GenZe has a commuter e-bike for a connected world

Cities have started to embrace their bike-riding commuters. More and more bike lanes are appearing on city streets as transportation departments realize that more bikes means less congestion. For long-time riders, it’s a blessing. For those bike-curious folks, the chance to get to work without weaving in and out of cars means the jump to riding to their job is less daunting.

The only problem is, while you want to be a better, fitter person, what if you’re like me: out of shape and the thought of riding a bike (especially up the hills of San Francisco) is a bit intimidating? That’s where e-bikes like the GenZe 200 Series come in. With its assisted pedaling, the bike gives you as much of a helping hand as you need. It can even operate like a low-level motorcycle, at up to 20 miles per-hour and has a connected app. As a bike it’s great. As a connected device, it still needs a little polish.

The $1,900 200 Series has some solid numbers. It has five levels of assistance (one being the lowest level, five the highest). At level one it has a range of up to 40 miles. More than enough for most commutes. There’s also the “zero” mode that transforms the activates a handlebar throttle for effort-free speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Going full lazy like this will get you up to 20 miles of range, according to GenZe.

Even at its lowest setting, the assistance is apparent once you start riding. You get a sudden feeling of acceleration when the rear-wheel’s 350-watt hub motor kicks-in that’s quite satisfying. Sure you’re pedaling, but the bike is giving you a boost that’ll keep you up with more experienced riders. Which is nice, because typically I’m the guy trying to catch my breath blocking bicycle traffic.

During a round-trip commute of approximately 11 miles through varying San Francisco terrain, the 200 Series kept me moving even up some pretty steep gradients. I will note that my 220-pound frame did tax the pedal-free zero mode enough on some hills that I had to actually help the bike out. Your experience may vary, based on your weight and local hills.

On 95 percent of my ride I used the highest level of pedal assistance: mode 5. During that trip I depleted 42 percent of the battery which, if you factor in my weight and the hills, is pretty much on par with GenZe’s range estimates.

The bike has eight gears, but frankly, once I got going, I always set it to the highest gear. Only when I had to take off on hills did I lower it. On flat terrain, once you pump the pedals a few times, you’re off and downshifting just makes your legs spin faster with no actual benefit.

So, the bike itself is great on its own. But GenZe (which also makes a scooter that we’ve ridden a few times) added a companion app that connects via Bluetooth. Technically, it just updated the scooter’s app to include the bike. It’s great for data junkies and seeing how much actual battery life is left on the bike. GenZe even added a mount and, more importantly, a USB port to charge your phone while riding (because map apps are battery hogs).

The app displays local weather, the battery condition, range, logs your trips and shows you how much effort you put into a ride. For example, during a ride home, I only exerted 33 percent of the power needed to get to my destination. To be fair, there were a lot of hills and again, and as I say, I’m out of shape.

Nonetheless, that information is helpful for anyone wanting to be more active. Maybe on the next ride you’ll do a bit more work and that’ll increase over a few months. Now you’re in better shape while getting to work without showing up the first few weeks incredibly winded and sweating through your clothing.

But there is a rub. The apps’ mapping feature is a disappointment. It uses Google Maps, but when you put in a destination, it seems to offer car directions. San Francisco has lots of newish bike lanes in or around high traffic areas. The app’s routing feature seems to ignore those and directs you down streets that aren’t bike friendly.

Fortunately, because of the bike’s mount and charging port, I just used the Google Maps app directly, as it does take into account the many bike lanes in the city. Even though it steered to more hills than I expected. Thanks Google.

The closest rivals price wise to the GenZe e-bike are the Rook Electric Cruiser and Magnum Metro Plus. Both have a slightly more range but are 10 pounds heavier than the 200 Series’ 46-pound weight. Also, neither has a connected app, but they do come with rear racks that you have to purchase separately for the GenZe.

