Good to the last drop? NASA could use astronaut pee to make tools, food

Why it matters to you

This new prototype approach to recycling astronaut urine could change the way me plan and supply a mission to Mars.

For years, NASA has tinkered with creative ways to use in-situ materials to minimize launch costs and also prepare for extended missions. And it looks like the agency may have found an unlikely and ubiquitous space resource to work with: Astronaut urine. Based on new research, NASA could one day use astronaut pee for everything from 3D-printer plastics to a source of nutrients.

NASA has been repurposing astronaut urine on the International Space Station for years. In fact, nearly 93 percent of all water on the ISS is reclaimed from sweat, breath, shower runoff, and urine (from both astronauts and animals on board). A fun fact: Cosmonauts don’t drink water reclaimed from urine. However, the American astronauts recycle cosmonaut urine for a portion of their hydration needs.

The project, presented at the American Chemical Society annual conference, is focused on fine-tuning clever ways to repurpose human waste in orbit. The team hopes to one day use strains of Yarrowia lipolytica- — a yeast often found in certain cheeses — fed human urine to create a series of useful byproducts including plastics for 3D printing and even food supplements. The urea in urine provides nitrogen for the yeast cultures. Earlier research has already illustrated how genetically modified yeast can be used to produce essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, plastics, and also polyesters. All of which will be crucial supply elements on longer missions (say to Mars, for example) where resupply missions could take months.

“Astronauts will need to be able to produce nutrients and materials they need during Earth-independent long-term space travel,” noted lead researcher Mark Blenner, a synthetic biologist at Clemson University in South Carolina. “They simply don’t have the space to transport all possible needs — and certain nutrients, drugs, and materials can degrade over the course of three-plus year mission.”

NASA has made great leaps in the past few years when it comes to testing support systems crucial to any extended, self-sufficient mission. These projects include everything from growing food in an onboard space garden to 3D-printing tools and even satellites in orbit. This latest effort is still in its preliminary phase, however, Blenner is optimistic the project will eventually have practical applications in due time.

Blenner’s team is also considering the possibility of another process that uses human fecal matter to support yeast growth. The best method for extracting plastics from said yeasts as well as how well the organisms will grow in microgravity and a host of other variables are currently still unknown. That said, not everyone in the scientific community is equally amped about the potential of this new pee-fed Franken-yeast.

“I can’t help feeling in most cases it is a lot lighter just to carry the spares than a giant piece of machinery that produces a rather crappy piece of plastic that might not be the best for the tool in the first place,” explained Mark Hempsell, president of the British Interplanetary Society.

Whether this project ever comes to fruition or is simply money down the drain is anyone’s guess.

Dell gets X-treme with Alienware Area-51 PC, but caps CPU core count at 10

Why it matters to you

If you were holding out to see if Dell would offer an Alienware Area-51 desktop using a processor with more than 10 cores, you might want to consider the Threadripper Edition instead.

We already know that the Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition is out for your purchasing pleasure. Now Dell is reporting that the Intel X-Series version of its gaming desktop is available for a $1,900 starting price, which is cheaper than the Threadripper model’s $2,700 starting price. Unfortunately, the Intel-based model doesn’t provide a processor option of more than 10 cores, so you’ll have to make a separate purchase and install the Core i9-7920X 12-core chip or higher yourself if you want more performance.

Here’s the full list of hardware options:

Processor:
Intel Core i7-7800X (6 cores)
Intel Core i7-7820X (8 cores)
Intel Core i9-7900X (10 cores)
Processor cooling:
Liquid
Graphics single card:
AMD Radeon RX 570 (4GB)
AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (air-cooled)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (liquid-cooled)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Graphics dual cards (SLI):
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Graphics triple cards (Crossfire):
AMD Radeon RX 570 (4GB)
AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
Open expansion slots
Six
Memory slots:
4x DDR4 UDIMM (288-pin) up to 64GB
Memory single-channel support:
8GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz
8GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz
Memory dual-channel support:
16GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz
16GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz
32GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz
32GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz
Memory quad-channel support:
64GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz
64GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz
Storage 1 (boot):
128GB M.2 SATA SSD (in dual-storage config only)
256GB M.2 PCI Express SSD
512GB M.2 PCI Express SSD
1TB M.2 PCI Express SSD
Storage 2 (data):
2TB 7,200RPM SATA 3 HDD
Storage 3 (optical):
Slot-loading dual-layer DVD burner
Slot-loading dual-layer Blu-ray reader
Intel Optane memory options:
16GB
32GB
Audio:
High-definition 7.1 audio
Connectivity:
Dell 1820 Wireless AC (up to 867Mbps)
Killer 1535 Wireless AC (up to 867Mbps)
Bluetooth 4.1
Ports (rear):
2x Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E2500)
2x USB 2.0 Type-A
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A (5Gbps)
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps)
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C (charges)
6x Audio output (including SPDIF)
Ports (front):
2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
1x SD card reader
Power supply:
850-watt 80 Plus Bronze
1,500-watt 80 Plus Gold
Dimensions:
22.41 (H) x 25.15 (D) x 10.73
Weight (starting):
61.73 pounds
Chassis color:
Epic Silver
Operating system:
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Lighting:
Nine programmable zones using 20 colors
Rear I/O panel
Internal “theater” illumination

