HTC’s blockchain-telefoon ‘Exodus 1’ vanaf december verkrijgbaar

HTC’s verwachte block-telefoon is aangekondigd. De Exodus 1 bevat diverse blockchain-technologie en zal vanaf december geleverd worden en is vanaf nu te pre-orderen. Betalen kan alleen in Bitcoin (BTC) of Ethereum (ETH).

Je moet het HTC wel nageven; ze hebben een neusje voor dingen die uiteindelijk niets worden. Toen de eerste geruchten over een HTC blockchain-telefoon opdoken stond de Bitcoin-koers nog op een all time high. Iedereen stapte in bang de boot te missen. Ook bedrijven gingen in die hype mee waaronder nu dus HTC. Inmiddels is de rust in cryptocurrency-land weder gekeerd, winsten zijn verdampt en de lofzangen uitgedoofd als een stille kaars. De techniek die onze levens ging veranderen bleek een oplossing voor een niet bestaand probleem. En net nu we weer met beide benen op de grond staan kondigt HTC de mosterd-na-de-maaltijd Exodus 1 aan.

De HTC Exodus 1

En toch, zoals wel vaker bij HTC, brengen ze wel iets interessants. Zo bevat de HTC Exodus 1 een veilige enclave, volledig afgezonderd van het besturingssysteem. Hier kun je de sleutels tot je gegevens opslaan. Dat kunnen bitcoins zijn maar ook documenten. Om toch een decentrale blockchain te hebben kun je contacten aanwijzen waarmee je samen de informatie via een geheim algoritme deelt. Daarmee kun je ook je sleutels weer terughalen mocht je je telefoon kwijtraken. Briljant concept of een ‘disaster waiting to happen’? Om dit geheime algoritme en de potentie van HTC’s blockchain-techniek te onderwerpen aan testen vraagt HTC de hulp van de crypto-gemeenschap.

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Afrekenen in Bitcoin

Naast een blockchain-telefoon is de HTC Exodus 1 een toestel met groot 6 inch Quad HD+ scherm, Snapdragon 845-processor, 6 GB aan RAM-werkgeheugen, 16 + 12 megapixel hoofdcamera, dubbele 8 megapixel selfiecam en 3500 mAh batterij. De Android-versie is O met nog geen woord over mogelijke updates. De behuizing is IP68 water- en stofbestendig met een transparante achterkant. Qua specs is het daarmee een kopie van de U12+. Op https://www.htcexodus.com is nu al een exemplaar te bestellen voor de prijs van 0,15 BTC of 4,78 ETH, omgerekend naar de huidige koers is dat ongeveer 840 euro. Dat is op dit moment 200 euro duurder dan de op het oog gelijkwaardige HTC U12+.

“Samsung werkt aan gamingtelefoon met eigen GPU”

We zien de laatste tijd steeds vaker gamingtelefoons opduiken. Bewijs dat daarvoor een markt is. Iets wat ook Samsung is opgevallen zo lijkt. De Zuid-Koreanen zijn naar verluidt druk bezig met een dergelijke telefoon geheel voorzien van eigen grafische processor (GPU).

Momenteel maakt Samsung in haar Exynos-chipset gebruik van de Mali GPU van ARM. Echter behaalt Apple momenteel erg goede resultaten met een eigen grafische chip. Reden voor Samsung ook die mogelijkheid af te wegen en naar verluidt zijn ze al een tijdje bezig met een geheel eigen grafische processor, een zogenaamde GPU. Een krachtige grafische chip is noodzakelijk om zware grafische toepassingen te kunnen draaien zoals games. Een eigen GPU zou Samsung een voordeel opleveren ten opzichte van andere gaming-fabrikanten zoals Razer die net de Razer Phone 2 uitbrachten.

Binnenkort een Exynos met eigen GPU?

Een eigen GPU is niet alleen handig voor een eigen gaming-telefoon, Samsung zou deze ook in haar overige Galaxy-telefoons kunnen toepassen. En doordat ze niet meer bij ARM hoeven in te kopen kunnen ze zelfs kosten besparen al zal de besparing die dat oplevert wel enkele jaren kosten. Testen van een zogenaamde S-GPU zijn nog niet opgedoken, we weten dus nog niet hoe een eigen GPU zich verhoudt ten opzichte van de GPU in Apple’s A12 Bionic. Meer kracht betekent ook meer warmte. Er is dus betere koeling nodig. Daarvoor zou Samsung haar oog hebben laten vallen op dezelfde koeling als in de Note9; Water Carbon Cooling.

