NASA computers, tapes from Apollo era discovered in basement of late engineer

Why it matters to you

For fans of the NASA space program, the contents of a deceased engineer’s basement turned out to be quite the treasure trove.

A couple of NASA computers dating back to the Apollo mission era have been recovered from the basement of a deceased engineer in Pittsburgh. The revelation comes from a NASA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report, which was released with the engineer’s name redacted in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Hundreds of tape reels — many of them unmarked — were found alongside the computer. The labeled tapes appear to contain details of space science-related missions such as NASA’s Helios and Pioneer 10 and 11, which first flew by Jupiter and Saturn.

NASA was first contacted about the objects by a scrap dealer who had purchased them from the engineer’s heir. “Please tell NASA these items were not stolen,” the heir told the scrap dealer. “They belonged to IBM Allegheny Center Pittsburgh, PA 15212. During the 1968-1972 time frame, IBM was getting rid of the items so [redacted engineer] asked if he could have them and was told he could have them.”

Because the computers were marked with a plate labeled Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Property, the dealer decided to reach out to the agency for clarification.

The sheer size of the machines may have been enough to deter the agency from reclaiming them. The computers are too heavy to be moved manually and likely required a crane to transport, according to the report. “No. We do not need the computers,” NASA wrote. “We have no use for those computers.”

Though the tapes may sound intriguing, they didn’t hold up well in the engineer’s care. In fact, an archivist from NASA Goddard Archives recommended they be destroyed as they were moldy and had little historical value.

“Based on the decision reached by the Goddard science experts and myself, there is no evidence that suggests this material is historically significant, and the lack of contextual contract-related information about the creation or the content of this material, coupled with the poor condition and the potential health risk posed by this material, I recommend disposal through the immediate destruction of all magnetic tapes,” the archivist wrote.

NASA computers, tapes from Apollo era discovered in basement of late engineer

Why it matters to you

For fans of the NASA space program, the contents of a deceased engineer’s basement turned out to be quite the treasure trove.

A couple of NASA computers dating back to the Apollo mission era have been recovered from the basement of a deceased engineer in Pittsburgh. The revelation comes from a NASA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report, which was released with the engineer’s name redacted in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Hundreds of tape reels — many of them unmarked — were found alongside the computer. The labeled tapes appear to contain details of space science-related missions such as NASA’s Helios and Pioneer 10 and 11, which first flew by Jupiter and Saturn.

NASA was first contacted about the objects by a scrap dealer who had purchased them from the engineer’s heir. “Please tell NASA these items were not stolen,” the heir told the scrap dealer. “They belonged to IBM Allegheny Center Pittsburgh, PA 15212. During the 1968-1972 time frame, IBM was getting rid of the items so [redacted engineer] asked if he could have them and was told he could have them.”

Because the computers were marked with a plate labeled Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Property, the dealer decided to reach out to the agency for clarification.

The sheer size of the machines may have been enough to deter the agency from reclaiming them. The computers are too heavy to be moved manually and likely required a crane to transport, according to the report. “No. We do not need the computers,” NASA wrote. “We have no use for those computers.”

Though the tapes may sound intriguing, they didn’t hold up well in the engineer’s care. In fact, an archivist from NASA Goddard Archives recommended they be destroyed as they were moldy and had little historical value.

“Based on the decision reached by the Goddard science experts and myself, there is no evidence that suggests this material is historically significant, and the lack of contextual contract-related information about the creation or the content of this material, coupled with the poor condition and the potential health risk posed by this material, I recommend disposal through the immediate destruction of all magnetic tapes,” the archivist wrote.

HTC U11 owners will be able to chat with Alexa starting Monday

Why it matters to you

Integration with HTC’s U11 is good news for the many people who rely on Alexa as their digital assistant of choice.

Another digital companion is on its way to the HTC U11 to go toe-to-toe with Google Assistant. HTC has announced via its American Twitter account that Amazon’s Alexa will debut on the phone on July 17.

Alexa was promoted ahead of the U11’s June release, but wasn’t ready by the time the device launched. Earlier this week, HTC updated its Edge Sense app, which controls the phone’s squeezable frame functions, with an Alexa shortcut. While the shortcut can be switched on in the settings, it doesn’t seem to be operational at the moment, and presumably won’t work until Monday’s launch.