The heavy list of hardware should speak for itself. There are plenty of options to meet your budget, but we’re honestly a little disappointed that Dell didn’t wait a few more weeks to include Intel’s 12-core X-Series processor option. That chip alone costs $1,200, and the prices only get steeper from there until you reach the ceiling with Intel’s upcoming 18-core i9-7980XE, which costs a hefty $2,000. That’s more than the Area-51 starting price, which is why you’ll probably never see Intel processors with more than 10 cores in the desktop anytime soon.

Notice that the dual graphics card option only includes Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 10 series, whereas the triple graphics card setup only uses Radeon RX 500 Series cards. While cramming in two Geforce GTX 1080 Ti cards will be your most powerful graphics option, it’s also the most expensive given the cards cost $700 each. Having the three Radeon RX 580 cards installed will likely surpass a single GTX 1080 Ti card’s performance for $13 less. To help in your purchasing decision, here’s a little chart to show the cards for the SLI and Crossfire options, their prices, and Fire Strike results pulled from 3DMark:

Unit Price
Fire Strike Score
Radeon RX 570 (4GB)
$169
11,970
Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
$229
13,980
GeForce GTX 1070
$399
18,240
GeForce GTX 1080
$549
21,950
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
$699
27,890

Honestly, for a desktop with a starting price of $1,900, the Area-51 is an attractive product you’ll have no trouble showing off to friends. And it’s ready for virtual reality no matter what CPU or graphics card you choose. Dell’s current $1,900 starting configuration includes the six-core Intel Core i7-7800X, 8GB of system memory, and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card.

Of course, if you have money to burn, Dell provides three additional starting points for $2,200, $2,800, and $3,800 right here. For the record, Dell isn’t calling this version the “X-Series Edition” as previously thought, but merely the “New” Alienware Area-51 as seen listed within the site’s Products > Desktops > Alienware menu. Happy shopping!

Watch our Android 8.0 Oreo video review!

There are big updates, and there are not-so-big updates. Over the years, some Android versions have brought massive technical and visual changes, while others have tightened up the screws and added polish without shaking things up too much.

The new release of for 2017 and beyond — Android 8.0 Oreo — fits somewhere in between those two extremes. Android is pretty stable at this point, so broad, sweeping changes are less necessary with every new version.

As a result, the new version isn’t really about big, obvious new features — instead, it’s the sum of many, many smaller changes which help make it the most mature and powerful version of Android to date. Oreo brings better performance, fewer pain points and added convenience, thanks to features like notification channels, picture-in-picture, background app limits and smarter text input. Android still feels like Android, but in 8.0 it’s more polished than ever.

Check out our video review to see more of what’s coming to your phone with the latest OS update.

• Android 8.0 Oreo full review
• Android Central on YouTube
• Everything you need to know about Android Oreo
• Latest Android Oreo news and articles

There are limited edition Android Oreos, but not for most people

Google and Nabisco have made limited edition Android Oreos.

You know what tastes better than new software? New software and cookies. To that end, Google and Nabisco have teamed up to make some Oreo cookies with the Android logo inscribed on top. There’s also a green filling inside to match the green of the Bugdroid logo. I haven’t heard anyone mention what flavor the filling is, but I’d guess it would be mint.

According to Ausdroid, this was apparently only for the Oreo launch event. When Android 4.4 KitKat was released, Google and Nestlé printed special wrappers for KitKat bars, though the bars themselves were unchanged. There was also some delicious looking ice cream at the Oreo launch event, and it’s making me hungry for some Sonic.

Found this on my desk this afternoon. Just ate it. Hope it wasn’t limited edition. pic.twitter.com/JjUH26PjeJ

— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) August 21, 2017

How quickly would you eat an Oreo with the Android logo on it? Let us know down below!

