Roy Mark

Using ground-based telescopes, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announced Dec. 16 that it has “discovered a ‘super-Earth’ orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth. … Although the super-Earth is too hot to sustain life,” the CfA said, it proves that “current, ground-based technologies are capable of finding almost-Earth-sized planets in warm, life-friendly orbits. […]

Iraqi militants have used inexpensive, off-the-rack software “to intercept live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones,” the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 17. While the Pentagon confirms the hacking of the drone feeds–which are unencrypted–military officials claim there is no proof the militant hackers have been able to alter the flights of the drones or […]

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) released Dec. 16 an outline of its preliminary National Broadband Plan to be delivered to Congress in 63 days. The initial plan calls for opening up the marketplace for cable set-top boxes and expansion of the Universal Service Fund.The outline also states a “large, new spectrum allocation is essential to […]

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) announced legislation Dec. 15 that would raise the annual cap on H1-B visas and allow U.S. companies to recapture 309,500 unused H-1B visas from previous years. The legislation is part of a larger, more comprehensive immigration bill sponsored by Gutierrez and nearly 90 members of the U.S. House. While Gutierrez […]

The Executive Office of the President agreed Dec. 14 to restore a total of 94 days of missing Bush era e-mails. The agreement is the culmination long-running lawsuits challenging the failure of the Bush White House and the National Archives and Records Administration to take any action after confronted with evidence that millions of e-mails […]

The United States launched a clean energy transfer program Dec. 14 that Energy Secretary Steven Chu could accelerate deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in developing countries. The new Climate REDI (Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative) includes three new clean energy technology programs and funding needed to launch a renewable energy program under […]

NASA successfully launched Dec. 14 its WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission with a pre-dawn, picture-perfect takeoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. WISE is an unmanned satellite carrying an infrared-sensitive telescope that will image the entire sky in infrared light.Just 10 seconds after the spacecraft separated from a Delta II rocket, NASA acquired […]

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Dec. 11 used the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to tout the Obama administration’s track record on clean energy, but stressed that ultimately solutions will be pioneered by the private sector. “I am proud to say that since taking office, President Obama has already done more to mitigate […]

Concerned over an anomaly in the motion of a booster steering engine, NASA Dec. 11 delayed the launch of the WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission until Dec. 14. The new launch is currently scheduled between 9:09 and 9:23 EDT.NASA said it has implemented plans to resolve the anomaly and the current weather forecast for […]

A proposed Chinese trade policy is sparking deep concern from U.S. trade companies seeking to sell computers, software, communications products and other office products to Chinese government agencies. The policy would require the intellectual property used in those products to be developed and owned in China.The Indigenous Innovation Product Accreditation System, first announced Nov. 15 […]