Prolonged time in space literally changes the structure of astronauts’ eyes

ER Productions/Getty Images

Going into space as an astronaut may be great for your résumé, but it could do absolutely no favors whatsoever for your eyesight. That is the conclusion reached by a University of Houston optometrist, who has analyzed the pre- and post-flight data from astronauts who spent time on the International Space Station, and discovered that the experience results in a physical change in the structure of their eyes. While all 15 astronauts had good vision before their trip into space, they all exhibited the same physical deformation once back on Earth.

This so-called “space flight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome” is something that NASA has previously observed, but the University of Houston’s research paper quantified these changes using smart algorithms and a technique known as optical coherence tomography imaging. This noninvasive clinical test provides optometrists with detailed cross-sectional images of the retina. University of Houston assistant professor Nimesh Patel then created custom algorithms which allowed him to delve into the data to see the changes that had taken place.

In individuals who have been exposed to long periods in microgravity, these changes include an alteration in the position of the Bruch membrane opening, an increase in retinal thickness closer to the optic nerve head rim, and an increase in the proportion of eyes with choroidal folds.

It’s not clear exactly why these changes are prompted by microgravity conditions, but one theory is that it relates to microgravity-induced shifts in the body’s cranial fluids. It’s also not immediately apparent what the long-term impact to a person’s eyesight are, although Patel suggests that the anatomical changes could well hang around for the long-term.

The research may well have application for the rest of us non-astronauts, however. Because of the precision of the algorithms used for analyzing the retinal scans, there is a possibility that they could be one day incorporated into patient care to help detect incredibly small changes in more earthbound retina scans.

As for the astronauts, we doubt that too many people will be put off space travel because of possible marginal risks to their eyesight — although it’s a factor worth considering. Still, telling people you wear glasses because of space flight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome is a lot cooler than admitting it’s because you sit too close to the TV when you play Call of Duty.

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PUBG Mobile is coming to North America, available first in Canada

Only the Android version has been released so far.

Battle Royale games have exploded in popularity over the last few months, and one of the top dogs is Player Unknown’s: Battlegrounds – more commonly referred to as PUBG. Along with successful launches on PC and Xbox, an official mobile version of the game was released in China late last year. Now, the game’s coming to North America.

Seemingly out of nowhere, PUBG Mobile appeared on the Google Play Store in Canada. There are plenty of copy-cats out there, but this is the officially-licensed one developed by Tencent Games (the studio responsible for the port in China).

PUBG Mobile is currently being run as an open beta in Canada, meaning anyone can download and play so long as they’re willing to put up with the occasional bug here and there. The game’s not available in the U.S. quite yet, but you if you’re dead-set on playing it right now, you can make use of a VPN to trick the Play Store into thinking you’re from the great white north.

Only the Android version of the game has been spotted in North America so far, but it’s expected that its iOS counterpart will be available soon, too.

I’m personally more of a Fortnite guy, but seeing as how we’re still a few months away from its Android release, this might be my new go-to when I want to get my battle royale fix on the go.

Download: PUBG Mobile (free)

Facebook Lite is now available in the United States

Also coming to the UK, Canada, and more.

No matter how active of a user you are, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Facebook app has become incredibly bloated over the last couple years. If you aren’t a fan of the million extra features it has and simply want to focus on the basics, you should probably check out Facebook Lite.

Facebook Lite has been around since 2015 as a stripped down version of the main Facebook app, but it’s just now being released in the United States.

The app was originally designed for developing countries where smartphones aren’t as powerful, but Facebook says it’s now expanding to developed markets to help people stay connected even when they have poor data speeds.

In addition to the U.S., Facebook Lite is also coming to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Facebook Lite is rolling out to these countries now, and you can download it from the Play Store by tapping the button below.

Download: Facebook Lite (free)

LG V30 and V30S: Everything you need to know!

What do I need to know about the LG V30?

Sometime around late 2016, LG decided to stop trying to win smartphone market share with gimmickry, instead concentrating on just making good products. The LG G6 was the first product of this new approach from the Korean company, winning praise from critics, but not really moving the needle against local rival Samsung’s Galaxy S8. For late 2017, LG has its new V30 phone. It’s technically a successor to the video-focused V10 and V20 — but there’s a clean break in terms of design language, as LG ditches the removable battery and instead goes all-in on metal and glass. And in February 2018, LG announced a sort-of sequel, the V30S, with an AI boost and slightly updated specs.

