SpaceX’s Starship SN4 Launch Vehicle Prototype Explodes After Static Engine Fire Test

SpaceX had just conducted yet another static fire test of the Raptor engine in its Starship SN4 prototype launch vehicle on Friday when the test vehicle exploded on the test stand in Boca Chica, Texas. TechCrunch reports: This was the fourth static fire test of this engine on this prototype, so it’s unclear what went wrong vs. other static fire attempts….

Docker Expands Relationship With Microsoft To Ease Developer Experience Across Platforms

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: When Docker sold off its enterprise division to Mirantis last fall, that didn’t mark the end of the company. In fact, Docker still exists and has refocused as a cloud-native developer tools vendor. Today it announced an expanded partnership with Microsoft around simplifying running Docker containers in Azure. As its new mission suggests,…

Looking Glass Starts Shipping Its 8K Holographic Display

Looking Glass is now shipping its 8K holographic display, which utilizes 33.2 million pixels and 45-element light field to provide a 3D effect. TechCrunch reports: The target markets here are medical imaging, mapping, automotive, architecture and engineering. A press release tied to the announcement features a handful of folks in these categories who are excited at what such a technology could…

Newly-Released Jailbreak Tool Can Unlock Every iPhone and iPad

An anonymous reader quotes TechCrunch: A renowned iPhone hacking team has released a new “jailbreak” tool that unlocks every iPhone, even the most recent models running the latest iOS 13.5. [9to5Mac points out it also works on iPads.] For as long as Apple has kept up its “walled garden” approach to iPhones by only allowing apps and customizations that it approves,…

Tesla Drops Lawsuit Against Alameda County Over Freemont Factory Reopening

Tesla has officially dismissed a lawsuit filed earlier this month against Alameda County that sought to force the reopening of its factory in Fremont, Calif. TechCrunch reports: The dismissal, which was granted Wednesday, closes the loop on a battle between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and county health and law enforcement officials. The lawsuit, filed May 9 hours after Musk threatened to…

Google Cloud Earns Defense Contract Win For Anthos Multi-Cloud Management Tool

Google today announced a new seven-figure contract with DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). “While the company would not get specific about the number, the new contract involves using Anthos, the tool the company announced last year to secure DIU’s multi-cloud environment,” reports TechCrunch. From the report: In spite of the JEDI contract involving a single vendor, the DoD has always used…

What We Need Now is ‘Universal Basic Internet’

Yes, economist Tyler Cowen and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov (now the chairman of the nonprofit Renew Democracy Initiative) co-authored an opinion piece this week arguing that Covid-19 “is illustrating that some aspects of a Universal Basic Income may be more necessary and more workable than previously thought. But there is one big piece missing: The economic output required to…

France Passes Law Forcing Online Platforms To Delete Hate-Speech Content Within 24 Hours

France’s lower chamber has passed a controversial law that will require social networks and online platforms remove flagged hate speech within 24 hours. If companies do not comply, they will have to pay hefty fines every time they infringe the law. Other more extreme content, such as terrorist content and child pornography, will require online platforms react within an hour. TechCrunch…

MIT Develops a Way To Use Wireless Signals From In-Home Appliances To Better Understand Your Health

[R]esearchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have developed a new system (PDF) that can figure out when and where in-home appliances like hair dryers, stoves, microwaves and washing machines are being used, and they believe that info could help inform healthcare practitioners about the habits and challenges of people under their care. TechCrunch reports: The researchers devised…

US e-Commerce Sales Jump 49 Percent In April, Led By Online Grocery

According to new data from Adobe’s Digital Economy Index, U.S. e-commerce jumped 49% in April, compared to the baseline period in early March before shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect. Online grocery helped drive the increase in sales, with a 110% boost in daily sales between March and April. Meanwhile, electronic sales were up 58% and book sales have doubled. TechCrunch reports:…