Satellite launching : Private operators

And now private companies launching Rockets and Launch Vehicles !

Space Exploration Technologies, USA (SpaceX ) is now the first private company in the world to attempt launching rockets and satellite launch vehicles. They are successful in (their fourth attempt) launching a vehicle (Falcon 1 ) placing satellites in the orbit.
SpaceX is planning larger vehicles, capable of providing cargo services to the International Space Station ( I S S ), for NASA.

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NASA is 50 years

NASA is 50 years.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the American agency involved in Space research and activities, and the pioneer in the field of Aeronautics, is 50 years now. NASA was established in 1958, by the then US President Eisenhower. Later President John F Kennedy gave a thrust to NASA activities. It was in his time that NASA achieved the unique and first moon mission. US Astronauts walked on the moon – “a giant leap for the mankind” – on 20 July, 1969.

On this October 1, USA and NASA are celebrating its 50 th birthday . Let us wish NASA “ a happy birth day”, and congratulate NASA on this “50 years of innovation, inspiration, and discovery”.

NASA excels in their missions and visions.

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Duo, Quad, Hexa. Octa ?

Duo, Quad, and now Hexa. Not Octa ?

Computers are a game of 2. After DUO and QUAD, I thought the OCTA would come ! Then, how come HEXA ?

I had this doubt last day, when I read the news that Intel just designed their six-in-one processor. The report says, the world’s first 6-in-1 processor has been completely designed and developed in India. Intel’s Bangalore centre had designed the latest in their Xeon series. Xeon 7400 has 1.9 billion transistors in it, and drives SIX separate cores. This would be used in high-end, server type computers.

Intel, can I expect Octa shortly ? Or is it HexDesi ? What’s next in your journey to TERA cores ?

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Wire-free Power Transmission

A great technology, indeed ! Wire-free or Cord-less power transmission !
Intel, the microprocessor giant, is now working on a new technology for wire-free power transmission. The technology, called "Wireless Resonant Energy Link (WREL)" would enable transmission of power without cords (wires). The devices ( Mobiles, Laptops, Players, Robots, ...) using the power can be in the vicinity of the power transmitter.
Intel could achieve 75% efficiency in transmitting the power over a range of 2 metres. The system has varied applications and hence have utmost futuristic value.

Think of powerful robotic soldiers .. with no batteries inside.. yeah, that's a reality now. May be.. Intel would call the technology "No batteries inside' , like "Intel inside".

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In search of GOD

In search of God

I have here, excerpts of the highlights of a Press Report on CERN’s Particle Collider Tests.

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The biggest Physics experiment in the history.

World’s largest particle collider (Large Haldron Collider) ; Tests with two beams of Proton fired in opposite directions at close to the speed of light.

Proton beams fired through a 27 Km long underground ring.

Aims to recreate conditions a split second after the Big bang ( the massive explosion that created the universe).

The purpose of all these tests is to understand the makeup of the Universe.

Could reveal more about “dark matter”, anti-matter and possibly hidden dimensions of space and time.

Could find evidence of the hypothetical particle – the Higgs boson – called “God particle”.

The God particle gives mass to all other particles , and thus to matter that makes up the universe.

AND

It is feared that the collision of protons could eventually imperil the earth by creating micro-black holes, sub atomic versions of collapsed stars whose gravity is so strong they can suck in planets and other stars.

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Feels 'dark' about the whole thing ? Yes, it might, if you are not a physicist !

Microchips and Bluetooth

Bluetooth is 10 and Microchip is 50.

Tenth birthday of Bluetooth is being celebrated. Bluetooth, as you may know, is the short range wireless system used with Mobile phones, music players (iPod and clones) , PC peripherals like printers, and so on. Other competing technologies are WiMax and WiFi are more in demand now, for their speeds. However, the original short range technology is becoming more popular.
The Swedish firm Ericsson developed this technology in 1998, in collaboration with five other technology companies. The name of the technology was borrowed from the Danish King “Herald Bluetooth” ( who united Scandinavia in the 10th Century.).
Bluetooth, will certainly grow more in the days to come. Presence of other technologies are not a deterrent.

Microchips OR Integrated Circuits is the most revolutionary invention and development, after the invention of Transistors in the late 1950s. The first microchip was created by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments, on Sept 12, 1958. It had a germanium transistor and some other components, glued on to a piece of glass, as a single unit. This ‘silly’ device revolutionalised the whole electronics technology and business.
Today, the chips integrate millions of transistors and components into a thin piece of silicon. This technology find its place in almost all our modern gadgets. Be it personal life, industry, or anything, ICs have a major role in it.