Nokia N95 -- very hot phone!!

There is no other phone more exciting than this phone- er, computer. Considering its wide range of never before seen features for a 'phone', this is simply a must have for phone lovers. With 5-mega pixels, GPS, high speed internet, the loved interface, wide-screen... no more i shall say - no further... this phone is such a breathtaking, earthshaking, (I know I'm exaggerating), anticipated breakthrough... The downside... is... though its metallic design may dazzle you at first, prolonged use wears out the beautiful coat, giving you an impression of cheap plastic casing, unworthy of encasing such powerful device... and its lack of protection of camera... well its not a camera, and lack of digicam features, makes the excuse of bringing your phone alone to an expedition lousy. Certainly, cameras are still in the mainline of photography. And no, this is not a computer device, although they call it a computer phone, which is technically a no-no and by they, i mean um--- nah forget it. anyways, this phone may be great, but it's not a miniature computer for you to rely on deeply. What about saving time saving documents? What about wide screen movies? Plus, what kind of music quality are you bringing to us - (we need water, sweat-resistant earphones during our fitness rounds). This is simply a must have but not an all-do. (Think of its memory capacity!) But thank you anyways--- we now have this exciting new phone... forget the downside, indulge

What are space stations?

Astronauts spend a few days at a time in space aboard the space shuttle. Longer periods, weeks , months or over a year, have been spent on the Mir space station. A space station is a craft permanently in orbit round the Earth. It is where the astronauts work in space. It is considered as home in space of the astronauts in conditions of zero gravity.

Space stations are usually made up of several modules that are sent into orbit, one at a time, and assembled in space. Some space stations such as the Russian Mir, stayed up for many years, and their crews remained in space for months at a time.

Russian cosmonauts have lived on seven different space stations since 1971. The first were all called Salyut, but Mir was the last and most successful one. Mir was too large to launch in one go. Parts were transported separately and assembled in space. Mir was continously inhabited by cosmonauts from February 1987 to mid-1999.

The International Space Station (ISS) is now being constructed in orbit around Earth. It will take about 70 flights by Russian Proton rockets and American shuttles to trasport all the parts into space for assembly. The first arrived in 1998 and the station was fully completed last 2004. A cooperative effort by 16 nations, the ISS provided living-quarters and science laboratories for up to 7 astronauts.

How do satellites work?

Most satellites are made and operated by commercial companies. There are a number of different types; navigation, communication, scientific, military and Earth-monitoring. The first of them started working for us over 40 years ago.

Communication satellites are such a part of everyday life, we use them without realizing it. A sporting event or pop concert happening at one place can be seen by people on the other side of the world at the same time. Cameras film the action, the TV signal is beamed to a satellite above the event, the signal is relayed round Earth by satellites until it reaches one above the opposite side of the planet. The signal is sent down to Earth where it is received and the event watched. Millions of telephone conversations and communications on the Internet, are also handled this way.

Our daily weather forecasts use information from weather satellites that are positioned around the globe. They observe the cloud patterns, monitor Earth's atmosphere, record its temperature range and look out for storms. The whole of Earth's surface has been imaged many times by satellites studying Earth's natural resources such as its forest, icecaps and oceans. They reveal short- and long-term changes to the planet.

Military satellites can be used for spying on other countries, guiding missiles, or being a weapon themselves. Navigation satellites pinpoint any position on Earth and are an invaluable aid to navigators on land, sea and in the air. Astronomical satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope look into space and give us spectacular views of the stars and galaxies.

What is a satellite?

A satellite is an object that orbits a planet. The Moon is Earth satellite, and all the planets except Mercury and Venus have them. Natural satellites, however, are usually referred to as moons, and man-made satellites, often called artificial satellites, are what is usually meant by the word 'satellite'.

There are about 1,000 of them working in space right now. Each one is a scientific package designed to carry out a particular job. They orbit between about 300 and 1000 km above Earth's surface and are launched into orbit by a rocket or occasionally by a space shuttle.

Space satellites have revolutionized communications, making possible everyday developments such as mobile phones and television. Communications satellites receive signals beamed at them from the Earth, and send them on to other places. They transmit television and telephone signals around the world, even to remote areas. They are also used for defence communications, including checking on the movement of military forces. Satellites can survey the Earth's surface, predict weather changes and track hurricanes. They can also help to examine resources such as xrops, forests and even minerals. Navigation satellites enable people on land or at sea to work out their exact map position, to within a few meters.

What is a space shuttle?

A new type of space vehicle, the space shuttle, was launched in 1981. It is the first re-usable spacecraft. It was developed to provide a re-usable, and therefore cheaper, vehicle for launching satellites and for work in space.

The shuttle's main difference from the conventional rocket is that it is a reusable system. It uses rocket technology to launch into space, but then returns to Earth like a glider plane. Two of its three main parts can be reused many times. The three main parts of the shuttle are the orbiter, the fuel tank, and the two booster rockets. The crew and cargo fly inside the orbiter, the space plane. This is the part of the shuttle that is launched into space. It acts as a workshop for the astronauts while in space, and then brings them safely home.

There are four different orbiters, Columbia Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. Only one orbiter is in space at any given time. They are used as space laboratories where astronauts and scientists carry out experiments and test equipment. They are also used for launching, retrieving and repairing satellites, launching space probes, and for building the International Space Station (ISS).