Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been a while since we last heard of the ISERV Pathfinder, an imaging instrument that consists of a camera, telescope and pointing system that was sent up to the International Space Station last July. Now it appears it’s safely installed inside the Destiny module on the ISS and has captured its first ever image, seen above, a few weeks ago on February 16th. The high-resolution picture is of the Rio San Pablo, an ecological transition zone that’s marked as a protected area by the National Environment Authority of Panama. Captured at three to seven frames per second with about 100 images per pass, photos like these are designed to transmit details of natural disasters and environmental mishaps to developing nations.

Even though NASA Marshall in Huntsville, Alabama is at the helm, it’s in cahoots with researchers in Central America, East Africa and the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region to carry out its goal. Of course, they’re still in the starting stages at the moment — a few outstanding issues include the amount of sunlight needed and if the geometry of the ISS window affects the image — but NASA hopes to open up the ISERV to other scientists in a few months once it has all its kinks worked out. To check out the stunning “first light” picture above in its full resolution, head on over to the source below.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via: Space.com

Source: NASA Earth Observatory

What you see in the shot above (and the gallery below) is a display containing almost every Lumia handset and accessory currently manufactured by Nokia — all arranged buffet-style for your viewing pleasure. These photos, captured during a special event at MWC 2013, include the Lumia 920, 820, 720, 620 and 520, PlayUp speaker, Purity HD stereo headset and Luna Bluetooth headset (among others).

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

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Ever wonder what’s going through a fish’s mind? While we won’t develop underwater telepathy anytime soon, Saitama University can now show us the raw activity. Researchers have learned that injecting zebrafish larvae with green fluorescent protein puts on a light show whenever their neurons fire, illustrating very clearly just which brain regions are active in a given situation, such as chasing down a paramecium for food. The method is more effective and longer-lasting than using dye, and also provides further insight: scientists can clearly spot the neural path when the zebrafish spots and reacts to its prey. As the protein is relevant to humans as well, its longevity could lead to better, longer-term drug testing that shows the cause-and-effect link. Just don’t expect as much in the way of mental fireworks.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via: Wired

Source: Current Biology

Massive TVs, check. Slim laptops, check. Hello Kitty gadgets galore, check. So goes the typical CES checklist, and 2013 isn’t any different. Several of the feline-adorned paraphernalia we saw on the show floor were repeats from last year, but we did manage to find a few new Kitty-branded appliances and accessories that are sure to give you an insulin shock. From toasters to Bluetooth speakers, go ahead and peruse the gallery after the break for probably the most amount of pink you’ll ever see at an electronics trade show.

Continue reading Visualized: Hello Kitty paints CES 2013 pink

Filed under: Misc, Household

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Just like how a rock star would hang all of his or her vinyl records on the wall, Qualcomm has a dedicated “Patent Wall” at its San Diego headquarters to show off 1,395 of its patent files. But that’s just a fraction of the 13,000-something patents owned by the company, of course. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to take photos of Paul Jacobs’ pool of gold coins behind that wall.

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