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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: the video unveiling
You've already engrossed yourself in the media reports stemming from Mojave Spaceport, but if you've been hunting high and low for a few good frames of the SpaceShipTwo unveiling, look no further. Our homeslices over at Gadling were on hand for the event, and they did the honors of filming the introduction as well as the craft's first public movements. Hit that source link for a look, and be sure to check your pulse if you aren't feeling inspired when the credits roll.
Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans commercial space flights in 2011
We've been waiting an awful long time for this day to come, and now we're doing our darndest to rush away 2010. Today, Sir Richard Branson officially took the wraps off of a spacecraft that we initially peeked back in June of 2008: the SpaceShipTwo. Designed to hold six passengers and two pilots, this magnificent craft will reportedly be ready to ship wealthy tourists into space as early as 2011. Reportedly, the craft will be taken up to launch altitude by the WhiteKnightTwo, after which the 2.5 hour tour will take patrons high enough to experience around 5 minutes of weightlessness. Of course, the ship still has an awful lot of regulatory passing to do, and the Spaceport America in New Mexico still has to be built, but it's nothing short of fantastic to see the wheels turning in the right direction. Just think -- you can finally tell you kid that an aeronautical engineering degree isn't required to leave the atmosphere. Future, we heart thee. P.S. - Peek that MSNBC link for the unveiling shots!
Handmade tile necklaces feature WoW sayings
Reader Randy N. sent a link to these tile necklaces along to us, and they look awesome. They're made by a husband/wife team in New Mexico, and they're made from Scrabble tiles (the back apparently still has the letter on it) coated in a glassy glaze, with an assortment of colors and sayings. Very nice -- could be just the thing for someone who's a fan of Warcraft and handmade jewelry in your life.They're $9.99 apiece with free shipping, which is not too bad. And if that's too much and you want to try making them yourself, they've even got a tutorial on how it's done right there on the site. We do have one issue, though -- these pretty pendants and cute crafts are fine for the ladies and all, but what about us dudes? Maybe we can get some "pwned" or "woot" cufflinks?
Comcast brings Discovery HD / Science HD to Las Cruces, NM
What's this? Comcast adding just a few HD channels without ABC Family HD / Disney HD? The aforementioned carrier has just thrown a new pair into the Las Cruces EPG, and amazingly, only one is a current member of its favorite trio. According to a local, both Discovery HD and Science HD have surfaced, though we aren't sure if any others are expected to follow suit.[Thanks, Adam]
Comcast looking to sell outlying markets
Times are tough aoul over, and even cable giant Comcast isn't immune to a little tightening of the belt. Word coming out of Maine is that Comcast is looking to sell 46 of the markets on the outskirts of its footprint, mostly in Maine, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Virginia, Georgia, West Virginia and California. The move is about more than just the monies that will be generated by selling off its subscriber eyeballs, though. At a going rate of $3,000 - $4,500 per subscriber, that's not an insignificant chunk of change, either. By geographically concentrating its service areas, it should be cheaper to deliver services, including the all-important "triple play." If you're affected by this selloff, we're hoping your HD lineup won't suffer for it.
