With the Launch of Falcon Heavy, Space Is Exciting Again - The Atlantic

Private spaceship maker SpaceX announced plans Tuesday (April 5) for a new heavy-lift rocket, a vehicle that would be the most powerful commercial rocket ever built and haul much heavier loads than the company's previous boosters.

 The new unmanned rocket, called a Falcon Heavy, will be able to loft about three times the amount of mass carried by SpaceX's current Falcon 9 boosters on missions to low-Earth orbit.

Space Exploration Technology has already sent the first private rocket and capsule into Earth's orbit as a commercial venture. It is now planning a rocket that could lift twice as much cargo into orbit as the soon-to-be-retired space shuttle.

The first launch is slotted for 2013 from California with follow-up launches from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Space X's new rocket called Falcon Heavy is big enough to send cargo or even people out of Earth's orbit to the moon, an asteroid or Mars. Only the long retired Saturn V rocket that sent men to the moon was bigger.
"This is a rocket of truly huge scale," said Space X president Elon Musk, who also founded PayPal and manufactures electric sports cars.

The Falcon Heavy could put 117,000 pounds into the same orbit as the International Space Station. The space shuttle hauls about 54,000 pounds into orbit. The old Saturn V could carry more than 400,000 pounds of cargo
.
While the new rocket is designed initially for cargo, it satisfies NASA's current safety requirements for carrying humans and after several launches could carry people too, Musk said. He has said that if NASA does buys rides on commercial rockets, he would be able to fly astronauts to the space station in his smaller Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule within three years.
Potential customers for the new larger rocket are NASA, the military, other governments and satellite makers.


Sources: Space.com, The Atlantic,  Associated Press

How to deal with the RASH of corporate email HACKS

With the news that "Target's e-mail addresses stolen", this morning and earlier in the week, Epsilon being hit with customers from Capitol One to Best Buy being at Risk.  The daily occurrences seem to be growing.  I think it's time to review how BEST to protect yourself from Phishing and Spam that attempt to steal information about you and your family.

First Obtain a Good Virus Checker and Malware Protection package.  Many can be obtained FREE these day.  Look further down in my BLOG one I'm recommending is Avast! Updates frequently and their free program is great.  Another for great Malware protection and also is PROACTIVE watching sites you go on to is Malware Bytes.

Second, get a FREE Email address, hotmail.com, google.com or yahoo.com offer these.  When something or someone ASKS you for an email address, such as TARGET, Best Buy, Kroger (these were one's HACKED) when you are signing up for things.  Give them that email address rather than your primary one that you exchange thoughts, ideas or photo's with Aunt Katherine, Mom and Uncle Bud.  That way when these corporations send you info or spam it goes there and doesn't clutter your box.  You can still get all of the info that those folks send you just by signing in on their web portals and if you find something that you really need like FREE COUPON for a TIVO or the HAND CREAM you must have.  Forward it to your primary account.  This way you keep your PRIVATE info to yourself.

Third, NEVER NEVER give up personal info such as your social security number online.  If they want that bad enough.  Do it over the phone, and only if your calling them not the other way around.  Seems to me once that the social security number wasn't supposed to ever be used as an IDENTIFIER when it was first started but these days I think the federal government has chosen to turn a blind eye to all of the corporations that are using it including your doctor.

Forth, don't be afraid to change email addresses from time to time.  If you find your getting to much spam?  Change email address and only give the new one to folks you REALLY want to contact.  Use the old one for SPAM.  It's worth checking the old one from time to time to make sure you didn't leave someone important behind when you moved however.

A good rule of thumb is don't share your person info, phone number or email with ANYONE you don't know and you don't know that would just give it out.  If you have an aunt or uncle that likes subscribing to stuff and getting all their friends to get emails from all the folks she or he signed up with.  You may want to consider putting them in the list of folks that you don't share your primary address with, these are the BEST methods for controlling and curbing unwanted email and BOXING those predators on the net.  Has worked well for me for the last few years!!   Enjoy a spam free email box.

A Brilliant 12 year old mind

12 year old Jacob Barnett

Dvice.com had a great article today on a 12 year old boy that could be our NEXT Einstein, he's working on solving the BIG BANG at the moment.

Jacob Barnett is a 12 year old in Indiana who already is taking college level advanced astrophysics classes.  At the age of 3 was solving 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzles and answering questions of a lecturer on a tour of Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium at Butler University on why moons circle Mars.  His answer left the room in total silence, then throughout the entire building everyone was looking at him, like "Who is this 3 year old?"

A few years later he taught himself calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks.  By 8 he, had left high school.  At 12 he is now attending Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.  Where classmates have often wondered am I attending school with Doogie Howser?  Referring to the TV show that featured a 16 year old genius physician.

He provides tutoring for the astrophysics classes he is taking and already has a paid gig lined up doing research at Indiana University.

Now just a few weeks shy of his 13th birthday he has started to move beyond the level of what his professors can teach him.  As he now tackles the thought processes around the Big Bang theory.  Other astrophysicists are starting to take note of this young mans progress as well.  Scott Tremaine of Princeton University email the family to say, "The theory that Jacob is working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.  Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize."

Barnett has a whopping IQ of 170 - just slightly higher than the 160 of Albert Einstein.  The young man was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at an early age, which coupled with an already brilliant mind, is no doubt drving his unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

His family is unclear where he got his gifts from and when ever he tries to talk math with anyone in his family he get a BLANK STARE.

His parents have encouraged him from the start however.

Jake as his friends like to call him,  is just like other 12 year olds, he shoots hoops with friends and plays Guitar Hero and has a platonic girlfriend.  He also enjoys Science Fiction movies, the Disney Channel and enjoys the History Channel.

You can see more of this 12 year old whiz on his mother's YouTube channel... 

