After MapQuest and other similar services made computer based mapping second nature to millions of people, software developers decided to turn their attention to the skies, bringing “sky mapping” to the desktop. Microsoft WorldWide Telescope, Google Sky (part of Google Earth), and Stellarium offer three different takes on how to explore the galaxies from your computer. Best of all, all three are free, so the cost of entry for accessing all of this information is nonexistent. Read on to learn what differentiates each product and how good of an experience they deliver to the user.

Part 1: Google Earth with Google Sky

Part 2: Microsoft WorldWide Telescope

Part 3: Stellarium

Unlike WorldWide Telescope and Google Earth, which are both free, Stellarium is both free and open source. It is licensed under the GPL (General Public License); as such, community members continually improve the software. Stellarium is available as a desktop application for Windows, OS X, and Linux, and can be downloaded from www.stellarium.org.

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It seems like every day a new online media portal pops up; the flavor of the week was Vevo, and undoubtedly over the past year Hulu has made the biggest splash in the online content arena. But where is the fun in watching your favorite content on a cramped computer screen in a stiff office chair? This article will hopefully give you some solid ideas on how to move all of this high quality free content onto your TV screen where it belongs.

There are numerous ways to bridge the gap between the internet and your TV; Vizio, Samsung, and others are even beginning to integrate online connectivity directly into their sets. Countless set-top boxes, Blu-Ray players, and dedicated streaming devices are available. But the downside to all of these options is high cost and a limited set of options; proprietary solutions nearly always limit you to a certain subset of online content.

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The Palm Pre is out. Without a doubt the most revolutionary handset since the release of the first generation iPhone, the Pre challenges old ways of thinking in the mobile space. It’s contact integration, multi-tasking, and refinement are second to none.

What does this mean for the old-fashioned Palm Handheld, and mobile computing in the scientific world?

For nearly 15 years, Palm’s stand-alone PDAs were the number one choice for physicians, business travelers, and scientists working in the field. But with the launch of the Pre and the final end of the line for Palm’s remaining PDAs, the TX, Tungsten E2, and Z22, it’s clear that Palm is leaving this market behind, with these products having been removed from the Palm website several months ago. Major retailers no longer have them in stock.

It’s been a long time coming. Palm’s OS and PDA hardware haven’t been updated since 2005. But to many, it comes as a shock that the go-to mobile device is essentially gone.

But wait, you say, what about the smartphone? Can’t it do anything a PDA can?

In a sense, yes. But there are a particular set of qualities that make a stand-alone PDA irreplacable.

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Gimp is another example of a terrific open source program.  For myself and many users, Gimp offers an easier-to-use experience than Photoshop for less complex things.  Making a starfield is one of them, with the main principles being the creation of “noise” or static and colorization of certain regions.

Start by downloading and installing Gimp, for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.  In addition, obtain the planet-render plugin from here and paste it into the “plugins” folder in the application directory.  This is not necessary, but it enables for stylish planets to be added to the starfield when you’re done.  In ubuntu, you can install this plugin automatically by installing the gimp-plugin-registry package.

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Open source software has long been the passion of Linux users and general computer enthusiasts alike.  However, early applications were buggier and lacked the features of their commercial counterparts.

But these days are mostly over.  In the past several years, the open source community has taken great leaps.  OpenOffice.org, a viable alternative to Microsoft Office, recently released a new 3.0 version that strengthens its hold as a completely free alternative that accomplishes most of the same tasks as Microsoft’s offering.

There are literally thousands of open source projects in operation.  However, one especially worth mentioning is Blender.  Billed as “the free open source 3D content creation suite,” Blender offers astonishingly excellent animation capabilities that give DreamWorks and Pixar’s own proprietary tools and those from industry heavyweight Avid a run for their money.

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