With the addition of Alexa, the gleaming, liquid glass-backed handset will offer up a total of three different digital aides, including Google Assistant and HTC’s own Sense Companion. Thankfully, Sense Companion doesn’t retread the same ground as Google and Amazon — it uses artificial intelligence to monitor your usage and offer suggestions, ranging from apps to try out to what you should wear on a rainy day. We found the assistant helpful in our review, but not necessarily a reason to run out and buy the phone.

So what can Alexa do on the HTC U11? We won’t quite know until it launches, but having Alexa on board gives the U11 the distinction of being the only phone where you’ll be able to summon Alexa by name out of the box, without the need for a standalone app. In this sense, it should work similarly to Amazon’s Echo smart speaker. HTC’s latest tease for the feature shows a person calling on Alexa while the device is asleep.

In addition to bringing Alexa into the fold, the recent update for the Edge Sense app also improves the feedback animation whenever Edge Sense is triggered. This should make squeezing the phone a more responsive experience overall.

Today’s news follows a rumor from earlier in the week that HTC is looking to deliver a number of updates for U11 users in the near future, such as 60 frames-per-second video recording at 1080p and an option for more accurate color calibration. Owners only had to wait about a month to get Alexa, so hopefully continued updates arrive in an equally timely fashion.

PC sales take a tumble as buyers push back against higher prices

Why it matters to you

PC makers need a strong market if they’re going to continue to improve their products, and continued slow sales aren’t helping.

After roughly five years of declining PC sales, things looked ripe for a turnaround. The rate of decline had already started to slow and some analysts previously speculated that PC sales might start to pick up. The slowdown was attributable to the growth of mobile devices, particularly smartphones, while improvements in PC quality promised to stem the tide. However, a 4.3 percent decrease in the second quarter of 2017 has thrown a monkey wrench in that prediction.

The news comes via Gartner, which published its latest report on worldwide PC shipments. The report covers desktop, notebook, and ultramobile premium (think Microsoft Surface) PCs but leaves out Chromebooks and iPads. That means that the continued growth in Google’s Chrome OS platform isn’t accounted for in this report.

Total PC shipments during the second quarter of 2017 totaled 61.1 million units, representing the 4.3 percent year-over-year decrease from 2016 mentioned earlier. That’s the lowest number of PCs shipped in a quarter since 2007 and results in the 11th straight quarterly decrease in a row.

Gartner

The reasons for this particular decline are potentially less related to PCs being less desired by consumers and more about the recent increases in components costs that have driven up PC prices. DRAM, solid-state disks (SSDs,), and LCD panels have all seen upticks in prices based on a number of supply factors, and that has resulted in some manufacturers passing higher costs on to buyers. Toss in the fact that PCs aren’t becoming obsolete nearly as quickly, allowing consumers to put off purchases more easily, and you have the perfect recipe for poor sales.

If you’re HP, however, and particularly considering the important U.S. market, the news isn’t all bad. HP maintained its top spot in the second quarter and managed a solid 6.5 percent growth in U.S. sales from 2016. That’s likely due at least in part to HP producing some excellent machines, such as the Spectre x360 13, Spectre x360 15, and EliteBook x360 G2 that we’ve rated highly, and in fact ranked among the best mobile PCs money can buy.

Gartner

Lenovo was a big loser in the quarter, down 16.3 percent in the U.S. and dropping to third place. Dell managed to remain in second place and Apple maintained its fourth place position in U.S. sales despite a 9.6 percent decrease. Asus was the biggest loser in the U.S., dropping a massive 40.7 percent. Worldwide, the results are similar, with the most notable move being HP taking over the top spot from Lenovo.

Going forward, the outlook for PC sales remains guarded. Chromebooks continue to sell well but aren’t yet perceived as a true PC replacement. That could change, and if it does Windows 10 and MacOS would continue to struggle. That’s important to us as consumers because PC manufacturers need the incentive of sales and profits to continue to make the excellent machines we’ve enjoyed over the last several years. So far, the outlook remains a bit gloomy.

Sprint Flex lets you lease a new smartphone now, buy or upgrade later

Do I really want to own this phone?

