We now know when China’s ‘Heavenly Palace’ will crash to Earth. But where?

Why it matters to you

Debris from the space station will fall to Earth in January or February, according to new calculations.

The Chinese space station Tiangong-1 has accelerated its out-of-control descent and will plunge to the ground somewhere on Earth in early 2018. Launched in 2011 in an effort to compete with the U.S. and Russia, the spacecraft was decommissioned in 2016, and China notified the UN that it would likely break apart and fall to Earth sometime in 2017 or 2018. Now we have a better prediction of when the “Heavenly Palace” may come crashing down, as Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told The Guardian.

“Now that [its] perigee is below 300 km and it is in denser atmosphere, the rate of decay is getting higher,” he said. “You really can’t steer these things.”

Even a slight change in the atmospheric density could change the landing site by thousands of miles. “Not knowing when it’s going to come down translates as not knowing where it’s going to come down,” he added.

A California company that advises the government on space programs and national security has calculated that the date of re-entry will be late January or February of next year. “[We] receive orbital data from the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) on a daily basis,” Andrew Abraham of The Aerospace Corporation told Newsweek. “We have been monitoring this data closely and perform re-entry calculations on a regular basis to monitor any changes in the space station’s orbit or decay rate.”

It’s unlikely that the remnants of the Tiangong-1 will land in a populated area, with most of the Earth covered by water and huge tracts of uninhabited land. However, chunks of debris as large as 60 pounds are expected to make it through re-entry and to the planet’s surface.

What should you do if pieces of the space station crash-land in your neighborhood? Don’t mess with it, says The Aerospace Corporation: “For your safety, do not touch any debris you may find on the ground nor inhale vapors it may emit.”

At 10.4 meters long and nearly 8.75 tons, Tiangong-1 served as a testbed for a variety of critical systems, such as life support. It also docked with the Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9, and Shenzhou-10 spacecrafts and performed a variety of other tasks during its four-and-a-half-year lifespan, some two years longer than initially anticipated.

Tiangong-1 was replaced by Tiangong-2. The new station will house two Chinese astronautsfor up to a month, with further tests on life support systems and “scientific research.” One of those tests is an atomic clock, which scientists want to use to determine if the effects of gravity increase the accuracy of the timepiece, according to news reports.

But even Tiagong-2 won’t stay in orbit very long. That station, too, will fall to earth in an uncontrolled manner, likely soon before the final version of the station launches sometime in the 2020s.

Updated on 10-21-17: Added updated information about the expected date of impact.

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Google officially activates Project Loon over Puerto Rico

After receiving FCC approval to use its balloons to restore cellular and LTE service to the people of Puerto Rico, Alphabet wasted no time in deploying Project Loon. On Friday, the company announced that it had successfully partnered with AT&T to restore service to part of the island.

“Working with AT&T, Project Loon is now supporting basic communication and internet activities like sending text messages and accessing information online for some people with LTE enabled phones,” Project Loon leader Alastair Westgarth wrote. “This is the first time we have used our new machine learning powered algorithms to keep balloons clustered over Puerto Rico, so we’re still learning how best to do this. As we get more familiar with the constantly shifting winds in this region, we hope to keep the balloons over areas where connectivity is needed for as long as possible.”

Alphabet’s Loon balloons serve as replacements for the cell towers that were destroyed by Hurricane Maria, but they aren’t capable of providing any service on their own. Google’s parent company is still relying on AT&T and other cellular carriers to provide service; Loon just serves as a delivery mechanism.

Westgarth warned that Project Loon was still an experimental technology, so the company could make no promises regarding how long Loon would work. However, he said that they intended to maintain the project “in areas where it’s needed for as long as it is useful and we’re able to do so.”

Unfortunately, it is looking like Project Loon might be needed for many months to come. NPR reports that nearly 80 percent of Puerto Rico remains without power, and lack of reliable communication services further slowed the recovery. Google’s parent company is hopeful that Project Loon will be able to aid relief efforts while ensuring that those caught in the storm are able to keep in touch with friends and family.

