links for 2005-09-29
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What you need to save your butt when the going gets rough.
Entries Tagged as ''
Airforce Modernizes GPS Network with New Satellite
In a move to correct the already aging Global Positioning System (GPS), the US Airforce has launched a new satellite designed to provide stronger signal while preventing jamming for military applications.
Mobile Mag: The US Air Force has successfully launched its first modernized Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite on Monday. Billed as the most technologically advanced GPS satellite, it was the first of the series of eight satellites to be subsequently launched in the near future. Developed by Lockheed Martin, a global major in everything we don’t know about, and aren’t allowed to know about technology, the most advanced GPS satellite is slated to provide improved navigation performance for U.S. military and also civilian users worldwide. The satellite has been developed at the Navstar GPS Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.
Speaking on the occasion, Leonard F. Kwiatkowski, Vice-President, Lockheed Martin said “The GPS IIR satellites on orbit today have enabled significantly improved navigation performance around the globe and we look forward to providing even better capabilities such as increased GPS power, accuracy and integrity with the modernized spacecraft.”
Presently, there are 28 GPS spacecraft in the orbit assisting US army in navigational inquiries, 12 of which are fully operational Block IIR satellites developed over the years for better global coverage. The newly launched modernized series have been categorized as GPS IIR-M and promises to offer a host of advanced features including a modernized antenna panel for increased signal power to GPS receivers, and two new military signals for enhanced encryption and anti-jamming performance for the military.
Tags: gps
Fake Nikon Batteries Explode
Be careful what you stick in your camera. Nikon is reporting some knock-off batteries are causing D70’s to explode.
Mobile Mag: A Nikon camera service center has reported several camera explosions from Nikon D70 users, fortunately it occurred within the users camera bag.
We have reported in the past on after-market and imitation OEM batteries of various Nokia cell phones having exploded. It just goes to show you that no matter what device you have, you still have the risk of damaging your equipment or yourself when using fake batteries.
After a woman returned from her trip in Europe, her digital camera exploded. The main cause was the imitation Lithium-Ion battery, they do not come equipped with a safety device and circuit protection; this may be why they are so cheap to begin with. Nikon has started to attach genuine product holograms since the summer, to allow customers to distinguish between fake and real batteries. If the camera was being used at the time of explosion, the woman could have suffered severe eye and hand injuries.
Tags: digitalphotography, photography
Nikon says “We’re sorry.”
Awww..for the love of…Listen up Nikon D70 owners. It appears Nikon is admitting there’s a problem with some cameras. Good news is, they’re willing to fix your camera free of charge. You just have to survive the submission and repair process.
Nikon: It has come to our attention that electronic components related to exposure control in some D70 cameras may, on rare occasions, fail.
Should you experience this problem with your D70 camera, Nikon will replace the associated components free of charge even if the camera’s warranty has already expired. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have suffered because of this problem.
To check if your camera has failed due this reason, please read the symptom description, below.How can I identify if my camera is faulty?
With a memory card inserted: The green memory card access lamp blinks continuously and camera does not respond to any controls.
With no memory card inserted: The camera will not turn on despite the battery indicator showing a fully charged battery.
Tags: digitalphotography, nikon, photography
Got a patch?
Watching television it would seem there’s a patch for everything nowadays. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees a woman wearing a patch on her arm and wonders…
is she giving up smoking?
does she have a heart condition?
could it be antidepressants?
is it birth contol?
maybe she’s whitening her teeth?
Sorry, there’s no patch for what ails me. 
Woman Struck By Lightning
Yes, only in the town I live in could/would this happen.
WZZM News: “A Modesto woman is in critical condition after being struck by lightning during an intense thunderstorm that passed through the area Tuesday evening.
Peggy Montijo, 53, was walking down the sidewalk on Peppermint Drive when she was hit. Neighbors saw it happen and offered aid immediately.
“I looked out my kitchen window and saw her laying on the ground,” said Rob Ettellett. “She started turning blue. We couldn’t wait any longer, so I gave her mouth to mouth.”
Another neighbor took Montijo out of the rain and into his house, where paramedics treated her. “All I could see was her hair sizzling, her face was purple and blood was coming out of her left eye,” said Dan Beauchene.
Montijo was taken to the intensive care unit at Memorial Medical Center where she remains in critical condition.
The lightning strike was part of a storm from the south that pelted Stanislaus County with heavy rain and lightning and caused power outages and downed trees. Authorities say lightning also hit several houses, though no serious damage was reported.”
Kermit Returning to the Limelight
Kermit the Frog, my favorite character from Sesame Street of old, is returning to the spotlight to kick off a tour aimed at reestablishing the Muppets franchise for new owner Disney. Here’ s the scoop.
Reuters: “Kermit the Frog, perhaps the world’s most famous amphibian, will embark on a worldwide “tour” next month to celebrate his 50 years in show business and re-launch the Muppets franchise as part of the Walt Disney Co., it was announced on Tuesday.
The green, fuzzy puppet character, who got his start in 1955 on the local Washington, D.C., television program, “Sam and Friends,” was scheduled to appear on the Disney-owned ABC network’s “Good Morning America” to kick off the promotion.
His first stop will be the small, west Texas town of Kermit on October 14, followed by visits to 50 destinations around the globe over the next 15 months, including the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China and even a Frog Leg Festival in Fellsmere, Florida.
The launch of Kermit’s 50th anniversary tour coincides with several events aimed at drawing new attention to the Muppets brand, which was created by the late Jim Henson and acquired by Disney in April 2004.”
Tags: showbiz, entertainment
Stop Driving! says Bush
NY Times: “With fears mounting that high energy costs will crimp economic growth, President Bush called on Americans yesterday to conserve gasoline by driving less. He also issued a directive for all federal agencies to cut their own energy use and to encourage employees to use public transportation.
President Bush said Monday that the government is prepared to again tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“We can all pitch in,” Mr. Bush said. “People just need to recognize that the storms have caused disruption,” he added, and that if Americans are able to avoid going “on a trip that’s not essential, that would be helpful.”
Mr. Bush promised to dip further into the government’s petroleum reserve, if necessary, and to continue relaxing environmental and transportation rules in an effort to get more gasoline flowing.”
How much fuel does Airforce One use just sitting on the tarmac with the engines running again? This guy has so much to gain from all this it’s hard for me to believe anything he’s saying.
On that note, Dave Winer has an interesting post this morning in which he asks President Bush to step down citing that his crimes are far greater than Clintons and they tried to impeach Clinton.
Tags: news
Google Expanding Search
Wow! How much more stuff can they dig up?
Reuters: “Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said late on Monday that it was tripling the number of Web pages that its system can search, seeking to upstage rival Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) in claims to be the world’s widest Web search.”
Congratulations to Joey and Wendy
Congratulations to Mr. Joey deVilla and his lovely new bride, Wendy. May the future hold only the best for you both.