Journalism | Nicole DiGiose

Smartphones Journey to Space in New, Leaner Spacecraft Era

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Created with affordable, everyday technology, small spacecraft are paving the way for future ideas

If there’s anyone who knows about spacecraft technology, it’s the Chief of Mission Design Division (MDD) at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Chad Frost. Being at the forefront of the aerospace industry for more than 25 years, Frost has designed and analyzed many flight control systems for aircraft. Now leading the MDD, he and his staff develop new spacecraft, technologies, tools, and mission concepts to accomplish revolutionary science on strict budgets.

Each year, millions of dollars go into spacecraft hardware, avionics, electronics, and software, even for small satellites. But as the world’s technology constantly advances, new and unexpected ideas are born.

“A few years ago, we had the intriguing idea that you might actually be able to build a spacecraft around a smartphone,” Frost said. “As a society, we’ve driven consumer electronics really hard to the point where they are just amazingly capable little devices, and ridiculously affordable for what they can do.”

With that in mind, NASA began brainstorming ways to build systems around familiar everyday technology. Intrigued by building a much smaller spacecraft based entirely on consumer devices and other low-cost systems, NASA got to work on combining a consumer-grade smartphone in conjunction with other commercial off-the-shelf components. The result was the PhoneSat project, the joint effort of three smartphones in orbit, as part of NASA’s nanosatellite mission.

Image taken by the PhoneSat 2.0 (Graham) nanosatellite. Reconstructed by the Ames PhoneSat Team. Credit: NASA Ames

NASA brings space to Earth

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

American lives are touched by space technology every day

Since 1976, over 1,600 documented NASA technologies have worked their way into everyday life, creating jobs and improving the quality of life in the United States. The Space Shuttle Program, which was the United States government’s manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, has generated at least 120 technology spinoffs that many Americans rely on every day.

Unexpected Discoveries

Among the most outstanding spinoffs developed from the Space Shuttle Program are life-saving medical innovations, energy-conserving insulation and design elements, and protective eyewear.

Some of the most important discoveries were advances in medical technology, such as the creation of heart pumps. The lives of more than 200 people were saved with tiny heart pumps developed from space shuttle fuel pump technology. The miniaturized ventricular assist pumps were a result of collaboration between doctors and NASA engineers. The pumps are one inch in diameter, weighing less than four ounces, and have kept hundreds of patients alive as they waited for transplants.

NASA’s artificial heart pump. Image via nasa.gov.

One of the shuttle’s most flexible spinoffs is NASA’s form of aerogel, the world’s lightest solid and one of the most effective insulators, that was used to keep liquid hydrogen fuel for the shuttle below -253 degrees C. Now aerogel is used to protect homes and industrial equipment, warm the feet of mountain climbers, and treat painful circulatory disorders.

NASA’s aerogel. Image via nasa.gov.

Smartphone used to hack into a plane cockpit

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products

A security researcher was able to hack an aircraft’s cockpit with an Android smartphone

After you board a plane and are safely buckled in your seat, the pilot reminds you and the other passengers with their noses tucked into their touchscreens to power off all electronic devices. If they interfere with the in-flight management system, there could be some serious disturbances. But still, there are the few testy travelers who ignore the pilot’s requests, because, really, how much harm can a little smart phone do?

Apparently a lot, as was evidenced by a security researcher, who claimed that he could hack into an aircraft’s cockpit with his Android mobile phone.

Image via marketplace.org.

At the annual security conference, Hack In The Box, which took place in Amsterdam this year, security researcher, Hugo Teso, demonstrated that it’s possible to take full control of aircraft flight systems and communications. All you need are two things: an Android smartphone and a specialized attack code. Read More

The sun’s strongest flare this year

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

As the sun reaches the end of its 11-year cycle, solar flares will become increasingly common

Classified as an M6.5 flare, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a striking image of the strongest flare emitted from the sun this year.

The M6.5 solar flare captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Image via nasa.gov.

Though it’s 10 times less powerful than the strongest flares recorded, which are labeled as X-class flares, an M-class flare, like the one pictured below, can still cause space weather effects near Earth. This particular flare produced a radio blackout, categorized as an R2 on a scale between R1 and R5 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) space weather scales, but has since died out. Read More

The History of the Cuba Libre

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Chilled Magazine.

Known in the United States as the classic rum and Coke, the Cuba Libre is among the most popular of drinks. It can be found anywhere, from inside the plastic cups of college students to the local bar to high-end fancy resorts. It’s refreshing, it’s delicious, and it’s simple to make.

