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Aug 12, 2012 10:00 AM   The Mars Rover Curiosity may have been able to execute a staggeringly complex descent and stick the landing, but isn't exactly ready for the mission ahead of it, yet. First, it needs a good old fashioned software update. The update, or "brain transplant" as NASA calls it, will take place in steps over the course of several days, just like when you boot up your Windows computer. The goal is to outfit Curiosity with some software that's less about landing and more about getting around on the surface of an alien planet, specifically avoiding obstacles. NASA's Ben Cichy, a chief software engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission puts it this way: "We designed the mission from the start to be able to upgrade the software as needed for different phases of the mission. The flight software version Curiosity currently is using was really focused on landing the vehicle. It includes many capabilities we just don't need any more. It ...

Aug 11, 2012 9:00 PM   Yes. I'm going there. While considered to be one of the worst movies ever, I maintain that watching Battlefield Earth can be a fun, education experience so long as you pair it with two things: friends and alcohol. Obviously I'm coming at this from the "so bad, it's good; let's all laugh at someone else's horrifying inadequacy while tacitly patting ourselves on the back for not having failed so miserably in such a public way" angle, but that's not the only way to come at it. If you're interested in the mechanics of how good fiction works, how the seams are sewn, and how the pieces fit together, there's only so much to learn from good examples. Yeah, good movies are actually enjoyable on a level other than the ironic, but the gears are hidden. Battlefield Earth lets you see how the mechanisms of story-telling work by showing you how bad they can fail. Really bad. Battlefield Earth is streaming on Netflix now, so if yo...

It's not remotely easy to create a pair of headphones that combine awesome audio quality, portability, style, and a favorable price tag. Could Harman Kardon's new CL headphones be the rare pair that does it all? Lightweight, well-made, on-ear headphones. You know those people who really like music? It's for them. A steel band connects the matte black foam and pleather on-ear cups, and a leather inner band sits on top of your head. Plenty of cushion. Designed to be used on the go, the Harman Kardon CLs are sensitive enough to deliver plenty of detail, clarity and bass from a smartphone, tablet or computer. But they also respond well to more power. When plugged into Audioengine's D1 DAC and headphone amp, 320 kbps tracks instantly sounded cleaner. Bass tightened, resolution improved, and highs sparkled. The low end frequencies were a bit too boomy, and the mids could be a bit more present, but nothing sounded bad. All in all, audio coming from the CLs is stellar. Versat...