Avoiding armageddon: U.S. reveals plans to counter killer asteroids

The U.S. government released a new report detailing some of the efforts underway to prepare for and respond to a catastrophe caused by a “near-Earth object” (NEO), an asteroid or comet that impacts the Earth.  Included in the report are several strategies the government could take to avert such a collision, which has the potential for immense widespread destruction.

Such an impact is highly unlikely, given the vastness of space and the relatively tiny size of the NEOs in our solar system. “Fortunately, this type of destructive event is extremely rare,” White House official Aaron Miles told Bloomberg.

The report breaks the NEOs into five general categories by the potential of impact devastation, ranging from “none” (the shooting stars we see in the sky all the time) to “global” (the event that led to the end of the dinosaurs).

Even relatively small objects can cause extensive devastation because they’re traveling at such high speeds. In 1908, for example, an object about 150 feet across exploded over Tunguska, Russia, leveling more than 800 square miles of forest. The report estimates that such an event over New York City would result in millions of casualties.

Luckily, we’re getting a lot better at tracking the most dangerous objects. In conjunction with the International Asteroid Warning Network and the United Nations, NASA has documented 96 percent of the largest “planet-killers,” according to Lindley Johnson, a planetary defense officer for NASA. The agency is currently tracking some 18,310 NEOs, with 8,000 of those in the “global” category.

On the other hand, there is a chance that a rogue object could suddenly appear from interstellar space, giving us mere months to prepare. That was the case with ‘Oumuamua,’ a strange cigar-shaped asteroid that was apparently just a visitor that cruised quickly into our solar system, slingshotted around the sun at 196,000 miles per hour, and departed.

The report encourages preliminary planning and designs for three different “NEO deflection” missions:

• Kinetic impact: Just smashing a spacecraft into the asteroid may be enough to sufficiently deflect its trajectory, especially if the object was years away from impact.
• Gravity tractor: Landing and attaching a heavy spacecraft on the object would have a similar effect to a barnacle on a ship’s hull, altering the path due to the increased mass.
• Nuclear explosion: While obviously the tactic Bruce Willis would approve of, the reality is more nuanced. A nuclear blast would reduce the mass of the object, allowing its trajectory to be altered more easily by other methods. The report emphasizes that no nuclear explosive tests in space are planned or necessary, and such a scenario would only be undertaken for a large object that is more than a decade from impact.

In the short term, the administration wants to increase funding for missions like the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which will test some of these theories by crashing a spacecraft into the orbiting moonlet of a dual asteroid.

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Portable microphone system transcribes multi-person conversations in real time

In case you hadn’t noticed, we love gadgets here at Digital Trends. But, as much as we like them, gadgets can often fall under the “nice to have” banner, as opposed to being things which fundamentally transform our lives on a regular basis. The same isn’t true when it comes to accessibility devices, aimed at helping people with disabilities carry out the kind of day-to-day tasks many of us take for granted. That is why we’re excited about a new crowdfunding campaign created by a team of Netherlands-based entrepreneurs. Called SpeakSee, it’s a multi-mic system which will accurately transcribe conversations for deaf users, rendering everyday chat between groups of people as a multi-person script.

“Both of my parents have severe hearing loss since birth,” Jari Hazelebach, co-founder and CEO, told Digital Trends. “Throughout my life, I’ve seen the communication barriers that they had to face. My father has difficulties following meetings at work, and misses out on a lot of relevant information he needs to do his job. Enabling him and millions of others around the world to be a full part of conversations again is what inspired my co-founder Marcel van der Ven, Joshua Flowers and I to create SpeakSee.”

Using SpeakSee is as easy as handing out wearables microphones for people to clip on to their clothing. After this, their words are transcribed in different colors for deaf or hard of hearing users, who can read along using a connected smartphone or tablet. However, it could also be useful for other people, such as journalists who want to transcribe conversations more easily. With that in mind, text transcripts of conversations can be easily saved and then searched using keywords.

The smart technology making this all possible takes advantage of the recent artificial intelligence neural network-assisted advances in speech recognition. It is also aided by some neat microphones, which use beamforming technology to isolate specific people’s speech and filter out any background noise. An array of built-in sensors even adjusts the microphones according to different conversational dynamics.

