Apple iPad launch live 2

HomeNewsApple IPad 2 launch live CoveragePosted from Chris Smith on Fri, February 25, 2011

Date of launch of Apple's iPad 2 is imminent. Follow our Liveblog from event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

The countdown to the second iteration of epochal tablet PC Apple is almost finished. When the clock strikes 8 pm in the United Kingdom on Wednesday iPad 2 will be revealed to the world at a media event in San Francisco.

Once the 2 March press invite (pictured) landed in our inbox this week, the endless speculation and rumor-mongering turned to excitement and we can't wait to hear what Apple has in store for the legions of aspiring iPad 2 owners out there.

Will the camera FaceTime? A sleeker design? Retina the iPhone's screen? Faster processors and better graphics chips? Or will a new version-and-improved handling of iOS? All these questions will be answered on Wednesday.

We'll be liveblogging media unveiling of San Francisco, and we'll be in the hands of a specially organized media event in London to be among the first to get our hands on the new device that Apple hopes will bring the new wave of tablets rival firmly in their place.

We'll also be updating this page throughout the build-up to the event to bring you all the hottest gossip, the latest insider leaks and price-points, says so bookmark this page now and check back for the latest news between now and Wednesday.

The excitement is reaching fever pitch T3 towers. We hope you can join us on Wednesday.

Week in Tech: iPad launch date 2 and new MacBook Pros released

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Space shuttle launch, seen from above

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Seeing a space shuttle launch from the ground is impressive enough, but the view from above is just as thrilling. Take a look at some out-of-this-world pictures of the shuttle Discovery's final launch.

First, there's this YouTube video of Thursday's liftoff, which software developer Neil Monday shot with his iPhone through the window of a commercial airplane flying out of Florida's Orlando International Airport. A member of the flight crew can be heard on the intercom, telling passengers to look out "the right side of the aircraft" ... and later on, someone jokes, "we don't want to have anybody complain because we were late."

No one's complaining here.

Still more stunning views were captured from an even higher altitude, using an unmanned helium balloon that was festooned with smart phone cameras and other gizmos. The first images were released today, and they're stunning. 

"We are tickled pink. We don't think anyone has ever taken a picture of the shuttle this high," said Keith Cowing, a spokesman for Challenger Center for Space Science Education, which led the Robonaut-1 project with Quest for Stars.

Quest for Stars / Challenger Center

This is a frame grab from a video shot by a GoPro Hero Motorsport on a helium balloon launched to image the shuttle Discovery as it transited the stratosphere. The fogging is due to the fact that the balloon is coming through the troposphere when this picture was taken at 5:05 ET.

The Robonaut-1 balloon was launched from Florida so that it was in position for Discovery's supersonic transit of the stratosphere. The team hoped that the high-tech smart phones would send back real-time views of the launch, but that didn't pan out.

"We were relying on cell phone coverage, and you don't get a lot of that over swamps," Cowing explained. He said that similar experiments carried out in California, where coverage is better, have had better real-time results.

Payload payday
Expecting that the real-time imagery might not work, the experiment was set up with redundancy. The balloon was equipped with six Android smart phones as well as other high-tech cameras — an array of equipment that's worth several thousand dollars.

The payload was recovered in a field just west of Daytona Beach, Fla., near Cody's Corner on Route 11. The built-in redundancy paid off. "These guys are a real combination of storm chasers, barnstormers, and techno-geeks," Cowing said of the team behind Robonaut-1, an effort that was geared toward advancing science education.

Quest for Stars / Challenger Center

The trail of exhaust left behind by the shuttle Discovery begins to dissipate in the atmosphere, as seen in this view from the Robonaut-1 high-altitude balloon. The image was captured using a Motorola Droid X smart phone.

The team released the first of the photos retrieved from the equipment today, but Cowing said this was just the tip of the iceberg. The balloon was at an altitude somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 feet "for the better part of an hour, which means we actually have captured the entire launch sequence and can actually see it heading into space," Cowing noted.

More images will be released in the coming days, and the cream of the crop will be released March 2 at the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in Orlando.

More launch views
Robonaut-1 proved that regular folks can join the space community with just a few cutting-edge smart phones — devices that are lightweight, have a high-quality camera, and the computing power of desktops — plus some clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration and a little ingenuity. Meanwhile, other enthusiasts were busy capturing images of Discovery's launch from the ground.

Peter Lardizabal

Peter Lardizabal of St. Johns, Fla., took this picture of Discovery's final ascent to space on Thursday from Apollo Beach, 18 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center launch pad.

Photographer Peter Lardizabal, for example, snapped pictures of Discovery's ascent and solid rocket booster separation from Apollo Beach in Canaveral National Seashore Park, about 18 miles north of the launch pad. More of his images are available from Spaceweather.com.

Lardizabal recommended Apollo Beach as a good venue for taking pictures. "It really gives you the best view of the separation. ... The only real problem is, it really, really fills up quick," he said. After Thursday's launch, he said, it took two hours to drive just three miles out of the park.

