Monthly Archives: June 2012

Photos from a visit to the Missile Defense Agency’s Sea-based X-band Radar Vessel


I’ve long wondered what the U.S. Defense Department Ballistic Missile Defense System’s Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX-1) vessel was like close-up whenever it docked its massive frame in Pearl Harbor. The SBX-1 is a semi-submersible self-propelled, mobile radar station designed to operate in high winds and heavy seas. Today, I got the chance to find out thanks the efforts of Honolulu-based technologist and radio show host Burt Lum and the hospitality of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Defense Department Ballistic Missile Defense System. Eleven people were allowed to tour the ship and learn more about our occasional visitor. You can see a lot of what I saw in the 25 photos posted here. You can click on any of the photos to see it in full resolution.
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Why it doesn’t matter that Microsoft alienated its hardware partners with the Surface tablet announcement


There was a lot of speculation about what Microsoft would announce on their June 18 mystery event. Some speculators dismissed the possibility that Microsoft would announce their own branded tablet as they ended up doing because of the belief that that Microsoft would not alienate their hardware partners. Yet, as Reuters reports, only a few big hardware partners were notified days before the event. And, some like Acer and Asus were left completely in the dark.

Microsoft kept PC partners in dark about Surface

Let’s take a look at a brief history of Microsoft and its touch screen mobile device hardware partners to understand why it doesn’t matter if the Microsoft Surface tablet alienate hardware partners.
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MobileNote: Steve Ballmer’s March 2011 tablet comments reimagined…

On March 1, 2011 Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage of the conference center in Bellevue, Washington to address a bunch of Microsoft MVPs (enthusiasts). At one point he held up the tablet you see in the photo above and made some comments about it. I, quite honestly, can’t remember what he said that day. And, if I did, the information might still be covered by an NDA. So, instead, I will reimagine that day and theorize what may have been going through Mr. Ballmer’s mind as he addressed a gathering of Microsoft MVPs (enthusiasts).
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MobileNote: Surprise! TIME iPad issues feature audio & video clips but Entertainment Weekly does not

I was somewhat surprised and very annoyed when the latest digital issue of TIME magazine’s cover started talking to me without asking to speak when I opened up the first of its issues delivered via Apple’s Newsstand on my iPad.

I was more pleasantly surprised to learn that this TIME issue (dated June 25, 2012) featured bonus content and a number of audio and video clips in its digital covers.

Surprisingly, however, Entertainment Weekly’s digital issue (which is published by TIME Inc. also moved to the Newsstand this past week) does not have any multimedia content. You would think it would be a prime candidate for audio and video clips of songs, TV shows, movies, and interviews. Go figure…