NASA’s Dirt-Scanning Satellite is Down to a Single Peeper

NASA’s - Soil Moisture Active Passive Satellite

Rocket mission to space is always a risky one and when things seem to go wrong, lethargy could lead to mishap. One such mission is the almost billion dollar Soil Moisture Active Passive – SMAP satellite that had lost one of its radar imagers a few months after coming online. SMAP’s sensors pair was intended to generate high resolution, extremely accurate maps of soil moisture, the core of the Earth’s water, energy as well as carbon cycles.

The blackened electric eye does not tend to blind the mission but does cause a hindrance to the satellite’s high definition mapping abilities and recently was announced by NASA that the extra eye was not coming back. SMAP had been launched by NASA in January to guard over the water which Earth stores in its soil where more than 97% of all the water on Earth is stored in the oceans.

The rest is sheltered up in ice caps and glaciers as of now and less than a single percent of all water on Earth seems to be in the form of soil moisture. However gallon for gallon, fraction of water seems to be of more importance than any other source on the face of the Earth which is due to the soil where the plants tend to grow.

Susceptible to Interference

The content of moisture in the soil regulates how many plants tend to grow in a certain area that controls how much carbon in absorbed out of the atmosphere. Moreover, when plants tend to absorb the carbon, they give out water vapour that provides the cool temperature on the Earth’s surface as it evaporates. The SMAP, after its winter launch tends to send soil moisture maps home in April.

 However towards July, something was incorrect with one of its paired sensors. Both the sensors were intended to collect data from the same slice of the RF spectrum but they use different systems. The `A’ in the SMAP, the active radar spring up energy from the Earth’s surface, taking the moisture readings centred on the return signature.

Dara Entekhabi, SMAP mission’s principal investigator and climate scientist at MIT informed that `the advantage is that it actually illuminates the surface having high spatial resolution, but is more susceptible to interference’.

Cause - Faulty Power Supply

The P in SMAP is the big cake pan shaped antenna that dangles off its side and as its name indicate, the passive microwave radiometer tends to sit back and gather the releases of the planet. It measures up a ton of data soil and can also see through clouds and tree cover though only views around 25 miles per pixel.

The active radar would have brought that resolution below to less than two miles but due to the active sensor affecting the big clock in the sky; the passive radiometer did everything on its own.Entekhabi has stated that the culprit was a faulty power supply and to amplify a signal, power was essential.

The failure could have been the result of faulty parts, a freak ion static occurrence or one of the several low probability events. The radar being unique was global mapping radar, producing a map every two to three days, according to Entekhabi and on a mission level, it crippled SMAP’s potentials in making high resolution maps and gather the data on how changes in soil moisture could affect long term climate.

The radar’s fleeting months of operation enabled NASA watch the climate change in real time, season vegetation changes, sea ice extent, and new bodies of water developed by melting permafrost. These maps are expected to be released later this month.

Ransomware: Porn App Took Secret Photos of Users

In a recent attack on the smartphone users by a highly luring adult player reveals the emergence of the ransomware in the smartphone segment. A US security firm called Zscaler had brought into focus a malicious Android based mobile application which brings ransomware to people’s devices without their knowledge.

This app was mainly an adult player which offered pornography but it secretly worked on taking pictures of the users through the popular front facing camera used for taking selfies. Later on this app stats locking the user’s devices and demands a ransom of $500 in order to unlock the device with a consistent message on the screen.

What are ransomware and how does it affect smartphone users? 

Ransomware are such apps which lock down the phones and demands money from the users in order to get back the control of the device. It even threatens them to release their private information, data and others or simply wipes out a device. Last month Intel Security has released a report which showed a significant increase in ransomeware attacks by 125% since 2014 targeting the computers and laptops.

Intel security chief had stated that ransomware are quite easy to make which can easily be made by a group of codes and offers great returns. Ransomware apps had seen a steep rise in the recent past due to its easiness of creation and opportunity of creating a large amount of money within a quick time interval. Ransomware apps basically rely on the embarrassment factor which can happen due to releasing of private information and data in the public sphere. Most of the time people’s reputation is at stake hence people resort to pay to the ransomware attackers in order to retrieve the control of their device.

How smartphone users can safeguard themselves from such ransomware? 

