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Mostrando las entradas de abril, 2026

Artemis II astronaut puts all of our iPhone moon photos to shame

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When NASA allowed Artemis II astronauts to take their smartphones with them, we already knew it could lead to some epic phone shots of the moon. NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman took one such photo on his iPhone, just as the Orion spacecraft his crew was on approached the moon for a lunar flyby. The astronauts turned off all the lights inside the cabin to be able to take better pictures. In the livestream, Wiseman showed the camera a photo he took on his iPhone 17 Pro. As 9to5Mac notes, he said on the livestream that he took the picture on his iPhone camera with an 8x zoom. NASA reportedly said that the image showed the Chebyshev crater, a lunar impact sight located on the far side of the moon, or the side we don’t see from our planet. Artemis II launched on April 1 for a 10-day journey, with four astronauts onboard the mission’s Orion spacecraft. On April 6, it flew farther away from Earth than any mission before it after it arrived in lunar space, reaching a distance of 252,756 miles fr...

Apple's foldable iPhone may be delayed due to engineering snags

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Apple has run into "more issues than expected" with its foldable iPhone that may set back its release, according to Nikkei. The engineering problems reportedly cropped up during the device's early test production phase and may delay first shipments by months, according to multiple sources briefed on the matter.  "The current situation could put the mass production timeline at risk," one of the sources said. "April will mark a crucial stage of the engineering verification test, and this month till early may is extremely critical." Component suppliers have supposedly been notified that the foldable iPhone's production schedule will be delayed, and Apple is working to address the problems.  A foldable iPhone has been rumored since 2017, and Apple's biggest rival, Samsung, released its first one back in 2019. According to multiple sources, Apple was aiming to launch its debut foldable iPhone in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18. However, as we ...

Amazon's new USPS deal will see postal deliveries cut by 20 percent

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Earlier this year, Amazon threatened to cut US Postal Service deliveries by as much as two thirds. Now, the parties have reached tentative a deal that will see USPS deliveries reduced by 20 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported. While not as drastic as first menaced, the reduced volume will still deal a financial blow to the USPS. "We’re pleased to have reached a new agreement with USPS that furthers our longstanding partnership and will let us continue supporting our customers and communities together," an Amazon spokesperson told the WSJ.  Amazon is the USPS's largest customer, accounting for 15 percent of its volume and $6 billion in revenue. A two-thirds cut would have been a disaster for the USPS, but a 20 percent reduction could result in more than $1 billion in lost revenue nonetheless. Amazon would have needed to scramble as well, as it relies heavily on the post office for rural and last-mile deliveries.  Amazon's contract with the USPS was set t...

Amazon's new USPS deal will see postal deliveries cut by 20 percent

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Earlier this year, Amazon threatened to cut US Postal Service deliveries by as much as two thirds. Now, the parties have reached tentative a deal that will see USPS deliveries reduced by 20 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported. While not as drastic as first menaced, the reduced volume will still deal a financial blow to the USPS. "We’re pleased to have reached a new agreement with USPS that furthers our longstanding partnership and will let us continue supporting our customers and communities together," an Amazon spokesperson told the WSJ.  Amazon is the USPS's largest customer, accounting for 15 percent of its volume and $6 billion in revenue. A two-thirds cut would have been a disaster for the USPS, but a 20 percent reduction could result in more than $1 billion in lost revenue nonetheless. Amazon would have needed to scramble as well, as it relies heavily on the post office for rural and last-mile deliveries.  Amazon's contract with the USPS was set t...

NASA's Artemis II crew just flew farther away from Earth than anyone ever has before

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NASA's Artemis II crew just set a new distance record in miles traveled away from Earth. The team of four astronauts are in the process of circling the Moon, reaching 5,000 miles beyond the natural satellite. That brings the total distance traveled away from our home to over 250,000 miles. Gene Roddenberry would be proud. This broke the previous 1970 record set by Apollo 13's crew by around 4,000 miles. The four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency – are the first humans to cross the lunar threshold since 1972's Apollo 17 mission. "We challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived," Commander Reid Wiseman said upon crossing the distance threshold. He also suggested that NASA name a lunar crater after the craft itself.  The astronauts aren't landing on the lunar surface, but are conducting a lengthy flyby that should provide clear images of...

