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19.03.2025 04:40 Google's software fix for older Chromecasts devices that weren't casting is rolling out now, according to an email the company sent to impacted owners. You can view the text of the email in the Google Nest Community pages. If you didn't factory-reset your device, it may already be working. If you're still not able to cast, though, Google recommends rebooting your device and trying again. Any Chromecasts that were accidentally reset to factory settings will need to be reconnected in the latest version of the Google Home app . The app update is apparently still trickling out to all devices, so if you don't see it now, you will in a few days. Some second-generation Chromecasts and Chromecast Audio dongles first became unable to cast early last week. Before Google promised a fix, many assumed this was the beginning of the slow death of Google's Chromecast line. Google no longer sells Chromecasts, retiring the name and dongle-style device after the Google TV Streamer was released in August 2024. As this relatively speedy fix suggests, even if it isn't selling them, Google doesn't intend to end support for existing Chromecasts — at least not yet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/googles-fix-for-busted-chromecasts-is-out-now-211334639.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 You can get a lot done in the kitchen with the most basic tools, but adding a few gadgets to your countertops can make things a little easier and probably more enjoyable. This is the tech-infused cooking gear we like to use in our own kitchens, with insight from Engadget reviews, buyer’s guides and personal experiences. The perennially popular Instant Pot is here, as is the brand’s air fryer, which is the best we’ve tested. Our favorite thermometer takes zero seconds to give a reading and our top pick for a blender makes everything you put into it smooth as silk. If you like to cook, these are the best kitchen gadgets to help you do it. Valentina Palladino and Amy Skorheim contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 Sony has apparently formed a new first-party studio for PlayStation called Dark Outlaw Games, and it has already started hiring personnel for it. Jason Blundell, who worked on several Call of Duty titles under Treyarch and who's perhaps best known for co-creating CoD's Zombies mode, has revealed that he's heading up the studio in an interview with Jeff Gerstmann for his podcast. As for why Sony Interactive hasn't announced the new studio yet, Blundell said that they've been "working away in the shadows for a while" and that they'll "step out into the light" when they have something to talk about. Presumably, that means Sony will make an official announcement once Dark Outlaw is ready to reveal its first game. Blundell didn't say if he and his team have already started developing their first title or if it even already has a project lined up. All he said was that the studio is currently "staffing up" and that he's "getting the team to gel, getting the ideas clicking right" and then testing them. Blundell worked as a programmer and a producer for Activision before joining Treyarch to work on Call of Duty. For Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, he directed and produced the Career and Zombies experiences. Blundell left Treyarch in 2020 and founded Deviation Games, which he also left in 2022 before the studio shut down two years later. According to Dark Outlaw Games' LinkedIn account, the PlayStation studio was founded in 2024, is based in Los Angeles and has a team size between 11 and 50 persons. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-has-a-new-first-party-playstation-studio-led-by-cod-zombies-creator-jason-blundell-120007351.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 InteraXon, the makers of the Muse wearable EEG, believe it’s made a big leap in scanning your brain’s health. It is launching the Muse S Athena, it’s fourth-generation device which adds a Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy sensor. fNIRS is designed to track how much oxygen is in your brain, the levels of which vary depending on its activity. The company claims the sensor offers you the equivalent of a VO2 Max reading, but for your brain, aiding you on your journey to become mentally swole. If you’re unfamiliar, Muse has produced three wearable electroencephalogram devices over the last decade. Put it on your forehead, close your eyes and, for instance, you’ll get audio feedback depending on what brainwaves your mind is pumping out. It’s useful for people who are learning meditation, since you’ll get the sound of birds chirping when your mental state is relaxed. The app offers targeted programs to help improve your relaxation, combat stress, improve focus and even keep an eye on how well you’re sleeping. Daniel Cooper for Engadget The Muse S Athena uses the same hardware-and-headband combination from the Muse S, which lets you wear it to sleep. Naturally, the biggest advancement here is the fNIRS sensor, paired with both the EEG and the company’s AI-driven foundational brain model. With it, you’ll get feedback on how much oxygen is flowing to your brain — a metric of how much mental effort you’re making at any given time. During meditation and relaxation exercises, you want that figure quite low, and when you’re trying to build up your focus and concentration, you want it to climb northward. Naturally, when worn to bed, you’ll get a record of your sleep stages, including how deep your sleep is. The company also promises that, if you use their audio cues to trigger sleep, you’ll also be able to use them to drift back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night. This is also the first Muse headband that can be used with the wearer’s eyes open, opening the door to a number of brain-training exercises. It’s hoped the hardware, combined with the skill games inside the app, will help improve people’s mental resilience. Not to mention, of course, helping older adults stave off cognitive decline by offering a chance to strengthen focus. The Muse S Athena is available to order today from the Muse website, priced at $474.99 in the US and $574.99 in Canada.