Ransomware isn’t new but it has been most on the computers and PC’s for the first time it is showing a potential threat to the smartphone segment which is a worrying factor. Applying certain common sense and following basic principles while using smartphone one can lower the potential being a victim of ransomware.

Some of the ransomware threatens to wipe out the device data which usually includes documents, photos and videos. In order to avoid any loss of data smartphone should back up their data in a regular fashion. In case any user becomes a victim of such ransomware then he can easily allow it delete the data without making the necessary ransom charges.

Always download apps from trusted app stores 

Apps should only be downloaded from the trusted app stores like Google Play Store which has higher level of security measures to remove any kind of ransomware from listing on its app store. Smartphone users should never download apps from the download link given in the mails.

Furthermore if you are a victim of current adult player ransomware then simply reboot your device in the safe mode and it will allow you to remove the third party malicious software easily. However this feature and method varies greatly from one handset manufacturer to other.

Mobile Calls Being Cut Off? Your Network May not be to Blame

Apple & Samsung Smartphones – Inspection of Handsets in Sending/Receiving Signals

Smartphones like Apple and Samsung have been facing official inspection on their technical expertise as part of an examination by Ofcom on how their handsets tend to manage calls. Ofcom is the communication regulator in the UK who regulates the TV and radio segments, fixed line telecoms, postal services and mobiles together with the airwaves through which wireless devices are said to operate.

Ofcom tends to operate under various Acts of Parliament which include the Communication Act of 2003 and functions within the powers and duties that have been set for it by the Parliament in legislation.

It has been stated in the Communication Acts that Ofcom’s chief duty is to promote the interests of citizens as well as consumers. Ofcom receives funds by way of fees from industry in regulating broadcasting and communication networks together with grant-in-aid from the Government.

The communication regulator has ordered a self-governing testing lab in order to calculate how the famous smartphone send and receive signals. It is also investigating if some models seem to be more likely than the others in suddenly cutting off conversations. The research is in progress with sharp political concern on mobile coverage as well as the quality of reception in urban as well as rural areas.

Handset Design Affecting Reception

Apple had earlier been forced to admit reception problems with its iPhone 4, because of its antenna design.But according to Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple who has received an email from a reader stating that his new iPhone 4 was facing reception issues while holding it in his hand was informed that those with reception issues need to hold their phone correctly.

Till now the stress has been put exclusively on network operators facing government pressure in improving the capacity and coverage.Westminster sources with information of the research effort of Ofcom indicated that it would shine the spotlight on how modern handset designs could affect reception, for example by utilising the metal cases which could be a hindrance to the signals.

According to Westminster, `some of the manufacturers would not like what is being published by Ofcom; however it is of great important that people have the information available.

Results of the Study Waited

Various sources of UK network operators have stated that the finding would be anticipated eagerly and their own testing has indicated significant differences in the quality of the receptions on popular handsets.

But due to their reliance on commercial relationship with the manufacturers they seem to be unable in sharing the details with consumers without the risk of accusations. One source from the industry has informed that the `handset design as well as the performance could often have a great impact on the quality of service people seem to receive than the network that they use.

Ofcom spokesman informed that the results of the study of the handset would be made available within a weeks’ time and the findings would be based on the recently published maps of network coverage. We need to wait and watch on the latest development with regards to reception issues.

Toyota's 'Aerocar' will have WINGS Hidden in the Roof

 

Toyota’s `Aerocar’ With Wings

Toyota is planning to bring the technology of flying cars which may seem like a science fiction, to the masses and the Kentucky based car manufacturer has been awarded a patent for a vehicle with wings that seems to be hidden in the roof and which can be arrayed at the touch of a button.

The patent had been filed in March 2014 and was awarded earlier this week. Illustrations indicate that the rotating wings stacked in a row of four, each of which can be organized separately so that the car looks like multi-planes of the early days of aviation.

Toyota mentioned in the patent that `flying has always been a dream central to the history of humanity. Aerocars or roadable aircraft are considered as vehicles which could be driven on roads and take off, fly as well as land as aircraft. Vehicles that tend to exhibit such capability provide operators with freedom, ability and the comfort to arrive speedily at a destination as mobility becomes three dimensional though remains private and personal.

Design Restricts the Side View

The biggest issue is in developing a craft which would fit on a road and in parking space and has the flight stability and control of the plane. It is mainly critical of flying car designs which have the foldable wings on the side of the vehicle and though effective, the more numerous the fold locations, greater would be the weight as well as complexity which would influence operability in individual mode.

