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Latest by G. Torbet

Coronavirus Testing Labs

Google displays testing information in coronavirus-related searches

Searching Google for terms related to the coronavirus pandemic, officially called COVID-19, will now return information about local testing centers in the U.S.
Our-Planet-Netflix

Netflix makes Our Planet, other documentaries available for free on YouTube

Netflix is making a slew of its documentaries available for free on YouTube, including the popular David Attenborough nature documentary series Our Planet.
Mercury orbiter BepiColombo

Mercury mission BepiColoumbo takes its final glimpse of Earth

The joint European and Russian Space Agencies' mission to Mercury, BepiColombo, has captured a final image of Earth as it makes a final flyby of our planet.
This false-color composite image shows auroras (depicted in green) above the cloud tops of Saturn's south pole. The 65 observations used here were captured by Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer on Nov. 1, 2008.

Why is Saturn’s atmosphere so warm? Cassini data could explain

A new analysis of data from NASA's Cassini probe suggests that auroras may be responsible for the unexpectedly high temperatures of the atmosphere of Saturn.
This artist’s concept shows the trajectory and configuration of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during Checkpoint rehearsal, which is the first time the mission will practice the initial steps for collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to perform an asteroid sampling rehearsal

This week, NASA will perform a test run of collecting an asteroid sample from Bennu, bringing the OSIRIS-REx craft the closest it has ever come to the asteroid.
A user playing the new NeMO-Net game that helps NASA classify the world's coral from their own home

NASA recruits gamers to help identify and map the world’s corals

NASA has imaged coral ecosystems from the air for several years, and now this data needs to be identified and classified before it can be used for research.
The crewmembers of the Apollo 13 mission

Mark 50th anniversary of Apollo 13 launch by reliving events in real time

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13, and in commemoration of the mission's launch, NASA has created the Apollo 13 in Real Time website.
On Friday, April 3, 2020, NASA and SpaceX completed an end-to-end demonstration of the teams' ability to safely evacuate crew members from the Fixed Service Structure during an emergency situation at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch SpaceX practice an emergency escape from its Crew Dragon capsule

See a video showing SpaceX performing an emergency egress test this week for its Crew Dragon capsule at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
discord background noise suppression

Discord launches new feature that suppresses background noise

Voice and text chat service Discord is rolling out a feature which will suppress background noises to make conversations clearer, even in noisy environments.
Soyuz MS-16 lifts off

International Space Station gets three new crew members. Here’s why that matters

Three astronauts have arrived at the International Space Station. But the logistics of maintaining a continuous presence on the station are proving a challenge.
The FTC logo on a building.

Nearly $12 million stolen in coronavirus-related scams, FTC reports

The Federal Trade Commission has received more than 15,000 complaints about coronavirus-related scams, with a total of almost $12 million lost due to fraud.
Borderlands 3 Epic Games store pc exclusive

This Borderlands 3 minigame will help map the bacteria in your gut

Borderlands 3 is getting a new interactive minigame, Borderlands Science, which will directly contribute to research in biomedicine.
SpaceX's Dragon resupply ship slowly approaches the orbiting lab as both spacecraft were orbiting 258 miles above the Mediterranean Sea Dec. 9, 2019. Filled with more than 4,000 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo, Dragon is now set to leave the International Space Station Monday, April 6.

How to watch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft depart the ISS today

A SpaceX Dragon resupply craft will depart from the International Space Station Tuesday, carrying scientific experiments back from space to Earth.
artist’s impression depicts a star being torn apart by an intermediate-mass black hole

Hubble may have found the ‘missing link’ in black hole formation

Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have found first evidence for intermediate-mass black holes, a type that has only been hypothesized so far.
https://digitaltrends-uploads-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/2017/06/e3-2017-awards-feature.jpg

E3 is canceled this year, but there are already plans for E3 2021

E3, the world's biggest gaming conference, is canceled this year. But plans are already underway for next year's event, E3 2021.
alma trove ancient galaxies 207908 web 1

The largest astronomical project on the planet shut down due to coronavirus

Telescope facilities in the Chilean desert including the world's largest ground-based astronomical project, ALMA, have been shut down due to coronavirus.
skype video group mobile pc chat

Skype wants to be your videoconferencing tool of choice

Skype is promoting a feature which allows users to hosts video meeting which participants can attend even if they don't have Skype installed on their devices.
Artist’s illustration of the WFIRST spacecraft.

