A nickel boost in the first-class stamp price to 50 cents is part of the U.S. Postal Service’s latest plan to stop bleeding red ink.
From Business and financial news – CNNMoney.com: Insider trading ban hits a snag
What the heck is wrong with our government?! Our own Congress, the civil servants that we select, can still make money based on inside trading while the rest can’t?! This is pure bogus at its finest!!
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It should be a no-brainer: a popular bill with bipartisan support that bans insider trading by members of Congress.
From Geeks are Sexy Technology News: Settlers of Star Trek
“Will you give me two Dilithium for one Tritanium?†This might be a question you’ll be asking sooner than you think! A new edition of the classic strategy board game Settlers of Catan is primed for release in March, so be ready to get your Red Shirts on ladies and gentlemen geeks, for Star Trek Catan will soon be here!
Of course, while every Trekkie and board gamer may be clamoring for this release, it is unfortunately going to be available only in Germany for now. The good news is that because of this, you now have both the time and a reason to brush up on your German language skills! “Lebe lang und erfolgreich!â€
From Engadget: Renesas MP5232 SoC promises dual-core processing and LTE connectivity for less cash
There’s a trend underfoot to bring high-end smartphone capabilities down to a price that even Joe Sixpack is willing to swill. We saw evidence of this from MediaTek earlier in the week, and now the crew at Renesas is looking to join the race with its MP5232 system on a chip (SoC). This entrant touts a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, along with HSPA+ and LTE radios on the same chip — much like offerings from competitors Qualcommand ST-Ericsson. Renesas estimates that with its SoC, a smartphone can be delivered to the customer for as little as $150 — mind you, carrier subsidies should be able to swallow the rest. Renesas is also pushing its chip to tablet makers, and expects products with its internals to reach consumers in as little as six to nine months. If you’re an OEM (or just wanna pretend), you’ll find the full PR after the break.
Continue reading Renesas MP5232 SoC promises dual-core processing and LTE connectivity for less cash
from Engadget
From Engadget: Lehmann Aviation’s LFPV UAV packs GPS, autopilot, 11MP cam, 1080p video, yours for $2,352
Sure, an AR.Drone 2.0 will afford you 720p HD video recording in the skies for just 300 dollars, but how does 1080p with 11 megapixels of sensor sound in comparison? That’s exactly what Lehmann Aviation is offering on its new LFPV civil UAV. This $2,352 (1790€) kit is far less expensive than the company’s $17K LP960 from a few years back, but it certainly isn’t lacking in the drool inducing features department — and yes, it’ll capture straight up photographs, too. Apart from letting you conduct reconnaissance of your local strip mall, the LFPV packs a “live data connection” to keep you informed about its GPS coordinates and altitude, among others things, like how soon you’ll need to recharge. Better yet, it uses the same Ground Control System as Lehmann’s other flyers (perfect for when it’s time to upgrade), offering an 800 x 480 live video stream of your journey and total control of where you’re piloting the aircraft. Best of all, the LFPV even packs autopilot if you need to take a break from the controls . We’d be remiss not to point out Eye3’s $999 bring-your-own-camera hexicopter for those already equipped with a beefy ILC shooter, but if the LFPV is right up (or over) your alley, you’ll find a full press release and video just past the break.
from Engadget
From Engadget: GENIE rocket system does smooth VTOL, lateral flight, cheap trips to Mars
NASA can’t just park up in the middle of space and rely on Robotnaut 2 for its entertainment. Actually, it probably can, but at some point the urge to explore new worlds will become too strong to resist. That’s when it’ll need a suborbital rocket guidance system like the GENIE (“Guidance Embedded Navigator Integration Environment”), which transforms a flood of sensory data into reliable and autonomous maneuvers. Fortunately, the system’s economics make a whole lot more sense than its name, which is why NASA is depending on technology like this to control the next generation of affordable and reusable space craft. The test flight shown after the break can only boost GENIE’s chances: it took a Xombie rocket up to 160 feet and then made it fly laterally for another 160 feet before landing with a degree of swagger that makes the previous flightin 2010 look plain rickety.
Continue reading GENIE rocket system does smooth VTOL, lateral flight, cheap trips to Mars (video)
from Engadget
From Coolest Gadgets: Continuance Batteries – Give AND Take via USB
We’ve all been there, completely immersed in a long involved phone call and you hear the dreaded battery-beep. “Are you getting another call?†asks the person on the other end. “No, my battery is going dead.†and then you look around frantically, hoping that by some stretch of luck an electrical outlet will magically appear… and more often than not, it never does. You inform the other party that you are going to lose them, defeated, and ashamed.
Well here is a concept that I really hope comes to pass, The Continuance Battery — designed by Haimo Bao, Hailong Piao, Yuancheng Liu and Xiameng Hu, this rather ordinary looking AA battery isn’t so ordinary after all. Not only is it an earth friendly rechargeable battery that can traditionally power any AA hungry device, but it is charged via USB AND has the ability to add some emergency power to any device that can be charged via USB as well!
“Can you hear me now?†Anyway, it’s only a concept at the moment, but it seems like one of those ideas that could change lots of things, and it would certainly be easy to rotate out a spare Continuance battery in my glove compartment or purse and always have an extra bit of juice when I need it. I don’t know how many times I’ve been searching for a free outlet in a restaurant or movie theater. I don’t often venture into the wilderness, but I guess it would be handy there too!
There has been some discussion about higher discharge rates and lower capacity due to the extra circutry, Blah blah blah, I’m not sure I understand most of it, my electronics knowledge barely extends past a rousing game of “Operation†but I sure hope these guys can figure it out, because I need a few dozen.
from Coolest Gadgets