One of the scary things about the asteroids that zip around our solar system is that scientists simply don’t know all of them that are out there. While the chances of a gigantic asteroid smashing into the Earth with enough force to wipe us out is slim, the Earth is pelted with smaller asteroids all the time. Just ask the Russians what sort of damage a small asteroid can make when it goes meteor and enters the atmosphere.
Another asteroid was recently discovered that passed impressively close to the Earth – on a cosmic scale. The asteroid zipped past the Earth in September but was only discovered this month. That means it made its close pass by the Earth and no one even knew it. Even more interesting is the fact that the asteroid’s orbit will bring the 1300 foot diameter projectile back to Earth in 2032.
Some early reports indicated that the asteroid has a chance of smashing into the Earth, unleashing a force of “thousands” of atomic bombs. NASA was quick to step in and put some of the fears to rest with the prediction that there’s only a 1:63,000 chance that the asteroid will hit the earth about 20 years from now. NASA went so far as to say that it was 99.998% sure asteroid 2013 TV135 will uneventfully zip past the Earth again in 2032. That prediction of a 1:63,000 chance doesn’t do much to make me feel better considering people hit the lottery every month with odds often much more remote than that.
[via CNN]
Oh gosh, we haven't been so panicked since our phones were hypothetically possessed by demons. And come to think of it, this is theoretically far, far worse. A research group at Virginia Tech is claiming that, due to the particular way 4G data is transmitted, an LTE base station can be sabotaged using lightweight equipment that costs as little as $650. Such a thing is possible because, unlike 2G and 3G, LTE depends on control instructions that occupy only a tiny fraction of the total signal -- and details of those specific frequencies have been openly published.
According to the research group's director, Jeff Reed, a single malicious operative with a hot briefcase and a bit of know-how could take down "miles of LTE signals." If the attacker splashed out on an amplifier, they could cut off reception for thousands of people across a whole city or region. Reed stresses that there are no known instances of this happening yet, but also warns that he can see no "mitigation strategies" that can "cover it all." Let us pray that humanity's characteristic inability to agree on anything -- including a universal LTE standard -- will be our salvation.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Science, Mobile
LTE: fast, global, silenced by a $650 radio jammer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A couple months ago, reports of an impending zombie apocalypse went rampant. Aside from people getting into a zombie frame of mind because of shows like The Walking Dead, news that someone had chewed off a homeless man’s face didn’t help either. Paranoid people began putting together survival kits in case one really hit, while others decided to sell these kits instead to make a few quick bucks–like the enterprising folks of ThinkGeek.
I’m sure you’re aware that there’s no zombie apocalypse in the near future, but in case you’re still worried, then this well-put together kit will provide you the basic things you’ll need to survive one. At least for a couple of days. You’ll find the SOG Tactical Tomahawk in the mix, along with some Zombie Jerky and a Survival Kit in a Sardine Can that contains 25 essentials for your survival.
The entire kit retails for $79.99 on ThinkGeek.
[ Product Page ]
You know that when World War Z happens, you better be prepared because there’s no way that you’ll be able to charge your smartphone when the power grid is down. The KANZ Field Power Desk will help all technological zombie fighters to keep working and playing as long as the sun is still in the sky.
The KANZ Field Power Desk is a portable desk that has integrated power packs, which offer six hours of battery. I know that it doesn’t sound like much, but six hours is better than zero. It also has solar panels to recharge these packs, and a wide array of adapters and ports to support a large number of electronic devices. There’s also an optional Satellite Broadband IP Terminal that will allow you leverage satellite connectivity in the wild.
It’s dust-resistant and can be housed in a durable traveling case. All this tech doesn’t come cheap though, as the Field Power Desk will cost you $2,495(USD), with the additional satellite connection costing you an extra $2,850. Just remember that during World War Z, money won’t matter!
[via Cool Hunting]
There were a string of weird occurrences in the last couple of months involving some people going stark crazy because of the things that they managed to do. It’s too gruesome to describe in detail, but here’s one work that sums it all up: cannibalism. This freaked a lot of people out, especially because they all occurred within a few days or weeks with each other.
Some pranksters also chose to capitalize on these real-world happenings by spreading warnings about zombies and the upcoming apocalypse online. Now, you guys should know better: there’s no such thing as zombies or an apocalypse. If you believed the hoax, then you must have been watching (or reading) too much The Walking Dead.
Anyway, if you still feel like you’re in danger, then you might be one of the few who’s willing to unload $24,000 to purchase the Z.E.R.O. Zombie Apocalypse Kit. It’s got everything – and I do mean everything – you’ll ever need to fight off the undead and protect yourself while you’re out in the wild.
The price is insane, but if you consider everything that you’ll be getting, then maybe it’s a price that you can actually stomach. Highlights of the Z.E.R.O. kit include thermal and night vision scopes, guns, knives, tactical vests, multitools, practice targets and even tools for evaluating biological samples. It also comes with the awesome OPMOD tactical mug. The full list of items in the kit are listed here.
(But again, we’re telling you: there is no zombie apocalypse. Just saying.)
[via Dvice]
Just when you're numbing to robot, zombie and nuclear apocalypse scenarios, some old-fashioned asteroid paranoia pops up to surprise you. The B612 Foundation, which gets funding from, well, anyone, has just announced plans to launch Sentinel, a space telescope which will wander the vacuum cataloging asteroids in our inner solar system. Their goal is to track asteroid orbits and predict large impacts up to 100 years in advance, giving us plenty of time to find a solution (or enjoy our final days). Construction doesn't start til late fall, with the launch expected in around five years, so it won't be any use in disproving the 2012 doomsday believers out there. You can find out more about the project and donate to the foundation at the source link, or jump past the break for a video explanation, Aerosmith not included.
Continue reading Crowd-funded group building asteroid-mapping telescope, saving Earth (video)
Crowd-funded group building asteroid-mapping telescope, saving Earth (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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