Category: Computers, Science & Technology

Woohoo! It was successful! A new chapter in Space Exploration is now underway!

A Linux kernel is released, and the switch to Linux continues! Let’s go Open Source! Rock on!

Linux Kernel 3.4 Has Been Officially Released

“After another seven Release Candidates, Linus Torvalds proudly announced a few hours ago, May 20th, the immediate availability for download of Linux kernel 3.4.

Among the new features incorporated in Linux kernel 3.4 we can mention lots of improvements to the Btrfs filesystem, as well as support for Nvidia GeForce 600 ‘Kepler’, RadeonHD 7xxx and Trinity APU series.

‘Nothing really exciting happened since -rc7, although the workaround for a linker bug on x86 is larger than I’d have liked at this stage, and sticks out like a sore thumb in the diffstat. That said, it’s not like even that patch was really all that scary.’

‘In fact, I think the 3.4 release cycle as a whole has been fairly calm. Sure, I always wish for the -rc’s to calm down more quickly than they ever seem to do, but I think on the whole we didn’t have any big disruptive events, which is just how I like it. Let’s hope the 3.5 merge window is a calm one too.’ – said Linus Torvalds in the official announcement.”

I’ve been looking forward to this day! Google Chrome is now the most used browser on the Internet! Way to go Googlers!

Chrome trumps IE as world’s top browser

“Computerworld – Google’s Chrome edged past Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) last week to become the world’s most widely-used browser, according to data from an Irish metric firm.

Chrome’s average usage share for the week of May 14-20 was 32.8%, said StatCounter, an analytics company that tracks browser and operating system trends. For the same week, IE’s share was 31.9%.”

Wow! Cool!

Good for them! Some vendors on-line have been opting to create a means to allow users to “opt out” of user tracking. This tracking obviously introduces user privacy concerns… so, some good corporate groups have decided to allow an “opt out” in their system. Twitter joined these good corporate citizens! Hooray! I applaud their doing so!

Drat! It would have been SO cool!

Possible rocket engine problem triggered SpaceX launch abort

“A potential rocket engine problem may be to blame for the unexpected abort of a private SpaceX rocket launch before dawn on Saturday, officials said.

SpaceX was slated to blast off its unmanned Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT) from here at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Just after igniting its main engines, the computer onboard the booster initiated an automatic abort due to a high pressure reading in one of the rocket’s nine main engines.”

The first serious commercial space mission is tomorrow! SpaceX will launch a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Very cool stuff!

Ambitious mission looms for SpaceX

“Set to rocket off early Saturday, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft faces a daunting series of systems tests and complicated maneuvers — something similar to an ultra-serious shakedown cruise for a new-generation nuclear-powered submarine — before it will be given the green light to berth at the International Space Station.

The bar is raised sky-high, and for SpaceX, the idea is to show the U.S. and its 15 international partners that the Dragon poses no threat to the station or the six people living and working aboard it. SpaceX must prove the Dragon won’t crash into the complex, destroying the outpost and killing all aboard.
Then, and only then, will the Dragon be given a ‘go’ to enter the ‘Keep Out Sphere,’ a 220-yard safety zone that surrounds the sprawling, million-pound outpost.

And only then, will SpaceX be allowed to attempt a feat only federal space agencies in the U.S., Russia, Europe and Japan have accomplished: an orbital rendezvous with the station.

‘This is pretty tricky. And also, for the public out there, they may not realize that the space station is zooming around Earth every 90 minutes, and it’s going 17,000 miles per hour,’ said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. ‘This is something that is going 12 times faster than a bullet from an assault rifle. So it’s hard.'”

They started at $38.00 per share. Then it went to $42.00 a share. Ho-hum. Then Wall Street moved in to try and stop the value from declining due to lack of interest. That seems to say it all. Yawn.

Netflix rocks! I love my streaming Netflix over my Roku box. Now, they have an improved web based player for your PC, or tablet devices!

Netflix launches sexy new web-based video player

“Netflix just rolled out a completely revamped video player for browser-based viewing, and I gotta say, it’s pretty slick: Not only does it come with lightbox-like text overlays while a video is paused, users can also preview entire seasons of a TV show while they’re watching one episode of the show in full-screen mode. I was told by Netflix that this is currently rolling out across the web.

The only downside of the new player seems to be that there can be some issues with Chrome on Mac OS – a warning screen told me to switch to Safari or Firefox for the best viewing experience. However, a quick test showed that basic playback was working just fine via OS X Chrome. A Netflix spokesperson explained via email: ‘Chrome on Mac support is a limitation of Microsoft Silverlight, not Netflix. It works on some Macs but not on others, so we allow it and give users a warning.’

The player makes way for additional information, lightbox-style, when paused for a few seconds.

Netfix users can also resize the browser window during playback, and the video is resized fairly smoothly. This should make it easier to watch something while you’re doing something else on your computer, or adjust the size of the video window to play it on a connected TV.

Netflix has been emphasizing playback on connected devices, which now make up for the vast majority of the service’s usage, but today’s relaunch clearly show that there is still a notable demand for PC-based playback as well.”

Powerpress powers the Dr. Bill.TV Netcast here on the Blog! New features listed below will be coming soon!

From the RawVoice Press Release!

“Blubrry PowerPress 4.0 brings the latest essential features for media creation to WordPress, including the hottest updates to the new iTunes specifications.

‘I am proud of this release of PowerPress, in supporting the latest iTunes podcast specs, additionally this update introduces innovative features first to market for the 10’s of thousands of media creators that rely on PowerPress,’ said Todd Cochrane, CEO of RawVoice.

iTunes upgrades include:
An updated iTunes image requirement — RGB 1400×1400 — throughout the plugin for better cover image quality throughout.

‘Feature Episode’ that allow podcasters to designate a primary episode, which can be used to introduce the podcast or lead in to a new series.

An iTunes Order feature that allows a podcaster doing a series of episodes to have each listed in the desired order.

Other PowerPress 4.0 offerings include:
A new video player option: VideoJS HTML5 JavaScript player — a player that has its own plugin. By adding this plugin, the new player will be available as an option in PowerPress video players list.

A Feed Episode Maximizer ‘option’ for shows with episodes in excess of what can currently be included in a feed. This feature allows the podcaster to maintain the latest 10 episodes in iTunes with all of the extensive episode data. The rest of the episodes are listed in a way that maximizes the number of episodes that can be listed on iTunes / Zune etc. Perfect for the serial podcaster with an extensive episode library.

Blubrry.com is a media community and directory that gives content creators the power to make money through advertising, get detailed audience measurements and host their audio and video. Blubrry PowerPress 4.0 brings the essential features for media creation to WordPress, offering full podcasting support, web audio/video media players and more.”

Facebook now has an Appstore. Does EVERYONE have an Appstore now? Oh well, I have to wonder if you really NEED Facebook apps!

Introducing the App Center

From the Facebook Developer Blog:

“Today, we’re announcing the App Center, a new place for people to find social apps. The App Center gives developers an additional way to grow their apps and creates opportunities for more types of apps to be successful.

In the coming weeks, people will be able to access the App Center on the web and in the iOS and Android Facebook apps. All canvas, mobile and web apps that follow the guidelines can be listed. All developers should start preparing today to make sure their app is included for the launch.

A place to find great apps
For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become the new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga.

Everything has an app detail page, which helps people see what makes an app unique and lets them install it before going to an app.”