CAPE CANAVERAL - Administration officials and a former astronaut on Wednesday called plans for "exciting" and "bold," saying he was replacing a failed moon program with a new $6 billion project to develop commercial rockets capable of taking astronauts into orbit.
They said it was all part of a broader plan to hike NASA's budget by an average of $1.3 billion annually over the next five years.
Part of that increase would cover a new technology research and development program, extension of the life of the International Space Station from 2015 to 2020, and investments in infrastructure at to modernize the facility to maintain it as America's premier spaceport.
But conspicuous by its absence was any mention of a commitment to develop a new government-owned and operated "heavy-lift" rocket capable of taking humans beyond the low Earth Orbit.
The news teleconference at which the officials and astronaut spoke was organized for reporters at two Florida newspapers in response to the Orlando Sentinel's report on Tuesday, which said the budget next week would kill NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon and scrap the rockets being developed to take them there.
On the teleconference was an administration official, a NASA official and Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
"As you know, the current program of record did not hold water," said the NASA official, whom the White House did not identify. "The fact that we would have had a program where the space station didn't ever again have any humans launching from the United States to it until it was driven into the … we felt very, very strongly that this was not a program to be adopted."
But the NASA official stressed that just because the to return humans to the moon and its Ares I and rockets were going to be canceled did not mean that the Obama administration was abandoning exploration and human spaceflight.
Both officials said there would be "a very significant program," the most important part of which was the effort to develop private space taxis to take crew back and forth to the space station.
"We do believe it is time for American to come into this program," the NASA official said, pointing out that for decades private companies have been launching precious satellites into space. "The investment in that will be $6 billion over five years. This is serious, serious investment that we believe will reduce that gap [in human spaceflight] from what it would have been with the program of record between shuttle retirement and the Ares I and [capsule] coming on line."
Relying on private companies flying astronauts for NASA on fixed price contracts would be a major change in longstanding national space policy. Many space boosters in Congress are opposed to ditching Ares I and Orion for commercially operated spaceships that have yet to fly humans, fearing there will be a drop in safety standards.
But Ride, who recently served on a White House blue ribbon panel reviewing NASA human spaceflight plans, said she thought those concerns would be allayed by NASA's involvement in the design of the rockets and the safety procedures the companies would have to follow.
"NASA considers astronaut safety to be very important," Ride said.
The administration official said that resistance in Congress to the president's plan would soften when lawmakers became more familiar with what the budget did for America's space program.
The officials stressed that Florida in particular would benefit from investments in commercial and infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center that would help offset an expected 7,000 job losses when the shuttle program ends either later this year or early next.
However, none of the officials would say how much money or what plans existed for creating a NASA spaceship capable of launching humans beyond the space station. When asked, officials repeatedly dodged the question of what plans the administration had for a heavy-lift rocket.
Already lawmakers are preparing to fight Obama's NASA plan. On Wednesday, Sen., R-Texas, said she would introduce a bill that would force NASA to fly additional shuttle flights beyond the final five now scheduled while NASA works on developing the next generation space vehicle.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Net Flix Profit nowdays
Netflix Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit climbed 36% as the DVD streaming and rental company added more than a million subscribers while reducing the costs to keep them.
Netflix ended the quarter with 12.3 million subscribers, its year-end target, representing a gain of 10% from the third quarter and 31% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, subscriber-acquisition costs—a closely watched measure for Netflix investors—fell 5.4% to $25.23 per subscriber from a year earlier. And the churn rate, a measure of customer cancellations and free subscribers, declined to 3.9% from 4.2%.
The company has begun streaming its movies through a wider array of electronic devices, such as Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii game consoles, as a way to combat increased competition from stand-alone DVD-rental kiosks and online video services.
For the latest quarter, Netflix reported a profit of $30.9 million, or 56 cents a share, up from $22.7 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, per-share earnings rose to 59 cents from 41 cents.
Revenue increased 24% to $444.5 million.
Netflix also projected first-quarter revenue above the average analyst estimate.
Netflix ended the quarter with 12.3 million subscribers, its year-end target, representing a gain of 10% from the third quarter and 31% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, subscriber-acquisition costs—a closely watched measure for Netflix investors—fell 5.4% to $25.23 per subscriber from a year earlier. And the churn rate, a measure of customer cancellations and free subscribers, declined to 3.9% from 4.2%.
The company has begun streaming its movies through a wider array of electronic devices, such as Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii game consoles, as a way to combat increased competition from stand-alone DVD-rental kiosks and online video services.
