Astronauts climb into BEAM for the first time
Earlier, a couple of ISS crew members floated into BEAM to check on its condition for the first time ever. NASA astronaut Jeff Williams and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka collected air samples and downloaded data from the sensors inside the expandable module. The duo said that while it’s quite cold inside, they didn’t find any condensation — but you don’t have to take their word for it. They captured the inside of the module on camera, and you can see what it looks like in the video after the break.
Williams spent seven hours pumping air into BEAM in May after the first attempt to unfold the module ended up in failure. Now that it’s set up and ready for testing, the ISS crew could check up on its condition up to 67 times a year. BEAM or Bigelow Expandable Activity Module is an experimental space habitat jointly developed by NASA and Bigelow Aerospace. It was shipped to the ISS folded to save space aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and had to be inflated to its full size. Bigelow Aerospace is also working on a much bigger expandable module that it hopes to send to orbit by 2020.
Source: NASA
Florida man gets four years in prison for selling Vitamixes on eBay
41-year-old Kevin Wain, of Tampa, Florida, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for running a credit card fraud operation that netted him more than $881,000 over the course of three years. Using counterfeit credit cards — made with with a magnetic card reader/writer that he’d bought on eBay — Wain bought hundreds of high-end home goods at Williams Sonoma and Bed, Bath & Beyond stores that he would turn around and sell for profit on eBay.
Wain was extremely specific with the items he was buying and reselling, as well. During the period in question, from around September 2011 until he was busted by the Secret Service in June of 2015, Wain bought a staggering 755 Vitamix blenders, 197 Roombas and 9 Dyson Animal vacuums. According to the Department of Justice, Wain was still carrying on his thriving eBay business on the day of his arrest and there are extensive transaction records detailing the little black market he created for himself.
So far, investigators have found more than half a million dollars in fraudulent purchases he bought using credit card information stolen from over 125 victims. In addition to his four-year jail sentence, Wain will have to pay back every penny of the $585,028.99 he stole from 48 different financial institutions.
Samsung might have bendable, foldable smartphones ready for 2017
Bloomberg sources say that Samsung is thinking of introducing phones with bendable screens. In fact, Samsung said that it would have that technology ready by 2017 itself, just a few years ago at its investors conference. However, this goes some way to proving that Samsung has developed the tech enough to bring it to consumer product. A pair of devices will have flexible OLED screens, with one folding like a cosmetic compact and another that transforms from a 5-inch smartphone-sized screen to a display roughly eight inches large; so… a tablet.
Screen tech could be the next battleground between Samsung’s Galaxy series of phones and the Apple iPhone, which is also rumored to pack OLED screens in the future. The phones, codenamed “Project Valley”, may even appear as early as Mobile World Congress, around February 2017. Just give me my picnic blanket 4K TV already. I’ve suffered enough.
Source: Bloomberg
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Active: What’s the difference?
If you’re looking for a rugged phone, you have a new option through AT&T.
AT&T and Samsung partnered on a tougher version of the Galaxy S7, called the Galaxy S7 Active. Both companies have been working on these types of devices since the Galaxy S4 Active released in 2013. Keep reading to see how the Galaxy S7 Active differs from the Galaxy S7.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Active: Design
The Galaxy S7 Active – like the Galaxy S6 Active before it – is a tough version of Samsung’s flagship smartphone. The screen is protected by a shatter resistant glass that should be able to withstand a drop or two. The rest of the handset, which is 9.9 mm thick and weighs 185g, is encased in a protective rubberised shell that will also help it to absorb the impact of knocks and drops.
Plus, it’s IP68 certified for dust proofing and water resistantance over 1.5 meters and 30 minutes. It’s also MIL-STD-810G certified against salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport (as well as thermal shock resistant). Oh, and in a first for a Galaxy Active, there’s a fingerprint reader. The Galaxy S7 however looks very similar to the Galaxy S6 – only it sports a refined, slim, metal build.
It measures 142.4 x 69.9 x 7.9mm and weighs 152g. The quick-responding fingerprint sensor remains on the front, while the protruding rear camera lens is more subtle than the Galaxy S6’s. The Galaxy S7 also introduced IP68-certification for dust and waterproofing, though it lacks MIL-STD-810G certification, making the Galaxy S7 more equipped to handle the outdoors.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Active: Display
The Galaxy S7 features a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a QuadHD resolution. The Galaxy S7 Active has the same size display, type, and resolution. Keep in mind AMOLED technology tends to deliver brighter, more vibrant colours and deeper blacks when compared LCD screens.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Active: Camera
The camera department is where the Samsung Galaxy S7 line really shines. Samsung used a 12-megapixel rear snapper in the Galaxy s7 and increased the pixel size to 1.2um over 1.4um from the GalaxyS6. There is also a wider aperture on board at f/1.7 and dual pixel technology, which is also found in DSLRs, for quicker auto focusing. In a nutshell, the Galaxy S7 is all about offering better low light capture.