As ever, we offer our usual warnings about the risks of pledging money for crowdfunding campaigns. If you’re aware of these and still wish to get involved, though, you can head over to the project’s Indiegogo page and pledge your financial support. A set of three microphones and a dock starts at $349, while a pricier option gives you the chance to get six mics and two docks at a discount. Shipping is set to take place in February 2019.

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The five best Wear OS devices right now

Wear OS smartwatches let you instantly access notifications, map directions, and even Google Assistant on your wrist. When manufacturers began making Wear OS watches — then called Android Wear watches — they were bulky and clunky. These watches have since slimmed down and they look attractive. More and more fashion and watch brands have come on board to make Wear OS smartwatches, such as Michael Kors and Movado.

Before you go browsing our guide to all of 2017’s Wear OS smartwatches, or even our best smartwatches guide, take a look at the models below. We’ve selected the best Wear OS watches at varying price ranges and laid out what features they pack. You should know, Wear OS works best on Android phones. If you have an iPhone, we strongly recommend taking a look at the Apple Watch Series 3.

The best

Huawei Watch 2 ($265+)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The original Huawei Watch quickly became one of our favorite Wear OS smartwatches thanks to its beautiful design. We think the original looks better than its successor, but the Huawei Watch 2 is another hit, and it packs all the features you want.

The Huawei Watch 2 comes in a few different models — including the Huawei Watch 2 Sport and Watch 2 Classic, though thankfully the differences are largely only aesthetic. Unlike many other Wear OS watches, you get a heart rate monitor, which is great for those looking for deeper fitness tracking features, as well as GPS. Our favorite addition is “Watch Mode,” which turns off Wear OS for an analog watch face that keeps the device alive for 25 days. Other than that, it has a 420mAh battery that will give you about a day of battery life.

It has NFC so you can make contactless payments with Android Pay, and it’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 2100 chip. Like all recent Wear OS smartwatches, you can press and hold the crown to access Google Assistant, and access the Google Play Store to download third-party apps. The only feature that’s missing is LTE, which is not available on the U.S. model. Still, add everything else up and you get our pick for the best Wear OS smartwatch out there.

Buy the Huawei Watch 2 now from:

Amazon

The rest

Movado Connect ($595+)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Movado Connect may not have all the features the Huawei Watch 2 does, but it does pack a whole lot of style. The minimal design mimics Movado’s traditional timepieces, and our favorite watch face changes its color throughout the day from sunrise to sunset. It comes in a few different color and strap choices, with sleek lugs that cover up any excess space in between the watch and the straps.

It has all the basic Wear OS features, including support for Android Pay with NFC. You’ll only miss a heart rate monitor and GPS, but this isn’t necessarily a sporty watch. The biggest downside is the price tag — it starts at $595.

Buy Movado Connect now from:

Movado

Misfit Vapor ($200)

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

The Misfit Vapor has had a long road to release, but it’s now finally available to the public — and it may well be the best Wear OS watch for you. For starters, the Misfit Vapor features a sleek and stylish design, and while these days bezel-less is the new trend, the bezels that this watch has are touch-sensitive and can be used to control certain aspects of the watch’s software. On top of that, the watch has a beautiful AMOLED display, and interchangeable bands, meaning you can set the watch up to better fit your style.

Unlike many other Wear OS smartwatches out there, the Misfit Vapor features a heart rate sensor, meaning you can use it to track your workouts. It’s also waterproof up to 50 meters — so you don’t have to stop tracking your workouts when you get in the pool.

Buy the Misfit Vapor now from:

Amazon

Fossil Q Explorist/Q Venture

Simon Hill/Digital Trends
Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Fossil’s Q Explorist and Q Venture are members of Fossil’s latest smartwatch lineup, and like the Michael Kors watches, they offer Wear OS and a pretty stylish design.

The Q Explorist offers a nice, forward, thin-bezel look with three buttons and options for metal chain or leather straps. The Q Venture, on the other hand, is a little more understated, offering a thinner strap and a more curved overall look.