Yet, even with a wonky mapping system, the app and its hardware additions of a phone mount and USB charging port are nice touches to the solid 200 Series bike. It’s a turnkey solution to a better commute. Cities continue to grow and the infrastructure can’t keep up, so we’re seeing more and more gridlock. Bikes get around that. Plus, they don’t pollute, they’re quiet, and they give you the cardio workout that so many of us are sorely missing. You’ll also get to work a bit more refreshed and more importantly, not super sweaty for the morning meeting.

iPhone X Owners Encountering Green Line on Display Due to Potential Hardware Defect

An increasing number of iPhone X owners have encountered a green line appearing on the smartphone’s display.

Photo via Twitter user mix0mat0sis‏
At least 20 customers have shared photos of the potential hardware defect across the Apple Support Communities, Twitter, and the MacRumors discussion forums since the iPhone X launched a week ago.

“So I was playing with my new phone and all of a sudden, this happened,” said one MacRumors forum member with the alias tmiles81. “It’s a really bright line going down the entire right side of the phone.”

Photos via Twitter users MACinCLE and Nate Heagy‏
The green line wasn’t visible on any of the affected iPhone X units when they were first taken out of the box, but rather developed spontaneously after some period of usage in normal conditions. The devices involved also don’t appear to have been dropped or damaged in any way.

“Day one and a bright green line has appeared down the right side of the iPhone X,” said Apple Support Communities user benvolio1979.

Many of the user reports claim that restarting or even fully restoring the device doesn’t remove the green line, which typically runs vertically along the right or left side of the display, but can show up elsewhere on the screen.

Photos via MacRumors forum member irusli9‏
The issue doesn’t appear to be limited to specific iPhone X models or locations. We’ve seen reports from owners of both 64GB and 256GB configurations in Silver or Space Gray in the United States, Canada, Poland, and Australia at a minimum. If you are affected, share a photo in the comments section below.

MacRumors hasn’t been able to reproduce the issue. Apple declined to comment in an emailed response from a spokesperson.

Apple has been replacing affected iPhone X units free of charge, according to customers who contacted the company. Apple also appears to be collecting data from the incidents so that its engineers can investigate the matter, as it routinely does with any potential hardware or software issues.

Photo via Apple Support Communities user tomek80
The green line could be an isolated defect with the iPhone X’s OLED display. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 also uses OLED and suffered from a similar issue last year in which a pink line appeared on some displays. Samsung acknowledged the issue as hardware failure and worked to replace affected devices.

If you experience this problem, we recommend booking a Genius Bar appointment or contacting Apple’s support team via phone, email, or online chat. Apple is generally helpful in these situations.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Community Envisions Better Ways to Activate Control Center on iPhone X

One of the biggest software changes on Apple’s new iPhone X is the location of Control Center, the useful user interface that provides you with quick access to music playback controls, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles, the flashlight, calculator, and much more thanks to iOS 11’s customizable layout. On pre-iPhone X devices, the Control Center is awoken by swiping up from the bottom edge of the device. Because that action is now the default “go home” gesture on iPhone X, Apple has moved Control Center to the top right edge of the smartphone.

This location change has removed the simplicity and ease-of-access to Control Center for many iPhone X users — particularly those who are left handed — who have been posting about the iPhone X-specific issue in the MacRumors forums, Twitter, and on Reddit. Some of these users have also provided interesting alternative locations and invoking gestures that Apple could potentially implement in future iOS updates, but it should be reiterated that these are simply community ideas and not in any way an indication that we’ll see them added to the iPhone X.

How to activate Control Center on iPhone X
Reddit has been the source of multiple ideas for new Control Center gestures on the iPhone X, with a few that replace existing gestures (so you’d have to choose between two options in Settings) and some that are new. One user theorized that the iPhone X’s new Reachability gesture (swiping down on the Home indicator, which must be activated in Settings) could have an alternate option for invoking Control Center.

Further threads provided variations on this idea: 3D Touch on the Home indicator for Reachability and pulling down on the indicator for Control Center, or keeping Reachability as it is and using 3D Touch on the Home indicator for Control Center. The 3D Touch solution has been put forward by multiple people over the last few days and appears to be a favorite, particularly because Reachability’s new swipe-down gesture on the Home indicator can be difficult to execute and could potentially be an even more frustrating location for Control Center.

