All Tech News
December 29, 2005
British space engineers have received signals from the pioneer spacecraft for Europe's satellite-navigation system. Giove-A is communicating with its ground station, they say, and all systems are performing well. The 600kg Galileo satellite was lifted into orbit on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It paves the way for a network of 30 satellites that will give Europe its own version of the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Giove-A was built by the small British company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), a spin-off from the University of Surrey. Engineers are operating the spacecraft from SSTL's control room in Guildford, Surrey.
Galileo satellite phones home
byBritish space engineers have received signals from the pioneer spacecraft for Europe's satellite-navigation system. Giove-A is communicating with its ground station, they say, and all systems are performing well. The 600kg Galileo satellite was lifted into orbit on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It paves the way for a network of 30 satellites that will give Europe its own version of the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Giove-A was built by the small British company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), a spin-off from the University of Surrey. Engineers are operating the spacecraft from SSTL's control room in Guildford, Surrey.
December 22, 2005
Well, the Cutter of Toes may finally have called it a day. Toecutter's Den, one of the largest satellite forums in the world looks like it may have to close it's doors at the beginning of next year due to mounting costs.The other major satellite board hosting keys and firmware, Satdudez, is expected to become stretched by the shift in web traffic.Let's hope that any donated funding will go with members migrating to Dudez. Both Toecutter and Kinkdink have played a very important role in the satellite scene, and let's hope that at least one can maintain a file hosting forum into 2006 and beyond. I'm sure that we haven't heard the last of the Toecutter...
Toecutters Den to close
byWell, the Cutter of Toes may finally have called it a day. Toecutter's Den, one of the largest satellite forums in the world looks like it may have to close it's doors at the beginning of next year due to mounting costs.The other major satellite board hosting keys and firmware, Satdudez, is expected to become stretched by the shift in web traffic.Let's hope that any donated funding will go with members migrating to Dudez. Both Toecutter and Kinkdink have played a very important role in the satellite scene, and let's hope that at least one can maintain a file hosting forum into 2006 and beyond. I'm sure that we haven't heard the last of the Toecutter...
December 21, 2005
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - SES Global said on Wednesday the first of two new satellites would be launched into space next April to boost the transmission capacity it offers to its customers, mostly being television broadcasters.SES, the world's biggest satellite operator, said its Astra 1KR satellite would be sent into orbit by a Lockheed Martin joint venture on an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla.The satellite would join seven others at an orbital position of 19.2 degrees East above Europe.The second satellite to go up in 2006 will be an Astra 1L sometime in the fourth quarter, it added.
SES to Launch Next Satellite in April 2006
byBRUSSELS (Reuters) - SES Global said on Wednesday the first of two new satellites would be launched into space next April to boost the transmission capacity it offers to its customers, mostly being television broadcasters.SES, the world's biggest satellite operator, said its Astra 1KR satellite would be sent into orbit by a Lockheed Martin joint venture on an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla.The satellite would join seven others at an orbital position of 19.2 degrees East above Europe.The second satellite to go up in 2006 will be an Astra 1L sometime in the fourth quarter, it added.
December 20, 2005
Sky has launched a new broadband movie and sports video-download service called 'Sky by broadband' which is free for its premium subscribers in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Movie downloads are free to Sky digital customers with Sky Movies 1 and 2 subscriptions, while sports videos are free to customers with Sky Sports 1 and 2 subscriptions. The service can be accessed at www.skybybroadband.com.
New Sky-branded download service launches
bySky has launched a new broadband movie and sports video-download service called 'Sky by broadband' which is free for its premium subscribers in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Movie downloads are free to Sky digital customers with Sky Movies 1 and 2 subscriptions, while sports videos are free to customers with Sky Sports 1 and 2 subscriptions. The service can be accessed at www.skybybroadband.com.
December 19, 2005
Sky has finally hit its 8m subscriber target - meeting its December 31 target. James Murdoch, Sky’s Chief Executive, said in a statement: "Sky is achieving strong growth. Nearly one in three homes and counting have chosen Sky and we are especially well placed to broaden Sky’s appeal as entertainment and communications come together. We thank our current and future Sky customers for joining in and for helping to make Britain one of the world’s leading digital TV marketplaces." Sky’s key operational targets for the medium term are to reach 10 million DTH subscribers in 2010, with 25 per cent penetration of Sky+ and 30 per cent Multiroom penetration.
Sky notches up eight millionth subscriber
bySky has finally hit its 8m subscriber target - meeting its December 31 target. James Murdoch, Sky’s Chief Executive, said in a statement: "Sky is achieving strong growth. Nearly one in three homes and counting have chosen Sky and we are especially well placed to broaden Sky’s appeal as entertainment and communications come together. We thank our current and future Sky customers for joining in and for helping to make Britain one of the world’s leading digital TV marketplaces." Sky’s key operational targets for the medium term are to reach 10 million DTH subscribers in 2010, with 25 per cent penetration of Sky+ and 30 per cent Multiroom penetration.
December 12, 2005
Net Imperative reports that Skype has added Thomson Directories to its toolbar - allowing users to search the online business directory:
The results of the search will display three sponsored listings at the top of the page and a list of businesses down the left hand side which are then geographically displayed on a map.
These business ...
Thomson added to Skype
by Brian Turner
BellSouth announces Private Label VoIP
by Brian Turner
December 1, 2005
A report by Globes Online caused a stir in Israel, when it claimed that VoIP would be blocked.
Although a Ministry of Communications figure answered the concerns, by stating that ISPs were ordered to crack down on use of VoIP for illegal purposes, it continues to highlight tensions between some state ISPs and VoIP use.
According to ...
VoIP rumours cause alarm in Israel
by Brian Turner
Russian ‘English language’ channel
byRussia’s new government-funded, English-language satellite TV channel began broadcasts yesterday (Saturday), as Moscow seeks to polish its image abroad.Boasting a staff of 344 journalists, Russia Today will be broadcast 24 hours a day in North America, Europe and Asia. The programme is also available for Russians through subscriptions to a premium satellite package.Margarita Simonyan, who was a Kremlin correspondent for the state-run Rossiya TV channel before being tapped to head the project, said the channel aimed to tell world news from a Russian point of view.“What you see sometimes does depend on where you stand, and we want to tell the world about Russia from Russia. We want to show what we see with our own eyes. We want to give the background. We want to explain things,” she said.“People will have an opportunity to watch us, and then they will have a fair opportunity to draw their own conclusions,” she said. “And if after that, in a month or so or two or several weeks, they will still be saying we’re the voice of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, then I will be surprised.”Source : Breaking News Last Updated ( Tuesday, 27 December 2005 )
