GeekwithEnvy

Technology

Ammonia Leak On Space Station Appears to Be Fixed

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An ammonia leak on the International Space Station was hopefully fixed today as astronauts went on a spacewalk for five hours and thirty minutes to repair it. The leak seemed to be coming from a cooling system that cools down vital systems onboard the ISS.

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Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn working on the space station (credit: NASA TV)

The ammonia leak created what looked a lot like snow flakes flying off into space. You can see this “snow’ in the video above. NASA has not yet called the mission a complete success as they are waiting to see if the repairs hold up over time. So far everything seems to be looking good.

You can check out NASA.gov for more information on how the mission was performed along with further updates on the status of the leak itself..

 

iPad Could Cause Serious Problems with Defibrillators

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Apparently the magnets in the iPad 2, which are used for the Smart Cover, can completely shut down implanted defibrillators if left on the chest while sleeping. This is clearly a big deal if you rely on an internal defibrillator to keep you up and running.

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Implanted Defibrillator

Fourteen-year-old Gianna Chien discovered this problem during a science fair project and soon she will be sharing her discovery with the Heart Rhythm Society.

Many defibrillators shut off in the presence of a magnet due to a magnetic switch which is used as a safety feature. Some devices turn on after the magnet is moved away but some require you to have them turned on manually.

This is clearly a major problem as millions of people own the iPad 2 and the situation in which the issue occurs is very common. Fortunately, this young girl’s discovery can bring awareness to this issue and possibly save lives.

 

Microsoft Wants Nook Content for $1 Billion

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Microsoft is reportedly looking to acquire the digital portion of Nook Media LLC and they are offering up $1 Billion for the deal. This move, if made, could help boost Microsoft in the e-book market along with a stronger presence in education, an area that Microsoft could use some help. It’s important to note that it doesn’t appear that Microsoft has any interest the hardware that Nook has, just it’s “digital assets”.

Nook hasn’t really seen great sales as of late and struggles to get any significant traction among similar hardware. This acquisition by Microsoft could prove to be beneficial for everyone involved but it’s still unclear whether or not a deal like this will go through.

3DMark Wants to Benchmark Everything

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3dmark logo3DMark, the go-to benchmarking software, is not only improving it’s Windows based tests but it’s also moving onto other types of hardware besides the PC. Apple iOS, Android, and Windows RT are all fair game when it comes to being benchmarked by 3DMark.

I must admit that I never really thought about benchmarking my smartphone, it’s kind of interesting idea. We read the specs on our tablets and smartphones and we know how much memory we have  and what our screen resolution is but do we really know just how much power we have to work with ?

When it comes to performance in multitasking, surfing the web, or gaming we really don’t think of measuring it all, at least not as often as we should. For the most part we download our apps and they run, but can they run better? How far can we push the hardware, what are the limitations, and how does it stand up against the competition?  These are all great questions that can be answered by a trusted benchmark tool that provides a standard to go by.

The new benchmarks are visually, much improved and a leap ahead from previous iterations. There are three benchmarks, FireStrike for Windows gaming PC’s, CloudGate for Windows Notebooks and home PC’s, and Ice Storm for Android, iOS and Windows mobile. This is great for enthusiasts who really want to get a clearer picture of what’s going on under the hood of their favorite non-PC devices.

To make things even better, the basic version is free and can be found at 3DMark along with complete details on the benchmarking software.

How To Enter Safe Mode on PS3

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If you are having issues with your PS3 like corrupt data, start up screen missing ( you only see the background), or when the PS3 tried to correct issues and otherwise failed, you may be able to correct  them using the Playstation 3 safe mode menu. It’s a menu you may not have even known about but it’s a pretty useful tool that could end up making your PS3 problems go away. You can follow the steps below or watch the video above from Playstation support.playstationLogo

* Please note: Safe Mode is only available to PS3’s with system software 2.60 or greater installed. *

* Warning: Some of the options in the safe mode menu will erase all of your data including saves*

How To Start Up in Safe Mode:

  1. If the System is not already off, Turn off the PlayStation 3 by holding the Power button on the front of the unit till the Power light is red.
  2. Touch and hold the Power button (do not remove your finger from the button). You will hear the first beep, meaning the PlayStation 3 is powering on.
  3. Continue to hold the Power button and after about 5 seconds, you will hear a second beep, indicating the video reset.
  4. Continue to hold the Power button and after about another 5 seconds you will hear a third beep and the system will power off (Power light is red).
  5. Touch and hold the Power button (again, do not remove your finger from the button). You will hear the first beep, again for the PlayStation 3 to power on.
  6. Continue to hold the Power button and after about 5 seconds, you will hear a second beep for video reset.
  7. Continue to hold the Power button and after about another 5 seconds you will hear a quick double beep. At that point release the Power button. If you succeeded in activating Safe Mode, you will see a message on the screen saying, “Connect the controller using a USB cable and then press the PS button.”