Shuttle-watchers started showing up a day in advance of Thurday's launch, and the park is likely to become even busier for the final two space shuttle launches, scheduled for April and June.

Lardizabal said another hot spot for shuttle-watching is Lighthouse Point Park, a Florida state park that's also north of the pad. "Viewing the launch from the north end is a special treat," due to the area's perspective on the shuttle's ascent route, he said. "You get to see the ascent of the vehicle from the side."

Are you thinking of taking in one of the last space shuttle launches in history? It's not too early to make your travel plans. The best guide to shuttle launch viewing is by photographer Ben Cooper. For additional advice, consult this NASA viewing guide, and keep an eye on this Web page for tickets from the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex. 

Submitted by Todd Swanson / UGC

Discovery in 2010 in pre-dawn launch. Photo by Todd Swanson/HisImageStudio

So ... are you nostalgic for Discovery yet? After this trip, the shuttle will be heading for a spot at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and you'll be able to get a close-up look at the world's most traveled spaceship. In the meantime, flip through our album of "Blasts from the Past," and take a look at this shot of Discovery's launch in April 2010, as captured by Todd Swanson of His Image Studio in Charlotte, N.C. Thanks for sharing, Todd!

Update for 10:30 p.m. ET: Neil Monday, the airline passenger who shot the shuttle video on YouTube, told me the story behind the images in an e-mail:

"I am a 25-year-old working as a software developer for the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. On Thursday, I was on my way back to my hometown of Richmond, Va., for my older brother's wedding. The flight was scheduled to take off at 2:25, and if it had been on time, I would have completely missed the launch. I think we took off at around 4:30 headed south, and slowly banked toward the north. Once we leveled out, the shuttle took off.

"I was actually seated on the opposite side of the plane, but luckily the window seat on the right side was open (which was the side the shuttle would be on). I asked the gentleman if I could sit there for a few minutes to film the launch, and he said sure. Once I was done filming, he gave me his contact info so I could show him the video. I had a digital camera with me which would have done a great job recording, but the batteries were dead, so I shot the video on my iPhone. I don't think I knew about the launch until 20 minutes before it happened. It was neat, because we could see the countdown on the TVs in the headrests and then just peek outside the window and see the real thing.

"I remember seeing another video on YouTube of a shuttle launch filmed from an airplane, and I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. Then to actually have the opportunity to see it in real life was absolutely fascinating. I have a feeling that I will be telling the story to my grandkids one day."

Science editor Alan Boyle and msnbc.com contributor John Roach joined forces on this posting. Tip o' the Log to Keith Cowing, who also presides over NASA Watch, SpaceRef, OnOrbit and other space websites.

Join the Cosmic Log community by clicking the "like" button on our Facebook page or by following msnbc.com science editor Alan Boyle as b0yle on Twitter. To learn more about Alan Boyle's book on Pluto and the search for planets, check out the website for "The Case for Pluto."

Fujitsu to launch Windows 7 Tablet Business (PC World)

Fujitsu, Japan will soon launch a tablet for business users that the security feature is not available in most consumer machines.

The Q550 style will get its official unveiling at next week's Cebit in Germany and has a fingerprint reader, smartcard slot and-trusted platform module (TPM), the company said. (See the tablet's video on YouTube).

Your computer will run Windows 7 Professional, and uses an Intel Atom "Oak Trail". It has a 10-inch LED touchscreen. Unlike previous stylistic tablet that required a stylus, the touch interface on the new model also works with a finger.

Other features include front and rear cameras, 32 or 64 GB solid state drive (SSD) drive, an optional 3 G module and a USB port.

Fujitsu says a combination of low power processor and LED backlit screen helped to extend the battery life for about eight hours.

Should appear in Europe in April.

Security features of tablet PC might respond to requests for some companies, but it remains to be seen if the tablet PC will take off among business users. Tablet PCs have been tried several times in the last decade and have failed to find widespread adoption every time.

The current boom in the Tablet-PC between consumers will probably again some companies facing products.

Martyn Williams covers the Japan and General technology breaking news for the IDG News Service. Follow me on Twitter @ Martyn martyn_williams. E-mail address of the Martyn is martyn_williams@idg.com

Fujitsu to launch Windows 7 Tablet Business

Fujitsu, Japan will soon launch a tablet for business users that the security feature is not available in most consumer machines.

The Q550 style will get its official unveiling at next week's Cebit in Germany and has a fingerprint reader, smartcard slot and-trusted platform module (TPM), the company said. (See the tablet's video on YouTube).

Your computer will run Windows 7 Professional, and uses an Intel Atom "Oak Trail". It has a 10-inch LED touchscreen. Unlike previous stylistic tablet that required a stylus, the touch interface on the new model also works with a finger.

Other features include front and rear cameras, 32 or 64 GB solid state drive (SSD) drive, an optional 3 G module and a USB port.

