunity, very, very slowly) and the "Mr. O" orbiter itself only a couple of months from launch, NASA has started moving ahead with the Mars spacecraft that will launch at the next opposition in 2007. The Phoenix stationary lander will touch down on the icy northern planes, examining the ice there and looking for signs of past or present life.
Your Own Trek
Since one former member of The Daily Mississippian staff has been selected for publication in one of Pocket Books' Strange New Worlds Trek anthologies, I thought I'd mention to the ATW community that the contest has already begun for Strange New Worlds IX, if anyone's interested in trying their hand at a Trek story.(And, if anyone would want to work together on a story, I have a great idea for a DS9 tale.)
Thursday, 2 June 2005
Favor Request
Help me do a favor for a friend and go cast high votes for this picture in Space.com's new contest. Thanks.
Romance Is Dead
Go check out this week's new Hatbag, and cast a vote for Hatbag on TopWebComics while you're there. We're already in the top 200!
Today In History
Today's history moment is brought to you by Chris Tutor, who pointed out to me a space anniversary I didn't know about:On this date 50 years ago, the Baikonur cosmodrome was established.
The Planet Core!
So with the JIMO Jovian moon mission apparently off the books for the forseeable future, NASA yesterday announced it is moving ahead with another mission to Jupiter, Juno.On the cool side, the mission will attempt to confirm the existence of a solid core within the planet. Unfortunately, it appears that, unlike JIMO, exploration of the Jovian moons will not be a major part of the Juno mission.
GO To Orbit Again
Businessman Greg Olsen is once again in line to become the world's third paying space tourist, having overcome the unnamed medical consideration that removed him from potential flight status last year. His flight is being tentatively planned for this fall, but that, of course, is subject to change based on a variety of factors, including notably the Shuttle launch schedule.
More Deadly Years
This blog linked a while back to the news that Walter Koenig would be reprising his role as Chekov in an upcoming episode of the Star Trek: New Voyages fan series. The news has now been released how the cameo will be handled: Koenig won't be playing a post-Generations Chekov, but rather [SPOILERS] ...
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To The MAX
So there's been a lot of talk lately that Apple may start using Intel chips, a perennially untrue rumor that just won't go away. But columnist John Yunker speculates that there may be some truth to reports that Apple really is in talks with Intel this time to start working together -- not by using Intel processors, though, but rather by adopting the WiMAX wireless protocol, which he says could potentially be used by Apple as the backbone of an iTunes-esque video service.I'm not going to add a separate post for this today, but I did want to mention reviews stating that the new iMac G5 is "one of our favorite all-in-ones" and that computer shoppers "on a $999 budget should look hard at the Apple eMac with DL SuperDrive." This bits of Mac-praise brought to you by PC Magazine.
hPod Mini
Rather than moving away from the alliance with Apple forged by former CEO Carly Fiorina after her ouster, Hewlett-Packard has instead decided rather to expand it, having just added the iPod mini to its HP iPod line. As best I can tell, the HP version is available only in silver, but I could be wrong. As with their original iPod line, HP is offering special mini-tattoos with the new iPods.In other alternate-iPod news, here's a generally positive review of the shuffle-rip-off Luxpro Super Tangent and here's a rather negative one.
Wednesday, 1 June 2005
Wow!
Huge thanks to the person who was just kind enough to send me a link to...
One Small Clip
Per The AP:CINCINNATI - The first man to walk on the moon used to come into Marx's Barber Shop in Lebanon about every month for a trim. That stopped when Neil Armstrong learned that owner Marx Sizemore picked up some of the former astronaut's hair from the floor of his shop and sold it for $3,000 to a Connecticut collector.
Today In History
On this date 35 years ago, the Soviet Soyuz 9 mission made the first night launch of a manned spacecraft.
MESSENGER Shoots
The image above is a family portrait of the Earth and the Moon, taken by NASA MESSENGER Mercury probe as it approaches its home planet for a slingshot gravity boost in about three months.
The Sisko Kid
So the erstwhile Jake Sisko, Cirroc Lofton, is now a rapper -- with Trek influences:"Sure, the Jake Sisko character will have some lines dropped in here and there," Lofton said in an interview at Enigma Con at the University of California, Los Angles, over the weekend. "One beat will use the original Star Trek theme song and have that beat in a hip-hop type of mode."
Um, OK. On the plus side, his former Trek actor status means guaranteed audiences at cons for life.
I would so buy an album of in-character Trek raps by the DS9 cast, though.