How to watch the historic Artemis II lunar flyby

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NASA's Artemis II mission is about to make history. After a successful April 1 launch, and a trip of 39,000 miles through space, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen are about to travel farther from Earth than any human beings have before, and you can watch the entire thing unfold online. NASA will stream the entire flyby on YouTube and its own NASA+ website, with coverage beginning at 1PM ET.  You can also watch NASA+ through Netflix. It's going to take some time for things to get underway, so if you're working or have plans this evening but don't want to miss seeing history being made, your best bet is to try and catch a handful of key moments. At approximately 1:56PM ET, Artemis II will fly farther than any crewed mission has before, breaking the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Then, the Orion spacecraft will begin its flyby of the Moon at 2:45PM ET, with the craft expected to make its closest approach to the lunar surf...

Mercedes-Benz recalls some G-Wagon EVs due to risk of wheels falling off

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Before you take your electric G-Wagon for its next off-roading excursion, you may want to stop by an authorized dealer. The German automaker issued a recall for every Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ technology with the 2025 model year, as first spotted by InsideEVs. According to the recall on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, the current wheel bolts could "allow a wheel to loosen or detach from the vehicle," potentially affecting 3,734 models on the road. The recall report explained that the electric G580's wheel bolts were "not adapted to the increased vehicle mass and higher torque loads associated with the electric variant." According to the NHTSA report, Mercedes-Benz used the same wheel assembly and bolts as its other G-Class vehicles for the electric model, but conducted an analysis from September 2024 to January 2025 that confirmed these wheel bolts could loosen from repeated rough driving and wheel changes, specifically with...

Samsung's Music Studio speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars are available now

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Back at CES, Samsung showed off a new line of speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars. Today, the company announced pricing for the entire suite of new products, including two soundbars that weren’t inside its showroom in Vegas. All but two of the new devices are available to order now, so you might not have to wait to get your hands on some new Samsung audio gear. Let’s start with the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 speakers. The Music Studio 7 is the more rectangular model in the duo. It’s a 3.1.1-channel unit with left, right and center speakers alongside one woofer and one up-firing driver. This $500 device is also equipped with Pattern Control tech to direct the sound evenly through the room while keeping distortion to a minimum. The more circular Music Studio 5 has a 2.1-channel configuration composed of two tweeters and a single woofer. It has waveguide technology to evenly disperse the sound and costs $300. Both the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 use AI processing to cu...

Samsung's Music Studio speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars are available now

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Back at CES, Samsung showed off a new line of speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars. Today, the company announced pricing for the entire suite of new products, including two soundbars that weren’t inside its showroom in Vegas. All but two of the new devices are available to order now, so you might not have to wait to get your hands on some new Samsung audio gear. Let’s start with the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 speakers. The Music Studio 7 is the more rectangular model in the duo. It’s a 3.1.1-channel unit with left, right and center speakers alongside one woofer and one up-firing driver. This $500 device is also equipped with Pattern Control tech to direct the sound evenly through the room while keeping distortion to a minimum. The more circular Music Studio 5 has a 2.1-channel configuration composed of two tweeters and a single woofer. It has waveguide technology to evenly disperse the sound and costs $300. Both the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 use AI processing to cu...

NASA shares breathtaking images of Artemis II astronauts taking in the view from Orion's windows

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The Artemis II crew is almost at the moon, and the astronauts spent this weekend carrying out preparations for their lunar flyby on Monday. That included manual piloting demonstrations, reviewing their science objectives for the six-hour observation period and evaluating their space suits, which are there for life support in the event of an emergency and for their return home. But, they've had plenty of time to take in the views, too — and those views sure are spectacular. In the latest series of images shared by the space agency, the astronauts are seen gazing at Earth through the windows of the Orion spacecraft.  Orion will reach the moon's vicinity shortly after midnight on Monday, April 6. Later that day, the crew is expected to reach a point farther than any humans have traveled from Earth, surpassing the record of 248,655 miles from Earth set by the Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970. Mission specialist Christina Koch takes in the view.NASA The lunar observation period wil...

