NASA will resume testing its Hubble successor this month

One of NASA’s biggest victories last year was the $8.7 billion James Webb Space Telescope’s completion. And now the aeronautics agency is set to resume vibration testing for the instrument. These tests aim to replicate the conditions it will encounter before lift-off to “ensure that functionality is not impaired by severe launch and landing environments,” according to NASA.

In December, an “unexpected response” was noticed in the telescope’s attached accelerometers and testing was paused. Now, researchers are close to figuring out what caused the aberrations and should have their findings finalized soon.

“This is why we test — to know how things really are, as opposed to how we think they are,” deputy project manager Paul Geithner said. “The Webb telescope is the most dynamically complex test article we’ve ever tested at Goddard, so the responses were a bit different than expected.”

Like we noted in November, these tests are extremely important because the Webb will be nearly a million miles from Earth — fixing something that isn’t working right post-launch would probably be impossible.

The Webb’s mission is slated to begin in October 2018, so there’s still plenty of time for additional testing. Before then, it still needs to undergo cryogenic examination and checks to make sure there won’t be any Hubble-like optical defects in its imaging tools.

While the scientists will get a better understanding of the universe in countless ways thanks to the tool’s million-mile trip, we’ll have some new space-porn photos that the agency is so fond of sharing. Maybe the telescope will get its own Twitter account? We can only hope.

Source: NASA

Grid Connect ConnectSense Bluetooth Extender Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Bluetooth Extender

ConnectSense

With the ConnectSense Bluetooth Extender, shown off in CES at Las Vegas this week, you’ll be able to install smart home devices in the far corners of your home without worrying about being out of range. The Extender will send the signal of devices that communicate through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to the cloud, allowing you to control those devices while on the go.

BLE allows sensors that don’t need a lot of power to function for years without needing a battery swap. The biggest drawback of BLE is you have to be nearby (usually in the same room or an adjacent one) to control a Bluetooth device with your phone. The Extender looks to fix that problem.

ConnectSense’s device will work with Apple’s HomeKit, though unfortunately it won’t double as a hub for Apple’s smart home software. You’ll still need an Apple TV or an iPad if you want to use Siri to control your smart home from the road.

The $40 to $50 sensor (the exact price hasn’t been finalized) will be available this Spring, and likely works best in conjunction with an Apple TV or iPad. If you have a big place, you could put one Apple TV in the main room and use the Extender as a bridge to your sensors in the basement.

The Temperature and Humidity Sensor

ConnectSense

Along with the Extender, ConnectSense will be showing off two new HomeKit sensors at CES this week:

• A temperature and humidity sensor that pairs with any HomeKit thermostat
• A water sensor for detecting leaks

Both will work with Bluetooth and run on three AAA batteries. You’ll be able to buy the Extender and both sensors in a pack for $100 (converts to roughly £80, AU$140) later this year.

Sleep Number 360 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Sleep Number’s new 360 Smart Bed offers a feature that warms cold feet.

Sleep Number

Sleep Number is doing its part to combat frosty toes with its new 360 Smart Bed. Yes, the 360 actually has built-in tech that warms the foot of the bed for you as you’re falling asleep so both you and your partner can slumber more comfortably.

In addition to its foot-warming capabilities, the 360 Smart Bed also claims a couple of other advanced features:

• Snore-no-more: Sleep Number says its 360 bed reads biometric cues to find out if someone’s snoring. If they are, the dual-sided adjustable bed is designed to raise just the snorer’s head to reduce the sound.
• Self-adjusting mattress: According to Sleep Number, your ideal mattress settings change based on your sleep position. So, if you happen to switch from your back to your side midsleep, SleepIQ software should notice and deflate the mattress slightly to optimize your comfort.

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Of course, the 360 Smart Bed also comes with the same SleepIQ app for Android or iPhone as the company’s It Bed. That means you’ll still be able to change the firmness settings of your mattress yourself, check how well you slept the night before and how well you have been sleeping for the past week and month.

As part of SleepIQ’s software, you can also integrate the 360 Smart Bed with products from Nest, Fitbit and other manufacturers. I got the chance to test out this functionality over six weeks of sleeping on the It Bed. While it was easy to pair partnering products to the bed, the integrations didn’t help me improve my sleep.

Check how well you slept on Sleep Number’s SleepIQ app.

