New antenna joins NASA's deep space network to support Mars mission

Large, white and rather dishy, NASA's latest spacecraft-tracking antenna unveiled on Thursday has an important job ahead of it.Deep Space Station 36 (DSS36) joins NASA's Deep Space Network, in which it will play a role in future interplanetary missions undertaken by humans and robots.

Its home, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC), has a long relationship with the U.S. space agency. In 2015, CDSCC was the first place to hear from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft when it flew close to Pluto.

"This antenna is the culmination of what has been a six-and-a-half-year expansion of the tracking station," Glen Nagle, CDSCC's manager of education and public outreach, toldMashable. "It gives us additional capacity to be able to talk to new spacecraft in years to come, but also to support NASA's future journey to Mars."NASA invested A$120 million ($91,603,800) in the project to expand its two-way communication capacity with spacecraft, according to the CSIRO. DSS36 joins the antenna DSS35, which launched in 2014.Nagle said the two dishes, both 34 metres wide, are beam waveguide antennas. Rather than housing their transmitter receiver systems in the dish, the systems are located underground in a concrete cylinder two storeys underground.

"That further isolates the electronics," he explained. "It helps them to be a little bit more protected from radio frequency interference from around the local region and increase their overall sensitivity."

To have a deep space network, you need antennas around the world — three stations, equidistant roughly around the planet, to have line of sight wherever the Earth is in its rotation. In addition to Canberra, DSN antennas are located in California and Madrid.There are big plans ahead for the network. Australia has been working with NASA for well over 50 years, Nagle pointed out, but for the last 40 years or so, humans have not left Earth's orbit. "Now of course, NASA is working toward the capacity with their new launch vehicles to take humans away from Earth's orbit again," he said. "To head back to the moon, to head maybe out to the nearest asteroid, and then of course on the road to Mars."The CDSCC has already been part of the first test flights of NASA's new Orion spacecraft, which is intended for deep space missions. "If that goes well, a second mission, maybe taking people that time to lunar space again, extending our capabilities," Nagle said.

"Think of it this way: We're kind of air traffic control for the universe here in Australia."

Here's how much Samsung's Gear S3 smartwatch will cost in the U.S.

                 Samsung's new Gear S3 smartwatch will launch on Nov. 18 in the U.S. starting at $349.99 for the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi model — more than an entry-level Apple Watch. Pre-orders start on Nov. 6.Consumers can pick one up from Samsung.com, Best Buy, Amazon, Macy's and participating wireless retailers including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.Samsung announced the smartwatch in August, and it'll be available in two models: a regular "Classic" and slightly more rugged "Frontier" edition. They're Samsung's first smartwatches to feature built-in LTE and GPS.The Gear S3 also supports Samsung Pay using MST technology — the same contactless payment technology used by Samsung's flagship S7 and S7 Edge phones.The smartwatch's large 46mm (diameter) case is a departure from the more reasonably-sized 32mm Gear S2 and even 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch.

The larger case does mean room for the LTE, GPS and a larger battery, which is reportedly good for three to four days on a single charge.Size aside, the Gear S3, last I checked, looks like a solid smartwatch running Tizen and connecting to Samsung smartphones. Not to mention it has military-grade durability with an IP68 rating for resistance to water, dust and sand.

Technology Inventions

3D Printed Car

The latest technology inventions in 3d printing are rapidly changing how things are being made.It's an emerging technology that is an alternative to the traditional tooling and machining processes used in manufacturing.At the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, a little known Arizona-based car maker created a media sensation by manufacturing a car at the show.It was a full scale, fully functional car that was 3d printed in 44 hours and assembled in 2 days. The video below shows the car being made.

Car Gps Tracking

Car Gps Tracking is fairly common in new vehicles, providing drivers with tracking and navigation.
However, latest technology inventions have made car gps tracking systems more sophisticated, allowing for a wide range of additional uses.Smartbox technology is one example of how car gps tracking systems are being used to lower car insurance.A comprehensive recording of a driver's habits allows insurance companies to provide "pay-as-you-drive" car insurance.City officials in New York City are considering how car gps tracking could be used as "Drive Smart" technology.Most large cities have a limited capability to change the infrastructure of their roadways.A car gps tracking system that integrates with traffic information would give drivers the ability to select routes in real time that were more fuel efficient, less congested, faster or shorter.A driver's recorded routing selection could then be used to penalize or reward drivers by lowering or increasing their related licensing fees or by calculating mileage based "road-use" fees.Eventually, such a system would replace gasoline tax since these revenues will decline as more vehicles become less dependent on fossil fuels.