Android Oreo

• Android Oreo review!
• Everything new in Android Oreo
• How to get Android Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
• Oreo will make you love notifications again
• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
• Join the Discussion

LG will build electric car parts in Detroit

LG Electronics is building a 250,000 square foot EV parts plant in Detroit suburb Hazel Park, it said in a press release. LG might not build its own cars, but its vehicle components division supplies many key pieces for GM’s critically acclaimed Chevy Bolt, to name one manufacturer. That’s an understatement: It builds the battery cells and pack, electric motor, power inverter, on-board charger, climate control, instrument cluster and infotainment system.

GM is therefore relying a lot on LG, but the feeling is mutual: LG says it made about $1.5 billion building vehicle components in the first half of 2017. That’s a 43 percent increase from the year before and a big chunk of that gain is due to the Bolt. The new plant should make it easier to supply those parts and ease any importing concerns with US regulators. The plant received a $2.9 million grant from the Michigan Business Development Program, and will employ at least 292 factory workers and engineers.

LG will no doubt look to expand its parts business beyond GM. Traditional automakers have been forced to switch gears from gas to electricity, thanks to an EV revolution created largely by Tesla. To make that transition more quickly, they’ll need help from companies that already know how to build complex battery packs and other components. With a plant in the center of the US auto industry, LG should be able to fill that role quite nicely.

Source: LG Electronics USA

Ubisoft’s next ‘Anno’ game relives the age of trade and empire

The Anno RTS series focuses more on civilization-building than straight-up combat, and its later editions explored that premise centuries into the future. But the franchise’s next entry casts back a couple hundred years to the past when mankind’s maps weren’t fully filled in. Today at Gamescom, Ubisoft announced Anno 1800, putting players in charge of nations setting sail for trade and diplomacy.

While scaling back from the far-flung future to the steam era is a serious change, the 19th century setting is a fertile period for revolutionary ideas and national ambitions. Players will get the standard campaign, sandbox and multiplayer modes from Anno’s past, though not much more detail has been released, aside from a release date: Winter 2018. To alleviate the wait, the German-based Ubisoft team in charge of the game, Blue Byte, is inviting players to vote on which elements make it into the game to make them feel a bit more invested.

Follow all the latest news live from Gamescom here!

Source: Ubisoft

Super-powered bacteria can harness light for fuels and plastics

Researchers have been working on improving the photosynthetic process for some time — trying to use light to create energy but doing so in a way that’s much more efficient than chlorophyll. For plants, chlorophyll works well, but to use photosynthesis to create products like fuels or polymers, we need something that works faster and generates more output. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have come up with a method that does just that and they’re presenting their work this week at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

The team did this by using a bacteria that doesn’t normally photosynthesize. Instead, it uses carbon dioxide to generate acetic acid — a chemical that can be used to produce a number of different fuels, polymers and pharmaceuticals. When the researchers gave the bacteria cadmium (a metal) and cysteine (an amino acid), the bacteria synthesized tiny particles of cadmium sulfide on their surfaces. And cadmium sulfide can use light to create energy, boosting the bacteria’s production of acetic acid. It’s like photosynthesis but much more powerful.

“Rather than rely on inefficient chlorophyll to harvest sunlight, I’ve taught bacteria how to grow and cover their bodies with tiny semiconductor nanocrystals,” Kelsey Sakimoto, one of the researchers on the project, told Phys.org. “These nanocrystals are much more efficient than chlorophyll and can be grown at a fraction of the cost of manufactured solar panels.” The bacteria are 80 percent efficient and self-replicate, passing on the ability to produce the cadmium sulfide particles to new bacteria during replication.

Others have worked on this same goal with different methods. Some of them require hardware like solar cells, electrodes or nanowires but this process doesn’t require anything extra. “Many current systems in artificial photosynthesis require solid electrodes, which is a huge cost,” said Sakimoto. “Our algal biofuels are much more attractive, as the whole CO2-to-chemical apparatus is self-contained and only requires a big vat out in the sun.”

The method is still being developed and Sakimoto says there’s a chance that a similar sort of bacteria already exists in nature. “A future direction, if this phenomenon exists in nature, would be to bioprospect for these organisms and put them to use,” he said.

Source: Phys.org

Microsoft built a hardware platform for real-time AI

In many cases, you want AI to work with info as it happens. That virtual assistant needs to respond within a few seconds at most, and a smart security camera needs to send an alert while intruders are still within sight. Microsoft knows this very well. It just unveiled its own hardware acceleration platform, Project Brainwave, that promises speedy, real-time AI in the cloud. Thanks to Intel’s new Stratix 10 field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip, it can crunch a hefty 39.5 teraflops in machine learning tasks with less than 1 millisecond of latency, and without having to batch tasks together. It can handle complex AI tasks as they’re received, in other words.