Though it’s loved around the world by people of all ages, the story behind this famous cocktail’s origin is a bit murky. Most accounts agree that it dates back to Havana around 1900, after the Spanish-American War, which began and ended in 1898 and led to Cuban independence. The name of the drink, Cuba Libre, means “Free Cuba,” which was the battle cry of the Cuban Liberation Army. Read More

The Quest to Discover Mad Science

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Every weekend, “The King of Random,” Grant Thompson, performs his very own risky science experiments

Dubbing himself as “The King of Random,” Grant Thompson knows how to think outside of the box. From creating butter candles and paper plate speakers to lighting a fire with pee and making hi-power balloon shooters, it looks like Thompson’s daring curiosity will take him just about anywhere.

But believe it or not, Thompson said most of his rather risky ideas come from life in general. He has a knack for recreating ordinary, everyday items into something different, and totally extraordinary. “Some are just for fun and for science demonstrations, but mainly it’s a quest for knowledge in exploring how the world around us works,” he said about his experiments.

Interested in making homemade rocket fuel? The King of Random has the recipe!

Thompson’s first project began with an Oxy-Hydrogen generator. After seeing an advertisement online claiming that you could use water as fuel to run cars and motors, naturally, Thompson couldn’t ignore the instinct to try it himself. “I was skeptical about the claims, and rightly so, but that led me on a journey to explore the claims, and after a few days I learned that the water was being split into hydrogen and oxygen gasses which were highly explosive,” he said. With this information in mind, he discovered a step-by-step instruction guide on how to build a simple generator, and began toying with it. As for the results of this project, you’ll have to see for yourself in his video, “Water To Fuel Converter (Explosive Gas by Electrolysis)” as well as “How To Make Water Explode!” Read More

Swim Through the Sky This Summer

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Long Island Trends Magazine.

Looking to have the time of your life? Make this summer soar above the rest and plunge into the sky at Skydive Long Island, located in the beautiful town of Calverton.

Take things to the extreme and swoop into the blue from 13,500 feet up to experience the world above the clouds. Enjoy breathtaking views of Long Island’s wonderful scenery, including the famous twin forks, the Hamptons, and the Atlantic Ocean. On a clear day, you can even spot the New York City skyline, about 70 miles away.

Me, on top of the world, June 2010.

To jump, you must be at least 18 years of age and no more than 225 pounds. No experience is necessary. You’ll be attached to a fully certified, topnotch skydiver, with thousands of jumps beneath his/her belt. Leave it to your instructor to pull the two parachutes and enjoy the energizing ride.

When the plane door opens and it’s your turn to dive, you’ll leap into the world and begin free-falling against the wind at quickening speeds. The rush of cool air and the bright, blue sky surrounding you at all angles will get your adrenaline pumping, but before you know it, you’ll feel the pull of the large parachute and you’ll be floating upright in a sitting position above the beaches, farms, and towns of Long Island. Depending on the weather, your instructor may even give you the chance to steer the parachute. Read More

Hubble Finds Light and Dust in a Nearby Starburst Galaxy

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Astronomers are looking into what happens within these unusual star formations

Earlier this month, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a small, glistening hook in the dark sky, an incredible object known as J082354.96+280621.6, or J082354.96 for short. This unusual high rate of accumulating stars is known as a starburst galaxy.

Starburst galaxy J082354.96. Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA.

The rate of star formation in a starburst galaxy is so excessive that the galaxy consumes all of its gas accumulation, which the stars form from, on a timescale much shorter than the existence of the galaxy itself. Since it only occupies a brief period of a galaxy’s evolution, the starburst nature of a galaxy is just a phase. Read More

A Sweet Way to Chill

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Chilled Magazine.

Looking for a sweet way to cool down? To welcome the sunny skies, Manhattan’s signature rooftop bar, Loopy Doopy, is serving up its best seasonal cocktails, prepared with a fun new twist bursting with flavor: fruit aromatic ice cubes.

Sip on a deliciously mixed drink dressed in fruit-flavored ice cubes as you soak in breathtaking views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan from 16 stories up. Make a splash with an assortment of seasonal ice cubes, made with fresh fruit purees, including raspberry for Loopy Doopy’s Pear Berry Lemonade cocktail, or lime for their refreshing margarita. Want to add an herbal bite to your cocktail? Purple basil and mint ice cubes are also available. No matter the flavor, these delectable cubes are sure to enhance any summer cocktail. Read More

Headphones scan brainwaves to match music to your mood

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

To create the perfect soundtrack, Mico headphones use a brainwave sensor to detect the wearer’s emotions

Before that song even has a chance, you hit the “next” button on Pandora, even if you previously gave it a thumbs-up. Then, most likely, you continue to do so until you’re at your limit. The new Mico headphones from Neurowear turn things up a notch. By scanning your brain, these headphones can select a song based on how you’re feeling.

Image via gizmag.com.

Protruding from the front of these bulky headphones is an EEG (electroencephalograph) sensor, which allows the headphones to analyze the wearer’s brain patterns and determine their mood. Once the wearer’s state of mind is detected, their mood is matched with a suitable song. Read More