This isn’t the first time that Project Loon has been used to respond to disasters. Earlier this year, the company worked with the Peruvian government and wireless providers to restore internet access to the tens of thousands of people who were affected by floods.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Google to deploy Project Loon balloons to Puerto Rico to restore cell service
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• Watch Mark Zuckerberg awkwardly tour hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico in VR

Google will give you a $1,000 to hack Android’s most popular apps

Why it matters to you

These programs offer a way for hackers to earn legitimate money while helping to keep your devices secure.

Need some extra cash? Then good news! Google is offering $1,000 to people who can hack popular Android apps. In a partnership with HackerOne and several popular Android developers, Google has launched the Google Play Security Program. The tech giant has offered similar bounty programs before, but this is the first time that it has partnered with individual developers. Currently, 13 of the most popular app developers are part of the program. The program includes Tinder, Duolingo, DropBox, Snapchat, Head Space, MyMail, and several others.

The rules for the program are fairly simple. Once you discover a bug or vulnerability in one of the participating apps, you simply report it to the developers and work with them to fix the issue. Once the issue has been resolved, the app developers will pay you, and then Google will chip in a $1,000 bonus on top of whatever you were already paid.

In addition, Gooogle will be collecting data and sharing it with other app developers in order to help them address similar issues. This does mean that the rewards will be handled on a first-come-first-serve basis. If multiple people discover a problem, Google will only reward the first person to submit the issue.

Currently, this program is only available to 13 app developers, but if it proves successful, Google may expand it to others.

Bug bounties such as this are nothing new and so-called “white hat” hackers can make a decent living working with tech companies to resolve security issues. Both tech and video games companies are offering rewards to those who are able to hack their services and hardware. Such programs provide a way for hackers to make a living while helping to keep people’s personal data safe.

One of the largest bug bounties was offered by Microsoft. In 2015, the company increased its bug bounty reward from $50,00 to $100,000. If you want to make similar money while still helping out Google, then you’ll be glad to know the company is offering $100,000 to those who can pull off a major Chromebook hack. The stipulation that the hacker pull off a “persistent compromise” of a Chromebook in guest mode.

Editor’s Recommendations

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• Google tweaks Google Play search results to surface best-performing apps
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Can you stream Daydream games to Twitch?

Yes, but it’s a bit complicated.

Twitch streaming is now an integral part of modern gaming and as such any chance to stream new or unique content is going to be worthwhile for any streamer. There are a lot of fun, interesting apps and games available for Daydream that would be worth streaming and with a little leg work you should be able to get a great stream running.

Want to stream to Twitch? Here’s how to get started!

Read more at VRHeads!

Twitter explains why it takes time to roll out new safety rules

Twitter has been trying to stamp out harassment, violence and abuse on its platform for years, but it’s nowhere near achieving that goal. Since its administrators regularly get a lot of flak for not moving fast enough to make the website safer, Twitter has published a post explaining why it takes time to conjure up and roll out new policy changes. The company says creating new rules “requires in-depth research around trends in online behavior, developing language that sets expectations around what’s allowed, and reviewer guidelines that can be enforced across millions of Tweets.”

After drafting new policies, Twitter runs them through its trust and safety partners, which include NGOs that focus on human relations, child abuse, mental health and cyberbullying. That’s followed by gathering “input from around the world” to make sure it can get “diverse, global perspectives” on how the rules are interpreted in different cultural and social contexts. Once all that consultation is over, it has to test the rules on potentially abusive Tweets to determine if they’re enforceable and effective. Finally, Twitter has to train its review teams to be able to identify tweets that violate the new policies.

Twitter released a calendar of safety policy rollouts after users organized a boycott in solidarity with “victims of hate and harassment Twitter fails to support.” The upcoming policies aim to get rid of consensual nudity, violence and hate group activities on platform. However, Twitter plans to implement them one by one, so it will take weeks and even months before we’ll see them being enforced.