NASA’s WFIRST telescope has a new approach to the hunt for exoplanets

NASA is working on an new instrument for spotting distant exoplanets -- the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, or WFIRST.
amazon prime video streaming new releases in theater movies 2020

Amazon Prime Video offers streaming of new theatrical releases

Some movies are being released online for streaming while they are still in theaters through Amazon Prime Video's in-theater rental service.
r SpaceX Starship prototype destroyed

Another SpaceX Starship prototype destroyed during pressure test

SpaceX has lost a Starship prototype during a pressure test. Video of the test shows the mid-section of the prototype buckling and collapsing during the test.
Deployment tests like these help safeguard mission success by physically demonstrating that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is able to move and unfold as intended.

Watch the James Webb Space Telescope deploy its massive origami mirror

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has passed an important test by deploying its huge mirror into the configuration it will use once it's launched into space.
microsoft game pass subscription deal play xbox

Microsoft makes tweaks to Xbox Live and Teams to handle spike in demand

Microsoft is adjusting its cloud services to manage the huge surge in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

U.K. internet service providers lift caps on broadband data

The U.K. government has reached an agreement with telecommunications companies to lift all data allowance caps on broadband plans.
Facial Recognition Composite

Microsoft will no longer invest in facial-recognition technologies

Microsoft is divesting its shares in AnyVision, an Israeli facial-recognition company alleged to be contributing to mass surveillance in the West Bank.
small businesses scramble to get online as coronavirus spreads uk government advises public avoid theatre  pubs and more due

U.S. government uses mobile location data to track movements during outbreak

The U.S. government is using cellphone location data to track the movements of people during the outbreak of coronavirus.
coronavirus crisis not ready for an online first world analysis zoom conference lifestyle image

Zoom iOS app will no longer send data to Facebook following backlash

Zoom's iOS app was sending some data about users to Facebook, which was not made clear in the app's privacy policy. Now the app has been updated.
Illustration of the SpaceX Dragon XL as it is deployed from the Falcon Heavy's second stage in high Earth orbit on its way to the Gateway in lunar orbit.

SpaceX selected to deliver cargo to NASA’s Lunar Gateway space station

NASA has announced SpaceX as its first commercial partner for Gateway, part of the Artemis program to have astronauts back on the moon in the next few years.
Amazon Warehouse

Lawmakers says Amazon is failing to protect the health of its workers

U.S. lawmakers lead by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ilhan Omar have called on Amazon to do more to protects its workers from coronavirus.
iPhone XS held in hand

Apple’s manufacturing is back on track, but will there be demand for iPhones?

Apple will be able to manufacture more iPhones now that its factories have reopened, but there are concerns about the demand for these items.
The new COVID-19 app and website provide the latest information and guidance from the CDC for users across the US.

Apple launches coronavirus screening app and website

Apple has released a tool for people in the U.S. to check whether they might be infected with coronavirus and whether they should be seeking medical treatment.
A digital map of the U.S.

Survey shows teens without broadband internet less confident about their future

A new survey conducted jointly by Microsoft and 4-H shows that teenagers are keenly aware of how important broadband access is to their future prospects.
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy suits up for spacewalk training at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for his upcoming Expedition 63 mission to the International Space Station

All traditions are scrapped: Keeping coronavirus off the ISS

With the outbreak of coronavirus affecting every area of life, you might be surprised that space agencies intend to send more astronauts to the ISS next month.
Google's new coronavirus information website

Google’s coronavirus info site is live (but not as Trump described it)

Google has launched a COVID-19 Information & Resources site that's intended to provide information about the coronavirus pandemic for the general global public.
cdc microsoft coronavirus chatbot re m365cs19 studio android 0148 1536x1024 1

CDC’s coronavirus self-checker chatbot advises whether you need medical care

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a chatbot which offer advice about whether people may be infected with coronavirus,
Amazon Warehouse Worker

Amazon raises overtime pay for warehouse workers, but holds back one benefit

Amazon warehouse workers who are paid an hourly wage will now receive double pay for working overtime over 40 hours per week.
Lyft Rideshare

Lyft will deliver meals and medical supplies in shelter-in-place locations

Lyft announced it would support the delivery of medical supplies and meals in areas of the U.S. most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
awesome online map shows off iss astronauts amazing earth photos hadfield on

How to survive self isolation, according to an astronaut

Retired Canadian astronaut and national treasure Chris Hadfield has made a video offering advice on how to cope with isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.
This image shows a region of space called LHA 120-N150.

See massive stars being born in a corner of the Tarantula Nebula

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of a region of massive star formation called LHA 120-N 150 on the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula.