Russia’s next space station trip will take days, not hours

It’s not a great time to be a Russian cosmonaut. Thanks to the International Space Station making a maneuver to avoid space junk, the next Soyuz spacecraft’s flight (due September 2nd) will take two days to reach the station instead of the relatively brisk six hours of recent trips. That’s more than a little unpleasant if you’re stuck in a cramped capsule, and negates a lot of the planning work that has saved so much time from 2013 onward. There’s no indication as to when (or if) launches will speed up, so crews may have little choice but to tough it out in the near future.

[Image credit: NASA, Flickr]

Filed under:
Transportation, Science

Comments

Via:
AP (Phys.org)

Source:
Federal Space Agency (translated)

Tags: federalspaceagency, internationalspacestation, roscosmos, science, soyuz, space, spacejunk, transportation

Malaysia will use RFID stickers to track vehicles

If you’re planning to drive in Malaysia in the next few years, don’t expect to maintain a lot of privacy. The country plans to implement RFID-equipped road tax stickers that will help authorities track all vehicles, whether they’re local or foreign. It’ll start with a pilot program at a border checkpoint this October, but it should expand to cover the whole of Malaysia by 2018. And don’t think of trying to take the sticker off — it’ll shatter and transmit a warning if you try to tamper with it.

The RFID system is officially intended to deter thieves and other criminals, and it’ll also help pinpoint congestion through real-time traffic monitoring. As you might have guessed, though, this raises the prospect of potential abuse. Authorities could theoretically use the tracking to follow the cars of peaceful political activists and others whose only real crime is challenging the status quo. And while officials promise that the associated identification codes are encrypted, there’s no absolute guarantee that the tracking data will remain secure. As helpful as the smart stickers could be, there’s a real risk that they could hurt a lot of innocent people.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin]

Filed under:
Transportation

Comments

Via:
TechDirt

Source:
The Sun Daily

Tags: car, cars, malaysia, privacy, rfid, surveillance, tracking, traffic, transportation, vehicle

Hands-on with the £129 WileyFox Swift

Two years ago, Motorola pioneered a new smartphone category with the original Moto G: the almost flagship. It was a device that offered close to high-end performance and design with a price-tag usually reserved for less capable mid-tier handsets. It’s now the company’s bestselling smartphone and few, if any of its rivals have managed to replicate its winning formula. The latest competitor to step up and take a shot is Wileyfox, a complete newcomer from the UK. Over the next couple of months it’ll be launching two new smartphones which run the Cyanogen flavor of Android: the Swift and the Storm. The cheaper of the two, the £129 ($200) Swift, sits somewhere between the latest Moto G and entry-level Moto E. But it’s got a lot to prove if it hopes to steal some of the company’s thunder.

Slideshow-314860

For a sub-£150 handset, the Swift is quite the looker. So many mid-tier devices, especially those produced by UK carriers, skimp on design in order to maximize their spec sheets. Not so with WileyFox’s first handset. The rear plastic panel has a soft, matte finish that looks almost like granite from afar. You’ll find the company’s stylised fox head logo etched into the back with its name in sunset orange underneath. The same shade surrounds the camera module up top, completing a design that is both sleek and stylish, if not particularly adventurous. I prefer the colorful and curvaceous look of Motorola’s Moto phones, but the Swift has a business-like swagger similar to a Blackberry or the Blackphone.

The design isn’t without its faults though. The volume rocker and power button are a little mushy, and the bottom of the back panel vibrates whenever the speaker is pushed above 75 percent. If you’ve held a flagship phone recently, especially one with a Quad HD display like the Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G4, you’ll also be disappointed by the Swift’s comparatively meagre 720p panel. It’s not bad per se, with punchy blacks and accurate colour representation, but it’s hard not to notice and inspect all of the individual pixels.

What about the software? Well, Cyanogen 12.1 is a joy. For the uninitiated, this is basically the “stock” version of Android found on Nexus devices, albeit with a few extra customization options. These include changing the quick settings panel and on-screen navigation buttons, as well as buying and applying custom themes from the Cyanogen Themes Store. WileyFox has its own version installed by default, but you can easily dive into the phone’s settings and pick an alternative that’s closer to pure Android Lollipop. Like the Moto and Nexus line-ups, the Swift also comes with minimal bloatware. That means if you decide to buy one, you’ll actually get close to the 16GB of advertised storage.

The Swift boasts 2GB of RAM and a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor, which is a fraction less powerful than the 1.4GHz version in the Moto G. Those specs should be more than serviceable, but it does occasionally stutter while launching apps and carrying out more resource-intensive activities. It’s never unusable, but there will be moments when you have to wait for it to register taps and swipes. These instances are relatively few and far between though. For the most part it’s a smooth experience, especially for common tasks such as texting, email and web browsing. Just don’t expect an Android powerhouse.

The Swift is unique and, for a £129 smartphone, exciting. So many handsets in this price bracket look like bland prototypes that have been picked off a factory floor. By comparison, WileyFox’s first handset is ostentatious. The Swift’s stylings aren’t particularly memorable, but it also wouldn’t look out of place in a line-up of Android flagships. Cyanogen is a solid software choice and the lack of unwanted apps should appeal to both hardcore Android fans and the general smartphone populace. The device does have a few flaws — for the price, that’s expected — but the amount it gets right is cause for celebration. Finally, companies are starting to learn from the Moto G.

Filed under:
Cellphones

Comments

Tags: android, cyanogen, hands-on, handson, smartphone, swift, wileyfox

Dear Veronica: Geocache hunting and cord killing

This week, we’re having fun with geocaching! Are you a fan of these urban treasure hunts? If you want to learn more about the geocache I mention in the video, head over here and happy hunting!

We also welcome Tom Merritt back on the show to talk about places where you can find amazing content after you’ve finally cut that cord. Speaking of great content, I share my favorite podcasts for your listening pleasure! Just make sure you subscribe and watch mine first. Keep sending in those questions on Twitter using #DearVeronica, or via email! See you next time.

Comments

Tags: cord cutting, dear veronica, geocaching, Podcasts, tom merritt, Veronica Belmont, video

Deal: FYL bags with built-in charger only $79

There’s many factors to consider when choosing a new bag, but the true gadget warrior will definitely want something with a bit of tech built-in. Many of us struggle with battery life, so a built-in charger will be golden when trying to make our gadgets last the whole school day.

So what’s stopping us all from getting a bag with a built-in charger? Mostly price, which is why today’s AA Deals Store offer is especially exciting. You can get an FYL built-in charger bag for only $79.99, which is a 49% discount over the original $159 price point.

These bags come with an included 11,000 mAh battery pack. To put that into perspective, most phones with a “large” battery will have about a 3000 mAh cell. These bags also come with convenient outside pockets for carrying your gadgets, as well as a padded laptop compartment which fits laptops with screens as big as 14 inches.

#gallery-2
margin: auto;

#gallery-2 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;

#gallery-2 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;

#gallery-2 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;

/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

To make matters even better, these FYL bags are not only high-tech – they also happen to look great! They come with classic designs and an array of different colors. You can opt for the JORG design in either black or brown/green. The MAPMAKER touts a longer blueprint and a cream accent. And if you are a fan of blue hues, the DUSTIN is definitely a looker.

You can get these straight from the AA Deals Store now for only $79.99. Go grab them while they are still hot!

Buy the FYL built-in charger bags for $79.99!