Matt's Favorites: SpaceX Launches Upgraded Private Rocket And Much More
So what's the latest and greatest in the amazing world of science and technology? Ever so glad you asked...
* The Michigan Science Center has been selected as a finalist in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good competition. This program is a national philanthropic initiative that donates 100 cars to 100 nonprofit organizations on an annual basis. Here's where you come in: on Oct. 1, visit www.100carsforgood.com and vote for Mi-Sci. Please share and retweet Mi-Sci's Facebook and Twitter posts via your personal social media outlets and help us spread the word. You can visit the site now for more details and to receive a voting reminder.
* And here are links to your Tech Report home page, the Tech Report Page Two (trust me, it contains much fascinatin' news), as well as our latest reports on event notices and HR notices.
* In a dramatic California test flight, SpaceX launched an upgraded, more powerful version of its Falcon 9 rocket Sunday -- a booster the company hopes will someday carry astronauts to the space station -- placing a modest Canadian science satellite into orbit along with five smaller research payloads.
* And a commercial cargo ship making its maiden flight to the International Space Station completed a complex rendezvous early Sunday, pulling up to within about 30 feet of the lab complex and then standing by while the station's robot arm locked onto a grapple fixture. Running a week late because of a navigation software glitch, the Cygnus supply ship, built and launched as a commercial venture by Orbital Sciences Corp., was captured by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano at 7 a.m. EDT (GMT-4) as the two spacecraft sailed high above the Indian Ocean.
* And this incredible kayak expedition highlights thinning Arctic sea ice.
* When about 100 whales ended up in the shallow waters of Madagascar's Loza Lagoon system in May and June 2008, scientists suspected that underwater sonar played a role. Now, an independent panel of scientists has confirmed that there is a link between the sonar, used by Exxon Mobil in late May 2008 to map the ocean floor for oil, and the death of three-quarters of the displaced melon-headed whales.
* A drug commonly prescribed to treat nail fungus appears to come with a not-so-tiny side effect: killing HIV in cell cultures. In a study performed at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, not only does the drug Ciclopiroxrid infectious HIV from cell cultures, but the virus also doesn't bounce back when the drug is withheld.
* And here's a charming idea -- after floods ravaged Colorado, this photographer used social media to rescue several weddings and move them to other venues.
* Astronauts sent to Mars on future space missions may have to contend with a toxic chemical known as perchlorate that's thought to be widespread in Red Planet dirt. But perchlorates are already proving problematic for researchers using robots to hunt for possible traces of Martian life, a new study has found.
* Google has quietly retooled the closely guarded formula running its Internet search engine to give better answers to the increasingly complex questions posed by Web surfers. The overhaul came as part of an update called "Hummingbird" that Google Inc. has gradually rolled out in the past month without disclosing the modifications.
* The National Security Agency dips into its database of phone and e-mail info to create complex "social graphs" for foreign intelligence purposes, says a report. Some American citizens get swept up in the effort.
* Soon-to-be-former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer -- never one to hide his feelings for the firm he's worked at for decades -- once again gives us a video moment to remember.
* Buckle your seatbelt, make sure your seats are upright, and power off all electronics. That last part could soon be changing. The FAA is on the verge of easing its restrictions on when passengers can use their tablets, e-readers, iPods and smart phones. CNET's Sumi Das explains how planes and technology have change, alleviating safety concerns and putting pressure on the FAA to update its ban.
* Cloud-based TV service Aereo has delayed its rollout in Chicago, which would have been its next biggest market after its hometown of New York, the company announced Friday. Aereo was testing its service in the Chicago area when it "encountered issues" with its testing site earlier this month, according to a blog post from the company.
