Sci-Tech

Boredom was hardest part of yearlong dome isolation: NASA crew

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Monotony was the hardest part of a yearlong NASA experiment about the mental and psychological rigors of longterm spaceflight, crew members said after the test ended. The six-member crew emerged Sunday from a dome in Hawaii, on the barren northern slope of the Mauna Loa volcano, where they were studied as part of the US space agency’s mission to send people to Mars by the 2030s. On Monday, US […]

Pokemon Go will be no go in Quezon City

QUEZON City, Philippines (August 30) – Whether you play it or not, Pokemon Go is unarguably the hottest game available right now. It is a free application for Android and iOS users, which uses the smart phone’s GPS to show aspiring Pokemon trainers the various types of Pokemon they can catch, battle, and trade. Other than Pokemons, the players can also get free items in the game like Pokeballs and potions. These freebies can usually be […]

NASA’S Orion capsule test in preparation for trip to Mars

  NASA engineers successfully conducted the second to last splashdown tests with the Orion spacecraft on Thursday (August 25) bringing the agency one step closer to its goal of eventually carrying humans to Mars. The test, conducted at the Langley facility in Hampton, Virginia was designed to simulate one of the Orion spacecraft’s most stressful landing scenarios with crash test dummies inside, a case where one of the capsule’s three main parachutes fails to deploy. […]

NASA nears completion of splashdown tests for Mars spacecraft

HAMPTON, Virginia (Reuters) — National Aeronautics and Space Administration engineers successfully conducted the second to last splashdown tests with the Orion spacecraft on Thursday (August 25) bringing the agency one step closer to its goal of eventually carrying humans to Mars. The test, conducted at the Langley facility in Hampton, Virginia was designed to simulate one of the Orion spacecraft’s most stressful landing scenarios with crash test dummies inside, a case where one of the […]

Japan scientists detect rare, deep-Earth tremor

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Scientists who study earthquakes in Japan said Thursday they have detected a rare deep-Earth tremor for the first time and traced its location to a distant and powerful storm. The findings, published in the US journal Science, could help experts learn more about the Earth’s inner structure and improve detection of earthquakes and oceanic storms. The storm in the North Atlantic was known as a “weather bomb,” a small but […]

Habitable planet found in solar system next door

PARIS, France (AFP) — Scientists Wednesday announced the discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting the star nearest our Sun, opening up the glittering prospect of a habitable world that may one day be explored by robots. Named Proxima b, the planet is in a “temperate” zone compatible with the presence of liquid water — a key ingredient for life. The findings, based on data collected over 16 years, were reported in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. […]

Move over, FaceTime, Google Duo is here

by Marie Dumayac Eagle News Service Colorado COLORADO, USA (Eagle News) — iPhone users who love FaceTime have been waiting for FaceTime to be open to rival devices. The wait is over… but not within FaceTime. On August 16, Google released its new app Duo, a direct alternative to FaceTime. Duo is available on Apple and Android phones allowing video calls between these two platforms in a smooth and simple process. Signing up for Duo […]

‘Alarming’ disparity in broadband connectivity within Asia-Pacific, UN regional study finds

  (UNITED NATIONS)  New findings by the economic and social development arm of the United Nations in the Asia-Pacific have revealed that nearly 75 per cent of the region’s broadband capabilities and access are concentrated in countries in East and North-East Asia while the Pacific subregion accounts for a mere 1.93 per cent. “As a result of this digital divide, millions of people are shut out from transformative digital opportunities in education, health, business and […]

‘New port of call’ installed at space station

MIAMI, United States (AFP) – by Kerry SHERIDAN With more private spaceship traffic expected at the International Space Station in the coming years, two spacewalking US astronauts installed a special parking spot for them on Friday. Americans Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins floated outside the orbiting laboratory for a spacewalk lasting five hours and 58 minutes to attach the first of two international docking adaptors. The astronauts spent more than two hours tying down the adaptor, after […]

World’s ‘largest aircraft’ gets off ground

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The world’s “largest aircraft” embarked on its maiden flight on Wednesday, four days after a previous attempt was abandoned due to technical issues. The Airlander 10 — part plane, part airship — took to the skies amid cheers and applause from crowds gathered at an airfield in Cardington, central England. The successful flight comes 85 years after another airship — the ill-fated R101 — took off from the same airfield […]

Ford plans self-driving car for ride share fleets in 2021

  (REUTERS)  Ford Motor Co plans to offer a fully automated driverless vehicle for commercial ride-sharing in 2021, the automaker announced Tuesday, expanding its efforts in driverless cars and ride sharing – two areas where rivals have already made inroads. To help speed development of self-driving cars, Chief Executive Mark Fields said Ford is hiking investments in Silicon Valley technology firms, tripling its investment in semi-autonomous systems, and more than doubling the size of its […]

Virtual reality on the slopes

TEL AVIV, Israel (Reuters) — A team of Israeli air force veterans have developed augmented reality ski goggles meant to enhance the experience of zipping down the slopes, letting users play games and navigate and potentially help them avoid hazards. The developers tapped into their years of experience creating augmented reality visors for fighter pilots, along with their passion for outdoor sports, when they teamed up to form Israeli start up RideOn. The hi-tech goggles […]