Buy the Q Explorist from:

Amazon

Buy the Q Venture from:

Amazon

Kate Spade Scallop ($295+)

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Kate Spade is known as a very fashion-forward company, and the Kate Spade Scallop proves that. The Scallop features an understated and classic design, along with a series of fun watch faces to complete the look. It’s pretty slim too — which is helpful in ensuring that the watch looks stylish.

The watch is simplistic more than full-featured, so you won’t get things like NFC for Android Pay or a heart rate sensor, but plenty of people won’t need those features anyway.

Buy the Kate Spade Scallop now from:

Amazon

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Catalyst Case protects your AirPods from anything you can throw at them

Apple may have new AirPods coming next year, but that’s still quite a way off, and things can and often will end up delayed, especially if you’re desperately waiting for them to come out. If you want to make sure your current AirPods last until the new ones out, Catalyst makes a case that looks like the perfect thing to keep them going no matter what you get up to while you’re carrying them around.

Catalyst claims its case is the first and only case that offers “complete protection” for your Apple AirPods. By this, presumably, the company is referring to the way its case works: This case isn’t a replacement for the small charging case you get along with your AirPods. Instead, that case goes inside of the Catalyst case, allowing you to access the charging port without having to remove anything.

The Catalyst case is made from soft but rugged premium silicone and is IP67-certified drop and water-resistant. The case can be submerged in water up to a depth of 3.3 feet, while it is shockproof when dropped from a height of up to 4 feet. An included carabiner lets you attach the case to a backpack or belt loop to make sure it doesn’t get away from you.

While the Catalyst case has been around in various parts of the world for some time, this marks the first time that it will be available directly via a retailer based in the United States. Specifically, the case will be sold via Verizon Wireless.

“We’re excited to offer this product to Verizon Wireless customers,” Catalyst CEO June Lai said in a statement. “The Catalyst Case for AirPods is a consistent top seller around the world and we are delighted to add Verizon Wireless.com to other major retailers and websites that stock the Catalyst Case for AirPods such as Virgin Megastore in the Middle East, Yodobashi Camera in Japan, JB HiFi in New Zealand, McShark in Germany and iStore in South Africa.”

The Catalyst case retails for $25 and is available now in Army Green, Deep Plum, and Slate Gray color varieties. For more information or to buy the case, head to the Verizon Wireless website. If you’re having any trouble with your AirPods or are a new owner, be sure to check out our list of problems you may encounter with your AirPods and how to fix them.

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Inhalable nutrients offer an alternative to energy drinks and supplements

In today’s world — with its emphasis on nutrition, health and wellness — it’s not just the high-level athletes who are juggling a daily buffet of energy drinks and supplements to take care of their bodies. Wouldn’t it be easier if there was a simple, one-stop-shop to give you all the nutritional supplements you need? Wouldn’t it be great if said approach was similar to vaping, thereby fulfilling both health and hipster criteria in one? That is what a new startup named Nutriair claims to have created with its series of currently available inhalable nutrients, designed to enter the body through the process of micro-aerosolization.

There are 11 different Nutriair devices, promising to boost everything from your energy levels to your quality of sleep. “Each of the 11 has their own designated flavoring, and we have correlated the flavoring with the function,” CEO Josh Matzkin told Digital Trends. “For example, Nutriair Sleep has an earl grey taste to it, which is synonymous to peacefulness, [while] Nutriair Energy has a sweet mint flavoring to perk you up.”

To use one of the devices, simply inhale it gently into your lungs for a couple of seconds, and then exhale through your mouth. A handy LED light will let you know when you need to switch to a new device, having exhausted the previous one.

At present, researchers are seemingly in disagreement about the positives and negatives of vaping. However, medicinal inhalation therapy has a number of things working in its favor as a method of nutrient delivery. These include its rapid response and the fact that it carries lower dose requirements, due to the greater absorption of intact nutrients to the bloodstream. According to Matzkin, the company is currently in the middle of trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of its devices, beyond the Food and Drug Administration approval for nutritional supplements they currently carry.