Other ideas have been shared on the MacRumors forums, including one that could be an additional option for the swipe-down gesture that enacts Search anywhere on the Home Screen, but that would make Control Center impossible to call up within apps. iOS developer Guilherme Rambo posted his own idea on Twitter this week, suggesting that a 3D Touch edge swipe could house Control Center. Currently, this is used as an app switching gesture, which Apple at first removed from iOS 11 and then brought back in a later update, so it’s another idea where you’d have to pick one setting over another.

This feels really natural, 3D Touch swipe from the edge to bring up Control Center would be an awesome option to have on iPhone X pic.twitter.com/SIYNWlh1LW

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) November 8, 2017

While Rambo’s idea appears to be focused on Control Center replacing an app switcher gesture, a few users have also had ideas where Control Center is added into the app switcher. In these, you’d swipe up and hold to access other apps as normal, and Control Center would potentially be the first app you see instead of the last-used app. Or, Apple could place it on the right side of the app switcher, as one Redditor posited. Another mockup by Twitter user @jwangARK placed buttons under the app switcher for easy access to both Notifications and Control Center.

Another iOS developer, Riley Testut, theorized a simple solution that would place Control Center at the bottom right edge of the iPhone X display instead of the top right edge, while swiping up from the center would still go Home. A few iPhone X users have also pointed towards Assistive Touch in Accessibility as a workaround for easier Control Center activation, but that comes with a permanent, virtual Home Button on your iPhone screen, which will be a hard trade-off for some iPhone X owners.

With the iPhone X out in the wild for one full week as of today, November 10, the location of Control Center is one of a few gripes that early adopters have had with Apple’s newest smartphone. Another notable point of contention focused on the iPhone X keyboard’s “wasted space”, with users presenting a few potential solutions to that as well, including placing recently used emoji or punctuation in the empty field below the space bar.

Make sure to check out our iPhone X Roundup for more details on the smartphone’s new features.

Related Roundups: iOS 11, iPhone XTag: Control CenterBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Appeal tribunal rules Uber drivers are definitely workers

Is Uber a taxi firm or a technology company, and are its drivers self-employed or mistreated employees? These questions are being asked of Uber the world over, and last year an employment tribunal case in the UK concluded two drivers were, in fact, employees entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and other benefits. The ride-hailing service contested this potentially precedent-setting decision, as you’d expect, but today Uber lost its appeal. In other words, the appeal tribunal upheld the original ruling that drivers should be classed as employees.

The appeal tribunal agreed that when a driver is logged in and waiting for a job, that’s still tantamount to “working time.” Working time they aren’t getting paid for, of course. Interestingly, the ruling also noted that Uber basically has a monopoly on private hire via an app. Therefore, drivers are beholden to them and can’t reasonably engage in other work while also being at Uber’s disposal.

GMB, the union for professional drivers that’s behind the original case, is calling it “a landmark victory.” Naturally, the law firm representing the GMB and Uber drivers feels much the same. No points for guessing who has a slightly different opinion.

“Almost all taxi and private hire drivers have been self-employed for decades, long before our app existed. The main reason why drivers use Uber is because they value the freedom to choose if, when and where they drive and so we intend to appeal. The tribunal relies on the assertion that drivers are required to take 80% of trips sent to them when logged into the app. As drivers who use Uber know, this has never been the case in the UK. Over the last year we have made a number of changes to our app to give drivers even more control. We’ve also invested in things like access to illness and injury cover and we’ll keep introducing changes to make driving with Uber even better,” the company’s statement reads.

It’s the same old arguments on both sides of the fence. Uber says the average driver earns well over minimum wage and appreciates the flexibility of the service. Previously, Uber’s also argued that in drawing up employments contracts for drivers, it might have to set minimum hours and defined shifts, which goes against the whole point of the business model. On the flip-side, organisations such as the GMB assert that Uber is simply trying to avoid coughing up for benefits and a guaranteed wage.

