NASA to honor crews of doomed Apollo 1 and Challenger missions

Every year, NASA holds a Day of Remembrance to honor the memory of the astronauts who lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration. The space agency is holding 2016’s ceremonies on January 28th, exactly 30 years since the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after take off. Challenger fell apart off the coast of Cape Canaveral in 1986, causing the deaths of its seven passengers, including Christa McAuliffe who was slated to film “teacher in space” videos for kids. The space shuttle was supposed to launch the Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program and to rendezvous with and capture the satellite Spartan.

The ceremony will also honor the three Apollo 1 veteran astronauts who tragically lost their lives to a fire that engulfed their cockpit during a test launch 49 years ago, on January 27th, 1967. It was the first manned mission of the famous Apollo lunar landing program, and it was supposed to launch on February 21st, 1967 to enter low-Earth orbit. NASA used what it learned from the failed mission to make sure the next ones were a success.

Of course, the space agency isn’t forgetting the seven crew members who lost their lives when the space shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas on February 1st, 2003. The hot gases that seeped into its wings caused it to disintegrate while reentering the atmosphere. NASA’s senior officials will hold a ceremony starting at 11AM today, January 28th, at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Employees at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, on the other hand, will light candles in the astronauts’ memory. You can also join in by watching a live stream of the wreath-laying ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center, starting at 10AM EST, on NASA TV.

[Image: NASA/Flickr]

Source: NASA

The UK’s highest-ever box office takings don’t tell the full story

All told, 2015 was a pretty good year for UK cinemas. Fuelled by blockbusters such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World, theaters took £1,240 million over the 12 months — a new record, and 17 percent higher than 2014. With so much money in the coffers, you would think that cinema attendances were healthy too. Well, yes and no. Ticket sales hit 171.9 million, which was a 9 percent increase over the previous 12 months. Look back at the numbers since 2000, however, and the trend is relatively flat. A high of 175.9 million in 2002, a low of 156.6 million in 2006, another peak of 173.5 million in 2009. You get the idea.

That’s not to say attendances were bad in 2015 though. Admittedly, they weren’t near the highs of the 1940s, 50s and 60s, but they’re far above what was recorded in the 1980s and 90s. Despite the rise of streaming and online piracy, Brits still enjoy seeing the latest films in the cinema.

As part of today’s data dump, BFI has also broken down the theatrical winners and losers from 2015 — rounding out the top five are Star Wars, Spectre, Jurassic World, The Avengers and Minions. The same spots in the UK indie film leaderboard were taken by Legend, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Shaun the Sheep Movie, The Lady in the Van and Suffragette. The Oscar-nominated AI thriller Ex Machina, meanwhile, could only manage the eleventh slot, pulling in £2.89 million at the box office. A far cry from Shaun the Sheep’s £13.75 million, but given the film was made with a £10 million budget, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Source: BFI, UK Cinema Association

TalkTalk call centre reps arrested for leaking customer data

TalkTalk just can’t catch a break. Late last year, the quad-play provider suffered a “significant and sustained cyberattack” that resulted in the personal details of over 150,000 customers being stolen. It was the second serious breach in as many years, even prompting a government enquiry into the preventative measures in place at all UK telecoms and internet providers. Sensitive data can be obtained any number of ways, however, and TalkTalk believes it recently uncovered a small-scale leaking operation being carried out by a few of its third-party call centre reps.

As the story goes, TalkTalk noticed a connection between scam calls (over-the-phone phishing attacks) some of its customers were receiving and three employees of Wipro, the third-party company that runs TalkTalk’s India-based call centre. While they had access to an “extremely limited” array of customer details, evidence suggests these workers were passing info on to scammers, hence the targeted calls. These are only allegations at this point, of course, but based on TalkTalk and Wipro’s investigations, local police have arrested the three suspects for violating ICT laws. TalkTalk also said it’s now looking long and hard at its relationship with Wipro.

It’s important to note the October 2015 cyberattack is in a completely different league to this low-tech operation. As TalkTalk tells it, there’s little to nothing you can do with the details call centre reps have access to, which is precisely why scammers use the nuggets they have to try to extract account details and other sensitive information over the phone. TalkTalk said it chose to highlight this specific incident to show it’s serious about reviewing security measures after last year’s hack, and to demonstrate the problems all companies face in trying to keep customer data protected.

Via: ISPreview

Source: TalkTalk

Fluance announces the Fi70 Bluetooth speaker with top-of-the-line sound quality

Fluance announced today the Fi70 wireless speaker, featuring something we have yet to see in any wireless speaker yet: dual 8″ subwoofers.

That makes the Fi70 one of the largest and best sounding Bluetooth speakers on the market, right? That’s very well possible, particularly with all of the high-end technology packed into these units.

To just give you a quick overview, the Fi70 has those aforementioned dual 8″ subwoofers, 5” woven glass fiber midrange drivers, and 1” neodymium tweeters (a special type of loudspeaker). The Fi70 is also sporting a 280-watt built-in amplifer.

