Geek News

Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster may have slipped the surly bonds of Earth , but you can still follow its path through the Solar System. Satellite guru Ben Pearson's unofficial Whereisroadster.com website is tracking the EV based on NASA data and his own flight modeling (which, it turns out, is more accurate than Musk's). The site not only gives you an idea of the relative position and speed, but offers fun tidbits such as the number of times the car has voided its 36,000 mile warranty and its equivalent fuel economy if it had traveled under its own power. As of this writing, the car is about 2.1 million miles away from Earth and hurtling toward Mars at about 43,145MPH (6,755MPH away from Earth). It won't actually orbit Mars or venture into the Asteroid Belt, as Musk suggested -- if it keeps on its current trajectory, it should venture just past Mars before being pulled back toward the center of the system. You can find out when the car will get relatively close to Earth ...

PowerUp first previewed its smartphone-controlled paper airplane back in 2014, but now it's finally available to everyone. The startup has announced that a retail version of its Dart aircraft will ship in February, and is running a pre-order campaign for barebones (just the propeller module and two templates) and standard (wheels and Japanese aerobatic papers) kits that start at $29 and $37 respectively. Higher-priced packs offer additional modules and stands for your aeronautics-minded friends. Most of the kits will arrive later in the month, although a few (including the standard Solo kit) might not ship until May. As before, PowerUp's Dart is all about converting paper planes from simple gliders into powered aircraft you can steer with an app. It should not only be less expensive than a model aircraft (especially if there's a crash), but gives you the freedom to fold the airplane that suits your style. You can make a slow-but-steady distance champ, a speed demon or...

When researchers surveyed the ruins of a Purépecha Empire city in Mexico the old-fashioned way a decade ago, it took them two seasons to explore two square kilometres. Good thing they decided to use LiDAR, because the city called Angamuco turned out bigger than they previously thought . LiDAR gave the researchers the power to see underneath the lava that covers Angamuco. Thanks to the laser technology, they now know that the city occupied 26 square kilometers of land instead of 13 square kilometers. Colorado State University archaeologist Chris Fisher is presenting that finding and all the latest info on his team's study at the ongoing American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Austin. "That is a huge area with a lot of people and a lot of architectural foundations that are represented," Fisher told The Guardian . According to their estimates, the city had around 1,500 structures per square kilometer of land. "If you do the maths," h...

Facebook has a new yet very old solution to fighting Russian manipulation attempts during future US elections: conventional mail. Global policy program director Katie Harbath has revealed that the social network will send postcards to verify the identities and locations of anyone hoping to buy ads related to federal-level candidates. Recipients will have to enter a code on the postcard to prove that they are, in fact, living in the US. The requirement won't apply to state-level candidates or ads based around issues. There's no specific time frame for when the cards will take effect, but they should be in use before the 2018 mid-term elections in November. Harbath acknowledged to Reuters that this "won't solve everything." A determined foreign manipulation effort could rely on US-based volunteers, for instance, and this won't help if there are any plans to skew smaller votes. There's also no mention of using this approach for other countries. However...

As promised, Joel McHale's weekly Netflix show is premiering on February 18th -- and you now have a better idea of what to expect going in. The streaming service has posted a preview of The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale that gives a feel for what the commentary series will involve. It doesn't include the signature green screen (a carryover from The Soup ), but it's clear that the show will play on McHale's Community days -- fellow alumni and initial guests Alison Brie and Jim Rash show up to keep the star in check. The first episode also has Kevin Hart, Paul Reiser and Luke Cage 's Mike Coalter. The series as a whole will definitely take advantage of the freedom Netflix offers to cover subjects (and language) that wouldn't fly on most TV networks. McHale's show is part of Netflix's larger strategy to take on the late-night shows you see everywhere from the big over-the-air broadcasters to premium channels like HBO. The formats vary, but the ...