“Nutriair is currently evaluating the efficacy of its products by measuring the brainwave characteristics of subjects before and after inhaling Nutriair Energy and Focus,” he said. “Likewise, Nutriair Sleep is also being evaluated using a non-intrusive breathing monitor to measure sleep duration and sleep levels. The inhalation research that has been conducted regarding medicines, proteins, and peptides provides a sound scientific basis for applying those findings to the inhalation of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements. Although there is a scarcity of information on the inhalation of nutrients, current research studies — like those being conducted by NV Nutrition — are advancing the science of nutrient inhalation.”

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How to prepare for Amazon Prime Day 2018

There’s a lot you can do, so start now.

Amazon’s Prime Day will be here before you know it — expect it in mid-July — and the deals will be flowing. But without proper preparation, you may miss out on some of them. From simple things like ensuring your account is in good standing with updated information to small tips and tricks, we have you covered. Let’s take a look at some of what you’ll want to do in the days leading up to Amazon’s event.

Update your billing and shipping information

This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s easy to have your Prime account get cluttered up with extra shipping addresses and credit cards. This can slow you down, and even if it’s just a matter of seconds, it may be the difference between securing a deal and missing out on it.

Be sure to delete any expired credit cards or ones that you don’t use anymore, and do the same for shipping addresses. If you have any Amazon gift cards laying around, be sure to redeem them ahead of time so that the money is available to you right away.

While you’re cleaning up your account, you’ll want to make sure your Prime membership doesn’t expire before mid-July, and if aren’t already a Prime member, I’d set a calendar reminder for the beginning of July to enroll in the 30-day free trial.

Order an Echo device

While it’s not a critical part of Prime Day preparation, it can actually help you save even more on the big day if Amazon follows the plans it has in previous years. Amazon generally kicks off Prime Day with a few hours of Voice Shopping exclusive deals, which require you have an Alexa device like the Echo Dot, Echo, or similar.

You’ll want to purchase this ahead of time so that you can have it in time for the event. You’ll need to set up voice shopping on your account, but it only takes a few seconds and it’s extremely useful for future purchases as well.

See at Amazon

Keep it locked to Thrifter

The team over at Thrifter will be covering all the deals leading up to Prime Day and everything that drops throughout the sale. There will be tons of deals, some will be advertised on Amazon’s home page, and others will be hidden. Thrifter will be uncovering all the gems, analyzing the prices, and informing you of the smartest buys out there.

Get prepared with Thrifter’s newsletter

The Thrifter team is going to be covering ALL things Prime Day, and you won’t want to miss out. Sign up now to have tips, tricks, deals, and more delivered right to your inbox.

T-Mobile FamilyMode offers digital parenting tools for $10/month

FamilyMode lets you pause internet access, set content restrictions, and more.

Similar to AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, T-Mobile’s now getting in the business of offering its own suite of digital parenting tools to help give moms and dads a competitive edge for parenting in the modern world.

T-Mobile’s new service is called T-Mobile FamilyMode, and access to the mobile app costs $10/month. With FamilyMode, parents can create internet limits so kids can only use their mobile data during certain hours of the day, set content filters for apps/websites, and pause and resume data at any given time.

Other helpful features include:

• Real-time location info for your children
• See which apps/sites the kiddos are using and look at their internet search history
• Reward members of your family with more screen/internet time

That $10/month rate allows you to have all this control over your children’s smartphones, but for a one-time payment of just $20, you can buy the T-Mobile FamilyMode Home Base that allows you to bring these features over to all of your Wi-Fi connected devices.

That $20 price is only good for a limited time, however, as it’ll later go back up to its MSRP of $100.

T-Mobile FamilyMode officially launches on June 29.

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Sound bars, smart plugs, gaming headsets, and more are all discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on the Razer Kraken gaming headset, TP-Link smart plugs, Office 365, and much more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Upgrade your TV’s built-in speakers with this $62 AmazonBasics sound bar

Better than those 3W speakers you got.

This AmazonBasics sound bar with a built-in subwoofer is down to $61.69. This is the lowest price ever compared to a regular street price around $95. Previous drops have only seen it go as low as $70 before.

Sound bars are a great way to step up the audio of any monitor that uses built-in speakers. Obviously, this isn’t going to be the same as a huge home audio system like Sonos, but if you’re trying to watch a movie with tiny speakers and no boom, you’re selling yourself short. Upgrade with a sound bar like this at the very least.

