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SpaceX's Starhopper engine failure causes mission abort at last second

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Aug 27, 2019 9:03 AM CDT

SpaceX's Starhopper vehicle was scheduled to conduct its test run today when it had to be canceled due to one of the engines on the hopper malfunctioning.

Starhopper is the single engine version of the SpaceX Starship and is the craft Musk and his team designed to eventually take people around the Moon and Mars. According to the team, the hopper's 150 meter test flight and landing was aborted due to one of the gines on the hopper not igniting. Elon Musk Tweeted and said "Igniters need to be inspected. We will try again tomorrow same time."

Musk then followed up with another tweet explaining the malfunction in more detail, saying "Raptor uses dual redundant torch igniters. Better long-term, but more finicky in development. Appears to be a wiring/connector issue " Another flight schedule hasn't been booked as of yet as the SpaceX team is currently evaluating what is needed to be done before a test flight can commence.

Continue reading: SpaceX's Starhopper engine failure causes mission abort at last second (full post)

Netflix's physical media isn't dead, 5 billion shipments milestone hit

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Aug 27, 2019 8:11 AM CDT

Netflix is predominately a streaming platform, but by no means does that mean its physical-based media service is dead and buried. The company actually recently achieved a new milestone its now celebrating.

Netflix's physical media isn't dead, 5 billion shipments milestone hit

Originally, Netflix was only a physical media service and since the 21 year old delivery services massive adoption in online streaming, the company is still moving heaps of physical media units. According to DVD Netflix Twitter account, "5,000,000,000 shipments" have been made, the 5 billionth disc was Rocketman.

Even though the physical media sales are still moving, its subscribers are plummeting. Back in 2011, the subscribers were sitting at 14 million and by the end of this year it fell to a staggering 2.4 million. In comparison to online streaming subscribers, Netflix is currently sitting at around 151 million streaming customers.

Continue reading: Netflix's physical media isn't dead, 5 billion shipments milestone hit (full post)

Scientist warns AI cyborgs will supplant humans as Earth's rulers

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Aug 27, 2019 7:06 AM CDT

The debate for whether or not artificial intelligence will impact us positively in the future is a debate that has been going for quite some time now. Many scientists have come out for and against artificial intelligence, but what if we were to predict the future of it? and can we?

Scientist warns AI cyborgs will supplant humans as Earth's rulers

Dr James Lovelock believes he can and that he can already see the fall of humanity being a result of the artificial intelligence development that would eventually come into cyborgs taking over the entire human race. In Lovelock's most recent publication "Novacene", Lovelock describes that these cyborgs will not meld to human needs and instead replace us as rulers of Earth and convert the planet into their needs.

Lovelock also believes that this will be the natural way of things as its essential that 'knowledge' is passed onto the next stage of intelligent life. "We are now preparing to hand the gift of knowing on to new forms of intelligent beings." This hypothesis is built from Lovelock's belief of their not being any intelligent life located on other planets.

Continue reading: Scientist warns AI cyborgs will supplant humans as Earth's rulers (full post)

Facebook makes private Instagram 2.0 'Threads' app for 'close friends'

Jak Connor | Software & Apps | Aug 27, 2019 6:14 AM CDT

Facebook is at it again with another app attempt at trying to kill off Snapchat, this time round reports have said that Facebook and Instagram are internally testing a new app called "Threads" which is designed for close friends.

Facebook makes private Instagram 2.0 'Threads' app for 'close friends'

According to The Verge, Instagram has been testing this "Threads" app which is "designed to promote constant, automatic sharing between users." On The Verge article they have posted mock-up screenshots which indicate that the app will be focused around a singular feed where friends can view each others 'stories' or 'statuses'.

The Verge also states that the app will work as a companion to your Instagram account, and will invite users to "share their location, speed, and battery life with friends, along with more typical text, photo, and video messages using Instagram's creative tools". This app will ultimately be designed at communication between your close friends on Instagram, which means it falls a direct competitor to Snapchat who says they are the app for "real friends".

Continue reading: Facebook makes private Instagram 2.0 'Threads' app for 'close friends' (full post)

Warner Bros. casts Sonya Blade & Kano actors for 'Mortal Kombat' movie

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Aug 27, 2019 5:04 AM CDT

It was only last month when we heard about Warner Bros. casting Joe Taslim to play iconic Mortal Kombat character Sub-Zero, and now we have two more actors added to the list.

