seven

Do separate components sound better than AV receivers?

There's no doubt that the best of today's receivers sound great and come jam-packed with a vast range of features. Even entry-level models paired with a decent 5.1 speaker/subwoofer system can do a fine job, but some buyers aim higher. They may have invested in a 65-inch or larger display, or maybe a video projector and a 120-inch screen. They crave a sound that matches the grandeur of the picture, and they can get that only with separate components like the Outlaw Audio Model 975 Surround Processor and Model 7125 Power Amp.

The Model 975 Surround … Read more

How NASA tests an against-all-odds Mars rover landing

It's not every day that you land a spacecraft on Mars, even if you're NASA. And in the case of the Curiosity rover, hurtling toward a Mars landing as Sunday night turns into Monday morning, the space agency is tempting fate with a novel approach that involves a big parachute, a specially designed winch, and some very high hopes.

The rover's descent through the Martian atmosphere, which NASA has dubbed the "Seven Minutes of Terror," will be an edge-of-your-seat experience, despite the space agency's excruciating preparations.

Consider, for instance, just one key element that … Read more

NASA details looming Mars rover landing, '7 Minutes of Terror'

In just 41 days, on August 5, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover will touch down on the Red Planet, and this will be no ordinary landing. In fact, NASA has dubbed the descent "Seven Minutes of Terror."

"When people look at it, it looks crazy," senior EDL engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Adam Steltzner said in a new video by NASA on the rover landing. "It is the result of reasoned engineering thought, but it still looks crazy."

The recently released video (see below) outlines exactly how crazy the feat of landing … Read more

Calendar syncing comes to the Instinct

When we reviewed Sprint's Samsung Instinct earlier this year, there were several things we liked about the device. Naturally, we had a few complaints as well, not the least of which was the lack of corporate calendar syncing. The Instinct could get some Outlook e-mail, but without calendar syncing it had a limited appeal as a business handset.

Yet, starting Thursday, Instinct owners can get calendar syncing through a software update to the device's Mobile E-mail application. The new feature will be free of charge (provided you have a Sprint "Simply Everything" plan) and will work … Read more

Visto settles e-mail suit with Seven

Visto erased one of its patent lawsuits Tuesday, settling all claims against Seven in exchange for a licensing deal.

Last year Visto won a jury verdict against Seven, as well as $7.7 million in damages and an injunction against the sale of Seven's products that was stayed pending appeals. At the time Seven had expressed hope of overturning Visto's patents, but it has since thrown in the towel and will now license Visto's patent portfolio, the two companies announced in a press release Tuesday.

Sound familiar? It seems that patent lawyers are making just as much … Read more