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Scientists have been rethinking the so-called Goldilocks zone commonly used to roughly estimated if a planet is habitable. The Goldilocks zone is the area around the solar system where the temperature would be just right for liquid water on the planet’s surface. The problem is a refreshing of the Goldilocks zone definition has pushed some planets previously believed to be in the habitable zone outside that range.

One of the planets that have been pushed outside the Goldilocks zone is Kepler-22b. That particular planet was once deemed the most habitable world outside of our solar system. However, under the new definition the planet no longer looks as though it would support life. Scientists Ravi Kopparapu from Penn State University says that the definition of a habitable zone hadn’t been updated in 20 years.

He and colleagues settled on a new definition that involves a host stars temperature and estimates of how well the atmosphere of the planet would absorb heat from the parent star. Laboratory experiments conducted in recent years have offered new figures for how water and carbon dioxide absorb light from different types of stars. These experiments in turn were integrated into a new formula and some planets previously believed to be in this habitable zone are now outside it.

This means that some planets that scientists previously believed could be habitable are now too hot. At the same time, it also means the planets scientists had previously believed to be too cold are now in the habitable zone. Interestingly, the Earth is now not as habitable according to the new Goldilocks definition as it was once believed to be. Under the previous definition, the Earth was exactly in the middle of the Goldilocks zone in our solar system. The scientists now believe that the earth is actually only a few million kilometers away from the edge of our solar system’s Goldilocks zone where the planet would be too hot to support life.

The scientists believe that this could be because the current Goldilocks zone definition still doesn’t take into account clouds and how they might reflect heat from the parent star. The scientists are unable to take into account cloud cover on the planet because we can’t see exoplanets to determine if they have cloud cover. Anyone who’s been through a Texas summer will agree that environment here on earth is very close to being uninhabitable in some areas.

[via NewScientist]

Turns out Earth isn’t so habitable after all is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We are definitely no strangers to seeing MetroPCS bring well-priced, decently-specced Android handsets to market, and we have a feeling that’s something potential and current subscribers certainly appreciate. Because, well, who doesn’t like choice? With today’s LG Spirit 4G launch, MetroPCS continues to expand its LTE-at-a-bargain ideals, announcing a smartphone that carries some pretty decent specs for being contract-free and costing a mere 269 bucks. Naturally, the 4.5-inch display is among the Spirit’s main highlights, but there’s also an unspecified 1.2GHz, dual-core CPU, a 5-megapixel rear shooter capable of 1080p video, and Ice Cream Sandwich, to boot. The carrier’s quick to point out that its newly introduced slab is a follow-up to that LG Motion 4G we saw last year, and that it’s compatible with those LTE plans which were unveiled earlier this month. It’s worth noting that while the LG Spirit 4G’s official MSRP is $269, MetroPCS will have it up for grabs, starting today, at the cheaper price of $199 — that, of course, after a beloved mail-in rebate and for “a limited time” only. You’ll find a couple more press shots after the break, and be sure to hit the source link if you’re interested in grabbing one of these for yourself.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: MetroPCS

They’re the compact cameras point-and-shooters have been waiting for, wrapped up in deliciously retro shells, and so forgive us if we drool a little over Fujifilm‘s new X20 and X100S cameras. Officially unveiled at CES and brought out for some shutterbug time at CP+ in Japan, the pair of cameras follow on from the already cult-status X10 and X100, with boosted autofocus, better sensors – 16-megapixels in the X100S and 12-megapixels in the X20 – and more.

The X100S takes the fundamentals of the original X100 and then bumps up the sensor, but it’s the on-sensor phase detection autofocus that makes the big difference in the hand. Fujifilm claims it’s now the world’s fastest, in fact, and it’s certainly clear from the moment you start snapping that the whole process is improved. Even the time to turn on and be ready for shooting has been trimmed.

Manual focus is also refined, with a new UI that combines the full frame and a magnified portion, while the electronic viewfinder has jumped in resolution, from 1.4m dots to a far more detailed 2.35m. However, the buttons, dials, and other controls are still the same as on the X100, which should make transitioning from one camera to the other more straightforward.

As for the X20, that does away with the X10 and introduces a new sensor, the X-Trans CMOS measuring in at 2/3-inch and 12-megapixels. It keeps the zoom lens – no great hardship, given the X10′s 28-112mm equivalent zoom was speedy and satisfying already – and F2-2.8 aperture, as well as the neat power control triggered by winding the zoom ring right back in.

The X-Trans sensor uses the same color filter array as in the X100S (and, indeed, the well-esteemed X-Pro1 rangefinder) and a backside-illuminated sensor, rather than the X10′s more pedestrian system, and the upshot should be crisper shots and improved low-light performance. At $600 – versus the X100S’s $1,300 sticker – it’s also something of a bargain.

Fujifilm X100S and X20 hands-on is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While the concept of dynamic LCD keys is no new idea in the world of keyboard design the idea of using e-ink to fulfill the job certainly is—and it’s a great one, too. More »

Do you have trouble trying to live out the resolutions that you made when the clock struck midnight on December 31st last year? Right now, we are already in the last day of the first month of 2013, and if you have already broken your New Year’s resolution(s), take heart, there are still 11 more months to make amends for your past failures. Assuming you want to focus and pay more attention to your workout sessions, perhaps it would be good if you had some kind of device to help you out here. Utah-based entrepreneurs, Amiigo, have come up with what they call the Amiigo Bluetooth low-energy fitness device, where it is touted to elevate an ordinary workout experience to the next level.

To put it in a nutshell, the Amiigo is actually a sweat-proof fitness bracelet (as it should be, considering the bucketloads of sweat that you would end up shedding whenever you indulge in a vigorous exercise session), where it is accompanied with a shoe-clip, and is “smart” enough to identify just the kind of exercise that is being performed at the moment, in addition to detailing your body’s physiological response. Having picked up more than the amount required to make the Amiigo a reality on crowd-funding site Indiegogo, you can now place a pre-order for the Amiigo.

Dave Scott, co-founder of Amiigo, said, “Athletes are always working to enhance and elevate their workout experience. We wanted to develop an easy-to-use device that helps people personalize their workouts, share data, and even compete with friends. Our fitness bracelet and shoe-clip does it all, and we’re confident you’ll work out better and harder with it. Push yourself and be great with Amiigo.”

I find it interesting that the Amiigo is able to tell the difference between running on a treadmill and using an elliptical, thanks to integrated sensors within which correlate with upper body exercises and sensors located in the shoe-clip that obviously, focuses on the lower body. These will “talk” to an iOS or Android device via Bluetooth, and the Amiigo will also be able to track heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature and amount of calories burned. Shipping of the Amiigo commences sometime in June this year.

Press Release
[ Amiigo Bluetooth low-energy fitness device copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]