The front-facing camera is 5-megapixels and both perform very well. You point, you shoot and you get consistently good results. It offers fast, accurate auto-focusing and it’s very easy to get good results with very little effort. The Galaxy S7 Active from what we can tell offers the same cameras, including features like phase detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash, and simultaneous 4K video.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Active: Hardware
Samsung offers two versions of the Galaxy S7 – depending on the region – with one offering a quad-core chip and the other an octa-core chip. The Snapdragon 820 will be the quad-core model, while the octa-core model will be Exynos 8 Octa. Samsung also offers 4GB of RAM along with 32GB and 64GB storage option. The Galaxy S7 comes with 3000mAh battery under the hood, charged via Micro-USB.
Also, microSD support was reintroduced for this device. As for the Galaxy S7 Active, it also has a Snapdragon 820 CPU with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. The Galaxy S7 Active stands out in the battery department, however. It’ll come with a non-removable Li-Ion 4000 mAh battery. We’re assuming that’ll equally more play time, but we’ll know for sure when we get the chance to review.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Active: Software
The Samsung Galaxy S7 launched on Android Marshmallow from the box. As you would expect, the company added its own software overlay, so it won’t be a stock Android experience. You get the same familiar experience as you did with the Galaxy S6, but with the addition of a couple of features, such as the Games Launcher and Samsung Pay. The Galaxy S7 also comes with Samsung’s security software called Knox.
Samsung has said that the Galaxy S7 Active will also come with Android Marshmallow. And with that you can expect the company’s overlay too.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Active: Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active will be an AT&T exclusive and available from 10 June for around $26.50 per month on a standard Next plan, or $33.13 on a Next Every Year plan. It’s nearly identical to the Galaxy S7 in terms of display, cameras, hardware, and software. It only refers differs in design and ruggedness. If you’re the outdoorsy type and a huge fan of the Galaxy S7 line, this is definitely the phone for you.
Similar to the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge flagships, the Galaxy S7 Active is IP68-certified and can be dunked in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. It’s also made to withstand dirt, sand, and drops from up to five feet — unlike the Galaxy S7. Other stand-out featuresare found in Samsung’s newest Galaxy phones, however, such as a high-resolution 5.1-inch display, 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera, and a Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM. This year’s Active does have a larger 4,000 mAh battery, though.
AT&T said that massive battery will provide over 32 hours of talk time and can fully charge in under two hours through fast charging. Apart from all that, the Galaxy S7 Active is the first Active to pack a fingerprint sensor. Keep in mind that, unlike other recent Galaxy S devices, the ruggedised design of the S7 Active means it will not work with Samsung’s Gear VR virtual reality headset.
Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ NFL series debuts July 1st
The league first announced NFL Films’ All or Nothing back in March, and now the series is set to debut on Amazon’s Prime Video July 1st. The 8-episode show will follow one NFL team throughout the season, chronicling the 2015 Arizona Cardinals in this first installment. All or Nothing begins with the season-ending injury to quarterback Carson Palmer in 2014 and follows the team through the NFC Championship game against the Carolina Panthers this past year.
The Amazon original series will be narrated by Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and touts executive producers from HBO’s Hard Knocks. HBO’s pre-season NFL show that follows one team through training camp as it preps for the upcoming season while All or Nothing focuses on the regular season itself. Amazon’s NFL series premieres on Prime Video July 1st and will be free to view for all customers through the retailer’s video app until August 31st.
Source: Amazon
Deezer sells Stitcher less than two years after purchasing it
Podcast app/directory Stitcher is changing hands again, as this time Deezer is selling it to the E.W. Scripps company. That comes just 591 days after Deezer bought Stitcher in the first place, seeking to pair podcasts with its music library and a few months after the podcast app suffered a prolonged outage. According to Scripps, Stitcher has 8.5 million registered users and is installed on 50 models of cars, however it did not reveal how many of those users are active. Apparently it’s enough to justify a $4.5 million purchase price a Wall Street Journal source described as a small acquihire, and the Stitcher team will join Midroll Media, a podcast producer and advertising network.
