Ten teams from around the world have signed up to compete for the Google Lunar X Prize, a robotic race to to the moon with a $30 million purse. The basic rules are simple: Teams will compete to be the first to land a privately funded robotic craft on the moon, have it tool around on the surface for at least 500 meters and send images, video and data back to Earth. As far as the contest is concerned, the robot’s trip is a one-way vacation — no need to get the bot back to our blue planet.
Archive for February, 2008...
Filed under Tech News World, Technology
Comments (0) Posted by on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Ok, we have no idea why a USB hub tucked inside a long box with cable management clips would cost $80, but we won’t deny the SpaceStation is a clever and useful, if bulky and even a bit unsightly accessory. You know what we could really use though? A power strip with USB-charger ports. Why the hell hasn’t anyone made one of those? Yes, we demand royalties for these gems.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Comments (0) Posted by on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Filed under Slashdot
eldavojohn writes “How much would you pay to be the leading video media technology right now? Is $400 million too much? Sony didn’t think so and this article speculates that’s how they won the Hi-Def format war. ‘With billions of dollars in global sales at stake, experts had predicted the Toshiba-Sony battle would go on for years – not unlike the 1980s battle of videotape formats between VHS (Matsushita) and Betamax (Sony). That war lasted a decade, leaving Sony battered and humiliated. So how did this epic battle come to such an abrupt end? The answer lies in part with the bruising Sony experienced with Betamax, which, like Blu-ray, was also the better product on paper.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Comments (0) Posted by on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Filed under Tech News World, Technology
Microsoft has made an announcement about future standards support, but Red Hat, in a response posted Thursday, would like to see Microsoft instead make a concrete announcement in support of existing ISO-approved, cross-platform standards next week in Geneva. Meanwhile, the European Union said they will monitor whether the principles announced by Microsoft are, in fact, implemented. In its response, Red Hat Executive Vice President and General Counsel Michael Cunningham said, “Red Hat regards this most recent announcement with a healthy dose of skepticism.”
Comments (0) Posted by on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets
One of the things most people fail to realize about being sick is that sitting in a hospital bed all day can be really, really boring. Luckily, a company called Lincor Solutions has realized that people need something a little more engaging than plain-jane television these days, thus the MEDIVista was created. The basic premise is quite simple: a touchscreen, LCD display is mounted to the side of a hospital bed which the hospital staff can use to display x-rays or medical information, and the patient can use for entertainment. Users can watch IPTV, listen to the radio or audio books, make VoIP calls, surf the ‘net, check email, as well as play web and network based games. The system also logs activity and allows users to view billing information, though at this point it doesn’t look like it can play Doom, will blend, or is due to become our overlord.
[Via OhGizmo!]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Comments (0) Posted by on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