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Apple Planning to Fix ‘BeautyGate’ Skin-Smoothing Camera Effect in iOS 12.1 Update

This morning reviews for Apple’s iPhone XR were released, and among them were The Verge’s impressions on the new smartphone. In a section of the review that focuses on the iPhone XR ‘s camera, the site notes that Apple is planning to address the issue of “BeautyGate” in the upcoming iOS 12.1 update, which is currently being tested by developers and public beta testers.

BeautyGate began when iPhone XS and XS Max users started noting that selfies captured on the new smartphones were applying a skin-smoothing effect or “beauty filter,” resulting in photos that looked quite different from those taken on the iPhone X or earlier iPhones. All three of Apple’s new 2018 iPhones have a 12-megapixel rear-facing wide-angle camera lens (while the iPhone XS and XS Max have an additional 12-megapixel telephoto lens), as well as the exact same front-facing TrueDepth camera system.

With all of the same tech inside of it, iPhone XR is now facing reports of skin-smoothing camera effects in its first reviews, which caused The Verge to ask Apple about the issue. In essence, Apple’s new iPhones are taking multiple pictures at varying exposure levels, requiring noise reduction that creates a smoothing effect over the entire image, not just specifically on skin tones. While this “Smart HDR” feature brings out more details in highlights and shadows, when faces show up in an image they sometimes appear tuned and artificial. This is what Apple is aiming to fix:

Apple told me that the forthcoming iOS 12 .1 update, currently in public beta, will address the issue of the front camera appearing to smooth out skin by picking a sharper base frame for Smart HDR, but I wasn’t able to test it yet.

As the BeautyGate scandal grew, earlier in the month YouTuber Jonathan Morrison challenged user’s perception of skin-smoothing effects in a video. Before the video, he shared two selfies on Instagram that he claimed were taken on Google Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode, and then asked for his viewers’ opinions. Many responded by touting the Pixel 2’s quality, pointing out that it didn’t need a beauty filter like iPhone XS . A few days later, Morrison revealed that both selfies were captured on an iPhone XS Max, not a Google Pixel 2. In the reveal video, he stated, “I just wanted it to be a little bit of a lesson out there: don’t let a preconceived notion or headline skew your judgement.”

The iPhone XR is getting solid reviews from numerous media outlets today, which tout the smartphone’s lengthy battery life, performance and speed, quality Liquid Retina LCD display, and colorful paint jobs. As The Verge points out in its review, the real difference between the iPhone XR and XS are the 6.1-inch LCD screen vs the 5.8-inch OLED screen: “The real question for iPhone buyers is whether the high-res OLED display on the XS is worth $250 more than the XR. Because otherwise, the XR offers almost everything you’d want in a 2018 phone.”

Related Roundups: iPhone XS, iPhone XRBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now), iPhone XR (Buy Now)
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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 675 will power the next generation of midrange phones

Earlier this year Qualcomm took the wraps off of the new Snapdragon 700-series chips, but it turns out the addition of the 700-series was never aimed at replacing the 600 series. In fact, the company has just unveiled a new 600-series chip — the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675.

The new chip is aimed at bringing some of Qualcomm’s more premium features to lower-cost phones, including optimization for gaming — where Qualcomm says it was able to reduce stutters by up to 90 percent. Apart from that, the chipset features the Qualcomm Spectra 250L image signal processor, which supports camera sensors of up to 48 megapixels, portrait mode, 5x optical zoom, and so on.

Qualcomm is also touting the artificial intelligence of the chipset. According to the company, the chip improves on A.I. performance by up to 50 percent, and the included A.I. engine is optimized to do things like adapt to a user’s voice.

“Packed with advanced gaming abilities, remarkable camera performance and a multi-core AI Engine, Snapdragon 675 based smartphones will bring new experiences to consumers globally,” Qualcomm said in a statement.