Vein Identification

Another technology innovation is the biometric identification and security device known as PalmSecure.It works by identifying the vein pattern in the palms of our hands.Similar to our fingerprints, vein patterns are unique to each individual. The purported advantages of this technology is that it is less expensive, easier to manage, and is more reliable than traditional methods of identification.

World's Fastest Motor

A new motor developed by researchers at ETH Zurich's Department of Power Electronics and marketed by the Swiss company, Celeroton, can spin in excess of 1 million revolutions per minute.
As a comparison, collapsed stars spin at 60,000 rpms, a blender at about 30,000 and high performance engines at around 10,000 rpms.The matchbook-sized motor has a titatnium shell, ultra-thin wiring and a trade secret iron formulated cylinder. The need for smaller electronic devices requires smaller holes, which means smaller, faster, more efficient drills.

Smart Homes: Keeping Connected Through the Intercom

Now that everyone has a supercomputer in their pocket or purse, keeping in touch on an expansive estate has never been easier.Home intercom systems have always been a wise investment for internal communication and security. But for today’s intercom systems, even with the whims of wireless service in remote locations, crystal-clear communication is a given. And not only that: Modern intercom systems can function as the hub for your entire high-end home, allowing you to manage smart products and call upon external services at the touch of a button.

Offering an elegant design and compatibility with several high-end home product providers, Legrand’s Intuity Home prides itself on form and function.Intuity offers multiple levels of security and communication. Users can monitor individual rooms with a network of cameras, address an entire home with an estate-wide audio system and see who’s at the front door, and grant them access, thanks to a video entry intercom.

Samsung's Nightmare Continues With A Galaxy S7 Edge Explosion In The US

Samsung's nightmare seems far from over following the exploding Galaxy Note7 fiasco, after it was reported that a Galaxy S7 Edge has exploded in the US while it was on charging.PhoneArena reported that one of the customers living in the US found his Galaxy S7 edge burnt while he kept it for charging overnight. He was even using the charger supplied by the company with the smartphone.

The unlucky customer had gotten the smartphone two weeks back after replacing his Galaxy Note7 for the second time.This is not the first time when a Galaxy S7 explosion is being reported. Last month a man from Ohio reportedly sued Samsung for third-degree burns he received when his unit caught fire while it was in his pockets. Another unit exploded at midnight while it was charging with the Samsung-supplied charger.Last month, Samsung even sent messages to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners that their smartphones are safe and they don't have to worry. On the other hand, there have been a couple of reports of Apple's new iPhone 7 exploding as well.

This wireless controller fixes the NES Classic’s biggest flaw

The NES Classic is coming out next week, and the early impressions of the diminutively packed collection of Nintendo history are extremely positive. But — as my colleague Andrew Webster noted in his initial hands-on — there’s one problem with the NES Classic. Along with the original NES-inspired design, the blocky retro controllers also have a 1980’s-era wired connection that, when used with today’s massive multi-foot screens, can put you a little too close to the TV.

But third-party controller company Nyko is already ready with the Miniboss, a wireless controller for the NES Classic. The Miniboss borrows Nintendo’s NES aesthetic, but plugs into the NES Classic with a small adaptor instead of a cable (similar to the GameCube’s WaveBird controller) for wireless play from up to 30 feet away. And should you prefer to stick with Nintendo’s own controllers, there’s also the Nyko’s Extend Link, which is simply just a six-foot long cord with Nintendo’s proprietary controller port on each end.The Miniboss controller will cost $19.99, compared to $9.99 for a second wired controller from Nintendo, while the Extend Link will run for $9.99. Both accessories will be available later on in November at Nyko’s website, Amazon, and GameStop.

PS4 Media Player will let you upload your own 360-degree photos and videos

The PlayStation 4 Media Player is getting a free update today, adding support for users' 360-degree photos and videos. PS4 owners can load this content onto a USB stick or their local media server, then activate "VR Mode" in the Media Player's options menu, and hey presto: 360-degree content of your choosing on your PlayStation VR headset.The content must be captured in "equirectangular format by a 360-degree omnidirectional camera," and supports the following formats: MKV, AVI, MP4, MPEG2 PS , MPEG2 TS, and AVCHD for videos; JPEG, BMP, and PNG for images.

The update (version 2.50) also includes improvements for audiophiles, adding support for the high-res FLAC audio format, and upscaling of non-high-res audio files thanks to Sony's DSEE HX technology. "What this means is any MP3s or AACs — files whose space-saving compression strips out some of a song’s subtleties — played through your PlayStation 4 will be automatically upscaled," says Sony.