iPhone 4S

iOS 5 comes out October 14th and will have wireless updates. It will include “Reminders” which will be a geographically based to-do list, iMessage will be a free mms/sms feature that goes over the internet instead of having to pay your carrier, you can store music, photos, docs in Apple’s cloud, parents (and abusive partners/spouses) will be able to track their kids (partner/spouse) 24/7, 5gb free mail & docs storage in the cloud with ability to pay $20/$50/$100 more a year to get more storage, unlimited storage for photos and music, iCloud video playing.

The iPod nano will have a 'watch' app and better run/walk tracking software.

The new mobile phone is an iPhone 4S and will release October 14th, same look with all new insides. It will have a 1ghz A5 chip, and boasts 7x faster graphics for better games although it was hard to discern a difference in performance on Infinity Blade 2 that they were demoing on the device.

The 4S' wireless system can "intelligently switch" between it's two antennas to "make even better call quality".

Faster data downloads using HSDPA making the 4S a 4G-LIKE phone so while not technically a 4G device it will have a faster data rate than the iPhone 4.

An 8 megapixel 3264x2448 camera with more accurate colors due to a ‘five element lens’, camera also has a f/2.4 aperture which is better for low light conditions, 1.1 seconds to take a photo, can take shots capable of doing decent poster sized prints, 1080p HD video.

Integrated Siri voice control (note Siri is 4S ONLY) example given is holding the home button to activate Siri then saying “what is the weather like today” and the phone says “here’s today’s weather” then pops up the forecast then human says “what is the hourly forecast” and it repeats the previous actions followed by the human saying “do I need a raincoat today?” to which the female voice replies “it sure looks like rain”, more Siri interaction looking for a restaurant with similar success, Siri will read you your text messages and calendar "do I have meetings at Friday at noon" it "you don't have any...", if your phone is out of reach and you receive a text you can ask Siri to read it to you hands free by saying “Read my message” which it will then ask if you wish to “reply” or “read it again”, Siri will support English French and German, Siri will be considered 'beta' to start with more languages and services being added over time, a microphone button is on the keyboard which can be used to dictate to Siri.

 

iPhone 4S Price 16GB $199, 32GB #299, and for the first time ever 64GB $399
iPhone 4 discounted to 8GB $99, and get this 3GS will be a free phone for the 8GB version

The iPhone 4S will be available for preorder October 7th.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/#

Chuck Lorre Productions #354

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Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about quitting this business. Hanging it up. Taking my proverbial bat and ball and going home. In my imagination, the day after I quit is a wonderful, relaxing, joyful experience. I reconnect with old friends, walk on the beach, read, listen to music, play guitar, play golf, eat leisurely meals off of real plates, exercise, meditate, maybe go see a matinee, or take a stab at writing a few pages of a self-indulgent, joke-free play filled with people screaming at each other, and then, after taking the dog for a walk, climb into bed and fall into a peaceful, stress-free sleep. The day after that, bored out of my mind, I start drinking around the clock and quickly descend into a dark, frothing madness that leads to either being institutionalized or liver failure and an agonizing premature death. The really scary part? There's hardly a day goes by when I don't think about quitting this business.

- Chuck Lorre

This week in space

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Water supersaturation in the Martian atmosphere discovered

This is just more of a reason for us to step up and get to Mars, set up a space port, start mining material usesful for fuel and construction and start expanding our presence in the solar system.

New analysis of data sent back by the SPICAM spectrometer on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft has revealed for the first time that the planet's atmosphere is supersaturated with water vapour. This surprising discovery has major implications for understanding the Martian water cycle and the historical evolution of the atmosphere.

Read more about it HERE

 

SpaceX says 'reusable rocket' could help colonize Mars

Exactly. I love Elon Musk as he is one of the few people in the U.S. pushing manned space flight forward.

The US company SpaceX is working on the first-ever reusable rocket to launch to space and back, with the goal of one day helping humans colonize Mars, founder Elon Musk said Thursday.

Read more about it HERE

 

China launches module for space station

Here the Chinese are pushing further ahead of us. They have far more brain power than the U.S., they have a society that isn't going to halt a space program over a few launchpad deaths, and they are building their own space station. Oh, might I add they have a manned moon mission in the works.

China launched an experimental module to lay the groundwork for a future space station on Thursday, underscoring its ambitions to become a major space power.

Read more about it HERE

 

Snafu as China space launch set to US patriotic song

Bwahahahahahahaha.

It was supposed to be a patriotic tribute to China's technological prowess. Instead, a video showing the launch of China's first space station module inadvertently glorified the country's biggest rival.

Read more about it HERE

 

Galaxy caught blowing bubbles

That is absolutely beautiful.

Hubble's famous images of galaxies typically show elegant spirals or soft-edged ellipses. But these neat forms are only representative of large galaxies. Smaller galaxies like the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg II come in many shapes and types that are harder to classify. This galaxy's indistinct shape is punctuated by huge glowing bubbles of gas, captured in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Read more about it HERE

 

Heavy metal stars produce Earth-Like planets

Well, this gives us a good idea of where to start looking for more planets. Although, we are alreayd finding a LOT of planets very easily (but mostly gas giants).

New research reveals that, like their giant cousins, rocky planets are more likely to be found orbiting high metallicity stars. Furthermore, these planets are more plentiful around low mass stars. This could have important implications for the search for life outside of Earth.

Read more about it HERE

Chuck Lorre Productions #353

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"I have long believed that we as human beings are genetically inclined to elevate and worship those of us we deem to be very beautiful or very talented. We do this because we are somehow comforted by our adoration. It makes us feel good. As children we sleep beneath the images of movie, TV, music and sports stars and dream about the mystery and grandeur of their lives. As adults, the posters come off the wall, only to be replaced by a steady, noxious stream of tabloid vulture. But perhaps most enjoyable of all is watching the fall from grace. Nothing beats a good ol' public crucifixion. Especially when it's self-inflicted. My theory for why this is considered entertainment is, again, a genetic one. DNA, even if it's mediocre, wants to ensure it's own survival. The existence of superior DNA is viewed as a threat. When beautiful and talented people screw up, we can't help but feel that this somehow improves the chance for our mediocre descendants to eat meat. In other words, evolution my ass."