If you use the app, nothing will be changing immediately, and Deezer sent an email to podcasts saying their content will continue to be available on its platform too. Since Deezer made its purchase, Google Play Music and Spotify have both dived into podcasts, SoundCloud added paid offline listening and Apple’s iTunes has… not done much except continued to be the largest overall platform. Stitcher says that the new owner should help advertisers and content partners with “an expanded portfolio of opportunities to help you reach the audiences you’re seeking” but we’ll have to wait and find out exactly what that includes.
Source: E.W. Scripps, Stitcher
You can finally post to Instagram from other iOS apps
Ever since Apple introduced app sharing extensions in iOS 8, budding iPhone photographers have been wondering where Instagram’s extension was. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could share a photo from any app, rather than diving into Instagram and choosing from your camera roll? You’re getting that chance today: Instagram has quietly introduced a sharing extension to the latest version of its iOS app. So long as you turn on the extension, any app that supports iOS’ official sharing method can send a photo Instagram’s way. That’s a particularly big deal if you’re fond of third-party imaging apps, which don’t always automatically save pictures to your photo library.
The addition is overdue, to put it mildly. Android users have had this share-from-anywhere luxury for a while, and numerous other photo-focused apps (such as Flickr) have had iOS sharing extensions for a long time. All the same, it’s good to see Instagram fill in a missing piece of the puzzle.
Via: iMore
Source: App Store
Jump back into Telltale’s ‘The Walking Dead’ this fall
Telltale Games may be hard at work on bringing Batman: A Telltale Games Series to life, but it’s also working on bringing fans more of one of its most popular series yet: The Walking Dead. In a tweet from head of creative communications at Telltale, Job J. Stauffer, Season Three of The Walking Dead was confirmed for fall 2016, along with the release window for the Batman-focused game. It’s been a long time coming for another season of the critically-acclaimed Walking Dead series — since 2014, in fact.
While fans got a taste of what could be with the three-episode miniseries The Walking Dead: Michonne, it just couldn’t quite scratch the same itch that Lee, Clementine and company were able to with the main series.
Here’s to hoping it’ll feel every bit as excellent as the first two seasons, and we’ll see some interesting narrative decisions as the story picks back up proper.
‘BATMAN – The Telltale Series’ will premiere this summer
@TheWalkingDead’s 3rd season will premiere this fall
#E32016 begins in 1 week 😉
— Job J Stauffer (@jobjstauffer) June 5, 2016
Source: Twitter
What’s on your HDTV: ‘Voltron,’ ‘Mirror’s Edge’ and ‘House of Lies’
As the NBA and NHL finals are already close two wrapping up, it’s time for the summer TV season to kick off. House of Lies will be gone for good after this week, while The Americans season finale means there’s only two years left. On streaming, Netflix is ready to premiere its new Voltron animated series and Hulu has the season premiere of Casual. If you’ve already upgraded to Ultra HD, this week you can grab Independence Day, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II in 4K, while The Martian is back again with an extended edition and Elektra Woman and Dyna Girl is out on VOD. For gamers, it’s finally time to jump back into the world of Mirror’s Edge with Catalyst. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
- Independence Day (4K)
- The Martian: Extended Edition (4K)
- Journey to Space (4K, 3D)
- Ghostbusters (4K)
- Ghostbusters II (4K)
- Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (VOD)
- 13 Hours
- Zootopia
- Roots: The Complete Original Series
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Kill Your Friends
- Rick & Morty (S2)
- Jarhead 3: The Siege
- Mirror’s Edge Catalyst (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Soul Axiom (PS4, Xbox One)
- Paragon (PS4)
- Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator (PS3, PS4)
- Edge of Nowhere (PC)
- Tankr (PC)
- Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 6 (PC, PS3, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
- MXGP2 (PS4, Xbox One)
- Bard’s Gold (PS4)
- The Solus Project (PC)
- In Between (Xbox One)
- Storm VR (PC)
- Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Just Cause 3: Mech Land Assault DLC (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride (Xbox One)
- Elite: Dangerous Horizons (Xbox One)
Monday
- NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 4, NBC, 8PM
- So You Think You Can Dance, Fox, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- Reign, CW, 8PM
