SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket explosion caused by faulty strut
Space is hard and currently no one knows that better than SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. During a call today about the Flacon 9 rocket mishap in June, Musk announced that a strut holding a high pressure helium bottle failed during the second stage of the launch. The gas from the bottle mixed with the liquid oxygen tank causing the failure. Musk said that the company will update the rocket’s software to deploy parachutes in case of a failure like the one in June. The CEO said that the deployment of the parachutes could have saved the payload that was lost during the explosion. The Falcon 9 will return to flight in a few months but no sooner than September.
The failed rocket was carrying a Dragon capsule with research materials and provisions bound for the ISS. It was the third time since May that supplies meant for the space station were lost. Going forward, SpaceX will stress test individual struts. The strut that failed was about two feet long and one inch thick at its thickest point. The struts are supposed to handle 10,000 pounds of force, the strut that failed broke after only 2,000 pounds of force.
Another side effect of the Falcon 9 failure is that the first launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket has been pushed back to at least April 2016.
[Image credit: SpaceX/Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
Source: SpaceX
Google+ Photos is dying to make way for Google Photos
Google announced today that its legacy Google+ Photos app will soon go the way of Picasa (that is, obscurity) in favor of the company’s newer Google Photos app which launched in May. According to a post on Google+, Google+ Photos will begin shutting down — first on Android, then on the web and iOS — beginning August 1st. Users can easily port their existing photos to the new service using the download link from their Google+ Photos page. Even if you don’t immediately switch to the new, standalone app, Google+ Photos will continue to store your photo and video content at photos.google.com until you are ready to. Users also have the option to export that data using Google Takeout.
[Image Credit: Jeff Chiu/AP]
Source: Google Plus
Google+ Photos to shut down August 1st, focus shifts to new Google Photos app
The new Google Photos application was first unveiled at Google I/O 2015 as the company’s main photo service going forward. Now that it’s been around for a couple of months, Google is preparing to say goodbye to its previous photo backup service, Google+ Photos. On Saturday, August 1st, Google+ Photos will be shut down on Android and soon thereafter on the web and iOS.
Google recommends you begin the switch sooner rather than later, as it will be much easier to switch over to the newer service when both are still live. You should have seen a prompt in Google+ Photos to download the newer app from the Play Store. If you choose not to switch over for some reason, all of your photos and videos can be accessed on photos.google.com or for export via Google Takeout.
Don’t miss: A quick look at the new Google Photos app (video)
If you have yet to make the switch, we’d recommend doing so soon. Although the newer service comes with some caveats and suffers from a handful of embarrassing tagging issues, it’s still a much more refined, personal photo backup service that offers up a few notable features that most other services can’t provide. We went hands-on with the new service at Google I/O, showing off some of the application’s biggest and best features.
If you still need to switch, check out our video walkthrough attached above, and make sure to download the new application from the Play Store link below. How are you liking Google Photos? If you were a Google+ Photos user, how do you think the services compare? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
MTV VMA Nominees to Be Unveiled Exclusively on Beats 1 Radio Station
Apple’s scored another exclusive for its Beats 1 radio station, with MTV today announcing plans to unveil its 2015 Video Music Award (VMA) nominees exclusively on Beats 1. MTV will reveal the list of nominees on Tuesday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the Beats 1 “Charts” show hosted by Brooke Reece and Travis Mills.
Let the countdown begin!
The 2015 @MTV #VMA nominees will be announced exclusively on #Beats1.
Tuesday 7AM PT/10AM ET pic.twitter.com/EwcvIYe30E
— Beats 1 (@Beats1) July 20, 2015
Since its June 30 launch, the Beats 1 radio station has seen several world first song releases and exclusive interviews, being the first platform to play Pharrell’s Freedom and air an interview with Eminem before his Phenomenal music video debuted on Apple Music.
Apple is aiming to lure customers to Apple Music and its Beats 1 radio station by offering content that is unavailable on other music services. In addition to premiering world first songs on Beats 1, Apple Music is the only service that offers Dr. Dre’s album The Chronic and Taylor Swift’s 1989.
Google [X] executive to take reins at Evernote
Evernote announced today that Chris O’Neill has been appointed CEO effective July 27, 2015. Co-founder Phil Libin will be moving into the role of Executive Chairman. O’Neill will be moving to Evernote after serving close to 10 years with Google, most recently as the head of global business operations for Google [X]. Before taking on that role, O’Neill headed up Google Canada.