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/muses-new-wearable-eeg-knows-how-hard-youre-thinking-120041154.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 Sonos gear is back on sale right now. You can save up to 36 percent on soundbars and speakers, and the deals include a $100 off the Sonos Ray compact soundbar. It's currently available for just $179, down from $279 in either black or white. It's our runner up for best midrange soundbar. You can pick it up at Amazon or direct from Sonos at the sale price, and the discount will be available through March 24. The Sonos Ray debuted in 2022 and garnered an 82 in our review thanks to compact, sleek design and easy setup. We also liked its bass performance and overall sound quality for either TV or music. However, it didn't create as immersive a sound as larger options, so people with a big space might want to opt for something else. Other soundbars on sale include the Beam Gen 2, which is down to $399. Then there's our favorite midrange speaker, the Sonos Era 100. The speaker is currently down to $199 from $249 — a 20 percent discount. It offers great sound quality and has two tweeters. And if you're looking for a speaker that can come with you to your next backyard party or barbecue, both the Sonos Move 2 and the Roam 2 are included in the sale. You can grab them for $359 and $139, respectively. Separately at Wellbots, you can pick up the new Sonos Arc Ultra for $750, which is 25 percent off its usual price of $999. Just use the code ENGSONOS25 at checkout to get the discount. This sits at the top of our list of the best soundbars thanks to its crisp, immersive sound, improved bass performance and the addition of Bluetooth connectivity and convenient, repositioned onboard controls. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-the-sonos-ray-soundbar-while-its-on-sale-for-100-off-153107026.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 It hasn’t happened yet, but if rumors are to be believed, Microsoft may be finally working on an Xbox-branded gaming handheld. In a lot of ways, portable PCs represent a perfect evolution to the company’s consoles. But with Microsoft arriving late to the party, there are a few things this device needs to get right. Between Microsoft’s 20-plus year history making consoles and the Surface division’s expertise in engineering laptops and other mobile devices, you’d think creating a portable PC with a built-in screen and attached controllers would be as easy as sticking an AFK opponent with a ‘nade in Halo. And after the Steam Deck built a fort on Valve’s top sellers list since its release in 2022, there’s an obvious financial incentive for Microsoft as well. Hell, we’ve even heard about how much Xbox CEO Phil Spencer likes traveling with his Legion Go, so it’s not like this is a foreign concept to the folks in Redmond. Regardless, aside from the Xbox-branded gaming laptop that we’ll probably never get , a handheld console makes so much sense. The Nintendo Switch has already proven that there’s a massive appetite for a device you can easily connect to a TV but still take on the go. But more importantly, Spencer has been out there for years saying “I don’t want my team’s focus on console sales. The primary outcome of all the work that we do is how many players we see, and how often they play. That is what drives Xbox.” And right now, there’s no better way for the company to grow its user base than by making its first handheld console. Not only could a portable Xbox play games locally, it could also stream titles from the cloud , serve as another home for social features like the friends list, activity feed and so much more. According to Windows Central’s Jez Corden, the device — codenamed Project Kennan — will feature a design similar to existing handhelds like the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go . While it appears Microsoft won’t be making the device itself, the company is said to be tapping ASUS to build it instead, which makes a lot of sense given the latter’s experience with the Ally and Ally X. From there, Microsoft is expected to add some “Xbox-y twists” like support for the Xbox Game Bar, Play Anywhere functionality and of course Game Pass Ultimate. Unfortunately, there isn’t concrete pricing or a specific release date, but it’s possible that this device could come out before the end of the year for between $499 and $599. But again, those numbers are mostly speculation, and there’s not much info regarding its screen size, processor or any other special features it might have. But let’s be real, the specs for this rumored portable Xbox aren’t all that important. Right now, there are a seemingly endless number of handhelds available from companies like ASUS, Lenovo, MSI, Ayaneo and GPD, with even more on the way. So if Microsoft comes out yet with another option that doesn’t address the flaws of current devices, it won’t make that big of an impact. That’s because, for my money, the Steam Deck still feels like the best portable gaming machine on the market. Sam Rutherford for Engadget While the Deck’s performance is often eclipsed by its Windows-based rivals, Valve’s machine offers a more polished and intuitive experience, thanks in large part to its purpose-built OS. When I use it, I don’t have to deal with annoying notifications or pop-ups that force me to awkwardly