Amazon Family Sharing

Amazon is following in the footsteps of Apple and introducing a feature that allows family members to share Kindle books. It makes the Kindle Paperwhite even more attractive - although I see the refurb has gone back up to $99.

GPS vs. Certified Course

An infograph:

I see the difference even on short courses. I have a goal of breaking 20 minutes for a 5k. I've come within three seconds of doing that - except for one race, my time was 19:40 for the course. I don't think I magically gained 20 seconds - and my watch that normally reads high for distances, only reported 3.03 miles.

Outernet Lantern

Outernet, humanity's public library:

"Outernet takes the best of the web and broadcasts it from space for every human on Earth. The content we broadcast is determined by anyone who chooses to vote on the most important things to share with humanity. Outernet repurposes broadcast satellite tv equipment and we offer instructions on how to build a DIY-receiver. Once a receiver is configured, Outernet’s content can be accessed by any WiFi-enabled device. 

Oh, and Outernet is free to use, always."

And now they have an Indiegogo project for their receiver, the Outernet Lantern.


Via SWLing

Asimov's Foundation Series coming to HBO?

It's been years since I've read the books, but I'd like to see what HBO could do with Asimov's Foundation series.

More Space News

First, there is this:

400 days until 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' hits cinemas near you! #EpisodeVII #Stayontarget pic.twitter.com/8kSRsHuWsM
— Star Wars VII (2015) (@StarWars_VII) November 13, 2014

And also pictures from the probe that landed (bounced) on the comet.

Updated Ham Radio Handbooks

Get your ARRL 2015 Handbook for Radio Communications or your RSGB Radio Communication Handbook 12th  Edition.

RSGB via G1KQH

Xiegu X108: Yahoo Group

There is now a separate Yahoo Group for the X108 in addition to the original X1M group.

Space News

First, all your base is belong to us:



Via Dustbury

Second, Europe borrows the plot from a movie I love to hate and lands a probe on a comet.

Lastly, Google buys an old NASA space hanger. These seems like a necessary step in the plan for Skynet.

Veterans Day

I didn't post this yesterday, because I think we should be thankful for the men and women who are willing to serve for more than one day out of the year. Lots of people posted yesterday, but this was the one that resonated the most with me.

Vitai VC-9900R

Also from the looks familiar files... VITAI VC-9900R High Performance HF/VHF/UHF Radio Transceiver:

Main Function:

• Quad-band operating frequency: 29/50/144/430MHz
• V + U/V + V/U + U dual-band operating
• AM mode for aeronautical band (108-118MHz)
• 809 Memory Channels
• Wide/Narrow Bandwidth Selective (25/12.5kHz)
• CTCSS encode/decode
• DCS encode/decode
• Cross-band repeat
• COMP function
• DTMF-ANI/5 Tone-ANI function
• 2/5 tones
• Automatic power-off
• Display brightness setting
• Hyper memory (store complete radio configuration)
• Built-in scrambler
• Compare this one with FT-8900R

Specification:

Model: VC-9900R
Type: Amateur HF/VHF/UHF Transceiver

Frequency Range
TX: 28.0-29.7/50-54/144-146/430-440MHz (Europe)
    28.0-29.7/50-54/144-148/430-450MHz (USA)
 
RX: 28.0-29.7/50-54/108-180/320-480MHz

Channel Spacing
5/10/12.5/15/20/25/50KHz steps

Working Mode
TX: FM/NFM
RX: AM/FM/NFM

Memory Channel
809

RF Output Power
Hi: 50/50/50/35W
Mid1: 20/20/20/20W
Mid2: 10/10/10/10W
Lo: 5/5/5/5W

Receiver System
double conversion super-heterodyne
1st IF
46.05 MHz (left band), 47.25MHz (right band)
2nd IF
450kHz

Sensitivity
<0 .2uv="" db="" p="" sinad="">FM: 12kHz (-6dB), 30kHz (-60dB)

Image rejection
N/A

Voltage
13.8V DC

Current drain
RX: 500mA (squelched)
TX: 8.5A (maximum)

Impedance
50Ω SO-239

Dimensions (W x H x D)
140 x 42 x 168mm
Weight
1kg

Manufactured
China, 2012 - 201x