For the latest quarter, Netflix reported a profit of $30.9 million, or 56 cents a share, up from $22.7 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, per-share earnings rose to 59 cents from 41 cents.
Revenue increased 24% to $444.5 million.
Netflix also projected first-quarter revenue above the average analyst estimate.
"Heroes" actor Arrested in LA
Heroes" TV actor Adrian Pasdar -- the husband of Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines -- has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, police said on Wednesday.
Pasdar, 44, was pulled over before dawn on Wednesday after highway patrol officers said they spotted his truck speeding on a Los Angeles freeway at 94 mph and swerving between lanes.
"Upon contacting Pasdar, the officers noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from...within the vehicle" and determined the actor was under the influence of alcohol, the California Highway patrol said.
Pasdar was released early on Wednesday morning on $15,000 bail, police said. Celebrity web site TMZ.com said Pasdar had refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Pasdar played the mysterious Nathan Petrelli in the NBC TV drama about a bunch of superheroes. His character was killed off in November but may return for flashbacks.
He married country music star Maines, lead singer of the Grammy winning band Dixie Chicks, in June 2000, and they have two children.
Pasdar, 44, was pulled over before dawn on Wednesday after highway patrol officers said they spotted his truck speeding on a Los Angeles freeway at 94 mph and swerving between lanes.
"Upon contacting Pasdar, the officers noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from...within the vehicle" and determined the actor was under the influence of alcohol, the California Highway patrol said.
Pasdar was released early on Wednesday morning on $15,000 bail, police said. Celebrity web site TMZ.com said Pasdar had refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Pasdar played the mysterious Nathan Petrelli in the NBC TV drama about a bunch of superheroes. His character was killed off in November but may return for flashbacks.
He married country music star Maines, lead singer of the Grammy winning band Dixie Chicks, in June 2000, and they have two children.
Charlie Sheen's Wife was about to die
LOS ANGELES - A lawyer for Charlie Sheen's wife says that she is recovering at a North Carolina wellness center after an infection that nearly took her life.
Yale Galanter said that Brooke Sheen was flown by private plane from Los Angeles after her release from a hospital. He denied Internet reports that she was in drug or alcohol rehab.
Galanter said Brooke Sheen was "mentally and physically exhausted" and her mother arranged for her to go to a place that will help her recover. He refused to name the facility and said it will not be made public.The Sheens have a Feb. 8 court date in Aspen, Colo., stemming from a domestic violence incident that brought police to their Colorado home on Christmas Day.
Charlie Sheen stars in the TV sitcom "Two And A Half Men."
Apple Tablet Details Leaked
In an early morning interview with business channel CNBC, McGraw-Hill CEO Terry McGraw appeared to of the tablet's inner workings, the subject of much industry speculation and gossip in recent weeks. "We have worked with Apple for quite awhile—the tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system," said McGraw.
McGraw said that's significant because it means the tablet will be compatible with content and apps that McGraw-Hill and other publishers have already created for the iPhone.
"We have 95 percent of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one," said McGraw.
Magazine and newspaper publishers may look to Apple's tablet as a delivery mechanism that could help them regain their competitive advantage against online blogs and news services. Its presence could also help them extract better terms from the makers of rival devices, like Amazon's Kindle.
Also speaking on CNBC, in an interview from the Davos economic summit, WPP Group head Sir Martin Sorrell appeared to have an inside track on the device's name, referring to it as the "iTablet." Whether that's the name Jobs will announce later Wednesday remains to be seen.
Apple has scheduled a press conference in San Francisco for Wednesday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. The conference is set to get underway at 1 pm Eastern time.
Apple shares were off .39%, to $205.14, in early trading Wednesday.
McGraw said that's significant because it means the tablet will be compatible with content and apps that McGraw-Hill and other publishers have already created for the iPhone.
"We have 95 percent of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one," said McGraw.
Magazine and newspaper publishers may look to Apple's tablet as a delivery mechanism that could help them regain their competitive advantage against online blogs and news services. Its presence could also help them extract better terms from the makers of rival devices, like Amazon's Kindle.
Also speaking on CNBC, in an interview from the Davos economic summit, WPP Group head Sir Martin Sorrell appeared to have an inside track on the device's name, referring to it as the "iTablet." Whether that's the name Jobs will announce later Wednesday remains to be seen.
Apple has scheduled a press conference in San Francisco for Wednesday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. The conference is set to get underway at 1 pm Eastern time.
Apple shares were off .39%, to $205.14, in early trading Wednesday.
