Was the Space Shuttle a Mistake?

Forty years ago, I wrote an article for Technology Review titled "Shall We Build the Space Shuttle?" Now, with the 135th and final flight of the shuttle at hand, and the benefit of hindsight, it seems appropriate to ask a slightly different question—"Should We Have Built the Space Shuttle?"After the very expensive Apollo effort, a low-cost space transportation system for both humans and cargo was seen as key to the future of the U.S. space program in the 1980s and beyond. So developing some form of new space launch system made sense as the major NASA effort for the 1970s, presuming the United States was committed to continuing space leadership. But it was probably a mistake to develop this particular space shuttle design, and then to build...

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Posted in: Innovation and Invention

2013 CHEVROLET CORVETTE: HERE ARE MORE DETAILS THAT HAS EMERGED

There are many fans who have been waiting for quite sometime now for the grand launch of the Corvette C7. It has nothing to do with being hardcore Corvette fans, nor will the next Corvette be drastically enhanced in terms of technology or aesthetics. But the key thing is that with our growing awareness about our environment and its effects on our financial condition – all that we are curious to know is whether Chevrolet will get the hint and stop using the trade mark V8 engine. Tadge Juechter, the chief engineer at Chevrolet had revealed in a video a few months back of the Corvette being the company’s most favored product. This had led many to speculate that the next generation Chevrolet will continue its reliance on the V8 engine that made...

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Posted in: Automotive,Car

First Test: 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec

Twenty Benjamins. Two large. Two thousand dollars. Any way you put it, throwing that much cash on top of the Genesis 4.6's $44,500 base price gets you a Hyundai sedan unlike any other. The new 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec touts more power, promises stickier grip, and has the most inappropriate name in Hyundai's modern-day lineup.Despite what its label may conjure in enthusiasts' minds, the R-Spec isn't a sedan designed to embarrass the curvy-road combatants from Mercedes AMG, Cadillac V, and BMW M. No, the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec is more a sport model than 'Ring racer. That's that.But the R-Spec is a step in the right direction. It gives the standard Genesis much-needed injections of athleticism and emotion. Hyundai engineers provided an all-new...

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Posted in: Automotive,Car

Asian buying of Vancouver real estate underestimated: CIBC

While new data suggest that Asian foreign investment is not behind inflated home prices in Vancouver, a new report from CIBC World Markets Inc. Thursday argues that flaws in the numbers means foreign activity may actually be grossly underestimated.Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist with CIBC, obtained sales data from Landcor Data Corp. that showed only 10% of foreign transactions in Vancouver over the past five years were actually worth more than $1-million, and the average price was just under $600,000.Mr. Tal said there are reasons why the data, which also shows only 2.6% of overall sales in Vancouver over the past five years involved foreign cash, did not actually match up with the Asian foreign investment theory.“There are many reasons...

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Posted in: News

Ipod trick and tips

Through using your iPod Touch you invariably pick up little tricks to get things done quicker, or make life easier. Or maybe a cool unknown feature.1. If you're scrolling through a long document/page in Safari - if you tap the bar at the top of your screen containing the time and battery, Safari will automatically scroll up to the top of the document/page and the show address bar.2. Turn off WiFi and SSH (using Services from Installer) to save battery power when not in use.3. Double clicking the home button in any application, or with the screen off will bring up the music controls.4. Make sure to completely close apps when you are done with them to save battery power. This is accomplished by pressing and holding the home button for approximately five seconds. This boosts battery life big...

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Posted in: Tips

The Buy: Native shoes in Torch red

Vancouver-based footwear company Native, founded by a pair of graphic designer-types, launched its first collection last spring: a series of lightweight foam-injected molded-EVA slip-on styles for sand and surf. The shoes come in a range of familiar casual silhouettes (you’ll surely be reminded of classic Wallabees, Champions and Chucks) and in a rainbow of colours. For Canada Day, we suggest the patriotic Torch red.The Jefferson style is $35 for children’s sizes, $55 for adults, online at Native and at retailers across Canada (click here for a list of stockists)http://life.nationalpost....

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Posted in: Life Style

Cars 2

Cars 2 is a 2011 American computer-animated film produced by Pixar, and it is the sequel to the 2006 film, Cars. In the film, race car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix, but Mater becomes sidetracked with international espionage. The film is directed by John Lasseter, co-directed by Brad Lewis, written by Ben Queen, and produced by Denise Ream. Cars 2 is also the first film John Lasseter has directed since the original Cars in 2006.The film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and was released in the United States on June 24, 2011 and will be released in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2011. The film was presented in Disney...

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Posted in: Movies

The emergence of Firefox 5

Firefox 5 finally launched on time as planned and also marked the "end of life" for support for Firefox 4. At Mozilla released the schedule was considered very fast, and the strategy is basically a requirement when each makes the release of his new product to continue to support the Firefox direction in which the only fans who are loyal and can dipercayalah who can use their browser.Latest flagship version of the Mozilla Web browser came just two months after the official release of Firefox 4, and also marks the end of official support for Firefox 4. From the perspective of Mozilla, security "patches" for Firefox 4 is to upgrade to Firefox 5. We can assume that a few months longer appear when Firefox 6, Firefox 5 also can be will suffer the...

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Posted in: Internet