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We could see an Amazing View in the Sky Late 2013

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ISON (Credit:NASA)

It’s been an exciting time for those of us who like to keep our eyes on the sky. We have seen new developments on Mars, large asteroids get uncomfortably close to our planet, discovered distant planets that are in the habitable zone, and now a newly discovered comet, ISON may give us quite a show in the last few months of 2013.

As the comet gets closer to Earth it could become one of the brightest objects in the night sky, possibly even brighter than the Moon. Some say that ISON could possibly be visible during the day. This would be one of the brightest comets to appear in Earth’s sky in many generations, if it can hold together. There is a chance that as the comet gets closer to the Sun, it may break up and be much less spectacular. The comet will pass within a solar diameter from the Sun in November of 2013.

Hopefully the comet will hold together allowing us to  see a good show.

 

Warm Up with an 8-bit Fireplace

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It may be a new year but it’s still winter (at least in the northern hemisphere) and that means we could all use a little warmth. Nothing makes you feel good like a nice warm fireplace, but not every one has one. For many years people who don’t have a fireplace have been enjoying videos of fireplaces instead to help spark up the mood of the season. These videos are nice, but I found a nice video that helps kick up the “geek factor” a bit. Yep, it’s an 8-bit version of the traditional fireplace video and it’s awesome!

Happy New Year!

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newYears

It’s time to celebrate another successful revolution around the sun! Most importantly I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who has supported us. I am having so much fun writing and talking about the geeky things that I love and it’s great to share that experience with others like you. We hope to continue to grow and make the experience even better!

Thanks for Everything!

Happy New Year from GWE!

 

Graphite Disc Moves When Light Strikes It

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This video is of a graphite disc floating over a magnetic field, which is then being spun by nothing but laser light. Temperature changes where the laser hits the graphite surface, cause changes in the magnetic field allowing it to spin. This is a pretty cool discovery considering it could lead to new technologies like a solar powered turbine. [Mashable]

Mobile Gaming Has Come Along Way but the TV is Getting Lonely

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Gaming on mobile has never been better and it has inspired many small time developers around the world. The mobile app market is unique in that it’s probably one of the easiest ways to get your game in front of millions of users. iOS and Android are exploding with millions of apps and many of them were created by the average joe without any major support from a large corporation. With the rise is mobile gaming popularity, thanks in part to better mobile performance, many of us desire a bit more from our favorite mobile games.

Can we do any better? Well, it turns out that we can. Let’s bring this uber, developer friendly environment to the big screen. That’s exactly what  Julie Uhrman was thinking when she started OUYA, a company that’s creating a console that’s mission is to “open up the last closed gaming platform- the TV”. OUYA got major support through Kickstarter and became one of the most successful Kickstarter projects to date.

Main Kickstarter OUYA

OUYA Console
OUYA Console

This console brings the Android OS to the television and it will open the doors for developers to begin creating content for the big screen on an open platform. It’s very affordable at just $99 and all of the games will be free-to-try. OUYA is compact and elegant, it also comes with a nice looking controller. Another cool feature of the OUYA console is that it can be easily hacked, in fact it’s encouraged. Not a hardware guy ? Maybe you’re looking to develop? You can start now, the OUYA  software development kit is already available for download.

 

Specifications:

  • Tegra3 quad-core processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB of internal flash storage
  • HDMI connection to the TV, with support for up to 1080p HD
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth LE 4.0
  • USB 2.0 (one)
  • Wireless controller with standard controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button), a touchpad
  • Android Jelly Bean
  • Ethernet