NASA reveals its plans to have astronauts orbiting the moon by 2025

2019 will likely be a busy year for NASA. At the Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Associate Administrator William Gerstenmaier announced that the agency will begin awarding contracts for its lunar “Gateway” program, with a goal of having four astronauts in orbit around the moon by 2025.

Bloomberg reports that NASA has begun the process of constructing the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, beginning with contracts for power and propulsion components, followed by habitation, logistics, and airlocks. The components will be launched and the Gateway constructed in space beginning in 2022.

“The Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway will give us a strategic presence in lunar space. It will drive our activity with commercial and international partners and help us explore the Moon and its resources,” said Gerstenmaier. “We will ultimately translate that experience toward human missions to Mars.”

The Orion spacecraft, developed by Lockheed Martin, will provide trips to the Gateway aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. “Development of the gateway has great momentum, and we are providing our expertise as NASA looks to industry to bring know-how to this important effort,” Lockheed said in a statement.

Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), the first unmanned Orion test flight, is planned for 2019. Its three-week mission will take it within 62 miles of the lunar surface and then into orbit some 40,000 miles high before its return to Earth. A manned test flight is planned for 2023.

Future experiments will determine if water can be extracted from the lunar surface and used to create propellant for future missions. “We want to understand orbital mechanics around the moon,” Gerstenmaier said. “Doing things in this region, where gravity isn’t such a big driver … is a different way of operating.”

According to NASA, the Gateway will allow further lunar exploration and even a staging area for exploration of the solar system. “It will drive our activity with commercial and international partners and help us explore the Moon and its resources,” Gerstenmaier added. “We will ultimately translate that experience toward human missions to Mars.”

The moon’s gravity can also be used to slow spacecraft down after their six-month journey from the Red Planet, before re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

Gernstenmaier said the agency’s goals are realistic from a budgetary standpoint and added that collaboration with commercial partners will expand the opportunities and capabilities in deep space: “As long as we view the moon as a stepping stone and not an end goal, I think we’re OK”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Stealth startup launches four unauthorized rogue satellites into orbit
• Chinese students spent a record 200 days sealed in a simulated moon lab
• A luxury space hotel is now taking reservations — if you’ve got $10 million
• Hello, moon! The lunar surface is set to have 4G network in 2019
• After delays, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy is set to launch on February 6

Apple offers to replace swollen batteries in certain MacBook Pros

On Friday, Apple announced that it would be replacing the batteries of select 13-inch MacBook Pros after it was determined that a component was causing some of the batteries to swell.

Apple said that the flaw, which only affects MacBook Pros without touch bars, was not a safety issue. The Cupertino company did not give any numbers regarding how many MacBook Pros were affected, but said that these units were produced between October 2016 and October 2017.

Eligibility for the replacement program will be determined by the MacBook’s serial number. To figure out whether your device is eligible, simply head over to Apple’s support page  and enter your computer’s serial number in the provided field.

Apple’s website says that eligible users who have already paid for a replacement battery can contact support to request a refund.

Beyond that, there are a couple of details to keep in mind regarding this offer. This program will not extend the standard warranty coverage of the MacBook Pro, and the offer is only good for five years after the first retail sale of the unit. Perhaps the most important thing note is that if there is any damage to your device that would prevent Apple from replacing your MacBook’s battery, Apple will first have to fix that issue, and may charge an additional service fee.

This is hardly the first battery-related problem that Apple has had to deal with. Earlier this month, it was reported that battery swelling issues were occurring on some models of the Apple Watch Series 2. As with the MacBook Pros, Apple offered a free replacement plan for those batteries.

Perhaps the most controversial battery-related issue Apple has faced has been the slow-downs surrounding older models of the iPhone 6, 6s, and iPhone SE. Last December, Apple confirmed that in order preserve the battery life of older iPhones, it would slow down the devices’ performance. The company faced a public outcry over this and eventually offered to replace the battery of any of the eligible devices for $25. The company will do a standard battery check upon receiving the phones, but the price remains the same regardless of the battery’s quality.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best MacBook
• Common iOS 11 problems and advice on how to handle them
• Relax, everyone! Your Instant Pot is probably not going to melt
• Everything you need to know about the performance dip on your iPhone
• Asus Zenfone 4 review

Cult classic ‘Night Trap’ is coming to Nintendo Switch this summer

Full-motion video was a big step forward for games back in the ’90s, and game developers embraced the new technology wholeheartedly … by creating a voyeuristic horror film ripoff about scantily-clad teenage girls being attacked by vampires.