It’s a 31.5-inch sound bar with a built-in subwoofer for better bass, Bluetooth 2.1 tech for music streaming, and full-range stereo speakers with up to 92 dB output. It has three sound modes including Standard, News, and Movie, a remote control, and wall-mounting hardware. It has 3.5 stars based on 1,528 reviews. All AmazonBasics products are covered by a one-year warranty.

If you’re a cord-cutter, you can really give your TV an upgrade with this OTA antenna, too. It has a 35-mile range for just $20, and paired with this sound bar maybe you’ll actually start using your TV for more than just a living room decoration piece.

See on Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S10: News, Rumors, Release Date, Specs, and More!

2019 is going to be the year of Samsung.

Samsung’s Galaxy S phones always give us something exciting to look forward to at the beginning of each year, and 2019 officially marks the 10-year anniversary of when the first Galaxy S flagship was released.

Similar to what Apple did with the iPhone X, we’re expecting the Galaxy S10 to be truly special. The Galaxy S9 and S8 were both excellent phones, but in honor of such a big anniversary, Samsung will likely pull out all the stops to release a truly special and jaw-dropping gadget.

If you’re ready to learn more about the Galaxy S10 and find out what we could look forward to next February, here’s everything you need to know.

The latest Galaxy S10 news

June 25, 2018 — Samsung to release three S10 models, introduce a triple camera system, and swap out iris scanning for an in-display fingerprint sensor

What a news dump today turned out to be for Galaxy S10 rumors!

Jumping right into things, a report from The Electronic Times claims that Samsung will launch not one, not two, but three different models of the S10. The most affordable of the bunch, codenamed Beyond 0, will reportedly ship with a 5.8-inch display that’s completely flat. Beyond 1, the mid-tier option, will also use a 5.8-inch screen but feature curves similar to what’s found on the S9.

The star of the show, Beyond 3, will boast a large 6.2-inch curved display and feature three cameras on the back — something we’ve never seen from Samsung before.

As if three different models and a triple camera system wasn’t enough to get you excited, The Bell also reported today that the Galaxy S10 will ditch the iris scanner of the S9 and replace it with a 3D facial-recognition system and in-display fingerprint sensor similar to what we’ve seen from the Vivo X21 and NEX.

All the important details

How many versions is Samsung going to launch?

For the past four years, Samsung’s launched two models of its Galaxy S series:

• 2015 — Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
• 2016 — Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
• 2017 — Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus
• 2018 — Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

With the Galaxy S10 in 2019, Samsung is expected to shake-up its formula by releasing three different models at the same time — codenamed Beyond 1, Beyond 2, and Beyond 3.

Beyond 1 and Beyond 2 will be similar to older S flagships with the former having a flat screen while the other has Samsung’s iconic curved display. Beyond 3 is where Samsung’s putting all the marbles, with things like a larger screen and triple camera system on the back.

When will the Galaxy S10 be released?

Perhaps the biggest question on your mind is “When will I be able to buy the Galaxy S10?”.

Save for the Galaxy S8 that was announced at its own special event, Samsung usually unveils its Galaxy S flagship phones during Mobile World Congress each year.

MWC 2019 is scheduled to take place between February 25 and 28 in Barcelona, and there’s a good chance that’s where we’ll get our first look at the S10. However, with this being Samsung’s 10-year anniversary, the company could hold a separate event around that same time as it did with the S8.

As for when you’ll be able to purchase the S10, it should officially launch around two or three weeks from when it’s announced. Should Samsung decide to reveal the phone during MWC, that’d place it with a launch date of around early-March.

How much will the S10 cost?

When it comes to price, that’s where things could get interesting next year.

Samsung’s only ever released one or two variants of its S flagships at a time, such as the S7/S7 Edge, S8/S8 Plus, etc. However, as noted above, the Galaxy S10 series will likely consist of three different phones.

This could result in vastly different pricing across all models, and depending on how you look at things, that’s either a dream come true or a nightmare.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a starting price of $720, and my guess is that the lowest-end Galaxy S10 will come in with a similar or slightly lower price of around $650-$700. The mid-tier S10 will probably cost a bit less than the S9+ at $800-$820, whereas the highest-end variant may very-well sell for $999.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

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