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New year's mission at NASA: repair new cracks on Discovery fuel tank

Newly discovered cracks in the space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank will keep repair crews busy into the New Year's weekend as NASA eyes a Feb. 3 launch for the orbiter and its six-member crew.
The small cracks, uncovered Thursday as technicians used X-ray devices to inspect the external tank, represent the latest bump along the road to launch. The cracks were found following a chain of inspections, repairs, and more inspections dating back to Discovery's scrubbed Nov. 5 liftoff.

That liftoff was canceled after unacceptably high levels of explosive hydrogen were detected outside a crucial fixture on the side of the tank. The fixture transfers excess gas that accumulates as the tank fills to a line that carries the hydrogen to a flare stack, where the excess gas is burned.

IN PICTURES: NASA's Space Shuttle

When technicians returned to the launching pad after the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks had been emptied, they noticed cracks in the external tank's foam insulation at one of 108 "stringers" – long U-shaped aluminum ribs that reinforce a section of the tank's outer shell. This section, toward the top of the tank, spans a gap between the hydrogen and oxygen tanks inside.

Once technicians removed the cracked segment foam in anticipation of repairing it, they found that the stringer beneath the foam had cracked, too – shifting enough to fracture the foam. Subsequent inspections showed that a second, adjacent stringer hosted a small crack as well.

Although these cracks have appeared in past tanks and were successfully repaired, this incident was unusual because in the past, the cracks were caught far earlier in the shuttle program's inspection process, mission managers say.

As a result, they wanted to take the time needed to review the inspections on this tank to make sure the process hadn't broken down. And if it hadn't, they wanted to get a clear grasp of the causes that would trigger cracks at the last minute.

The problem appeared on the side of the tank facing the underside of the orbiter, where the shuttle's heat-shedding tiles and carbon-composite edged to the wings could be vulnerable to damage if a piece of foam broke loose and struck them.

In 2003, the shuttle Columbia broke up on reentry, killing its seven-member crew – an accident traced to chunks of foam striking the orbiter's thermal-protection system during ascent.

In this case, technicians were able to repair the stringers on the pad. On Dec. 15, controllers refilled the external tank to see if the repairs held up to the expansion and contraction the tank experiences as it undergoes the extreme temperature changes presented by ultra-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

But managers were uncertain if the problem extended to additional stringers on sides of the tank workers can't reach while the shuttle is on the pad. So on Dec. 21, Discovery headed back to the towering Vehicle Assembly Building for additional inspections.

The cracks technicians uncovered Thursday appeared to vindicate the decision to send Discovery back to the barn for an additional look. Officials say they could decide on Jan. 3 whether to return the orbiter to the pad after weekend repairs or keep Discovery in the Vehicle Assembly Building for additional modifications to the tank.

Wikipedia's Happy New Year: $16 million in support

Wikipedia is ringing in the New Year with $16 million in donations collected this holiday season.

Founder Jimmy Wales said in a post today that the fundraiser was the most successful in the history of the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, parent of Wikipedia.


"This year is a little more incredible than most because this year we celebrate Wikipedia's tenth anniversary," Wales wrote. "It's so important that we kick the year off just like this: by fully funding the Wikimedia Foundation's budget to support Wikipedia and all the sister projects as we head into the next decade of our work together."

Wales also offered up some other numbers, saying the foundation and its ad-free sites had enjoyed more than 500,000 donations, nearly 130,000 donations to local Wikimedia chapters worldwide, two of the largest fundraising days in Wikipedia history, and an average donation size of about $22.

"This fundraiser had all the ingredients of what we love about Wikimedia projects: people come together, contribute what they have, and together we do something amazing," Wales wrote. He also pointed out that it's not too late to pitch in.

Games hardware: Nintendo 3DS

With a press conference expected this month on the 3D version of Nintendo's handheld DS series, it seems we'll soon find out when the company plans to launch its portable console here (end of February in Japan). But regardless of when it arrives, it is likely to be 2011's must-have gadget.

The 3DS has vastly superior graphics to its predecessor, even before you take into consideration the glasses-free 3D effect which can be adjusted at any time via a slider next to the top screen. An analogue nub – similar to that of the PSP, though markedly superior – and the inbuilt accelerometer and gyroscope for tilt-based play offer a range of control options no other handheld can match.

