SpaceX to launch SES satellite on a reused Falcon 9 rocket

Satellite operator SES will be the first company to launch a spacecraft on a ‘second-hand’ SpaceX rocket. The Falcon 9 which travelled to the ISS in April, before landing on a drone ship in open water, will be called upon for the new flight later this year. Blast-off is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2016 and will be used to send an SES-10 satellite into a geostationary orbit over Latin America. Here, it’ll deliver “direct-to-home broadcasting, enterprise and mobility services” to people back on the surface.

“Having been the first commercial satellite operator to launch with SpaceX back in 2013, we are excited to once again be the first customer to launch on SpaceX’s first ever mission using a flight-proven rocket,” Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer for SES said. “We believe space rockets will open up a new era of spaceflight.” The job is hugely significant for SpaceX. The company, run by Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk, is driven by the idea that spaceflight can be done better, and for less. Part of its master plan is a reliably reusable rocket — one that can land safely and protect its internals, minimizing repairs and delivering cost savings.

SpaceX has landed six rockets successfully — others, well, not so much. Back in April, Musk suggested that a Falcon 9 rocket could be ready for a second launch by May or June. Obviously, that didn’t happen (to be fair, it was an ambitious timeline). However, in the future the company hopes to turn around each rocket in a few weeks. For now, it’s presumably focused on ensuring the rocket will go back up with zero problems. “Relaunching a rocket that has already delivered spacecraft to orbit is an important milestone on the path to complete and rapid reusability,” Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer for SpaceX stressed.

Source: SES, BBC

Pebble’s latest update adds quick views and more shortcuts

When Pebble announced its latest Pebble 2 and Time 2 watches earlier this year, it also revealed several software improvements that would roll out not just to the new models, but to most other existing Pebble hardware. Today, the company is finally releasing that update. Now even old-school Pebble users can get Quick View peeks, shortcut buttons, a revamped Health app plus more email features for iOS users.

Available only to the latest Time edition devices, you can now press down on the watchface to check out upcoming events thanks to a new Quick View peek that takes up just a small sliver of the display. Tap it for more info or hit the Back button to dismiss it.

The update also adds 4-button Quick Launch, which essentially lets you map the side buttons to specific shortcuts — you trigger them by long-pressing each key. You could do this before the Up and Down buttons but now you can do so with the Back and Select keys as well. Additionally, if you press Select from the watchface, you’ll see a new Launcher menu

Seeing as Pebble is a lot more fitness-focused these days, it also took the opportunity to redesign its Health app. Now you’re able to quickly glance at weekly charts to get a better idea of your progress toward your step or sleep goals. You can also just press the up button on the watchface to access the Health app that much quicker. Pebble Health settings are also now in the main settings area instead of the Apps tab.

Last but not least, Pebble is also giving iOS users a bit more email functionality for those with Google accounts. At long last, iPhone fans can reply, delete and archive email directly from Pebble notifications, be it from Inbox, Gmail or the Mail app.

Intel Announces First Low-Power ‘Kaby Lake’ Mobile Processors

After showing off the capabilities of its new 7th Generation Core, Kaby Lake, during the Intel Developer Forum earlier in the month, Intel corporate vice president Navin Shenoy today gave more details regarding the third “optimized” member of the 14 nm chip family following Broadwell and Skylake. In today’s announcement — focused on the speed and 4K UHD support the new CPUs provide — Intel officially unveiled its first Y-Series and U-Series processors, which could be included in future Retina MacBook and MacBook Air updates, respectively.

The new Kaby Lake processors (prepared as a mid-generation update ahead of Intel’s Cannonlake processors) offer a moderate upgrade on earlier Skylake chips, with Intel focusing on the user benefits of its 7th Generation Core processors. These advantages namely include: 4K ultra-HD video streaming, 360-videos, and more intensive graphical performance for video games on smaller computers.