Samsung will discontinue its Messages app in July and replace it with Google's

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Samsung is putting the final nail in the coffin for its own messaging app. The smartphone maker posted an "End of Service Announcement" on its website, revealing that the Samsung Messages app will no longer be available by July of this year. Samsung also recommended that anyone still using Samsung Messages switch over to Google Messages as the default messaging app. For Samsung Messages users in the US, the switch to Google offers RCS messaging that lets you send high-quality media, join group chats and get real-time typing indicators no matter the smartphone's OS. Galaxy smartphone owners may lose out on some of the Samsung Messages customization options, but Google Messages will make up for it generative AI from Gemini that can remix your photos in chats. On top of those features, Google Messages makes it easier for Samsung users to switch chats between a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch. It's no surprise that Samsung is only using Google Messages from now on,...

Samsung will discontinue its Messages app in July and replace it with Google's

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Samsung is putting the final nail in the coffin for its own messaging app. The smartphone maker posted an "End of Service Announcement" on its website, revealing that the Samsung Messages app will no longer be available by July of this year. Samsung also recommended that anyone still using Samsung Messages switch over to Google Messages as the default messaging app. For Samsung Messages users in the US, the switch to Google offers RCS messaging that lets you send high-quality media, join group chats and get real-time typing indicators no matter the smartphone's OS. Galaxy smartphone owners may lose out on some of the Samsung Messages customization options, but Google Messages will make up for it generative AI from Gemini that can remix your photos in chats. On top of those features, Google Messages makes it easier for Samsung users to switch chats between a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch. It's no surprise that Samsung is only using Google Messages from now on,...

Devils on the Moon brings the score-chasing of pinball to the Playdate

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Pinball video games have been around for years — I cut my teeth on Space Cadet 3D Pinball, which was pre-loaded on Windows 95. They range from realistic recreations of pinball tables you’ll find at arcades to games that could never exist in real life like 2019’s Demon’s Tilt or older ones like Metroid Prime Pinball for the Nintendo DS or Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy Color. I didn’t expect to find a detailed pinball game for the humble and delightful Playdate, but a pair of developers working under the name Amano pulled it off with Devils on the Moon Pinball, which arrived last week. It’s the developer’s third game for the Playdate, and Mario and JP (who make up Amano) pointed directly to Pokemon Pinball as the inspiration for this game. “I think one of my most-played games is Pokemon Pinball,” JP said. “But the idea to make a pinball game came from Mario… he came to me and say ‘JP, I want to make a custom engine for Playdate and we should make a pinball game.’” I love playing p...

An Italian court ruled Netflix has to refund its customers for price hikes dating back to 2017

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Instead of raising prices again, Netflix may have to lower its subscription costs in Italy. A court in Rome recently ruled that Netflix owed its Italian users a refund for price hikes between 2017 and January 2024 and a reduction to previous subscription costs. On top of the refunds, Netflix Italia would have to inform its affected subscribers of their right to a refund. The lawsuit was originally filed by Movimento Consumatori, a consumer rights organization based in Rome. The group's president, Alessandro Mostaccio, said in a press release that more than 25,000 Netflix users have complained to Movimento Consumatori that they're not satisfied with the price increases over the years. According to the lawyers representing the consumers, Premium subscribers are entitled to a refund of roughly 500 euros, while Standard tier customers should get back about 250 euros. Mostaccio also said that if Netflix doesn't immediately reduce prices and refund its customers, the consum...