Warner Bros. casts Sonya Blade & Kano actors for 'Mortal Kombat' movie

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Meg's Jessica McNamee will be stepping into the shoes of Sonya Blade and Australian actor Josh Lawson will be playing the ruthless Kano. The Hollywood Reporter also says that British actor Lewis Tan (Deadpool 2) is currently in talks about taking the lead role, but the character that he would be playing has yet to be disclosed.

Screenwriter Greg Russo announced last month that this reboot of Mortal Kombat will be the most brutal one yet, as the film will be R-rated and feature the games' famous fatalities on-screen. His tweet reads: "Since it's already been stated by other members of the team, I'm gonna put this one to bed. MK WILL be R-Rated and for the first time EVER, FATALITIES will FINALLY be on the big screen (and no I'm not gonna say which ones) You'll just have to wait for the movie & see!!!"

Continue reading: Warner Bros. casts Sonya Blade & Kano actors for 'Mortal Kombat' movie (full post)

Dying Light 2 E3/Gamescom 2019 26-minute 4K official gameplay video

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 27, 2019 4:05 AM CDT

The official gameplay video that was shown behind closed doors at E3 2019 and Gamescom 2019 has been released online, giving us a fresh look at the coming Dying Light 2.

Dying Light 2 E3/Gamescom 2019 26-minute 4K official gameplay video

The above video has been released onto the official Dying Light YouTube Channel, it runs us through a scenario where the player needs to travel to a city to speak with a colonel regarding the current state of the drinking water. Throughout the journey to the city we see some damn slick gameplay of the player running, jumping, evading enemies, picking and choosing fights smart, and most gloriously, the parkour system.

In Dying Light 2 the player is constantly thrown into scenarios where him/her is forced to choose an outcome. Picking an outcome creates a cascade like effect throughout the rest of the game, influencing future decisions and sometimes effecting past ones. An example of this is when the player is forced to choose between leaving his friend 'Frank' or staying to make sure his wounds heal. In the video the player leaves and continues on with his mission, he is then radioed in with the news that Frank died from his wounds which has then raised the stakes for the mission even more.

Continue reading: Dying Light 2 E3/Gamescom 2019 26-minute 4K official gameplay video (full post)

Custom 'Night City' Cyberpunk 2077 Gamescom 2019 sneakers showcased

Jak Connor | Wearable Computing & Fashion | Aug 27, 2019 3:06 AM CDT

Cyberpunk 2077 is no doubt of the most anticipated games to release during 2020, and if you are already a hardcore fan then you might want to check out these awesome Cyberpunk 2077 themed sneakers.

Custom 'Night City' Cyberpunk 2077 Gamescom 2019 sneakers showcased

The sneakers were snapped by CD Projekt Red's publicist, Fabian Mario Doehla, and shared to his instagram account. The sneakers are a custom design on some Air Max 720 Saturns by FRE Customs and Footlocker.

The shoes were shown off at Gamescom 2019, and everyday some lucky fans of Cyberpunk 2077 were able to win their very own pair. These shoes weren't the only ones that were custom designed and on showcase, we can also see some custom Gears of War 5 Vans, Halo: The Master Chief Collection in Nike Air Max 720's, custom 4 Pirelli-branded Replicat-X for Forza Horizon and more. Cyberpunk 2077 will be launched on the PS4, Xbox One and PC on April 16th. Cyberpunk 2077 recently got some awesome 4K screenshots released, check them out here.

Continue reading: Custom 'Night City' Cyberpunk 2077 Gamescom 2019 sneakers showcased (full post)

Matt Groening 'we're proud of Apu', & won't remove him from Simpsons

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Aug 27, 2019 2:03 AM CDT

Back in 2017, the internet was on flames regarding the push to ban Apu from The Simpson's under 'stereotyping' a specific race. While many people were quite divided on the issue, we now have confirmation that Apu will not be leaving us.

Matt Groening 'we're proud of Apu', & won't remove him from Simpsons

Variety has reported that when speaking to Matt Groening, The Simpson's creator, about Apu and whether or not the character will be written out of the show, he responded with "Yes. We love Apu. We're proud of Apu." On top of this, Groening says he takes the matter "Very seriously" and that "I don't want to offend people but we also want to be funny. We don't want to be totally politically correct. That has never been us. It's given us a lot of thought."