When it comes to raw processing power, the chipset offers eight Kryo 460 CPUs with a clock speed of up to 2.0GHz. Six of those cores are built for efficiency and as such, the chip will improve on battery life when using them. Then, when higher performance is needed, the two performance cores will kick in. That is not bad for what will ultimately be a midrange chip. According to Qualcomm, the chip will likely end up in phones in the $350 to $500 range — and while that’s a pretty wide price range, it does differentiate the chip from 700-series devices, which seem to come at slightly more expensive phones aimed at offering a premium phone experience without the $800-plus price tag that comes with flagship phones these days.

As you would expect from a Qualcomm chip, there is a heavy emphasis on the modem involved too — it features the Snapdragon X12 modem, which supports download speeds of up to 600Mbps. You will also get support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+, which can charge a battery from zero to 50 percent in 15 minutes, though that will vary depending on the size of the battery.

We’re not quite sure exactly when phones will start popping up with the new Snapdragon 675, though based on Qualcomm’s previous track record, it’s likely we’ll see phones with the new chip within a few months.

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World’s first drone-equipped motorcycle features a special space for the Spark

Sidecar specialist Ural has just motored into the world of aerial photography with a somewhat quirky addition to its range of bike attachments.

The clue is in the name of its latest offering — Ural Air — and an even bigger hint comes by way of the “DJI” letters plastered on the sidecar. Got it yet?

That’s right, the Ural Air is a quirky design that incorporates a drone launcher within the sidecar, allowing for easy flights whenever the fancy takes you … though you’ll probably be better off parked up than hurtling along at 70 mph when you do it.

With the push of a button, a hatch opens to reveal a DJI Spark drone (no, not a Mavic Air as the name might have you believe) resting snugly inside a specially built compartment designed by 3D-printing specialist Stratasys. The diminutive quadcopter is able to launch straight out of the compartment and, when the mission is over, land on the flat surface of the closed hatch.

Only 40 units of the Ural Air have been produced, which is just as well as we’re not sure there’ll be that many people willing to raid their bank account for the asking price of $18,000, although the included windsock — for determining flying conditions — may well be a dealbreaker for some.

To be fair, that’s only $1,500 more than Ural’s basic Gear Up outfit upon which the Ural Air is based, and with the Spark costing $500, you’ll essentially be forking out an extra $1,000 for the rare sidecar/drone combo.

The company puts it like this: “The inspiration behind this limited edition was to open Ural riders to new experiences, and see their adventures from a different perspective. It also reflects our fascination with blending Ural’s classic design with cutting edge technologies.”

Ural Motorcycles

Today based in Redmond, Washington though with a factory still in Russia, Ural Motorcycles is selling the prospect of adventure with its kit, writing on its website: “What’s over the ridge? What’s just beyond your campsite? What obstacles lie ahead after a big storm? When the trail ends or nightfall is looming, the rider or passenger becomes a pilot, sending out their eye in the sky to determine the best route or quickest escape.” Just make sure you don’t crash it like a fool or you’ll really be stuck.

Ural has opted to incorporate not DJI’s latest model, but instead its smallest one. The $500 Spark received a decent rating when Digital Trends reviewed it earlier this year, receiving warm praise for its abundance of intelligent flight modes, excellent obstacle avoidance technology, and impressive flight performance.

The Ural Air is available for purchase from November, 2018.

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• 7 drone crashes that will make you fly your bird more carefully
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Will the Amazon Smart Plug work with my appliance?

Best answer: Probably. The Amazon Smart Plug was designed to work with most any product you have in your home but there are some exceptions and devices that shouldn’t be connected.

Amazon: Amazon Smart Plug ($25)

Safety first

Before we dig in, know that the Amazon Smart Plug is designed for use with a 100-120 volt three prong system so it’s a North American product only.

All electrical devices are designed with safety in mind and are rigorously tested to make sure the design works. All of us have probably plugged in one too many things on the same circuit and tripped a breaker or blown a fuse, and that’s the first consideration you need to know about the Amazon Smart Plug — it has a safe output rating based on the type of load you’re using. Here are the exact technical specifications according to Amazon.

