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Dream Chaser space plane to begin NASA flight tests

In another sign of ever-increasing commercial spaceflight activity, Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser space plane has arrived at NASA for testing.

Wrapped in plastic, the craft arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where it will eventually undergo its first autonomous free flight Approach and Landing Test (ALT).

Part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program along with SpaceX and Boeing, the Dream Chaser is designed to launch vertically on top of an Atlas 5 rocket, dock with the International Space Station, and then return to Earth like a glider, landing on a runway. … Read more

Company test pilots on call for first commercial flights to orbit

The first American manned spacecraft to reach orbit in the wake of the shuttle's retirement will be crewed by company test pilots -- not NASA astronauts -- in part to give space agency managers better insight into flight readiness and safety, officials said Wednesday.

Assuming NASA gets the funding that managers say they need -- a big "if" in today's political environment -- Space Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, hopes to launch a manned version of its Dragon cargo ship in the mid 2015 time frame, followed by a crewed flight to the International Space Station later … Read more

AT&T unveils Unite, its second touch-screen LTE hot spot

Days before CES kicks off in Las Vegas, AT&T and Sierra Wireless pull back the curtain on the AT&T Unite, the carrier's second touch-screen hot spot.

Riding AT&T's 4G LTE network, the Unite features a 2.4-inch display and more conventional design than its rival, Novatel Wireless' AT&T Liberate.

Like the Liberate, the Unite also supplies connectivity for up to 10 Wi-Fi devices and offers touch access to device and network settings from the screen.

AT&T hasn't shared pricing information yet, but you will be able to … Read more

NASA awards manned-spacecraft contracts

After an intense competition, NASA announced contracts Friday totaling up to $900 million to be divvied up between three companies -- SpaceX, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada -- to continue development of commercial manned spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

While it is far from clear whether Congress will provide enough funding to keep all three companies in the mix, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, a former shuttle commander, said the program was critical to America's future in space.

"Today we are announcing another critical step towards launching our astronauts from U.S. soil on … Read more

Sprint's Tri-Fi Hotspot will do LTE, WiMax, 3G on May 18

NEW ORLEANS--Sprint has gone to great length to explain to its investors and the press how it's consolidating its various network technologies into one. Its latest 4G hot spot is a perfect example of the concept in practice.

The 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot, made by Sierra Wireless, will support three of Sprint's data networks: 4G LTE, 4G WiMax, and 3G.

I got my first glimpse of the Tri-Fi Hotspot a few months back at CES, and despite all the jokes I cracked about a data three-way, it isn't a very sexy device if you're not looking … Read more

GM's HD pickup truck plant will add third shift, bringing 750 jobs back to Flint

General Motors is ramping up production of its popular heavy-duty pickups, much to the delight of Local 598 members.

The automaker yesterday announced it will create 750 jobs by adding a third shift at Flint Assembly, and plans to call back laid-off workers. Currently the plant employs 2,100 hourly and salaried employees and operates two production shifts.

"Adding a third shift is a response to customer demand for heavy-duty pickups, which most people use to tow, haul, and plow," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. "Equally importantly, it brings jobs and a needed economic … Read more

Sprint launches 3G/4G combo USB dongle

Though the benefit of the 4G cellular data connection is clear, it's much faster, mobile users might still want to opt for a 3G service because 4G coverage is still limited.

There's now, however, a solution that takes care of this dilemma: the new Sprint 3G/4G USB 250U mobile broadband modem.

Sprint and Sierra Wireless announced the device Tuesday, calling it the first on the market to offer the much higher data speeds where 4G coverage is available, and 3G speeds where it is not.

The 3G/4G dongle comes in a rather compact design with 180-degree … Read more

General Motors recalls 1.5 million vehicles

General Motors today announced its recalling 1.5 million 2007-2009 model cars, trucks, and crossovers to disable a heated washer fluid system module that could pose a fire risk. Because the feature will be disabled, GM will make a voluntary payment of $100 to the owner or lessee of each vehicle.

There are no known injuries or crashes related to the condition, according to a GM news release.

"While our analysis shows the number of incidents is very small compared with the number of vehicles on the road, we want our customers to have complete peace of mind," … Read more

GM commited to light-duty crew cab

General Motors announced it will invest more than $21 million to produce the 2011 Chevrolet light-duty crew cab at the GM assembly plant in Flint, Mich., beginning in mid-2010.

GM Flint Assembly is GM's sole producer of GM's heavy-duty crew cab trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Flint Assembly also produces the heavy-duty regular cab Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. The $21-million investment in the Flint Assembly plant will include renovating the existing heavy-duty assembly process, new machinery, equipment, and tooling to support the light-duty crew cab production in the plant.

The 2010 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC … Read more