Fire destroys 3 buildings at Flight 93 memorial

Fire destroys 3 buildings at Flight 93 memorial

Associated Press - ‎Saturday‎, ‎October‎ ‎4‎, ‎2014

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A fire at the Flight 93 National Memorial destroyed three administrative buildings on Friday, leaving officials concerned about some of the memorabilia and archival material stored there.

Wind-whipped flames didn't touch the under-construction memorial and visitors center, which are about 2 miles away on the large property in rural western Pennsylvania, National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said. No one was injured in the fire, whose cause is under investigation.
The buildings comprised the park's headquarters, with conference facilities, storage space and the superintendent's office. About 10 percent of the memorial's archival collection was kept on site, and many objects were in fireproof safes, officials said.

Park staff saved an oral history collection and photo collection. The Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the memorial last month was not on site, officials said, but a full inventory will have to wait.

"Until the area is declared safe, however, staff will not be able to access the collection storage area and determine the condition of any other objects," the park service said in a statement.
Among the items whose status is unclear is a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 11, 2001. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who led the chamber on the day of the attacks, donated it during an anniversary ceremony last month.

The memorial, in Shanksville, marks the spot where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed during the Sept. 11 attacks. The plane, which was traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, went down in a reclaimed strip mine after passengers fought back against its hijackers. All 33 passengers and seven crew members were killed along with the hijackers.

A memorial plaza was completed in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks in 2011. It features a white stone wall, which traces the path of the doomed flight, with separate panels for each victim. There are plans for a 93-foot-tall tower with 40 wind chimes.
Officials have said they hope construction of the visitors center, which is estimated to cost $17 million to $23 million, will be finished by June. That would give park officials three months to install exhibits in time to open for the 14th anniversary of the crash.

The president of the Families of Flight 93, Gordon Felt, issued a statement expressing sadness about the fire and saying the group awaited further information on the cause.
All told, the park is expected to cost about $60 million. The government spent another $10 million for the land, which is about 75 miles east of Pittsburgh.
anniversary of the crash.

The president of the Families of Flight 93, Gordon Felt, issued a statement expressing sadness about the fire and saying the group awaited further information on the cause.
All told, the park is expected to cost about $60 million. The government spent another $10 million for the land, which is about 75 miles east of Pittsburgh.

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Does One Direction Feel Threatened By 5 Seconds of Summer?

GETTY IMAGES

One Direction has proven that they love 5 Seconds of Summer, but Simon Cowell has apparently been warning the group to "watch out" for their opening act. We thought everything was cool between them, but it turns out, 1D might actually be scared 5SOS will steal their fan base!

"Steal My Girl" songwriter Julian Bunetta revealed that the track has another meaning besides simply being about their girlfriends — it's also about their fans!

"There are a few meanings behind it…there is the one that speaks to the bigger picture of them and their fans, and there is the one that speaks to the actual person in your life, and that was very intentional,” he told MTV News.

"If you have something great, everyone is going to try and take it from you. And that also speaks to the fanbase, I think, ’cause of other groups [trying to steal the 1D fanbase].”

While we don't think 1D has any bad feelings towards 5SOS, there are a lot of boy bands like The Vamps that have become super-popular recently. We had no clue they were anxious about losing their Directioners, but we think there's room for everyone! They have nothing to worry about.

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Can You Guess the Major Hair Makeover Demi Lovato Is Planning

Credit : Instagram

There's a brand new Demi Lovato hair makeover brewing ... we just don't know exactly what it is yet! The singer shared an exciting pic on her Instagram page to announce that she wants to try out a new hairstyle, because she "needs some color" in her life!

Demi's current style is a natural brunette shade with touches of honey blonde ombre at the tips, but judging by her photo we're thinking she's about to debut a fiery red shade! We can't wait to see her new look!

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You'll Never Believe Who Inspired Taylor Swift's New Keds Shoe Designs

We always knew that Olivia was one of Taylor's most stylish accessories:

We always love Taylor Swift's fashionable footwear, so it's no surprise that we're obsessed with her Taylor Swift for Keds Collection designs. Still, we officially flipped out when we saw her "Sneaky Cat" sneakers, because the cute cartoon cat design on her latest shoe launch was inspired by her adorable kitten, Olivia Benson! The fluffy white cat even made her modeling debut showing off the kicks in the cutest shoe pic ever.

