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hayabusa

Sony may have a Mint at IFA

It appears that Samsung is not the only handset manufacturer tied to a big IFA announcement next month.

Now we're getting word of a possible new Sony smartphone called the Mint. But these are more than just blurry rumor shots; tech blog Mobile Review has published a full analysis of the device replete with dozens of photos and screen shots.

Listed with a LT30p model number, the Mint reportedly features a number of high-end specifications, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor and 4.3-inch HD display. Other key hardware details include 1GB RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, front-facing … Read more

Scientists find asteroid probe, need can opener

Scientists have recovered part of a Japanese space probe that returned to Earth after landing on an asteroid to collect samples, and they're preparing to open it. At least The Andromeda Strain inspired them to wear helmets and body armor.

The sample container from the Hayabusa probe parachuted to a soft landing in the Australian Outback on Sunday. The fridge-size probe burned up in spectacular fashion on reentry (see the NASA video below).

There was no damage to the mushroom-shaped container, and the probe's heat shield was also found, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Hayabusa … Read more

Probe returns to Earth after asteroid landing

Five years after touching down on a distant asteroid, Japan's Hayabusa space probe returned to Earth on Sunday, landing in the Australian Outback after a spectacular fireball.

Officials at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) aren't sure whether the probe managed to collect samples from asteroid Itokawa after its three-month rendezvous with the small space rock in 2005. They would be the first samples returned from the surface of an asteroid.

The probe burned up on reentry, streaking through the night sky (see pic here), and Hayabusa's heat-resistant container landed with the aid of a parachute in … Read more