Thursday, 30 June 2005
RTF Update
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Background Information
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Today In History
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Impact Astronomy
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RTF Update
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iPhone Update
(Read Entry)Wednesday, 29 June 2005
The Last Planet
(Read Entry)
Web Ring
(Read Entry)
Editorial Note
(Read Entry)
Today In History
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Fly Buy
(Read Entry)
Humaniform
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RTF Update
(Read Entry)Tuesday, 28 June 2005
Movies A La Muppets
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What's The Frequency
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RTF Update
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How Quaint
(Read Entry)
It's Been... Years
(Read Entry)Monday, 27 June 2005
Indian Enterprise
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RTF Update
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Cingularity
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Golden Halo
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Bucking The Trend
(Read Entry)Sunday, 26 June 2005
All They Survey
(Read Entry)Saturday, 25 June 2005
Bewitched
(Read Entry)Friday, 24 June 2005
Hail The King
Interesting article about B.B. King (Read Entry)
iVideo
(Read Entry)Thursday, 23 June 2005
Working For The Man
(Read Entry)
Unwired
(Read Entry)
Eye In The Sky
(Read Entry)
Lost Spacecraft Update
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Technology Chained
(Read Entry)Wednesday, 22 June 2005
Conjunction Junction
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Today In History
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Lost Spacecraft
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Into The Dark
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D'oh!
(Read Entry)Tuesday, 21 June 2005
BTW
(Read Entry)
Partners?
(Read Entry)
KSNN RTF
(Read Entry)
RTF Update
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Today In History
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Sail Away
(Read Entry)
Unity
(Read Entry)Monday, 20 June 2005
RTF Update
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Trailer On The Moon
Preview is online for Magnificent Desolation. (Read Entry)
Manual Progress
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Shattered Trek
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HMS iPod
(Read Entry)Sunday, 19 June 2005
Starr Tours
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Today In History
(Read Entry)Saturday, 18 June 2005
Occasional HATBG
(Read Entry)Friday, 17 June 2005
The Dell, You Say?
(Read Entry)
More Star Wars TV Rumors
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Batman
(Read Entry)Thursday, 16 June 2005
Apple-Mart
(Read Entry)
Today In History
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Father's Day
(Read Entry)
Editorial Note
(Read Entry)Wednesday, 15 June 2005
Can I Get A Witness!
(Read Entry)
Rollout II
(Read Entry)Tuesday, 14 June 2005
Blogpoint Opportunity
Can you figure out which songs these lines are from? (Read Entry)
Saturn Live
(Read Entry)
Rollout Update
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Under Construction
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Familiar New Worlds
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ST:TAS DVD?
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iBrand
(Read Entry)Monday, 13 June 2005
Free X
(Read Entry)
RTF Update
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Forward The Foundation
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The Future Is Smaller
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iPhone 2
(Read Entry)
Java-Based
(Read Entry)
RTF Kids
(Read Entry)Friday, 10 June 2005
Later That Episode
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Might As Well Face It
(Read Entry)Thursday, 9 June 2005
All The Way From Canada!
(Read Entry)
RTF TG Update
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Further Fallout
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Delta Bound
(Read Entry)Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Giving Up The Ghost
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Open Windows
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Today In History
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Reorg
(Read Entry)
Stacking Up
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MS Innovation
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HanTV
(Read Entry)Tuesday, 7 June 2005
Hatebag
(Read Entry)
RTF Update
(Read Entry)
Watchmen Watch
(Read Entry)Monday, 6 June 2005
Ravagers!
(Read Entry)
The Future Of Shuttle
(Read Entry)
Free Opportunity
(Read Entry)
Body By You
(Read Entry)
I-Pocket
(Read Entry)
Today
(Read Entry)Sunday, 5 June 2005
Tomorrow
(Read Entry)Saturday, 4 June 2005
Could It Be?
(Read Entry)Friday, 3 June 2005
Posthistory
(Read Entry)
Hatbag Sale
(Read Entry)
Regular Richie Feature
(Read Entry)
National Doughnut Day
(Read Entry)
Today In History
(Read Entry)
No Life?
(Read Entry)
Griffin At MSFC
(Read Entry)
Martian Phoenix
(Read Entry)
Your Own Trek
(Read Entry)Thursday, 2 June 2005
Favor Request
(Read Entry)
Romance Is Dead
(Read Entry)
Today In History
(Read Entry)
The Planet Core!
(Read Entry)
GO To Orbit Again
(Read Entry)
More Deadly Years
(Read Entry)
To The MAX
(Read Entry)
hPod Mini
(Read Entry)Wednesday, 1 June 2005
Wow!
(Read Entry)
One Small Clip
(Read Entry)
Today In History
(Read Entry)
MESSENGER Shoots
(Read Entry)