Never say never!

Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition is coming to the Nintendo Switch this Summer both digitally and physically!https://t.co/j1ZxEqvV8L pic.twitter.com/ZbsXKWvkn1

— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) April 20, 2018

Fast-forward 25 years, and publisher Limited Run games announced on Twitter that the anniversary edition of Night Trap will be available on the Nintendo Switch later this year, despite Nintendo’s vow decades ago that the game would never appear on a Nintendo system. The game is currently available on PlayStation 4 and on PC, and rumors of a sequel have floated around for some time.

Starring Dana Plato of Different Strokes fame and marketed as an interactive movie, Night Trap was released for the Sega CD system in 1992. As a member of the Sega Control Attack Team (or S.C.A.T.), your job was to monitor activities in the house via surveillance cameras and set traps for the various evil vampires trying to invade the house and terrorize the occupants. The game featured varying events depending on which girls you managed to save.

Night Trap was actually filmed five years before its release and created for an unreleased console, but in the 16-bit era, there was simply no way to fit all that data onto a cartridge. It reportedly cost some $1.5 million to make — an unheard-of sum by the standards of the day.

Although incredibly tame by today’s standards, the game caused an uproar among parents and politicians concerned about what these new-fangled video games were doing to the impressionable minds of children. Night Trap, along with Mortal Kombat, prompted Senate hearings that eventually led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Nintendo did demand that Acclaim remove the infamous fatalities from the Super NES version of Mortal Kombat. Sega, which had always marketed itself as the “edgier” company during the console wars of the ‘90s, released an unexpurgated version for Genesis. Nintendo capitulated and Mortal Kombat 2 was released on Super NES, fatalities and all.

“In the past year, some very violent and offensive games have reached the market, and of course I’m speaking about Mortal Kombat and Night Trap,” Nintendo chairman Howard Lincoln told the Senate committee in 1993. “And let me say that for the record, I want to state that Night Trap will never appear on a Nintendo system. Obviously it would not pass our guidelines. This game … which promotes violence against women, simply has no place in our society.”

Night Trap will be available this summer as a digital release from the Switch Shop, as well as a physical copy.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Japanese game company SNK teases retro Neo Geo system for 40th anniversary
• Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto thinks Switch life cycle could surpass six years
• The best game console you can buy right now
• Sega is working on a retro Genesis console
• ‘Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls’ brings the series to iOS in Japan

WikiLeaks loses access to a key cryptocurrency account

This hasn’t been the best week for WikiLeaks, to put it mildly. Coinbase has shut off the WikiLeaks Shop’s account for allegedly violating the cryptocurrency exchange’s terms of service. In other words, the leak site just lost its existing means of converting payments like bitcoin into conventional money. While Coinbase didn’t give a specific reason (it declines to comment on specific accounts), it pointed to its legal requirement to honor “regulatory compliance mechanisms” under the US’ Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

This doesn’t prevent WikiLeaks from accepting cryptocurrency, but it will have to scramble to find an alternative if it wants to continue taking digital money from customers buying shirts and coffee cups. Unsurprisingly, the organization is less than thrilled — it’s calling for a “global blockade” of Coinbase, claiming that the exchange is reacting to a “concealed influence.”

As Andreas Antonopoulos and The Verge observe, there’s a degree of irony here: WikiLeaks adopted cryptocurrency in 2010 precisely to get away from conventional payment services that had shut off access. Formats like bitcoin supposedly couldn’t be held back. As you may have noticed, though, regulators see things differently — they’ve increasingly cracked down on potential abuses. That doesn’t necessarily say anything about WikiLeaks’ culpability, but Coinbase’s action isn’t coming out of the blue.

Via: The Verge

Source: WikiLeaks Shop (Twitter)

Valve acquires the creators of ‘Firewatch’

Campo Santo has widely been regarded as the little game studio that could. Its very first game, Firewatch, won numerous awards and even landed a movie deal. It won’t be quite so indie going forward, however: the development team is joining Valve. While the full terms aren’t available, the team members are moving to Bellevue, Washington and will continue developing In the Valley of Gods as a Valve game. There’s no word yet on how this will affect Idle Thumbs podcasts co-hosted by three of Campo Santo’s staffers.