Sleep Number

But Sleep Number has introduced a lot of updates and new features since I started testing the It Bed in the fall. Not only can SleepIQ now differentiate between when you’re in bed but awake and when you’re asleep, it now offers even more personalization. Here’s an example straight from Sleep Number’s official 360 Smart Bed press release:

• 10:30 p.m. The sleeper receives a bedtime reminder via the SleepIQ app
• 10:45 p.m. Foot-warming feature automatically turns on in the smart adjustable base before the sleeper gets into bed
• 11 p.m. The smart adjustable base adjusts to the sleeper’s favorite position for reading in bed
• 11 p.m.-7:30 a.m. ResponsiveAir technology constantly senses movements and adjusts mattress comfort during the night
• 1 a.m. Partner begins to snore, and the smart adjustable base raises their head
• 4:30 a.m. If a user gets out of bed to check on a child or use the bathroom, under-bed lighting will automatically turn on (lighting the way in the dark); then turn off when they return to bed
• 7:15 a.m. SleepIQ technology knows what time the sleeper would like to wake up, and an alarm will sound when they are in their lightest stage of sleep during their desired wake-up time window

This all sounds pretty good, but we won’t know exactly how well it works until we get our hands on a 360 Smart Bed. Sleep Number plans to introduce 360 beds in stages throughout the year. While the team hasn’t yet shared pricing information, Sleep Number will offer a variety of mattress and bases and expects their cost to be close to the brand’s existing products.

Click here to find out what else is happening at CES 2017.

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HyperX Cloud Revolver S Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

HyperX

HyperX approach gaming peripherals with a very simple design ethos. Its number one concern is the number one requirement from you, and it’s a philosophy that’s largely paid off for the relatively young company.

Spinning out of memory chip maker Kingston, HyperX has only been releasing gaming hardware for a few years, but it’s been making a name for itself with affordable headsets and an excellent keyboard, the Alloys FPS.

Its offering of headsets is slightly wider, with happy contenders in a few price ranges. The Cloud Revolver S, announced at CES 2017, is the biggest, baddest one in the range.

Going back to that design principle, HyperX is aiming for comfort first and sound second. But between the memory foam cups, wider steel headband, 50mm drivers and plug-and-play Dolby 7.1-channel surround sound, the Revolver S doesn’t look like it’s messing around on either front.

It also runs off a single USB port, which means it won’t need an audio box like some other gaming headsets you’ll have come across. HyperX is boasting that this is the first time a gaming headset has plug-and-play surround sound. What that means for sound quality will have to wait until we go hands-on, but if it tops out the Cloud Range of headsets in quality as well as price, HyperX is likely to win a few more fans.

The Cloud Revolver S will be available in March 2017 for $150 (no local pricing, but that converts to about AU$210 or £120).

CES 2017: CNET’s complete coverage

Linksys Velop Whole Home Wi-Fi system Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Velop comes in three identical units.

Dong Ngo/CNET

If the Google Wifi competes with the Eero by being much less expensive, Belkin’s first Wi-Fi system, the Linksys Velop, intends to beat them both by having more powerful hardware. This new system, released today at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, carries the same hefty price as that of the Eero at launch: $500 for a set of three identical units or $200 for a single unit (you can also get two for $350.) But it also packs enough power to potentially double the real-world Wi-Fi speed.

Powerful hardware with dedicated back-haul

Like most Wi-Fi systems, you use one Velop unit as the main router, then place additional units around it – one or two rooms away – to wirelessly and automatically extend the Wi-Fi network.

Each Velop unit is a powerful tri-band dual-stream (2×2) AC2200 router, compared to the AC1200 Wi-Fi standard used by both Google Wifi and the Eero. It has two 5GHz bands with up to 867 megabits per second each and one 2.4GHz band (up to 400Mbps). The router is powered by an integrated system on a chip that incorporates a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor along with 4GB of flash memory, 512MB DDR3 system memory and a Bluetooth 4.0/LE radio for device setup. That’s a lot of raw power.

What special about the Velop is that when multiple units are used together, they dedicate one 5GHz band for the back-haul, or the job of wirelessly linking them together. In other words, the main router unit uses one band just to send the signal to a satellite unit, and the satellite uses one of its 5GHz band just for the job of receiving that signal. Then it uses the other two bands to rebroadcast the signal to clients. This minimizes the effect of signal loss, which always occurs when a band has to both receive and rebroadcast the Wi-Fi signal at the same time. The Velop is the second Wi-Fi system, the Netgear Orbi being the first, that employs a dedicated back-half band.

But the Velop goes one step further than the Orbi by supporting dynamic frequency selection (DFS) allowing it to automatically pick the best channel or band at a given time to connect the hardware units and clients together. You can also link the Velop units together using network cables, which will completely eliminate signal loss and distance restriction — something the Netgear Orbi so far hasn’t allowed.

