Google is celebrating the successful landing of NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars with a virtual fireworks show, an augmented reality 3D model, and more.
Back in July of last year, NASA launched its “Mars 2020” mission, with the goal of landing a rover on our neighbor planet for a two-year mission of collecting rock samples and searching for signs of ancient life in Mars’s Jezero Crater.
Podcast: Tesla price cuts, Chevy Bolt EV and EUV unveiling, and more
February 20, 2021
This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including Tesla’s price cuts, the unveiling of the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, and more.
The Electrek Podcast is me, Fred Lambert, editor-in-chief…
US antitrust regulators extend review of Lockheed-Aerojet deal
February 20, 2021
WASHINGTON ― U.S. antitrust regulators have extended their probe into Lockheed Martin’s proposed $4.4 billion purchase of rocket manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne so that the two companies can provide more information to the government, the companies announced Friday.
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A new version of CYME’s Avalanche application that converts image catalogs from one software brand to another has been introduced. This latest version now allows Aperture and Lightroom users to translate their current image collections for compatibility with Skylum’s Luminar AI.
The company says that V1.3 of Avalanche will import not only the original images themselves but also all the…
Facebook Gaming will host more than 90 community tournaments
February 19, 2021
Facebook Gaming said it will work with community partners such as Real Time Strategies and Community Gaming New York to host more than 90 online community events.
These are small events that are open to the public. Each features a $1,000 prize pool, small enough not to…
Laowa Adds 11mm f/4.5 for Canon RF and 65mm f/2.8 Macro for Nikon Z
February 19, 2021
Venus Optics is continuing to add support for more mounts and today the 11mm f/4.5 FF RL (full-frame rectilinear) lens is available for Canon RF mount and the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO is available for Nikon Z mount.
The Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL was previously…
Sigma Provides Update on Foveon Camera: ‘Back to the Drawing Board’
February 19, 2021
Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki has published an update regarding the Foveon X3 1:1:1 sensor and camera that was delayed in February of last year after the sensor it was working with could not go into mass production due to a critical flaw.
Yamaki explains that the project had to be completely restarted after Sigma terminated its contract with the sensor manufacturer it had been collaborating with…
Researchers Release Improved 3D Models Made From Tourists’ Photos
February 19, 2021
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning advancements have allowed researchers to build detailed 3D models of real-world locations by using the reference data of thousands of tourists’ photos. The finished models have cleanly removed unwanted objects and even…
NASA’s ‘Perseverance’ Mars Rover Has Sent Back New High-Res Photos
February 19, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance has been on the surface of the Red Planet for about a day now and is already sending back images that are far superior to the original two published yesterday, including one photo of the drone midair captured from its “jetpack.”
While not…
iPhone: How to improve Face ID with a mask, including new Apple Watch Unlock feature
February 19, 2021
Wearing a face mask usually renders iPhone’s Face ID unusable. Even though it sounds like a first-world problem in the current circumstances, there are a lot of people, especially medical professionals, who would value the ability for Face ID on iPhone to work while wearing protective equipment. Read on for how to use Face ID with a mask.
Update February 2021: There’s a new option to unlock…
