Hasta La Gadget!

If you weren’t already aware, you should know that there are up to and including three HTC Nexus One smartphones floating above your head right this minute in part of a NASA mission to prove (or disprove) the viability of low-cost space exploration “PhoneSats”. Each of these low-cost satellites was aboard the first flight of Orbital Science Corporation’s Antares rocket, launched after this rocket took off from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia just two days ago.

Each of these PhoneSats is set to remain in orbit around our planet Earth for a period of up to two weeks. All three of the units have had transmissions received by multiple ground stations thus far, this ringing up as great news for those running the mission from Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

“It’s always great to see a space technology mission make it to orbit — the high frontier is the ultimate testing ground for new and innovative space technologies of the future. Smartphones offer a wealth of potential capabilities for flying small, low-cost, powerful satellites for atmospheric or Earth science, communications, or other space-born applications. They also may open space to a whole new generation of commercial, academic and citizen-space users.” – NASA associate administrator for space technology in Washington, Michael Gazarik

Each of the structures that make up a PhoneSat includes a standard cubical structure approximately 4-inches square, an HTC Nexus One smartphone, and s set of sensors. Each setup also includes a lithium-ion battery that’s significantly larger than that of the original HTC Nexus One as well as a radio with significantly more power than the original smartphone provided so that messages can be sent from high distances above the Earth.

The video above shows an early test launch of an HTC Nexus One launched with a balloon back in 2012 – you’re seeing this video from the perspective of the phone, mind you.

The original HTC Nexus One provides many of the features needed to create the NASA PhoneSat “off the shelf” unit. Each PhoneSat employs a series of miniature sensors, relatively high-resolution cameras, GPS receivers, and more – and whatever else the mission requires that the HTC Nexus One doesn’t provide.

Each of the units launched in this mission cost NASA engineers between $3,500 and $7,000 USD – significantly less expensive compared to essentially any other type of satellite. These costs are relatively low due to NASA engineers’ use of mass-produced commercial hardware such as – you guessed it – the HTC Nexus One.

We’ll continue watching for this set of three Android-toting amigos as they make their trip through our atmosphere and back towards the planet over the next few days and – hopefully – weeks as well.

[via Cellular News]

NASA’s trio of Android “PhoneSats” all operational: orbit tests under way is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you think about what sort of computers we were working with just a few years ago and compare them to what’s now possible in the palm of your hand with smartphones, a NASA satellite running on Android should’t seem all that strange to you. That is to say a NASA satellite working with a smartphone running Google‘s Android – that smartphone being the HTC Nexus One, a device that’s now gone through many years of tests and will be heading to space (again) in 2013 with a program called PhoneSat, dedicated to small, low-cost, easy-to-build “nano-satellites.”

This program has been announced to be taking off in 2013 by HTC this week, with the program having been initially revealed not long after the HTC Nexus One was first sent to the market in January of 2010. One of the most recent tests done with the Nexus One was a rocket launch back in July of 2010 when the smartphone was connected to a rocket. This launch worked with a Intimidator-5 on a CTI N4100 load and shows a whole lot of spinning action.

The mission that the Nexus One will be going on in 2013 has been made possible by a massive amount of tests over the years including thermal-vacuum chambers, extreme vibration tests, and again, high-altitude balloon flights. Using the Nexus One, a device that’s now tried, tested, and proven to be robust enough to function all the way up into space, NASA can make rather tiny (no more than 10 inches on each side) satellites that can probe the universe – or at least our own atmosphere for starters.

In an announcement of the timeframe by HTC, their own Global Community Manager Darren Krape mentions that it’s amazing how much NASA will be able to do with the Nexus One even though it’s now several years old. With the HTC devices out on the market today – like the HTC One X+, so much more will be rocking forth in the future as well – here’s to NASA and HTC’s continued partnership in space!

HTC Nexus One making tiny satellites a reality for NASA in 2013 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There was a time when Audience’s contribution to the iPhone’s call clarity was not only praised, but actively hunted down. But now it looks like the party is over — at least according to the chip maker itself. Citing events “in the normal course of business” the firm believes that its technology won’t be making it into Apple’s next handset — unsurprisingly a big blow for its shareholders. While it remains unconfirmed, Audience suggested in a conference call that Apple has built its own audio team. Something that is possible already creating a hubbub with other industry players. Though all things going well, we’ll only have to wait a week until the new iPhone hits the surgeon’s bench anyway.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Audience noise-cancelling said not to feature in next iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While it’s not that surprising to learn that Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean has made it onto the Nexus S, we guess we were kind of surprised to learn that the Nexus One has received Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has made it onto the device albeit in an unofficial way. XDA Recognized Developer, taxasice, has released a pre-alpha Jelly Bean ROM for the Nexus One and according to those who went ahead and flashed the ROM, it seems to be running in “decent condition”. According to the developer, these are some of the features that are reportedly working for him although mileage may vary user to user: (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Android 4.1.1 reportedly rolling out for the Nexus S (i9023/i9020T), Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean ported onto a Nokia N9,