When you’re upgrading to a new device, it can be hard to know if it’s a device you’ll want to keep for a few years, especially if you haven’t held it and played with it yet.

When you upgrade, though, most carriers have two plans and want you to pick one: installments to own the phone or monthly fees to lease the phone. So what if you chose the latter but start hating your phone months down the line? Well, Sprint wants to keep you from committing completely to a phone you might despise with its new financing plan, Sprint Flex.

Sprint Flex lets you lease a phone for 18 months, and at the end of those 18 months, you can choose to either upgrade to a new phone, pay off your phone in a lump sum, or pay off your phone with another six months of installment payments. The annual upgrade programs Galaxy Forever (and iPhone Forever) are included in the program. For $5 more per month, you can bump any other device up to an annual upgrade as well.

Sprint is also unveiling a “value menu” of cheap smartphones for users to choose from if they’re looking more affordable phones with Sprint Deals, which can offer different discounts depending on your credit, and you’re still eligible for an annual upgrade if you pay on-time.

See at Sprint

Protect every device on your network forever for only $225!

Sure, you have a firewall and antivirus on your PC, but what about all the other devices on your network? The ever-growing threat of hacking should be taken seriously; your webcam is always watching and your phone and tablet contain important data. If you’re in the process of automating your home, you also have to take into account your lightbulbs, fridge, doorbell, thermostat, etc.

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What you need is a simple way to protect all devices on your network from malware and hackers. Enter CUJO Smart Internet Security Firewall. This little device connects to your network and uses its machine learning protocols to put into place protection for every other device on your network.

Right now, thanks to Android Central Digital Offers, you can get the CUJO device and a lifetime free subscription to their service at 9% off — that’s a total price of $225 for this brand new product. With CUJO connected to your network, you can monitor devices through the mobile app, plus you’ll receive instant notifications if there are any security threats.

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Ready to protect all your devices and your automated home from hackers and security threats? The CUJO Smart Internet Security Firewall is the gadget you’ve been waiting for. Don’t hesitate; this deal doesn’t last forever.

Google wants you to upgrade to (its) better two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is still the best way to keep yourself safe from password breaches, but some 2FAs are better than others.

Two-factor authentication has had a bad couple of weeks. Not only was a prominent developer, Justin Williams, forced to defend a phishing attack against him to PayPal and AT&T, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that SMS-based two-factory authentication is a new vector for hacking.

As a result, Google is doing something about that: since SMS-based two-factor authentication is more susceptible to phishing attacks — someone could potentially intercept a text message or clone a SIM card, as is what happened with Williams — the company wants people to switch to prompt-based verification:

Starting next week, 2-SV SMS users will see an invitation to try Google prompts when they sign in. The invitation will give users a way to preview the new Google prompts sign in flow instead of SMS, and, afterward, choose whether to keep it enabled or opt-out.

Overall, this is being done because SMS text message verifications and one-time codes are more susceptible to phishing attempts by attackers. By relying on account authentication instead of SMS, administrators can be sure that their mobile policies will be enforced on the device and authentication is happening through an encrypted connection.

Basically, prompt-based verification is secure, and cannot be intercepted since it runs through Google Play Services. The only way this could potentially be a security issue is if someone steals a phone that is registered to accepts 2FA prompts from Google, but it’s really easy to deregister a device from any web browser should that unfortunate event occur.

Two-factor authentication: Everything you need to know

Which phone accessories do you use every day? [Roundtable]

These are the things we need every day.

Gadgets nerds love accessories almost as much as the gadgets they are used with, and we’re no exception. Really. You should see our Amazon order history.

But some of the accessories we use get a little more attention than the others and we really don’t want to go without them. Check out the phone accessories we rely on.

Ara Wagoner

I am a recent convert on the whole Spigen Ring fad, but I’ll admit that it does make it easier to one-hand increasingly tall and cumbersome phones. I am putting my ring on a Caseology case rather than on the phone itself, both because I am an ardent case-user and because it makes it easier to get it off when I need to take pictures.

Oh, and my most important phone accessory is, of course, my headphones. You’ll be hearing more about those next week, so stay tuned!

