Microsoft iPad - "Surface"

Rival aims to take on Apple with launch of the Surface

 
1) Microsoft tablet will use same Windows 8 operating system as PCs
2) Comes with built-in stand and keyboard to replicate experience of laptop
3) Company refuses to reveal price of tablet or confirm exact release date

 

Microsoft is to take on Apple in a war of the tablet computers with the launch of its own ‘iPad killer’ – the Surface.

It is a dramatic move for the US technology company, which historically has focused on producing software rather than hardware.

But after some success with the Xbox series of entertainment consoles, it now hopes to challenge Apple and Android in the lucrative touchscreen tablet market.

The Microsoft Surface tablet was officially unveiled in Los Angeles last night, and from the favourable first impressions, it looks like we have a three-way race in the tablet market.

The Surface comes with a 10.6" screen, a clever magnetic cover which doubles as a keyboard, and a kickstand to hold it upright on a table.

In a huge paradigm shift for Microsoft, the traditional Windows Desktop has been scrapped for Microsoft's new 'Metro' tile-based theme.

IPAD AND SURFACE SIDE-BY-SIDE

Weight: Surface 676g iPad 650g

Thickness: Surface 9.3mm iPad 9.4mm

Screen size: Surface 10.6" iPad 9.7"

USB: Surface yes iPad no

Hard drive: Surface 32GB/64GB iPad 16GB/32GB/64GB

Battery life: Surface unknown iPad around 6 hours

Price: Surface unknown iPad from £479/$499

Sales of tablets are expected to triple in the next two years, topping 180million a year in 2013, easily outpacing growth in traditional PCs. Apple has sold 67million iPads in two years since the device's launch.

Apple, which makes both hardware and software for greater control over the performance of the final product, has revolutionised mobile markets with its smooth, seamless phones and tablets.

Rival Google may experiment with a similar approach after buying phone maker Motorola this year.

Compact Blue Dwarf Can’t Hide

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this view of the dwarf galaxy UGC 5497, which looks a bit like salt dashed on black velvet in this image.

The object is a compact blue dwarf galaxy that is infused with newly formed clusters of stars. The bright, blue stars that arise in these clusters help to give the galaxy an overall bluish appearance that lasts for several million years until these fast-burning stars explode as supernovae.

UGC 5497 is considered part of the M 81 group of galaxies, which is located about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major (The Great Bear). UGC 5497 turned up in a ground-based telescope survey back in 2008 looking for new dwarf galaxy candidates associated with Messier 81.

According to the leading cosmological theory of galaxy formation, called Lambda Cold Dark Matter, there should be far more satellite dwarf galaxies associated with big galaxies like the Milky Way and Messier 81 than are currently known. Finding previously overlooked objects such as this one has helped cut into the expected tally — but only by a small amount.

Astrophysicists therefore remain puzzled over the so-called "missing satellite" problem.

The field of view in this image, which is a combination of visible and infrared exposures from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys, is approximately 3.4 by 3.4 arcminutes.

Seventh heaven! Nadal secures record French Open title 2012

Nadal secures record French Open title with triumph over Djokovic

There could be few more ignominious or unfitting ends to a dream than the one which befell Novak Djokovic as he tried to kindle his hopes of winning an historic fourth consecutive Grand Slam.

The double fault he served when facing a first match point in the French Open final was a horrible full stop, the last way you would think such a great competitor would cede what may prove a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

After a span of nearly 24 hours, he handed a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory to a tearful Rafael Nadal and, with it, a record seventh Roland Garros title at 26, overtaking the total of Bjorn Borg.

Yet Nadal admitted he was also apprehensive: ‘I was very nervous last night and I didn’t really feel ready to play until about three minutes before going out,’ he said.

‘But I was much more aggressive today. When we went off last  night the conditions were very unusual and I felt they were more favourable for him. I wasn’t able  to push him back.’

Venus' transit of sun

This year's grand celebration was on June 5, 2012, the Transit of Venus! We teamed up with NASA Edge to bring you an exciting web cast from atop the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

The Transit of Venus is among the rarest astronomical phenomena and won't happen again until the year 2117. So prepare now, and don't miss out on this extremely special event!

The tiny planet Venus will show up as a little black dot against the raging furnace of the Sun, which is some 100 times larger and brighter, but because Venus is so much nearer to us — about 25 million miles from Earth, as opposed to the Sun’s 93 million miles — it will appear larger. Like a pimple on the Sun’s face.  

WHEN TO SEE THE TRANSIT IN AMERICA

The Astronomers without Borders group has created an interactive time-checker to help you find out when best to view the transit, which is available here.

In the U.S., the afternoon of Tuesday is your time to see the cosmic event, from 2pm on the East Coast, and from 3pm on the West.

It will be visible until dusk in many places.

The chart above shows the times of the 2012 transit of Venus in Universal Time (essentially the same as UTC). To know when any astronomical event occurs in your part of the world, you need to translate the times to your time zone.  

Be careful and watch for the time of sunset or sunrise in your location. In the continental United States, for example, the greatest transit took place just before sunset for most of us. During last month’s solar eclipse, which was also at sunset for U.S. locations, many people told us they missed out because their viewing location was hindered by trees or tall buildings. Don’t let that happen to you! If you’re in the continental U.S., be sure to find a viewing location with a clear view of the horizon.