odyssey

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Just say no: Polaroid returns with an instant camera shaped like...the Instagram icon.

- "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme song prompts school lockdown.

- You should watch "Room 237," a fan theory documentary about "The Shining."

- 50 fan theories that will blow your mind, and the Subreddit that goes with it.… Read more

The price of entry for Windows Phone devices has never been extremely high. The new Samsung Ativ Odyssey, which is available on Verizon for just $49.99, however, pushes the upfront cost of Windows Phone 8 down even further. This very capable device provides many of the compelling features Microsoft's latest mobile operating system has to offer. Still, with a less-than-stellar camera, a boring design, and a small screen, it faces stiff competition from Motorola's sleek Droid Razr M Android phone, which sells at the same price. For just $50 more, the HTC 8X offers a premium Windows … Read more

The Samsung Ativ Odyssey, first announced last fall at Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 launch event, will hit Verizon stores January 24. The decidedly mid-range handset will also cost a very affordable $49.99 after $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year service contract. … Read more

ThinkGeek boasts that the HAL 9000 life-size replica is the "most movie-accurate HAL 9000 replica ever created." Let's hope it's only movie-accurate enough to be entertaining and not deadly.

If you're a fan of HAL 9000 and want to bring a little bit of that relentless robotic terror into your home, you can plunk down $500 for a sentient computer of your own (minus the actual sentience.) This HAL 9000 is better-behaved than the real thing. You still get the menacing red LED eye, but he won't try to kill you.… Read more

A pair of likely photos of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey have surfaced online, thanks to reputable Twitter source @evleaks.

First announced last month, the Windows Phone 8 handset is expected to arrive at Verizon's doorstep in December, but the exact timing remains murky.

Details for the Ativ Odyssey have yet to be formally announced; rumors suggest it could feature a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor with an Adreno 225GPU. As indicated by these images, we can see that the handset will support Verizon's 4G LTE network and feature a microSD expansion card slot.

The early photos also … Read more

If a TMO News report pans out, Samsung might be quietly planning a new Windows 8 smartphone boasting a connection to T-Mobile's new 4G LTE network. Other specs the device could feature include a nimble 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a big 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD (1280x720-pixel) screen. … Read more

A six-second rocket firing Tuesday nudged NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter into position to relay telemetry from the Mars Science Laboratory back to Earth in near real time during the $2.5 billion rover's rocket-powered descent to the red planet's surface on August 6, officials said.

Odyssey entered "safe mode" July 11 after problems with the craft's attitude control system, raising the possibility that the orbiter might not be properly positioned to relay entry, descent and landing data from the rover back to Earth.

While the Curiosity rover will be sending X-band signal tones directly … Read more

Everyone's talking to the iPhone 4S' personal assistant Siri and posting their favorite exchanges. From witty banter to borderline insults, Siri has us fascinated.

Musician Jonathan Mann, for example, managed to sing a hilarious duet with Siri, which is posted below. Mann uses some of the most popular questions people have been asking Siri, like "will you marry me?" and "what is the meaning of life?"

You'll have to watch the video to see Siri's snarky answers. … Read more

Two iPhone 4s will be on board NASA's final shuttle mission next month.

According to Odyssey Space Research, it has developed an iPhone app, called SpaceLab for iOS, that will be used on the International Space Station for several months this year to conduct space research. The iPhones will get to the ISS on the Atlantis space shuttle.

While in space, those in the International Space Station will complete four experiments. According to Odyssey, a "Limb Tracker" experiment will involve taking pictures of the Earth with the iPhone, and "matching an arc to the horizon through manipulation of an overlay." That experiment, the organization said, will help to "yield an estimate of altitude and 'off-axis' angle, a measurement of the angle of the image with respect to the Earth's center."

In addition, the iPhone 4 will be used in a "sensor calibration experience" that will help to improve the accuracy of future iPhone measurements. The iPhone's gyroscope and accelerometer will be employed to determine the latitude and longitude of the spacecraft.

Finally, the researchers will use the iPhone to measure radiation effects on the smartphone while in space.

To bring earthlings in on the fun, Odyssey has launched its application in Apple's App Store. Users can buy the app for 99 cents and perform the same experiments with information simulated "to account for the presence of gravity."

Odyssey's iPhones are scheduled to launch on July 8 when Atlantis takes off on its final mission.… Read more