Source: Twitter

New York City ordered to share code for DNA evidence software

Many attempts to open up access to software in the justice system have fallen flat. Advocates in New York, however, have just scored a significant victory. A federal judge has publicly unsealed the source code for DNA analysis software previously used in New York City’s crime lab, Forensic Statistical Tool, after ProPublica motioned for its disclosure. There are concerns that the software may have sent innocent people to prison by incorrectly determining that a suspect’s DNA was likely to be part of a mix of genetic material (such as the handle of a gun). Public access to the code could theoretically catch flaws in the methodology and clear someone’s name.

The move comes as a challenge in a gun possession case where FST was used to determine the likelihood that the accused owned certain weapons. The judge had already ordered code access for the defendant’s lawyers, but they weren’t allowed to share or talk about what they’d learned. Public code makes it considerably easier to challenge the accuracy of the results — outside experts and the media (including ProPublica) can find problems on their own.

Not surprisingly, the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has opposed the motion. It continued to “stand behind the science” of FST’s code.

The software isn’t in use by NYC examiners as of early this year, limiting the effects of this order on future cases. It could help with questionable cases where FST has been involved (including in other parts of the US). Also, it might lay the groundwork for future attempts at access to software in the justice system. If this helps someone avoid (or get out of) prison, it would show that source code can improve accountability.

Source: ProPublica

The top 10 most expensive drones that you (a civilian) can buy

As drones explode (not literally) in popularity, it’s not surprising that the high end of the market is seeing a ton of activity. We have ridable drones for billionaires, spy drones for the military, extra-fancy drones for filmmakers and other models that push traditional prices sky high. If you’ve been taken aback at how much consumer drones cost online, these examples of the most expensive drones should definitely make you feel better.

EHang 184 – $300,000

The Ehang 184 is a drivable drone project from the Chinese startup Ehang, which showed off the concept at CES, along with its incredible $300,000 price tag. The prototype model includes AC, futuristic chairs, and a built-in tablet for controls. According to company claims, it takes two hours to charge and can fly you around for about 23 minutes. Look, there’s a chance that this thing isn’t ever going to make it past the prototype phase (although Dubai seems convinced), and even if it does, it’ll probably illegal to fly around your city. But we want to believe.

Augmented Aerigon Drone + Phantom Flex4K – $250,000

If you’re looking for the most expensive camera drone in the world, look no further. This beast was created by Brain Farm, which partnered with dronemaker Aerigon to get an augmented version of their drone that could carry the large Phantom Flex4K camera. The result was some incredible 4K footage, but the entire package costs around $250,000, which is a little more than the average GoPro.

Scorpion 3 Hoverbike – $150,000

Nope, we just can’t stop trying to ride our drones. The Scorpion 3 Hoverbike, however, is a down-to-earth product that has gone through multiple iterations to make it safer, more powerful, and easier to use. You can check out the video to learn more, but this drone really does fly, and it really can carry you around. Of course, since a strong gust of wind could cause a terrifying crash, most of the tests have been inside a big warehouse–but if you can drop $150,000 on a hoverbike you can probably afford to rent out a warehouse, too.

XactSense Titan – $120,000

XactSense specializes in all-purpose drones for professional purposes like scouting and disaster relief: One of its latest models is the Titan/HDL32E project, which is designed to be particularly powerful. It can carry up to 50 pounds, has an incredible operating range of 9.9 miles, and boasts a flight time of 30 minutes. It’s also one of the more consumer-friendly drones on our list if you’re used to the controller/app combination that the Titan and similar drones use. Of course, that $120,000 price tag isn’t so common.

