storm

How solar storms squeeze Earth's magnetosphere

At a time of increasing solar storms, researchers have released images of how these solar outbursts affect the protective magnetic shield around the Earth.

The Southwest Research Institute yesterday published visualizations that show how powerful solar storms temporarily compress the magnetic field that surrounds the Earth.

Studying the impact of solar storms on the magnetosphere provides insight into how satellites could be affected. The sun is entering a period of peak activity where more coronal mass ejections of high-energy particles from the sun are expected in the year ahead.

Southwest Research Institute researchers collected data from two NASA spacecraft -- … Read more

Stunning auroras sparked by solar flare

A spectacular show of auroras could be visible over the next couple of days as far south as Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, and Washington State in the U.S. as well as parts of the U.K., New Zealand, and Iceland, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

These auroras are being caused by a solar flare that burst off the sun last night causing a massive solar storm of charged particles to hurtle toward Earth and crash into the planet's magnetic field. When the particles hit Earth's protective shell they light up the atmosphere wherever they … Read more

Massive solar storm headed toward Earth

A massive solar storm is hurtling toward Earth, threatening to disrupt communications, GPS, power grids, and airline flights.

A solar flare last night (see video below) created a coronal mass ejection, or the release of a burst of charged particles, from the sun's atmosphere. The storm--the largest in five years--is expected to rain a torrent of charged particles on the Earth early tomorrow morning, mostly in northern areas, according to forecasters at the federal government's Space Weather Prediction Center.

The storm, which has produced a radiation event that rated an S3, or strong, designation on the NOAA's … Read more

It's raining protons

Google+ finally allows nicknames, Priceline is killing Shatner, and a solar radiation storm crashes communication systems.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Videos show giant solar flares, ensuing aurora borealis

People who wouldn't normally see auroras are being treated to stunning sights today thanks to the largest solar radiation storm since 2005.

The storm is creating colorful auroras throughout the North and South Poles that stretched to countries that don't normally see the lights, such as England. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has maps on its Web site of the likelihood of seeing a nearby aurora.

This video by Helge Mortensen shows the aurora borealis at Tromvik Norway:

This video by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a long duration flare erupting on the Sun and sending … Read more

Digital Storm steps up its boutique PC game with first custom chassis

LAS VEGAS--We've had positive dealings with custom PC maker Digital Storm over the last couple of years. Its first custom case design should help raise its profile in the high-priced world of boutique PC vendors.

Too many "custom" PC vendors simply grab off-the-shelf parts and sell them as their own computers. You can still get a decent desktop from those sellers, but I take a brighter view of companies that design a chassis to their own specifications. It's a sign that a vendor is truly committed to selling custom desktops. It also suggests an investment in mastering the thermal, material, and compositional specifics of the end product.

A custom chassis brings no guarantees, of course.… Read more

Are blue screens contagious?

"Right now we're the only vendor with a review up because our system got through your testing and another three weeks of use as a comparison system. But we're the ones with the 'unstable' scarlet letter on the review as well."

Update: Since this post went live, Falcon Northwest resubmitted a Mach V with full production-level hardware and BIOS software. It has showed no signs of instability after enduring another set of performance and stability tests and idling for three days. Accordingly, I have removed the editor's note the review.

That's what Kelt Reeves, … Read more

RIM's BBX phones may abandon classic Bold look

The iconic BlackBerry Bold look may be going the way of the dinosaurs once Research In Motion introduces its line of next-generation smartphones.

BlackBerrys running on RIM's next-generation platform, dubbed BBX, will use the same screen aspect ratio as the PlayBook tablet, RIM said yesterday in PC Magazine. RIM's head of developer relations, Alec Saunders, said apps that run on the PlayBook will run on BBX phones.

The PlayBook runs at a 16:9 ratio, which PC Magazine points out hasn't been seen on other mobile devices. But it suggests the first BBX phone will eschew the … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1560: iPhone 5 invite: we've cracked the code! (Podcast)

Welcome to our first Buzz Out Loud Weekly, which is, ironically, our third show this week! It's a stair-step approach, really. We're recapping and analyzing Amazon's Kindle conflagration, wondering what the new iPhone 5 will look like and whether hidden retail skus do indeed point to a cheaper model, and pondering where to get free coffee on this, National Coffee Day. Plus, your calls and letters -- keep them coming!

Storm tracker: Sites for following hurricanes

People up and down the East Coast are bracing for Hurricane Irene's arrival this weekend. When will she make landfall, and what damage might she bring to your area? Tracking a hurricane isn't an exact science, but thankfully there are a number of sites that can keep you informed.

The Queen Mother of hurricane-tracking sites is the National Hurricane Center. It serves up information straight from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including current advisories, satellite photos, and a number of maps that show projections for wind speed and storm surge.

Weather.com is an obvious stop … Read more