Tag Archives: Shuttle

Thanks Yuri and I’m Sorry We Let You Down



As you’ll know from all the coverage, yesterday was the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic first orbit of the Earth by a human. Back in 1961 at the height of the Cold War, it was a demonstration of superiority by one superpower over another rather than any altruistic motive that sent him into space.

Regardless of how it was viewed then or now, I can’t help but feel we’ve let Yuri down. In the fifty years since then, human exploration has travelled no further than the moon and that was done in the immediate decades after his orbit. There’s no doubt that we extensively use space-based satellites for telecommunications, GPS and a myriad of other functions. And yes, the International Space Station is a remarkable achievement. But we haven’t really gone anywhere.

Let’s look at this another way. In December 1903, the Wright brothers made the first human flight. By the 1930s, there were commercial transatlantic flights and jet airliners took over the route in 1958.  So in approximately 50 years, flight went from 850 feet in 1 minute to thousands of miles at hundreds of miles per hour.

The comparison with space travel doesn’t look so good.

I understand well the arguments between human and machine space travel. The latter does give better bang-for-buck and machines can go places that we could not. But has the “PlayStation generation” become so ingrained in our psyche that we have to travel by remote control? Is there still no imperative “to boldly go”?

George Mallory, the mountaineer was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. “Because it’s there” was his reply. His journey wasn’t about the accumulation of scientific knowledge, it was about personal conquest and fighting against the odds. And it ultimately cost Mallory his life.

Physics fights against us. We like our explorers to come back and tourists want a return ticket, but this makes exploration twice as hard as the round trip isn’t always easy to achieve. But I bet you that if NASA offered one way tickets to Mars, there would be no shortage of volunteers.

I’m sure Yuri Gagarin would be disappointed with how little we have achieved now and how little we expect to achieve in the coming years for human space exploration. Regrettably we can’t ask him as he died in 1968 before we reached the moon. Yuri, thanks for freeing us from Earth back in 1961 and I’m sorry we let you down.


GNC-2011-04-04 #660 Media on Demand Launch



I share with you tonight our upcoming Media on Demand / PPV offering that we will introduce at NAB. Very excited about this new product offering and making it available to all of the content creators we work with and the new genres we will be expanding into. If you are going to be in Vegas at NAB stop in and see the team at the show. I have an action packed tech show for you as well.

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+1 by Google.
HTML around the World.
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Show Notes:
Can Engadget keep it’s Mojo?
Engadget Hail Marry?
Bonus for Oil Safety (YGTBFKM)
Cablevision 300 channel iPad App!
D-Link Wireless Camera
Sprint Tap and Go Payments.
Bionic Eye.
100gb Media Disk.
Rdio Review.
Sony New Headphones.
WordPress Themes.
Windows 8 Screenshots.
MLB Subscription Work Around.
YumTable
Managing your Reputation.
Packing your Suitcase.
Automating Facebook Postings.
Windows 8 + Built in = PDF Reader = Winner!
Not in my Coffee!
* Cool Spatula!!
Do we really need this?
Love Watch – Hate Price.
Cydia gets Advertiser.
NY State RFID Drivers License.
Russians Off to ISS.
Not my back yard.
Shuttle Launch Delay.
Google Crisis Team Overview.
FCC smacks North Carolina Legislature.
Chemical THC.
P2P Rulings Everywhere no consensus.
8mp Camera iPhone 5?
Data Caps around the World.
Appleseed Program by Apple.
Major e-mail hack rundown.
Fed Appeal court gets first P2P damages appeal.
Woz and Normal People use Tablets.
Financial Times says No Way to Apple.
App Stores Data Run Down.
Library with no Books.
Baldness Cure?
More math for High Schoolers?
Harvard Business Review on MPAA and RIAA.
COICA support declines.
Copyright Infringement Tested.
Senators who stopped Whistle Blower Bill.
EU appoints IFPI Reps to set EU Copyright Rules.
Instacast Podcast Player.
,ly sites in trouble?
Mozilla goes after slow plugins and apps.


GNC-2011-03-07 #653 Not the Charlie Sheen Show!



I spend a few moments talking about the technical portions of the Charlie Sheen show on Ustream. Considering the train wreck that happened on their inaugural show on Saturday makes me proud of all the new media creators that produce their own shows, and do so with 50x the professionalism of what I observed Saturday night. I have a new giveaway starting tonight listen to win. This show is action packed from the beginning to the end! Become an Insider or Make a donation to the show to qualify for the contest.

