Two-Screen Laptop on the Way

A company called Gsreen has announced plans to introduce the first ever dual-screen laptop computer, with the first product expected to appear later this year.
The computers will run Windows Vista, with the two slide-out screens each featuring an LED backlit display.
The company, based in Alaska, is aiming the product towards professionals, including designers and professionals. Two-screened computers, including so-called "Bloomberg machines," are nothing new, but there has never before been a notebook computer that featured two full-sized screens.

Discovery Docks, Joint Operations Begin

Image above: The Expedition 20 crew welcomes the STS-128 crew aboard the station shortly after hatch opening.
Photo: NASA TV

Space shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station at 8:54 p.m. EDT Saturday delivering more than seven tons of cargo and a new crew member to the International Space Station and its Expedition 20 crew.
The shuttle and station crews opened hatches at 9:33 p.m. and greeted one another beginning a week’s worth of joint operations that includes three spacewalks and transfer of 15,000 pounds of supplies and logistics to sustain the six-person crew on the station.
Astronauts Nicole Stott and Tom Kopra swapped Soyuz seat liners after hatch opening. Stott will handle flight engineer duties aboard the station until her return home aboard Atlantis following the STS-129 mission in November. Kopra is scheduled to return aboard Discovery Sept. 10 after 57 days in space.
Before docking to the station, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Kevin Ford performed a few final corrective jet firings to refine the orbiter’s path for a rendezvous pitch maneuver (RPM). While Sturckow performed the RPM, Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Mike Barratt took photos from the station. Their photos will be reviewed by experts on the ground for evidence of damage to the shuttle tiles.
Source: NASA

STS-128 Crew Prepares for Docking

Image: International Space Station Photo: NASA
During their first full day in space, astronauts aboard Discovery conducted a daylong inspection of the space shuttle’s thermal protection system, checked out spacesuits and prepared to dock with the International Space Station.
With Commander Rick Sturckow at the controls, Discovery is scheduled to link up with the space station at 8:03 p.m. CDT Sunday.
Want to know when a spacecraft will be flying over your city?
Source: NASA

What a wonderful Saturday

This is a nice morning with blue sky and temperature of 20C/70F and calm. First I watched Discovery lift off from Kenedy Space Center. It was exciting. Later I took my daily walk for 50 minute's and went down to the shopping center. It was not many people there this early morning. Later I got a very good lunch: grilled salmon, potatos, vegetable, sauce and a beer. It was an exquisite meal.
Later in the afternoon I will update website's and writing in the blog's. Watch TV and read a book.

Lighting Up the Night

Photo: NASA/Ben Cooper
Viewed from the Banana River Viewing Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery arcs through a cloud-brushed sky, lighted by the trail of fire after launch on the STS-128 mission. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The first launch attempt on Aug. 24 was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. The second attempt on Aug. 25 also was postponed due to an issue with a valve in space shuttle Discovery's main propulsion system.
The STS-128 mission is the 30th International Space Station assembly flight and the 128th space shuttle flight. The 13-day mission will deliver more than 7 tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the International Space Station. The equipment includes a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill.

Friday Night Launch Highlights (All times listed in EDT)

5:00 a.m. Crew sleep begins
8:34 a.m. Countdown resumes at the T-11 hour mark
12:00 p.m. Mission Management Team meets to discuss the results of the fill and drain valve testing; will be followed by the tanking meeting to give a “go/no go” for the fueling of Discovery
1:00 p.m. Crew wakeup for launch
1:30 p.m. Astronauts have breakfast
1:34 p.m. Countdown enters a 1-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark
2:00 p.m. Astronauts receive their final medical exams
2:30 p.m. Fueling coverage begins on NASA TV and Web
2:34 p.m. Countdown resumes at the T-6 hour mark with the fueling of Discovery
3:19 p.m. LH sensor go to "wet" state
5:34 p.m. Countdown enters a 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at the T-3 hour mark; fueling enters stable replenish
6:30 p.m. Launch coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
7:39 p.m. Astronauts receive a weather briefing from the Ascent Team of flight controllers at Mission Control, Houston
8:04 p.m. Countdown resumes at T-3 hours
8:09 p.m. Discovery astronauts depart crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A
8:39 p.m. Astronauts arrive at the launch pad and begin to board Discovery
9:54 p.m. Begin closing Discovery's crew hatch
10:44 p.m. Countdown enters a 10-minute planned hold at the T-20 minute mark
10:54 p.m. Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark
11:05 p.m. Countdown enters a 45-minute planned hold at the T-9 minute mark, during which the Mission Management Team and Launch Control team will conduct polls to give a final "go" decision for launch
11:50 p.m. Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark
11:54 p.m. Auxiliary Power Units start at the T-5 minute mark
11:59 p.m. Discovery launches on the STS-128 mission
12:08 a.m. Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)
Source: NASA