Moreover, the designs would also restrict the side views of the people in the car. To overcome this issue, Toyota intends stacking wings in the roof of the car. When installed, one wing tends to rise from the roof and rotates in position while the second can then be organized followed by the third and fourth.

Toyota describes it as `the present disclosure pertains to a vehicle that can be flown as a fixed wing aircraft and driven as a land vehicle. The present disclosure is more specifically directed to stackable wing architectures. The other details are not too clear and Toyota does not elucidate how the car intends getting the propulsion essential for taking off.

Multi-Planes of Late 19th/20th Century

Illustrations however, indicating the fully arranged wings make the car appear like the multi-planes of the late 19th and the early 20th century, particularly the Maxim designed by Hiram Maxim in the 1890s and the range of Phillips Muliplanes from the early 1990s.

In the case of the Phillips Multiplane I, there were 20 stacked wings and a model built in1907 flew 500ft. However the design was not as successful as the conventional types of planes.Terrafugia, one of the firms leading the flying car movement unveiled in July, new designs for its revolutionary vehicle known as the TF-X.

 Its concept vehicle which tends to double as a plane as well as a land car has fold out wings with twin electric motors attached to each end. These motors enable the TF-X to move from a vertical to a horizontal position and will be powered by a 300hp engine.

As per the company, the thrust would be provided by a ducted fan and the vehicle would be having a voyaging speed of 200 mph together with a 500 mile flight range. The intended four people TF-X would be semi-autonomous, utilising computer controls in order that passengers could type in a destination before taking off.

AK TI8e: The Most Luxurious Headphones in the World

Expensive and luxurious aren’t new as we have already seen gold plated iPhones, iPads, other Smartphones and even Smartwatches. But time is taking a different turn as Astell & Kerns launches their ambitious pair of headphones AK Ti8e which aim to bring highest level of technology in a different manner.

Astell & Kern latest headphones AK Ti8e encompass a cutting edge technology which has never been seen before to deliver crystal clear sound to the ardent music lovers at a price tag of whooping £800. Furthermore, the cord of this unique earphone is made up of Kevlar, which is the same ultra durable material used in developing bulletproof vest.

AK TI8e headphones turn the head at IFA event

Astell & Kern has launched its one of kind headphones named AK Ti8e headphones at the ongoing IFA event in Berlin. This headphone doesn’t resemble much different from any other ordinary pair but it boasts of a remarkable technology which has never been seen before in headphones. It features the Beyer dynamic Tesla Technology, which is essentially named after Nikola Tesla who has pioneered the alternating current. 

Astell & Kerns has gone with an oval shaped mould designs and a highly elegant cable with superior durable material. The cables have to go over the ears in this case in order to avoid any kind of pull. The earphones are coupled with silicones and Comply foam buds, which ensure that it remains inside the ears perfectly.

Features of AK Ti8e headphones

AK Ti8e will come with a toughed Kevlar 3.5mm cable along with a balanced cable of 2.5 mm audio jack, which will allow users to use AK players. It will also possess a highly powerful ring magnet, which happens to be 16 times smaller than earlier Tesla technology.

This will allow the AK Ti8e headphones to render a crystal clear sound to the listeners. Developers had made a great effort to remove the crossover filters inside the headphones through the use of new Tesla technology which has resulted in producing clear sound devoid of any distort speech or music recording.

AK Ti8e is designed to offer a wholesome listening experience to the users by easily integrating any of sound choices from the highest trebles to the deeper bass.

Hand built headphones to offer incredible music

Astell & Kern had worked hard on the detachable cable to ensure it possesses the highest level of durability. This AK Ti8e headphones cord is made up of Kevlar, which allows it easily to endure as many as 40,000 bending cycles, which essentially help in increasing the durability of the product. User will never have to be concerned about putting this headphone in their pockets being curled up as many times as possible.

Astell & Kern has given a large emphasis on merchandising and packaging as this headphone command a great price tag of £800. It will be hand built at the Beyerdynamics’s factory in Germany and this headphone will come in a dashing leather case. In accessories section, users will get eight different choices of ear buds to pair with the earphones, which offer a secure and comfortable wear to the listeners.