In addition to gaining access to 4K content from services like YouTube and Netflix, Kaby Lake will grant users the power to create and edit their own 4K content with speeds up to 8x faster than a five-year-old PC. Kaby Lake was manufactured using an upgraded version of Intel’s 14-nanometer process, referred to as 14nm+, which the company claims has produced a processor with 12 percent faster productivity performance and up to 19 percent faster web performance over previous generations.

Everyday users will see these manifested in smooth app switching, even within performance-heavy apps like 4K video editing software, and basic battery life improvements. In this department, Kaby Lake will bring up to 9.5 hours of playback on 4K videos in any computer it’s found in this fall. The release of Kaby Lake will mark Intel’s first processor released after the company abandoned its tick-tock release cycle, where “ticks” represented shrinking chip fabrication processes and “tocks” introduced new architectures.

Kaby Lake “Y-Series” chips appropriate for MacBook
The three Kaby Lake Y-Series processors announced today are suitable upgrades for the MacBook, which was just updated to Skylake chips in April and thus is not expected to see another upgrade in the near future. The three U-Series chips could potentially make their way into future MacBook Air models, assuming graphics performance is sufficient for Apple’s needs. The new U-Series chips include Intel HD “GT2” graphics, while Apple has historically preferred to use chips with relatively higher-performance “GT3” graphics in the MacBook Air.

Kaby Lake “U-Series” chips possibly appropriate for MacBook Air
Apple is rumored to be launching updated MacBook Air models as soon as October, but it is unclear whether the machines will use Skylake or these new Kaby Lake chips, as the current models continue to run on earlier Broadwell chips.

More powerful mobile Kaby Lake chips with Iris graphics and desktop chips such as those appropriate for the MacBook Pro and iMac are expected to begin debuting in January, but Intel did not release a specific timeline or specs for those families.

Related Roundups: MacBook Air, Retina MacBook
Tags: Intel, Kaby Lake
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Air (Don’t Buy), MacBook (Neutral)
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Griffin’s New iTrip Clip Adapter Makes Wired Headphones Work Wirelessly

Just days before Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 7 without a headphone jack, Griffin Technology has introduced a new iTrip Clip clippable adapter that enables any pair of wired headphones with a 3.5mm jack to function as wireless headphones via Bluetooth.

To use the iTrip Clip with Apple’s wired EarPods, for example, an iPhone user would simply plug the headphones into the adapter and pair the accessory with the smartphone via Bluetooth 4.1. The self-powered adapter also works with AUX cables for Bluetooth audio in the car.

iTrip Clip has play/pause, volume, and track controls, and a built-in mic that can be used to make phone calls or Siri voice commands.

The adapter’s rechargeable 800 mAh battery lasts up to 6 hours for music playback or 180 hours in standby. A micro-USB charging cable is included in the box.

iTrip Clip will be available in September for $19.99.

Tags: Griffin, Bluetooth
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Belkin Launches 2-in-1 iPhone and Apple Watch Dock With Both Charging Cables Included for $99

Belkin has introduced the PowerHouse, a new 2-in-1 iPhone and Apple Watch charging dock with both a Lightning-to-USB cable and magnetic charging cable included for $99. PowerHouse serves as a cheaper and smaller-sized plastic alternative to Belkin’s existing 2-in-1 dock, the Valet, released earlier this year for $129.

PowerHouse is compatible with all Apple Watch models, and the iPhone 5 or newer. The dock uses Belkin’s proprietary VersaCase dial that can adjust the height of the Lightning connector to allow for the PowerHouse to be used with virtually any iPhone case. The dock delivers a 2.4A charge for iPhone and 1A charge for Apple Watch.

PowerHouse is available now on Belkin’s website and at select retailers worldwide for $99.

Tags: Belkin, iPhone accessories, Apple Watch accessories
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Kwikset Launches 2nd Gen ‘Kevo’ Smart Lock With Improved Security [Updated]

Lock manufacturing company Kwikset today released the second generation of its Kevo smart lock, keeping the same aesthetic of the original Kevo but bringing in a “refined user experience,” more compact interior design, and improved security. Like the original Kevo, the second generation of the smart lock lets user easily gain entry into their home thanks to Kevo’s ability to register a paired smartphone within a certain distance, subsequently unlocking itself when a user taps on the outside part of the lock.