Grab a Spigen Ring at Amazon

Andrew Martonik

I have so many gadgets, accessories, add-ons and doodads around that I could go on for days here. But there are a handful that I can guarantee I’ll use just about every single day, no matter which phone I’m using.

On my desk, I have a Ventev 6-port charging station to keep all of my devices topped up when not in use. Rather than keep a Micro-USB cable around for older devices, I have these USB-C to Micro-USB adapters. I have so many different USB-C cables I haven’t standardized on one brand, but I do like the styling and robustness of the OnePlus Dash USB-C cables. I’m wearing my Bose QC 35 headphones all day, every day.

When I’m out of the house, I’ve taken a liking to carrying this massive 26,800mAh battery from Anker because it can charge up everything, including my MacBook Pro. I’ve also been using the iOttie One Touch 3 car mount for my phone because it’s sturdy and highly adjustable, and I’m now using Android Auto every time I drive.

Daniel Bader

Phone accessories are like potato chips: once you start, you can’t stop. I usually buy a few good, solid cases for a new phone, but after swapping out a bunch in the early days and weeks I tend to settle on one, and that usually comes from one of two companies, Speck or Spigen. I love Speck’s quality, and its Presidio case for the Galaxy S8 is the perfect blend of protection and unobtrusiveness. Similarly, I love Spigen’s Liquid Air Armor for the Galaxy S8, which has held up incredibly well since I bought the phone in April.

To charge the phone, I’ve lately been lugging around this admittedly overpriced Nomad Powerpack battery, which combines USB-C fast charging with Tile Bluetooth locating into a compact, rugged package.

When I have a wall plug handy, my Anker six-port USB wall charger does the trick, and to listen I music I’ve recently been enjoying the heck out of V-Moda’s Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones, which you must buy if you don’t need noise cancellation. They’re amazing.

Marc Lagace

My go-to phone accessory is a Spigen Style Ring, which I make sure to slap on any phone I use. Admittedly, a style ring is not for everyone and arguments that it ruins the flow of the design of a phone are totally valid. But it’s just so handy on its own. I’m constantly using it as a kickstand to watch videos on a table, and I instinctively use it to keep my phone secure when taking a photo or talking on the phone.

Then there’s the included car mount, which is one of the more minimalist options you’ll find for mounting your phone on the dash. There are cheaper versions of the style ring available, but I trust the build quality that Spigen consistently delivers. Speaking of in-car accessories, I use the Flexsmart X2 Bluetooth FM transmitter to connect my phone to my ancient car stereo while the included USB port lets me charge my phone on the go. How well it works in your car will depend on the location of the 12V port in your car.

Jen Karner

I tend to go pretty simple with my day to day accessories. These include my Belkin USB-C car charger which works with both my Pixel XL and my Samsung Galaxy S8.

The only other accessory that I use on a daily is a case. I haven’t found one for my S8 that I’m particularly fond of, but I used an Incipio case with my Pixel. I managed to drop it a half dozen times without so much as denting the case, and since I am the clumsiest person on the planet a solid case is a must have.

Jerry Hildenbrand

I don’t use one of those Spigen Ring thingies, but now I think I might want to …

Anyhoo, I use a lot of stuff but have very few single things that stand out. I have a mishmash of USB-C cables, but I really like this 10-foot braided USB-A to USB-C cable from iOrange and just leave it plugged into my desktop. It’s great as a charger or when I need to copy something from a phone to my computer. I have the business end tucked into this slick little cable organizer. Best $7 I ever spent.

I also get a little (OK, a lot) OCD when it comes to smudgy screens. I have several of these microfiber mist sprayer screen cleaning things from AM and keep one in my laptop bag and the glove box in the car as well as on my desk. A couple of quick pumps of magic juice (it tastes horrible) then you wipe it clean with the little block and everything is clean and shiny. Until I touch it again and smear it. I swear I must have frog slime in my fingers or something.

What about you?

Take a minute to let everyone know your essential accessories in the comments. We’ll probably use them for our wishlists!

Google Maps now tells you how long a future trip will take

“If I don’t leave now, it’s only going to take longer.”