Apart from its qualities as a gaming device, it's the first truly mass-market piece of 3D technology, and so it should be no surprise that film companies are lining up to make their movies available on 3DS. The console will be backwards compatible, meaning that all existing DS titles are supported, while Nintendo's Virtual Console service will offer the best retro games from the Game Boy era.

Plenty of publishers have confirmed their support for the 3DS, and Nintendo has reiterated its desire to appeal to the core gamer as well as more casual players, with franchises like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid joining Mario and Nintendogs to offer a wider variety of software. Early pre-ordering would be prudent: even with a rumoured price tag of £250, the 3DS won't stay on the shelves for long.

Hotmail e-mails 'missing' from accounts

A number of people with Hotmail accounts have posted complaints on Microsoft forums complaining that their e-mails have been deleted.

Users around the world say e-mails are missing from their inbox and from other folders within their Hotmail accounts.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft said that the issue of missing e-mails was not a widespread problem.

The company said it is working to rectify the problem and apologised to customers for any inconvenience.

Apple iPad 2 Cases Rumour Quashed after Removal Request?

Around a month ago several cases emerged claiming to be tailor made for the up and coming Apple iPad 2. The silicone skins have been on Alibaba for several weeks with many people questioning their authenticity, people accepted that the cases were probably faked and at most saw them as an unofficial rumour that possibly revealed the iPad 2 would include a rear facing camera and extra rear port.

However, a removal request by an unidentified third party has added extra fuel to the fire. John Spelich, of Alibaba said: “We do not know whether these products are what they say they are, but we have received a legitimate takedown request and are removing the listings”.

The request to remove the cases could be to protect iPad 2 specs or it could simply be an act to remove inaccurate use of the iPad’s name.

Alibaba did not confirm who requested the removal but the hot favourite has to be Apple or at least one of their subsidiaries, we can’t say for certain but whoever it was must have been a little rattled by the rumours circulating around the cases.

Interestingly there are still countless examples of the cases on Alibaba, they will apparently be removed on a case-by-case basis, no pun intended but it does show each example needs to be investigated individually.

At least we know that the iPad 2 is definitely on the way with an announcement expected before the end of the month and a release date touted for April 2011.

Games preview for the New Year

Star Wars: The Old Republic PC, LucasArts

The great New Hope? Certainly if pre-release lightsaber-rattling is anything to go by. An MMO that looks as exciting as it is immersive. Factions based on Republic and Sith, space combat and scores of different planets are promised, with the focus on a "cinematic" feel, while maintaining a colossal range of options, storylines and interactions – love interests included. Gemma Clarke
Batman: Arkham City Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Warner Bros

No room in the madhouse? Why not relocate the criminally insane downtown? This is the ominous backdrop to Arkham City, the bigger, badder and even darker follow-up to Batman: Arkham Asylum, last year's Bafta Game of the Year. Still not convinced? It will have lashings of extra Catwoman. Serge Pennings
Little Big Planet 2 PS3, Sony

To deliver more tools, more tricks, and more levels designed by more absurdly talented … Well, everybody. Sackboy returns in the New Year to taunt non-PS3 owners with his exclusive sociability. It is unusual for something so cute to be so cool, or so praiseworthy to be so playable. Perfect. SP
Portal 2 Xbox 360, PS3, PC, EA

Sequel to the most inventive, disarmingly involving title of recent times sees both player and artificial intelligence GLaDOS reawakened in an Aperture Science facility that has fallen into disrepair. Including two-player co-op, this mixture of puzzles and plot cannot come soon enough. Developers claim there will be no cake. Which may be a lie. Giles Richards
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Square Enix

The third outing for RPG-shooter Deus Ex is set 25 years before the original, where biomechanical augmentations precede the nanotech central to the original. Branching plot lines based on player choice mix with cyberpunk and renaissance themes underscored by a sense of ambiguity and conspiracy that will be maintained until the final moments, insists game director Jean-Francois Dugas. GR
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Wii, Nintendo

