Arizona Advances Bill Forcing Apple and Google To Allow Fortnite-style Alternative Payment Options

The Arizona House of Representatives just passed landmark app store legislation in a 31-29 vote on Wednesday that could have far-reaching consequences for Apple and Google and their respective mobile operating systems. From a report: The legislation, a sweeping amendment to Arizona’s existing HB2005 [PDF], prevents app store operators from forcing a developer based in the state to use a preferred…

Apple Shifts Leadership of Self-Driving Car Unit To AI Chief

Apple has moved its self-driving car unit under the leadership of top artificial intelligence executive John Giannandrea, who will oversee the company’s continued work on an autonomous system that could eventually be used in its own car, Bloomberg reports. From the report: The project, known as Titan, is run day-to-day by Doug Field. His team of hundreds of engineers have moved…

4 Astronauts Aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon Successfully Dock With Space Station

Four astronauts aboard their SpaceX Dragon capsule “Resilience” have arrived at the International Space Station, circling 262 miles above the Earth, where they will stay until spring. From a report: The capsule lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center Sunday evening atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, chasing the ISS for 27 hours before matching its altitude and speed for an…

A Private Company Has a Crew Going To the ISS Next Year

Axiom Space has signed three private astronauts to join former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-AlegrÃa on Ax-1, the first private mission into orbit and to the International Space Station. From a report: In March, Axiom Space announced plans to launch “history’s first fully private human spaceflight mission to the International Space Station.” The mission, dubbed Ax-1, would go forward using SpaceX’s Crew…

Where to watch the historic SpaceX Crew-1 launch this Saturday

SpaceX is targeting Saturday, November 14, 2020, for the historic launch of Crew-1, the 1st operational, contracted mission to launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Here’s how to watch the launch. If all goes according to plan, the crew will dock with the International Space Station on Sunday. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/historic-spacex-crew-1-launch-dock-iss-nov-2020…

Offices Resort To Sensors In Futile Attempts To Keep Workers Apart

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Millions of workers in recent months have returned to offices outfitted with new pandemic protocols meant to keep them healthy and safe. But temperature checks and plexiglass barriers between desks can’t prevent one of the most dangerous workplace behaviors for the spread of Covid-19 — the irresistible desire to mingle. “If you have…

Trump Pushes To Reap Biometric Data From Immigrants, Americans

Six million would-be U.S. immigrants face expanded collection of their biometric data, including iris scans, palm-, and voice-prints, facial recognition images, and DNA, under a proposed federal rule. The Department of Homeland Security also for the first time would gather that data from American citizens sponsoring or benefiting from a visa application. Bloomberg Law reports: Years in the making, the biometrics…

Astronauts Made Prank Calls From SpaceX Crew Dragon

PolygamousRanchKid shares a report from CNET: NASA’s Doug Hurley and his crewmate Bob Behnken had a satellite phone at their disposal after splashdown on Sunday. At a press conference later that day, Hurley filled us in on what they did with their spare time as they floated around. “Five hours ago we were in a spaceship bobbing around making prank satellite…

Watch here: SpaceX Crew Dragon splashdown today

The SpaceX Crew Dragon splashdown into the Gulf of Mexico today will be the first splashdown in 45 years. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/how-to-watch-spacex-crew-dragon-splashdown-aug-2-2020…

NASA Astronauts Are Undocking SpaceX’s Crew Dragon from ISS, Returning to Earth

“NASA and SpaceX are going ahead with plans to bring NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken home from the International Space Station for a splashdown this weekend, even though Hurricane Isaias is heading for Florida’s Atlantic coast,” reports GeekWire. “Fortunately, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is heading for waters off Florida’s other coast.”
NASA said weather conditions are all systems go for the…