End of mission for Envisat declared by ESA

Environmental Satellite or Envisat, launched in 2002, is one of the most successful earth observing (remote sensing) missions. With 10 optical and radar instruments onboard, it celebrated 10 great years in orbit. However, on 8th April 2012, it lost communication to its command center.

The last image from the satellite. Credits: ESA

The team had been trying hard to re-establish the communication; no success. Therefore, ESA has declared end of the mission for Envisat. In the press release, they said that they will keep trying for next two months. We would like to wish them a success!

More at ...
ESA Portal - ESA declares end of mission for Envisat:
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@Linkedin App for iPad: Review

TL;DR: I liked it, try!

Here is a longer version:
Well, linkedin has emerged as a useful tool in academic circle. It not only helps one to connect and keep in touch, but also get new connections.

They have recently introduced an iPad app, iPhone app was already there. My first feeling about this app is that it is absolutely good app.

Number one: the "home" layout is as if there are  three cards on a table.
"You", "All updates" and "Inbox".
This helps focus whenever we go to the app.

Number two: I find that "linkedin daily" style of updates section impressively drawn out. They could probably use little bit more contrast over the user's comment versus the web contents. Also, when I was sliding through few news pages, back and forth, it felt slightly slower.
Moreover, there is calendar inside the updates section, which I have not used yet.
To linkedin: Do you use Machine Learning to tune up the news section to people? that could be awesomely awesome! ;)

Number three: the inbox, it brings the latest message. Again, just brings the items in focus.

It is a good app, and thanks to linkedin team for a good app. Keep up the good work.

Few snapshots:

No, you can't "friend" students in NYC

Social Media Rules Limit Student-Teacher Contact - NYTimes.com: "New York City public schoolteachers may not contact students through personal pages on Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, but can communicate via pages set up for classroom use, the city’s Education Department said on Tuesday after it released its first list of guidelines governing the use of social media by employees."

To the fans of Graphene: meet silicene...

Silicene is just one atom thick layer of silicon


  http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428625.400-move-over-graphene-silicene-is-the-new-star-material.html

The papers:
Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.155501
Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 223109 (2010); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3524215
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Graphene is one-atom-thick planar sheets of carbon atoms packed in honeycomb-like structures. It has been of great research interest because of its unique physical properties. We already saw that papers with the term "graphine" was increasing drastically since 2006 [Link ].

Silicene is the silicon equivalent of graphene.
Because it can be integrated more easily into silicon chip production lines, newscientist.com speculates that its integration into electronic devices might help produce cheaper electronic devices.

Final touchdown for the shuttle Discovery

Discovery has made its final touchdown. This time on the back of another aircraft, Boeing 747, specially made for transporting the shuttle.
Discovery was regarded as a leader of the shuttles, making the most flights: 39 missions throughout its life. The era of shuttle came to an end  in 2011.

It will be in display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
I have taken few screenshots from the NASA broadcast. Enjoy! ...