In a statement announcing the change in leadership for the productivity software company, Libin noted,
“Chris brings to Evernote the experience needed to scale the company so that we can create the maximum positive impact on the world. He’s highly regarded as a leader who can grow enormously successful teams while preserving their culture and values. I am both thrilled and honored that he is joining Evernote and look forward to all that we’re about to accomplish.”
Evernote already boasts 150 million users, but hopes to continue to sustain growth and increase revenue by enhancing their productivity tools.
source: Evernote
Come comment on this article: Google [X] executive to take reins at Evernote
Instagram now lets you search people, places and hashtags on web
Instagram announced on Twitter today that you can now search for people, places and hashtags on web.
The new search feature on Instagram.com lets you view people, places and hashtags, however does not support the new overhauled explore feature that was released a month ago on the mobile app. The new search feature does make it easier for users to find posts on the web, as before, you were only able to do so by clicking on a direct link or find it from a user’s feed.
Source: Twitter
Come comment on this article: Instagram now lets you search people, places and hashtags on web
Google shutting down Google+ Photos starting August 1st
In deference to their new standalone Google Photos platform that was launched in May, Google has announced that they will start the process of shutting down Google+ Photos on August 1st. This is a rather quick move for Google which seems to keep older platforms lingering for a while. However, the Google+ team says this move is meant to “ensure everyone has the best photos experience” that Google can deliver.
The shutdown will occur in stages with the first platform to get the axe being Google+ Photos on Android. That will be followed by the web interface and iOS. The Google+ team promises all photos and videos currently available through Google+ will continue to be available in the new Google Photos app.
Are you looking forward to using the Google Photos app exclusively for all your images and videos stored through Google+?
source: Google+ (Google+)
Come comment on this article: Google shutting down Google+ Photos starting August 1st
Asus ZenWatch now available for just $129 on Google Play Store
If you are planning to buy an Android smartwatch, consider yourself lucky as the price of the Asus ZenWatch has been dropped to $129 on Google’s Play Store. Not only the ZenWatch is $70 cheaper than before, its shipping is completely free of cost.
The slash in the price has come in the wake of Asus’s announcement of the ZenWatch 2, the successor to it flagship smartwatch. Although we cannot confirm whether the price drop is for a limited period or permanent, there is no mention of a last date on the offer page.
The ZenWatch features 1.63-inch AMOLED display, Snapdragon 400 SoC, 512 MB RAM, 360mAh battery, IP55 water-resistant certification and Bluetooth 4.1. If that is not enough to impress you, the smartwatch also happens to run the latest Android 5.1.1. If you want to know more about the offer or buy the watch, follow the link provided below.
Source: Google Play Store
Come comment on this article: Asus ZenWatch now available for just $129 on Google Play Store
Motorola’s tiny Hint headset gets a huge update
Most of Motorola’s energy is likely going into the new smartphones it’s expected to launch next week, but that isn’t stopping it from upgrading other parts of its lineup. The company has quietly released a second-generation Moto Hint headset that retains the tiny in-ear design, but makes far fewer compromises. To begin with, you get a whopping 17 hours of talk time, or 70 percent more than before — you shouldn’t have any problems making it through the day with this earpiece. There’s improved audio and voice control, too, so you’ll have an easier time checking notifications and controlling apps. The new Hint is available for $130 ($20 less than its predecessor when new), so give it a spin if you want to take a lot of calls on the sly.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wearables, Mobile
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Best Buy
EA puts women on the cover of ‘FIFA 16’ for the first time
Back in May, EA announced that FIFA 16 would feature 12 national women’s soccer teams, making it the first major sports franchise to focus on women’s sports. Today marks another milestone: FIFA 16 is now also the company’s first major sports title to feature a female athlete on its cover. Three of them, actually — depending on where you live.
It’s a step forward for women’s representation in gaming, but we kind of knew it was coming: When EA announced that Lionel Messi would grace the game’s cover, it said it would be adding additional players to regional covers — and some of the candidates were women. Now we know the final lineup: US buyers will see Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan running alongside Messi; in Canada, Morgan will be replaced by local favorite Christine Sinclair and Stephanie Catley will grace the cover in Australia.
These three women aren’t just some of the most recognizable players in their league; they’re also teammates — they all currently play for the Portland Thorns, professionally. Now if only EA could make its star players look a little less awkwardly photoshopped on its cover art, we’d be living in a better world.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: USA Today
AIVAnet 