Month: November 1974
NASA Sent Phones Into Space, and Now They’ve Called Home
For a long time people have been telling me that family, love and happiness are the most important things in life…Nowadays I realise that I can take or leave all that as long as We have this radio earpiece in the world.
Ever since NASA launched a new group of tiny, phone-powered satellites into space a few weeks ago, we’ve been waiting for one of the little PhoneSats to phone home. Now, one of the nano-satellites has successfully communicated with Earth, an important test of a much-needed capability.
Engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center are currently in the middle of testing two-way communications technology on one of the PhoneSat experimental satellites they shot into space a couple weeks ago. On Wednesday, the tiny satellite—weighing only about 2.2 pounds, or the size of 20 CDs stacked into a cube—used its S-band radio to make a call the ground monitoring station at Santa Clara University, in California, signaling to the engineers that it was ready to receive commands.
The satellite is called a PhoneSat because the satellite’s brain is basically built around a heavily modified Samsung Nexus S, running off the shelf Android software.
Two way communications are really important to NASA’s long term objective of building satellites on the cheap, because they’ll enable teams on the ground to control PhoneSat—eventually including things like navigation and instrument readings.
During the two-way radio tests, the most critical system the engineers on the ground will send commands to is the attitude control. That system uses a smartphone’s magnetometer to sense the earth’s field, creating an aligning force with magnetorquers, or printed-circuit electromagnetic coils commanded by the phone. With its attitude control functioning, the PhoneSat can align itself with Earth’s horizon, something that’s pretty useful for satellites, according to NASA engineer Jim Cockrell.
But the attitude control system uses a lot of power, so the teams on the ground want to be able to shut it on and off—hence the importance of the new two-way S-band radio.
This new version of the PhoneSat—the first version went to space earlier this year—uses more heavily modified Nexus phones than previously. NASA has stripped away or disable many of the components they don’t need—for example, the engineers removed the screen and enclosure, as neither are necessary to operate a satellite. Basically, the only thing left over is whatever’s attached to the circuit board, said Cockrell.
The engineering team also replaced the standard Nexus battery with a much more powerful Lithium Ion battery pack that’s charged via solar cells—also bought off-the-shelf—custom fitted to the PhoneSat’s outer hull. Interestingly enough, the engineers chose to use factory second solar cells, or remnants from older solar arrays in order to, you guessed it, build panels on the cheap. The engineering team then had to construct custom mounts and boards, Cockrell said.
The whole point of the PhoneSat program is twofold: to first determine if it’s even possible to operate space faring vehicles with off-the-shelf consumer technology. And so far, it looks like it is. The second reason NASA is interested in building satellites out of smartphones is discover the cheapest possible way to build a useful spacefaring satellite. Versus traditional satellites, smartphones—and so too the PhoneSats—have thousands of times faster computational speeds, and many times more memory, said Cockrell.
Phonesat 2.5, the next generation of mini satellite.
With such advanced technology available off-the-shelf for a few hundred dollars, NASA didn’t see the value of reinventing the wheel. “Manufacturers have invested gazillions of dollars into research and development of smartphones,” Cockrell said, “Countless research dollars make them fast, with a large memory and a lot of sensors.” And if NASA invested in similar technology it would likely require millions and millions of dollars, Cockrell said.
Cheap satellites have a number of advantages—if they can survive space’s rigors, Cockrell said. If the program proves successful, they would allow NASA to take a different approach while exploring the universe. “With multiple copies of your satellite, even if one fails, you can afford to have another one at the system level still functioning,” the engineer said.
The materials in each PhoneSat 2.4—as this iteration is called—cost approximately $7,500, off the shelf. The PhoneSat’s design and fabrication took about a year by a team of fewer than 10 engineers—who are all entry level, Cockrell said. Usually only senior NASA engineers work on satellite projects, but since the cost is lower, it’s feasible to give junior engineers a shot.
The next version, 2.5, is set to launch in February aboard a commercial SpaceX rocket and will continue to test the two-way radio and orientation systems, according to NASA officials. Further launches are expected in 2014 as the space agency aims to demonstrate how networking eight small satellites can be used—eventually—to monitor things like the Earth’s climate, space weather, and other global-scale phenomena.
