Technology - Google News

SpaceX Starship Prototype Collapses in Third Failed Test - Gizmodo
Apple’s new iPad Pro cuts off the microphone when its case is closed to prevent snooping - The Verge
Google is leveraging machine learning to make Duo calls sound better - Android Central

SpaceX Starship Prototype Collapses in Third Failed Test - Gizmodo

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 08:43 AM PDT

The failed cryo test of Starship prototype SN3 on April 3, 2020.

Gif: NASASpaceflight/Gizmodo

Space is hard. We now have another reminder of this sad fact, as a prototype of SpaceX's next-gen rocket collapsed in on itself during tests this morning, in what is now the third incident of its kind for the Starship program.

Video of the incident, captured by NASASpaceflight, shows the top portion of the SN3 prototype vehicle losing its structural integrity, causing it to come tumbling down. The failed test happened around 3:00 a.m. ET today at SpaceX's testing facility in Boca Chica, Texas, reports SpaceNews.

The explosion happened as liquid nitrogen was being poured into the rocket's propellant tanks, according to SpaceNews.

Once it's developed, SpaceX intends to use the Starship platform to deliver passengers and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The rocket will be unlike anything seen before, capable of carrying upwards of 100 passengers. Starship will be a hybrid vehicle, serving as both the second stage of a reusable launch system (a SpaceX Super Heavy will provide the first stage) and as an independent spacecraft.

This is now the third failed test of a Starship prototype since the project began late last year. On November 20, 2019, the Mk1 prototype blew its top during a cryogenic pressure test. That explosion happened as the rocket was being fueled with liquid oxygen. And on February 28, 2020, the SN2 prototype exploded at the base, again during a cryogenic pressurization test.

In a tweet, Elon Musk said his team needs to look at the data to figure out what happened, but "this may have been a test configuration mistake." In an earlier tweet, the SpaceX CEO said "SN3 passed ambient temperature pressure test last night," prior to the cryogenic tests.

With this latest setback, a static-fire test of Starship SN3 probably won't go ahead as planned. Nor can we expect a "hop" test any time soon, similar to the ones performed by the Starhopper prototype, which ascended to a height of 150 meters (490 feet) before returning to the surface. It's also unclear if SpaceX will reach its targeted goal of performing orbital test flights of Starship later this year.

When it comes to failed tests, Musk has shown a tremendous amount of patience. This will have to continue, given the rough start to this ambitious project.

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Apple’s new iPad Pro cuts off the microphone when its case is closed to prevent snooping - The Verge

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 09:14 AM PDT

Recent MacBooks have included a security feature that shuts off the microphone at a hardware level when the lid is closed. Apple has now introduced the same feature on iPads, beginning with the 2020 iPad Pro. The iPad doesn't have a lid, of course, so Apple instead activates the mic cut-off whenever a case with the company's "Made for iPad" certification is closed over the screen. This should work with Apple's own Smart Folio, Smart Keyboard Folio, and the upcoming Magic Keyboard (due out in May), among other third-party cases.

The feature is outlined in the latest version of Apple's Platform Security guide, originally spotted by 9to5Mac. As the guide highlights, the disconnect means that no software can engage the microphone when the lid is closed — even if your operating system has been compromised. That's good news for anyone who is worried about government surveillance or other snooping.

The security measure first made its way into Apple hardware in 2018, starting with the MacBook Air and Mac mini. It came after discoveries of some high-profile security vulnerabilities in Macs, such as the Fruitfly malware, which allowed hackers to gain complete remote control of a Mac, including its mouse, keyboard, and webcam.

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Google is leveraging machine learning to make Duo calls sound better - Android Central

Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:36 PM PDT

Google's Duo is already "the best video calling service that you're not using" — even Samsung, it seems, has seen light — but the company's not just resting on its laurels with a steady stream of new features rolling out every so often.

The latest innovation from Google in this regard has to also be one of the most fascinating, as the company is using machine learning algorithms to deal with packet loss (when data is lost as it travels across the internet) by estimating what the lost audio may have been (via The Verge).

While such technologies already exist, Google's implementation, the brainchild of its DeepMind subsidiary, fares far better than its competition and can replicate larger amount of missing audio, the company claims. It's also been trained to work with 48 different languages.

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The company notes that nearly 99% of all Duo calls experience at least some packet loss, with 10% of calls losing as much as 8% of audio data. This technology can help improve the audio quality of Duo calls, especially in developing countries, where internet connections are less stable. Moreover, all the processing is done on-device, which means your privacy is protected and the feature respects Duo's end-to-end encryption.

Google says its already enabled the tech for Duo on the Pixel 4 with the December feature drop, and is also planning on expanding its availability to other phones. It did not, unfortunately, provide the names of these phones.

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