hurricane
Latest
Visualized: Space hurricane! NASA's Cassini records super cyclone on Saturn (video)
If the crashing sound of lightning striking Saturn wasn't enough to excite your inner-meteorologist, then perhaps footage of a raging extraterrestrial hurricane will win you over. After orbiting the ringed planet for nine years, NASA's Cassini probe has managed to snag video of a super storm on the celestial body's north pole. Cloaked by the darkness of winter, the hurricane's eye became visible as Saturn's northern hemisphere transitioned into spring. Unlike the tropical cyclones of Earth (see: Hurricane Katrina, Sandy and Irene), this furious typhoon has been spinning for several years and has winds that flow at speeds exceeding 300MPH. Further differentiating itself from our world's whirlwinds, this alien cyclone is locked to its planet's north pole and is fueled by small amounts of water vapor instead of an actual ocean. Completely in a category of its own, the hurricane's eye measures about 1,250 miles wide and is surrounded by fluffy white clouds the size of Texas. To see this Saturnian fury in all its glory, check out the video after the break and feel free to leave your gratuitous hurricane names in the comments below.
You can now use iTunes to support Hurricane Sandy relief
Apple and the American Red Cross are making it easy for you to donate towards relief efforts in the wake of the this week's devastating Hurricane Sandy. Simply by clicking on the American Red Cross tile that now appears on the main iTunes Store screen in iTunes, you can pledge from US$5 to $200 using your Apple ID on the dedicated donation screen that's been set up. This isn't the first time Apple has teamed up with the American Red Cross to enable charitable donations via iTunes. The two have partnered up for other major disasters including the tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 and the massive Haitian earthquake of 2010. Amazon has also added a Red Cross donation link to its homepage. Of course, you can donate directly via the Red Cross website. [via 9to5Mac]
AT&T and T-Mobile temporarily share networks in New York City and New Jersey, shoulder the post-hurricane load
Communication has been all too spotty across much of New York City and New Jersey since Hurricane Sandy struck the region, and those who can get through on their cellphones have found themselves on particularly crowded networks. AT&T and T-Mobile are providing some much-needed, if temporary, relief: the two have struck a deal to share their GSM and 3G networks in the area with no roaming fees or plan changes while the networks come back, with the best-functioning network taking precedence in any given connection. A return to the normal state of affairs hasn't been fixed in stone and will likely depend on many, many factors, but it's a much appreciated gesture for residents who might not have a choice to relocate for a vital phone call.
East Coast Apple Stores batten down for Hurricane Sandy
Just like most everyone else on the East Coast of the United States, Apple Stores in five states, D.C. and Canada are making preparations for "Frankenstorm" Hurricane Sandy. ifoAppleStore.com reports that between 35 and 50 stores may close in the northeastern US and Canada (if they haven't already), as they are either within the expected landfall zone of Sandy or just outside it. One of our readers has confirmed that Rhode Island and Boston area stores are shut. Meanwhile, two of Apple's flagship New York City stores have surrounded themselves with sandbags, with the Fifth Avenue store even wrapping Macs and other products in plastic bags as an extra precaution against water damage. All of this goes to show that if Apple isn't taking chances with this megastorm, neither should you. If you live in the area expected to be affected by Hurricane Sandy, please take every precaution possible. Forewarned is forearmed.