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Listener Links
Shatner wake up call.
Millionaire steals credit card?
Get the BBC iPlayer for 74 Pounds.
Alien Contact made.

Show Notes:
Facebook Comments?
Facebook Comments #2?
Charlie Sheen Social Insanity.
Sheens Korner needs some Production Help.
Motorola Xoom Music App hacked.
Buttons or Touch Screens.
Geek Watch (Must Buy).
Phone 135 years old.
Firefox 4 Looks Amazing.
Hawaii TSA a Joke!
Unban PS3 Hack.
First Amendment vs Copyright Laws.
Scientist Study on Sons Voice.
SMS coming to Facebook?
Jamming Time?
Ten iPad Tips.
Facebook Evil on Advertising?
Tax Apps.
Facebook Saves Boy.
Star Trek Wakes Discovery Crew.
Discovery Leaves ISS.
Can we Get our Groove Back?
Woz on Tech and Education.
6 Things in Space.
What went up did not stay up!
Our First Alien.
New Angle on Saturn.
Supernova back as Video Portal.
Fake MPAA/RIAA notice scams $280K
Fox Double DMCA Takedown (Idiots).
UV Cellphone Cleaner?
Where is your Threshold of Business forgiveness.
Sorenson Squeeze 7.
HP Omni Pro.
Google Responds to Droid Malware.
Robot looks real!
WD buys Hitachi HD Manufacturing.
Samsung 950 Series Pricing.
JVC 3D Consumer Camera Debut.
Microsoft pays a Billion to Nokia!
iTunes Home Sharing Update.
$539 Motorola Xoom.
Awesome Asus Ad.
Are you Really Anonymous.
Firefox 4 Crash Reasons.
Skype Ads.
Speed Test Website update.


GNC-2011-02-24 #650 Chinese Hacker Conspiracy



Bit of Soap Box time tonight folks. Plus as chance to win a Apple TV be sure to listen to win. Entry email you will need is podcast@podcastconnect.com I share a little insight into some announcements we made today. Make sure you are signed up for the newsletter as that is the quickest way to get information on new show releases. We are half way to show 700 amazing how time flies. Big thanks to Trucker Tom for the Audible endorsement. You will want to get your free trial below!

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Listener Links
Mom Jeans Origin
Apple Firestorm.
Apple Factory Workers Sickened

Show Notes:
Private Space Funding.
Discovery Last Flight.
Alien Matter Discovered
NASA Tech
Android Bootloader for Xoom.
South Korea Residents get 1GB to Home.
AirDrop
MobileMe RIP
USB 3.0 Someday?
Thunderbolt Technology.
Cookies and Credit Cards.
Apple Face Time.
Red Communist Chinese Hackers go after Oil.
Have you been to your Library?
CR48 Day 3
Rent Tool
Five Linux Audio Packages.
Google Cloud Connect.
Will Amazon Impact Netflix?
Pay TV Comeback?
LavNav
iPad Paintbrush.
BTDigg
Smart Shirt!
Pitfalls of Mobile.
In Depth Xoom Review.
Google goes after Data Farmers.
Content Farms days Numbered.
Anonymous Shreds Westboro Church Website.
Craigslist goes to Battle.
ATV docks at ISS.
Helium 3 in Short Supply.
Huawei says you can trust us.
Microsoft fixes Antivirus Engine.
ISP Win In Australia
Movie Industry Gets Instructions in Australia.
Map your Internet Offerings.
Box Office Receipts Record Highs!
Universal Service Fund Scam.


GNC-2010-12-20 #636 Not a Top Tech Blogger?



I received an email today from a PR firm that set me off, I talk about it in the show. It is funny when a perfectly good email has three words in it that change the whole dynamic of the mailing, listen in when I talk about the “Top Tech Blogger” attending CES that really in no way deserves that title in any way shape or fashion and everyone that has a clue that got the email will know it. I also talk about how I got pwned, during the podcast awards and the banning of a podcast from participation for life.

