By Jessica Roy 8/28/12 3:15pm

The Final Frontier

Aliens can't even handle this. (Photo: Last.fm)

Earth Braces for Inevitable Martian Attack as NASA Prepares to Broadcast Will.i.am. From Mars

When one considers the ultimate symbol of American progress and invention, there is really only one person who comes to mind: Black Eyed Peas singer Will.i.am. His sartorial savvy? Swoon-worthy. His talented vocal breadth? Impeccable. Will.i.am. is not the hero America needs, but he is the one we deserve.

We can only imagine that this is why, during an educational initiative spearheaded by NASA that launches today at 4 p.m., the Curiosity Rover will broadcast a new single by Will.i.am. called “Reach for the Stars,” natch. (Did we mention what a brilliant lyricist Mr. Am is?) Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 8/14/12 1:00pm

Space the Final Frontier

That's some lonely country.

Would You Sign Up for a Reality TV Show that Offered a One-Way Ticket to Mars?

Elon Musk isn’t the only entrepreneur with his gaze fixed firmly on the horizon of the Red Planet. My Fox New York reports that a Dutch company named Mars One wants to put humans on the alien world’s surface by 2023. Not only that, they’ll be a very special brand of human: Reality TV stars.

No, the company is not simply strapping Jill Zarin to a rocket and waiting for the inevitable rating success. Think of their proposal as more like an Astronaut Idol, or So You Think You Can Dance (On the Surface of Mars). The aim is to create a “global media spectacle” and thereby fund the project commercially: Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 8/14/12 7:19am

Linkages

Should've read the terms of service.

Booting Up: Terms on Service on Your Terms Edition

The cost of Google’s purchase of Frommer’s is said to be $23 million. At that price, how could they not buy it? [New York Times]

At last, a service that flags troublesome clauses lurking deep within those terms of service agreements you don’t read. No longer need you fear becoming part of a human CentiPad. [TechCrunch]

The latest addition to Facebook’s timeline: “Expecting a Baby.” The Unbaby.me folks are going to love this. [Facebook]

The Pentagon is testing “hypersonic” flight technology that makes the Concorde (R.I.P.) look lame. Try New York to London in an hour. You can’t even get to Bay Ridge that fast. [CNN]

In the future, we will all telecommute via iPads on wheels with giraffe-like necks. [The Verge]

By Jessica Roy 8/10/12 7:59am

Linkages

<3 (Photo: Domain Gang)

Booting Up: A Good Look Around Mars Edition

Craigslist has taken a step back from becoming the Internet asshole, dropping exclusive license to all posts. [EFF]

How your tech story promotion sausage gets made. [New York Times]

Here’s a 360 panoramic view of Mars taken by the Curiosity rover. It is riveting. [Wall Street Journal]

No surprise here: self-driving cars are better at driving than actual humans. [The Atlantic]

Oh good, you can now live without breathing. [Gizmodo]

Maybe the Singularity isn’t coming, after all. [Cognitive Social Web]

By Kelly Faircloth 8/06/12 7:53am

Linkages

Good morning, sunshine! (Photo: flickr.com/globochem)

Booting Up: Martian Touchdown Edition

The distinction between business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies is fading. Betcha dollars to donuts that “big data” is involved. [New York Times]

Ebay is testing out a same-day delivery service. For when that drunken online shopping purchase just won’t wait. [TechCrunch]

Get ready to be slightly freaked out by the runaway success of Huawei, China’s massive telecoms-equipment company. [Economist]

The Curiosity Rover is now on Mars, roving about for science. [Wall Street Journal]

Nobody had any questions for Facebook Questions. [SlashGear]

By Kelly Faircloth 8/02/12 1:15pm

Space the Final Frontier

"Yes, this will be perfect for repairing the irrigation system on my massive Martian ranch." (Photo: a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/5126137767/sizes/m/in/photostream/">flickr.com/jurvetson)

Elon Musk, Space Nerd Demigod, Is Still Totally Obsessed With Mars

The L.A. Times recently sat down with Paypal mafioso and SpaceX founder Elon Musk for a brief chat about his recent endeavors and goals for his commercial aerospace venture. In short: His ultimate goal is still Mars. (Always Mars. Never Not Mars.) Someone keeps a battered copy of Red Mars in a place of pride, we’d wager.

Naturally, the Times inquired as to whether Mr. Musk himself would be personally interested in a trip to the Red Planet, or if he’s merely interested in lobbing other people skyward. His answer was basically, duh: Read More

By Jessica Roy 8/01/12 8:21am

Linkages

(Photo: Network World)

Booting Up: There’s No Such Thing as a Gmail Killer Edition

Microsoft Outlook now operates in-browser and is apparently a legitimate Gmail competitor? No flipping desks for Steve Ballmer today. [Wired]

Things are not looking good in iPad mag land. The Daily has laid off a 1/3rd of its staff. [AllThingsD]

Kevin Rose did an AMA, just in time for the release of the new Digg. It got less than 1,000 upvotes and apparently he didn’t actually answer any questions. [Reddit]

Two online poker sites are paying millions in damages following fraud and money laundering charges. Guess the government called their bluff. [New York Times]

Times Square will broadcast the Mars landing on one of those gigantic screens. The space geek in us is currently fighting with the person in us who fucking hates Times Square. [NASA]

UBS lost $356 million in the Facebook IPO. Yikes. [The New York Times]