Birthday

Well that means what you think it does. Please send all gifts to the appropriate address. Thanks.

Nov 1

So I thought, hey its November 1st.
Time to register for classes.
However no go.
Nothing was going on so I did a ping and tracert

It looked fine, but it wasn't.

17 minutes later

The page never finished loading

Anniversary launch for 'nanosats'

Nanosatellites weigh less than 10kg

Fifty mini-satellites are to be sent into space to celebrate the launch of the first such object, Sputnik 1.

The "nanosats", each weighing 1kg, will blast into orbit on board an Ariane rocket in 2007, said Arianespace.

Each satellite will represent a nation, and will do small-scale research experiments during two years in orbit.

The former Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 was the size of a basketball and became the first artificial satellite of the Earth on 4 October, 1957.

"Just like 50 years ago, when the first manmade Earth satellite was launched, these nanosatellites will signal a new era for scientists worldwide," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, chief executive officer for Arianespace.

The company markets launch services for the European Space Agency (Esa).

"Arianespace is very proud to be participating in this commemoration," he added. "Supporting science and research is an integral part of our assigned mission."

Space race

Compared with Sputnik which weighed 83kg, nanosatellites weigh under 10kg and can be sent up in clusters in low-Earth orbit, which is less than 2,000km above the planet's surface.

Increased miniaturisation of electronic and mechanical components has made it possible to construct much smaller and lighter satellites.

Sputnik was the first human-made object to go into orbit

These satellites can significantly reduce the cost of access to space for many nations and can be used in groups, or swarms, for Earth observation.

UK satellite company Surrey Satellite Technology Limited has developed small satellites, like SNAP-1 which was launched in June 2000.

It weighed 6.5kg and carried micro-miniature GPS navigation, camera technology, onboard computing, propulsion and attitude control technologies.

Commercial telecommunications satellites are costly, commonly as big as buses, and can weigh up to eight tonnes.

At the time of Sputnik 1's historic launch, which was described as "the simplest kind of baby moon", the US and the Soviet Union were in a race to space.

Some voiced concerned about its launch because its orbit would take it over the US seven times.

Others speculated that its launcher rocket could be capable of carrying a nuclear weapon thousands of kilometres.

Sputnik 1 was followed a month later by Sputnik 2, which carried the first living creature, a dog called Laika, into space.

In December 1957, a US rocket carrying a test satellite exploded. The US successfully launched its first satellite, Explorer, in February 1958.

The mission for 2007 was announced at the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) congress in Vancouver, Canada.

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Look at this article!

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B

New Couch

Bought a new couch at Pier 1 Imports. It is cool, for many reasons, but mostly because it can hold more than two people comfortably. Also it looks cool.

It's So Simple I'd Even Call Myself A Genius

That's right, I went there. Seriously though, perhaps its because I have had time to think, but oh the answer was right in front of my face. To think that one can look and see something, but at the same time be blind to it. You have to think, and I mean think. Just forget about the rest, and only your goal. The answer will come to you. Why I didn't see that I don't know. It's so funny.

-W-

Sony seen needing consistent PS3 strategy

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp needs to establish an unwavering marketing strategy for its PlayStation 3 game machine to drive growth of its console business, the head of Japanese videogame publisher Square Enix Co Ltd said.

"Sony first unveiled the PS3 as a mighty home electronics product. Then, after some badgering from game companies, it shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine," Square Enix President Yoichi Wada told reporters on Friday.

"(The future of the PS3) would be tough if its marketing strategy is not straightened up," he said.

Sony's PS3 is packed with cutting-edge technologies such as a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player and a Cell microchip, dubbed "supercomputer on a chip", making it advanced enough to be a hub of living room electronics, a high-speed gateway to the Internet, as well as a game machine.

But on the downside, these state-of-the-art capabilities drove up manufacturing costs. The basic version of the PS3 retails twice as high as Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii.

The high price and scarcity of strong game titles have caused the PS3 to lag far behind the Wii in unit sales since their launches late last year.

In a sign of changing fortunes of the two Japanese video game makers, Nintendo in June became one of Japan's 10 most valuable companies, and in doing so, bumped Sony off the top 10 list.

Shares in Sony, locked in a battle with Nintendo and Microsoft Corp for dominance in the $30 billion video game industry, closed down 1.4 percent at 5,640 yen, while Nintendo fell 1.5 percent to 52,900 yen.

Square Enix, known for such blockbuster game titles as "Dragon Quest" and "Final Fantasy", was up 1.1 percent at 3,750 yen.