All of this technology works together to provide some of the most crisp and clearest sound you’ve ever heard on a Bluetooth speaker. If you’re an audiophile, it might just be worth giving the Fi70 a try.

They come with some other handy extras as well, such as the aptX codec, an integrated equalizer, auxiliary input, touch controls, an LED display, and there’s even an included USB port for charging devices. This Bluetooth Speaker is also capable of playing AM/FM radio.

Fluance’s Fi70 is available in Black Ash, Lucky Bamboo and Natural Walnut for $499, free shipping included. If you’re interested in taking them for a spin, be sure to hit the link to Fluance’s Fi70 product page below.

[Fluance]

We’ve got the press release below.

NIAGARA FALLS, ON – (Jan. 28, 2016) – Fluance, engineers of Serious Performance, audiophile approved home theater systems and speakers, is excited to unveil its largest, and best sounding Bluetooth speaker yet: the Fi70. An evolution of Fluance’s critically-acclaimed Fi Series, the Fi70 is engineered to recreate the music user’s love with harmonious perfection. From the elegance of a jazz performance to the raw power of a live rock concert, the Fi70 has created a new expectation in home audio. Streaming music wirelessly from services such as Spotify and Pandora or playing tracks from user’s favorite playlists has never been easier and more enjoyable than ever. High-res images: http://bit.ly/1Tmpwf5.  

At the core of the Fi70 are powerful dual 8” woofers, 5” woven glass fiber midrange drivers and 1” neodymium tweeters, which offer superior sound quality, unmatched by any speaker within its price range. Its 280 watt built-in amplifier boasts big performance and delivers exceptional bass response starting as low as 30Hz. The Fi70’s ability to deliver such incredible sound allows it to replace complete home stereo systems, sound bars and other high-quality audio solutions.

The Fi70 maintains a sleek and elegant design that blends into any modern living space while achieving an unprecedented audio frequency range that is unmatched in this category. Its elegant hand-made wood cabinet reduces resonance for accurate response, increased warmth and an overall more natural sound. The speaker acts as a statement piece, drawing eyes to its sophisticated, commanding aesthetic and drawing ears to its exceptional sound performance.

Fluance’s Fi70 continues to turn heads with its useful and convenient features. Its aptX streaming capabilities improve the quality of Bluetooth audio, ensuring every single note and beat is heard. The speaker’s integrated equalizer allows users to easily adjust treble and bass to their preference. It can also be utilized to amplify the sound of a television with its optical input – perfect for upcoming Super Bowl parties. Additional features include auxiliary input, touch controls to adjust a variety of settings, digital AM/FM radio, LED display and a USB port to simultaneously charge USB-powered devices while soaking in the sound.

The Fi70 is available now in Black Ash, Lucky Bamboo and Natural Walnut at Fluance.com for $499.

Tech Specs:

System Type	3 Way 6 Driver Wireless Music System with Integrated Amplifier
Tweeter	Dual 1 Inch Silk Soft Dome Neodymium Ferrofluid Cooled
Midrange	Dual 5 inch Woven Glass Fiber Composite Drivers with Butyl Rubber Surrounds
Woofer	Dual 8 inch Polymer Treated High Excursion with Butyl Rubber Surrounds
Bluetooth	2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate); aptX codec
Input	3.5mm Auxiliary Audio Input; 2.1 A USB Charging Input, Optical (Digital Toslink), FM/AM Radio Tuner Antennas
Frequency Response	30Hz – 20KHz
Crossover Frequency	150Hz / 2500Hz Phase Coherent – PCB Mounted Circuitry
Amplifier Power (RMS)	280 Watts Continuous Average Output (2x 140 watts)
Enclosure	Tuned Rear Port Bass Reflex Design
Cabinet	MDF Wood Cabinet
Internal Lead Wire	18 gauge internal lead wire to reduce signal degradation
Power	120V, 60 Hz
Dimensions (W x D x H)	29.5 x 11 x 23.2 inch (without stand) 29.5 x 11 x 36 inch (with stand)
Weight	81 lbs
FCC	Yes
ICES	Yes
cETLus	Yes

For more information on the Fi70 and all of Fluance’s high-quality audio products, “like” Facebook.com/FluanceSpeakers and follow @Fluance.

About Fluance:
Fluance is a North American-based speaker brand that produces high-end home theater speaker systems. Established in 1999 and based in Niagara Falls, Ontario, it markets to both USA and Canada. Known for Serious Performance, Fluance prides itself on pushing cutting-edge technology to its limits based on five key aspects: Sound Quality, Solid Construction, Performance, Style, and Value while using only premium components in the construction of its speaker systems. Fluance encourages its customers to buy direct so they can provide their products at a price point well below those of its main competitors. Fluance Speakers can be purchased directly at www.Fluance.com.

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