Apps and tips for coping with Hurricane Sandy
All of us in the northeast US (which includes myself and TUAW colleagues Megan Lavey-Heaton, Dave Caolo and Kelly Hodgkins) are keeping a wary weather eye on the approaching maelstrom that is Hurricane Sandy. While we continue to hope for minimal impacts to life and property, it's overwhelmingly likely that millions of people will be facing days or weeks of power outages, constrained transportation and other serious challenges. As we noted last year with the approach of Irene, there are several apps and simple tips that can help keep you safe and secure in emergent conditions. Of course, the most important advice is also pretty simple: follow the instructions of local authorities with regard to evacuations, road closures and travel restrictions. On the app front, the big kahuna is Hurricane HD from Kitty Code, which provides up-to-the-minute storm tracking detail. It's a paid app that tracks all named storms in the Atlantic and Pacific; given that it's the tail end of the season, mostly what you'll get from it post-Sandy is historical info until next time around. True weather nerds may prefer to pick up Base Velocity's RadarScope, which delivers high-resolution radar data from around the US to your Mac or iPad. Also on your Mac, Zipline puts an RSS ticker of weather data on your desktop for immediate alerts. (Base Velocity's development partner WDT makes the handy iMap Weather Radio app, which delivers location-specific weather alerts for thunderstorms and other hazards.) Our in-house weather maven Mel Martin recommends CaneCast as an alternative to Hurricane HD, with similar storm tracking and warning alert capabilities. Mel also likes Emergency Radio Free, which provides thousands of live feeds to NOAA weather reports and emergency/local first responder scanner broadcasts; and the Hurricane Safety Checklist Lite app. Cnet points out ICE Lite, which allows you to quickly file all your "In Case of Emergency" info in one place for first responders or medical personnel. Don't put all your eggs in one app basket, though: you can use Evernote, Dropbox, iCloud notes or Google Drive to easily transfer some of your vital info to the cloud. Then, print out a copy and keep it in your wallet or glove compartment. ABC's Joanna Stern notes that both the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the American Red Cross have helpful apps available for the iPhone. FEMA's app includes contact information for emergency services and recovery assistance; the Red Cross app gives instructions on preparing an "go bag" as well as the locations of support/evac centers. You can also use the Red Cross app to send an "I'm Safe" social media alert to Facebook and Twitter, although if your phone is working you can probably just post directly to those services yourself. Before the storm hits, follow Scott Beale's advice: Always Be Charging everything with a battery in it. In the event of power outages, the vintage technologies may hold out better than modern digital versions: a battery-powered radio and landline phone may remain operable when TVs and cellphones don't. Keeping your iPhone charged, however, is a plus if it's feasible; it can provide emergency communication, navigation and a slew of other capabilities. As a bonus, a tethering plan may be able to provide bandwidth for your computer even if your home ISP connection goes down. You can charge an iPhone or iPad from a laptop, or from an uninterruptible power supply; low-capacity models can be had for under $100, which will give you just enough time to gracefully shut down your computer, or happily provide juice for mobile gadgets for much longer. Best Buy actually has all the APC models on sale now, which means they'll likely go fast. Remember that you need to charge your UPS before the power goes out. Kelly H. recommends turning off your UPS and unplugging all your drain-inducing gear as soon as the power cuts out, then turning it on only to charge the iPhone or iPad. If you're using a generator for backup power, Kelly strongly recommends not plugging your delicate electronics (MacBook Pro, etc.) directly into the generator output, unless you have a pure sine wave inverter providing clean AC power. Put a surge protector or UPS inline to keep that "dirty power" from frying your laptop. Aside from minimizing your iPhone power drain by turning off unnecessary services and Wi-Fi (no point in searching for a network if the access point's offline), you can charge your phone from a backup battery or a hand-crank charger. Plenty of companies are offering AC-chargeable battery packs, including Zagg, PowerStick, Belkin and countless others. When you're looking for a power pack, keep in mind that an iPad needs a 2A USB port (twice the power of a normal USB port) for full-speed charging, although it will trickle-charge fine from a standard port. Putting some elbow grease into the equation, we turn to the cranks. Eton's power products include chargers that can give you enough juice for a five-minute call after some vigorous cranking. Its line that's co-branded with the American Red Cross includes the Rover pocket-sized crank radio, which includes weather bands, USB charging and a LED flashlight for about $50; it's available at Radio Shack and other electronics retailers. For your Mac, back it up -- and consider shutting down and unplugging ahead of power outages if you think they're likely. If you're using Time Machine and Mountain Lion, keep in mind that you can set up multiple, auto-rotated backup targets, so get a solid backup of all your machines on a drive or two and then tuck them away in the floodproof safe (or even better, on a shelf at a family member's house on high ground). If you've got a cloud backup via CrashPlan, Backblaze, Carbonite or Dolly Drive, make sure it's current. In New York City, residents can register for SMS and voice alerts from the city's 311 information system by signing up for NotifyNYC. The NYC Office of Emergency Management's alerts can also be found on Twitter at @NotifyNYC. In other areas, check your local emergency management website to make sure it's accessible on your mobile devices. You can also track all the Sandy updates via our sister site Skye at weather.aol.com. Wherever you are this weekend, stay safe! Please let us know how you're weathering the storm via our comments, Twitter or our Facebook page. Image from NOAA-NASA GOES-13 satellite, Sandy at 5:55pm ET 10/28/2012