switch between various control schemes just to get into a game. On the Deck, I never have to use desktop apps , as Steam’s Big Picture mode was designed around a simple UI that can be navigated using joysticks instead of a mouse. The most important thing Microsoft can do for its upcoming handheld is to remove or sidestep the clunkiness you run into on practically every Windows-based device. This is something the company has tried to do before via improvements to the Windows Game Bar and may revisit again with its rumored Project Bayside, which could provide a standardized framework that would allow for a more streamlined UI. But what does this actually look like in the real world? When it’s all said and done, Microsoft’s goal should be to make it so that gamers can boot up the system, log in and install or launch a title without ever needing to move their hands away from the joysticks and face buttons. That means no shifting your fingers to tap a prompt on its touchscreen or needing to pull up a virtual keyboard/touchpad. And no add-on apps like ASUS’ Armoury Crate or Lenovo’s Legion Space, either. Those are simply Band-Aids that cover up the core issue of Windows 11 not being properly optimized for portable gaming PCs. If the company can do that, everything else will fall into place. Only then does it need to worry about specs and features. That said, I would like to see a portable Xbox include an OLED display with support for variable refresh rates that go up to either 120Hz or 144Hz. A microSD card slot is also a must, as it has become a standard component across gaming handhelds . I’d also like to see Hall Effect sensors powering its joysticks for increased responsiveness and durability. A dock for connecting it to a TV or monitor would be a nice accessory too. And while it’s not an absolute necessity, I think some sort of built-in touchpad , would go a long way toward making traditional mouse-and-keyboard games much more enjoyable on a handheld device. Honestly, the case for an Xbox handheld seems so obvious it’s kind of surprising Microsoft didn’t announce one years ago. Granted, it’s possible that the company has been waiting for the next version of its OS to make a major concerted push on both traditional PCs and handhelds. But every month that goes by without a true first-party streamlined portable Xbox gaming machine feels like a wasted opportunity.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/its-about-damn-time-microsoft-made-an-xbox-gaming-handheld-130046591.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 The iPhone 17 Air is reportedly arriving this fall. As that Air suffix suggests, it could be Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever. However, while thin is all good, an arguably more intriguing change didn’t quite make it through the design process. In the latest Power On newsletter , Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple had planned to ditch the USB-C port, making “Apple’s first completely port-free iPhone.” The notion was ditched in the face of more EU regulator issues, but it could appear in subsequent iPhones. Don’t worry, though, Apple has plenty of incoming phones to distract you. We’re expecting Apple to release another four iPhones this year, with the one currently nicknamed the iPhone 17 Air roughly 2 millimeters thinner than the rest. It could replace the Plus iPhone, with the family running from an entry-level iPhone 17 through to two higher-end Pro models. The new iPhone Air would nestle somewhere in the middle, for around $900. Rumors about the iPhone Air’s specs are still coalescing and shifting, but many reports suggest a single-camera system, the Dynamic Island and the Camera Control button. Alas, no iPhone mini. Thinner, not smaller. — Mat Smith The biggest tech stories you missed Bumble adds ID verification and other safety features ​​Microsoft’s latest Windows update accidentally uninstalled Copilot The best kitchen gadgets The best mesh Wi-Fi systems Get this delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! What to expect at NVIDIA’s annual GTC conference with CEO Jensen Huang Quantum computing, AI, AI and AI. NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conference has kicked off, with CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote due in a few hours, at 1PM ET. Last year, NVIDIA used the event to unveil its Blackwell line of GPUs for faster and less demanding computations. We’re guessing Huang will introduce another iteration of Blackwell GPUs with even better specs. Many observers are looking for a strong showing, following the emergence of DeepSeek’s cheaper, lighter AI models, which shook up NVIDIA’s share price. Meanwhile, there have been many issues related to its latest RTX product launches — so will the company have a solution? Continue reading. The Pixel 9a has leaked so hard that YouTubers are reviewing it We don’t have our own review models yet. The Mobile Central At least two YouTubers have reviewed Google’s next entry-level Pixel phone. Both The Mobile Central and Sahil Karoul have Google’s new phone, confirming a lot of the stuff we knew about the Pixel 9a already. Seriously, there are few surprises — and at this point, it looks like leaking everything to do with its phones is part of Google’s PR strategy. Prove me wrong! After all that thin iPhone chat, the Pixel 9a doesn’t have Google’s trademark camera bump. Instead, the cameras are almost flush with the plastic back of the phone. The Pixel 9a also has a Google-made Tensor G4 chip, with a 48-megapixel wide and 13-megapixel ultrawide for photos and video. Continue reading. Boeing Starliner astronauts finally head home, nine months later The President and Elon Musk turned a routine mission into a political circus. Boeing Starliner’s mission — its first flight test with crew aboard — was supposed to take only eight days. However, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have, instead, spent the past nine and a half months aboard the International Space Station. Finally, they’re heading home, later today, according to NASA. We unravel why it took this long and what went wrong. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-112230540.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 Samsung device owners will start getting notifications to install One UI 7 on April 7. The company will roll out its new interface gradually, starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 devices before making it available on its other smartphones and tablets. Samsung says the new interface was built specifically for AI and will help users interact with their devices more naturally. The new Now Bar will provide users with real-time updates on the lock screen, such as what song is playing on their earbuds, without having to unlock their phones or tablets. One UI 7 comes with a number of Galaxy AI features, including AI Select that lets users interact with parts of their screen. It will allow them to copy text by drawing a circle on an element on the screen or to easily create a GIF of a video they're watching. There's Writing Assist that can automatically summarize or format text the user highlights and Drawing Assist the creates illustrations based on text prompts, rough sketches or images. Audio Eraser will make it easier to isolate sounds and remove unwanted noise from videos. In addition to AI features, the One UI 7 comes with a bunch of security features, including a theft protection tool called Identity Check. It will force the user to prove their identity if their PIN gets compromised. In settings, users will also be able to block USB connections to prevent access through the USB port while the device is locked, except for battery charging. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-one-ui-7-is-arriving-on-april-7-123004993.html?src=rss

19.03.2025 04:40 Playing 33 Immortals for the first time is like going to a party at a coworker’s friend’s house. The first few minutes are marked by curiosity, light suspicion and a constant hum of awkwardness, but as you mingle, the strangers become less intimidating and you start to feel like you’re a part of the flow of the night. You might even make some friends of your own. The main difference is that, with 33 Immortals, you never have to take off your fuzzy slippers. I’m not kidding about flow when it comes to 33 Immortals. I fell into the game’s rhythm about 15 minutes into my three-hour preview, and by the end, I was shepherding small groups of lost souls across Inferno like I worked for Satan himself. In its simplest terms, 33 Immortals is like a multiplayer Hades, though its world is based on the lore of Dante’s Divine Comedy rather than Greek myth. Its vibe is also a tad more wholesome than Hades — maybe more crowd-pleasing, which makes sense considering the focus on large-scale multiplayer maps in 33 Immortals. I played the preview solo because I was feeling particularly antisocial that day, but of course that doesn’t mean I was alone. Other players occupy the hub world and the main maps in 33 Immortals, and though I initially tried to fade into the pixels and treat it as a single-player game, I quickly found myself emoting and seeking groups of warriors to join. With so many random players on the map at any time, it’s easy to feel like your small mistakes aren’t spotted, while your successes are clear for all to see, and even participate in. You start a run by picking a weapon — justice sword, sloth staff or greed daggers — and each has a special ability that only works when three players stand together and activate it. It’s different for each weapon, but the effect is consistently grand. I stuck with the Staff of Sloth, a weapon that flings purple balls of magic and whose special ability slows enemies across a large swath of the battlefield. In the heat of combat, with swarms of demons flooding the immediate area, it’s actually tricky to get three people to stand in the proper spots, but it takes just a moment of synchrony for the special ability to activate, and it’s a palpable relief every time. And then everyone immediately gets back to hurling spells, shooting arrows, flinging daggers and reviving allies, eyes peeled for the next special ability. Teamwork is an essential mechanic in 33 Immortals, and it’s not an intimidating one, even on an extra-introverted day. Amid all the chaos of combat, I never lost sight of my character for more than a split-second, and my dashes, interactions and attacks felt crisp and responsive. With dozens of enemies and allies on-screen at any given time, this alone is a notable achievement by developer Thunder Lotus. Thunder Lotus The game begins with a 33-player map, Inferno, which is an arid wasteland of roaming demons, 12 Torture Chambers and one big ascension battle to complete. The minions running around Inferno are easy enough to dispatch for practice and extra bones , or you can run right by them without punishment. Torture Chambers are miniboss rooms designed for six players to tackle at once, but you can enter them with fewer than six, even alone. However, you’re unlikely to get far solo. The minibosses are hulking skeletons and big, flopping demon worms with plenty of health, and they always have hordes of minions as backup. Luckily, allies can join the chamber any time after a fight starts, up to six total, and no one can voluntarily leave until two swarms have been cleared. Each Torture Chamber rewards successful teams with two relic chests containing useful items and bones. One chest is always locked, requiring a key to spill its goods. You can carry up to eight relics at