satellite

Android 'smartphone satellite' aims for space

British researchers plan to launch an android into orbit--not the C-3PO and R2-D2 kind, but an Android smartphone. It's not the first attempt to launch an Android phone into space, but it's the first that's aiming to make a smartphone the brain for an orbital satellite.

The STRaND-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator) is being made from advanced and off-the-shelf components by Surrey Satellite Technology, a spinoff of the University of Surrey, and the university's Surrey Space Centre. The project has a few stated goals.

The first is to see if a smartphone can function in the hostile environment that is space. It will live in a protective case, and a computer on the satellite will put the phone through a number of tests to determine which components (sensors, video cameras, GPS systems, Wi-Fi radios, and so on) do and don't work in orbit.

If enough parts of the handset pass muster, the custom software will be tested next. If that works as planned, the smartphone will be used to operate parts of the satellite. The phone's cellular radio won't be used, as there are no cell towers in space (yet). Instead, the team will communicate with the phone using the satellite radio technology already in place. That said, some of the phone's other systems--processor, RAM, storage, and camera, just to name a few--will be used.

A camera will likely be outfitted so the controllers on the ground can see the screen. This will allow the scienticians to control the phone with their own custom software packages. The ability to load custom software payloads and its open-source nature is the reason why Android was chosen as the first phone OS for the stars.

The satellite will rely on its own GPS, guidance, and thrusters, but will use the phone as a backup to the main computer. Then, if all goes well, it will take over as the main "brain" and control the satellite's functions. … Read more

Canadian firm plans 78-satellite Net service

A Canadian satellite maker plans to launch a network of 78 small, relatively low-flying satellites designed to help relieve network congestion that's significantly dampening smartphone enthusiasm.

MSCI, which stands for Microsat Systems Canada Inc., is trying to be a bit of a maverick with its project, called CommStellation. The company said today that its approach of using small, inexpensive satellites in low orbit--about 620 miles above the Earth--means better coverage of the world's population, quicker launch, and better network capacity.

The company likes to spotlight its competition with the O3b, the Google-backed satellite project to improve Net access … Read more

Rounding up Toshiba's new laptops

LAS VEGAS--Toshiba has always had a prolific variety of laptop lines and configurations, and CES 2011 has ushered in a variety of new products for them, including one fascinating prototype.

>>Hands-on with Toshiba's glasses-free 3D laptop

>>Qosmio X505, Satellite A665 3D Edition, Satellite A665, M645, and L series laptop coverage

>>Toshiba's new budget Netbook, the Mini NB505

>>AMD Fusion processor finds its way into budget 15-inch Satellite C655D

>>The Best Buy-exclusive Satellite E305

Toshiba revamps its laptop lines with Sandy Bridge Intel CPUs

LAS VEGAS--Last year, Intel's new processors predictably resulted in a slew of new laptops afterward bearing the updates. To no surprise, Toshiba's newly updated laptop lineup incorporates Intel's second-generation Intel Core i-series processors, and the product line affected is big: new Qosmios, new M-series and A-series laptops, and even some new budget L-series laptops, too, along with a new version of the Satellite A665 3D Vision-enabled notebook we reviewed last year. Click below to check out some pictures of the models, and read on for specs.

The Satellite A665 3D Edition adds an integrated 3D emitter to … Read more

Toshiba announces Best Buy-exclusive Satellite E305 with next-gen Intel Wireless Display

LAS VEGAS--One year ago, the Best Buy-exclusive Toshiba Satellite E205 snagged our attention at CES 2010 with its striking design, impressive features, and most of all, its position as one of the first laptops with Intel Wireless Display.

The Satellite E305-S1990 announced today is this year's update, featuring a second-generation Intel Core i5-2410M processor and the next generation of Intel Wireless Display, which now supports 1080p video streaming. The Blue Label laptop remains a Best Buy exclusive, and it costs a little more, at $1,089. A slot-loading Blu-ray drive now comes standard, along with a 7,200 rpm … Read more

Toshiba Satellite C655D puts AMD e-series CPU into a budget 15.6-incher

LAS VEGAS--Usually, when we heard of door-buster bargain laptops around the holidays, we tend to imagine 15-inch laptops wedded to Intel Celeron processors. The new AMD e-series CPUs might be nudging into the same territory, if we're to guess from the newly-announced Toshiba Satellite C655D.

The 15.6-inch laptop uses an AMD E240 CPU, part of the new AMD Fusion line of processors, helping keep the cost down. Up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM/320GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and 802.11n Wi-Fi in a 5.5 package for a starting price of $398 doesn't sound too … Read more

Spot Connect transforms your smartphone into a satellite messenger

LAS VEGAS--If you're the outdoorsy type, chances are that you've often found yourself off the beaten path and away from the safety of a strong wireless signal. What if you wanted to update your family with your location from the top of a mountain? What if you found yourself trapped under a rock in the middle of nowhere and needed help? The Spot product family of GPS-enabled satellite messengers is one solution to your lack of signal bars, with the newest of these devices being the smartphone-enhanced Spot Connect.

The Spot Connect interfaces with a Bluetooth-paired smartphone via … Read more

Who needs a subwoofer?

Back in the days before home theater, only the most devoted bass fanatics used subwoofers. It's not that people didn't like bass, just that they bought speakers large enough to satisfy their bass cravings. Then again, the bass response required to play music isn't as demanding as movie soundtracks, so even fairly small speakers with 4- or 5-inch woofers could produce satisfying bass.

The best of today's small- to medium-size speakers produce much better-sounding bass than speakers did 10 years ago, so if you're primarily interested in listening to music and your speakers have 4-inch … Read more

Sudan under anti-war satellite surveillance

The Satellite Sentinel Project, launched today, will be monitoring Sudan from above and sharing information with the world in near real-time in an effort to deter violence.

The oil-rich southern region of Sudan is poised to hold a referendum on January 9 that could decide whether Sudan remains one country, or becomes politically divided into north and south entities. Many expect that there will be violence leading up to the vote, as well as after it, and that the Sudan could once again descend into chaos as it did during its 20-year war in which an estimated 2 million people … Read more

Sirius XM, McCartney celebrate 20 million subscribers

Sirius XM has hit the 20 million subscriber mark, and it's calling on a member of The Beatles to commemorate it.

Starting tonight at 5 p.m. PT, several Sirius XM channels, including Paul McCartney's Band On the Run Radio, Howard 101, and Classic Vinyl, will air Paul McCartney's concert live from the Apollo Theater. The concert, which was first announced last month, is accessible at no additional charge for current Sirius or XM subscribers.

It has been a good week for Sirius XM. Last Thursday, the company announced that it had re-signed Howard Stern to another … Read more