Back in 2018, Groening commented on the outrage about Apu, saying "People love to pretend they're offended" and that this is just another "outrage of the week". "I think particularly right now, people feel so aggrieved and crazed and powerless that they're picking the wrong battles." 30 Seasons of The Simpson's will be available on Disney+ once it releases, as well as a bunch of other content - more on that here.

Continue reading: Matt Groening 'we're proud of Apu', & won't remove him from Simpsons (full post)

Classified Military Space Plane 'X-37B' pushes America's space future

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Aug 27, 2019 1:01 AM CDT

The U.S military has no shortage of classified projects going underway, and some of those projects range out into the depths of space through vehicle or flight tests.

Classified Military Space Plane 'X-37B' pushes America's space future

We have recently heard about one of these classified projects, and the news comes from the U.S Air Force regarding their 'X-37B' Space Plane. While this plane's missions are exclusively classified, the U.S Air Force has discussed its achievements in general terms for the public, saying "he primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold; reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth".

The space plane recently broke the endurance test record set by the Orbital Test Vehicle 4 (OTV-4). The X-37B launched on the back of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, and now has broken the OTV-4's endurance mark of 717 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes. It seems that the U.S Air Force is attempting to stretch the mission longevity as long as possible, as each of the test flights has lasted much longer than its predecessor. The dimensions for the X-37B are 29 feet long, 9.6 feet tall and a wing span of about 15 feet.

Continue reading: Classified Military Space Plane 'X-37B' pushes America's space future (full post)

Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule accused of rape

Derek Strickland | BREAKING STORY | Aug 26, 2019 11:55 PM CDT

Video games composer Jeremy Soule, described as the John Williams of game music, has been accused of raping an independent developer.

Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule accused of rape

Nathalie Lawhead, the indie dev behind Tetrageddon Games, says she was raped by Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule while working on a hellish ARG project. The following is based on Lawhead's story.

"On November 4 2008 I was contacted by a studio in Vancouver to design and build an ARG for their new IP. I talked about my experiences of working with this company before. For example, in this post."

Continue reading: Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule accused of rape (full post)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 could be the first on the small 5nm node

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Aug 26, 2019 11:06 PM CDT

Qualcomm is expected to unveil its new Snapdragon 865 processor later this year, its new SoC to power next-gen flagship 2020 smartphones, but Snapdragon 875 will be right around the corner in 2021.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 could be the first on the small 5nm node

The latest on the Snapdragon 875 is that TSMC will be handling the manufacturing on its new 5nm node, compared to the upcoming Snapdragon 865 that will be made on the 7nm EUV process over at Samsung. We are to expect an integrated 5G modem on the new Snapdragon 865, something that we'll be detailed on in the coming months.

Snapdragon 875 on the other hand should be an all-5G chip on the new 5nm node from TSMC, so we should expect an insane 171.3 million transistors per square millimeter, which kinda blows my mind.

Continue reading: Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 could be the first on the small 5nm node (full post)

Fentanyl bust: enough to kill 7 BILLION people, or 92% of the world

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Aug 26, 2019 10:19 PM CDT

The largest bust of fentanyl might have just taken place by the Mexican government, with local media reporting that a major fentanyl bust just went down in the Mexican port city of Lázaro Cárdenas in the state of Michoacán.

Fentanyl bust: enough to kill 7 BILLION people, or 92% of the world

The bust was absolutely huge, with local media reporting that the Mexican government announced they had seized 25 tons (23,368 kilograms, or 51,517 pounds) of fentanyl. The origin was Shanghai, China with the gigantic fentanyl shipment headed to Culiacán, Sinaloa which is where the Sinaloa Cartel is based.

Mexican authorities found the fentanyl inside of a container of a Danish flagged vessel, which saw its cargo manifest listing the contents of the cargo as Calcium Chloride. Well, that was a lie - it was reportedly fentanyl, with authorities taking a small sampling to a "specialized laboratory of Mexican Customs and the substance later tested positive for fentanyl" reports Breitbart.