Facebook plans to mail out verification postcards through the US postal service to anyone purchasing ads related to US elections, according to Reuters . The postcards will contain a special code that advertisers must provide back to Facebook to prove they’re in the United States. This new verification system will be required for all advertising that mentions a specific candidate running for a federal office — such as the presidency. It will be implemented in time for the mid-term elections this coming November. “If you run an ad mentioning a candidate, we are going to mail you a postcard and you will have to use that code to prove you are in the United States,” Katie Harbath, Facebook’s global director of policy programs, said on... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2sCWvqN"

Space We think you can, Opportunity. On Saturday, February 17, Opportunity will experience its 5,000th Martian sunrise. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2EPJH5q"

Google app is extremely close to rolling out a built-in screenshot-editing tool -- so close that you can now try it out as a beta tester on Android. If you join the app's beta program and download version 7.21, you'll find an option that says "Edit and share screenshots" under settings and then under Accounts & Privacy. Toggle that on, and you'll see a panel pop up from the bottom of the page whenever you take screenshots anywhere you are within the Google app. The panel will give you the choice to edit the screenshot or to share it to other apps straight from within the Google application or from within a Chrome Custom Tab. If you choose edit, you'll be able to crop the screenshot, draw on it and then share it once you're done. It's not big deal if your phone uses an Android skin that already has the feature, but if you're using stock Android, it could make the process of taking and sharing screenshots just a bit faster. Source: 9to5Go...

It’s no secret that voice assistants are a Trojan Horse. You “buy” a voice assistant like an Echo Dot or a Google Home, and you plug it in and give it your Wi-Fi password. But you don’t “own” it like you own a computer. The software is controlled entirely by Amazon or Google or some other company. So, I bought a Trojan Horse in December as a little self-gift for Christmas: an Echo Dot. Amazon’s audiobooks On the evening I set up my Echo Dot, the first thing I wanted to do was listen to an audiobook. Being an Audible junkie makes the Echo an easy fit into my life. Saying, “Alexa, play an audiobook” will simply resume whatever book I was last listening to on my phone. I have a lot of books in my library that have only a chapter or two... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2sIzaEr"

AirPods are the best truly wireless earbuds available because they nail the essentials like ease of use, reliability, and battery life. There are alternatives that definitely sound better from Bose, B&O Play, and other. But they often cost more and all of them experience occasional audio dropouts. Unfortunately, I’m one of the sorry souls whose ears just aren’t a match for the AirPods — and I’m a nerd who likes having both an iPhone and Android phone around — so I’ve been searching for the best non-Apple option. But some 14 months after AirPods shipped, there’s still no clear cut competitor that’s truly better at the important stuff. They all lack the magic sauce that is Apple’s W1 chip, which improves pairing, range, and battery life... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2C47j58"

Earlier this week, we endured another school shooting. This time, in Parkland, Florida, where at least 17 students were killed. During the shooting's aftermath, hoaxes and disinformation spread on Twitter. It's a phenomenon that happens after every tragedy, and it doesn't seem to be going away. As is common in these cases, many of the initial fake tweets misidentified the gunman. A few tweets from a fake Bill O'Reilly account, for example, claimed that there were two shooters (one of whom was the actual gunman, Nikolas Cruz) and the other was Sam Hyde. Hyde is a comedian whose photo was also circulated as the alleged shooter in previous tragedies like the ones in San Bernardino and Las Vegas. At this point it's a well-known internet trope. Others were also falsely accused of being the attacker, including German YouTuber DrachenLord and 24-year-old Marcel Fontaine (who was misidentified as being part of the "Antifa" movement). Some tweets combined fal...

Gadgets The end-of-week dispatch from PopSci's commerce editor. Vol. 37. Throughout the week I spend hours scouring the web for things that are ingenious or clever or ridiculously cheap. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2oejUcP"

DIY Save your Valentine’s Day blossoms. To preserve your Valentine's Day flowers, you need to remove their moisture with a process like air-drying, pressing, or nuking them in the microwave. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2HpdyAf"

James Damore may claim Google was wrong to fire him over his memo criticizing the company's diversity culture , but a federal government overseer begs to differ. The National Labor Relations Board has published a January memo recommending a dismissal of Damore's then-active complaint. Board attorney Jayme Sophir found that Damore was protected under federal law when he criticized Google, but that he wasn't protected when he suggested that women were biologically inferior at programming. His remarks were likely to create "serious dissension and disruption" in the workplace, Sophir said, and that actuallly happened -- women pulled their candidacy for engineering positions after hearing of Damore's memo. Companies should have the freedom to stop the "kinds of employee conduct that could lead to a 'hostile workplace,'" Sophir said. The lawyer also rejected Damore's attempts to mask his views with pseudo-scientific claims and "not al...