a time, buffing your stats in various ways, and you’re able to reroll chest items for a fairly low price. I had good luck defeating Torture Chambers with just three or four fighters total, but six was always welcome, hence my eventual shepherding. I also ended up prioritizing keys when shopping at the Bone Shrines scattered around Inferno because, dang it, I love unlocking chests. Once all of the Torture Chambers are defeated, holy fire spreads across Inferno, pushing players into one of three ascension spots designed for 11 fighters each. Here, enemies flood the fire-ringed circle and it’s a Thunderdome situation. If you live, you get a legendary relic and ascend alongside other surviving players to Inferno’s three-headed, bat-winged boss, Lucifer. This is where 33 Immortals’ art style really shines: Lucifer is a big blue beast who feels ripped straight out of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and there are pleasant touches of 1980s cartoons all over the game. Thunder Lotus Though I battled Lucifer three times with varying team sizes, I never beat that first overworld. I’m eager to try again and unlock the next map, Purgatorio, which maxes out at 22 players. Like in Hades, 33 Immortals has a hub world, The Dark Woods, that players return to after each loop. This is where you’re able to apply upgrades, equip new weapons, alter your appearance and get some training in. I didn’t find any of the characters in the hub world particularly intriguing, but they serve their purpose just fine. Besides, it’s not about them — the main focus in 33 Immortals is all of the other actual people. As Engadget’s UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith prophesied in June 2023, 33 Immortals only gets better with more players. 33 Immortals is available today in Early Access on Xbox Series X/S and PC . It’s also included in Game Pass.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/33-immortals-preview-a-multiplayer-game-that-feels-great-to-play-solo-130029157.html?src=rss

17.03.2025 22:11 Twitter may be dead, but the 12-foot tall bird logo from its San Francisco headquarters can be yours forever if you have enough money. The sign — one of two birds that formerly adorned Twitter’s office — is up for auction. The massive logo that marked the company’s headquarters on San Francisco's Market Street is undoubtedly one of the most iconic symbols associated with the social media company. Unsurprisingly, the unique piece of social media history won’t come cheap. At the time of this writing, bids are at $21,664, though auction house RR Auction estimates the sign could go for as much as $40,000. RR Auction Would-be buyers should also be aware that they are also responsible for costs to move the sign from the San Francisco storage facility where it’s currently located. That alone will be no small feat. The sign is 145˝ x 105˝ and weighs in at 560 pounds, according to the listing. A YouTube video accompanying the listing shows that it took a crane and a team of several workers to remove the sign from the building. Notably, this isn’t the first “Larry” is hitting the auction block. Following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter in 2022, much of the contents of Twitter’s former offices were auctioned off in 2023. Other, slightly smaller versions of the logo proved to be popular at the time, with one statue that decorated the office selling for $100,000. The building’s other large bird logo was auctioned off in that sale for an undisclosed price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-560-pound-twitter-logo-from-its-san-francisco-headquarters-is-up-for-auction-180326992.html?src=rss

17.03.2025 22:11 If you woke up to a Windows PC suddenly without Microsoft's Copilot app installed, you didn't dream the last few years of AI hype, Microsoft just made a mistake. The latest monthly Windows 11 update that rolled out on March 11 "unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned" the AI assistant, according to a Microsoft support article spotted by The Verge. Microsoft is aware that Copilot's gone missing and is "working on a resolution to address this issue." For now, if you want Copilot back, you can redownload its app from the Microsoft Store and manually pin it to your taskbar. Just like any new feature, since Copilot was added to Windows in 2023, there's been people interested in removing it. If you weren't satisfied with unpinning the AI from your taskbar, you previously had to do a bit of work to actually remove it. Microsoft's update saves you some time — at least until it's fixed. Whether people like it or not, proving Copilot is useful in a variety of settings is still a priority for Microsoft. In March, the company shared its plans for a "Copilot for Gaming" that will live inside the Xbox app and help players with games. Microsoft has also started to offer some of its premium AI features, like the Copilot's Voice mode, for free. Based on The Verge's reporting, Microsoft is planning to announce even more new Copilot features at an event celebrating the company's 50th anniversary in April.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsofts-latest-windows-update-accidentally-uninstalled-copilot-174850009.html?src=rss

