Matt's Favorites: LTU Meeting NOW, 16 Months To Mars And Back With Your Spouse, Info On The Russian Meteor, Titanic II And Much More
So what's the latest from the fascinating world of high tech? Check it all out right here.
* Why of COURSE there's still time to get your butt over to Lawrence Technological University for this morning's meeting on the whole "bring your own device" controversy when it comes to corporate networks. But hurry! Thing starts at 8. LTU is at 21000 W. 10 Mile Road in Southfield.
* In less than five years, a married couple could be on their way toward Mars in an audacious but bare-bones private mission that would slingshot them around the red planet, under a plan outlined Wednesday by a financial tycoon and his team. The voyage to Mars and back would be a cosmic no-frills flight that would take the husband-and-wife astronauts as close as 100 miles to the planet, but it would also mean being cooped up for 16 months in a cramped space capsule about half the size of an RV.
* A meteor that exploded over Russia earlier this month likely hit Earth after a long trip from beyond the orbit of Mars, scientists say. Astronomers and the public were caught off guard by the Russian fireball, which damaged thousands of buildings and wounded more than 1,000 people when it detonated over the city of Chelyabinsk on Feb. 15.
* A lot farther away in space, a look at the beauty of black holes.
* In another kind of ship, you can buy your ticket now for a passage on a perfect replica of the Titanic. (Hopefully with enough lifeboats this time.)
* Apple has so far failed in its responsibility to monitor its Chinese suppliers for worker violations, claims a labor watchdog group.
* Researchers steering a remote-controlled submarine around the world's deepest known hydrothermal vents have collected numerous samples from sunless depths of the Caribbean Sea where blazing hot, mineral-rich fluid gushes from volcanic chimneys that look like gnarled tree stumps.
* While the original mess is over, earlier today Amazon warned Kindle users of an identified glitch in their own 3.6.1 update. If installed, the glitch could have diminished a user's library, gotten rid of bookmarks or removed all the content from the device completely. The iOS app itself impacts every user who utilizes the Kindle technology on an iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
* The Obama administration made a move that has many in Washington and around the world excited; they released a mandate that requires all government funded research to be made free and available for everyone.
* Mobile phones may generate the fastest-growing segment of Google's revenue, but the experience of using them still bothers Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Speaking at the TED Conference Wednesday in Long Beach, Calif., Brin told the audience that smartphones are "emasculating." "You're standing around and just rubbing this featureless piece of glass," he said.
* Using two cell phones set to record video -- to ensure all angles are covered -- a high school student lies in wait to catch an alleged backpack thief. There is a surprise.
* Pandora, blaming rising royalty costs, caps free mobile listening at 40 hours a month.
* Here are 11 must-see videos from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
* These tweets offer a peek at real life in North Korea.
