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NASA says retired astronauts must act as sherpas on private flights to the ISS
The new policy aims to increase passenger safety on commercial space flights.
Billionaire space barons want to build 'mixed-use business parks' in low Earth orbit
With the Mir Space Station having deorbited in 2001 and the ISS scheduled for retirement by the end of the decade, tomorrow’s space stations are very likely to be owned and operated by companies, not countries.
SpaceX will fly space tourists to the ISS as soon as next year
Houston-based private space company Axiom has forged a partnership with SpaceX to fly paying tourists to the ISS as soon as the second half of 2021. Under the terms of their deal, SpaceX will use the Crew Dragon capsule to ferry three tourists and an Axiom staff member, who'll make sure they don't interfere with the NASA crew members doing their job, to the orbiting lab. It's worth noting that Axiom was the company NASA chose to build the space station's first commercial destination module.
Samsung Galaxy Axiom officially debuts, available on US Cellular for $79
After making an appearance earlier this month in a leaked image, the Samsung Galaxy Axiom is ready for prime time. The handset is now on sale at US Cellular for $79 with a two-year contract or $399 for those who aren't fond of the commitment. Packing the expected Galaxy S III Mini-reminiscent specs, the budget LTE smartphone runs Ice Cream Sandwich, packs a 4-inch WVGA display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of built-in storage that can be expanded with a microSD card of up to 32GB in size, a 5 megapixel camera on its rear and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing cam. With NFC baked in, the Galaxy Axiom joins the ranks of devices that have support for Google Wallet. To pick up a fresh Galaxy family device and not break the bank, hit the adjacent source link.
Alleged 4-inch Samsung Galaxy Axiom leaks, could be headed to US Cellular
The always-informative evleaks has done it yet again. This time out it's not a Lumia 920 or some revealing press shots of the PadFone 2, though -- instead, what we have here is what appears to be a variant of Samsung's recently announced Galaxy Mini. According to evleaks, this 4-inch handset will be officially known as the Galaxy Axiom (model SCH-R830), and could very well end up on US Cellular, bringing with it a WVGA display alongside a decent dual-core, 1.2GHz MSM8960 CPU, LTE and Ice Cream Sandwich. Naturally, take this with a grain of salt, but given the messenger's recent track record, it also wouldn't surprise us if we hear something more official in the days to come. In the meantime, however, it looks as if the picture above will have to suffice.
ZAGG intros a pair of Bluetooth keyboard cases for the iPad, three pairs of gaming headphones
Sometimes at trade shows we see funky-looking Windows 8 devices, other times we see bags filled with a morphing rainbow colors and sometimes we see things whose importance falls somewhere in the middle. That's the situation ZAGG finds itself in this week, as it tries to win attention at IFA amid dozens of laptop / tablet hybrids and 84-inch TVs. The company is in Berlin as we type this, showing off the new ZAGGkeys Pro and Pro Plus, two Bluetooth keyboard cases for the iPad. Both have a magnetic closure, but the Pro version adds backlighting. Those will be available at the end of September for $99 and $129, respectively. Additionally, the company announced a trio of Caliber gaming headphones, including the Stealth, a pair optimized for mobile devices, and the Axiom, which works with Macs, PCs, the Xbox and PS3. Both have in-line controls. Rounding out the list, there's the Vanguard, which offers 7.1 channel audio. Look for these in October, for $60, $90 and $130, respectively. The PR's embedded after the break, though you won't find much more detail there, sadly.
The Modbook Pro gets official, CEO Andreas Haas talks success in an iPad world
You'd be forgiven for assuming that the ModBook dream died with release of the first iPad. After all, the first version of the hacked notebook predated Apple's announcement by a couple of years. When the iPad finally hit in 2010, it did a lot to address the desire for a slate device running Apple software. Since then, things have largely remained silent on the Axiotron front. In fact, the last time we heard a significant peep out of the company was back in 2009. Its former CEO Andreas Haas assured us, however, that the real reason for the company's silence is a bit more complicated than the story of yet another product falling victim to the Apple steamroller. "Axiotron itself was a great company," says Haas. "Back in 2008, I took the company public, everything was really great. There was one little thing that turned out to be a huge problem, which is that the company was largely bank-financed and 10 days after it went public, Lehman Brothers went belly-up and put the whole financial market in a tailspin. After that was mostly spent on trying to somehow restructure the company, and ultimately there was just nothing that could be done about it." As the newly reborn Modbook Inc. teased via its Facebook page yesterday, however, the name lives on. This week marks the return of the tablet in the form of the 13.3-inch Modbook Pro, a device slated to ship early this fall. Can such a device survive in a world that's been downright flooded by tablets in the years since its predecessor's release? The company clearly feels it can -- that its new product is unique enough to set itself apart in amongst the deluge of slates, calling the new Pro, "the world's most powerful and largest-screen tablet computer." And in a space where hardware and software are relatively neutered, it's understandable how the company might be inclined to make such bold claims about the converted notebook.
