SpaceX crew capsule will carry a mannequin on its first trip to space station
SpaceX is gearing up to send its Crew Dragon capsule on its first test mission to the International Space Station this weekend. There are no crew on board the Crew Dragon yet, but the spacecraft will gather important data using a sensor-laden mannequin, and also carry supplies for the ISS astronauts.
Lime scooter fault can cause sudden excessive braking when going downhill
Lime has acknowledged a serious fault with its electric scooters that has caused a small number of them to suddenly brake while going downhill, in some cases causing injuries to riders. The company is urging users to ride with caution as it continues to roll out a software fix to Lime scooters around the world.
IKEA has created a special curtain that can purify the air in your home
Air pollution inside homes can be worse than outside sometimes, but plants and purifiers allow us to reduce its harmful effects. Tackling the issue from a slightly different angle, IKEA claims to have created a unique curtain capable of breaking down common indoor air pollutants.
Instagram may offer a public option for collections à la Pinterest
Instagram launched Pinterest-style collections in 2017, allowing users to save and organize posts around a particular theme. They're currently private, but code spotted in the app reveals Instagram is considering allowing collections to be made public so users can share them with their followers.
A New York man has been arrested after allegedly shooting down a Mavic drone
Two folks on Long Island were recently using a Mavic 2 Zoom quadcopter to help search for a missing dog. When the drone's signal went blank, they assumed a bird had attacked it mid-flight. But police there have now charged a man with using a shotgun to knock it out of the sky.
Delivery drones: NASA to test advanced traffic control system for cities
NASA is organizing demonstrations of its advanced drone traffic management system designed for urban settings. The final phase of testing could be a big step forward for drone delivery services with companies such as Amazon keen to incorporate the technology into their shipping operations.
Lyft’s Shared Saver service offers cheaper rides, but you’ll have to walk a little
Lyft has launched a new ride option called Shared Saver that offers cheaper rides if you're willing to walk a little and share your trip. Similar to Uber's Express Pool, Shared Saver designates pickup points within a few blocks, and drops you off a short distance from your desired destination.
Touchdown! Japan successfully lands its Hayabusa2 spacecraft on asteroid Ryugu
Japan's space agency has just completed the latest stage of its extraordinarily complex mission, successfully landing its Hayabusa2 spacecraft on an asteroid millions of miles from Earth. It's now attempting to collect samples from the space rock that it hopes to bring to Earth for analysis in 2020.
NASA celebrates Earth’s incredible natural beauty with free photo book
NASA has published a new book featuring stunning imagery captured by its satellites. A hardback version is available for $53, but it can be downloaded to ebook readers for free, and enjoyed online. NASA hopes the book will "inspire everyone to explore, understand, and appreciate the planet we call home."
Nike’s Android app is bricking its $350 Adapt BB self-lacing shoes
A recently released firmware update for Nike's new self-lacing Adapt BB shoe appears to be bricking the $350 footwear for some owners. A number of Android users have said that since downloading the update, the Nike app no longer pairs with the shoe, rendering its automatic tightening mechanism useless.
Citroën says you could drive its tiny Ami One electric car without a license
Citroen's Ami One concept car is an electric vehicle that's as cute as it is compact. The miniature motor only has a top speed of 28 mph, so the French automaker imagines it as a shareable runaround for short drives. The Ami One will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland in March 2019.
Apple stomps on one FaceTime bug, only to have another one appear
Having fixed a FaceTime bug that let users eavesdrop on calls, another issue with Apple's video chat app appears to have surfaced. It concerns adding people to group calls, though there is a workaround. Apple launched group calls for FaceTime in 2018, though the rollout has been far from smooth.
‘Guerrilla rainstorm’ warning system aims to prevent soakings, or worse
In Japan, a "guerrilla rainstorm" refers to a sudden and highly localized downpour, some of which can cause havoc in a matter of minutes. They're difficult to forecast, though researchers in Tokyo claim to have built an accurate early-warning system, giving people ample to time to get out of harm's way.
Can Amazon deliver on plan to slash carbon footprint of shipments?
Amazon has announced an ambitious plan to halve its shipment carbon footprint by 2030. The company says improvements in electric vehicles, aviation bio fuels, reusable packaging, and renewable energy make the goal reachable, and should ultimately lead to zero-carbon shipments to customers.