The outlet on your wall is likely on a 15 amp circuit, so in many cases, the Smart Plug can handle as much power as the breaker or fuse can. To see what the power requirements of many electrical devices are and what type of load they create, you should visit Electrical Safety First. It’s a site based out of the UK, but the power ratings for products are the same no matter which country you use them in and the charts here are an invaluable tool.

Specific exceptions

• Amazon says that medical devices or any product that is required to be on 24/7 (through a backup battery source) should never be used with the Smart Plug. This makes sense as you wouldn’t want a Wi-Fi glitch to cause something like an oxygen condenser to stop working.
• Never use the Amazon Smart Plug outdoors.
• Some devices that have their own mechanical on/off switch won’t work with the Smart Plug because of logic attached to the inline switch. You can see the testing procedures to make sure your devices work at Amazon’s device help pages for the Smart plug.
• Finally, devices that shouldn’t be left powered on and unattended, like space heaters, should never be used with the Smart Plug. Again, you wouldn’t want a Wi-Fi problem to be the cause of a fire.

It probably works

Chances are almost anything you would want to power on and off through a Smart Plug will work. Lights — whether incandescent, LED, or fluorescent — are compatible as long as they are standard devices intended for use in the home (something like a street lamp or traffic light probably won’t work) and should work flawlessly. Audio-visual equipment should work provided it doesn’t need a power cycle through the built-in switch, and other smart devices like cameras or home hubs should work just fine.

Just make sure everything is safe and properly grounded any time you’re using electrical equipment and everything should be great. No more reaching behind the Christmas tree to unplug the lights at bedtime!

Our pick

Amazon Smart Plug

$25 at Amazon

A fantastic Alexa accessory.

If you’re invested in the Alexa ecosystem, the Amazon Smart Plug is super reliable, dead simple to set up, and works with most electrical products you would find in the home. Be sure to heed the warnings found in the in-box manual!

Onthulling vouwbare Samsung-telefoon mogelijk over 2 weken

Een vouwbare telefoon is mogelijk dichterbij dan je denkt. Samsung kondigt hem misschien al over 2 weken aan. Dan vindt een event plaats in San Francisco waar Samsung meer vertelt over het toestel en hem misschien al zelfs laat zien.

Critici trekken het nut van een vouwbare telefoon al langer in twijfel maar de techniek maakt de weg vrij voor een totaal nieuwe vormgeving. Dat zou de markt kunnen openbreken die nu nog vast zit in rechthoekige grote schermen. Je kunt je natuurlijk afvragen waarom we een nieuwe vormgeving nodig hebben, maar dat werd vroeger ook van telefoons met toetsenborden gezegd. Dat werkte toch ook gewoon? We weten intussen wat de introductie van de iPhone met de markt heeft gedaan.

“Where now meets next”

Samsung houdt op 7 november in San Francisco haar jaarlijkse Developer Conference. In een uitnodiging die Samsung op Twitter plaatste staat te lezen “where now meets next”, los vertaald “waar het nu het volgende ontmoet”. Ook zien we een knipoog naar een vouwbaar product. Als Samsung besluit het toestel daar te laten zien of zelfs onthullen dan duurt het hoogstwaarschijnlijk nog tot 2019 voordat we hem in de winkels zullen aantreffen. Samsung heeft al aangegeven geen haast te maken met het uitbrengen ervan. Er moet een duidelijk toegevoegde waarde zijn aan een vouwbaar product. Bovendien zorgt de verwachte hoge prijs voor lage verkoopaantallen. Samsung zal er in het begin niet rijk van worden.

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Nog geen beeldmateriaal

Opvallend is dat we tot op heden nog weinig hebben gezien van het toestel. Meestal lekt voor een onthulling het nodige uit, zowel in de vorm van persrenders als foto’s van prototypes en vroege productmodellen. Wij hebben wel een goede poging gedaan om patenten om te zetten in renders maar echt beeldmateriaal is er nog niet. Dat kan verklaard worden doordat het toestel nog steeds niet productieklaar is. Er zijn dan minder mensen bij betrokken en mogelijk circuleren er slechts een paar prototypes rond wat de kans op uitlekken kleiner maakt. Dit past wel in de verwachting dat het toestel nog lange tijd niet te koop zal zijn. Een naam hebben we echter wel, verwacht wordt dat de vouwbare Samsung als de Galaxy F op de markt komt.