All these mean one thing: fast Wi-Fi connection speed. Basically the Velop is fast enough to deliver ultra-fast internet connection of 400Mbps or even faster. Keep in mind that most existing Wi-Fi systems, like the Eero or Google Wifi, can deliver the full broadband speed of no more than 200Mbps.

Each Velop unit is a powerful AC2200 router that has two auto-sensing (LAN/WAN) Gigabit network ports.

Dong Ngo/CNET

Feature packed

The Velop comes with a Linksys app for iOS and Android for both the setup process and ongoing management. It also comes with a host of cool features, including:

• Spot Finder: Using the Linksys app, the Velop will recommend the best placement for additional satellite units to deliver the best performance.
• Linksys XConnect: Sensitive information, such as passwords, will be encrypted and secure when passed between hardware units.
• Amazon Alexa Cloud Integration: You can use Alexa to control your home network, turn the Guest nerwork on and off or verbally request the Wi-Fi networks’ passwords. Future Alexa skills are in development.
• Seamless Wi-Fi Experience: Velop promises seamless signal hand-off, allowing a connected client to roam from one hardware unit to another without interruption.
• Airtime fairness, Load balancing and device steering: When multiple clients with different Wi-Fi speed grades are connected to the Velop, they are treated differently based on their top speed. This allows all devices to connect at their best speeds.

Wi-Fi coverage and availability

Linksys says you can use a single Velop unit to cover a home of some 2,000 square feet, two units for up to 4,000 square feet and all three units for up to 6,000 square feet. The actual coverage depends on the layout of your home, obviously, but chances are you won’t need more than three units. The Velop is available now and includes a three-year warranty, which is generous considering most routers and Wi-Fi systems come with just one year.

All things considering this Wi-Fi system sure sounds promising. Check back after CES for the full review to see how its real-world performance pans out.

Here’s what else is happening at CES 2017.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 (2017) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Laptops, even high-quality ones, have become much less expensive over the past few years. But one exception to that rule is gaming laptops, which still cost $1,500 to $2,000 or more for anything decent.

Sarah Tew/CNET

That’s why I’m so impressed with what Dell has managed to fit into the new Inspiron 15 7000. It’s a 15-inch laptop from Dell’s very, very mainstream Inspiron line, but it incorporates a lot of the hardware and design touches from the more-expensive Alienware family. We liked the 2016 version of this laptop a lot, even though it was more mainstream-looking. Like that older version, the new Inspiron 15 7000 keeps the starting price down to a very reasonable $799 (£644 or AU$1,100). It goes on sale in the US January 5.

For that very reasonable investment, you get a bit of design edge, with big red fan vents in the back and red details on the keyboard and front edge; new seventh-gen Intel Core i-5 and i7 processors; and either a full HD or 4K screen.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming Laptop
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But the most important thing is the graphics card. Here it’s an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050Ti — which is a pretty good mainstream part for playing games at Full HD resolution and medium-to-high settings. It’s a bit better than last year’s mainstream GeForce 960M card, and while it won’t support VR, it’s about as much gaming laptop as anyone can reasonably expect for the price.

Dell Latitude 5285 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Joining Dell’s professional line, but potentially of interest to consumers as well, is the Latitude 5285 hybrid. This style of hybrid starts off as a standalone tablet, but adds a clip-on keyboard for typing and touchpadding. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Microsoft Surface Pro line has a similar design.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Like the Surface, the Latitude 5285 has a wide kickstand in the back that can be adjusted by hand to a wide range of angles. But, unlike the Surface, this tablet has two small buttons protruding slightly from its bottom edge. Press that edge down against a table or desk gently, and the buttons cause the kickstand to pop out. Is that a game-changing new feature? No, but having tried it in person, I found it is a nice little time-saving touch.

Dell Latitude 5285
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In the Latitude 5285, you get a full-HD 12.5-inch Gorilla Glass display, regular USB and USB-C ports, and because it’s a professional system, optional LTE support and security features like a fingerprint sensor and smart card reader. It’s got 7th-gen Intel Core processors and supports something called vPro, which is a family of Intel features important for security-minded IT departments.

The Latitude 5285 weighs about 2 pounds and will be available starting at $899 (£725 or AU$1,239) in the US at the end of February.

Laptops for every holiday wish list
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HP EliteBook x360 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The HP EliteBook Folio G1 was one of my favorite laptops of 2016, combining serious business-friendly styling and professional features with a slim body that competed with the thinnest Windows laptops. HP’s latest EliteBook moves past the standard clamshell design to add a 360-degree hinge. The concept behind this new version, according to HP, is to push the ideas of design, security and collaboration.