Original Articles:
dvice.com,
mathboysmom's youtube channel,
indystar.com,
news.yahoo.com

Firefox 5: What we know so far

FireFox 5 early version of the HomeTab

MaximumPC.com has a quick run down on what we know so far is supposed to be in Firefox 5.  Due out the June 29th according to Conceivablytech.com.

If you'd like to get a copy yourself to give it a try, get the latest preview build, here from Mozilla's FTP server. There isn't alot to see ya since it's still in early stages.  It will take another 4 weeks until we have a much better idea how the refreshed interface will look.

The planning pages review nine different features that are planned for Firefox 5.

Firefox 5 Site Specific Browser Mockup

Firefox 5

Firefox 5

1. Tab multi-select similar to a feature recently available in Chrome nightly builds.  Users simply select more than one tab and close or move them - or convert them into app tabs.
2. No NEW TAB Page (at least in public mock ups yet)
3. Add-ons get standardized toolbar support
4. There will be a file upload indicator
5. The Home button will completely disappear.  Instead, Mozilla will be adding a permanent Home APP tab.  This appears to be an evolving feature and Mozilla is exploring ways how to get rid of the button, while not damaging the usability.
6. In-Browser Preview: Firefox will get an integrated PDF view (like Chrome) and will extend this capability to more popular file formats, including MP3.
7. Taskbar web apps:  Tabs will get their own context menu8se that cna be configured by website owners.  Websites will act much more like traditional apps and core features as well as navigation items will be accessible via the site.
8. Identity management: Firefox 5 will be able to keep you signed in to websites via an integrated identity manager and even support multiple sign-ons at one time.
9. Sharing features appear to be the big deal in Firefox 5 - there will be a new paper plane logo in the URL bar that provides access to your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc..  You can add socail accounts and "share" websites directly from your URL bar.  No more clicking the "LIKE" button required.

Some of the features can be amended or removed over the weeks according to the development cycle.  Stay tuned this looks to be a very nice new browser on the way.

Original Article Sources here:
MaximumPC.com, www.conceivablytech.com

Microsoft is testing a 'ribbon' interface in Windows 8

Windows 8 Screenshot Photo Leak.

It seems we are just now getting settled into Windows 7 and things are starting work well with it and BOOM along comes announcments and leaks of the NEXT NEW VERSION of Windows.  Windows 8!!!   Rumors that Microsoft is planning on bringing it's controversial ribbon interface to Windows 8 surfaced this morning on the website, the INQUIRER.  The arcticle states that Microsoft has been doing a EARLY BETA release to it's employee's.

Windows 8 Ribbon Photo Leak

 Screen shots of the LoginUI were also leaked and revealed by Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurott.  Website Neowin stated in a further article that Microsoft has stated taking legal actions against sites that have LEAKED the screen shots.  The LoginUI first surfaced on April 1 and was thought to be an April Fools day Joke.  But turns out to be REAL enough that sites are

Windows 8 Photo Leak

Many Office 2010 will recognize the interface from that product.  Integration of the Ribbon into Windows 8 and Internet explorer is what is rumored as well.   
now being contacted by Microsoft.  It first surfaced on the withinwindows.com website.


Stay tuned as more and more info starts coming out for this new product including options to place it on more and more platforms.  With ARM Processor support.

More screenshots can be found at the following link on withinwindows.com

Compete the Articles:
the INQUIRER, neowin.net, withinwindows.com

Global Observer Crashes at Edwards

Military Times is reporting that a Global Observer (GO-1) has crashed at Edwards AFB.  The Plane, built by AeroVironmental Inc.,went down at about 2:30am on April 1.  The location of the crash was, near the southwest corner of Rogers Dry Lakebed, according to a statement from the base.  The 412th Test Wing had been testing the Observer to assess the crafts potential government, civil and military uses.

It's manufacture AeroViromental Inc., has been working as of late on trying to make the aircraft fly at 65,000 feet for as long as a week.  At that altitude it could scan an area of 600 miles in diameter.  About 28,000 sq. miles, more than 1 1/2 times the size of Iraq.  No word on cause of the crash, but there were no injuries or property damage.

The Global Observer has a 175-foot wingspan, a little bit wider than a C-17 and weighs in about as much as a fully loaded sport-utility vehicle.

GO-1 Testing at Edwards AFB, CA.

 Flight Global's  Stephen Trimble reported, that AreoViroment has yet to demonstrate that the liquid-hydrogen-powered aircraft could fly more than 5 days  non-stop, this is short of the 7 days advertised.  With a $120 Million contract on the line and a four-year demonstration program scheduled to be completed on March 31. The pressure will be on, AreoViroment, who cannot afford many setbacks.  With competitors waiting in the wings. Boeing plans to demonstrate it's liquid hydrogen powered Phantom Eye later this year.  Northrop Grumman also aims to conduct a seven day flight with an RQ-4 Global Hawk, using mid-air refueling rather than liquid-hydrogen.

Full Military Times article found here.
Full FlightGlobal article found here.

Kroger Notifies Customers of a Data Breach Stemming from 3rd Party Email Vendor

Security Week's Mike Lennon is reporting a DATA BREACH for Grocery giant, The Kroger Co., it notifide customers that their names and email addresses were accessed at Epsilon, the thrid-party vendor Kroger uses to manage its customer email database.

Kroger stressed the only information that was obtained was name and email addresses of customers.  The company also urged customers NOT TO OPEN email from senders that they do not know and reminder customers that Kroger will NEVER ask for personal information such as a credit card or social security number in a email.

In a separate statement Epsilon on March 30 said a rigorous assessment is underway to determine that no other personal identifiable information associated with those name was at risk.

The breach follows several other simular including Honda, McDonald's and Walgreens.

The original article can be found here.