Continue reading: Fentanyl bust: enough to kill 7 BILLION people, or 92% of the world (full post)

Huawei's upcoming Mate 30 Pro should feature 4 rear cameras

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Aug 26, 2019 9:18 PM CDT

Huawei is expected to unveil its next-gen Mate 30 Pro smartphone on September 19, alongside the standard Mate 30 -- with a big tease for the higher-end Mate 30 Pro and its purported 4 rear-facing cameras.

Huawei's upcoming Mate 30 Pro should feature 4 rear cameras

According to the new leaks on Chinese social network Weibo, we can expect a quad-camera rig on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. The post says (when translated) to the Mate 30 Pro rolling out with a Kirin 990 processor, super sensitive to light with four cameras, and double fast recharge.

So we can expect a kick ass camera setup, a new Kirin 990 processor, and super-fast recharging. That is all OK with me, and brings Huawei up to the level of Samsung and its just-arrived Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ smartphones.

Continue reading: Huawei's upcoming Mate 30 Pro should feature 4 rear cameras (full post)

KFC debuts test of non-meat 'miracle' nuggets in Atlanta, Georgia

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Aug 26, 2019 8:48 PM CDT

Kentucky Fried Chicken has just unveiled something I don't think anyone would've predicted when the colonel began his world domination through the secret herbs and spices in 1952 -- meat-free nuggets.

KFC debuts test of non-meat 'miracle' nuggets in Atlanta, Georgia

The company is using Beyond Meat, which are plant-based fake meat nuggets -- with KFC testing out the new 'Kentucky Fried Miracle' in Atlanta, Georgia. The thing is that plant-based meat alternatives aren't anything new, but Kentucky Fried Chicken throwing its hat into the ring is a big deal with other giants in Burger King, Carl's Jr, and Del Taco all offering plant-based meats from either Beyond Meats, or their competitor Impossible Foods.

KFC will cook the fake meat in the same fryers used to cook the normal chicken, so it is not absolutely, completely meat-free. It's being cooked in the same oil as the meat, so I guess there will be some form of chicken floating onto the plant-based meat... right?

Continue reading: KFC debuts test of non-meat 'miracle' nuggets in Atlanta, Georgia (full post)

Sex robots with 'coding errors' could STRANGLE you in the act

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Aug 26, 2019 8:18 PM CDT

The world is getting pretty kinky, but I think this new story really tops them all - killer robots that will strangle their partners, is something that is being warned if robotics are not regulated properly.

Sex robots with 'coding errors' could STRANGLE you in the act

Doll collector Brick Dollbanger is an "expert" on sex robots, who has warned that a "coding error" could turn your robotic girlfriend into a killer, strangling you in the act. Dollbanger works with sex robot manufacturers Realbotix and Abyss, where he warned: "It scares me to death, it's a machine and it's always going to be a machine".

I didn't quite believe this story when I first read it, so I slid into the world of this Brick Dollbanger, the doll banger. Forbes wrote a piece with a lot of girth on the doll banger in September 2018, referring to him as a "sex robot beta-tester" in an article titled Meet The Man Who Test Drives Sex Robots. So yeah, it's real.

Continue reading: Sex robots with 'coding errors' could STRANGLE you in the act (full post)

iFixit teardown Samsung's new Galaxy Note 10+ 5G smartphone

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Aug 26, 2019 7:32 PM CDT

Samsung has released its new Galaxy Note 10+ 5G handset into the market, with iFixit already tearing down Samsung's latest and greatest 5G-powered smartphone.

iFixit teardown Samsung's new Galaxy Note 10+ 5G smartphone

The new Galaxy Note 10+ 5G won't be easy to repair, with Samsung positioning the motherboard at the top half of the phone -- just like Apple does with the iPhone X. Samsung secures more room to make the battery wider (as the Note 10+ 5G has a 4300mAh battery) but requires cables between the motherboard and daughterboard.

This move blocks access to the battery, and while they can be moved to the side, iFixit notes it'll be harder to repair broken Galaxy Note 10+ 5G handsets.

Continue reading: iFixit teardown Samsung's new Galaxy Note 10+ 5G smartphone (full post)

Evil Rey wields Darth Maul's lightsaber in Rise of Skywalker trailer

Derek Strickland | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Aug 26, 2019 2:31 PM CDT

What if Rey turned to the dark side and became a fallen Jedi? Then she'd have a foldable dual-handed lightsaber that'd make Darth Maul jealous and Samsung proud, of course.