While today’s judgement is an interesting development, this is far from the end of the road. Uber will now take the case to the Court of Appeal, followed by the Supreme Court after that, if necessary. And the reality is, drawn-out legal proceedings such as this are unlikely to provide a best-fit solution for the gig economy as a whole, which some call exploitative and others, innovative. It’s eventually going to come down to regulation and legislation by the government, which is taking a long, hard look at the gig economy as we speak.

Between this and losing its London licence, not much is coming up Uber right now.

Via: James Titcomb (Twitter)

Source: Employment Appeal Tribunal

Apple pledges to fix iPhone X cold-weather issues

Some iPhone X owners have apparently been having issues using their brand new devices in the cold. According to a few users on Reddit, the pricey phone would stop recognizing most of their touches as soon as they step outside. It would happen even if temperatures are still within 0 to 35 degree Celsius — Apple’s recommended ambient temperature range when using iOS devices. The issue sounds like a dealbreaker for people living cold climates or anywhere with four seasons, but based on Apple’s response to The Loop, it could be fixed with a software update.

A spokesperson told the publication that it’s aware of “instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment.” Cupertino is already working on a fix, and while it wasn’t included in the software update that gets rid of an autocorrect bug, it will be rolled out in the future.

While the spokesperson didn’t explain why it happens in the first place, he said devices should only be affected for a few seconds before functioning normally again. Those who’ve been experiencing the problem for longer than a few seconds, however, can always lock and unlock the screen to regain full use of their new phones.

Via: 9to5mac

Source: The Loop

Daimler’s electric school bus will have a 100 mile range

Most school buses don’t scream “high-tech,” but they’re actually perfect candidates for electrification — most run two short routes and have long breaks for recharging. Daimler and its Thomas Built Buses division have unveiled an electric bus called the Jouley that should be able to handle that task perfectly. It’s got a 160 km (100 mile) all-electric range and can pack up to 81 kids “safely, quietly and emission-free,” Thomas said. Should operators need more range, they can add another battery pack.

Jouley is just a first step in an electric future, Thomas suggested. “We snuck up on our competition, they didn’t see it coming,” said CEO Caley Edgerly on Facebook. “I’ve had the pleasure to drive it, it’s super smooth, it’s going to allow us to develop future electric vehicles.”

Thomas points out that it’s equipped with both 120 volt and USB charging ports for laptops and cellphones, an obvious must for students nowadays. The company also implied that it might one day serve as a Tesla Powerwall-type device that could, say, backup power for a school or even a neighborhood.

Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, much like other automakers, has said it will greatly expand its electric vehicle range over the next few years with the EQ lineup of electric cars. Daimler is also set to start making its first electric truck deliveries in Japan and the US.

Whether schools will jump on board the Jouley, however, likely depends on the economics. School boards are chronically short of money, so the overall cost would have to be less than regular school buses, unless they’re supplemented by local, state or federal governments. In Europe and Asia that’s a given, but under the fossil fuel-loving Trump and Republican administration, the situation is less clear.

Via: Electrek

Source: Daimler

Pope scolds bishops for lifting up phones, not hearts, during Mass

Pope Francis took a moment during his most recent St. Peter’s Square Papal Audience gathering, where he addresses thousands of faithful attendees, to remind everyone present it’s a time to lift up your heart, not your smartphone. He was referring to the many phones he saw looking out over the crowd, held aloft taking pictures of the proceedings. It was a sight that saddened him, he said, calling the use of phones during Mass, “a very ugly thing.”

He wasn’t only scolding the general audience, but naughty, phone-wielding priests and bishops too.

“It makes me very sad when I celebrate Mass here in the piazza or in the basilica and I see so many cell phones held up. Not only by the faithful, but also by some priests and even bishops! The Mass is not a show, so remember, no cell phones!”

The pope’s unscripted words were met with applause and laughter, as shown in a video of the address, and no doubt some red faces among any clergy who were quickly putting their phones away. It’s not an unreasonable request, as few would want to watch the Papal Audience address on a phone screen held up by the person in front of them, a situation that has become common at many concerts and live events around the world.