Hands On With Google Voice For iphone
We decided to take the iPhone version for a spin to see how Google Voice holds up as a Web app. (To test it yourself, go to Google Webiste from Safari.) If you've never used Google Voice you'll first have to set up a Google Voice account. You still need an invite to get in, so you can either request an invite from Google or from anyone you know with a Google Voice account. Overall, it works well for a Web-based app. It doesn't offer the functionality of, say, Google Voice For Android, a local app, but it gets the job done. The first thing you'll notice is that it looks simple and polished. (Take a look at the slideshow for more on its looks.) There are five tabs to work from: Inbox, Dailer, SMS, Contacts, and Settings.
Notably, all my Google contacts loaded without a hitch. It doesn't access your iPhone's contacts, so make sure to sync your contacts with Google if you need those contacts. SMS messages can be sent over your data connection, so textaholics who don't have an unlimited texting plan will find this appealing. The dialer responded to touches quickly, and the settings page let me change almost anything I needed to change on my account, including call forwarding and voicemail settings.
When you call someone, the program dials a regular number to connect to the Google Voice system. It still charges you minutes to your voice plan, but you get the basic benefits of using Voice. The number on Caller ID is your Voice number, while you can write and send SMS messages, and it logs the call on your visual voicemail.
There aren't really any downsides to using Google Voice for iPhone. It's definitely a niche product now, but over time it could catch on to the general public. The only problem we're seeing is that you can't text more than one recipient at a time. But that's a small gripe to deal with for the benefits of Google Voice.
Notably, all my Google contacts loaded without a hitch. It doesn't access your iPhone's contacts, so make sure to sync your contacts with Google if you need those contacts. SMS messages can be sent over your data connection, so textaholics who don't have an unlimited texting plan will find this appealing. The dialer responded to touches quickly, and the settings page let me change almost anything I needed to change on my account, including call forwarding and voicemail settings.
When you call someone, the program dials a regular number to connect to the Google Voice system. It still charges you minutes to your voice plan, but you get the basic benefits of using Voice. The number on Caller ID is your Voice number, while you can write and send SMS messages, and it logs the call on your visual voicemail.
There aren't really any downsides to using Google Voice for iPhone. It's definitely a niche product now, but over time it could catch on to the general public. The only problem we're seeing is that you can't text more than one recipient at a time. But that's a small gripe to deal with for the benefits of Google Voice.
 | Complete iPhone Coverage http://go.pcmag.com/iphone |  |
The best Running Shoes May be owned by nature
Runners who eschew shoes may be less likely to do serious injury to their feet, because they hold their feet differently, Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and colleagues found.
Writing in the journal Nature, they said runners who wear shoes tend to hit the ground with their heels first, whereas barefoot runners put the balls of the feet down first.
"People who don't wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different strike," Lieberman said in a statement.
"By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike," Lieberman added.
"Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but actually you can run barefoot on the world's hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain. All you need is a few calluses to avoid roughing up the skin of the foot."
Lieberman and his colleagues at Harvard, the University of Glasgow, and Kenya's Moi University studied runners who had always run barefoot, those who had always worn shoes and runners who had abandoned shoes.
Barefoot runners had a springier step overall, and used their calf and foot muscles more efficiently, they found.
Demonstrations can be seen here.
People used to running in shoes should not start barefoot trotting right away, Lieberman cautioned. "If you've been a heel-striker all your life, you have to transition slowly to build strength in your calf and foot muscles," he said.
But he noted that evolution is on his side.
"Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s," Lieberman said. Rival German companies Adidas and Puma made running shoes a household item.
Running shoes are big business. Nike Inc had $4.4 billion in revenue in its second quarter.
Writing in the journal Nature, they said runners who wear shoes tend to hit the ground with their heels first, whereas barefoot runners put the balls of the feet down first.
"People who don't wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different strike," Lieberman said in a statement.
"By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike," Lieberman added.
"Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but actually you can run barefoot on the world's hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain. All you need is a few calluses to avoid roughing up the skin of the foot."
Lieberman and his colleagues at Harvard, the University of Glasgow, and Kenya's Moi University studied runners who had always run barefoot, those who had always worn shoes and runners who had abandoned shoes.
Barefoot runners had a springier step overall, and used their calf and foot muscles more efficiently, they found.
Demonstrations can be seen here.
People used to running in shoes should not start barefoot trotting right away, Lieberman cautioned. "If you've been a heel-striker all your life, you have to transition slowly to build strength in your calf and foot muscles," he said.
But he noted that evolution is on his side.
"Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s," Lieberman said. Rival German companies Adidas and Puma made running shoes a household item.
Running shoes are big business. Nike Inc had $4.4 billion in revenue in its second quarter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)