Dawn spacecraft

After being delayed with fueling problems on the weekend, the launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft took to the skies.

It was enveloped in fire, the Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Dawn spacecraft flys from the launch pad and begins its 1.7-billion-mile flight though the solar system to study Asteroids.

Dawn, the 9th mission of NASA's Discovery Program will be the first spacecraft to orbit two planetary bodies, asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres. the journey will take Dawn to the Ceres & Vesta asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It NASA's first purely scientific mission powered by three solar electric ION propulsion engines. I'm looking forward to the info reterived by this mission!

Google's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Google!

Did you know it was Google's 9th birthday yesterday (the 27th of Sept 2007) no, while never did I!

It’s amazing what sort of news you can found on Blogs. :D

Cool pic by the way!

Be sure not to miss Google's 10th birthday ;)

The Apple iPhone

Yesterday the 27th of Sept 2007 the update 1.1.1 was released for Apple's iPhone!

It offers adds access to the Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store, the ability to increase the handset's speaker and earpiece volume, TV output, and several other features.

To download the 152MB update, iPhone owners should to connect their iPhones to their Mac or PC and click the "Check for update" option in iTunes.

However I did find this warning!

If you have modified your iPhone's software, applying this software update may result in your iPhone becoming permanently inoperable," Apple re-warned customers in the release notes accompanying the software download. "Making unauthorized modifications to the software on your iPhone violates the iPhone software license agreement, and the inability to use your iPhone due to unauthorized software modifications is not covered under your iPhone's warranty.Version 1.1.1 of the iPhone software includes new features, bug fixes and supersedes all previous versions, the company added.

New features include:

· iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
· Louder speakerphone and receiver volume
· Home Button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls
· Space bar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space
· Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape
· Stocks and cities in Stocks and Weather can be re-ordered
· Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar
· Support for TV Out
· Preference to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally
· New Passcode lock time intervals· Adjustable alert volume

Security updates:

In addition to the unspecified bug fixes and documented new features, Apple also said the software update includes 10 individual security modifications. According to a detailed list of security related changes posted to the company's support site, seven target the iPhone's mobile version of Safari, two its mobile Mail client, and one its Bluetooth implementation. Apple has also updated its iPhone website with a video demonstrating the new features, including the Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store, Ringtones, and more.Update not third-party app friendlyMuch to their dismay, several users of the AppleInsider forums who had installed third-party "hacks" or applications on their iPhone -- but had not unlocked the device from AT&T's network -- report that the software update reverts their handset back to its original intended form.

Vodafone's Solar Charger

Vodafone has launched a solar charger for mobile phones. This will enable you to recharge your Moblie phone batteries anywhere
where under the Sun.
Aswell as mobile phones and PDAs, this incredible charger can also be used to power a range of other devices such as, MP3 players,
digital cams or small hand held Game pads.
This great product can be bought online or at all Vodafone shops.
Portugal is now the 3rd country in the world - after Greece and Holland to offer this exclusive Vodafone product.
The solar charger can be bought at all Vodafone shops.
How it Works
The internal battery of the solar charger captures the solar energy supplied by the solar panel(s) and stores it, from where it can
be transferred to mobile devices.

For more info on this great Hitec gadget also see "Cellular News"

Halo 3

Halo 3 released!

This First-person shooter was developed by Bungie Studios exclusively for the Microsoft's Xbox 360.

The game is the third title in the Halo series and ends the story of Halo "Combat Evolved" which continued with Halo 2.
The final version of the game was released on September 25 2007 in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, India, Mexico, Canada, Brazil and the Unitied States, Europe and Japan on the 26th of September.

GameSpot reported that 4.2 million units of Halo 3 were in retail outlets on September 24 2007, a day before official release, this is a world record volume release!

The game features new vehicles, weapons, and gameplay features not present in the previous titles of the series. Halo 3 focuses on the interstellar war between 26th Century humanity and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant, who after a decades-long war have begun the invasion of Earth. The player assumes the role of The Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity.

The Gameplay

The gameplay of Halo 3 largely builds upon the previous Versions. As a first-person shooter, you follow the character "Master Chief" and his struggle against the Covenant and the Flood. The game's action takes place largely on foot, but there are vehicles available at certain points in the game.

There are all types of new equipment, which have various effects and functions, ranging from defensive effects (Bubble Shield and Regenerator), or objects which blind or confuse the enemy (Flare and Radar Jammer), to ones which can actually harm and kill (Power Drainer and Tripmine). Most of these are named by their function.

by all accounts a must have game for any Xbox owner!