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The world’s first crewed Hyperloop trip was a success
Company co-founder Josh Giegel and Sara Lucian are the first people in history to ride in a Hyperloop.
Spotify is testing polls to make podcasts more interactive
Spotify will let podcasters survey their listeners with a new poll tool.
Walmart's latest drone trial delivers at-home COVID-19 tests
A pilot project is underway in North Las Vegas.
Netflix is testing a "Shuffle Play" button
While it’s the only shuffle feature currently being trialed, Netflix had tested similar features in the past.
Xbox testers can access a new store experience and game activity tab
Microsoft is giving Xbox Insiders in the invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings access to a handful of experimental features, including the new Game Activity tab. While the feature was designed to replace Xbox One’s Achievements tab, Achievements still take up its top portion. It also shows users which friends are playing a particular game, though, along with in-game events, updates from developers and “Looking for group” posts, so they can find new people to play with.
Spotify experiments with shareable podcast quotes for social media
In addition, it’s unclear if the quote-sharing feature will be available for other podcasts during the testing period.
Facebook tests new Pages that feel more like Instagram and Twitter
Facebook is rolling out a set of experimental features to select English-language Pages after using celebrities’ accounts for their initial testing. One of those experimental features is a brand new layout for its mobile apps that puts the focus on the Page’s name, description and Follower count. As you can see in the comparison of the old (left) and the new (right) layouts above, the new one bears a resemblance to Instagram and Twitter profile pages.
Amazon is testing its Scout delivery robots in Georgia and Tennessee
Amazon expands tests for its Scout delivery robot to Atlanta and Franklin, Tennessee.
Google tests interactive location listings in Street View
Google is testing an added augmented reality layer in Street View that adds interactive place markers.
Facebook tests easier sharing for its Pinterest-like Collections feature
Facebook is testing changes that make it easier to share Collections publicly.
Twitter test brings emoji reactions to people's timelines (update)
Twitter is thinking of giving you the capability to react more strongly and appropriately to public tweets, based on the latest discovery by app researcher Jane Manchun Wong.
FDA approves a rapid COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR
Sherlock Biosciences has received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for a rapid COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR technology. Sherlock’s CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 test uses a CRISPR molecule to detect the genetic signature of the virus. The kit, which uses a nasal swab or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimen, is designed for use in laboratories authorized to perform high complexity tests.
Lab-in-a-box test can detect COVID-19 in 5 minutes
The FDA has scrambled to allow numerous COVID-19 tests in a bid to control the pandemic, but one of the latest may represent a big step forward in technology fighting the disease. Abbott has received emergency use authorization for a variant of its toaster-sized ID NOW lab-in-a-box that can provide positive results in as soon as five minutes, and all-clear results in 13 minutes. On top of this, it's one of the few tests of its kind that can be used outside of a hospital, such as at a clinic.
SpaceX parachute test failure could further delay crewed flight
SpaceX's hopes a human-occupied Crew Dragon flight this May are fading fast. A parachute test for the capsule failed on March 24th after a helicopter pilot was forced to drop the test vehicle early when it became unstable, threatening the pilot's safety. The test machine was destroyed as it hadn't reached "target conditions" where the parachutes would be armed, a SpaceX spokesperson told Parabolic Arc.
Alphabet's Verily launches coronavirus screening service in California
Verily -- Google's sibling healthcare brand -- has launched a website that will help adults in northern California determine whether they need a test for coronavirus. The "triage" pilot is available to those in Santa Clara Country and San Mateo County, and asks users questions about their recent health and travel. The site will, if necessary, help users obtain a free test.
Twitter tests 'Fleets' that delete themselves after 24 hours
Twitter is finally dipping its toe into ephemeral content. The company is testing a new feature, called "fleets," which allows users to to post tweets that automatically disappear after 24 hours. For now, the experimental feature is only live in Brazil, but Twitter says it could eventually land in other countries. If fleets do end up becoming widely available, it could fundamentally alter how people interact on Twitter.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket prototype collapsed on itself this weekend
Another SpaceX test ended in failure this past weekend. A prototype of the company's Starship rocket, SN1, imploded in a pressure test late Friday night. Elon Musk acknowledged the incident on Twitter, sharing a video and writing, "It's fine, we'll just buff it out."
BMW teases its iNext prototype EV during a hot-weather test
BMW plans to have a million EVs on the road by the end of 2021 and one of the key vehicles is in that plan is the iNext crossover. The automaker has teased new images of a camouflaged iNext test mule taking part in hot-weather trials in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa. The aim is to ensure the vehicle's drivetrain and body can handle the scorching heat, along with dust, sand and rough road conditions.
Motorola defends the Razr's reliability with footage of its test rig
When CNET put the new Motorola Razr through a folding test, the phone's hinge starting making noises and showing issues by the 27,000th fold. That's just a fraction of the 100,000 folds the publication was planning for the device. Now, Motorola has fired back at CNET with a video of it own, showing how it tested the durability of the device's hinge. In a statement sent to Engadget, the Lenovo-owned company said SquareTrade's FoldBot "put undue stress on the hinge," since it didn't allow the "phone to open and close as intended." As such, it made CNET's test inaccurate.
Google Photos test subscription prints your best pictures every month
Online photo services with printing options usually revolve around on-demand printing for special occasions, but Google appears to be trying something different: printing photos every month no matter what you've taken. A 9to5Google tipster has revealed a Google Photos test subscription service that automatically selects your 10 best pictures for printing each month. You just tell Google whether you want to focus on faces (including pets), landscapes or a "little bit of everything" -- so long as you're willing to pay $8 per month, you'll get a collection of related 4x6 prints on matte cardstock. You can edit images before committing to the print process.