The inside design change of the Kevo smart lock
The first major addition to Kevo is a new in-app installation process (found within the Kevo app on the App Store [Direct Link] and Google Play Store), which streamlines the steps it takes to add the smart lock into your door with an “interactive installation experience.” In terms of design change, the company only altered the look and size of the interior module of the Kevo, making it sleeker and smaller, while keeping the circular outside part the same as the first generation.

“Kwikset listened to homeowners’ everyday experience with Kevo 1st Gen and put their feedback at the center of the Kevo 2nd Gen development strategy,” said Keith Brandon, Kwikset Vice President of Residential Access Solutions, Spectrum Brands, Inc. – Hardware and Home Improvement Division. “I truly believe the time to buy Kevo is now for any consumer waiting for technology to evolve before purchasing a smart lock.”

The biggest change comes in the form of improved security on the smart lock, which has the latest version of Kwikset’s patented SmartKey security to provide “strong resistance” against attempts at forced entry. According to the company, the updated Kevo also passes “the most stringent lock-picking standards” and uses a feature called “BumpGuard” in order to prevent lock bumping.

The outside design of the Kevo lock remains unchanged
Kwikset is selling the second generation Kevo on Amazon for $229.00 in polished brass, satin nickel, and venetian bronze. The new Kevo is also expected to be available to purchase across the United States in brick and mortar stores, but Kwikset didn’t specifically mention when the second generation smart lock would begin making its way to retailers following today’s online launch.

Update: Regarding HomeKit compatibility, Kwikset told MacRumors that while Kevo is currently unable to support Apple’s connected-home platform, the company “will continue to prioritize HomeKit on our product roadmap.”

Kevo is not currently Apple HomeKit-compatible. Kevo requires a longer development process to become compatible with HomeKit due to the custom nature of the Kevo platform. Kwikset truly believes in the secure smart home technology offered by Apple HomeKit and specifically developed Premis, which launched at CES this year, to be compatible with the HomeKit platform.

That said, Kwikset is investing in the Kevo platform and continuously updating its products. Kwikset introduced its first HomeKit compatible smart lock at CES and will continue to prioritize HomeKit on our product roadmap.

Tags: Kevo, Kwikset
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BitTorrent Client Transmission Again Victimized by OS X Malware

Just five months after Transmission was infected with the first “ransomware” ever found on the Mac, the popular BitTorrent client is again at the center of newly uncovered OS X malware.

Researchers at security website We Live Security have discovered the malware, called OSX/Keydnap, was spread through a recompiled version of Transmission temporarily distributed through the client’s official website.

OSX/Keydnap executes itself in a similar manner as the previous Transmission ransomware KeRanger, by adding a malicious block of code to the main function of the app, according to the researchers. Likewise, they said a legitimate code signing key was used to sign the malicious Transmission app, different from the legitimate Transmission certificate, but still signed by Apple and thereby able to bypass Gatekeeper on OS X.

The researchers said they notified the Transmission team about the malware, and within minutes they removed the malicious file from their web server and launched an investigation. The researchers believe the infected Transmission app was signed on August 28 and distributed only on August 29, and thus recommend anyone who downloaded version 2.92 of the app between those dates to verify if their system is compromised by checking for the presence of any of the following files or directories:

• /Applications/Transmission.app/Contents/Resources/License.rtf
• /Volumes/Transmission/Transmission.app/Contents/Resources/License.rtf
• $HOME/Library/Application Support/com.apple.iCloud.sync.daemon/icloudsyncd
• $HOME/Library/Application Support/com.apple.iCloud.sync.daemon/process.id
• $HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.iCloud.sync.daemon.plist
• /Library/Application Support/com.apple.iCloud.sync.daemon/
• $HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/com.geticloud.icloud.photo.plist

Transmission version 2.92 remains available through the software’s update mechanism.

Tags: malware, Transmission
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