Hugely anticipated prequel to Ocarina of Time, which sees Link living among the clouds of Skyloft before the titular Skyward Sword leads him to adventure on the land below. Utilising the MotionPlus controller for precise attacks, and complex object-and-character interactions in puzzles, we're also promised a new Beetle gizmo for scouting areas by air and collecting items. Felix Atkin
Duke Nukem Forever Xbox 360, PS3, PC, 2K

Fingers crossed, after 13 years in development hell, 2011 should finally see the return of the dook – ready to rip off alien heads and "shit down their necks". A standard but terrific fun shooter of its day, these bons mots and the mix of cartoonish ultra-violence and dark humour are long overdue a comeback. Toby Moses
Total War: Shogun 2 PC, Sega

Total War has rightly become a dominant force in the strategy genre, with jaw-dropping visuals backed by absorbingly in-depth gameplay, and Shogun 2 offers a return to the series' roots in feudal 16th-century Japan. Promising up to 56,000 troops in a single battle, and a choice of nine factions, armchair warlords should flex their mouse fingers now. TM
Journey PS3, thatgamecompany

Santa Monica's thatgamecompany approaches games very differently from other developers, and its latest venture is no exception, promising a new kind of online experience. The focus is on gesture-based communication rather than conflict between players as they explore a vast and ethereally beautiful desert landscape. Chris Schilling
LA Noire Xbox 360, PS3, Rockstar

From the publishing house responsible for the mighty Grand Theft Auto, LA Noire is a crime thriller set in the underworld of 1940s Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly drawing on postwar film noir for inspiration in both content and style, this murder-mystery adventure promises much. If Rockstar delivers it will be an absolute standout. Will Freeman
Deathsmiles Xbox 360, Rising Star

A port of an obscure Japanese arcade release, Deathsmiles is the first full boxed game from cult developer Cave to make it to the UK, delivering a frenzied dose of 2D shoot 'em up action that fell out of favour in the west too long ago. Its eerie setting will delight fans of Tim Burton films. WF

Apple vs. Android: The view from Google

Two Android 'developer advocates' weigh in on the year's most closely watched horse race


Image: androidguys.com

A pair of veteran high-tech luminaries, both hired by Google (GOOG) within the past 14 months, chose this week to write on their private blogs about how they see the Apple (AAPL) vs. Android competition shaping up in 2011.

What's interesting is that they disagree.

Former Microsoft (MSFT) start-up evangelist Don Dodge, who posted his predictions Monday, neatly summarizes the conventional wisdom. In the horse race between Android and iPhone, he writes, "Both will win because they are playing different games. Android will win the market share battle, but Apple will generate bigger profits."

"Apple develops and controls the hardware and software on all their devices," he writes in The Next Big Thing. "The Mac has never had more than 10% market share, but has been extremely profitable for Apple. Apple goes for the high end of the market where they can charge high prices and enjoy great profit margins. Apple has been successful with this strategy multiple times, and will do it again with iPhone.

"Google has a very different strategy with Android. Google provides software (Android) for free, and makes Google search, Google Voice, Gmail, Contacts, Maps, Places, and other services work seamlessly with Android. Mobile search and advertising are the revenue streams for Google. The advertising revenues are certainly lower versus selling hardware, but the profit margins are very good."

Tim Bray, who left Sun Microsystems (JAVAD) in February and joined Google in March, sees it differently. "I'm less convinced," he writes in a piece posted Thursday on his Ongoing blog.


"The iOS ecosystem is something like the Apple ecosystem of yore, but the App Store bouncer at the door is a huge, qualitative difference. And the Android ecosystem, at least in its hardware-agnosticism, recalls Windows, but Google's business goals are so different that trying for historical analogies seems really risky to me.

"Anyhow, what do I think? I think Apple will sell a ton of devices because they're good, and superbly marketed. I think a bunch of people will sell a ton of Android devices because they're good and there are so many options for different needs and networks and price-points.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Apple shipped a cheap iPhone. And there's nothing fundamental in Android that would get in the way of a industrial-design and user-experience rock-star team, whether at Google or one of the handset makers, testing the hypothesis that these things are central to Apple's success.

"Which is to say, it would be sort of surprising, but not that much, if this time next year, dirt-cheap iPhones were competing against Androids that push the user-experience lever farther than Apple or anyone else ever has. In that scenario, where are the prognosticators' towers of sand?"