Despite his words, the pope is not anti-technology — he has a Twitter account, an Instagram account, a YouTube channel, and a dedicated bot on Facebook Messenger. He has even given a TED Talk, a first for any Pope. This isn’t the first time, however, that he has raised the issue of using smartphones at inappropriate times. In 2015, he used another Papal Audience address to blame the smartphone for the disappearance of the traditional family dinner.

It’s not just smartphones he views as potentially intrusive, but modern technology generally. In 2014, he told a gathering of 50,000 altar servers that high-tech products and the internet “should simplify and improve the quality of life” — words we think many tech companies should heed too — but instead, “they distract attention away from what’s really important.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• If data is the new oil, are tech companies robbing us blind?
• Netflix movie ‘The Pope’ will chronicle the transition from Benedict to Francis
• A library at your fingertips: The best free Kindle books
• How to find a lost phone whether it’s Android, iPhone, or any other smartphone
• Weekly Rewind: Techie tiny homes, AR fighter jets, SpaceX bloopers

NASA describes its plan for reaching Mars, but timing could be challenging

NASA unveiled its proposed three-step plan for reaching the Red Planet in October 2015, but even with a 36-page report and an artistic graphic touching on the mission’s stages, required equipment, and time frame, actually reaching Mars still feels a ways away. The mission has already been delayed once, with a new target date of December 2019, but even that goal seems a bit far-fetched as per a recent review. Never fear, though, NASA is insisting that in just over two years, we will be going to Mars.

“While the review of the possible manufacturing and production schedule risks indicate a launch date of June 2020, the agency is managing to December 2019,” Robert Lightfoot, acting NASA administrator, said in a statement. “Since several of the key risks identified have not been actually realized, we are able to put in place mitigation strategies for those risks to protect the December 2019 date.”

Last year, NASA held a two-day event geared toward pulling back the veil on its ambitious future plan — and Digital Trends was there to get the inside scoop.

Instead of simply packing a group of journalists and social media fans into a room and clicking through various PowerPoint presentations, NASA did one better: It allowed visits to two of its official space centers, Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi. As expected, the information given during each tour teetered on the edge of being both extremely dense — it is rocket science, after all — and purposely vague; NASA doesn’t plan on actually sending humans to Mars until the 2030s, leaving it some time to elaborate.

With that said, the agency did have a former astronaut on hand who was as enthusiastic about space travel as anyone, along with a slew of engineers, technicians, and representatives who were all eager to finally expose the foundation for how we plan to travel to the red planet.

Peering behind NASA’s curtain

With just 1.5 days planned for the big event, NASA intended to share as much information pertaining to its journey to Mars as possible. With companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin on hand — as well as various other NASA centers — it was clear the space agency wasn’t messing around; it had an agenda. After all, traveling to Mars will be no small feat. To see NASA take the event as seriously as it did bodes well for the future of the program.

“I’ve always said that it’s not a question of ‘if’ we’re going to Mars, it’s really just a question of ‘when.’

NASA doesn’t actually intend to send humans to Mars until the mid- to late-2030s, meaning a mission of this magnitude won’t occur for at least 20 years. Perhaps this is why it seemed like there were so many moving pieces during the event. NASA does still have a decade or two to create some components, like the heat shield for the Mars lander, as well as a Mars ascent vehicle, which are still merely concepts.

Though the plan is far from complete, proving it has the capability to show something puts NASA on par with others embroiled in the race to Mars — even if the agency is thought to be bringing up the rear.

NASA representatives during the event were beyond enthusiastic about flinging open its doors and sharing an exclusive peek of this ambitious mission. One of these passionate employees was none other than astronaut Rick Mastracchio, whose impressive resume includes three NASA Space Shuttle missions — one of which he served as the mission’s Flight Engineer. Considering his reputation dates back to 1996, Mastracchio has seen many of NASA’s highs and lows, but feels particularly confident in its current focus on the red planet.