This is our guide to everything you need to know about LG’s best phones to date.

Check out our LG V30 review

We’ve been using the LG V30 for the past couple months, in multiple countries and with multiple networks. Check out our LG V30 review for extended thoughts on the phone’s build quality, software, camera and battery life. And you’ll also want to take a look at our video review below, which packages all that info into a concise 13-minute presentation.

It hits the sweet spot for a ‘big’ phone

With a 6-inch display, you might expect the LG V30 to feel enormous in the hand. However, like its little brother the G6, the V30 uses a taller 18:9 aspect ratio, which (because geometry) has a smaller screen area than a 16:9 phone with the same diagonal measurement. In short: It’s big, but not unmanageable. In the hand, the LG V30 feels about the same size as a 5.5-inch, 16:9 phone like the HTC U11.

Needless to say, if you’re used to lugging around a V10 or V20, the V30 is going to feel significantly more portable than your old handset.

It’s also slimmer and lighter, on account of the metal and glass construction used throughout. In fact, the V30 weighs even less than the G6, despite its larger screen size and identical battery capacity.

Same specs everywhere

The LG G6 irked customers in some countries by leaving out wireless charging or the legendary Quad DAC in some regions. Not so this time around: All V30s are made equal.

Regardless of where you buy the V30, you’ll get both wireless charging built-in, and high-performance wired audio thanks to LG’s Hi-Fi Quad DAC.

The only outlier is internal storage space. There’s an “LG V30+” sold in some countries (like the United States, where it’s available on Sprint and US Cellular), but this is just the same old LG V30 with a roomier 128GB of space. In addition, all V30s come with a standard high-end spec loadout: Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and Android 7.1.2 Nougat. There’s also an absurdly priced LG V30 Signature Edition with 6GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and a ceramic back instead of glass. The Signature Edition V30 is only available in South Korea and can be had for a cool $1800 USD.

Confusing things further, LG announced the V30S ThinQ. This phone includes the same Snapdragon 835, ups the storage to 128GB or 256GB, increases RAM to 6GB, and comes with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.

More: LG V30 specs

More: LG V30S specs: More of the same, plus A.I.

In addition to raw hardware specs, you’ll have (up to) four colors to choose from: Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue, and Lavender Violet. Naturally, not all hues will be available on all carriers, or all regions. (In the United States, black and silver are the dominant colors.)

New and improved dual cameras

LG is no stranger to dual cameras on smartphones, having included the feature on the back since the G5 (and on the front since the V10). The LG V30 is LG’s best dual camera setup yet, with a 16-megapixel main shooter behind an f/1.6 lens, and a new, brighter wide-angle camera with less distortion, and an f/1.9 lens. The main camera is a solid step up from the G6 in all conditions. But the biggest improvement comes in wide-angle photography, where the brighter lens and improved post-processing allow for clearer wide-angle pics in the dark.

Besides photography, LG has built out some impressive new video capabilities. The V30 includes LG Cine Log mode, which captures photos with flatter colors, so that more dynamic range can be brought out in post-production. It’s similar to the techniques used by professional filmmakers, and worth a look if you plan on editing footage from the V30 in an app like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut. And if you just want to give your footage a specific look without exporting to a PC, there are several color presets you can use. You could make your footage look like a dark, gritty thriller, or a light romantic comedy, all with a single tap.

The second screen is no more

The secondary ticker display has been a stable V-series feature since the beginning, but as LG moves towards OLED and slimmer, lighter phones, second screen has been retired. In its place, there’s a new “floating bar” feature, bascially a little arrow icon that you can drag around the screen, and tap to conjure up a list of app or settings shortcuts.

The feature works similarly to Samsung’s Edge Screen on its Galaxy phones, though with less disruption to apps you’re currently using in the background. In any case, if you decide the floating bar isn’t for you, it’s easy to disable it by dragging it up to the “Remove” icon at the top of the display.