Discovery's Launch Delayed 24 More Hours

It was announced at today's Mission Management Team meeting that the teams need another 24 hours to review data from yesterday's fill and drain test before pressing forward with launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-128 mission. Liftoff now is targeted for 11:59 p.m. EDT.
An MMT meeting is tentatively planned for tomorrow at noon with a tanking weather briefing at 2 p.m. NASA TV coverage of fueling Friday will begin at 2:15 p.m. NASA TV coverage of launch will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Source: NASA

Discovery's Next Launch Attempt Friday

Discovery is set for a launch attempt Friday morning at 12:22 a.m., as engineers will evaluate a liquid hydrogen valve that developed problems during tanking operations Tuesday evening.
Source: NASA

Poor Weather Scrubs Tuesday Launch Try

Image: STS - 128Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls
The launch attempt for space shuttle Discovery was called off Tuesday morning because of poor weather in the area. The launch team will make another attempt Wednesday morning at 1:10 a.m. EDT. Exciting!

Testing for the Future

Photo: NASA/Franklin Fitzgerald
The Lunar Electric Rover (LER) is being tested at NASA Johnson Space Center's planetary analog test site. The LER will be part of the Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies) Analog Field Test in Arizona in September.
Source: NASA

Play chess with your computer

Chess is a board game played between two players. The current form of the game emerged in Southern Europe during the second half of the 15th century after evolving from a similar, much older game of Indian origin. Today, chess is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.
The game is played on a chessboard, which is a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. At the start, each player (one controlling the white pieces, the other controlling the black pieces) controls sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, whereby the king is under immediate attack (in "check") and there is no way to remove it from attack on the next move.
The tradition of organized competitive chess started in the 16th century. Chess today is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee. The first official World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his title in 1886; the current World Champion is Viswanathan Anand. Theoreticians have developed extensive chess strategies and tactics since the game's inception. Aspects of art are found in chess composition.
One of the goals of early computer scientists was to create a chess-playing machine. Today's chess is deeply influenced by the abilities of chess programs and the opportunity for online play. In 1997 Deep Blue became the first computer to beat the reigning World Champion in a match when it defeated Garry Kasparov.
Play chess with your computer

Young Tiger On A High After Record Wing-Walk

A British eight-year-old has broken a world record for an activity I didn’t even know was possible, let alone being a hotly contested Guinness Book of World Records entry.
It’s called wing-walking, it involves being strapped to the wing of a moving plane, and Tiger Brewer apparently does it like a pro. As well he should, seeing as how he’s the grandson of the leader of the world’s only formation wing-walking team. Judging from Tiger’s name, you’d think his family had long harbored hopes of raising a young wing-walker extraordinaire.
And Tiger did not disappoint, taking an outdoor ride on a plane flown by his grandpa 1,000 feet above the ground.
“I want to do it again now,” Tiger said after his maiden wing-walking voyage. “It really was amazing. The only thing that hurt was the windburn, but apart from that I loved it.” Ooh–I would imagine the winds up there could leave a bit of chafe.
World’s Youngest Wing-Walker may sound like an obscure title, but Tiger’s competition was no small potatoes. The previous record was held by 11-year-old Guy Mason, the son of the drummer for Pink Floyd.
How would you like your kids to have a grandfather like Tiger?
Video on Sky News

Play space chess with the Swedish Astronaut Christer Fuglesang

Photo: NASA

Attired in a training version of his shuttle launch and entry suit, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Christer Fuglesang, STS-128 mission specialist, awaits the start of a training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Christer Fuglesang, the Swedish Astronaut, challenge in chess
towards Dagens Nyheter (Swedish newspaper) has started. It is now possible to vote for the best chess move against Christer Fuglesang. The moves are analyzed by the Swedish chess master Richard Wessman and by publishing three possible counter moves to the news readers, you can vote one of them. The winning move (with most votes) is then finally announced to Fuglesang.

