In a somewhat unsurprising move, the FCC has approved the merger of Sirius and XM after protracted -- and incredibly boring -- multi-year negotiations. The Federal Communication Commission decided tonight to allow a deal that will bring the two satellite radio providers together, creating a combined subscriber base of roughly 18 million users. The deal isn't without catches, however, with the Commission stating that the companies must cap prices for three years following the merger, allow subscriber choice on content, and lower fees for channel packages. FCC head Kevin Martin seemed pleased with the final outcome, stating, "Consumers will get to enjoy the best of the programming on both services." You know who wasn't so stoked? Clear Channel.

Get ready for a flood of Centrino 2 laptops, kids -- hot on the heels of Intel's big announcement and Sony and Lenovo's updated lineups comes Toshiba with the new Satellite Pro S300, Tecra M10 and A10, and Qosmio X305, F55 and Cell-based G55. The Qosmios actually aren't that new -- all three of them were initially announced back in June, but they're actually available now, with the gaming-oriented X305 exclusive to Best Buy. The $1,299 Satellite Pro S300 (pictured) is a little more interesting, with a 2.4GHz P8600 Core 2 Duo on Centrino 2's 1066MHz bus and Intel 4500MD integrated graphics powering a 15.4-inch display, as well as sleep-and-charge USB ports and a docking port. The more business-oriented Tecra lappies also get a similar Centrino 2 treatment, sharing a motherboard design to reduce repair costs. The $1,399 M10 sports a 14.1-inch screen, while the 15.4-inch A10's pricing hasn't been announced. Pictures of the new Tecras after the break.

Read - Satellite Pro S300
Read - Tecra A10 and M10
Read - Qosmio X305
Read - Qosmio G55
Read - Qosmio F55

The recent tornado tragedy in Iowa underscores the necessity to replace our aging NEXRAD detection system, and thankfully, a team of scientists from various universities are already working to find a suitable replacement. The Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) satellite network would theoretically be installed on existing infrastructure, and it would purportedly scan areas more quickly and target the bottom of storms -- something the current system falters at. The so-called "gap filling radars" could be used to scrutinize the regions where NEXRAD radars can't see, and better still, it will likely be able to more accurately predict the storm path in order to more effectively alert those who may be in harm's way. On the downside, said network isn't expected to be implemented and ready for use until 2013, so we wouldn't go converting that basement into a home theater just yet.

[Thanks, Matt]

Like a vivid fever-dream Michael Bay might have after a night of pounding Sparks, this video of our nation's darkest hour and greatest triumph will have you screaming for a sequel. Confirming our belief that the out-of-control spy satellite which the Navy shot out of the sky in February really did contain a planet-destroying plague of zombie juice and / or Aliens, this roller coaster ride of a film retells the whole drama -- replete with swelling strings and in-your-face rage rock. Enjoy the epic video after the break, as well as a recap of our extensive coverage of the event, and rest easy knowing that once again great disaster has been averted... or has it?

[Via Wired]

Although DISH Network's previous quarter wasn't anything to write home about, it sounds like the satcaster (EchoStar, technically) isn't going to allow its set-top line to grow stale in the process. During the recent Team Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, DISH's CEO Charlie Ergen reiterated that it would be beaming out "more than 100 national HD channels" by the end of 2008, and he also made mention that the EchoStar 11 satellite would lift off in July. Most interesting, however, was all the talk about the new STBs. The forthcoming ViP 722 will be the first HD DVR from the outfit with loads of Sling technology built in -- not too shocking considering the recent acquisition. Additionally, the box is said to feature an all new interface and the ability to browse to (select) websites, double as a SlingCatcher and even handle Clip & Sling duties. There's plenty more where this came from, so be sure and hit the read link when you've got some spare time for reading.

[Via GizmoLovers]

Moving beyond day-and-date releases via internet and HD video-on-demand, movie studios may be ready to move towards regularly putting movies online ahead of the DVD release date for a premium price -- that surveys say some of us are willing to pay -- but prepare to have your analog hole plugged again. The MPAA petitioned the FCC earlier this month to lift the existing ban preventing cable and satellite providers from remotely disabling analog outputs on their set-top boxes via selectable output controls (SOC). In a bit of ICT redux, the movie studios haven't said definitively that they will use the technology, but insist on having the ability to force anyone wanting to view high definition movies to only see them through an HDCP-protected HDMI output to a compatible TV. The failure of AACS and BD+ to prevent high quality copies isn't a deterrent to the MPAA's push, so while ICT has gone unused on Blu-ray and HD DVD, we're still too fond of our component outs, switchers and homemade cables -- and too wary of a future change in policy -- to support any changes in the law.