Google puts Hurricane Sandy on its crisis map, hopes to help you weather the storm
Just because Google abandoned its October Android event doesn't mean it's left its users out to dry -- Hurricane Sandy now has its very own Google Crisis Map. It isn't the first time Mountain View has lent its mapping tech to folks in harm's way -- survivors of Hurricane Issac used a similar Crisis Map to track the storm, follow public alerts and find shelters. Sandy's map is no different, providing locals with information on the storm's path, forecast information, evacuation routes, areas of high wind probability and even links to webcams surrounding affected areas. Google isn't the only firm lending a hand, either -- both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are lifting site paywalls during the storm, ensuring the public has access to developing news as long as their internet connection doesn't give out.
Google postpones October 29th event over Hurricane Sandy worries
We hope you weren't basing your calendar around Google's big Android event on October 29th. The company has confirmed to us that it's postponing the event to an as yet undetermined point in the future due to Hurricane Sandy, whose East coast arrival will follow so closely before the New York City gathering that Google isn't willing to take the chance on its big day. If you're experiencing a sense of déja vu, you're not alone -- Google delayed last year's event revealing the Galaxy Nexus out of respect for the late Steve Jobs. While it's not what we'd call an auspicious start to Google's holiday launches, we can at least hope for an abundance of riches when the company is ready once again. The full statement waits below. "We are canceling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more."
Alt-week 9.15.12: The ultimate wind machine, Egyptian Lego and the office of our dreams
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days. Sometimes we wonder, what would we have ended up doing if we didn't spend our time trawling the web for the week's best alternative tech stories? We could have been paleontologists, novelists, engineers, or if we were really lucky, worked for Google. Instead, here we are bringing you some of the more colorful tech-tales from the last seven days, which we're really not complaining about. That said though, at least on this occasion, we got to taste a bit of all the above. This is alt-week.
Get ready for hurricane season with CaneCast
With the hurricane season upon us, you might be looking for a way to get detailed information about the impact a storm may have on you. Fear not: there are plenty of hurricane apps for the iPhone. Some are from newspapers and TV stations rebranding National Weather Service info, while others have unique features that are worthy of note. One app I personally like is CaneCast Hurricane Forecaster. It's a US$0.99 app for the iPhone that allows you to monitor current storms, get their exact position in relation to your location, provides a storm track and advises you what the forecast storm classification is at each point on its track. CaneCast can also provide push notifications when a storm forms or becomes a full-fledged hurricane. There are solid maps, with a variety of radar overlays. One unique feature of CaneCast is wind risk data for any location. I don't currently live in an area threatened by hurricanes, but lived many years in Florida where life-threatening storms are something you never get used to. I wish I'd had an app like this back then, because power tends to go off during these storms, and it's all too easy to be isolated from important information. If you live in a hurricane area or just want to follow storms like Isaac (which is forming quickly this week), this is the app for you. Some sample screens from activity today are in the gallery below. %Gallery-163309%
NASA to study hurricanes with unmanned Global Hawk aircraft starting this year
From the precursor to our future robot overlords to a galactic collision that just might ruin the day of our future descendants, NASA's been focused on extraterrestrial matters as of late. Still, the space agency isn't about to ignore its own backyard, announcing plans to send unmanned aircraft above hurricanes starting this summer to beef up its environmental science know-how. NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) program is commissioning two of its Global Hawks for the job -- one for sampling storm environments and another for measuring stuff such as rainband winds and precipitation. The goal is to gather data that will help researchers better understand storm intensity and how hurricanes form. While NASA's at it, perhaps it can also research why TV reporters feel the need to deliver those comical field reports while being buffeted by hurricane winds. Then again, we highly doubt there's a logical explanation for that. As always, feel free to peruse the PR after the break for more details.