And that design is the first thing you notice. The unibody construction is similar in concept to a MacBook, but has diamond-cut accents. Like a Mac (but unlike even many high-end Windows PCs), it’s an all-metal body. The “asteroid silver” color (personally, I’d just call it “silver”) is conservative enough to pass as a business laptop, without being a boring dull gray.

Josh Miller/CNET

At 14.9 mm thick and weighing 2.84 pounds (1.29 kg), this isn’t the thinnest or lightest laptop around. In fact, it’s closer to the new 2016 MacBook Pro, while the absolute thinnest 12- and 13-inch systems dip just below the 10 mm mark. But in that added bulk is room for both traditional USB-A and newer USB-C ports, plus an HDMI output — all features rapidly falling away from consumer laptops.

HP’s two new contortionist laptops for work…
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It’s also a tough hybrid, tested against MIL-spec standards for drops and spill resistance, and the display, in either full HD or 4K versions, is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass. For data security, it can be equipped with a fingerprint reader and even HP’s new integrated Sure View privacy screen, which turns on with a keyboard command and obscures the screen image from side angles. An active stylus is included in the US and in some other countries.

Josh Miller/CNET

For collaboration, the EliteBook x360 adds a handful of new “collaboration keys,” such as one to launch Skype… in case you were confused about how to launch Skype. To be honest, collaboration tools on business laptops always felt like a marketing bullet point in search of a purpose, but the rest of the EliteBook line is cool enough that I frequently recommend them to people looking for a great all-around personal laptop.

The new HP EliteBook x360 should be available in late January, with the price yet to be set.

HP Sprout Pro G2 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

While I, personally, don’t have any use for a computer with a built-in 3D scanner, I have to admit that the HP Sprout G2 is pretty damn cool.

It houses both a 2D and 3D scanner, as well as a projector, cameras and touch mat (with stylus) for scanning and manipulating the objects you’ve scanned. The computer is kind of like an all-in-one stop for anyone in the 3D-printing field — minus the printer, of course.

The HP Sprout Pro G2 can capture and detect 3D objects.

Juan Garzón/CNET

HP debuted the Sprout Pro G2 at CES 2017, alongside a slew of new computers and monitors, but I got a look at it a few weeks ago at a private event in San Francisco.

I never thought I’d be so mesmerized by a machine that can digitally render a toy frog quicker than it takes to order a deli sandwich. Yet there I was having a great time using the Sprout Pro G2 to help customize a new appliance I’ll never own from a Portuguese retailer I’ll never visit.

The most high-tech way to customize a fridge.

Josh Miller/CNET

HP wants the Sprout computer line (it’s been making them for a few years now) to be equally accessible and easy to use for the manufacturing, retail and education sectors. I found the computer very user-friendly during my time with it, though, again, I don’t know how I’d take advantage of all of its abilities. But that’s just me.

Anyone who is interested in the HP Sprout Pro G2’s unique features shouldn’t hesitate to check out all it has to offer. Pricing and availability is expected to be announced in March 2017.

Specs

• Intel Core i7 CPU
• 1TB SSHD storage
• 8GB DD4 memory
• Nvidia GTX 960M GPU
• Microsoft Windows 10 Pro

HP Spectre x360 (15-inch) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

There’s been no shortage of praise for HP’s line of Spectre x360 hybrid laptops. Both an early-2016 model and a late-2016 update received high marks in our reviews, thanks to a slim aluminum body, excellent keyboard and a good selection of ports (even if the late-2016 version retained only one full-size USB port).

Josh Miller/CNET

The lead update for CES 2017 is a new 15-inch version of the Spectre x360, and it looks and feels different from its predecessor, but not always in the way you’d expect. This new x360 has a slimmer screen bezel, which is a trendy new feature to add right now, down to just 4.65mm on the left and right sides of the 15.6-inch display. The overall footprint is also smaller, while the glass trackpad has gotten wider, although not nearly as big as the massive trackpad in the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

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But there’s a trade-off involved. This new version is actually a little thicker and heavier than the one it replaces, moving up to 4.4 pounds and 17.9mm thick. That’s because there’s an Nvidia GeForce 940MX discrete graphics option, as well as a battery that HP says is 23 percent larger than before.

Josh Miller/CNET

You’ll probably need that battery, as there’s only one screen resolution option, a full UHD 4K display. That’s a very cool feature to have in a 15-inch laptop, but it’s also a bit of a battery killer in our experience.

The new 15-inch Spectre x360 will be available around the end of February, starting at $1,249 in the US (£1,017 or AU$1,737). The smaller 13-inch Spectre x360 is also getting a 4K screen option, plus optional Intel Iris graphics (slightly better than the default Intel graphics in most laptops), and the same cool-looking ash silver color as the 15-inch model.