Space & Tech newsdump

Busy with uni work and yes, projects! =P
[need to finish an Android app in two 1-week sprints that allows year 10 students to learn functional programming by doing it!]
So as pointed out already, I'll abandon the idea of posting news items as blog articles regularly. This doesn't mean I'll stop posting all news type articles though!

Because I don't want to spend the time regurgitating news articles in nice English, here's a link dump of noteworthy articles in the past few weeks: (it also serves as a personal favourite/bookmarker =P) =D

http://www.sciencealert.com/australian-researchers-have-converted-sunlight-into-electricity-with-more-than-40-efficiency

http://garethhayes.net/hackrf-blue/

http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2014/11/22/private-cubesat-start-ups-join-the-space-race/14165748001263

www.space.com/27588-nasa-asteroid-capture-mission-mars.html

http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/factory-upgrade

Why CSIRO is important:
http://csironewsblog.com/2014/11/20/megans-seven-reasons/

gmailblog.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/going-under-hood-of-inbox.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/01/penniless_and_desperate_wikipedia_sits_on_60m_cash/

http://lunar.xprize.org/news/blog/lunar-mission-one-takes-crowd-funded-route-moon

www.space.com/27936-nasa-orion-spaceship-survives-test-flight.html

http://www.space.com/27833-nasa-orion-capsule-first-test-flight-infographic.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/wiki/faq

www.space.com/27944-nasa-orion-spaceship-textbook-spaceflight.html

http://www.csoonline.com/article/2853027/malware-cybercrime/report-hacker-group-fin4-stealing-insider-info-to-exploit-significant-changes-in-stock-prices.html

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2014/09/when-adding-bike-lanes-actually-reduces-traffic-delays/379623/

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/12/08/jaxa-testing-deep-space-microsat-with-asteroid-flyby/

http://www.livescience.com/49028-farthest-quantum-teleportation.html

www.space.com/27955-spacex-rocket-ocean-landing-platform.html

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-plugs-into-australia-20141209-story.html
Tesla finally updates their website to show superchargers on the Hume Hwy in 2015! YESS!! Can't wait to drive a Tesla from MEL-CBR! =)

Flying cars - the Jetsons are go; Star Citizen updates including a really cool graphics webpage

Here's some news of cool stuff so my posts this week aren't all disheartening.

Here's a video of a testflight of a car that turns into a plane and back again!




 __________________________breaking like a boss___________________________________________


Here's a: really cool webpage showcasing a data-based (interception, hacking, courier, transfer) spaceship from Star Citizen.

If you're logged in, it has a nice personalisation showing your profile as the only one not yet eliminated! =P There's also a nifty 'decrypt page' button to reveal the unscrambled data on the webpage. =)

Also, release 13 or Arena Commander v0.9.2 has been released: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14258-Arena-Commander-092-Released

Hoverboards are here!

Nerdist explains:
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/10/its-finally-here-a-hoverboard-you-might-actually-buy/
The Hendo hoverboard uses Lenz law which means it uses currents in the medium below to create magnetic fields to repel those on the hoverboard.

So water can have currents in it, but will that be enough to hover? And you'd probably need rockets to propel you like with Marty McFly's adversary right? =P

Want one? Grab one for $10k at the kickstarter or a dev kit for $300:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142464853/hendo-hoverboards-worlds-first-real-hoverboard

Elon Musk Unveils the 'D' and something else

I really like it when Elon talks nerdy. So Elon Musk unveiled the 'D' - dual motor version of the Model S which means it actually now has better fuel/battery efficiency than the single motor version! The weight is offset by the efficiency gained by dynamically shifting power between front and rear motors during the drive! Check out his reveal below.



But the highlight has to be the autopilot! I've been wanting a car with significant driver assist features like those introduced in the video above. I mean, it's like a bat-mobile (ultrasonics anyone?)! I'm surprised they didn't put the rear-view camera into the sensor mix for autopilot, but I guess the ultrasonics is a much more reliable input, and they could always add in the extra sensor input via software updates. Every car for the past 2 weeks has come from the Tesla factory with all the autopilot hardware!