If you ask Campo Santo, the two companies are a natural fit. The company said there was an “obvious match” with Valve, which felt similarly about game development. Valve also saw creators with a “unique experience and valuable, diverse perspectives.”

It’s not shocking that Campo Santo would join a larger company. As successful as it has been, it was still a fledgling studio without vast resources. For Valve, though, it’s more surprising: the company’s once extensive game development has largely narrowed down to Dota 2 and its card game spinoff Artifact, with legendary talent leaving for greener pastures. This doesn’t necessarily herald a full-scale revival of Valve’s in-house plans (sorry, Half-Life 3 likely remains dead), but Gabe Newell recently mentioned that Artifact was just the start of his company’s return to games. Clearly, the company doesn’t just want to be known for Steam and hardware experiments.

Source: Campo Santo

Apple will replace swollen batteries in newer MacBook Pros

It hasn’t been that long since the iPhone battery fiasco, but Apple already has another battery issue to deal with. The tech giant has launched a battery replacement program for 13-inch MacBook Pros without Touch Bar manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017. A “limited number” of its base Pro laptops are prone to a component failure — it didn’t mention which component, only that the devices’ built-in batteries will swell if it malfunctions. Just earlier this month, the company announced a similar program for 42mm Series 2 Watches, since their batteries also have the tendency to swell.

Unlike its battery replacement for iPhone 6 or newer models that’ll set you back $29, though, Apple will swap your MacBook Pro battery for free… so long as you have an eligible model. Cupertino said it’s not a safety issue, but if you can get the replacement at no cost, it’ll probably be best to take advantage of the offer.

Since not all 13-inch Pros without Touch Bar are affected (other and older models aren’t prone to the same component failure) you’ll first have to make sure you’re covered under the program. Simply go to the program page and look up your serial number, which you can find in About this Mac (click the Apple logo on the top menu), under your laptop or on its box.

If you’re eligible for a replacement, you’ll have to find an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider, but you can also mail your laptop to a repair center. Even if you’re physically going to a store, you may want to wipe your data after backing it up anyway, since your laptop might still have to be sent to a repair center and stay there for three to five days. (In case you already had your battery replaced, you can ask Apple for a reimbursement.) Take note that Apple wants to resolve any other issue your MacBook might have before replacing your battery, and that extra repair might not be free.

Via: Reuters

Source: Apple

SEC charges third ‘mastermind’ in ICO fraud case

The SEC is clearly determined to crack down on everyone involved in Centra Tech’s allegedly fraudulent initial coin offering. Officials have filed fraud charges against a third “mastermind” in the case, Raymond Trapani, for reportedly helping to whip up false claims about the $32 million ICO and manipulate trading to keep the offering’s price up. As evidence, the SEC trotted out a group text message where Trapani reportedly told Centra’s Sohrab Sharma to “cook me up” a fake document while trying to get the company’s tokens listed on an exchange using bogus credentials.

The SEC hopes to not only recover any “ill-gotten gains” from Trapani (plus penalties), but to ban him from serving in a company’s leadership or participating in any other securities trading. He’s facing additional fraud charges from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, three of which could put him in prison for up to 20 years.

These latest charges come several weeks after the SEC stepped up the heat on dodgy cryptocurrency and token schemes, and Centra Tech is arguably the highest-profile scheme so far with star-studded endorsements (DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather among them). Regulators want to be clear that they have just as much authority over digital securities as the conventional kind, and stiff charges like these theoretically warn other fraudsters who might think the internet is a ‘safe’ place for their crimes.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: SEC, Justice Department

Moto G6 vs. Honor 7X: Which is the better budget phone?

The Moto G series from Lenovo-owned Motorola has dominated the budget smartphone scene for a few years now, but we were blown away by the amazing value offered by the Honor 7X last year.

Now it’s 2018 and the Moto G6 has been unveiled with some nifty extras and a modern makeover. How does one of the best budget options from last year stand up to it? We decided to compare the two to find out.