17.03.2025 22:11 Eight days. That’s how long Boeing Starliner’s mission — its first flight test with crew aboard — was supposed to last. But this mission has been singular in almost every way, and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have instead spent the past nine and a half months aboard the International Space Station. Now, finally, they're headed home. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is slated to begin undocking from the ISS at 1:05 am ET Tuesday and is scheduled for splashdown at 5:57 pm ET, according to NASA's timetable. The Starliner crew was never truly stranded, to be clear. They always had a way off the space station in an emergency. But if this mission's foibles taught us one thing, it was to expect the unexpected. Even now, six months after the troubled spacecraft autonomously undocked from the ISS and landed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, leaving its crew behind and effectively ending the flight test, the mission is still making headlines. Boeing Starliner CFT went from a symbol of the myriad struggles in Boeing’s aviation business to a political punching bag, courtesy of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Why did it take so long to bring the astronauts home? And did NASA cave to political pressure in setting the return date? Lets take a look at how we got here and what the evidence suggests. Starliner was floundering well before liftoff Boeing Starliner had a long, troubled history before it even got off the ground. Back in 2014, the Space Shuttle era had ended, and the United States was dependent on Russian Soyuz capsules to fly its astronauts. To remedy this, NASA awarded two companies — Boeing and SpaceX — Commercial Crew contracts to build new spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS. The official target date for a crewed flight test for these two companies was flexible. But, according to a 2016 report from William Gerstenmaier, the agency’s head of human spaceflight at the time, it was clear NASA expected these demonstration flights to occur in 2017. Obviously, that did not happen. SpaceX’s uncrewed orbital test occurred in 2019, while the crewed demonstration flight was in 2020. Boeing also finally launched its Starliner capsule to the ISS for an uncrewed test in December 2019. However, that flight went so badly that NASA required Boeing to implement fixes and perform a second test in May 2022. That test went mostly well, though two of the capsule’s thrusters failed during the orbital insertion burn, and post-flight inspections revealed nearly a mile of flammable tape in the capsule wiring which required removal. Boeing's CST-100 Starliner attached to an Atlas V rocket.ASSOCIATED PRESS The May 2024 launch was delayed a few times due to rocket issues and problems with ground systems. NASA and Boeing also detected a helium leak in the propellant system . They attributed it to a defective seal, but after the spacecraft launched on June 5, it sprung a total of five helium leaks. What’s more, five thrusters failed on approach to the ISS. Astronauts Wilmore and Williams were able to successfully dock with the ISS, but their mission changed significantly in those few hours; they had to figure out what, exactly, was wrong with the spacecraft and whether it was safe to bring them home. It’s important to remember that NASA has only tested six total new crewed spacecraft . It’s a very difficult process, and everyone expects there to be problems — that’s why NASA does these tests. But even for a test flight, this was bad. Eight days to nine months Over the summer of 2024, NASA quietly tested and re-tested Starliner’s thrusters, both in orbit and on the ground, to find out why the thrusters failed. In the absence of meaningful updates from NASA, people started to seriously question whether the agency thought Starliner was safe to bring the astronauts home. In mid-July, NASA paid SpaceX to study bringing more than four astronauts home on a single Crew Dragon capsule, as well as launching two astronauts on a Crew Dragon instead of the usual four. The agency insisted this was related to Frank Rubio’s extended stay on the ISS the year before. However, at a press conference in early August, Commercial Crew program manager Steve Stich confirmed that, in July, NASA had started working with SpaceX on contingency scenarios for Butch and Suni’s possible return, as they continued to troubleshoot Starliner’s faulty thrusters. Finally on August 24, NASA announced that Starliner would return to Earth uncrewed. There were serious issues with Starliner’s propulsion system. NASA was concerned about a worst-case scenario in which the thrusters failed and, at the same time, the helium leak rates increased. This could have left the astronauts in orbit, unable to perform a re-entry burn. Butch and Suni would become part of SpaceX's ninth Commercial Crew flight , which would launch on September 28 with just two astronauts. They would serve out the remainder of this mission, which would keep them on the ISS through mid- to late-February. But why leave them in space until 2025? The bottom line is that the agency chose the least risky option. An extra return mission would have added unnecessary complexity. “Relative to sending up a new Dragon so that Butch and Sunny didn't have to stay up until February, we really never considered that option,” Steve Stich, the program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, explained at a press conference on August 7. Plus, it takes around four months to prepare a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for launch, and the extra cost would have been too much for NASA to absorb. