Ian O'Neill has edited the Carnival of Space 96 on astroengine.com.

I very much recommend a surf of the carnival. As usual it is very interesting. In terms of verity and quality the Carnival of Space is one of the best carnivals I see.

According to a report produced by the PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) the PC is the largest single platform for games with annual worldwide revenues of US$10.7 billion. This is more than any of the consoles currently available from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

PCGA president Randy Stude told the BBC these figures underline the PC as the "Number one platform for gaming world wide." He said, "Despite Xbox LIVE and PlayStation, the online platform that remains the most accessible and robust is the PC."

The report, released to coincide with the opening of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, noted the three biggest trends in 2008 were:

• The growth of online digital distribution via services like Valve’s Steam
• The growth of free games with a virtual item purchase model
• The growing presence of game cards at major retailers like 7-Eleven

The report also contains many interesting factoids such as:

• Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) are the leading products for both revenue and profits
• World of Warcraft is generating over $1 billion in annual revenue
• PC games regularly generate over $50 million in sales but can generate substantially more in subscription and/or add-on revenue
• Several Asian MMOGs are generating over $100 million in annual revenue after 5+ years on the market
• The Lich King expansion to World of Warcraft outsold its predecessor.
• In 2008, two major new subscription MMOGs, Warhammer Online and Age of Conan, sold over 1 million units each.

However, the PCGA is an umbrella organization for companies interested in promoting the PC as a gaming platform. Mr Stude, its president, works for Intel, the chip manufacture behind most of the CPUs that drive PCs. So its reports may be little biased. Something the BBC interview did not point out.

Still, I don't think anyone needs the PCGA to tell them MMOGs are where all the fun's at.

Polls have opened on the final naming of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover. The non-binding poll to help NASA select a name opened on Monday will stay open until Sunday Mar. 29.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

The names, submitted by students from across the USA are:

• Journey
• Amelia
• Adventure
• Vision
• Pursuit
• Sunrise
• Wonder
• Perception
• Curiosity

NASA will select the winning name, based on a student's essay and the poll. NASA will announce the wining name in late April or early May 2009.

The MSL will launch in 2011 and touch down on Mars in 2012. It is part of the Mars Exploration Program, a series of expeditions to Mars with the four main goals of:

• Determining whether life ever arose on Mars
• Characterizing the climate of Mars
• Characterizing the geology of Mars
• Preparing for human exploration

The MSL will continue the work of the highly successful Spirit and Opportunity rovers and Mars Polar Lander Missions.

If you like, you can send your name to the surface of Mars. Enter your name here and it will be loaded onto a microchip that will travel to Mars as part of the MSL rover.