“I became an astronaut 20 years ago and we had big dreams back then, we were going to the Moon, we were going to go to Mars, NASA had big plans,” Mastracchio told Digital Trends in an exclusive interview. “Of course, as my career progressed, things happened. The Columbia accident, of course … we built the Space Station instead of going beyond low-Earth orbit [with] the NASA budget. So, I’m not surprised that we’re going to Mars, as I’ve always said that it’s not a question of ‘if’ we’re going to Mars, it’s really just a question of ‘when.’”

NASA

NASA

NASA

NASA

To indulge those in attendance about more of the “when,” NASA first treated the group with a trip to its massive Michoud Assembly Facility, a 2.2 million square foot facility that houses much of the space agency’s large-scale manufacturing and assembly capabilities. Located in the humid bayou climate, not far from countless New Orleans jazz bands, Michoud is an otherworldly spectacle in its own right. The facility houses throngs of unfathomably large pieces of hardware — i.e. a three-story, 150-ton friction-stir welding tool — which go a long way in helping an ordinary journalist gain an understanding of space travel’s immense scale.

Orion, the most advanced spacecraft ever

The first piece of future history we saw on our agency-guided tour of the facility was the Lockheed Martin-manufactured Orion spacecraft. Designed with long-duration deep space travel in mind, the Orion spacecraft is perhaps the most ambitious project native to NASA’s journey to Mars. Not only are Lockheed and NASA building the craft to house a team of astronauts for long periods of time — getting to (and from) Mars will likely take months — but it will also have the ability to land and relaunch from either the Moon or Mars as well. According to Rick Mastrecchio, pushing the limits of technology is critical in the mission to Mars.

“We need to be a multi-planet species.”

“We need to continue to push technology, we’re not just going to Mars to support a few people on the planet,” Mastrecchio continued. “The things that we learn on the way to Mars — the technologies we develop in terms of recycling water and air and things like that — those are technologies that can be used here on the planet. That’s one good reason to go, but also, we need to be a multi-planet species. We need to go to Mars eventually and it has to be a priority for us. It’s not going to be cheap but I think we need to start down that path.”

Initially traveling to space via the mammoth Space Launch System rocket, Orion is shaping up to be the most advanced spacecraft ever created. With 30 percent more habitable volume than Apollo — meaning up to four astronauts can travel comfortably inside — the craft also features redundant computer systems, software, and various life support devices capable of resisting long bouts of severe radiation. Furthermore, Lockheed is currently constructing its exterior structure to withstand micrometeoroid strikes, further increasing its durability while also improving the mission’s chance of success.

Though the craft itself is still only a collection of pieces at Michoud, its high level of quality is immediately apparent. From a mostly-constructed portion of Orion’s bulkhead to a completed cone-shaped adapter, much of Lockheed’s innovative project was on display at Michoud, though full versions of the craft are now making their way to Kennedy Space Center for rigorous testing.

After getting an up close and personal view of the Orion spacecraft, Michoud facility members whisked us away to an utterly jaw-dropping section of the premises: a daunting, mammoth, 210 ft. high Vertical Assembly Building where NASA will construct portions of the Space Launch System.

Though NASA didn’t actually show off any part of the Space Launch System being constructed inside the manufacturing facility, getting a peek at where the future assembly will take place again helped us understand the mission’s scale. To give you an idea of the relative size of the SLS, it will be so tall that it could touch the ceiling, meaning NASA has to piece it together in parts. Even a 210 ft. tall building isn’t tall enough to house the largest rocket ever created.

Up the road to Stennis Space Center

Not content to show us just one space center in a day, NASA loaded us onto a motorcade of buses and shuttled everyone to the Stennis Space Center. Stennis is enormous, so large that it has its very own ZIP code — even though zero people actually live in the area. Getting from one side to the other takes 15 minutes by bus.

Our initial tour at Michoud showed off the Orion spacecraft and the facility where NASA’s SLS rocket was to be assembled, but Stennis was all about rockets. It housed AeroJet RocketDyne, the company responsible for manufacturing SLS’s rocket engines: the RS-25. With a production time of roughly 18 months, the SLS program will make use of a staggering 16 engines for its trip to Mars — four engines for each of the four planned missions, with the first of these missions coming in 2018.