Modbook teases a 'Pro' announcement on Facebook
Modbook -- now there's a portmanteau we haven't heard in a while. Looks like that'll change this week, however. The company has offered up the intriguing promise that "imagination goes pro. Tomorrow," alongside the image of the edge of a slick looking device and some familiar OS X icons. Color us modtrigued.
Kanex Sydnee recharging station traces design to an unusual source
Kanex is an accessories manufacturer that has traditionally built cables and connectors for Apple products. The company has recently brightened up its branding and is introducing some new products that are sure to grab some attention. I was able to take some photos of the new Kanex Sydnee iOS recharge station at Macworld | iWorld 2012 last week, and heard a fascinating story about the origins of the design of the Sydnee. %Gallery-146080% First, a little bit of background about the Sydnee. It's designed to charge up to four iPads simultaneously. That means that it supplies the requisite 2.1 Amps of current to four individual USB ports. Sure, you can swap out some or all of those iPads with iPhones or iPod touches, but where the Sydnee really shines is in the area of charging multiple iPads at one time. What's nice about the Sydnee is that it manages to be both functional and stylish at the same time. In terms of functionality, the Sydnee does an amazing job of holding three iPads at the same time while feeding power to them through included USB cables that are just the right length. The fourth iPad (or an iPhone) must sit on the table, uninvited to the party. Now, about the style. As you can see from both the image at the top of this post and the gallery, the Sydnee uses a unique design that allows it to hold three iPads gracefully. There's a clear plastic piece in the center of the oblong "loop" that separates two of the iPads, while the third perches on the outside of the device. If this design seems vaguely familiar, than you must be a fan of Disney Pixar's Wall•E. The Kanex team told me that Sydnee's design was inspired by the Axiom, the huge BnL spacecraft that is inhabited by a "lost colony" from Earth. Whether that story is true or the team was pulling my leg, there is a resemblance, and the design is striking. Sydnee's not available yet, but you can sign up for updates on availability. The recharging station is expected to retail for US$149 when it appears, and you'll be able to get it in either black or white. I just wish it had a Buy n Large logo sticker on the outside...
Axiom Audio's mighty EP800 subwoofer gets reviewed in Israel
When a new flagship subwoofer gets reviewed, enduring a little machine translation is totally worthwhile. Actually, mister roboto did a pretty good job with Israeli site hometheater.co.il's review of Axiom Audio's EP800, but even if it hadn't you could have guessed that the dual 12-inch drivers, 800-Watt amp and sealed cabinet of the tower-sub goes way low, way loud. The brave reviewer went way beyond the well-appointed connection/adjustment panel of this sub and really dove into the guts -- we just hope that they securely tightened down the drivers upon reassembly! Other highlights of the review include the EP800 box overshadowing a small child and a video clip of Axiom's 90-foot measuring tower. Hit the link for the fun stuff -- trust us, the giddy joy of a big sub survives translation. [Via Audioholics]
Axiom Audio goes to the wall with its T2 speakers
Axiom Audio is certainly taking the custom install market to heart. Between its custom finishing services and the newly-announced T2 in-wall speakers, you should be able to fill out your custom install quite nicely with the brand. The 11.65- x 6.4-inch facade that stands a little more than 0.5-inches from the wall should blend in, that's for sure. But these are more than a pretty face, they've got audio cred as well. The T2 speakers are derived from Axiom's M2 bookshelf units and feature the same aluminum 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. The press release has these spec'ed at 22kHz - 70kHz response for your dog's listening pleasure, but we assume that's a typo and should be a more human-friendly 70Hz - 22kHz. Expect more models in Axiom's T-series in the future, but you can start off with these for $446 per pair.[Image courtesy ElectronicHouse]
Axiom Audio serves up speakers in more than 2,000 finishes
Sure, getting some premium in-wall speakers is one way to maximize your speakers' sonics while minimizing their visual impact, but for many rooms just getting a different finish on the cabinets and grills is all that's needed. To that end, online speaker retailer Axiom Audio has launched a custom service that can churn out any of its speakers in one of more than 2,000 styles. If you order one of the six real wood veneers you get your choice of: six stains, three gloss levels, three feet/logo metals and six grill colors. Those who order one of the 16 matte vinyl finishes get to choose from six grill colors. Surely, you should be able to find something that will fit your fashion sensibilities, right? Pricing is (obviously) variable, but Axiom has made a name for itself when it comes to value, so don't be afraid to check out the website to configure that next speaker of yours.
