SpaceX reportedly eyeing May 2020 for first crewed flight of its spacecraft
SpaceX is eyeing May 2020 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft. If successful, the Crew Dragon could soon be taking astronauts to the ISS.
Storm helps British Airways to new subsonic trans-Atlantic flight record
A storm helped a British Airways jet to a new trans-Atlantic subsonic flight record between NYC and London. The flight took just 4 hours and 56 minutes.
737 Max: Boeing is working to fix another issue with its troubled aircraft
Boeing is working to fix another software issue discovered on its troubled 737 Max aircraft. The plane was grounded in 2019 following two fatal crashes.
Boeing’s Starliner had a far more serious issue during its debut flight
Boeing's Starliner had a far more serious issue on its debut flight than the one we already knew about. If it hadn’t been fixed, the capsule could’ve been lost.
Ransomware: International shipping firm grappling with attack
Ransomware has hit another big business, this time an international shipping company based in Australia. Toll, which employs 40,000 people globally, said it noticed the ransomware attack on January 31. It’s now working to bring its systems back online, though it admitted some customer deliveries are suffering delays.
Instagram appears to be raking in even more ad cash than YouTube
If you thought YouTube's 2019 ad revenue of $15 billion was a lot, then how about Instagram? Sources claiming to have knowledge of the matter said recently that the popular photo app generated around $20 billion last year. In 2018, Facebook reportedly told Instagram to double the number of ads its shows.
Twitter says state-backed attackers may have nabbed phone numbers
Twitter recently shut down a large network of fake accounts that may have been attempting to match a huge number of generated phone numbers to other accounts.
Sleep pods give health care workers some much-needed rest
A growing number of health care facilities in the United Kingdom are trying out so-called “sleep pods” in a bid to give staff a decent rest during breaks.
How a guy used 99 phones in a cart to create traffic jams on Google Maps
A Berlin-based artist with a mischievous streak recently fired up Google Maps on 99 smartphones and carted them around the streets of the city. The result? Google Maps processed the data and, concluding that the streets must be gridlocked, redirected nearby drivers to other roads in the area.
Nikon’s new Z mount 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is not quite ready for prime time
Nikon Z camera owners waiting for the $2,600 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens will have to wait a little longer. Originally slated for a February 14 launch, the Japanese camera maker now says it’s having to delay its release, citing “production reasons.” A new launch date is yet to be announced.
Amazon lifts the lid on Prime membership count, and it’s big
Amazon rarely reveals how many people have signed up to its Prime subscription service, but this week it let on that the count now stands at a colossal 150 million members globally. The figure marks an increase of 50 million from April 2018, helped in part by Prime's launch in Brazil four months ago.
Google deploys its SOS Alerts system for reliable coronavirus information
Google is helping to highlight verified information on the coronavirus by pushing it to the top of search results. Powered by Google’s SOS Alerts system, those using its search engine for information on the virus will see relevant news and safety tips from the World Health Organization at the top of the results.
Drone delivery: Medical supplies will soon be flying around San Diego
UPS and drone specialist Matternet are teaming up for a trial drone delivery service for health care facilities in San Diego. It follows a similar trial by the two firms in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2019. The San Diego effort will see medical samples flown between facilities.
Google dished out $6.5M in bug bounties in 2019 with one payout worth $201K
Google has paid out $21 million via its bug bounty program in its nine-year history, with a record $6.5 million paid out last year. The company said its single biggest payment last year was $201,000, though it declined to offer any details about the nature of the discovered vulnerability.
Get off the sidewalk! Lime’s new scooter aims to make you ride on the road
Lime is testing a novel way to gently persuade its riders to stick to the street and stay off the sidewalk. The scootersharing company has added sensors to its electric two-wheelers that can distinguish between a street and sidewalk, and will send notifications to riders if they spend too much time on the latter.
Take a tour of the space station from the comfort of your own sofa
If you’ve ever wondered what it's like to stay on the International Space Station, then this fascinating video tour should give you a good idea. Astronauts Luca Parmitano and Drew Morgan kindly take us on a leisurely journey through the orbiting outpost, visiting an array of interesting features along the way.
Atari-themed gaming hotels heading to Las Vegas and 7 other U.S. cities
Atari is getting into the hospitality business, building eight gaming-focused hotels in cities including Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. Each one will feature a state-of-the-art eSport studio, an Atari gaming playground, and a massive neon-lit Atari logo on the side of the building so you can’t miss it.
NFL: Multiple teams’ social media accounts targeted by hackers
Hackers targeted the social media accounts of 15 NFL teams on Sunday and Monday. Those responsible swapped out the accounts’ profile pictures and headers or deleted them entirely. They also posted ads for their own cybersecurity services, as well as other more mischievous messages announcing player sales.
Expect bumps and lumps with your new Razr smartphone, Motorola says
On the day that pre-orders opened for its much-anticipated Razr smartphone, Motorola has said that owners may see “bumps and lumps” on the foldable display, adding that it’s “normal” behavior for the handset. With memories of Samsung’s bungled Galaxy Fold launch still fresh, let’s hope the Razr is more reliable.
Boeing hails first test flight of 777X, world’s largest twin-engine jet
Boeing on Saturday sent its new 777X jet on its first test flight ahead of deployment in 2021. Described as the world’s largest twin-engine plane in terms of length and width, the jet features specially designed folding wings that will enable it to operate at all of the airports that handle existing models of the 777.
Obi-Wan Kenobi series delay won’t change premiere date, says Ewan McGregor
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series produced by Disney+ and Lucasfilm appears to be experiencing some trouble, with reports claiming the scripts have been ditched and the episode count reduced. The premiere date for the series won't be affected, though, according to star Ewan McGregor.