Meteor shower August 2010 peak comes early Friday. Emanating from the constellation Perseid, the meteor shower could yield sightings in some locations of up to 75 meteors an hour. »» read more
The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the finest shows in August's night sky, is set to dazzle the bleary-eyed in the wee hours of Friday.
If you live under very dark skies or can travel beyond the sky glow of urban America, you can expect to see up to 75 meteors an hour, astronomers suggest. If you're hardy enough to be on a mountaintop, the number could reach 108 meteors an hour.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Meteor shower August 2010: how you can get the best view
Obama backs mosque near ground zero
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Friday forcefully endorsed allowing a mosque near ground zero, saying the country's founding principles demanded no less. »» read more
"As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," Obama said, weighing in for the first time on a controversy that has riven New York City and the nation.
"That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances," he said. "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable."
Obama made the comments at an annual dinner in the White House State Dining Room celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Microsoft to launch IE9 beta on Sept. 15
Microsoft plans to launch the beta of the Internet Explorer browser on Sept. 15, according to a blog post on Thursday. »» read more
The software maker has scheduled an event in San Francisco to mark the arrival of the beta, billing the event (and the browser) as highlighting "the beauty of the Web." Microsoft also sent packages to reporters containing a variety of art supplies, such as crayons and fingerpaints, inside a box with an IE logo.
That Microsoft is holding a launch event reflects the resurgent importance of the browser and the degree to which Redmond is counting on IE9 to get it back in to serious technical competition with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Microsoft hiring for mobile game studio
Ahead of the launch of Windows Phone 7 later this year, Microsoft has started hiring for a new mobile games unit. »» read more
As noted by Neowin and other sites, there are open positions on the business and technical side.
Goo Splat, which was one of the first games ready for Windows Phone 7, is seen here.
(Credit: Microsoft)
"Interested in driving content acquisition for our first-party mobile games portfolio?" reads one listing. "Then, come join the Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) Business Development Team. Our mission is to source independent game developers and content licensors to develop next blockbuster first-party franchises for all our gaming platforms. Your goal will be to identify potential content partners and game concepts that fit into our portfolio strategy. You will join a team of diverse, dedicated, and fun business development experts to significantly contribute to the future of MGS portfolio and success."
