May 15

Is GPS on a Road to Failure?

Posted in: gps, satellite, Today's Chili

GPS_satellite.gifGPS accuracy may plummet over the next decade like a satellite crashing to earth, if the parties in charge of maintaining it don’t step up the job. That’s according to recent studies, which state that the GPS system, which is based on the orbit of 24 to 32 satellites, will likely suffer if that minimum number can’t be maintained.

There’s a decent chance it might not be, either. Part of the issue lies in the fact that there isn’t a single committee overseeing the system. Also at issue is that many of the satellites we rely on for GPS are upwards of 19 years old. The launching of new satellites has fallen behind schedule. The next one is set to launch this November, three years after initially planned.

As TidBITS points out, however, given how dependent the military is on GPS, it doesn’t seem likely that it would let the accuracy drop so significantly.

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May 04

Quantum cryptography: now ready for space travel

Posted in: satellite, science, security, space, Today's Chili

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard of any major advancements in the world of quantum cryptography, but at long last the silence is being broken by a squad of jubilant Austrian physicists. As the story goes, a team from Austria’s Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) managed to send “entangled photons” 90 miles between the Spanish islands of Las Palmas and the Balearics. Calling the ephemeral test successful, the crew has boldly asserted that it’s now feasible to send “this kind of unbreakable encrypted communication through space using satellites.” Funny — last we remember, quantum cryptography still had a few kinks to work through here beneath the stratosphere.

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Quantum cryptography: now ready for space travel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 17

BBC breaks down the new DRM rules for Blu-ray recorders

Posted in: blu-ray, satellite, Today's Chili

The reason Blu-ray recorders have migrated from Japan to the UK recently — and why you’ll likely never see them in the U.S. — is all about the copyright holders. Danielle Nagler, head of BBC HD, hit the blogs to break down the wheres and hows of the DRM changes associated with bringing FreeSat disc HD DVRs like the Panasonic DMR-BS850 and Humax FOXSAT-HDR to market, basically meaning users are allowed one HD copy of a show, which can be played back on protected devices and connections only (transfer to portable players is planned to the future.) Follow the flow chart for the details, and figure out if it’d be worth it to make your own BD-R DVR backups so easily.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

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BBC breaks down the new DRM rules for Blu-ray recorders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 08

Toshiba’s Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 is as bland as they come

Posted in: laptop, satellite, Today's Chili, Toshiba

Ready for one more excuse to snooze through hump day? Here you go. Toshiba‘s Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521, obviously the latest in its growing S300 line, is about as perfectly average as a 15.4-inch laptop can be. We’re talking a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB (5400RPM) hard drive, SuperMulti DVD burner, WXGA resolution panel, GMA 4500MHD graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a built-in webcam. Furthermore, the actual enclosure just screams “Designed For Office Cubes,” and while we don’t have confirmation just yet, we’d wager that the 40 metric tons of bloatware would further substantiate that claim. There’s no mention of a price, but those in the market for a strictly-business machine should find it shipping any day now.

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Toshiba’s Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 is as bland as they come originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 12

Broadband stimulus plan comes to life, rural teens ‘psyched’

Posted in: satellite, Today's Chili, wifi

The broadband stimulus project is moving forwards in the manner most familiar to our federal bureaucracy: meetings. Lots and lots of meetings. The inaugural soiree was recently held at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s swank Washington, D.C. headquarters, and included bon mots such as this one by acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps: “Where’s the policy for broadband? Where’s the action? Where’s the beef?” Ouch. Among the first items of business, the group must figure out exactly which connectivity solution to back, with several companies weighing in — most of ’em (including Spaceway and Wild Blue) going the pure broadband route, while an outfit called AlphaStar has a hybrid satellite / terrestrial service (where the satellite backbone connects to homes over terrestrial wireless systems). Also to be debated is the wisdom of privately owned vs. municipally owned wireless broadband. Either way, we sure hope that our nation’s unwired get some help soon — why should Boxxy have all the fun?

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Broadband stimulus plan comes to life, rural teens ‘psyched’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 17

Sirius XM Gets Last Minute Repreive From Liberty Media

Posted in: radio, satellite, Today's Chili

American media conglomerate Liberty Media Corp. today announced that it will invest $530 million into the nearly bankrupt Sirius XM Radio company. The first part of the loan will come in the form of a $280 million senior secured loan for Sirius, with another $150 million going toward its subsidiary, XM.

For its part, Liberty will receive 12.5 million shares of preferred stock. Shares in Sirius XM–which announced that it could file for bankruptcy as early as today–rose from $0.09 to $0.20.

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Feb 12

US and Russian satellites collide in ‘unprecedented’ accident

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, NASA, satellite, space, Today's Chili, us

A US Iridium satellite has hit a defunct Russian satellite in an unprecedented space collision. The crash occurred some 790km (491 miles) over Siberia on Tuesday, according to NASA, and produced a “massive” cloud of debris. About 600 pieces are being tracked from the debris field in hopes of understanding the risk they present to other satellites and the international space station. The Russian craft was identified as the 950kg (2,094 pound) Cosmos 2251, a communications relay station launched in 1993 and believed to have been non-operational for the last 10 years or so. The Iridium telecommunications satellite was estimated to weigh about 560kg (1,234 pounds). Unsurprisingly, its loss is expected to have “minimal impact on Iridium’s service,” according to a statement made by the company. When asked who was at fault, NASA responded dryly:

“They ran into each other. Nothing has the right of way up there. We don’t have an air traffic controller in space. There is no universal way of knowing what’s coming in your direction.”

Gulp.

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US and Russian satellites collide in ‘unprecedented’ accident originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 10

Toshiba packs NB100, A350 with 3G and ships them off to EMEA

Posted in: europe, hspa, satellite, Today's Chili, Toshiba

Toshiba has announced that its Satellite A350 and NB100 would soon be finding their way into Europe, Middle East, and African (EMEA) markets with an added bonus: HSPA technology. We’ve got precisely nada on the price tag for these iterations, however, which normally retail for around $800 and $500 without 3G. If you’re on the lookout for a laptop with some extra portability, both models are expected to hit retail channels first quarter of this year.

[Via Notebook Italia]

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Toshiba packs NB100, A350 with 3G and ships them off to EMEA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 21

President Obama…From Space!

Posted in: Google, satellite, space, Today's Chili

obamainuagspace.jpg

While my dreams of a television action series featuring Barack Obama fighting intergalactic criminals in space have once again been put on hold, science has happily given us the next best thing: Obama, from Space.

Google’s Earth and Maps-making satellite, the Geo-Eye-1, was 423 miles above the earth’s surface yesterday, taking shots of President Obama’s historical inauguration ceremony. It was a clear day, and the shots are pretty impressive, featuring millions of viewers packed into the Washington Mall.

Check out more, higher res photos at the official Geo-Eye site.

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Jan 13

SPOT Assist: Worlds First Satellite-Based Roadside GPS Safety Network

Posted in: gps, navigation, satellite, Today's Chili

SPOT%20Assist.jpg

Born of the satellite solutions provider Globalstar Inc, the SPOT Assist roadside GPS safety network is positioned to give OnStar a run for its money.

The company says that it is the world’s first satellite-based roadside GPS safety service. Unlike OnStar — a cellular based emergency system offered electively on GM models — the SPOT Assist relies on GPS tracking and satellite communications. Its Track Progress feature even sends and saves locations and allows emergency contacts to track progress using Google Maps.

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