- American Dad, TBS, 8:30PM
- Rizzoli & Isles (season premiere), TNT, 9PM
- Angie Tribeca (season premiere), TBS, 9PM
- Top Gear, BBC America, 9PM
- 12 Monkeys, Syfy, 9PM
- Mistresses, ABC, 10PM
- Turn, AMC, 10PM
- Extra Gear, BBC America, 10:30PM
- Scream, MTV, 11PM
- Hunters, Syfy, 12AM
Tuesday
- Powers, PSN, 3AM
- The Mindy Project, Hulu, 3AM
- Casual (season premiere), Hulu, 3AM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- Coupled, Fox, 9PM
- 60 Minutes Sports, Showtime, 9PM
- Containment, CW, 9PM
- Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
- Feed the Beast, AMC, 10PM
- Maya & Marty, NBC, 10PM
- Person of Interest, CBS, 10PM
- Tosh.0 (summer premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
- Not Safe with Nikki Glaser (summer premiere), Comedy Central, 10:30PM
Wednesday
- Chelsea, Netflix 3AM
- American Ninja Warrior, NBC, 8PM
- Unsung: Next, TV One, 8PM
- Young & Hungry, Freeform, 8PM
- Baby Daddy, Freeform, 8:30PM
- NBA Finals Game 3, ABC, 9PM
- Kingdom, DirecTV, 9PM
- Maron, IFC, 9PM
- Wayward Pines, Fox, 9PM
- Royal Pains, USA, 10PM
- The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
- The Americans (season finale), FX, 10PM
- The Ultimate Fighter, Fox Sports 1, 10PM
- Cleverman, Sundance, 10PM
Thursday
- Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
- NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 5, NBC, 8PM
- American Grit, Fox, 8PM
- Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV, 8PM
- Bones, Fox, 8PM
- WWE SmackDown, USA, 8PM
- Streets of Compton (series premiere), A&E, 9PM
- Beauty and the Beast, CW, 9PM
- Live from Daryl’s House, MTV Live, 9PM
- Red Nose Day, NBC, 9PM
- Alone, History, 9PM
- Orphan Black, BBC America, 10PM
- Ladylike (series premiere), MTV, 11PM
Friday
- Voltron: Legendary Defender (S1)
- Lego Friends: The Power of Friendship (season premiere), Netflix, 3AM
- Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
- Copa America Centenario, Fox, 6:30PM
- Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
- NBA Finals Game 4, ABC, 9PM
- Outcast, Cinemax, 10PM
- ELeague, TBS, 10PM
- Comedy! Bang! Bang!, IFC, 11PM
Saturday
- Killing Mommy, Lifetime, 8PM
- People’s List, ABC, 8PM
- 30 for 30: O.J. Made in America: Part 1, ABC, 9PM
- Hell on Wheels (summer premiere), AMC, 9PM
- Outlander, Starz, 9PM
- American West (series premiere), AMC, 10PM
- Being (summer premiere), Centric, 10PM
Sunday
- Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Live, Fox, 7PM
- The 70th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 8PM
- The Girlfriend Experience, Starz, 8PM
- NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 6, NBC, 8PM
- Dodgers/Giants, ESPN, 8PM
- Preacher, AMC, 9PM
- Game of Thrones, HBO, 9PM
- House of Lies (series finale), Showtime, 9PM
- The Last Ship (season premiere), TNT, 9PM
- The Night Stalker, Lifetime, 9PM
- Undercover Boss, CBS, 9PM
- Ride with Norman Reedus (series premiere), AMC, 10PM
- Feed the Beast, AMC, 10PM
- Penny Dreadful, Showtime, 10PM
- Silicon Valley, HBO,10PM
- United Shades of America, CNN, 10PM
- Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM
(All times listed are ET)
Santiago subway will be the first powered mostly by the sun
A subterranean transit system may seem like an unlikely place to find some solar power, but that is exactly how the city of Santiago, Chile hopes to power the trains on its 108-stop, 64-mile Metro system. According to Fast Company, the Santiago Metro will soon be the first in the world to get the majority of its power from renewable resources.
Chile has the advantage of being one of the sunniest places on Earth and the power itself will be generated at a 100-megawatt solar plant on the edge of the Atacama Desert, about 400 miles away from Santiago. Assuming the city hits its goal, by next year the sun will provide 60 percent of the energy needed to move the system’s 2.5 million daily passengers. A nearby wind farm will fill in another 18 percent of the necessary power.
The solar plant is being built by California company SunPower using low-cost modular panels that cut down on setup and maintenance time. One key difference that sets Santiago’s system apart from other cities is a direct connection that will transmit power from the solar facility straight to the subway system instead of tapping into the city’s main power grid. And because desert dust has the potential to gunk up solar panels, SunPower is also using specially designed robots to keep the panels clean and running efficiently. In the United States, SunPower has actually partnered with Ford to provide renewable energy for owners of electric vehicles, but CEO Tom Werner thinks the Santiago plan could be the start of “a widespread trend” for cities with power-hungry transit systems.