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Listener Links
Shuttle Video
Fan Podcast!
UN and Internet Regulation.
Delicious to Evernote

Show Notes:
Did you watch the Eclipse.
NEC + Android + CES = Lets See.
Google TV Regroup.
Google TV Update.
Yelp iPad App Update.
Tivo Bans Netflix and Hulu.
Roku Sales Rocking!
Here comes Comcast in Set Top Box!
Adobe at a Billion.
iPad App Money Machine Nightmare.
Novatel LTE Modem
Google Body Browser.
LTE + Android @ CES!
Xerox Smart Document Table.
AT&T buys some RF Spectrum.
iBuildApp.com
DoNot Rent.com
Windows Live Writer 2011.
Overnight Free Shipping from Amazon Now!
Level 3 – Comcast Lied!
Saving Google TV!
Join me Jan 1st in cutting the cord!
Green USB Charger!
Powermat Wireless iPhone Charger!
Upgrade your Fridge :)
Protect that DSLR!
MPAA / RIAA go Large on Lobby Money!
.com Abandonment in P2P Space!
Green Google?
Tanking Test for Shuttle.
Soyuz docks at ISS!
Four books on Net Neturality.
Kinect getting a Upgrade?
Vancouver fights back on BW Caps!
Paypal Mission Control.
Insider Trader in Jail.
Patent that Test.
Wanna be a Snitch (Gag)
US Training International Judges with your Money?
Snow Mobile Jumping Radical!
Delicious for Sale.
Gifts for College Students.
Itunes/Apple TV and Google DNS not Good!
Gmail Calling Free extended.
Motorola CES Teaser Video.


Shuttle Adds Blu-ray To XS35 Series



If you haven’t seen how small Shuttle’s XS35 series of ultra small PCs are, then you need to look more closely at the picture on the left.  The PC is the unit stuck to the back of the monitor.

The XS3510M is now available with a Blu-ray player making this a full hi-def media device.  Powered by Intel’s dual-core Atom D510 coupled with Nvidia’s Ion graphics, it’s capable of 1080p playback via HDMI.

At only 38mm thick, it’s just a little bit bigger than an external USB 3.5″ HDD unit and yet there’s both the Blu-ray / DVD writer combo drive and a 500GB disk drive (I assume that it’s of the 2.5″ variety) crammed in there, along with a 4-in-1 card reader on the front.  Round the back, there are four USB ports for your mice and keyboards.  11n Wi-fi is built in too.

Shuttle also touts the low power credentials, claiming a maximum of 29W, which would hardly get my standard desktop PC started.  Power is supplied via an external power brick, much like a laptop.

There are no fans in the XS35 series and all cooling comes from air circulating through the many holes in the case.  Consequently, the PC has to be stood upright, not on its side, but it makes the system totally quiet apart from the gentle whirr of the Blu-ray drive.

Windows 7 comes pre-installed with the XS3510M but the range has also been tested with Novell’s OpenSuSE Linux.

Prices start at £171 for barebones systems and around £650 for the unit featured above (depending on options, exchange rate, etc.)  Brochure (.pdf) available here.

All pictures courtesy of Shuttle.


GNC-2009-07-03 #490 Happy Indepence Day



Have solved my FF crashing issue and we have show notes once again. My winning podcasters check in and are ready to roll. Lots of tech news tonight but I take a little time at the beginning of the podcast to talk about Q3 Advertising and how things are going on that front.

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Podcast Madness Shows to listen to Week 1
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PC Mac Smackdown
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Listener Links:
Fireworks Photo Tips
Pirated Green Dam Software
Modern Prison Visits
Dozen Donts for Entrepreneurs
Car AC Info
Mega Ant Colony Takes over World
Largest Commercial Sat Launched
Self Regulation of Web Advertising
3G Test Report

Show Topic Notes:
ASCAP wants your Monet to Play Ringtones
7.2 Billion to build Rural Broadband
Firefox 3.5 sees 5 Million Downloads
100GW of Solar Power across 24 Sites
Ariane Lifts Big Sat
Google App Engine Issues Again
Some New Lunar Images from LRO
Clear’s Wimax does not live up to Hype?
Google Updates Apps
New HIV/Aids Vaccine to be Tested!
Judge lets Lori Drew Off?
Comets and Earth Relationship
Hawaii Affiliates contracts Canceled by Amazon plus others!
Shuttle passes leak check July 11th Launch
California Economy RIP
Blubrry New Features
Psystar is back after Chapter 11 Filing
50 Years since the First IC!
Podcasters Required Watching GaryVee
Scoble and the US Navy
Pirate Bay ripped a good one by Users
Drug to make you have photographic memory
Lyman Alpha Blob
What ET is watching!
White House Salaries