Google werkt aan mid-range Pixel genaamd ‘Bonito’

Google kondigt mogelijk in de eerste helft van 2019 een mid-range Pixel-apparaat aan. Hoogstwaarschijnlijk een smartphone met Snapdragon 710-processor. De huidige Pixel-telefoons draaien beiden nog de meest uitgebreide Snapdragon van Qualcomm. Bewijs voor het toestel met codenaam Bonito duikt steeds vaker op.

Google heeft er een handje van om haar Pixel-telefoons codenamen te geven die verwijzen naar vissoorten. Zo ook ‘Bonito’ die bij ons beter bekend is als de gestreepte tonijn. Deze naam duikt steeds vaker op in code die Google publiceert. Nu ook weer want Roland Quandt vist de naam op in combinatie met de Snapdragon 710; een mid-range chipset van Qualcomm. De 700-serie is relatief nieuw en de 710 is de eerste chipset daarin.

Nog mysterieuze Pixel ‘Bonito’

Een mid-range Pixel zou een nieuwe strategie van Google zijn. Tot op heden verschillen de 2 Pixel’s alleen in schermformaat; de specificaties zijn beide zeer high-end te noemen. Nieuwste zijn de Pixel 3 en Pixel 3 XL die beiden over Snapdragon 845-processor beschikken, 12 megapixel camera met Smart HDR en dubbele selfiecamera. Met een mid-range toestel lijkt Google marktaandeel te willen bemachtigen. Daarmee gaat het direct de concurrentie aan met haar eigen klanten zoals Samsung, Nokia en Huawei. Of dat ook het echte verhaal is moet blijken, laten we daarvoor de daadwerkelijke lancering afwachten. Het is wel te hopen dat een mid-range Pixel een beduidend lager prijskaartje heeft, de huidige Pixels zijn nogal duur namelijk.

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iPhone XR Reviews Roundup: Best LCD Display Yet, Decent Single-Lens Camera, Excellent Performance and Battery Life

The first round of iPhone XR reviews were published by media outlets this morning. Below we’ve highlighted some of the key takeaways from around the web ahead of Apple’s official iPhone XR launch day this Friday.

Priced starting at $749, the iPhone XR is Apple’s lowest-priced flagship iPhone and is available in several colors. It features Face ID, an edge-to-edge LCD display, a single-lens camera, a glass body for wireless charging, and an A12 Bionic processor.

On the 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display:

• The Verge’s Nilay Patel:

The display on the iPhone XR is… fine. It’s fine! It has lower resolution and pixel density than the OLEDs in new flagship phones like the iPhone XS, Galaxy S9, and Pixel 3, but it’s the same 326 pixels per inch as Apple’s previous non-Plus LCD iPhones. Anyone coming to this phone from any iPhone save the iPhone X will not notice a huge discrepancy in resolution.

• Matthew Panzarino writing for TechCrunch:

While the screen is one of the best LCDs I’ve ever seen, it’s not as good as the other models. Specifically, I believe that the OLED’s ability to display true black and display deeper color (especially in images that are taken on the new XR cameras in HDR) set it apart easily.

That said, I have a massive advantage in that I am able to hold the screens side by side to compare images. Simply put, if you don’t run them next to one another, this is a great screen.

On the iPhone XR ‘s single-lens camera:

• Engadget’s Chris Velazco:

The XR’s single camera is a very good one: It’s the exact same 12-megapixel wide-angle camera Apple uses in the XS and XS Max, and it still produces some lovely photos. You’ll find a lot of detail and some excellent colors in the resulting stills, and it’s been surprisingly handy in low-light thanks to its f/1.8 aperture and sensor with deeper tranches between those pixels.

• Wired’s Lauren Goode:

Since the iPhone XR only has a single-lens rear camera (it has a wide-angle lens, but not a telephoto lens), it doesn’t capture as much depth information as the dual-lens camera on the iPhone XS .

This means that when you swipe to Portrait mode in the Camera app, the background-softening effect will only work if you’re snapping a picture of a person, since Apple has decided to train the camera’s machine learning on human shapes. Try to snap a Portrait photo of your food, or your cat, or a pumpkin (because it’s pumpkin season) and “No person detected” will appear at the top of the photo frame. The iPhone XR also only has three lighting options in Portrait mode, versus five on the iPhone XS .

