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A guy in the UK called the ISS from his backyard and you can too
For most of us, visiting the International Space Station is little more than an impossible dream -- but if you know what you're doing, talking to the orbiting laboratory is surprisingly plausible. No, really: just ask Adrian Lane, a Gloucestershire UK Ham radio operator who called up an ISS astronaut from the comfort of his own backyard shed.
Ham radio licenses in the US top 700,000, still plenty of call signs to go around
Social networking wasn't always as easy as it is today. Long before Twitter or Facebook (or the internet itself), amateur radio was a popular way for folks to talk to people they may not necessarily know in real life -- although "popular" in this case is something that's always been measured in the hundreds of thousands rather than millions. While it's since been overtaken considerably by more modern technologies, ham radio is still now technically more popular than ever, with a recent count of licensed operators in the US topping 700,000 for the first time. Of course, they aren't necessarily all active users, but there is still a steady stream of folks taking the necessary exam these days -- the FCC has issued 40,000 new licenses in the past five years. [Image courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives / Wikimedia Commons]
Ask Massively: Ham edition
Readers, today is a sad day indeed. Having exhausted my longstanding well of topics that were either based in Dadaist absurdity or random personal anecdotes, I'm left to unveil my most desperate weapon -- an edition based entirely on ham. Consider the ham. Within the ham there could be the answers to all of life's questions, or perhaps there's just salty meat with a light mustard and honey glaze to create a firm yet not crispy exterior. Which is the truth? We'll never know. You will, however, know a bit more about what's going on behind the scenes of the site with this week's edition of Ask Massively. Sadly, we don't have our usual assortment of site gossip, but we do have answers about a few features and some discussion of the upcoming online-maybe Dragon Quest X. As always, you can leave questions in the comments or mail them along to ask@massively.com for a future column.
The Queue: Hawaiian Pizza edition
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Today, in addition to all of the questions I'm answering for you, I need all of you to answer a question for me. Hawaiian Pizza: Delicious, or Crazy Delicious? This is an important question, my friends. I need each and every one of you to contribute. It's for the good of mankind. Also, to prove my girlfriend wrong. It rules, does it not?%Poll-26965%Evaline asked...Are there any Ulduar achievements currently on the PTR? I'm guessing they aren't there yet, because we would have heard something about them if there were. Another question if I may, do the bosses on the PTR currently drop loot? Again probably not, for the same reason as above, but can't hurt to ask.
The definitive Mac mini/Honey Baked Ham smackdown
The holidays. A time for joy, a time for gathering, a time for product smackdowns. So which is the better buy? A Mac mini or a festive honey baked ham? Let TUAW do the comparison work for you. Mac mini/Ham Smackdown Feature Mac Mini Honey Baked Ham Winner Availability Apple and a few select vendors Widely available Ham. Cost From $600, although the $800 model is far superior $50 or so With over an order of magnitude difference in price, the ham is the clear winner. Environmental impact Contains lots of chemicals but can run on relatively green energy sources, meeting Energy Star requirements. Completely organic but may produce lots of emissions after a large meal with all the trimmings. Tie. Social impact Lots of fun for your entire family. Forbidden for consumption by many major religious denominations. Mac mini. Geometry 6.5" x 6.5" x 2". A rectangular block. Spiral cut, conforming to an aesthetically pleasing geometry of curves. Ham. TV Compatibility Works well with both standard def and high def television sets, packaged with Apple Remote. Can be eaten in front of both standard def and high def television sets, with any standard remote. Tie. Documentation Packaged with full printed and electronic documentation. No documentation needed. Unless you are Homer Simpson. Tie. Leopard Compatibility Yes. Yes. But it may give the Leopard indigestion. Mac mini, by a hair.
FCC drops Morse code requirement for amateur radio license: - - - .... / -. - - - !
Despite the fact that it's been proven more than once that there are lots of folks who are well-versed in Morse code, it appears that the SMS of the 19th century has become a thing of the past. The FCC has finally dropped the requirement to learn the obscure language to become a ham radio operator; up until now there had been a five word per minute minimum Morse code speed requirement in order to get the amateur radio license. This brings American amateur radio operators in line with similar requirements in Europe and Canada, who since eliminating the rule in 2003, have found this requirement a bit, shall we say, old world? [Warning: PDF link][Via Slashdot and ARRLWeb]
Music Thing: Messe Oddities
Each week Tom Whitwell of Music Thing highlights the best of the new music gear that's coming out, as well as noteworthy vintage equipment:Human ingenuity has no limits. Walking through the vast halls of the Frankfurt Messe exhibition centre last week, I saw pretty much every musical instrument imaginable, and several things that I’d never imagined seeing… Most kick drums don't rotate, so I'm not sure how the spinning starts on these things, but I guess the lead singer could casually give it a flick round every so often. No, there's no way that attaching a random bit of shiny, pointy aluminium to the front of your drum kit will make it sound better.