We knew it was coming, and after waiting for quite some time for FreeSat to go from concept to reality, television viewers across the UK can finally indulge. If you'll recall, a recent survey found that just 5-percent of Europe's HDTV owners actually bothered to tune into HD programming, but now that number is likely to change. Effective today, 98-percent of the UK can fork out a one-time fee of £49 ($96) to £120 ($234) in order to acquire a FreeSat set-top-box, and after an £80 ($156) installation, users will have subscription-free access to BBC HD, ITV HD (coming soon), Channel 4's digital service and around 70 other TV / radio channels. Better still, that number is slated to rise to 200 before the year's end, and unsurprisingly, the launch is expected to boost available high-def offerings in the region. Anyone across the pond have their equipment set up already? How's the service?

[Thanks, Ivan]

In case you're not content with just keeping your current cable / satellite / fiber TV service and using the recently launched ZvBox to pull in content from the web, a new startup is aiming to satisfy your bizarre desires. In what's potentially the most befuddling launch of the year, said firm is looking to introduce its 1TB set-top-box to consumers on a city-by-city basis. Put simply (or, as simply as possible), the box will fetch content from a number of places: the built-in OTA receiver will grab locals, and it will use the owner's broadband internet connection to snag IPTV material and web-based content (YouTube, Hulu, etc.). Sezmi plans to launch the product with "3G and DSL" telcos that don't currently have a way to offer a triple-play package, and while some sources say that monthly fees will be as low as "half" of a typical cable / satellite bill, we've also seen Phil Wiser, co-founder, chairman and president, quoted as saying that it will be "roughly comparable" to its rivals. Hit up the links below for loads more info, and join us as we sit back and wait for this entirely-too-complex endeavor to implode.

[Via PC Magazine]

Finally, the EU's Giove-B GPS satellite was shot into space by the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Strapped atop a Soyuz-FG rocket, the Giove-B reached orbit at 8:01am this morning, and is the second satellite launched for the nascent next-generation European Galileo satellite navigation system. This particular model is kitted out with dual redundant rubidium atomic clocks that the ESA says are "the most accurate in space". The next bird -- just three of thirty -- is slated to go up in 2010 with a full-system launch around 2013. Until then, it looks like they'll be stuck using the US's crappy, less-sensitive GPS network (boo hoo).

[Via Physorg]

We knew it! There was just no way a single WiFi router was going to provide coverage from Mercury to Pluto. In order to ensure that all intergalactic beings are given fair and equal access to the intarwebz (and to build a "constellation" that'll act as a space-based network for communication, data storage and Earth observations, too), NASA is syncing up with m2mi. Of course, these two entities have worked together on occasion before, but this go 'round, they're looking to craft (relatively) minuscule nanosats that weigh between 11 and 110-pounds and could be placed in low Earth orbit in order to create a new telecommunications and networking system. As expected, nary a launch date is even hinted at, but while we lowly Earthlings worry over the eventual rollout of 4G services, these two hotshots will be focusing on 5G -- which incorporates VoIP, video, data, wireless and an integrated machine-to-machine intelligence layer. Far out.

[Via CNET]

We're not quite sure how much more official-er Toshiba could really get with its freshest lineup of Satellite Pro laptops, but five "new" models are being trumpeted today as the latest in its ever-expanding family of business essential lappies. Up first, we have the 15.4-inch L300 / L300D, which arrives with Intel Core 2 Duo / AMD dual-core CPUs (respectively), a TruBrite display, 802.11a/b/g WiFi and an integrated webcam with microphone. Also on tap is the 14.1-inch M300, 13.3-inch U400 and the beastly 17-inch L350. We won't bore you with specifications you've already committed to memory, but needless to say, any of the aforesaid machines are readily available and boast starting prices between $699 and $1,149. Full release posted after the jump.

We spotted this P300 refresh last week, but Toshiba was kind enough today to bring some actual SKUs out in the open. The 17-inch laptops pack a decent punch for the price, but the 1440 x 900 screens aren't exactly going to win any points. For $1,050 you can get an Intel Core 2 Duo T5550-powered machine, with 3GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, DVD burner, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 256MB graphics, a built-in webcam and so forth. Lop off a hundie and you can nab an AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-62 processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB of HDD and a Radeon X1250 graphics.

Back in February, Toshiba saw fit to dish out the Penryn-powered X205-SLi2 and X205-SLi4 laptops; fast forward a couple months, and here we are yet again with two more updates in the X205 series. The latest duo of 17-inchers -- the X205-SLi5 and X205-SLi6 -- each pack the same pair of 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT GPUs and a 1,440 x 900 resolution panel, but the latter ups the ante with a more powerful 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo T8300 processor. Furthermore, you'll find room for up to 4GB of RAM along with dual 160GB HDDs, Harman Kardon speakers, 802.11a/g/n WiFi, dual-layer DVD writer, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a 1.3-megapixel webcam. As for the X205-SLi6, you'll find a potent 2.5GHz T9300 under the hood along with 400GB of total HDD space, but basically everything else remains identical to that found on its lower-spec'd sibling. Check 'em out right now for $1,999 and $2,499, respectively.