Ireland is testing out a digital wallet that conducts age verification for social media users

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Before it's publicly available later this year, the Irish government is trialing its Government Digital Wallet, which includes a way to verify a user's age to access social media platforms. In its press release, the government's Department of Public Expediture, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation said people can store digital versions of their birth certificates, driving licenses, European health cards and more. Frank Feighan, the department's minister, said that this testing phase would help inform the development of the digital wallet and ensure it was user friendly. The government hasn't laid out when the Government Digital Wallet graduates beyond the testing phase, but Ireland is required to create a digital wallet by the end of 2026 as part of a European Union regulation. "It will be able to facilitate secure age verification capability as set out in Digital Ireland and the implementation of the Online Safety Code, under which de...

The latest on the Artemis II mission to the moon, and more science stories

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We got to share in a rare moment of collective awe this week as four astronauts blasted off toward the moon, beginning a 10-day journey that will take them farther from Earth than any humans have traveled in the last 50 years. It'll still be a little while before they reach their destination — the Orion spacecraft is expected to loop around the moon on Monday — but they've already seen some pretty incredible stuff on the way there. Here's the latest on the Artemis II mission, and other interesting science stories from this week.  Artemis II crosses the halfway point After years of planning, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are finally on their way to the moon for the Artemis II mission. This test flight is a crucial step in NASA's plans to send humans to the surface of the moon again for the first time since Apollo 17, and the high-stakes launch went off without a hitch ...

Super Meat Boy 3D, coin-pushing chaos and other new indie games worth checking out

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Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As ever, we've got a whole bunch of new games for you to dive into this weekend, along with announcements and updates on several others that are coming down the pike. I love how spoiled we are for game showcases these days, and I'm really looking forward to the latest installment of the indie-focused Triple-i Initiative at noon ET on April 9 as the first two editions were really strong. The trailer for this one features the likes of Cairn, Warhammer Survivors (the Warhammer-themed Vampire Survivors spinoff), the excellent CloverPit, Final Sentence and Far Far West. The organizers are promising to share release dates and gameplay reveals. Expect to see eight game announcements here too. Summer Game Fest is fast approaching. That means the mid-year edition of Day of the Devs, one of the biggest indie game showcases around, isn't too far away. Developers still have a chance to be featured in the ...

Super Meat Boy 3D, coin-pushing chaos and other new indie games worth checking out

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Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As ever, we've got a whole bunch of new games for you to dive into this weekend, along with announcements and updates on several others that are coming down the pike. I love how spoiled we are for game showcases these days, and I'm really looking forward to the latest installment of the indie-focused Triple-i Initiative at noon ET on April 9 as the first two editions were really strong. The trailer for this one features the likes of Cairn, Warhammer Survivors (the Warhammer-themed Vampire Survivors spinoff), the excellent CloverPit, Final Sentence and Far Far West. The organizers are promising to share release dates and gameplay reveals. Expect to see eight game announcements here too. Summer Game Fest is fast approaching. That means the mid-year edition of Day of the Devs, one of the biggest indie game showcases around, isn't too far away. Developers still have a chance to be featured in the ...

Much like the game’s zombies, State of Decay 3 is somehow still alive

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Amid Microsoft's hacking and slashing of its Xbox division, you wouldn't be crazy for thinking State of Decay 3 was dead. After all, the title was announced nearly six years ago, and, well, we haven't heard much since. But the survival game is still in the pipeline, and developer Undead Labs will hold a series of playtests beginning in May. In the announcement, franchise co-creator Brant Fitzgerald emphasized the role of community input in the game's continued development. "We've read your feedback on Discord, we've watched your gameplay clips and livestreams on YouTube," he said. "It became clear that community is survival — and that we need your help." The Alpha playtests will include four-player co-op, new base building and resource strategies and plenty of combat. "If scavenging supplies in the middle of a zombie outbreak sounds fun to you, then grab your ruck, pack some mags and head over to our website to find more information ...