Fujitsu says a combination of low power processor and LED backlit screen helped to extend the battery life for about eight hours.

Should appear in Europe in April.

Security features of tablet PC might respond to requests for some companies, but it remains to be seen if the tablet PC will take off among business users. Tablet PCs have been tried several times in the last decade and have failed to find widespread adoption every time.

The current boom in the Tablet-PC between consumers will probably again some companies facing products.

Martyn Williams covers the Japan and General technology breaking news for the IDG News Service. Follow me on Twitter @ Martyn martyn_williams. E-mail address of the Martyn is martyn_williams@idg.com

NASA to launch latest-Earth observation satellite (AP)

LOS ANGELES – NASA is set to launch its Earth orbiting satellite-latest on a mission of 424 million for analyzing airborne grana spewed from volcanic eruptions, forest fires, chimneys and exhaust.

The satellite is expected to explode glory out before dawn Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Taurus XL rocket. Once upgraded to an altitude of 440 kilometres, will join a fleet of satellites that collected data on climate change for years.

His main task will be to study known as aerosols airborne particles. Less than the diameter of a human hair, these ubiquitous specks can track distances around the world and are largely responsible for the production of Misty sky.

Scientists know little of aerosols and their effects on climate. A better understanding is essential to improve climate models.

"We need to know about these particles much better than us," said Michael Mishchenko project scientist of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

In the last century, average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the world. Scientists blame carbon dioxide, principally from the combustion of coal, oil and other fossil fuels, such as the root cause of global warming.

Unlike greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that linger for years, aerosols are ephemeral — staying for weeks — so is much more difficult to measure their carbon dioxide.

Most aerosols — about 90 percent — comes from natural sources such as volcanic ash, desert dust and smoke from forest fires. The rest is from human activity.

Aerosols may influence both the heating and cooling the Earth depending on their color and chemical composition. They may involve cooling scattering sunlight back into space; are also capable of absorbing the solar heating of the atmosphere.

Dozens of satellites have been studying aerosols over the past 50 years. But the glory is designed to make more accurate measurements of aerosols from space by studying how widely they are deployed and their various properties.

In addition to tracking aerosols in the atmosphere, Glory will also changes in solar activity to determine the effect of the Sun on the climate.

Gloria will be launched aboard a Taurus XL rocket built by four phases Orbital Sciences Corp. The mission marks the return of the Taurus XL flight after a bankruptcy in 2009 that resulted in the loss of a global warming NASA satellite.

Glory, which weighs about half a Volkswagen Beetle, will run for at least three years. The chassis of the spacecraft was recycled from a mission that never flew and had to be adapted to accommodate the two key tools.

The mission was to fly last November, but a problem with solar panels launch delayed by three months. Once in low Earth orbit, glory will join a convoy of satellites already gathering information climate.

Unusual name probe stemmed from an atmospheric phenomenon caused by the dispersion of sunlight by water droplets in a cloud.

Apple planning Major product launch next week

A lineup of portable MacBook Pro may debut next week, according to a report Friday from AppleInsider. Never-Barfly, citing "people familiar with the matter", a blog focused on Apple says that Cupertino is mulling whether to start the upgraded notebooks by the end of February. If so, Apple is running out of time to issue party invites.

Refurbished MacBook Pro rumors have swirled for weeks, with some bloggers predict an early March-the ship date for newer laptops Apple. Since the last update MacBook was almost a year ago, in April of 2010 (in addition to a firmware upgrade in November), the series is definitely ripe for an update.

Other signs indicate that a change is due. Supplies of 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pro are reportedly running out at Apple stores and retailers-party in Japan and United States. While the new notebooks will feature new Intel Sandy Bridge processors, they do not include design widely reported defect chipset that could hamper the performance of storage devices. (Intel has since fixed the glitch chip).

Of course, the new MacBook Pro specs remain a mystery. That is the reason not to speculate, however.   ISpazio Italian blog tech says that we can expect five new models with screens 13, 15 and 17 inches. The other observers believe Apple-that new Mac can sport solid-state drive, rather than conventional hard drives.

This is all great, but where is iPad 2?

Sony to launch 17 and 25-inch OLED monitor

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 Next Up Hands On With the Acer Iconia Tab A100 (Video) Nvidia Shows Off Quad-Core Mobile Processor Project Kal-El A Closer Look at the Acer Iconia Smart Android Phone (Video) Windows Phone 7 to Get IE9, Multitasking, and SkyDrive Samsung Galaxy S II Smartphone and Tab 10.1 Tablet Have Bigger Screens and Dual Cameras Hands On With the HTC Incredible S Hands On With the HTC Wildfire S Hands On With the HTC Desire S Hands On With the HTC Flyer Manage Your Smartphone Via Casio's Bluetooth Watch See more like this in News » Home Theater

Sony will soon launch a pair of professional monitors that contain the largest commercial OLED screens yet produced. A model with a 25-inch screen will go on sale on May 1 and one with a 17-inch screen on July 1.

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