Patch 4.3 PTR: New druid Hurricane animation
Patch 4.3 has been updating many player spells including Wrath, Shadow Bolt, and Lightning Bolt. Another spell in the druid's arsenal, Hurricane, is getting a visual upgrade. Now, the spell actually calls down tornadoes in the area of effect zone, with a cool sound associated with it. The new animation looks pretty neat, and you should definitely check out the video of the new effects at Blizzplanet. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Trion extends RIFT half-birthday bonuses because of Hurricane Irene
"Trion, you should extend the birthday celebrations due to Irene," one East Coast player wrote on the forums. "They did," came the next reply. The many, many half-birthday bonuses that came with RIFT's kooky in-game party were set to end tomorrow, September 1st, but are now being extended until September 6th so that players affected by last weekend's hurricane can enjoy it as well. Subscribers are still expected to receive their in-game gifts tomorrow that include bonus potions and a reusable birthday cake. James Nichols delivered the happy news: "We know many of you have been weathering out the storm on the east coast -– so we're keeping the subscriber bonuses turned on an extra week. You now have until September 6th to enjoy all the bonuses to XP, Guild XP, Favor, Prestige, Planarite, and dungeon & raid currencies. Have fun!"
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Lighting superbike, kinetic energy generator and vibrating gloves
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. It's been an epic week for environmental news as Inhabitat reported that the East Coast battened its hatches against the force of Hurricane Irene, which has arrived in the wake of a 5.8 earthquake that shook the Eastern Seaboard from Virginia to New York. We compiled a series of tips to help our readers weather the storm, and we took a closer look at the six nuclear power plants that were shaken by the East Coast's unusual quake. We also showcased several incredible examples of high-tech architecture -- the recently crowned world's tallest LEED platinum building and the world's longest tunnel, which Russia recently announced would span the Bering Straight. Speaking of remarkable advancements in sustainable transportation, this week we took at look at what could be most powerful electric car on earth, and we brought you footage of the 200 mph Lighting superbike breaking a world land speed record. We also saw eco vehicles take off for greener horizons as Oliver VTOL unveiled an ultra-efficient airplane with 6 engines, a team of engineers in Africa constructed a DIY space shuttle in a local garden, and the flying ParaMoto Trike soared through the skies. On the topic of air travel, you may also want to check out our six tips for flying with small children (without Benadryl). It was a big week for wearable technology as well, as researchers unveiled a powerful kinetic energy generator that can fit in your sneakers. We also saw a vibrating glove that improves motor performance, a haptic glove that allows the blind to see with sonar, and a range of antenna-embedded clothing that offers a discreet form of hands-free communication. Finally, we heard Ashton Kutcher predict that wearable technology will be the next big wave, and we shared a glow-in-the-dark sequin gown that would make a choice piece of evening wear if this weekend's storm knocks the lights out.
Samsung pushes Galaxy S II launch event back a day due to Hurricane Irene
It looks like you'll have to wait an extra day to learn what you already know: the Galaxy S II -- aka, the Attain, Hercules and Epic 4G Touch -- is about to launch on AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Samsung's pushed Monday's New York press event back a day due to that little east coast storm you may have read something about. Fortunately, these handsets haven't exactly kept a low profile, so we weren't expecting too many surprises anyway. We'll be there covering it live, but in the meantime, stay safe and if you're a Verizon customer, you might want to find a dry place to continue your seething.