AEE F100 – $58,000

The F100 is an identification and tracking drone designed primarily for law enforcement and military use. Unlike all-purpose models, this drone comes equipped with its own specialized cameras, including 20x zooming, 3D image capture, and a navigation light that can reach one kilometer. It also has “multi-target visual identification and tracking” which can identify people, cars and buildings. With all that gadgetry, maybe it’s a good thing the price is in the Bruce Wayne range of $60,000.

Airborne Drones: Vanguard – $45,000

The Vanguard, a long-range surveillance drone, gets plenty of attention for its sleek design, but it’s also one of the most expensive consumer drones in the world. It sports a dual camera that includes a thermal detection mode. Where the AEE F100 is more suited toward urban environments and security, the Vanguard has a broader purview and is skilled at long-range surveillance of friendlier targets like wildlife and game in spacious reserves. In addition to shooting 4K footage, the Vanguard can stay up for an impressive 94 minutes and offers a 1080p visual feed via a dual-antenna setup.

Sci.Aero cyberQuad – $37,000

As the sturdy design implies, the cyberQuad is made primarily for industrial purposes — specifically reliable survey/agricultural scans where other survey tools can’t quite do the job. That includes multispectral camera abilities with automatic geotagging of all data, allowing users to study everything from vegetation cover to the topographical features of an area. However, the high-tech camera and extra-durable design push the cyberQuad’s price up to $37,000, which may be a bit much for the average farm.

Multirotor G4 Eagle V2 Cargo – $35,000

Yeah, that’s a lot of rotors. Of course, the G4 Eagle needs them: this popular drone boasts high wind stability and autonomic flight controls that allow you to set up to 50 waypoints for complex mapping. The result is an all-purpose drone that is particularly friendly to photographers. Depending on the package and add-ons, this model can cost you up to $35,000.

Lockheed Martin Indago – $25,000

The Indago treads an interesting line between military and civilian drone. It has a durable, minimalistic design and a ruggedized controller with a built-in screen (based on a Windows platform), so you don’t need many extra accessories to get it up in the air. It’s also particularly quiet and has great stabilization, which makes it ideal for surveillance and exploration (as long as you don’t fly it near any planes). However, features like integrated GPS and LTE connectivity don’t come cheap.

Freefly Systems ALTA 8 – $17,500

The minimalistic design of the Alta 8 belies its focus on stability. This is a drone designed for photographers and filmographers who want only the best drone performance for their high-demand shots. It includes swan-neck carbon booms, plus both a top and bottom tray for securing all types of cameras. Expect to see more of these around Hollywood in the coming years.

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Boosted 2 Dual+ electric longboard review

If you’ve seen anyone on an electric longboard in the past few years, chances are that the board they were riding was from Boosted. The company was one of the first on the scene when the rideable tech revolution started to take hold back around 2012, and has since grown to become one of the most popular electric longboard brands on the planet.

Boosted has continued to improve on its original design, and it released its second-generation board in 2016. Since then, a number of of competitors have sprung up to steal the company’s thunder. So, does the Boosted 2 Dual+ still stand out from the rest of the pack? We ripped one around PDX for a couple weeks, and pitted it against a handful of other high-end electric skateboards to see how it compares.

Standout features and specs

This board has a lot going for it. For starters, It’s outrageously powerful. Two 1,000-watt DC motors make this beast burly enough to hit 22 miles per hour, which might not sound like a lot — but when you’re riding just a couple inches off the ground, 22 mph may as well be 60. These motors also allow the board to charge up relatively steep hills (25% grade) with ease.

The best thing about the Boosted board is its finely tuned and carefully designed control system

The board is also equipped with automotive-grade lithium batteries that’ll get you about 12-14 miles on a single charge. The new generation also boasts three onboard microprocessors, a multitude of sensors, and mobile connectivity. Yup, you can connect it to your smartphone to tweak performance settings.

On paper, these features make it look pretty damn appealing — but really, what makes this board stand out is the way it rides. Boosted built in a number of little design flourishes that might not seem particularly significant when considered individually, but taken together, they add up to a supreme riding experience.