It’s hard to know the perfect time to go somewhere, because there’s no one outside mailmen and UPS drivers that really know when traffic is best in your city… except for Google Maps. With millions of users and millions more Waze users helping them graph traffic in real-time, day after day, Google Maps really can tell when the best time is to go run down to that trendy bistro downtown with a handy new chart.

The graph tells you how long your trip would take if you leave right now, the green bar, against the grey average times across the last half hour and next two hours. This can help you gauge whether traffic is better than average right now, or if you should consider going later when travel times are lower (like say after rush hour).

This could be a great help when planning errands or lunch dates, but given the relatively small window, it’d be nice to see this chart expand so we could see if it’s better to go in the morning or afternoon, but it’s still early days. It’s currently available in the U.S. and UK, but hopefully, more markets will see it soon. This chart also appears to be a server-side push, as there was no app update before it appeared.

There’s an AI storm brewing between Google and Microsoft

Both companies announced larger AI initiatives this week, and it’s all under the guise of making humanity great again.

Ever wonder whether artificial intelligence is a one-trick pony? Are there other practical applications for AI, besides giving a marketing edge to the latest smartphone releases? That’s what Google, and a whole host of other technology companies, are aiming to figure out.

This week, Google announced the People + AI Research Initiative (or PAIR), a new program devoted to advancing the use of artificial intelligence. According to the official blog, the program plans to bring together numerous researchers from Google and several outside research facilities to effectively “redesign the ways people interact with AI systems.” The underlying goal is to figure out the “human side” of it all, including its application in various trades and industries. Google is even opening up its Facets Overview and Facets Drive visualization tools so that AI engineers can unpack it and study the machine learning process:

We think this is important because training data is a key ingredient in modern AI systems, but it can often be a source of opacity and confusion. Indeed, one of the ways that ML engineering seems different than traditional software engineering is a stronger need to debug not just code, but data too. With Facets, engineers can more easily debug and understand what they’re building. You can read full details at our open source repository.

For its part, Google seems primarily focused on building out its human-centered machine learning (HCML) engine, which exists to help address where AI can assist with actual human needs. That might include research related to climate change, medical advancement, or just ensuring your virtual keyboard knows you’re about to switch into typing in another language.

Microsoft took this week to also announce its AI-focused research lab, aptly titled Microsoft Research AI. The program focuses on developing “general-purpose artificial intelligence technology” — just like Google. Microsoft has hired a team of scientists to work in its Redmond facility, and it’s even bringing cognitive psychologists on board.

Apple and Facebook have their own ambitions related to the AI space, as well, though the social network is a bit farther along than Cupertino at present. There’s also a hefty number of start-ups and smaller companies attempting to develop their own very specific use cases for AI, likely in a bid to get scooped up by one of the Big Four.

Automation is a majorly hot topic in the tech world right now, but you don’t have to study Silicon Valley to feel the effects of that.

Automation is a majorly hot topic in the tech world right now, but you don’t have to study the Silicon Valley to feel the effects of that. Instead, swipe over to the left on your Google Pixel’s Home screen, or yell out to the Google Home unit sitting in your kitchen. Those are all examples of how automation and artificial intelligence have come into play in our daily lives. Those of us who can afford it are also experiencing it behind the wheel of a Tesla Model X — I didn’t realize the depth of what AI can do until I was autonomously chauffeured down a windy Sonoma County road at 40 miles-per-hour.

For companies like Google and Microsoft, jumping on the AI train also means being able to maintain relevance. Google began as a search company, but as the Internet extends its reach past computer browsers and mobile devices, Google will have to find its way into other future-facing spaces, whether it’s in the home or at the university research lab. Microsoft, too, started with personal computers and a desktop operating system, but as we become less reliant on those particular machines, the company has to find other means of applications for its products. The company’s AI for Earth is an excellent example of this, as it offers its artificial intelligence tools to researchers and organizations to help solve climate issues.

Make no mistake: these initiatives aren’t merely for advancing artificial intelligence. It’s to sell us, the homosapiens, on the idea that there’s a practical element to it — a viable choice for a time when more technology and machinery is becoming autonomous. In this race, however, the prize isn’t reserved for the company with the most robust AI engine, but for the one that can do the best job of convincing humanity that this is all required to help move us forward as a species.