It compares really well with the Pixel 2 XL

Google collaborated closely with LG to produde the Pixel 2 XL, and it shows. The phones have the same display panel, roughly the same size, and mostly similar internal hardware. There are key differences however: the Pixel 2 XL ditched the headphone jack this year, while LG doubled down and included an excellent Quad DAC for every version of the V30. The V30 also includes a glass back, allowing for Qi wireless charging, while the Pixel’s metal backing prevents that. Finally, the V30 includes LG’s now-famous dual camera setup, with the secondary lense used for wide-angle shots. The Pixel sticks with a single camera, though does use some wild algorithms to produce portrait shots.

Another key difference is software, and in this light the V30 comes a little worse off. The phone launched with Android 7.1.2 Nougat, while the Pixel line launched with Android 8.0 Oreo. The Pixel line will also be the first to receieve new feature and security updates, while the V30 may lag behind in that regard depending on region and carrier. The Pixel 2 XL is only $50 more than the V30, so it really comes down to whether you value software features — fast updates and minimal bloat — over hardware features — the dual camera, wireless charging and Quad DAC.

It’s the first phone to support T-Mobile’s 600Mhz network

Need better T-Mobile coverage in rural areas across the U.S.? The V30 is your phone.

The LG V30 is the first device to support T-Mobile’s burgeoning 600Mhz network, which offers much better coverage across greater distances than the rest of T-Mo’s network.

It’s still rolling out — only a few areas across the country are currently covered — but it should be fairly ubiquitous by this time next year.

The LG V30 is the first phone to run on T-Mobile’s new 600Mhz network

Oreo is here

The V30 launched with Nougat, but LG has started rolling out the update to Android 8.0 Oreo to the device. The update started in South Korea, but is now rolling out in other regions.

More: Stable Oreo update now rolling out to the LG V30 in South Korea

More: Android 8.0 Oreo is rolling out to the LG V30 on Verizon

There’s a gorgeous pink variant

The V30 launched in standard smartphone colors — black, silver, blue and violet. At CES 2018, the company showed off the new “Raspberry Rose” version, and it looks striking to say the least. The deep pink will definitely stand out in the crowd, and customers in South Korea, Europe and Asia can pick this version up.

More: LG V30 is getting a stunning Raspberry Rose color

There’s a refreshed ‘S’ model

For MWC 2018, LG was expected to announce the G7, but instead announced the V30S ThinQ: mostly the same V30 we know and love, but with some extra AI bits baked in. Other minor improvements include Oreo out of the box, increased storage and more color options.

Expensive, but not Note expensive

The proximity of the V30’s release to that of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 — as well as the local rivalry between Samsung and LG — invites comparisons between the two phones. But aside from the size difference (the Note is much taller), LG is targeting a slightly lower price point.

More: Where to buy the LG V30

That said, the V30 is not a cheap phone. Outright prices on the U.S. carriers start at $800, and in the UK an unlocked LG V30 will set you back an eye-watering £799. LG phones tend to pick up heavy discounts not long after launch, so it’s probable you’ll be able to pick one up for $750 or less by the end of the year.

Still, the V30’s launch pricing is a far cry from the $900+ folks have been paying for the Note 8.

More questions? Check out the forums!

The Android Central LG V30 forums are a great place to chat with other V30 owners (and soon-to-be owners), and get answers to more of your burning questions.

LG V30 + V30S ThinQ

• LG V30S hands-on: A 2017 phone with 2018’s buzzwords
• LG V30S specs
• LG V30 review: The no-BS flagship
• Top LG V30 camera features
• Full LG V30 specs
• Join our LG V30 forums

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Google Maps has added wheelchair-accessible transit routes, and it’s life-changing

Sometimes the little things can make the biggest differences.

A feature that’s been in the works for a while debuts today in Google Maps as wheelchair accessible routes are added to public transit navigation. It’s going to be life-changing for a good many people. I know, because I’m one of them.

Starting today in London, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Boston, and Sydney (though I see the feature for the greater Washington, D.C. area, too) when searching for directions that use public transportation a filter for wheelchair accessible routes is available. With this enabled, you’re shown routes that thousands of participants in Map’s Local Guides program as well as municipal transit agencies have marked as friendly for those with mobility issues. Google is working with other cities to add more places in the coming months.