STS-128 Mission Information

Photo: NASA
Image above: Seated are Commander Rick Sturckow (right) and Pilot Kevin Ford. From the left (standing) are mission specialists José Hernández, John "Danny" Olivas, Nicole Stott, European Space Agency's Christer Fuglesang and Patrick Forrester. Stott is scheduled to join Expedition 20 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station on STS-128.

Commander Rick Sturckow will lead the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery with Kevin Ford serving as pilot. Also serving aboard Discovery are mission specialists Patrick Forrester, José Hernández, John "Danny" Olivas, Christer Fuglesang and Nicole Stott.
Stott will remain on the station as an Expedition 20 flight engineer replacing Timothy Kopra. Kopra will return home aboard Discovery as a mission specialist.
Discovery is carrying the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks. The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier will also be launched in Discovery's payload bay.
This is Discovery's 37th mission to space and the 30th mission of a space shuttle dedicated to the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station.

Launch Target:
1:36 a.m. EDT - Aug. 25, 2009
Orbiter:
Discovery
Mission Number:
STS-128
(128th space shuttle flight)
Launch Window:
10 minutes
Launch Pad:
39A
Landing Site:
KSC
Inclination/Altitude:
51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload:
30th station flight (17A), Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier
Source: NASA

NASA Targets Aug. 24 for STS-128 Launch

The Space Shuttle Program is targeting Discovery’s STS-128 launch for Aug. 24 at 1:58 a.m., though the official launch date will not be set until the agency-level Flight Readiness Review is conducted Aug. 18. In the meantime, teams will continue to analyze foam loss from the external tanks on the STS-125 and STS-127 missions.
Seven astronauts who will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery began subtle changes in their daily routine to adjust their body clocks for the mission’s schedule. The process is called sleep-shifting and it basically gets the crew members accustomed to being awake when they wouldn’t normally be.
Source: NASA

Vacation Florida

Today I have been lazy and just thinking about enjoyment. Planning for winter season. The snow and cold weather comes in Sweden in October/November and continue until April. Usually the temperature a little below 0C/32F and a lot of snow. I want to disappear from that and go to a place where it is sunny and warm. I love to go to Florida USA during winter season in Scandinavia. I like the climate there. And I visit with friends, play golf, flying and have a good time and 'recharge the batteries'. There are so much one can do in Florida. I am out every day.
In beginning of May it's wonderful when it come into flower in Scandinavia. So then it's nice to go back home. Let see what happen coming winter.

Sweden's Princess Madeleine is engaged

The 27-year-old royal - youngest child of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia - is set to tie the knot with partner Jonas Bergstrom after he proposed recently.
The couple, who have been dating since 2002, are yet to set a date but will not tie the knot before her elder sister, Crown Princess Victoria, who announced her engagement to boyfriend Daniel Westling earlier this year.
A palace spokeswoman said: "There will be no wedding until after the crown princess."
Victoria and Daniel are due to wed next June.
Madeleine and Jonas are set to meet the press later today (11.08.09) at the Solliden Palace on the island of Oland off Sweden's east coast, where the royals usually spend part of their summer holidays.
King Carl has supported the engagement and has sought approval from the government in accordance with the procedures set out in the Swedish constitution.
Jonas, 30, works at a legal firm in Stockholm, while Madeleine, who is third in line to the Swedish throne, has recently been involved in work with the World Childhood Foundation founded by Queen Silvia. The Swedish Royal court

Research for the Future

Image: NASA/Tom Tschida
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft takes off from Edwards Air Force Base on a flight originating from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center. Dryden and the Air Force Research Laboratory are collaborating to develop collision avoidance technologies that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.