Santa Fe group allergic to RF wants WiFi banned
We've been hearing for years of that certain elusive breed of human that is extra-sensitive to certain radio frequencies and electromagnetic fields, so it was only a time before those wire-tethered folks took shot across our wireless-loving bow. According to a local NBC news affiliate, Sante Fe resident Arthur Firstenberg (not pictured right) has organized a group of electro-sensitive citizens to rally against WiFi and cellphone use in public space, claiming it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. No doubt it is indeed a sticky situation, but we're pretty sure Firstenberg and co are going to have to do a little better than claiming to "get chest pain and it doesn't go away right away" if they really expect an entire city (or country) to cease using wireless communications. [Via Fark]
Comcast adds trio of HD options in Albuquerque, New Mexico
For those feeling a little left out in Albuquerque, fret not, as Comcast has apparently blessed resident customers with three new high-definition channels. Reportedly, the carrier has added Animal Planet HD, SciFi HD, and TLC HD to its HD lineup with nary an announcement to go along. Still, there's only a few things finer than stumbling upon new high-def channels you didn't expect, right?[Thanks, Joe]
New Mexico legislators consider video game tax for outdoor programs
The mainstream media and other non-consumers of video games have been portraying gamers as pasty, bleary-eyed shut-ins since the 8-bit days -- aside from some bruised feelings, that stereotype never really did us any harm. However, a recent proposal of the powerful environmental organization The Sierra Club to the New Mexico state legislature may put a dent in the pockets of consumers and retailers living in the Land of Enchantment.The proposal calls for a 1 percent sales tax on televisions and video games; the proceeds of which would go to "outdoor education programs". According to an article in the Huffington Post, these programs would counteract the negative effects of video games -- "lower academic scores, obesity, and increased attention-deficit disorder." Supporters of the "No Child Left Inside" movement tried to pass a similar bill last year, but were unsuccessful.Unsurprisingly, gaming advocacy groups have spoken out against the bill's obvious shortcomings, such as its assumption that video games are the sole contributor to childhood obesity, lower grades and ADD. We couldn't agree more. The only weight we've gained from being gaming enthusiasts is from our skin growing thicker due to constant attacks on our lifestyle.
Spaceport America overcomes major hurdle
In an important step towards that glorious future of half-hour flights to the Akihabara district and welcoming the first members of the hundred-mile high club, voters of a southern New Mexico county selflessly approved a measure to impose a new tax on themselves and in the process give the governor's proposed 27-square mile space tourism launchpad a big push forward. The $198 million project, if given final approval, will be situated near the White Sands Missile Range in Otero County, one of the two remaining counties -- along with Sierra -- that must follow Doña Ana County's lead in imposing a quarter of one percent gross receipts tax for a crucial partial matching of state funds. Once all the financing and regulatory hurdles are overcome, Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic -- the anticipated anchor company of the tentatively-titled SPaceport AMerica (or SPAM, as we like to call it) -- will begin offering sub-orbital flights in 2009 for a reported $200,000 a head, ensuring that our colleagues over at TMZ will have plenty of "celebrities behaving badly in space" stories to cover. Still, the project is not in the bag quite yet, and with critics in those other two counties calling SPAM a waste of money and an undue burden on some of the state's poorest regions, it looks like this one might really come right down to the wire.[Via ABC News]
Inventors claim to turn 300 microwaves into megawatt energy weapon
If you happen to have say, 300 microwaves kicking around between you and your friends, it turns out that you'd have a large part of the ingredients necessary for a pretty substantial weapon. That is, according to two New Mexican inventors, who recently filed a patent for a "high-power microwave system employing a phase-locked array of inexpensive commercial magnetrons." Translated into English that basically means that these guys claim you can combine the magnetrons (the bits that generate the actual microwave that cooks your popcorn) from a bunch of consumer-grade microwaves and tweak 'em a bit to develop a megawatt-level death ray, or in military/legal parlance, a "directed energy weapon system." Yeah, we've seen energy weapons (or tools, if you prefer) before, but this is probably one of the first times that we've seen ordinary kitchen technology more complicated than a knife turn into a seriously lethal weapon. [Via New Scientist]
Meet MAYA-II, the new DNA computer that can play Tic-Tac-Toe
While strands of DNA may be able to pick fights with other strands, one thing that they can't do yet is play computer games -- that is, until now. In what appears to be an early proof-of-concept for DNA computing, scientists at Columbia University and the University of New Mexico have created a basic computer, called the MAYA-II, which has a molecular array of YES and AND logic gates made up of 100 DNA circuits. This allows the MAYA-II to play a complete game of Tic-Tac-Toe against a human opponent, and apparently nearly always win. However, this isn't exactly a fair test, given that the MAYA-II always goes first, and always opens with the center square. Still, even though each move takes 30 minutes to complete, the lead researcher on the project, Dr. Joanna Macdonald of Columbia, says that a DNA computer would be perfect for injection into human subjects to combat disease, because in theory, it would be able to "diagnose and kill cancerous cells or monitor and treat diabetes by dispensing insulin when needed." Useful applications aside, we're ready to take on the MAYA-II in Connect Four whenever Dr. Macdonald thinks it's ready.[Via MedGadget]