Hit the deck

The first thing that struck us about this board was its deck. Made from 100 percent bamboo, it’s not only springy and strong, but it also provides a playful, highly responsive ride. We realize that  bouncy decks might not appeal to everyone, but Boosted has done a good job of straddling the line between flexy and stiff here. The deck is certainly on the springy side of the spectrum, but not so much that you’ll feel like you’re riding a trampoline.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The Boosted Dual2+ is also very well balanced. Due to careful positioning of the battery and motors, the board is easy to pick up and carry under your arm — something that can’t be said of far too many electric skateboards on the market right now. Having the ability to easily carry your board around is paramount if you plan on using your board to commute, or really, do anything more than indulging in some uninterrupted cruising on perfectly flat pavement.

Killer controls

Hands down, the best thing about the Boosted board is its finely tuned and carefully designed control system. In just about every other board we’ve tried thus far, the handheld controller is more of an afterthought than anything. 99 percent of the time, you get a flimsy Bluetooth joystick controller with basic forward/back functions — but that’s not the case with the Boosted 2 Dual+.

This bad boy comes with a proprietary wireless controller that boasts a number of notable features. First and foremost, it eschews a simple joystick in favor of a more dynamic wheel and trigger system. The wheel determines the amount of acceleration, while the trigger makes that acceleration kick in. Roll the wheel forward, but don’t hold down the trigger, nothing will happen.

This is nice for a couple reasons. The first is that you can’t accidentally bump the throttle and send yourself flying. Second, the large wheel allows for more fine control over your speed. Boosted’s board isn’t nearly as touchy as the other longboards we’ve ridden.

Speeding up and slowing down

The controller is just one half of the equation. In addition to Boosted’s well-designed throttle mechanism, the board’s motors are exquisitely well-tuned — so much so that we dare say they offer the smoothest acceleration and deceleration of any electric board we’ve ever ridden. On most boards, you’ll experience a bit of a jarring effect when you hit the throttle or brakes, no matter how hard or soft you try to accelerate. This is especially pronounced when starting from a dead stop. More often than not, the average board will speed up too quickly for your muscles to adjust, thereby throwing you off balance — but we experienced no such effect with the Boosted 2 Dual+.

… The smoothest acceleration and deceleration of any electric board we’ve ever ridden

Now to be fair, it’s definitely still possible to accelerate or brake too quickly and send yourself face-first onto the pavement, but Boosted’s smooth controls lower this risk in comparison to most other boards. Even if you’re quick and heavy on the throttle or brake, the Boosted 2 Dual+ will generally accelerate in a steady, gradual manner that doesn’t throw you off balance.

Bringing yourself to a gentle stop doesn’t require an ultra-delicate touch on the decelerator — you can actually mash the brakes fairly hard without flying off the front of your board, because the motors slow you down in a gradual (but still strong) way.

As an added bonus, the board’s software can be tuned to suit different users. If you’re a beginner, you can limit the board to a top speed of 11 mph, and make acceleration/deceleration even more gradual than it usually is. If you want a bit more speed, but don’t want to eat up all your battery power, just put the board in Eco mode; it’ll top out at 16 mph, but leave you enough oomph to power up moderately-sized hills. And if you’re a real ripper, you can kick the board into either Pro or Expert modes — both of which will get you up to (or over) 20 miles per hour. Toggling between these modes is as easy as pressing a button on the controller.

Boisterous Belts and Punishing Pushes

Boosted’s burly, belt-driven wheels are a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they’re the key to the board’s powerful, hill-happy, and supremely smooth drive system, but on the other hand, they’re also the cause of a few notable downsides.