It’s considerably more flexible than many of its hard-coded rivals, too. It relies on a ‘soft’ dynamic neural network processing engine dropped into off-the-shelf FPGA chips where competitors often need their approach locked in from the outset. It can handle Microsoft’s own AI framework (Cognitive Toolkit), but it can also work with Google’s TensorFlow and other systems. You can build a machine learning system the way you like and expect it to run in real-time, instead of letting the hardware dictate your methods.

To no one’s surprise, Microsoft plans to make Project Brainwave available through its own Azure cloud services (it’s been big on advanced tech in Azure as of late) so that companies can make use of live AI. There’s no guarantee it will receive wide adoption, but it’s evident that Microsoft doesn’t want to cede any ground to Google, Facebook and others that are making a big deal of internet-delivered AI. It’s betting that companies will gladly flock to Azure if they know they have more control over how their AI runs.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: Microsoft Research Blog, Intel Newsroom

Suppliers and retailers will use blockchain to keep food fresh

IBM has joined with a group of food supply companies and retailers to use the computing company’s blockchain tech to keep food fresh. Currently, it can take up to two weeks to track down the source of contaminated foodstuffs. But just like tracking cryptocurrency transactions all over the world, this consortium will harness IBM’s enterprise blockchain services to give its members access to a constantly-updating ledger of food, from source to store.

IBM announced last November that it was working with Walmart for a similar reason — so the company could use the blockchain to track down soured food before it reached the consumer. In retrospect, that was a test run for the current deal, which is harnessing an enterprise-specialized version of the earlier tech called IBM Blockchain Platform. The retail colossus is just one of many companies under this new partnership umbrella, which also includes Dole, Driscoll’s, Golden State Foods, Kroger, McCormick and Company, McLane Company, Nestlé, Tyson Foods and Unilever.

All will have access to the same food-tracking information, which should let them pool information far more easily than trading proprietary product shipping data in the event of food contamination. More to the point, that information is trustworthy, since the blockchain solidifies data in each “block” which prevents anyone from tinkering with it in the future.

It’s similar to IBM’s earlier partnership with the global shipping company Maersk that lets it — and anyone else — use its blockchain tech to track materials across the world. It’s unclear if everyday folks will get the same amount of access to the consortium’s food shipping information, but it’s still a promising application for a number of businesses to see and trust each other’s data. And hopefully, of course, fewer contaminated food scares.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: IBM

‘Final Fantasy XV’ for Windows could use up to 170GB of storage

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking forward to the PC version of Final Fantasy XV, you had better make sure that there’s plenty of space available on your hard drive.

Square Enix has confirmed plans to make Final Fantasy XV available for the PC in 2018. Early technical specs for the game state that it will require a pretty enormous amount of storage, as it’s recommended that 170GB be set aside on the system’s hard drive.

Even with storage space only utilized during the installation process taken into account, this is a significant increase over the console version of the game, which weighs in at 64.79GB on the Xbox One. It’s possible that the extra allocation is linked to plans to add mod support to the game for its PC debut.

The game’s director, Hajime Tabata, revealed plans for mod support in a recent interview with Rock Paper Shotgun. “We definitely want to do it,” he pledged. “We haven’t actually managed to get our full modding policy or discussions on that finished but at the moment we do really want to do it. We’ll have the full details around autumn time.”

It’s easy to see how mod support would be a big enough addition to convince fans to purchase the game once again on PC. Square Enix has already made a range of tweaks to the game via post-launch updates, such as a major patch that edited the game’s story, but it will certainly be interesting to see what kind of mods the community comes up with.

It’s reasonable to expect that Tabata is talking about Steam Workshop support, given that Final Fantasy XV is set to make its way to Valve’s marketplace, according to a report from Gear Nuke. However, he went on to acknowledge that this feature might not make it in time for launch, and there’s a chance that it might not end up making the cut at all.

Still, the enormous storage requirement for Final Fantasy XV on PC demonstrates just how much space today’s most graphically ambitious video games take up. Back in its day, Final Fantasy VII was considered massive, as it required several discs and was famously too big for Nintendo’s cartridge-based hardware — but its Steam re-release takes up little more than 1GB.

Final Fantasy XV is expected to be released for the PC in early 2018.