Regarding Haptic Touch:

• iMore’s Rene Ritchie:

When and where it works, it feels enough like 3D Touch that I sometimes find myself forgetting it’s not 3D Touch . Until I try to use 3D Touch in other places — which I’ve gotten used to using fairly often over the last few years. Yeah, I’m the one. You’re welcome.

It uses a system closer to the MacBook Trackpad, but with the Taptic Engine that still makes most competing haptics seem totally crude by comparison, but it only works on the Lock screen icons for Flashlight and Camera, the Control Center icons that spring up additional options, and the keyboard when you long-press the space bar to switch to trackpad mode.

Everything else, from Live Photos on the Lock screen to shortcuts on the Home screen to peek and pop… are simply not there. Like you might as well be using an iPhone 6 or iPhone SE or, yeah, iPad, not there.

On the A12 Bionic processor’s performance:

• Pocket Lint’s Stuart Miles:

Since getting the phone in the office we’ve been playing Fornite and Asphalt 9 to put it through its paces with no issues whatsoever. Having extensively used the iPhone XS prior to testing the iPhone XR , it’s clear there is no difference in terms of processing power or capabilities. The experience hasn’t been subdued in terms of power or performance.

On battery life:

• TechRadar’s Gareth Beavis

Apple believes you’ll be able to get 90 minutes more battery life out of the iPhone XR than the 8 Plus, which is a big jump in real terms.

Well – and we don’t want to spoil the surprise a little later – we’d say it’s even better: the iPhone XR finally achieves the holy grail of all-day battery life in an iPhone.

• Mark Spoonauer writing for Tom’s Guide:

On the Tom’s Guide Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone XR lasted 11 hours and 26 minutes. That beats the times from the iPhone XS Max (10:38) and iPhone XS (9:41) by a significant margin. The Pixel 3 XL lasted only 9:30, while the Galaxy Note 9 also endured for 11:26.

In everyday use the iPhone XR ‘s endurance also impressed. After unplugging at 100 percent at 7 a.m., I used the phone intermittently to play games, check Facebook and email, and stream Spotify and capture photos and videos, and I still have 24 percent battery left at 9 p.m.

Be sure to check back, as we’ll be adding more links below to online reviews of Apple’s iPhone XR as the day goes on.

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

Watch the moment NASA releases 450,000 gallons of water onto a launch pad

No, it’s not the toilet blockage from hell. Rather, it’s a system to keep a lid on the torrent of heat and noise generated by a rocket launch.

NASA recently released footage (above) showing a test of the setup, known officially as the Ignition Overpressure Protection and Sound Suppression Water Deluge System.

The video, which was shot last week at the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B, shows the release of a colossal 450,000 gallons of water in the space of just over a minute.

As you can see, the test sends water around 100 feet into the air, creating a spectacular sight that NASA has joked gives Old Faithful a run for its money.

Commenting after a similar test earlier this year, Nick Moss, NASA’s pad deputy project manager, said that a geyser occurred because a mobile launcher wasn’t present at the pad. “When the mobile launcher is sitting on its pad surface mount mechanisms, the rest of the Ignition Over-Pressure/Sound Suppression System is connected to the pad supply headers and the water will flow through supply piping and exit through the nozzles,” Moss explained.

NASA said that as the water subsides, “it flows into the flame trench and onto the east pad surface before finding its way to the east and west holding ponds through channels, called water flumes, or off the pad surface through the water drains and trenches,” adding that during an actual launch, the heat will cause some of the water to evaporate.

The recent test was undertaken as part of preparations for the planned 2020 launch of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on the uncrewed Exploration Mission-1 test flight to the moon using the Orion spacecraft, and for subsequent manned missions deeper into space.

SLS is almost equal in strength to SpaceX’s in-development BFR, with both of these rockets the only ones set to surpass the power of Saturn V, the rocket that thrust multiple moon missions into space in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

NASA earlier this year anchored its RS-25 booster engine — one of four for the SLS rocket — to the ground for a test that powered the booster to a 113-percent thrust level for almost a minute. You can watch the impressive results here.

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