First and foremost, the Boosted 2 Dual+ isn’t great at coasting. The belted wheels provide a good deal of friction when you ease off the throttle, and while it’s not enough to throw you off balance, you’ll definitely feel the deceleration — like the road suddenly turned into molasses. This also means that the board isn’t particularly easy to push when it’s unpowered. Granted, if you’re diligent about keeping your battery charged up, you won’t need to manually push the board at all, but even so, it’s nice to have that ability when you need it — even if it’s just a couple starter kicks to get you rolling before you hit the gas.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The other downside is the noise. Boosted’s motors, while undeniably powerful, are also quite loud. In fact, they’re among the noisiest we’ve ever experienced on an electric skateboard. At low speeds, and while starting from a dead stop, the motors let off a noticeable groan. At high speeds, it’s a full-on electronic whine. It’s annoying, but it does help alert pedestrians (and slow cyclists) that you’re approaching from the rear, and we found that most people will naturally make way when they hear a motorized monstrosity coming up behind them. So if you don’t mind drawing attention to yourself, Boosted’s boisterous board does have some benefits to it.

All things considered

Despite the fact that it’s nearly a year old at this point, the Boosted 2 Dual+ is still one of the best electric longboards on the market right now. Sure, it’s a little loud and sucks at coasting — but these flaws are largely overshadowed by the board’s virtues. Between its fantastic deck, outstanding controls, and supremely smooth throttle/braking system, Boosted’s flagship longboard offers one of the most polished riding experiences you’ll find right now. So if you don’t mind the relatively large price tag of $1,500, then this board is definitely worth your consideration.

Editor’s Recommendations

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Get an Ethereum Blockchain mastery bundle for just $14.50!

Decentralized applications are becoming more popular, and have recently hit the mainstream thanks to Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that relies on blockchain technology to function. There are plenty more uses for blockchain than just Bitcoin, much like there are many more uses for the internet than just email.

Ethereum is an open-source computing platform that uses blockchain technology to function. While it does have a currency aspect to it, Ethereum’s main use is a decentralized platform for smart contracts, applications that run without risk of intervention from outside parties that intend fraud, censorship, or interruption.

Ethereum is picking up steam as blockchain technology moves forward, and developers are in high demand despite it being in an early adopter stage. Right now, Windows Central has a deal on a four-course bundle that contains all you need to become proficient in Ethereum blockchain technology. Instead of paying the regular price of $610, you’ll instead pay just $29. That’s 95 percent off the regular price! That’s not all; use the code BUNDLE50 at checkout and save another 50 percent, resulting in a final price of $14.50.

Courses include:

• Ethereum Blockchain Developer: Build Projects Using Solidity
• Blockchain Technology: A Guide To The Blockchain Ecosystem
• Ethereum Developer: Build A Decentralized Blockchain App
• Ethereum Developer Masterclass: Build Real-World Projects

If you’d like to get into Ethereum while it’s still getting off the ground, the time is now. At just $14.50, you really can’t go wrong; developers are in high demand, and the profession is on course to become quite lucrative.

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Get away from it all in this weekend’s comments thread

No shirt, no shoes, no problem. But no arguing over displays!

Google’s big week is over. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are in the wild, and everyone has an opinion about them. Of course they (we) do because that’s what we always do. Samsung may sell the most phones but it seems like Google’s are the ones that generate the most talk.

Something about arguing over a phone you have no intentions of buying is fun until it stops being fun. It’s pretty much stopped being fun. The Pixel 2 XL doesn’t have an amazing display and if you’re spending your own money, you should decide how much that matters. Buy what you like and stop worrying about what you don’t and you’ll be a happier person.

Like these happy geese.

So no Pixel arguing here because this space is not for that. It’s for being chill and talking with other chill people about whatever (except Pixel 2 XL displays and politics). It’s a great place to discuss weekend plans or tell us how great your vacation was.

This is a super-exciting weekend for me, even though I’m work-busy for all of it. My desk is piled high with stuff I can’t talk about until next week and I’ll be messing with it so that I have something worth saying when I can. It’s one of those deals where you’re so busy you don’t know where to start, but you love every second of it, ya know?

So what are you up to? Tell us all something good!