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the ISS.ASSOCIATED PRESS Astronauts are accustomed to mission delays and extensions; Frank Rubio had his ISS long-duration stay extended from 6 months to over one year because of a leaky Soyuz capsule, finally returning to Earth after a record-breaking 371 days in space. NASA astronauts can handle a year in space. “While it's not great to stay up there longer, the ISS has the appropriate countermeasures to maintain their health out to a year at least,” Dr. Dan Buckland, a space medicine researcher at Duke University explained to Engadget in an email. “Put another way, the expected recovery time on Earth might get longer the longer they stay, but the health plateau they are currently at is probably sustainable for the next few months at least.” This was NASA’s return plan for the Starliner astronauts, which it began working on in July 2024 and announced to the public that August. Fast forward to March of 2025 and almost nothing has changed, except that the mission has become a political punching bag. Delays and political posturing The story got even more complicated in mid-December, when NASA announced that Crew-9’s return would be delayed because of a problem with the Crew-10 SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. When a relief crew arrives at the International Space Station, NASA schedules their missions to overlap for a few days. These are called handovers, and they typically run about five days long. Crew-10 was scheduled to fly on the brand new Crew Dragon, but problems with the batteries on the spacecraft meant that it wouldn’t be ready for a mid-February launch. As a result, Crew-10 wouldn’t launch until late March, and Crew-9 wouldn’t return until after the in-person handover. Delays with space missions are extremely common, so no one expected that on January 28 Boeing Starliner would come roaring back into the headlines. On Truth Social, President Trump posted the following: “I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to “go get” the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!” The same day, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, published a post on X claiming that the Biden administration had left the astronauts aboard the ISS. He later said in a Fox News interview on February 18 that the decision to leave Wilmore and Williams in orbit until the end of the Crew-9 mission had been politically motivated. However, Steve Stich confirmed in a March 7 press briefing that the decision to return Butch and Suni as a part of Crew-9 was made between himself and ISS program manager Dana Weigel, after which it was run up to the administrator. This was not a top-down decision. What about the return date for Crew-9, though? After this political kerfuffle with Trump and Musk, NASA announced February 11 it was swapping the Crew Dragon capsule for Crew-10 to a previously flown spacecraft. This meant that they could move up Butch and Suni’s return date by two weeks, to mid-March. Well, as far as anyone can tell, this was also not the result of political pressure. At a Crew-10 media briefing on Friday, March 7, Stich made it clear that the capsule swap was driven by other motivations, including needing to fit the Crew-10 launch in between the Intuitive Machines mission which launched on February 27 from the same pad and the Soyuz handover on the ISS in April. Officials were discussing swapping the capsules a month before the president’s Truth Social post Intuitive Machines' Athena lander nearing the lunar surface.ASSOCIATED PRESS “The president’s interest sure added energy to the conversation,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, during that media teleconference. In the end, it’s hard to believe any narrative in which the timeline of Butch and Suni’s return was politically motivated, whether by the Biden administration or the Trump administration. It’s incorrect to say that NASA isn’t subject to political whims, because it’s a government agency, with a budget proposed by the president and determined by Congress. The agency is bracing itself for drastic budget cuts to its science operations this year. Generally speaking, that means it’s likely that if NASA can safely and reasonably do something that the president asks for, it will try. But changing around mission timelines and sending up “rescue” missions for astronauts who aren’t in danger? A NASA spokesperson refused to comment on this directly.. But it’s unlikely this was the case, especially considering they stuck with a flight plan that’s been in place since August 2024. “They simply make the best decisions based on the evidence that they have at the moment, taking into account that their top priority is the lives of the astronauts,” Laura Forczyk, founder of the space consulting firm Astralytical, explained. “NASA makes the best decisions that it can in the moment, regardless of what the popular opinion is.” What's next for NASA and Boeing? Once the Crew-9 capsule splashes down, that will truly bring an end to the Boeing Starliner mission, but its ramifications will be felt for a very long time. There are serious questions about the direction of the agency going forward, given the political climate and the new administration’s priorities. NASA acting administrator Janet Petro has already eliminated the Office of the Chief Scientist, in compliance with the Trump administration’s Reduction in Force order. More cuts are likely; rumors suggest that as much as half of NASA’s science budget will be slashed. This raises questions about whether NASA will be able to operate iconic observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. And NASA’s incoming administrator, Jared Isaacman, is a friend of Elon Musk and works closely with SpaceX. Isaacman conducted the first private spacewalk with Sarah Gillis on Polaris Dawn, a flight he paid SpaceX for, last year. Isaacman still hasn’t been confirmed as administrator, but if he is, he will likely change NASA’s human spaceflight program, starting with the return to the moon: The Artemis III moon landing is currently scheduled for no earlier than mid-2027). What’s more, we still don’t know the fate of the Starliner program. While NASA continues to work with Boeing to close out in-flight anomaly investigations, it’s uncertain when the next flight of Starliner might occur. There are also questions surrounding whether Boeing even wants to fly another mission. Back in October, The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing — which also built many modules for the ISS — was considering selling off its space business altogether. As of February 2025, Boeing’s total losses on Starliner had reached $2 billion. Whatever happens with Boeing Starliner, the massively disproportionate political backlash to a routine NASA decision that prioritized the health and safety of their astronauts is a troubling indicator of what’s to come for the agency.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/boeing-starliner-astronauts-finally-head-home-nine-months-later-184546850.html?src=rss