First day of hurricane season means new Hurricane apps
Today is the first day of hurricane season in the Atlantic, and Kitty Code has pushed updates to its popular Hurricane and Hurricane HD apps. Hurricane for iPhone allows users to track hurricanes in real time. Not only can you track speed, direction, pressure and your distance from a current storm, you can also browse historical hurricane data all the way back to 1851. Additionally, text bulletins give you all the latest warnings about storms in your area. Hurricane costs US$3.99. Hurricane HD is the iPad version of the Hurricane app. It's just been updated to version 2.0 and sports a major UI change with added features, including the ability to plot multiple storms (past and present) on interactive tracking maps, track hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones world wide, and it offers push notifications for newly formed storms. Hurricane HD 2.0 is $3.99.
AT&T's new cell tower can fit in a suitcase, help restore networks after natural disasters
Whenever a natural disaster strikes, phone companies are typically forced to patch up their own networks with fleets of trucks that serve as temporary cell towers. It's a process that involves plenty of manpower and, most importantly, plenty of time. AT&T has a more portable solution: a cell tower small enough to fit into a suitcase. The company's new Remote Mobility Zone is comprised of an antenna and accompanying satellite dish, both of which can handle up to 14 simultaneous calls placed within a half-mile radius. Any AT&T phone can connect to the makeshift system, which will sell for anywhere between $15,000 and $45,000 (plus some monthly fees), though emergency workers will need a generator to get it up and running. They'll also have to live without 3G data, which sounds like a reasonable compromise to us.
Encrypted Text: The rogue guide to gear customization
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Email me with any good screenshots or questions you have! Back in the good old days, rogues were stuck with whatever leather gear that happened to drop. It didn't matter if it had spirit or strength on it, as we really had no other options. We could augment our pieces with a few different enchants, but even those were better suited for warriors. While sometimes it seemed as if there were a random number generator churning out tier loot, we happily scooped it up anyway. The class, and everyone else, was at the mercy of the itemization gods of Blizzard. Times have changed quite a bit since those days. While we're still not able to craft custom pieces of gear tailored to fit our every need, we're not stuck with caster stats anymore. With the number of dungeons and bosses available, combined with the addition of justice points, there are a ton of options for nearly every slot on our character sheet. Enchanting has grown to encompass most of our gear, while reforging and the gem system have taken gear customization even further. Not only is there more gear to be had, but the gear we do get is much more malleable, allowing us to pick the perfect combination.
Found Footage: WNBC anchor shows Earl via iPad
Nobody ever claimed that the iPad was weatherproof, but that didn't stop news anchor Chuck Scarborough from taking his tablet out to the seashore. Reader Michael Neumann saw the veteran NYC broadcaster using his iPad to show weather radar during Hurricane Earl's race up the US east coast. He could have saved money on that case, though. Chuck's app of choice looks to be the Weather Channel's iPad offering, but we've seen lots of TV-centric solutions for the magical and revolutionary gadget. If you have a favorite clip or featured appearance of the iPad on the tube, drop a link in the comments below. Thanks Michael!
In Brief: Hurricane for iPhone on sale
As the Atlantic storm season heats up and US East Coast residents warily eye Hurricane Earl's projected path, the team at Kitty Code has put their flagship iPhone app -- Hurricane 3.3 -- on sale for US$1.99 through September 5. The separate iPad version, Hurricane HD, remains priced at $3.99. We've checked out both the mini and mega versions previously. There are scores of hurricane-related apps on the store, so if the Big Kahuna isn't to your liking you have some other options too. Stay safe!
HP tells employees webOS tablet coming Q1 2011
We've been trying to find out when HP would launch a webOS tablet since the company first bought Palm, and we're now hearing from several trusted sources that it'll be calendar Q1 2011. We're told Personal Systems Group VP Todd Bradley mentioned the date during an all-hands employee meeting yesterday, and that the project is indeed known internally as "Hurricane." (We're assuming this is what that PalmPad trademark filing was for, but we can't confirm that.) Shipping a killer tablet would be one way to change the subject from ex-CEO Mark Hurd's recent troubles, we suppose -- but we're definitely wondering if HP is actually going to support three different tablet operating systems after it launches the Windows 7-based Slate for the enterprise and the Android-based Zeen e-reader tablet for consumers as well. We'll see -- Q1 could be mighty interesting.