The ferocity of the steam escaping the test stand was unlike anything we’d ever seen before; it was utterly fascinating.

Powerful hardly comes close to describing the RS-25 engine, but it’s certainly a good start. Boasting roughly 500,000 lbs. of thrust, each RS-25 engine can burn around 1,500 lbs. of fuel per second. Once all four are attached to the SLS rocket and begin firing, a whopping 2 million lbs. of thrust will be generated. During its presentation, AeroJet RocketDyne boasted about its previous tests saying its engine has the capability of running at 111 percent — literally dialed to 11 — and that the engine test scheduled for later that afternoon would demonstrate this.

After explaining the ins and outs of its day-to-day rocket production, AeroJet RocketDyne decided to enlighten the attending crew with perhaps the next best thing to seeing the test: taking a look at the engines in person. A guided tour through its manufacturing facility provided an up close and personal view of many of the RS-25s slated for use on the SLS program. Unfortunately, photos were prohibited, but take our word for it, the engines are marvels and are absolutely jaw-dropping.

And finally, the engine test

With several hours of facility tours, bus rides, and sticky New Orleans heat already in the books, it was finally time for NASA to crank up the intensity. After bussing us to Stennis Space Center’s B-2 Test Stand, NASA shuffled everyone to where we’d actually witness the rocket show some 1,000 feet away.

With nary a rocket launch or similar test under our belt, we weren’t the least bit prepared for what await us as NASA’s test clock ticked down to :00. Unlike typical launches — or those you see in Hollywood flicks — after the loud speaker announced the 10-second countdown, there were no subsequent “nine, eight, seven,” notifications. What actually happened was a 10-second silence followed by a few hundred jaws hitting the floor as an incredibly powerful blast of steam came charging out of the test bay almost unannounced.

One of the engineers — with a smile on his face — said some people prefer engine tests to actual launches because of the longevity of the test. An actual rocket launch, no matter how sensational it is, fades from view in minutes; an engine test just keeps firing. In the case of the RS-25 on display at Stennis this day, the engine fired for just shy of five solid minutes.

Even from 1,000 feet away, the ground beneath us shook as NASA dialed the engine from 109 to 111 percent and back again. The ferocity of the steam escaping the test stand was unlike anything we’d ever seen before; it was utterly fascinating. As the test came to a close, it became apparent why the AeroJet employee posited that some may prefer engine tests over launches. Then again, we wouldn’t mind watching an actual rocket launch for a fair comparison.

What’s up NASA’s sleeve?

NASA’s event certainly didn’t answer every question you might have about the mission. Though some of the “how” was fleshed out in the form of the Orion spacecraft, the revolutionary RS-25 engines, and a host of other projects (big and small) currently in the works, there’s a lot of work to be done.

Some folks shrugged at the agency’s initial 36-page report last October, but one thing is now crystal clear: NASA is going to Mars, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. If we’re lucky, it may not take as long as we think.

Update: NASA is committed to going to Mars in December 2019. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• This ‘inflatable space yacht’ could be in orbit by 2022
• NASA is sending its strange ‘Martian igloo’ into orbit for a trial run
• Setback for SpaceX as its next-gen rocket explodes during testing
• Prepare for liftoff! 17 upcoming space missions worth getting excited about
• Explore our solar system with Google’s new maps of Pluto, Venus, and more

The Morning After: Friday, November 10th 2017

Hey, good morning!

This morning, there’s the wearable powered by you, a land-speed record test that was a long time coming and the very best laptops for that special someone.

The company later decided to offer free upgrades after public blowback.
Logitech will brick all Harmony Link devices in March

Bricking a device, which usually happens during firmware updates gone wrong, is never a good thing. It’s even worse when companies do it to their devices intentionally. According to emails received by users, Logitech will be bricking all Harmony Link devices via a firmware update as of March 16th, 2018. This is pretty shitty, but fortunately there’s a happy ending to it all: Logitch says it will give all Harmony Link owners the newer Harmony Hub free of charge. Previously, the company said it would only do so if a Link device was still under warranty.

