NASA has released astonishing new pictures of Mars after its InSight spacecraft finally removed the lens cover from its cameras and began snapping the clearest images of the Red Planet's surface yet. The space agency shared a series of high resolution photos of the rocky Martian terrain. Also visible in the snapshots were the two tiny chips that carried the names of more than 2million people to the planet. The lander will soon start photographing the surface directly in front of it to give scientists an idea of where to start drilling. "We’re ON MARS, you guys," InSight’s Twitter account posted today. "You’re all honorary Martians." The breathtaking quality of the newest InSider pictures are a vast improvement from its first images, which were obscured by dust and protective covers. Nasa’s Mars curiosity rover finds shiny ‘golden’ rock on red planet Bruce Benerdy, the mission's principal investigator at NATA's Jet Propulsion Lab, said: "Today we can … [Read more...] about NASA’s InSight Mars lander reveals clearest snaps yet of the Red Planet’s surface as it stretches robotic arm
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Google is tracking you even with Airplane Mode turned ON
GOOGLE is tracking the movements and activities of Android smartphone users, even when they have their phones set to Flight Mode. Its tracking technology logs the times at which users move from one location to another, and can even tell when they get into and out of cars. The discovery was made by Fox News' Brett Larson, who in a report for the Tucker Carlson Tonight show conducted an experiment using two Android phones that weren't connected to the internet or any data network. Both lacked SIM cards and wi-fi connections, while one was set to Flight Mode for the duration of the test, during which Larson simply walked around Washington D.C. and visited several landmarks over the course of a few hours. He found that the smartphone not on Flight Mode recorded the data for 121 exact locations and 130 activities, such as walking, standing still, and exiting a vehicle. But what was most surprising was that "the phone with Airplane Mode activated actually logged more locations and activities … [Read more...] about Google is tracking you even with Airplane Mode turned ON
The best gaming headsets
Competitive multiplayer games like Fortnite, which require clear voice communication and positional audio, and the rise of the Nintendo Switch, which has mediocre internal speakers, have boosted the video game headset market. But the sheer variety of options can be intimidating. We’re here to help. Over the past two years, Polygon has solicited samples from many of the biggest names in the industry, building out a huge library of test units. Over the past month, I’ve put them all to the test, playing everything from experimental indie games to big-budget AAA shooters. I sought the very best headphone solutions for each of the four major platforms: Mac and Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. First, a note about my selection criteria. The goal was to find the best headphones to match the unique capabilities of each platform. For the current-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft, the goal was to find a wireless solution that paired well with the … [Read more...] about The best gaming headsets
The Ripper: The disturbing Visceral Games project that never was
A decade ago, at a community day for Dead Space, I stumbled upon an accidental scoop. I was checking in at the front desk of Electronic Arts’ Redwood Shores headquarters with a few marketing folks guiding me along. “Oh,” said the receptionist offhandedly, “are you here for The Ripper?” I’ve never seen someone in marketing turn so white so fast. My guides stammered something to the receptionist to get him to shut up, and hustled me away from the desk. In the elevator going up to the studio, I couldn’t help but turn to them and ask what that was all about, and they pleaded with me not to mention anything. No one was supposed to know about this top-secret project, and they were terrified I would blab. I assume the receptionist got a good talking-to. Later that night, over many drinks, I got some of the story out of people, under a promise to keep silent on the project until it was closer to release. As I guessed from the name, EA was working on a … [Read more...] about The Ripper: The disturbing Visceral Games project that never was
Call of Duty WW2 War Machine review
Call of Duty WW2 sold well and was reasonably well-designed, but the long-anticipated return of the 1940s European theatre didn’t have the impact most players hoped for after Infinite Warfare’s disappointing launch. Sledgehammer Games created a by-the-numbers solo campaign, a solid multiplayer mode with a reduced map count, and a Zombies mode that’s visually stunning but lacks staying power. WW2 wasn’t a return to form, but a reminder that we’ve been getting a somewhat generic Call of Duty experience every year for a decade. Within the player community, however? That perception is slowly changing for the better. Instead of just dropping some DLC packs and hoping Treyarch does better this year, Sledgehammer has listened to fans and made some massive improvements via post-launch content: patches included extensive gameplay and menu UI overhauls; the multiplayer mode has hosted three major, well-received community events; and Sledgehammer even remastered two … [Read more...] about Call of Duty WW2 War Machine review