The Orion crew vehicle is exceeding expectations on its way to the Moon. NASA provided an update on Artemis 1 following the mission’s successful launch early Wednesday morning. “Orion has been performing great so far,” Vehicle Integration Manager Jim Geffre said during a press briefing NASA held on Friday. “All of the systems are exceeding expectations from a performance standpoint.”
Artemis 1 seeks to confirm the crew vehicle can safely carry human astronauts to Earth’s natural satellite. The journey marks Orion’s first trip beyond our planet’s orbit. In 2014, the spacecraft completed a two-orbit test flight around Earth. A successful flight would pave the way for a manned mission to the Moon and eventually NASA’s first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
.@NASA_Orion is performing extremely well and is now more than halfway to the Moon. Since launch, we’ve tested the optical navigation system and performed external inspections to assess the Orion’s condition. Latest updates on #Artemis I are available at https://t.co/gqViM3Tl9Q. pic.twitter.com/aKdvGuDAhs
— Jim Free (@JimFree) November 19, 2022
The agency expects Artemis 1 to reach the Moon on November 21st. At that point, the spacecraft will perform the first of four main engine burns NASA has planned for the mission. At times, Orion will fly little more than 81 miles (130 kilometers) above the lunar surface. “We will be passing over some of the Apollo landing sites,” Flight Director Jeff Radigan said. Four days later, NASA plans to conduct a second burn to put Orion in a distant orbit around the Moon before finally setting the spacecraft on a return trajectory toward the Earth. If all goes according to plan, Orion will land in the Pacific Ocean on December 11th.
Orion’s early successes are a welcome development after the troubles NASA encountered with its Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. The space agency was forced to delay the launch of Artemis 1 multiple times due to engine problems, hydrogen fuel leaks and hurricane-force winds. Early Wednesday morning, it appeared that the agency would be forced to delay the mission again after the SLS ground team discovered a leak in one of the fuel lines on the rocket’s launch tower. However, after NASA personnel tightened some bolts, the SLS lifted off, creating a dazzling nighttime display.
Ahead of the debut of House of the Dragon on August 21st, HBO Max will begin streaming all eight seasons of Game of Thrones in 4K. HBO parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced the news this week in a programming notice spotted by FlatpanelsHD (via The Verge). The company said all eight seasons would also support Dolby Atmos, as well as HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Whether that’s a good reason to revisit the show’s infamous “The Long Night” episode and less-than-stellar final season is up to you.
Previously, the only way to watch the entirety of Game of Thrones in 4K was to buy the Ultra HD Blu-ray collection, which can cost as much as $ 255. Streaming the series in 4K will be considerably more affordable since all you will need is a subscription to HBO Max’s $ 15 per month ad-free tier and a supported device like an Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Google Chromecast Ultra. Those same devices will allow you to watch House of the Dragon in 4K HDR when it arrives late next month.
Alphabet's Wing division has announced that it's launching a drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex on April 7th. "With this service, the DFW area will be the largest metro in the world, and the first in the United States, with access to on-demand drone delivery," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Wing's primary launch customer is Walgreens, which will deliver health and wellness products directly to customer's homes. For that, it will use a new operational model where drones are staged at one of its own store parking lots, rather than a Wing facility. It will also be delivering ice cream from Blue Bell Creameries, Easyvet prescription pet medications (yep) and first aid kits from Texas Health.
"This will be America’s most scalable drone delivery operation to date, as Walgreens team members will process their own orders and load packages onto drones themselves – while Wing oversees the delivery from a remote location," the company said.
In a press release and video (above) from last year, Wing explained exactly how that would work. "The aircraft will arrive in small containers that serve as tiny hangars, allowing each store to quickly and easily deploy a small, dedicated fleet from its parking lot, on its roof, or in small spaces adjacent to the building."
Wing uses a hybrid multi-rotor/fixed-wing drone of its own design. It can carry packages no heavier than 1.5kg (3.3 pounds) on round trips up to around 10km (6 miles) away. The drones are autonomous, but are monitored by pilots who can take control if something goes awry. There are redundant motors, batteries and navigation systems to help prevent accidents.
Wing has been doing drone deliveries in Australia (its launch market) since early 2019, and started making drones deliveries in the US later that year. The company noted that it has made 200,000 real deliveries to date, but those were largely done in smaller communities — so the city launch is a big deal. "This is an important milestone for Wing and drone delivery in the US," the company said in a press release.