Sometimes feeling normal can be the best feeling and tools that make it happen are important.

This isn’t a complicated bit of news to understand, but how it can touch the lives of millions around the world might be. I can’t speak for everyone in a wheelchair, but I know how different the world can be when you’re stuck in one.

I’ve been confined to a wheelchair on and off for 15 years and full-time for the past five. So many of the things I used to take for granted are now problematic, sometimes to the point where I lost any desire to do them. Grabbing a train or bus to head downtown is one of them because getting “stuck” is heartbreaking and embarrassing. And it happens a lot more than you may think; any outing that’s new brings apprehension and worry that it may be cut short because there is no way to wheel myself from point A to point B. Something like flying out to Google I/O is fun and exciting for most everyone making the trip but for me, it means anxiety from the moment I say goodbye to my wife until the moment I say hello to a familiar face at the other end.

Accessibility goes beyond those of us in a chair, too. Anyone who has a tougher time getting around may need a ramp or an elevator, as do people with strollers or any type of cart. It’s just as easy to get stuck trying to push the kids or a bunch of tools from one place to another and just as frustrating when it happens. Hopefully, we see the feature in more places soon.

For most people, this news won’t be as fun as Mario Kart in Maps is. And it shouldn’t be – most people you see with trouble getting around don’t want or expect special treatment. But helping life be more normal in tiny ways like knowing you can get from a train station to an airport terminal is important to me and a lot of others. Thanks, Google.

SwiftKey 7.0 adds stickers, location sharing, new languages, and more

Available now for Android and iOS.

Microsoft purchased the ultra-popular keyboard app SwiftKey in April of 2016, and since then — well — let’s just say the keyboard’s had better days. In an attempt to better compete with the likes of Gboard and other competitors, SwiftKey is getting its biggest update since the Microsoft acquisition.

There’s a lot going on in SwiftKey 7.0, but perhaps the biggest change lies with the new Toolbar. The Toolbar is represented as a small “+” icon near the top left of the keyboard, and tapping it reveals a new menu for finding all of your favorite features, including emoji, GIFs, themes, and your clipboard. However, if you’re on Android, you’ll find even more goodies tucked away here.

The first Android-exclusive new feature is stickers. Similar to many other keyboard apps, SwiftKey now lets you send a variety of different stickers to whoever you’re messaging. You can send these stickers as they are, or edit them to get the perfect look.

Coming soon, SwiftKey will also add location sharing so you can quickly send your current location or a saved address, as well as a calendar feature that lets you insert any upcoming appointments in your default calendar app. Last but not least, SwiftKey 7.0 adds eight new “lish” languages — which SwiftKey describes as “a hybrid language that lets people shift seamlessly between languages, in this case English and Indic languages.”

SwiftKey 7.0 is rolling out for both Android and iOS right now.

Download: SwiftKey (free)

The UK’s spaceport ambitions inch closer to reality

The UK government’s goal to play host to the first spaceport in Europe is taking a baby step closer to fruition today. After being introduced just over a year ago as the Draft Spaceflight Bill, the rebranded Space Industry Bill is receiving royal assent to become part of UK law. While it sounds fancy, the nuts and bolts of it are kinda boring. The legislation covers necessities like spaceflight licensing, insurance requirements and safety commitments. Not a particularly exciting read then, but it does lay the regulatory groundwork that’ll be essential for an operational spaceport. The government hasn’t provided any update on when it hopes one will open, but previously it’s said 2020 sounds doable.

According to the government, a quarter of all telecoms satellites are “substantially built” in the UK. It hopes that with local launch capabilities, Britain can become a “one-stop shop” at the forefront of the burgeoning private space industry; not to mention the opportunities it could grant researchers and the public sector (“using satellite data and machine learning technology to support the roll out of charging points for electric vehicles,” for example). There are several potential spaceport locations still under consideration, and the government has earmarked £10 million in funding that’ll go towards breaking ground and complementary projects.

Should a UK spaceport become a reality in the next few years, it would be the first in Europe. The European Space Agency (ESA) does have one of its own, but that’s situated in the South American country of French Guiana. In addition to the proposed spaceport, the UK is also set to become home to the world’s first commercial astronaut training ground. Construction is expected to start on the facility later this year.