Features like full computer control, driving to where you want on your private property via your synced calendar (e.g. main entrance to pick you up for work/[LAN] party). He made a Metal Gear Solid pun too!! While telling his engineers of a new feature he'd like!! xDDD Now I'm thinking - forget the Model 3 as my future car purchase when I actually earn full-time, I'm going for the Model S with autopilot second hand haha.

Here are the Autopilot Sensors:
Radar - see through stuff like fog, I'm thinking because of the larger wavelength.
Forward Camera -  CV ftw.
360 Ultrasonar - apparently senses soft material like flesh really well
Satellite/Nav - Includes traffic info (like the creepy Google ones)

Here's Tesla's blogpost. Also, the video below shows the test-drive ride inside:


On the stock note, it dropped a bit after the hype from the twitter post, but Elon's not worried and neither am I. Elon's in this for the sustainability standpoint of long-term sustainable energy use and transportation. Fossil fuels will never be sustainable nor clean.

Tesla Confirms Bluestar as Model III, not E

Yes! Name of Tesla's Bluestar finally confirmed
Haha, didn't know Elon Musk wanted to spell SEX with his model "numbers" but Ford sued them for the E. 
This coming from the company that recently open-sourced its patents (for the good of sustainability and EVs)! 

Quick update, so obligatory iframe:

Dragon V2 Unveil and All Tesla's Patent Are Belong To Us!

Back from a hiatus, we have news which may be a bit outdated, but interesting nonetheless!



SpaceX unveils Dragon V2, a manned spacecraft with the significant difference from V1 of being both manned and having Super Draco thrusters, with over 100 times the thrust. These are required for both the LES (Launch Escape System) built into the vehicle (as opposed to an LES tower ala Apollo), as well as propulsion based landing from orbit (it includes parachutes but isn't planned to normally use them).

It has massive 4*17" touch screen array powered by multiple redundant Tegra chips from nVidia, with technology shared from Tesla's own touchscreens on the Model S. In the middle of the array are a variety of hardware buttons for critical functions in case the touchscreens fail. Rest assured, Musk says (while laughing) the rest of the ship's systems aren't powered by Tegras. A lot more juicy info can be found at this arstechnica article.

Also, rodents (live animals!) will be flying on CRS-4, for SCIENCE! =D Because we know from KSP having a lab in space process science and recovering science module data gives you more science! =)


_______________________________________handmade_break__________________________________________

Tesla has released all of its patents as open in the spirit of open source and rapid development of Electric Vehicles to stop the evil and unsustainable oil pollutions! =P Go Tesla and Elon Musk!! Great FOSS philosophy. While some people may spell doom for the company, I don't see any specific licence they're releasing it under, and since they still hold the patents, they can enforce any at will if someone oversteps and abuses their limited rights. Also, the example of AT&T's decline is wrongly used, since Tesla will only fail if it fails to continue to innovate and capitalise on their innovations with the rest of the competition. Also, as we can see from AT&T releasing their patents, the global telecoms industry has grown so much, and this is the same goal of Musk and the reason he made Tesla in the first place.

Apparently, lots of confused media inquiries about blog title. Look, we just to make sure they don't set us up the bomb.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 12, 2014

Incidentally, one of the ranks of the Linux Users Group - an org in Star Citizen is AYBABTU. =)

P.S. I should be able to do that Model S test drive post soon, holidays are good. =)

EVs and Coding upstream/downstream

Prime example of using data/paper references to deliberately misconstrue understanding:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/10/why-electric-vehicles-have-stalled.html
Sure petrol releases half as much CO2 than the electric grid, (direct energy - e.g. burning petrol or coal) not including the LCA stuff for mining, obtaining and transporting the fuels or energy (transmission grids).
But petrol engines are around 20% efficient but with electric transmission and electric motors like Tesla's car, they have an efficiency of about 90% - that's around 4* as much, meaning even with coal-burning electricity generation, you're only releasing half as much CO2 per energy to the wheels with electricity than petrol. And with green power or nuclear, you can drastically reduce CO2 output, so transferring the fuel into energy is best done en-masse, instead of inside everyone's individual car 'generators' =P

Also nice link about dependencies, which relates to last post's project release: Ubuntu chapter 8 on dependences! =)
http://blog.martin-graesslin.com/blog/2013/10/how-code-flows-about-upstream-and-downstream/