Specs

Moto G6
Honor 7X

Size
153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3 mm (6.01 x 2.85 x 0.33 inches)
156.5 x 75.3 x 7.6 mm (6.16 x 2.96 x 0.30 inches)

Weight
167 grams (5.89 ounces)
165 grams (5.82 ounces)

Screen size
5.7-inch IPS LCD
5.93-inch IPS LCD

Screen resolution
2,160 x 1,080 pixels (424 pixels per inch)
2,160 x 1,080 pixels (407 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 8.0 Oreo
Android 7.0 Nougat (upgradeable to Android 8.0 Oreo)

Storage space
32GB, 64GB
32GB, 64GB

MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 128GB
Yes, up to 256GB

Tap-to-pay services
No
No

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
HiSilicon Kirin 659

RAM
3GB, 4GB
3GB, 4GB

Camera
Dual lens 12MP and 5MP rear, 8MP front
Dual lens 16MP and 2MP rear, 8MP front

Video
1080p at 60 fps, slow-mo video
1080p at 30 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth 4.1

Ports
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C
3.5mm headphone jack, Micro USB

Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes

Water resistance
No
No

Battery
3,000mAh

TurboPower Charging

3,340mAh

 

App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store

Network support
All major carriers
AT&T or T-Mobile

Colors
Black, Deep Indigo
Black, Blue, Gold, Red, Gray

Price
$250
$200

Buy from
Motorola
HiHonor

Review score
Hands on
4 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Moto G6 has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 450 processor inside, and that’s backed up by 3GB or 4GB of RAM. We expect it to be a smooth performer that should meet most people’s needs. The Honor 7X is packing a HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor and, once again, comes with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. We found it to be generally zippy, though it occasionally struggled with graphically challenging games. We need some more hands-on time with the G6, but benchmarks so far reveal pretty similar performance for these phones. Both come with 32GB or 64GB of storage on board and room to expand via a MicroSD slot.

With a 3,000mAh battery, the Moto G6 should have plenty of stamina, and when it’s time to chargeit,  Motorola’s TurboPower technology can deliver up to 15W, giving you hours of battery life in minutes. The Honor 7X has an even bigger 3,340mAh battery, but it doesn’t support fast charging, so it will take considerably longer to charge up than the G6. Sadly, wireless charging has not reached the budget end of the market yet. This one’s closer than you might expect, so we’re going to call it a tie for now.

Winner: Tie

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

With that big, rounc signature camera module on the back, you instantly know that the Moto G6 is a Motorola phone. The back is made of curved glass. and there’s still a recessed glass fingerprint sensor on the front, though the bezels have been slimmed down and the screen elongated compared to last year’s Moto G5. The best design change is the switch to USB-C for the charging port, which is reversible and allows for faster charging. The glass is not going to be particularly durable, but there is a P2i water-repellent coating that should guard against rain and splashes.

The Honor 7X has a curved aluminum body with two camera lenses at the top of the back and an indented fingerprint sensor further down. The front of the phone is all glass with the Honor logo on the bottom bezel. In addition to the tougher metal body, Honor has designed air pockets into the corners to reduce the risk of drop damage. Unfortunately, the 7X lacks water resistance and still relies on a Micro USB port for charging. Both phones have a 3.5mm audio jack.

This is a narrow win for the G6, but some people will prefer the design of the Honor 7X, so try to get hands on with them before you decide.

Winner: Moto G6

Display

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

This neck-and-neck competition doesn’t get any clearer when we move on to display. The Moto G6 has a 5.7-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels, which translates to 424 pixels per inch. The Honor 7X has a 5.93-inch IPS LCD, also with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixel, which translates to 407 pixels per inch. The 18:9 aspect ratio is standard now, even for budget phones. The G6 is slightly sharper, but slightly smaller. Both are decent and perfectly readable, but lack the brightness levels you’ll find in more expensive phones.

Winner: Tie

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The deadlock continues as we find dual lens cameras in both these phones. The Moto G6 pairs a 12-megapixel lens with a 5-megapixel lens, while the Honor 7X opts for a 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel combo. Both have 8-megapixel front-facing cameras. The dual lens setup allows for portrait modes and a bokeh effect that blurs the background, though, as you’d expect, neither of these phones achieves it with the same style as the latest flagships. We need a bit more time to see how good the Moto G6 camera is, but it should be slightly better than the camera in the 7X.

One clear advantage with the G6 is the ability to record 1080p video at 60 frames per second. It’s also capable of slow motion and time lapse videos. The Honor 7X can only manage 1080p at 30 frames per second and lacks the slow motion option.