While the Space Industry Act is a good start, it might not be quite comprehensive enough. For example, the law doesn’t include any mention of a €60 million liability cap, introduced in 2015, that limits an operator’s financial risk. What that basically means is if a company launches a satellite, everything goes wrong and it causes a ton of damage, it’s only liable to hand over a maximum of €60 million to contribute to the clean-up. These kind of caps are essential for securing investment and insurance, so follow-up legislation will likely be required to fill this and other shortcomings of the act that might crop up.

The government is hopeful the work it’s doing will help the UK space industry grow, but there are signs it’s currently shrinking. British companies are apparently being increasingly excluded from bidding for work on projects with the ESA. While Britain’s membership of the ESA isn’t under threat, many of its programs are funded by the EU, and the fact the UK is Brexiting is beginning to muddy that relationship.

Source: UK government

Blue Apron will start selling its meal kits in stores this year

Blue Apron is looking to bring its meal kits to actual stores and it’s aiming to do so by the end of the year. The company, which has suffered falling subscription rates and share prices, has had to lay off hundreds of its employees as competition mounts in both the subscription realm and the brick-and-mortar domain. Companies like HelloFresh and Plated have snagged some of Blue Apron’s market share and as retailers like Walmart, Amazon and regional grocery chains like Kroger begin to offer their own meal kits, customers are increasingly able to buy them without committing to a subscription like they have to with Blue Apron.

Aware of the limitations that come with a purely subscription model, Blue Apron is now looking to boost its revenue by selling its product in stores. “The access to consumers is much broader in this avenue than the avenue we’ve been operating in in the past,” Blue Apron CEO Brad Dickerson told the Wall Street Journal.

There’s no word yet on which stores will sell Blue Apron’s kits, but the company has said that it’s in active talks with a number of retailers, some of which already sell their own meal kits. Blue Apron also hasn’t specified what it will charge for its in-store meal kits.

Via: TechCrunch

Lenovo’s Daydream VR headset might go on sale May 11th

Lenovo only gave a vague “second quarter” release window for its Mirage Solo Daydream VR headset when we saw it in January, but there might be firmer date to work with. B&H is listing the standalone wearable as available for pre-order with a May 11th ship date and a $400 price tag. We’ve asked Lenovo if it can vouch for the accuracy of the listing. We tend to take these discoveries with a huge grain of salt (stores frequently pick arbitrary dates as placeholders), but there might be some credulity to this one.

You see, Google’s 2018 I/O developer conference ends the day before the Mirage Solo supposedly goes on sale. If Google wants to talk about progress in Daydream VR (such as the Mirage Solo’s self-contained positional tracking), what better way to cap things off than to sell a headset that takes advantage of the latest features? This could certainly be unintentional, but the timing is uncanny.

Via: Ubergizmo, The Verge

Source: B&H

NASA’s planet-hunting spacecraft Kepler is near the end of its life

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has been in orbit of the Earth for nine years. In that time, it’s well exceeded its original 3.5-year mission and has pinpointed over 4,500 exoplanets and candidates. It’s a little bit heartbreaking (though not unexpected), then, that NASA revealed that the spacecraft is on its last legs. Kepler will run out of fuel in the next few months and will soon be dead in space.

Kepler was originally designed to launch with a partially filled fuel tank, which would allow it to operate for a maximum of six years. However, when engineers weighed it before sending it into space, they found that it was actually below the weight threshold. They then proceeded to fully fill Kepler’s fuel tank, which is what has allowed the spacecraft to operate for so long.

Because Kepler is in an orbit around the Sun (which was necessary for its planet hunting), it can’t be refueled. While the craft is equipped with solar panels, those only power the electronics on Kepler. Its thrusters, which help it maintain the proper orientation, allow it to maneuver and orient its transmitters to submit data to Earth, are fuel-powered. Once fuel on the spacecraft runs out, NASA will shut down communications, and Kepler will be just another piece of space junk.

Don’t despair, though. Kepler’s successor, TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is scheduled to launch on April 16th. It will continue its predecessor’s work, searching for exoplanets to add to our database.

Source: NASA (1), NASA (2)