The cute cat design isn't the only way Taylor's latest shoe style is totally customized to her personality: the backs of the sneaks also have Tay's birthday printed on them!

Keds "Sneaky Cat" Shoes, $55, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Keds "Sneaky Cat" Shoes, $55, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Keds "Sneaky Cat" Shoes, $55, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Keds Taylor Swift Champion Finches, $40, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Taylor Swift's Champion Bleach Denim Floral Keds, $55, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Taylor Swift's Rally Metallic Dot Keds, $60, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Taylor Swift's Champion Finches, $40, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

Taylor Swift's Champion Bow Stripe Keds, $40, Keds.com

Credit: Keds

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Selena Gomez Admits She Doesn't Handle Fame Well

Even though Selena Gomez always seems so polished and put-together, the "Come & Get It" singer revealed that she isn't immune to the difficulties of fame. In a recent interview, she confessed that she doesn't deal with all the drama surrounding her life as well as she appears!

"Sometimes, I’ll be honest, I don’t handle all of this as well as people think, so it’s been important to really figure out what makes me feel grounded," she told Into the Gloss.

"It’s been such a transitional year for me — I moved out of my parents’ house this year and into my own place," she said. "I also took my first break ever and have been using the time to really concentrate on what makes me happy."

Since Selena is finally working on new music, we hope this is a sign that she had a nice break, and is ready to jump back into her career. 

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Samsung's take on Android L looks very familiar

Samsung's take on Android L looks very familiar

Jon Fingas

Engadget

You've probably seen plenty of Google's stock Android L interface by now, but custom interfaces are another story. What will the OS look like when device makers get hold of it? If SamMobile's experience with an early, leaked version of Samsung's TouchWiz software is any indication, it will be... remarkably familiar. At least on the Galaxy S5, it looks like the current front-end with splashes of Google's Material Design philosophy thrown in. Core apps and notifications are now full of card-like, colorful elements, but the home screen, app tray and many other elements resemble what you've seen on existing Samsung hardware.
This doesn't preclude a more conspicuous interface redesign for devices built for Android L from the start, of course. Also, SamMobile is quick to warn that this is very rough code. Many animations are missing, and the performance isn't up to par just yet. And however unfinished this TouchWiz build may be, its mere existence is good news -- it suggests that manufacturers could upgrade your device to the latest Android release comparatively quickly.
Source: SamMobile

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Tesla CEO promises a self-driving model for next year

Tesla CEO promises a self-driving model for next year

Edgar Alvarez

Engadget

Last night, Elon Musk told the world that Tesla was ready to reveal its "D" on October 9th, as well as preparing us for "something else" to expect along the way. But the CEO isn't done teasing just yet. In a recent interview with CNN Money, Musk's let it be known that a Tesla car next year "will probably be 90 percent capable of autopilot," though he didn't dive into any specifics about which model(s) this comment was in reference to. "You know, so 90 percent of your miles could be on auto. For sure highway travel," the Tesla boss added. Such a thing would be possible, Musk said, by combining different sensors with image-recognition cameras, radars and long-rage ultrasonics -- which, without a doubt, paints a bright picture for future vehicles from the company. "Other car companies will follow ... Tesla is a Silicon Valley company. I mean, if we're not the leader, then shame on us."

Source: CNN Money (Twitter)

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Flipboard finally arrives for Windows Phone

Flipboard finally arrives for Windows Phone

Billy Steele

Engadget

Have you been frustrated that your Nokia handset hasn't had the same Flipboard access as your Windows PC and tablet?
Well, you're in luck.
The popular reading app has finally made its way to Microsoft's mobile OS. Outfitting Windows Phone 8.1 devices with at least 1GB of RAM, the software has been retooled specifically for smartphones with easy access to Cover Stories' highlights, search and sharing options.
It'll come preloaded on the Lumia 830 that's set to arrive soon, and compatibility for phones with less memory is in the works as well.
If your device meets the current requirements though, you can get to downloading right now.
Source: Blogging Windows, Flipboard

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Security researchers detail 'unpatchable' USB hack