The free ride didn’t get off to a good start.
Las Vegas’ self-driving bus crashes in first hour of service

Las Vegas’ self-driving shuttle service marked its return by getting into a minor collision. Navya’s autonomous electric vehicle shuffles at around 15MPH on a 0.6 mile circuit in the downtown Fremont East district. But just an hour into its year-long trial (which follows a successful stint in January), the shuttle was hit by a delivery truck that was backing up.

The power was inside you, all along.
Matrix PowerWatch hands-on: the promise of a world without chargers

When Matrix co-founder Douglas Tham handed Cherlynn Low her PowerWatch review unit, she had to fight the instinct to ask for a charger. This wearable gets energy by converting your body heat into electricity. The self-proclaimed energy-harvesting company is finally ready to ship PowerWatches to the early adopters who backed its Indiegogo campaign. Our Reviews Editor spent some time with this first-generation watch in all its chunky, rugged glory and found its potential rather compelling.

It also makes Siri a better listener.
Apple pushes out iOS 11.1.1 to fix annoying autocorrect bug

I think all autocorrect bugs are annoying.

Nine years later…The long wait for a 1,000MPH car

The Bloodhound project was first announced at London’s Science Museum back in 2008, when pilot Andy Green and project director Richard Noble explained their “three-year mission” to build a car that could break the world land-speed record and reach a dizzying 1,000MPH (1,609KM/H).

Noble, a Scottish entrepreneur and qualified pilot, had held the land-speed record between 1983 and 1997 with the jet-propelled Thrust2. He relinquished his driving duties shortly after and became project director for the Thrust SSC. Back in 2008, Noble and Green hoped that a new car and record attempt, which the public could easily follow through blog posts and update videos, would show how exciting the industry can be — but it’s been a very long almost-decade. We take a closer look.

But wait, there’s more…

• Engadget Experience: A mirror exposes AI’s inherent flaws in ‘Untrained Eyes’
• Preview ‘LA Noire’ Switch gameplay before next week’s launch
• Sean Parker says Facebook ‘exploits’ human psychology
• The best laptops you can buy this holiday season

UK ISPs will automatically compensate customers for shoddy service

A poor level of customer service shown by your broadband or landline provider is like a late train. You know you could probably argue your way into some nominal refund, but it just seems more trouble than it’s worth. The issue with that is there’s no incentive to ensure the train runs on time, so earlier this year, Ofcom floated the idea that telecoms providers should compensate customers for poor service automatically, no complaints necessary. Today the regulator announced that BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Zen Internet — which cover 90 percent of broadband and landline customers between them — have “agreed” to be part of such a scheme.

Unfortunately, the proposals don’t have your back if your internet is just a bit rubbish from time to time. If your broadband or landline completely dies and hasn’t been revived within two working days, however, you’ll get £8 in compensation for every following day your service remains down. If an engineer doesn’t turn up for an appointment, or cancels less than 24 hours before they were due to show, that’s £25 headed your way. Finally, if a provider says your new broadband or landline service will be up and running on a particular day and doesn’t deliver, you get £5 for every day you’re disconnected “including the missed start date.”

A fiver automatically credited to your account might go largely unnoticed, but you can bet it’s within a company’s interests to improve its service to avoid paying out 100,000 fivers. Providers have a while to get to grips with what’s expected of them, though. “Launching the first ever automatic compensation scheme for telecoms customers will be complex, and requires significant changes to providers’ billing systems, online accounts and call centres. So, there will be a 15-month implementation period before it comes into effect to ensure a smooth introduction,” Ofcom said.

Automatic compensation is something providers have “agreed” to, insinuating the commitment is voluntary on their part. But they best not forget that a regulator’s job is to regulate, should it come to that. “Ofcom will closely monitor the industry scheme, and review it one year after being implemented to ensure it’s working for consumers. If not, we will step in.”

Source: Ofcom