The Big Picture: Launch of the Ares I-X – “NASA’s Constellation Program’s 327-foot-tall rocket produced 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reached a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds.“
Science at NASA: A Mars Rover Named “Curiosity” – “The small, car-sized rover will ramble about on the rocky surface, gizmos at full tilt, not only brushing dust off rocks but also vaporizing them with a laser beam, gathering samples to analyze on the spot, taking high resolution photographs, and more.“
RepRap Blog: The RepRap Factory – “For some time we have intended to set up a RepRap Factory at Bath consisting of four machines that will be dedicated to printing RepRap parts for others. We shall then sell these on at cost.“
Replicator: For The Price Of A TV You Can Start A FabLab – “The educational applications of these tools are very exciting and can help bridge the gap between making things with Lego Mindstorms and having to outsource production to expensive machine shops. “
SkyTran: It’s About Time – “SkyTran is a new transportation system, currently under development at NASA Ames Research and other locations. Light-weight vehicles ride above ground traffic on a magnetic levitation (maglev) micro freeway, also called the guideway.“
Official Second Life Blog: The Time for Work Avatars Has Arrived – “Speaking as the person leading Enterprise Marketing, and the Second Life Work brand at Linden Lab, I believe that the professional avatar is an imperative on the road to enterprise-wide adoption of immersive environments as a powerful collaboration and work tool. If virtual work is to be taken seriously, then our avatars need to look–and act–as professional as we do in a physical workplace.“
MicroRax: Made Small for Big Ideas – “MicroRAX a light weight miniature T-Slot framing system. Suitable for use on your desktop or bench top to build science, engineering, or advanced hobby and DIY projects. This small rugged framing system is ideal for use in machines, school science projects, robotics, design houses, workshops, prototypes, repair, models, gadgets, maintenance, etc. “
MakerBeam: An Open Source Building Kit – “Mini-T is a miniature version of larger T-slot building systems. It consists of extruded aluminum beams, 10 mm on a side, and various connectors and panels that slot into the sides of the beam, making up the full MakerBeam system.“
Metrix Create: Space – “Espresso, Snacks, Tools, Fast Internet (50M/10M Cable), 3D Printing, Laser cutting and etching, Electronics, Sewing machines and craft supplies. Events and Workshops.” – A Seattle hacker hangout.
MSNBC: Lack of Computer Skills Foils Many Job-seekers – “However deeply computers may have embedded themselves into modern life, there are still millions of people for whom they remain a challenge. For these Americans, finding a new job during a time of high unemployment can be especially difficult.“
University of Washington: Certificate in Virtual Worlds – “Learn to use simulated environments to enhance all types of organizations, including online communities, education, retailing, political expression and military training. As technologies develop, Virtual Worlds become more sophisticated, more common and people spend more time in them. Position yourself to be part of this emerging movement that has become a reality beyond just gaming. Your education will be hands-on and practical; you will learn exclusively in a simulated environment. “
Space.com: 5 Years After SpaceShipOne: Commercial Spaceflight Ready for ‘Go’ – “Within the next few months the first companies will begin flights and within two years the first paying customers will be flying. Within three years the first commercial facilities will be overhead and within five years you will be able to fly commercially to orbit on a private spaceship.“
Discover Channel: ‘Ardi,’ Oldest Human Ancestor, Unveiled – “The world’s oldest and most complete skeleton of a potential human ancestor — named “Ardi,” short for Ardipithecus ramidus — has been unveiled by an international team of 47 researchers.“
Joel Achenbach: A Nation of Engineers – “Advice to graduates: Become an engineer. Design the future. Become someone who knows how to squeeze energy out of seawater or turn sunlight into electricity for pennies on the kilowatt.“
Open Source Living – “Open Source Living is a community-driven dynamic archive of Open Source software spanning all major platforms.“