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing out the Nano S 360-degree camera from Insta360. It’s a cute little camera that clicks into your iPhone’s Lightning port and takes 360-degree photos and videos. The camera itself is very compact and can easily be held in the palm of your hand or slipped into your pocket. I’m fairly new to 360 cameras. I generally shoot using my Canon 7D DSLR or Fujifilm X-T10, and this is an entirely new experience altogether. Instead of concentrating on framing a particular shot, you can just click the shutter button and worry about framing later, so it’s good if you’re on the go and don’t want to think too much. The most engaging experience the camera offers is that it places you in the center of your... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2ogwGY2"

Today's Deal: Save 75% on Grey Goo !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2sCOBh1"

This week Hot Wheels unveiled Augmoto , an AR-enhanced course that makes the brand's track races a lot more video game-like. However, in the other direction it's also introducing Rocket League Rivals , a remote control vehicle kit that brings the popular console game's madcap soccer-but-with-cars action into the real world. Based on the number of times our cars flipped over or ran off the track while playing at this week's Toy Fair , it seems to have captured the spirit of the game, at least. The version on display this weekend is a bit rough, but it has the basics down: There's a garish stadium with goals at each end, and a giant ball you have to push with your car. Each goal tracks the ball via an infrared sensor and has an LCD scoreboard above it, reminiscent of the point tickers you'd find on an air hockey table. The whole kit has a den or playroom feel to it; the kind of thing you can leave out for the kids to play whenever they're in the mood. I...

If you don’t have the day off from work or school, you could be forgiven if you have no idea when Presidents’ Day is. Well, it’s on Monday, and retailers are trying to give people a reason to remember it by offering great tech deals in a number of categories. Best Buy’s Presidents’ Day sale features markdowns on Google Home bundles , 4K TVs , and more. Dell’s deal is bringing prices down on more than 140 products and Microsoft is offering discounts on nearly 100 laptops. George Washington’s birthday isn’t the only one Microsoft is celebrating with discounts. The Surface Pro is officially five years old ! For this weekend only, Surface Pro models are on sale for $200 off. You can get multiple models starting at $799 until Monday, February... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FbrjBF"

If you have a checklist for a camera drone, it probably includes things like portability, image quality, battery life and cost. DJI has been in the game long enough to know the things you want, and the result is the Mavic Air . Not to give you any spoilers, but the Mavic Air does well on all the above, and offers a whole lot more to boot. It's not all up-sides though (okay, it is mostly upsides, but you'll probably want to watch our "pros and cons" video above all the same). via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2sAiPBk"

littleBits kits are a great way to teach kids how to build their own toys and electronics, but they're not exactly cheap. The Star Wars Droid inventor set , for instance, will set buyers back $100, while others could cost as much as $300 . Now, the startup is lowering the barrier of entry by debuting four "Hall of Fame" kits priced at only $40 each. Upon taking a look at littleBits' offerings on its website , we only saw one set priced at $40, and it's only a three-module hardware development bundle for more experiences users. All the others cost $80 and more. These products will give more people the chance to get one for their kids or themselves and to try out the company's electronic building blocks. The Hall of Fame kits, which are based on inventions submitted by the littleBits community, can be used to create some pretty cool gadgets. Crawly Creature, for instance, has the Bits to create a creepy-crawly pet or a moving collage. Bubble Bot has the buil...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to the weekend. Once you return from Wakanda, you can check out SpaceX's next rocket launch and revisit our Apple HomePod review. Blame Getty. Google removes 'View Image' button from image search Now it will take a couple extra clicks to snag that meme you were looking for. The 'stock market for rare sneakers' wants to sell everything. Why sneakerheads are leaving eBay for Detroit startup StockX StockX was founded in 2015 after Quicken Loans founder and CEO Dan Gilbert bought Campless -- an online repository for sneaker sales data -- from Josh Luber. Last October, the website offered resellers and industry insiders a peek behind the curtain at its first ever StockX Day in Detroit and showed off how it manages to guarantee authenticity for resold shoes. That's different. Apple employees keep walking into their new HQ's glass walls Sources told Bloomberg that some individuals stuck Post-It notes on ...