Source: NASA

A Wonderful Saturday

What a wonderful day! Blue sky and temperatur around 25C/78F and calm. I started early this morning with my daily walk for 45 minutes and got my breakfast. Later I started to update my computer's. One of the laptop's I configured my for amateur radio, which means that I can get contact with other amatuer radio friends all over the world.
I checked up an old desktop and transfered information to a newer PC. Now I am going to scrap it. It has been working well for many years so I think he want to be retired. :-) I relax and maybe take another walk and stroll in the woods before dusk.

Rollout of STS-128

Photo Courtesy of Justin Dernier
Rollout of space shuttle Discovery was slow-going due to the onset of lightning in the area of Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
First motion of the shuttle out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 2:07 a.m. Aug. 4. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver a new crew member and 33,000 pounds of equipment to the International Space Station. The equipment includes science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch of Discovery on its STS-128 mission is targeted for late August.

Visiting an Old city

Photo: Richards Oasis Above is pictures from the city

Today a drove a little bit North of Stockholm in order see how the city Norrtälje has changed during the last 20 years. I use to live there for a while. And there are still many old buildings and the city is wonderful. It has a little guest harbor and the sea is bay of the Baltic Sea.
Norrtälje traces its history to 1219, when the location was first mentioned as Tälje. After some time, the name officially became Norrtälje, to separate it from the other Tälje in the province, Södertälje. The city arms were created as an upside down anchor as early as 1622 when the charter was granted.
In 1719 large parts of the central town that was built in wood was burnt down by Russian plunders. The new stone church wasn't finished until 1726, and it was another 4 years before the city hall was completed.
Norrtälje had a railway station on the narrow gauge Roslagsbanan 1884-1969. It is now served by SL buses as a part of the public transport in Stockholm system.
Norrtälje has a first class industrial heritage in the Pythagoras Mechanical Workshop Museum, based in the premises of a former hot bulb engine factory.
Before I left town, I get lunch with fryed herring, mashed potatoes, salad, bread and coffee and a cake. Very good.

Ivy Bean, 104 years old, Twitter’s Oldest User

Ivy Bean is 104 years old pensioner who lives at Hillside Manor Residential Home in Bradford, West Yorks. She already has a profile on Facebook, and with little help from Geek Squad agent, Martin Dix, she signed up for Twitter. She is perhaps the oldest person on planet earth to publish her updates on the microblogging site. Isn't that something.

First solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean

Photo: Richards Oasis
I am sure that many people know about Charles Lindbergh and there are lot information on internet. But it is such an amazing blasphemy, that I want to take it up in my blog.
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974), known as "Lucky Lindy" and "The Lone Eagle", was a pioneering United States airplane pilot famous for making the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.
Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were Swedish immigrants. He grew up in Little Falls, Minnesota. His father, Charles August Lindbergh, was a lawyer and later a U.S. congressman who was against the United States entering into World War I; his mother was a teacher. While he was young, he was interested in machines. In 1922 he joined a pilot training program with Nebraska Aircraft, bought his own airplane, and became a stunt pilot. In 1924, he started training as a pilot with the United States Army Air Corps.
After finishing first in his class, Lindbergh took his first job as pilot of an airmail route in St. Louis. He flew the mail in an airplane.
In April 1923, while visiting friends in Lake Village, Arkansas, Lindbergh made his first ever flight over Lake Village and Lake Chicot.

Charles Lindbergh - An American Aviator
Charles Lindbergh

Today Saturday - it will rain all day

I am walking on the Great Wall in China

Image above: Sunset in Hawaii

Image above: The oldest Casino in Las Vegas USA

Image above: Concert Hall in Sidney Australia
It is a rainy day and that means indoor activities for me. So I started this morning to make an inventory of my old images taken in different countries, scanned some of those, in order to put the images in to the computer. The images remind me about places around the world I have been visiting. It's always nice looking at images and think about all exciting things happen during the trips. The conditions in countries are quite different and I have learned a lot by traveling through many continents. And I still want to go and meet people from other countries because it gives me a lot.

Now it's time for lunch. I get grilled Salmon, potatos,sauce, vegetable and a something to drink. Dessert is strawberries and whipped cream. Finally a small a cup of coffee.
How about that?