Boeing’s blended wing body aircraft up in the air for the first time

Boeing has test flown a new airplane concept that is designed to reduce noise and fuel consumption, but will not be available in this and most likely not even in the next decade.
The X-48B - one of two prototypes currently in existence - plane reached an altitude of 7500 ft and flew for about 31 minutes on July 20 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Boeing said today. It was the first flight of the 21-foot wingspan, 500-pound unmanned test vehicle, which has been discussed by Boeing several times since early last year.
The company said that the test flights of the plane, which was developed by Boeing Phantom Works in cooperation with NASA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, are conducted to gather detailed information about the stability and flight-control characteristics of the blended wing body (BWB) design. Compared to a regular plane, the X-48B does not have a circular fuselage, but a rather flat and wide fuselage that seamlessly melts into the wings. The test planes also do not have tail wings.
According to Boeing, the current X-48Bs are equipped with three turbojet engines that enable the design to reach an altitude of up to 10,000 feet at 120 knots (about 138 mph) in a low-speed configuration. The unmanned aircraft is remotely piloted from a ground control station in which the pilot uses conventional aircraft controls and instrumentation while looking at a monitor fed by a forward-looking camera on the aircraft.
Boeing believes that the design of the new plane will translate into reduced fuel consumption as well as less noise on the ground and the air due to the engines being mounted high on the back of the aircraft.
The fact that the airline industry has relatively long product cycles and long development times means that this plane, if tested successfully, will not be in our immediate future. Right now, we were told, Boeing is considering the design of the X-48B for military applications such as tanker and cargo planes. There are no plans to use the design for a commercial plane within a 20 year time frame, a Boeing representative told us.

Congress fears chaos with digital TV transformation

Washington (DC) - During a Congressional meeting this week to discuss the looming change-over to all-digital TV, many Senators expressed concerns that much of the country is not adequately aware of the transition.
On February 18, 2009, the government will flip a switch that cuts off all commercial analog TV signals. Government reports suggest that around 21 million households still rely on an antenna for TV reception.
Anyone with cable or satellite reception has nothing to worry about, regardless of the specifications of the TV. Those with analog cable will either be supplied with a box that converts the signal, or the cable company will convert the signal at its end, with no change needed for the end user.
Additionally, for numerous years now, TVs have come equipped with built-in digital tuners. The majority of Americans won't even notice any change when the February 2009 date arrives.
For the 19% of the country believed to be impacted, though, the government as well as associated organizations are concerned. The transition poses a "high potential for a train wreck here," said Washington state Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell.
Missouri Senator Clair McCaskill, Democrat, says retailers and broadcasters need to step up their campaigns to show awareness of the change. She doesn't want her constituents complaining to her after the fact. "They're going to call me. And they're going to be mad," said McCaskill.
People with analog TV sets that rely on antenna signals will need to buy a special converter box, which should be available from major retailers in the months leading up to the switch. Retailers are now also required to inform customers about the transition before they sell a TV than can only receive analog signals.
Spokesperson for the National Association of Broadcasters Dennis Wharton has said TV stations will begin airing public service announcements beginning in December. This form of advertising alone will cost tens of millions of dollars, he said.
The government plans to spend around $1.5 billion to send vouchers to necessary households for a free digital converter, but homeowners will need to send in an application. Each qualifying household will receive two coupons.
The vouchers have a capped value of $40. A handful of companies including RCA and LG are planning to release digital converter boxes that will sell for around $50 - $75.
People who don't apply for vouchers could lose out, though, and according to a poll by the Association of Public TV Stations in January showed that 61% of those surveyed weren't even aware of the digital TV change-over.
Even if consumers are educated, though, there could still be a problem. The National Association of Broadcasters sent a letter to the Consumer Electronics Association in May with concerns that there might be a shortage of boxes that would cause viewers to have interrupted service well into 2009.
Perhaps the biggest audience that could suffer from the transition is the 60+ crowd. The San Jose Mercury News quoted AARP board member Nelda Barnett as saying, "These consumers will be confused, frustrated and angry that this important information and entertainment source in their home is no longer operational, through no fault of their own."

Google joins Sprint to set up WiMax network

The #3 US cell phone service provider has joined forces with #1 online advertiser to delve into a new project that expands both companies' presence in the wireless Internet market.
In a revenue sharing project, Sprint will develop major wireless networks while Google offers specific applications that users can tap into while using the WiMax service.
Unlike traditional Wi-Fi signals, WiMax offers high speed Internet over a range of miles. The technology has been in place for several years but so far has gained little attention. Part of the problem is most devices cannot currently pick up a WiMax signal. Sprint plans to sell subscription cards for an unspecified price, which would give users full access to the network.
The partnership comes on the heels of Google's announcement to work with Clearwire to build a nationwide WiMax network. It's a project Sprint has been trying to get off the ground for months.
Sprint Nextel has seen disappointing sales over the past year. In the first quarter of 2007, around 660,000 customers canceled their service. Sprint is behind Verizon and AT&T in terms of number of subscribers.
The new service will roll out to Washington, Baltimore, and Chicago this year, reports the Washington Post, with plans to reach the rest of the country in the second quarter of next year.

Sony gets FCC approval for fancy T650i cellphone

Sony Ericsson has received the nod for its upcoming T650i phone with an integrated 3.2 megapixel camera.
The new device, whose design has been “inspired by the Nordic light”, according to the manufacturer, is wrapped in brushed steel casing and a scratch resistant 240x320 pixel mineral glass screen.
The phone integrates a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, Bluetooth stereo capability with A2DP support, an integrated modem, USB connectivity, a M2 memory stick port as well as a software suite that ranges from organizer applications to picture blogging, video streaming as well as a sound recorder.
The T650i is expected to debut in the U.S. within the coming weeks in “Growing Green” and “Midnight Blue” colors. Sony Ericsson said that the device may only be available in limited numbers.
Pricing has not been announced.

AMD quickly losing ground in graphics market

AMD apparently has lost more market share in the graphics market during the second quarter of the year. Meanwhile, Nvidia is running away and gaining ground on Intel rapidly.
There were some concerns, whether Nvidia could survive on its own when AMD announced the acquisition of ATI last year. At least for now it appears that, in terms of market penetration, the integration of its main rival into AMD has not hurt Nvidia at all.
According to a report released by Jon Peddie Research (JPR) today, ATI is estimated to have reached a market share of 19.5% in the second quarter of this year, down from 21.9% in Q1 and down from 26.7% one year ago. Nvidia, on the other hand, is listed by JPR with 32.6%, up from 28.5% in Q1 and up from 19.7% last year.
In absolute shipment numbers, JPR estimates AMD’s (ATI’s) shipment numbers to have fallen from 19.7 million graphics devices in Q2 2006 to 15.9 million units in Q2 2007. In the same time frame, Nvidia is estimated to have increased its shipments by almost 83%, from 14.5 million to 26.5 million units. Nvidia’s advance is especially apparent in the desktop market where the company holds an overall market share of 43%, ahead of Intel’s 38.5% and AMD’s 23%.
In the overall market, Intel remains the frontrunner of the pack with shipments of 30.6 million units and a market share of 37.6%, down from 40.4% one year ago.
JPR said that graphics shipments came in at 81.3 million units, up 3% from Q1 and up more than 8% from Q2 2006.