Mars Rover Curiosity: Less Brainpower Than Apple's iPhone 5 256
Nerval's Lobster writes "To give the Mars Rover Curiosity the brains she needs to operate took 5 million lines of code. And while the Mars Science Laboratory team froze the code a year before the roaming laboratory landed on August 5, they kept sending software updates to the spacecraft during its 253-day, 352 million-mile flight. In its belly, Curiosity has two computers, a primary and a backup. Fun fact: Apple's iPhone 5 has more processing power than this one-eyed explorer. 'You're carrying more processing power in your pocket than Curiosity,' Ben Cichy, chief flight software engineer, told an audience at this year's MacWorld."
So... (Score:5, Funny)
... not enough power to run Angry Birds then?
Re:iPhone 5 is faster.. for a few minutes maybe. (Score:5, Funny)
this one-eyed explorer. (Score:0, Funny)
That's what my wife calls mine.
heh yea but (Score:5, Funny)
Curiosity's computer(s) can handle extreme cold and radiation of space while keeping radio communication for millions of miles, An iPhone is prone to overheat during normal use and has had trouble sending a radio signal though your hand.
So? (Score:5, Funny)
Lets compare, shall we?
iPhone - sometimes flaky signal. Curiosity - working from millions of miles away. WIN Curiosity.
iPhone - works on Earth within range of cell towers. Curiosity - working on frakking Mars. WIN Curiosity.
iPhone - 1 day power life. Curiosity - radioactive power pack. WIN Curiosity.
iPhone - plays games, makes calls, takes pictures of girls making duck faces. Curiosity - scientifically explores and photographs another planet. WIN Curiosity.
iPhone - will shatter if you handle it wrong. Curiosity - dropped onto another world and still going. As designed. WIN Curiosity.
Curiosity, doing way the hell more, with way the hell less.
Re:iPhone 5 is faster.. for a few minutes maybe. (Score:3, Funny)
6 digit UID
Giving a citation that is contrary to your post
Being moderated offtopic
Your sig bemoaning 'unfair' modding
I'm lovin' it.
Re:what about the cost? (Score:5, Funny)
Well you have to factor in the shipping cost...
Re:So... (Score:5, Funny)
Not even enough power for Mildly Peeved Birds, Canadian edition.
Re:Just goes to show. . . (Score:5, Funny)
After a mistake like that, you've got to hand in your geek curve.
Indeed, why not compare batteries as well? (Score:5, Funny)
Mars rover: lasts for years. iPhone barely makes it through the day.
Or how about speed? Mars rover several meters a day. iPhone, just sits there.
User upgrades in the field? Mars rover: zero. iPhone: zero.
Yeah yeah, you have more computing power in your pocket then in NASA machine. That was a fun stat for voyager news briefings. A decade ago. It is not funny anymore, it is just sad and a sign the reporter in question has no idea about tech. This stuff is for morning tv.
Re:Just goes to show. . . (Score:3, Funny)
I handed that in long ago when i started sleeping with women and being gainfully employed :D
You're lying. Otherwise, what would you still do here on Slashdot? :-)