Evil Rey wields Darth Maul's lightsaber in Rise of Skywalker trailer

Disney just dropped a new Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker teaser, and it shows a dark Sith lord Rey ready for total destruction. The footage shows a murderous Rey in black apparel, armed with a wicked folding red lightsaber, hinting at possible outcomes for the film. Does Rey turn evil, thus killing the Jedi once and for all? If we had to guess this is just one of those nebulous Force trials where Rey has to face off against her evil self--or maybe it's a vision of what could happen if she succumbs to Palpatine's will.

The new footage is very brief but it hints at big things. There's thousands of Star Destroyers in formation for an epic battle, Kylo and Rey duke it out on a floating barge in some faraway world, and even C-3PO gets corrupted. The new Death Star (aka the Starkiller base) might've also gotten resurrected to annihilate Rebel scum.

Continue reading: Evil Rey wields Darth Maul's lightsaber in Rise of Skywalker trailer (full post)

Mortal Kombat 11's Terminator won't be voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 26, 2019 8:14 AM CDT

Netherrealm Studios announced the other characters that are teed up to come to Mortal Kombat 11. One of those characters is the amazing Terminator model T-800, it looks exactly like Arnie, but won't sound like him.

Mortal Kombat 11's Terminator won't be voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger

The above video is the reveal trailer for the upcoming Kombat Pack additions that will release of periodically until March 2020. One of the characters we see is Terminator T-800 based on the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate movie. The characters physical features are clearly based on Arnold Schwarzenegger, but according to a "knowledgeable source" speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Schwarzenegger's voice will not be used in-game.

The Hollywood Reporter also says that Warner Bros. Interactive, who are the producers of the game, have confirmed that Schwarzenegger's voice won't be used, but instead a sound-alike voice actor has taken his place. The Terminator T-800 will be made live on October 8th, for further details about the other newly announced characters such as Joker and Spawn, visit this article here.

Continue reading: Mortal Kombat 11's Terminator won't be voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger (full post)

Closed Gamescom 2019 group leaked Death Stranding 'Briefing' trailer

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 26, 2019 7:13 AM CDT

During the Gamescom 2019 presentation, some luckily participants of the event were invited to a closed-group Death Stranding trailer viewing. That trailer has been leaked online via an off-screen recording.

Closed Gamescom 2019 group leaked Death Stranding 'Briefing' trailer

The trailer lasts for an extensive period of time, 7 minutes to be precise and is titled "Briefing". The trailer presentation was held at the PlayStation booth and showcases characters Amelie and Die Hardman, as well as protagonist Sam Porter being briefed on his mission to reconnect the Chiral Web.

The goal of reconnecting the Chiral Web system is so America's survivors can reconnect to the nation. However, Sam denies to not only take part in this mission but to not get involved with Amelie and Hardman "or anyone else, ever again". If you are interested in checking out the trailer for yourself its located above, but if you want to saver the Death Stranding mystery, I'd advise to dodge this trailer and wait for the games release on November 8th.

Continue reading: Closed Gamescom 2019 group leaked Death Stranding 'Briefing' trailer (full post)

Australian PM to BAN domains that distribute 'terrorism-level' content

Jak Connor | Internet & Websites | Aug 26, 2019 6:12 AM CDT

Australia has announced their fight against online platforms distributing 'extremism' content through blocking domains that are found to be holding and publishing explicit content.

Australian PM to BAN domains that distribute 'terrorism-level' content

Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morison has announced that the country will be moving forward with their efforts to not allow for crises attacks to distributed on online platforms in their country. An example of this was the recent Christchurch massacre that occured in New Zealand, or the recent manifesto that was published on 8Chan.

The nations's eSafety Commissioner will be the one determining what content can be viewed and what cannot through and yet-to-be-established internet framework. These efforts for internet content blockage are to simply not allow for terrorists of any kind to glorify their conquests through social status, Australia is currently contemplating legislation that will force internet companies to improve their safety measures for users.

Continue reading: Australian PM to BAN domains that distribute 'terrorism-level' content (full post)

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