Winner: Moto G6

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you opt for the Moto G6, then you’ll enjoy the latest Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. It’s a near stock Android experience, with just a few handy extras thrown in on top, such as Moto Actions, which enables gestures like the ability to wave your hand over the screen to see notifications. Motorola has already said that the Moto G6 will be upgraded to Android P when it comes out.

By contrast the Honor 7X shipped with Android 7.1 Nougat and EMUI 5.1 over the top, which was a definite weak spot for the phone. It has since been updated to Oreo with EMUI 8.0, which is a major improvement, but it’s still a big step removed from the near stock Android on the G6 and definitely packs more bloatware. We don’t know if the Honor 7X will ever get Android P.

Winner: Moto G6

Special features

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

There isn’t much to speak of in the special features department. The inclusion of dual lens cameras is probably the headline for budget phones like this. Both also offer some handy extras in the software, but there’s nothing that gives one a clear edge over the other.

Winner: Tie

Price

If you want to buy a Moto G6, then you’ll need to cough up $250. The Honor 7X is $50 cheaper at $200. The Moto G6 will work on all the major carriers, but it’s important to note that the Honor 7X lacks CDMA support, so it’s no use to you if you’re on Verizon or Sprint. We think $50 is quite a big gap at this end of the market, so this is an important win for the Honor 7X.

Winner: Honor 7X

Overall winner: Moto G6

This was a surprisingly close contest considering that the Honor 7X came out at the tail end of last year and costs a full $50 less than the Moto G6. With the update to Oreo, the Honor 7X is still a compelling bargain. Budget aside, we think the Moto G6 is a slightly better phone, chiefly because we prefer the software and the camera, but the fast charging and USB-C are also important.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Moto G6 vs. Moto G5: Is it time to crown a new budget king?
• Moto E5 Plus vs. Moto E4 Plus: Battle of the ultra-budget Motos
• Moto G6 vs. Moto G6 Play: Is the G6 worth the extra cash?
• Moto G6 and G6 Play hands-on review
• Moto E5 Plus and Moto E5 Play hands-on review

Recommended Reading: Tesla and Waymo’s self-driving data quests

How Tesla and Waymo are tackling a major problem for self-driving cars: Data
Sean O’Kane,
The Verge

In order for cars to drive themselves, the vehicles and their systems require loads of data. And gathering those details are one of the main goals for companies developing the autonomous cars that will eventually take us to the office. The Verge takes a look at how two of the main players in the self-driving space — Tesla and Waymo — are gathering gobs of data in very different ways.

Facebook didn’t seem to care I was being sexually harassed until I decided to write about it Jesselyn Cook, HuffPost There were a few stories about issues with Facebook’s reporting tools this week, but this one from a reporter at HuffPost is by far the most eye-opening.	Neopets was run by Scientologists Sarah Bellman, The Outline You may recall the Neopets hype in the early 2000s, but what you might not know is that the company, as The Outline describes it, “employed business practices directly connected to the Church of Scientology.”

GSMA puts eSIM work ‘on hold’ due to US collusion investigation

Don’t expect to see embedded SIM technology in your phone any time soon. The GSMA, which oversees key cellular standards, has placed eSIM spec work “on hold” while the US Department of Justice investigates the possibility of collusion between AT&T, Verizon and the GSMA to stifle the card-free technology. The GSMA didn’t offer an explanation of why it was pausing development, and instead stressed that American eSIM users would need to “explicitly consent” to a carrier-locked eSIM (such buying a phone on contract).

All three parties have so far said they’re cooperating with the Justice Department, although Verizon previously tried to downplay it by saying it was “much ado about nothing” and just a “difference of opinion” with unnamed phone equipment makers.

The technology replaces the usual card with a chip that uses software to associate you with a given service provider. On top of freeing up room inside devices (crucial for wearables like the Apple Watch or Gear S3), it makes it much easier to switch carriers — you could sign up for a new network without even talking to another human being. And it’s that last part that reportedly has the companies scared. Many networks thrive on cultivating loyalty, whether it’s by locking you in through payment plans or just requiring that you stay in touch. If you could use an eSIM to leave in a heartbeat, carriers might lose a lot of that loyalty and would have to compete more aggressively for your business.

Via: Reuters

Source: GSMA