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Radius Earphones – The Ultimate Gym Earbuds
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Have you ever found yourself in the middle of the gym wearing a pair of uncomfortable, bulky headphones in an effort to drown out the drone of the lack-luster gym music?
In today’s world, you have the power to leave those bulky headphones at home or drop them off at the Goodwill – then turn to a sleek pair of earbuds for salvation!
In case you are unfamiliar with the term earbuds , they are high-quality earphones with soft buds that fit snuggly within your ear canal. The beauty of these puppies is that they fit so well that you can jog, run, sprint, spin and dance without them falling out of your ears.
Plus, a good pair inspires you to wear them for hours without pain or irritation.
Radius Earphones is one of the premiere developers of earbuds for adventurers at heart. Active men and women love them so much that they utilize them no matter where they go. For instance, rock climbers enjoy listening to crystal clear music as they pull their way up mountain peaks; cyclists glide like the wind while enjoying off-the-hook bass; and body builders are inspired as they rock their way muscle gains.
Why Radius Earphones?
Radius has been heralded by top reviewers at CNET, PC World, Macworld and more. The reason for their success lays in the fact that:
1. The company is committed to leading the way in innovation for music lovers around the world.
2. They work to solve specific problems for their customers, such as developing earphones for those with small ears, for those who live forbeautiful bass, and/or for active individuals.
3. All customers can be sure that they are gaining top-quality products at affordable prices. Additionally, no matter which product a customer purchases, he or she can sleep easy knowing that if it breaks or stops working within a year of purchase, it will be replaced free of charge.
4. Sound output is out of the world! Radius earphones put out crystal clear tunes that are never tinny or distorted.
5. Customer service is superb and delivery is prompt. Radius takes care of their customers and is always willing to listen. In fact, the company thrives on noting consumer ideas and implementing them into their new designs.
The possibilities are endless with Radius Earphones, as they make for perfect iPhone earphones and are also compatible with iPads, MacBook Pros, PC tablets, Android phones, Blackberries, PC laptops, and more. Whether you are looking for sports, earphones, jogging headphones, headphones for exercise, earphones for work, or headphones witha built-in mic for the car, there is bound to be a solution to fit your need!
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What are Earbuds
The world is full of very cool, well written articles. When you find one which catches your eye, you have to repost it, well i do! so with permission of the original writer i have re-posted this to get pleasure from
Earbuds are headphones, typically made out of a hard plastic material, that fit inside the ear, just outside of the ear canal. These arent the same thing as ear canal headset – http://prensetpansiyon.com/the-best-motorola-multi-pin-earpiece/ -, which have a rubber tip and seal within a listeners ear canal.
Several portable music devices, like mp3s and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), come with earbuds when the device is purchased. Earbuds are a less expensive alternative to ear canal headphones or other listening devices. Consumers tend to purchase earbuds for their convenience, as they are easier to carry around than other headphones because of their small size.
This style of headphone also tends to be more inexpensive than other kinds, like ear canal headphones, circumaural headphones that fit outside the ears, or the supra-aural headphones that have pads that are placed on top of the ears, rather than around or inside them. Circumaural headphones are typically used in recording studios and supra-aural headphones can still be purchased at some stores, though these kinds of devices have given way to headphones that fit within the ear.
Because of the design of earbuds, there can be a few drawbacks to owning them as opposed to owning another style of headphone. First, the rigid design of earbuds can sometimes make it difficult for them to fit comfortably inside a listeners ear. If theyre too large or too small, they can either slip out of the ear or wont fit inside it at all. Another problem reported by consumers is that because earbuds dont seal the ear canal, the sound quality is muddled through other ambient noises.
Essentially, most earbuds work the same as other headphones and the set-up is relatively simple. Wires move up from the electronic device that is putting out sound, such as an mp3 player. These wires connect to a voice coil. The coil is attached to a cone, which is flexible and plastic. A magnet is attached to the back of the earbuds. When sound passes up through the wires and to the magnet, the voice coil becomes electromagnetic and moves up and down with the sound. The cone then pushes the sound out through the earbud and into the listeners ear.
When listening to earbuds or any other type of headphones, physicians recommend to keep the volume at a reasonable level, as research had proven that prolonged exposure to high noise levels can lead to permanent hearing loss. Prolonged listening to loud noises, including music, puts unnecessary stress on the hairs in the cochlea. This causes permanent damage to the hairs and can eventually lead to hearing loss.
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