3, 2, 1 - NASA tourist attraction takes off

Nearly 40 astronauts on Friday became the first to ride aboard a NASA tourist attraction that recreates a ride aboard the space shuttle, complete with the deep rumble of liftoff and a serene view of the earth from orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Nearly 40 astronauts on Friday became the first to ride aboard a NASA tourist attraction that recreates a ride aboard the space shuttle, complete with the deep rumble of liftoff and a serene view of the earth from orbit.

The $60 million Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center is the agency's first venture into the theme-park ride business, and the astronauts said it is comparable to a real shuttle flight.

"It's pretty realistic with all the shakes and rattles and vibration," said John Young, commander of the first shuttle mission and one of those who took the inaugural ride.

A handful of space veterans were consulted to ensure the ride was authentic.

The simulator building was designed to resemble those by the launch pads a few miles away. Visitors enter though a steel gantry and receive a mission "briefing" from Hall of Fame astronaut Charlie Bolden on three elaborate projection screens in a circular room.

Steam billows out of the floor and the room shakes as Bolden explains the mission process. The doors open and the computer announces, "Trainees report to simulator."

Visitors are strapped in and tilted back 90 degrees, the same position in which astronauts wait two hours before launch.

The simulator also spends a lot of time on science and education, and even uses NASA's code of acronyms to explain the liftoff.

Young and shuttle pilot Bob Crippen said the ride overemphasizes some things, particularly the noise. It's not as loud in real life and doesn't sound exactly the same.

"You're sitting in there in the cockpit, you're wearing a helmet and you're a long ways from where the noise is coming from," Young said. "There's a clunk when you separate from the solid rocket boosters, there's a click when you separate the external tank."

The venture was funded with visitors center admissions and private financing, not taxpayer money. The cost of a ride is included in the price of admission to the space center - $38 for adults, $28 for children.

Space center officials proposed the idea seven years ago, searching for a new way to renew interest in the shuttle program.

After leaving the simulator, tourists follow a long, dark walkway with twinkling stars on the ceiling and a bright picture of earth at the bottom. After that is a gift shop.

None of the astronauts seemed too interested in the T-shirts, shot glasses, key chains and freeze-dried ice cream, but they all seemed thrilled with the ride.

Decades ago, these same astronauts docked with the Russians, rescued satellites and walked on the moon. These days, they are balding, with graying hair and a few extra pounds filling their blue flight suits.

They still remember vividly the sights and sensations of space flight, and the simulator is the closest many will get to reliving that experience.

"You obviously can't get to three G's in here," said former shuttle pilot Roy Bridges. "But they do make the initial feelings of each of the events feel very realistic."

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Ericsson and Telstra run world’s first live 40Gbps optical transmission trial in Australia

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Telstra have successfully completed the world’s first live network trial for next-generation 40Gbps optical transmission technology in Australia.


The technology trial demonstrated that Telstra’s existing 10Gbps Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) transmission technology, which carries voice, data and video, can be increased to 40Gbps without major changes to the network.


Dan Burns, Telstra Executive Managing Director, Network and Technology said: "This trial was commissioned as a part of Telstra’s forward planning to meet expected growth on the inter-capital networks. It demonstrates the capability of the Telstra Next IP(TM) network and effectively positions Telstra at the forefront of industry development to implement high capacity long distance transmission."


"Enabling 40Gbps connections between Telstra’s IP core routers, will allow us to expand our network capacity in line with expected growth in IP traffic," added Mr Burns.


The trial was conducted over Telstra’s existing 10Gbps 1,121 km coastal and 1,244 km inland optical fiber routes from Sydney to Melbourne.


Bill Zikou, CEO, Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, explained the trial was conducted over a 10Gbps network with no modification to the existing optic fiber infrastructure.


"Ericsson’s DWDM solution, Marconi MHL 3000, provides a seamless in service upgrade of capacity with minimal investment. This means that with Ericsson they would have no need to change the existing optic fiber infrastructure," he added.


The ability to offer an extremely scalable, high capacity optical solution enables network operators to respond to expected bandwidth increases caused by new and exciting consumer (Residential, Mobile and Business) packet-based Full Service Broadband applications.


Ericsson’s next-generation 40Gbps optical transmission technology is based on the new modulation format which exhibits high robustness against PMD (Polarization Mode Dispersion - a fiber characteristic which can limit high-speed transmission).


Ericsson has provided Telstra’s transmission infrastructure in Australia for several years. The infrastructure is part of the Telstra Next IP(TM) network providing the connectivity between major Australia cities and where it integrates with more recently implemented technology provided by other Strategic Suppliers.


Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.


Read more at http://www.ericsson.com


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT


Telstra Media Relations

Sarah McKinnon

Phone: + 61 437 757 261

E-mail: Sarah.McKinnon@team.telstra.com


Telstra’s national media inquiry line is 1300 769 780 and the Telstra Media Centre is located at: www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media


About DWDM

DWDM or Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing - is a technology used to increase the capacity and efficiency of fiber-based optical networks. Telstra has deployed DWDM extensively throughout its inter-capital network.

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Zombies? No Problem

The story is not that a large group of zoobies periodically forms up in downtown San Francisco to wander the streets seeking victims. It’s also not notable that security guards throughout the downtown throw up a cordon to prevent the un-dead from coming into their stores, including the Disney Store, The Gap and the giant Westfield mall. No, the story is really about the Apple store employees’ utter non-chalance, and even amusement, when a group of 30 or so creepies staggered into the San Francisco retail store on Market Street last Friday, swept up the stairs and ended up at the Genius Bar. Staffers took photos, laughed and continued helping customers, while the security staff kept a discrete watch. Within minutes the group was gone, leaving only fingerprints on the glass staircase. After all, it’s more than a store.








[photos by Steve Rhodes. See his full set of Zombie Mob photos]

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MySpace Officially Blocked at Stores

In the first acknowledgment of congestion at Apple retail stores, the company announced today that it is now blocking access to the MySpace Web site from stores’ display computers. “Nearly 2 million people visit Apple stores every week. We want to provide everyone a chance to test-drive a Mac, so we are no longer offering access to MySpace in our stores,” the company said. Up to now, the stores have not restricted access to the Internet, which is part of a deliberate strategy to attract visitors, create buzz, and make the stores a destination spot. That philosophy has indeed generated visitors, but it has also meant that display computers were unavailable for those wanting to investigate a computer purchase.

The number of visitors to the stores has continued to increase, both in total and per-store. Apple tallied 81.1 million visitors during fiscal 2006, compared to 50.7 million the year before. On a per-store basis, visitors jumped from 372,700 in fiscal 2005, to 491,500 in 2006, an increase of 31.8 percent.

In April 2006 information surfaced that various social networking Web sites were blocked at Apple stores. However, it was learned that the restrictions were unofficial, imposed by individual store managers to regain access to display computers for potential buyers. Tipsters said that retail executives told the mangers to remove the blocks to allow full Internet access.

A visit to any store–but particularly flagship stores–will find that all computers are occupied by people checking their Hotmail or Gmail accounts, snapping pix with PhotoBooth, writing memos with Word, or surfing various social networking sites. In many cases, computer users are literally camped at a computer, with coffee cups, notebooks, bookbags and other personal property strewn across the display tables.

The issue of store congestion has been raised before within Apple. During a September, 2006 talk to financial analysts, Sr. V-P Retail Ron Johnson said that Apple store customers love the free Internet access. “The question I get all the time is, ‘The store’s too crowded. How do people buy anything?’ But we all know what we like–we like busy places,” Johnson said. He continued, “Free Internet access is the way we bring people into our stores. And people touch a Mac for the first time and they go, ‘Wow! That’s just like my computer. Macs and PCs aren’t that different.’ Big part of the story.”

During his talk, Johnson recalled the origins of the retail store initiative. He recalled thinking, “We’re going to break the norm. We’re going to be a store for everyone. PC owners, Mac owners. Small business, consumers. Eighty year-olds trying to connect with their grandkids. Grandkids trying to get on a computer for the first time. Forget the conventional wisdom of retail that it’s all about specializing.” He imagined the stores as a public place, like a library, where people could come to visit and participate. “What if we built a retail strategy that was a place to belong? What if our store was really a part of the community…it’s was a place to be, not just a place to buy?” he explained to the analysts.

When I visited the San Francisco store last Christmas, I found the full range of users at the display computers, preventing their use by anyone interested in a purchase. I also found the same situation at the SoHo (NYC) store when I visited last May, just after the new black MacBooks were introduced. There wasn’t a free computer among the 70 or so on display, and there were two or three persons standing behind each user waiting their turn. When I visited the Regent Street (London) store last March, I found that computers no the ground floor were unblocked, but that some on the second level near the theater were blocking some major Web sites.

Bandwidth at the stores is apparently not an issue. Speed tests at most stores consistently show 2 Mbps uploads and downloads.

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