ESCAPADE
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Rocket Lab is building spacecraft for a NASA Mars mission
Rocket Lab will make two vehicles for a NASA-backed science mission to Mars, expanding the startup's interplanetary reach.
Verizon announces Escapade global flip, available tomorrow
Typically, dual-mode global handsets on carriers like Sprint and Verizon have a distinctly high-end (or at least a midrange) flair to them, but the Escapade is rolling up on this scene to ask "why is that?" Verizon's new Pantech-sourced clamshell -- which will be sold under the Verizon name alone -- lacks EV-DO, UMTS, and even EDGE data, concentrating instead on offering voice and text services in "220 destinations worldwide." It's got a 2 megapixel camera, support for voice commands, Bluetooth, and VZ Navigator, but the most compelling feature might be the price: $29.99 on contract after rebate. Look for it to launch online and in stores tomorrow.
More Pantech Escapade shots emerge, sounding very low-end
We're not sure we understand the market for a global phone on Verizon that's so low-end that it doesn't even support 3G, but Pantech seems to understand it -- or at least it thinks it does -- with the latest info leaking out about its upcoming Escapade flip. The phone will apparently support CDMA with 1x data alongside GSM with GPRS data, which makes it next to useless to getting serious work done from your handset no matter where you happen to be in the world. Otherwise, it's expected to feature a 2 megapixel camera and a measly 2.5mm headphone jack, but it's said to be lacking a microSD slot -- something found on even the most basic phones for the last year or two. Global or not, this thing better be within a few bucks of free when it launches; as of right now, we don't know when that'll be.
Pantech Escapade getting worldly on Verizon?
Global roaming on Verizon has typically been revered as a premium feature -- which more or less makes sense, considering that the well-to-do are more likely to be globetrotting and the additional radio hardware jacks component costs -- but it always pays dividends to keep a few lower-cost options in any lineup, and that might just be where the Pantech Escapade comes into play. The Korean flip is rumored to be gearing up for a launch on Verizon -- and as the SIM slot suggests, you'd be able to take this one overseas with you on the occasional business jaunt or vacay. It's said to have a 2 megapixel camera and a QVGA display, though a microSD slot may strangely be missing; it's become such a common feature at this point (even on the lowest-end devices) that we'd be shocked to see it launch like that, but who knows? Maybe you don't need music and picture storage where you're going.
WoW Moviewatch: The Black Temple and the Battle for Mount Hyjal
Fanatik, a Blizzard devotee (or, as rumor has it, something else beginning with dev at Blizzard), posts a seven-minute preview of his final Exploration movie, due out on the 16th. Since most of us have plans for the 16th that don't involve watching movies on Youtube, we'll have to be content with the preview for now. Luckily it's a good preview that shows both the interior of Illidan's Black Temple and Archimonde at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Check out the somewhat amusing in-development sequence at the end!