Security researchers detail 'unpatchable' USB hack

Chris Velazco

Engadget

Remember Karsten Nohl? The security researcher who discovered how to infect just about any USB device with scarily savvy malware and delivered a lengthy talk about it at this year's Black Hat conference? At the time he didn't want to share the code for his exploit, but fellow researchers Adam Caudill and Brandon Wilson figured out how to pull off some of the same tricks and they've published their findings on GitHub. Why? To try and force device manufacturers to get their security acts together.
Nohl's reason for withholding his code the first time around was because he thought it was "unpatchable" -- that is, there wouldn't be an easy firmware fix for this potentially huge problem. We do mean huge, too: the so-called BadUSB proof-of-concept allowed Nohl (along with Caudill and Wilson after the fact) to manipulate files installed from an infected USB device, make an infected gadget act as a faux-keyboard that attackers could control, and in some cases relay personal information to a remote server. Some might argue that releasing this sort of information into the wild is irresponsible and dangerous, but Caudill and Wilson hope to get USB vendors thinking seriously about this potential threat by proving that there's nothing potential about it.Source: GitHub

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Nokia Here Auto displays trip info in more places

Nokia Here Auto displays trip info in more places

Billy Steele

Engadget

Nokia first trotted out its Here Auto connected car platform just over a year ago, and at this week's Paris Motor Show, the company is showing off the latest developments. In order to properly equip the rise in heads-up display tech, Here Auto now shows its info in more places around on the dash. In addition to the main display between the driver and passenger, navigation details and more can be beamed to a HUD or under the steering wheel. The central cluster's route data is "context aware," so when you're low on fuel, it'll show gas stations along the way. During the drive, passengers can employ smartphone and tablet apps to examine the trip and make the most of stops. If a nearby national park is selected, the driver can okay (or reject) the detour and directions get automatically updated. And with a new SDK, auto makers can customize Nokia's system as needed, adding in of CarPlay, Google Auto and more.
Source: Nokia Here

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Now you can test drive a Lexus RC F with the Oculus Rift

Now you can test drive a Lexus RC F with the Oculus Rift

Sean Buckley

Engadget 

Wondering what it's like to get behind the wheel of Lexus' high-performance 2015 RC F sports coupé? Now you can find out -- well, sort of. The company has built a virtual reality RC F using the car's actual steering column, foot pedals and an Oculus Rift DK2 headset. It calls the setup the Lexus RC F Rift, naturally, and it'll be at select auto shows across the nation for the next several months. The player can race the car around a virtual track, but it's not clear if the VR test drive is an accurate representation of how the real vehicle handles. At the very least, it's a novel way to get a feel for the car's interior, and a good look at how companies outside of the gaming industry may use virtual reality technology in the future.
Source: Lexus (YouTube)

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Finally, the flying car may have landed

Finally, the flying car may have landed

Philip Oltermann in Berlin

The Guardian 

From the Jetsons’ aerocar to the “spinner” in Blade Runner, via Doc Brown’s modified DeLorean in the Back to the Future films, the flying car has been part of visions of the future for so long that it almost feels retro.

A first patent was registered in 1903 and Waldo Waterman’s “aerobile” went on its maiden flight in 1937. Yet, 100 years later, automobiles are still frustratingly short of options when stuck in traffic.
Things may be about to change: in 2014, talk of the first genuine flying car is setting the tech scene abuzz again. In June, Terrafugia announced that it was two years away from finishing its first “roadable aircraft” , but now it looks like the US company will be beaten to the prize.

Organisers of Vienna’s Pioneers Festival, an annual conference for future technology and digital entrepreneurship, announced on Thursday that they would unveil the prototype of “the world’s most advanced flying car” on 29 October.

An earlier prototype of the Flying Roadster by Slovakian company AeroMobil reportedly took its first test flight in October last year. The latest version will be tested a day before its premiere, on 28 October.

Company co-founder Juraj Vaculik said that AeroMobil had sped up the prototyping process after having seen “enthusiastic reactions of the global engineering and design community”.

Weighing 450 kg, with carbon-fibre wings that fold behind the cabin and a flight top speed of 124mph, the two-seater promises to be more of a flying sports car than a flying family car.

“We want to make personal transportation exciting, more efficient and sustainable. With ever more cars on the roads and ever more crowded airports, travelling is no longer what it used to be,” said AeroMobil’s CEO Stefan Klein, who has been working on developing a flying car for two decades.

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