The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member states. Its headquarters are in Paris, France. ESA has a staff (excluding sub-contractors and national space agencies) of about 1900 with an annual budget of about €3 billion in 2006.

ESA's spaceport is the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, a site chosen because it is close to the equator from which commercially important orbits are easier to access. During the era of Ariane 4 ESA gained the position of market leader in commercial space launches and in recent years ESA has established itself as a major player in space exploration.

ESA science missions are based at ESTEC in Noordwijk, Netherlands, Earth Observation missions at ESRIN in Frascati, Italy, ESA Mission Control (ESOC) is in Darmstadt, Germany, and the European Astronauts Centre (PACI), that trains astronauts for future missions is situated in Cologne, Germany.

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NYT > Technology

Gadgetry Takes a Hit as Nervous Consumers Plan for Lean Holidays
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:59:37 -0000
Demand for electronics is falling sharply — portending extra discounts for customers in coming months but a very unhappy holiday season for retailers.
A New Line From Apple: The Metal MacBook
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:58:16 -0000
Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, announced a new line of notebook computers that he said were manufactured in a new way.
Profit Rises, but Intel Chief Offers a Gloomy Outlook
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:22:19 -0000
Intel reported solid third quarter results, while cautioning that worsening economic conditions could have an unpredictable effect on the coming month.
Authorities Shut Down Spam Ring
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:58:27 -0000
An international spam network was ordered to shut down, stopping what the authorities say was one of the most prolific spam gangs on the Internet.
The Met Opera Will Offer Performances on the Web
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:06:24 -0000
In the Metropolitan Opera’s relentless quest to exploit all media, the company next Wednesday will start making many video and audio broadcasts available for Internet streaming on demand.
Economix: In Credit Crisis, Some Turn to Online Peers for Cash
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:18:37 -0000
While conventional credit markets have frozen, imperiling the entire economy, one nontraditional lending source has become hotter: peer-to-peer lending.

NerdTV | PBS

NerdTV #13: Judy Estrin
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:00:00 -0700
Judy Estrin's career ranges from founder of Bridge Communications to CTO of Cisco to running Packet Design LLC. Quite the girl geek, eh?Download video:Entire Show:MPEG-4 | TorrentNerdy Bit:MPEG-4 | TorrentJuicy Bit:MPEG-4 | TorrentDownload subtitled video:Entire Show:With Subtitles | Torrent w/ SubtitlesNerdy Bit:With Subtitles | Torrent w/ SubtitlesJuicy Bit:With Subtitles | Torrent w/ SubtitlesDownload audio:Entire Show:MP3 | TorrentAAC | TorrentOgg Vorbis | Torrent
NerdTV #13: Judy Estrin - Transcript
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:00:00 -0700
For those who would rather read than watch or listen.
NerdTV Archives
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:00:00 -0700
Miss a past show? Check out our archives.Past guests include:#12: Bob KahnInventor of TCP/IP.#11: Doug EngelbartComputer mouse inventor.#10: Dan BricklinInventor of the Spreadsheet#9: AninaHigh Fashion Meets High Tech#8: Avram MillerCo-founder of Intel Capital#7: Dan DrakeCo-founder of Autodesk#6: Dave WinerFather of RSS and Web Logging#5: Tim O'ReillyOpen Source pioneer#4: Brewster KahleInternet Archive founder#3: Bill JoyCo-founder of Sun#2: Max LevchinCo-founder of PayPal#1: Andy HertzfeldThe first Macintosh programmer...ever

Reuters: Technology News

FBI sees rise in computer crime
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:45:56 -0400
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Computer spying and theft of personal information have risen notably in the past year, costing tens of millions of dollars and threatening U.S. security, the FBI's cyber division head said on Wednesday.
Acer gains on netbooks, HP keeps global PC lead
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:42:42 -0400
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Taiwan's Acer Inc surged past global champion Hewlett-Packard Co in European personal computer sales in the third quarter, in the clearest sign of the move toward cheap, small mini-notebook computers, research firm Gartner Inc said on Tuesday.
Apple cuts prices on notebooks
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:10:16 -0400
CUPERTINO, California (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday cut the price on its entry-level notebook computer to $999 and introduced a line of aluminum-clad machines starting at $1,299 in moves catering to budget-minded buyers at a time when recession fears loom over the global economy.

AP Top Technology News At 4:15 p.m. EDT

FCC overhaul eyes broadband but could raise bills
By JOELLE TESSLER Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:53:31 -0000
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's top telecommunications regulator wants to overhaul the fees that phone companies pay each other to connect calls and the fund that subsidizes phone service in underserved areas. Supporters say the reforms will help bring broadband to places that lack high-speed Internet, but consumer advocates question how much the plan will raise phone bills....
Microsoft attempts to sour Apple's laptop launch
By JESSICA MINTZ Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:44:05 -0000
SEATTLE (AP) -- Tactics reminiscent of a close presidential race seem to be popping up in Microsoft Corp.'s rivalry with Apple Inc....
Flat-panel TV prices set to dive, analysts say
By PETER SVENSSON Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:15:10 -0000
NEW YORK (AP) -- A combination of weak consumer spending and a peak in manufacturing capacity will push prices for flat-panel TVs down to unprecedented lows this holiday season, according to analysts....

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