Instagram to make giving easier with a Stories donation sticker for fundraisers
Instagram is preparing to launch a donation feature within Stories that would allow users to raise cash for a range of nonprofit charities. The company confirmed plans to launch the donation sticker later this year, adding that it will help users to "bring awareness to meaningful communities and causes."
Amazon may be close to opening its first cashier-free store outside U.S.
Amazon may be about to open its first cashier-free store outside of the U.S. after a report claimed the firm has secured retail space for a location in London. Amazon Go's tech lets shoppers grab what they want and leave, with purchases automatically charged to their Amazon account when they walk out the door.
Be careful who you bokeh, jokes Apple’s latest iPhone ad
With iPhone sales under pressure, you'd think there wouldn't be much to laugh about at Apple HQ just now. But the company has nevertheless seen fit to inject some humor into its latest handset ad, which highlights Depth Control — a camera feature that lets you adjust the bokeh in portraits.
Exploding vape pen battery starts fire on SkyWest flight
A vape pen battery caused a fire in an overhead bin on a SkyWest Airlines flight in New York City on Wednesday. Fortunately the plane was still on the ground and no one was injured. It's the latest in a string of incidents where faulty lithium-ion batteries have caused gadgets to catch fire.
With Ariv ebike, GM cycles into a new market
When General Motors launched a public campaign last year to name its new ebike brand, many wondered if Bikey McBikeface might win out. But it didn't. Instead, it's called Arīv, and the two bikes are up for pre-order this week. One is foldable and one isn't, and each has a range of about 40 miles.
Airbus will stop making the world’s biggest passenger plane
Airbus announced this week that it will stop building the world's biggest passenger plane in 2021. The maker of the double-decker A380 said a changing market and lack of orders gave it little choice but to end production. The plane went into service in 2007 and currently flies with around 16 airlines.
Google insists it’s doing what it can to purge Play Store of malicious apps
Google is continuing with efforts to provide a secure and safe app store, this week revealing that rejected app submissions increased by 55 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, while those that did get through were spotted and removed more quickly than before — often before anyone could install them.
Instagram test reveals direct messages may be coming to browsers
Instagram for the web has always been a minimalist affair compared to the feature-rich mobile app, but in the last few years that's started to change. Instagram is now testing direct messages for browsers, which, if it goes live, could prompt more people to use it as their go-to messaging service.
Own a drone? New rule means you have to change the way IDs are displayed
Registered drone owners will need to place their machine's ID number on the outside of their aircraft from February 23 in accordance with a new rule from the Federal Aviation Administration. Terror-related concerns mean the ID can no longer be placed inside the drone's battery compartment.
Ford’s ingenious bed for couples keeps mattress hogs in their own half
Drawing on its autonomous-car technology, Ford has come up with a smart bed that promises a better night's sleep for couples. Using sensors and a conveyor belt, Ford claims its high-tech bed can prevent so-called "space invaders" from straying onto the other half of the mattress during the night.
500px reveals almost 15 million users are caught up in security breach
Almost 15 million members of portfolio website 500px have been caught up in a security breach, the company said on Tuesday. The hack occurred in 2018 but was only discovered last week. As a precautionary measure, users are being told to change their 500px password as soon as possible.
The house where Jeff Bezos started Amazon is up for sale
The Seattle home where Jeff Bezos started Amazon is on the market for $1.5 million. Bezos spent the first few months running Amazon from the property's garage back in 1994 before it went on to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. It's the first time in 10 years that the house has gone on sale.
LinkedIn finally gets around to launching its own live video tool
Live video is coming to LinkedIn for businesses and individuals to broadcast to one another. The livestreaming feature is launching in beta in the U.S. before rolling out to the entire community. LinkedIn said livestreams have been the most requested feature for the site.
Gmail adds lots of new functionality to its right-click menu
Right-click on an email in Gmail and the list of actions is pretty limited. That's about to change, though, as Google has just announced it's expanding the list of options to make its email client that little bit more useful. The extended right-click menu is rolling out to all desktop users in the next couple of weeks.
Virgin Galactic donates record-breaking SpaceShipTwo rocket to the Smithsonian
Private space company Virgin Galactic recently donated the record-breaking rocket motor of SpaceShipTwo — aka VSS Unity — to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The rocket powered Unity to the edge of space at almost three times the speed of sound in a test mission on December 13, 2018.
