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SpaceX aborts Falcon 9 launch with rare 'Liftoff! Disregard' sequence
With both computers and human controllers cautiously watching every single rocket function, it's not unusual for SpaceX to abort a launch. However, yesterday a Falcon 9 rocket was stopped at literally the last second, confusing even the countdown commentator. As the clock hit zero, the operator enthusiastically shouted "Liftoff!" but quickly added "Disregard. We have an abort" once it was clear the rocket wasn't getting airborne.
Powerbeats 4 leak gives a first glimpse at Apple’s new sporty earbuds
Apple's latest iteration of the Powerbeats earbuds came back in 2016, so they're well overdue an upgrade. Now, it looks like that's on its way. Images of the unannounced Powerbeats 4 have appeared online for the first time, and with Apple's new H1 wireless chip it looks like they're now on par with the Powerbeats Pro.
Quibi is launching on April 6th with 50 shows
There's been a lot of hype around Quibi, the upcoming streaming platform designed for your phone, and we finally have some concrete launch details. Quibi will be available on April 6th. It will launch with 50 shows, and release 175 shows in its first year.
Watch Sony's Xperia event in 7 minutes
MWC might be canceled this year, but that's not stopping the big brands from dropping new products. Sony unveiled three new phones this morning, with its next flagship device -- the Sony Xperia 1 II -- stealing the show. Building on last year's phone, the new launch adds 5G and a 21:9 aspect ratio display, and it sees the welcome return of the 3.5mm headphone jack. It also comes with a number of camera firsts, and according to Sony, is the first smartphone to come with built-in 360 Reality Audio decoding.
Sony withdraws from MWC and will launch phones on YouTube instead
Sony has become the latest tech company to withdraw from Mobile World Conference (MWC) 2020 in Barcelona over fears of the novel coronavirus contagion, the company said in a press release. The news is a big blow to the event, because Sony is usually one of the larger participants and could unveil an important new phone, possibly the Xperia 5 plus.
SpaceX asks permission to take Starship on a high-altitude test flight
One of the next major steps in SpaceX's plans for true spaceflight will be a 12-mile-high test flight. Sometime between March and September, the company plans to launch its Starship suborbital test vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas. The Starship will travel to an altitude of 12.4 miles, or 20 kilometers. SpaceX will then attempt to land and recover the vehicle.
Watch SpaceX's Crew Dragon in-flight abort test at 10:30AM ET on Sunday
One of the last major steps before SpaceX flies its Crew Dragon craft with real NASA astronauts onboard is an "in-flight abort test." Scheduled to take place during a four-hour window on Saturday, Sunday or Monday morning, it will test the vehicle's ability to safely get back to Earth if there's a problem during ascent.
Boeing’s Starliner will not reach the ISS in its first test flight
Early this morning, Boeing launched the Starliner capsule for its first uncrewed test flight. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and while the Starliner made it into orbit, it did not achieve the correct orbit.
SpaceX tried to catch both halves of a Falcon 9 nose cone (updated)
Later today, in what will likely be its last mission of 2019, SpaceX will attempt to recover the entire nose cone section of one of its Falcon 9 rockets. If successful and the rocket itself is able to land on SpaceX's recovery ship, it'll mark the first time the company has caught both pieces following a single launch.
Watch a 'transforming' drone blast out of a cannon
Researchers launched a drone from a pneumatic baseball pitching machine strapped to a truck traveling 50 miles per hour. They hope this ballistic launch method might lead to drones that are better suited for emergency response and space exploration missions.
Google Stadia will have 10 more games at launch
After first announcing that its cloud-streaming Stadia game service would launch with just 12 titles, Google has nearly doubled that number, according to a tweet from Stadia boss Phil Harrison. The service will now arrive with 10 additional games, bringing the total to 22. The list now includes Football Manager 2020 and NBA 2K2020, giving Stadia a couple of the sports titles it was completely lacking before.
Verizon and T-Mobile aren't supporting RCS on the Pixel 4 at launch
Google has been pushing its SMS-alternative Rich Communication Services (RCS) for years. And it's no secret that the roll out has been a bit of a mess. Now, in another set back, Verizon and T-Mobile will not support RCS messaging on the Pixel 4 at launch.
Huawei's flagship Mate 30 arrives on September 19th
Huawei will unveil its flagship Mate 30 smartphone in Munich, Germany on September 19th, it has confirmed in a tweet and short video. The tagline "Rethink Possibilities" sounds very appropriate, as the company reportedly won't be able to sell the device with Google's official Android OS and services like the Play Store, Maps and YouTube. That's due to the fact that US companies are currently banned from doing business with Huawei.
Sony's A6600 APS-C flagship is a shooting speed demon
Sony has finally revealed the much-anticipated 24.2-megapixel Alpha A6600, its new flagship APS-C mirrorless camera and follow up to the popular A6500. The new model is all about speed and video performance, powered by Sony's latest sensor and AI-powered Z-Bionz image processing tech. It can grab focus in just .02 seconds, allowing shooting speeds of 11 fps with continuous autofocus turned on, beating any other APS-C mirrorless camera.
Watch SpaceX catch a piece of its rocket as it falls from space
Yesterday, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. This was the third flight for this particular Falcon 9, and its mission was to carry the AMOS-17 satellite for Spacecom. While you can watch the full launch stream here, one of the most exciting parts of yesterday's event came as a tweet from Elon Musk. He shared a quick video of a SpaceX ship catching the rocket's fairing in a net as it fell from space.
SpaceX 'rideshare' program launches satellites for just $2.5 million
For space tech startups and other small companies doing research, one of the biggest hurdles is actually getting to space. SpaceX is looking to change that. Today, it announced a SmallSat Rideshare Program, which will allow small satellite operators to book a spot on regularly scheduled Falcon 9 launches.
Tencent is at the center of Nintendo's Switch launch in China
After announcing that it would bring the Switch to China, Nintendo has revealed some details about how it will work and the role of its partner, Tencent. The Chinese tech giant will help Nintendo build simplified Chinese language versions of previously announced games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Tencent will also provide cloud services for the Switch Online service in China and modify the eShop to work with its widely-used WeChat Pay system.
Apple’s credit card could arrive in the first half of August
In March, Apple made a fuss over its plans to introduce a credit card. But we haven't heard much about Apple Card since. Now, Bloomberg reports that the card will reportedly launch in the first half of August. The update suggests that the card is on track, as Apple initially said it would be ready this summer.
Watch SpaceX launch a twice-used Dragon capsule at 6:24PM ET (updated)
Want to know just how routine spaceflight has become? Just look at SpaceX's latest mission. The company is livestreaming the launch of its CRS-18 resupply mission for the ISS with an expected liftoff at 6:24PM Eastern, and every component from the mission is well-worn. The Falcon 9 launched a previous ISS supply mission in May, while the Dragon has visited the ISS twice -- once in April 2015 and again in December 2017. This is the first instance of SpaceX flying a Dragon capsule for the third time, the company said.
India's historic Moon mission takes off after week-long delay
One week after a "technical snag" forced the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to delay the launch of its Chandrayaan-2, the lunar mission launched today. It appears to be back on track, and if all goes well, it will be India's first soft landing on the Moon using its own technology. It will also be the first soft landing attempt ever at the Moon's South Pole.