17.03.2025 22:11 Those stranded Starliner astronauts are finally coming back to Earth, with a touchdown expected on Tuesday evening. Coverage begins on Monday night at around 10:45PM ET, with streams available on NASA’s website and via the NASA+ app. Monday night’s stream will focus on the hatch closing and the undocking procedure. The stream will go dark until 4:45PM ET on Tuesday as the crew approaches splashdown. The arrival is scheduled for around 5:57PM ET and a live press conference is set for 7:30PM ET. The two NASA astronauts returning were part of Boeing’s Starliner crew to the ISS. This was supposed to be a one-week stay but, just like Gilligan and the rest, was extended to nine months when the ship was deemed unfit for a crewed return to Earth. Five of the thrusters failed enroute. This is forcing the pair to hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX also ran into a delay, as this mission was originally scheduled for February. The Starliner returned, but without the crew. NASA planned to retrieve Williams and Wilmore back in September via a crewed mission with two empty seats. However, that launch faced technical issues and was delayed until April. This partnership with SpaceX will bring the pair home a couple of weeks early.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/you-can-watch-the-starliner-astronauts-return-to-earth-after-an-unplanned-nine-month-visit-185308418.html?src=rss

17.03.2025 22:11 The release of the Pixel 9a is apparently very near, because after a regular cadence of leaks about the yet-to-be announced budget phone, at least two YouTubers have reviewed it early. Both The Mobile Central and Sahil Karoul have Google's new phone and released reviews that confirm a lot of the information that trickled out about the budget phone since the Pixel 8a was released. The biggest and easiest to grasp are the visual changes. The Pixel 9a doesn't have Google's trademark camera bump, opting instead for cameras that are nearly flush with the plastic back of the phone. The aluminum frame and front of the 9a are more familiar if you've used Pixel 9, though the 9a does have to have a lower-resolution 6.3-inch 1080p display, with what looks like slightly larger bezels, too. The main reason you opt for a Pixel over another budget Android phone is access to Google's custom camera and AI features, powered by the company's in-house Tensor chips. Both videos confirm the Pixel 9a uses the Tensor G4 and features a 48-megapixel wide and 13-megapixel ultrawide for photos and video. Photography performance seems on par with the Pixel 9, but video seems to suffer at night. The phone is rumored to come in multiple finishes: a light purple "Iris," black "Obsidian," hot pink "Peony," and a white "Porcelain." Only the purple and white models are shown in the videos, but that seems like as good a confirmation as any that the other colors will be available, too. Google originally released the Pixel 8a a week before its I/O developers conference in 2023, so a March announcement of a Pixel 9a would be a bit earlier than usual. It does fit with the rumored March 19 launch Android Headlines reported, though.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-pixel-9a-has-leaked-so-thoroughly-that-youtubers-are-reviewing-it-200943966.html?src=rss

17.03.2025 22:11 The original Looney Tunes animated shorts that aired between the 1930 and 1969 are no longer available to stream on Max, Deadline reports. Warner Bros. Discovery removed them from the streaming service as part of its ongoing shift away from children's shows and towards adult and family programming. For now, newer Looney Tunes series and spin-offs remain, like New Looney Tunes and Baby Looney Tunes, but the decision still feels odd because Warner Bros. Discovery just released The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Story in theaters on March 14. Of course, the company is no stranger to ill-conceived decision making. The original Looney Tunes were last on the chopping block in 2023, when a press release covering shows and movies that were being added and removed from Max included the iconic animated shorts. Warner Bros. Discovery walked back that announcement, saying it was an error, but apparently plans change. While it seems strange to remove something Warner Bros. Discovery owns and doesn't have to pay an exorbitant licensing fee to offer, pulling shows and scrapping the release of movies has been the company's recent strategy to save money and earn tax breaks — see another Looney Tunes-related release, Coyote vs. Acme, or Batgirl. As far as this recent deprioritization of children's programming on Max goes, Warner Bros. Discovery has been working on it for a while. The company shutdown Boomerang, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service for classic cartoons, in 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery decided to not renew its distribution deal for Sesame Street last year, too, but removing around 200 old episodes of the show in 2022 was probably a good sign the company had lost interest way earlier.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/warner-bros-discovery-pulled-the-original-looney-tunes-shorts-off-max-190500556.html?src=rss