Deliveries will start on April 7th for "tens of thousands" of homes in Frisco and Little Elm, both north of Dallas. "I do want to set clear expectations: not everyone who lives within range of our drones will be able to order on Day 1. We’re going to invite customers in groups to make sure everyone has a good first experience with drone delivery," said Wing CTO Adam Woodworth.
As April looms on the horizon with its silly tradition of pranks and outrageous stories, Google has released the details on its latest System Update which brings a bunch of fixes and new features for the Play Service and Google Play functions that perform a myriad of functions behind the scenes on your Android smartphone. […]
Come comment on this article: The next Google System Update will begin rolling out on April 1st (really)
February’s System Update is already upon us, bringing bug fixes and new features to the Google Play Store. There’s a single critical fix present but other than that there isn’t too much to get excited about. We’ve got the changelog for you below: February 2022 Critical Fixes [Phone] Bug fixes for device connectivity, developer services, […]
Come comment on this article: Here’s the changelog for this month’s System Update which will begin rolling out on February 8th
Just a day after Google announced the Android 10 (Go Edition) that brings a slew of improvements for entry-level devices, Nokia has stated that it will begin updating its Nokia Go handsets starting Q1 2020. Nokia’s statement of intent shouldn’t come as much surprise considering that it’s garnered quite the reputation for timeous updates to […]
Come comment on this article: Nokia welcomes Android 10 (Go Edition) – updates to begin rolling out from Q1 2020
After talking to parents all over, we know that kids who love the YouTube Kids app are getting older and want a platform that’ll grow with them. Whether kids are watching Monster High, DC Kids, LEGO, learning their ABCs, or picking up the latest tricks in Minecraft, we want YouTube Kids to help. Here’s what’s new with YouTube Kids:
When you sign in with your Google account, you get:
Remember, our systems work hard to filter out more mature content from the app. But no system is perfect. If you find a video that you think should not be in the app, you can block it and flag it for review. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone.
YouTube Kids is now live in 37 countries, has more than 70 billion views in the app, and more than 11 million weekly active viewers.
We’re looking at ways to build an even better experience for families. Coming soon, we’ll give parents the option to have more content available in the app experience for their child. Our team is working to identify the most relevant content categories for tweens to make the app even more awesome.
*Not available in all markets. Kid profiles are available in the following markets: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Zimbabwe.
Balaji Srinivasan, YouTube Kids Engineering Director, recently watched Can you solve the magnet riddle? ft YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.
Microsoft’s return to the world of wearables won’t be a fitness tracker, but a smart wearable aimed at commercial users. The TrekStore-made device will offer advanced features for healthcare and manufacturing industries.
The post Microsoft’s wearable resurgence will begin with a commercial smartwatch appeared first on Digital Trends.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute haven't had any luck finding signs of alien life so far, but it could just be that they're looking in the wrong place. To date, SETI has only searched around younger stars like our own but…
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Earlier this month, BlackBerry pushed their March update containing all the latest security patches to the Priv smartphone. According to sources, some carrier units have begun receiving the update.
While unlocked BlackBerry Priv units received the update a few weeks ago, some carrier variants are just beginning to receive it now. Some users on AT&T and T-Mobile have reported the arrival of the update on their Priv smartphone. Unfortunately, both carriers are yet to speak out about what has been fixed with the update, but one can assume that most of which is posted on BlackBerry’s site will be included. This will be liked below the article.
The update contains no major release, therefore it shouldn’t take up too much space. However, we still recommend charging your device and connected to a nearby Wi-Fi network before beginning the installation process. BlackBerry has taken updates with all seriousness since they began their transition to the Android ecosystem, let’s just hope it continues.
Source: BlackBerry
Via: CrackBerry
Come comment on this article: Some carrier Priv units begin to receive the March security patch update
Sony Singapore will be among one of the first to get any of Sony’s new Xperia Z5 handsets. Users can now pre-order any of Sony’s new handsets, the Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact and the Xperia Z5 Preimuim through the company’s website.
Pre-orders for the handsets will go through October 11. Those who pre-order from now until October 11 will receive a bonus micro-USB charging dock that holds a value of $ 41 USD when buying standalone. Buyers will also get a chance at buying Sony’s high-resolution audio headset for only $ 35, down from $ 70.
Some things that make Sony’s new Z5 series a hit are being promoted through infographics on Sony’s site. The company puts high emphasis on its improved 23MP camera with fast auto-focusing, the handset’s new built-in fingerprint scanner and of course the long battery life that comes with most of Sony’s smartphones. Depending on the model, color options include black, gold, white and green. Let’s see if they ever make it to the states.
Source: Sony Singapore
Come comment on this article: Pre-orders begin in Singapore for Sony’s Xperia Z5 series