Much like the game’s zombies, State of Decay 3 is somehow still alive

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Amid Microsoft's hacking and slashing of its Xbox division, you wouldn't be crazy for thinking State of Decay 3 was dead. After all, the title was announced nearly six years ago, and, well, we haven't heard much since. But the survival game is still in the pipeline, and developer Undead Labs will hold a series of playtests beginning in May. In the announcement, franchise co-creator Brant Fitzgerald emphasized the role of community input in the game's continued development. "We've read your feedback on Discord, we've watched your gameplay clips and livestreams on YouTube," he said. "It became clear that community is survival — and that we need your help." The Alpha playtests will include four-player co-op, new base building and resource strategies and plenty of combat. "If scavenging supplies in the middle of a zombie outbreak sounds fun to you, then grab your ruck, pack some mags and head over to our website to find more information ...

The Morning After: NASA’s Artemis II is on a voyage around the Moon

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NASA’s Artemis II successfully launched on April 1, with its crew on a 10-day mission to circle the Moon. It’s the first crewed Artemis flight and a major step toward humanity returning to our little neighbor in the future. Since launch, the vehicle has separated from its launch system and been manually piloted, testing how the Orion capsule will dock with future lunar landers. There have been some snags, however: The onboard toilet went awry, and Microsoft Outlook has been acting screwy. Jokes aside, there is something magnificent about seeing humanity taking to the stars once again. That, for all of our worst instincts, we can still come together to solve problems and explore beyond our own horizons. — Dan Cooper The other big stories (and deals) this morning * SpaceX has reportedly filed for the biggest IPO in history Could be as much as $75 billion. * The hottest EVs from the 2026 New York Auto Show (plus one brawny concept) Corvette CX? Take my money now,...

NASA's Artemis II mission has left Earth's orbit

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The Integrity, the name of the Orion capsule carrying Artemis II astronauts on a trip around the moon, has left Earth’s orbit. NASA has announced that it has successfully completed a key burn of Orion’s main engine. That six-minute firing of the engine provided approximately 6,000 pounds of thrust, which gave the spacecraft the acceleration it needed to set it on its path to the moon. “Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit,” said Dr. Lori Glaze from NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data, and learning from each step.” Commander Reid Wiseman called seeing “the entire globe from pole to pole” after leaving Earth’s orbit a “spectacular moment.” Artemis II launched on April 1 at 6:35PM Eastern time after a couple of delays caused by a hydrogen leak and then a helium issue. It’s the first crewed flight of the Artemis program and the first time humanity has ...

Star Wars animated series 'Maul: Shadow Lord' season 2 confirmed

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Ahead of its premiere, Dave Filoni has revealed that the Star Wars animated series Maul: Shadow Lord will return for a second season. The Lucasfilm co-president revealed that season 2 is already in the works, telling Esquire that "at the end of the day, people like that character."  Filoni didn't reveal any other details about the plot or release date for season 2. However, the news isn't a great surprise given Lucasfilm's past history with its animated series — The Clone Wars ran seven seasons, Star Wars Rebels four seasons, Star Wars Resistance two seasons and Star Wars: The Bad Batch three seasons.  Maul: Shadow Lord explores the Zebrak Sith Lord's story about a year after the time of the Clone Wars. Season 1's 10 seasons will stream twice a week on Disney+ starting on April 6 and run through May 6. It covers Maul's plot to rebuild his criminal syndicate "on a planet untouched by the Empire," according to Lucasfilm. "There, he c...

Indie Pass is a forthcoming subscription service exclusively for indie games

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Publisher and game management platform indie.io just announced the pending launch of something called Indie Pass. This is a subscription service, so it's sort of like Game Pass but for indie titles. It launches on April 13 and will offer over 70 games on that date, with more coming down the line. Not a single person on this planet wants another monthly subscription to manage, but this one costs just $8. That's a pretty good deal, considering Game Pass Ultimate costs a whopping $30 per month. However, these subscription platforms are only as good as their libraries. The company has already confirmed a bunch of nifty titles like the cozy game Echoes of the Plum Grove, the farm-based shooter Air Hares and the tactical RPG Dark Deity. It also promises a "constantly evolving catalog." Indie.io publishes a lot of stuff, so that should make it easier to keep the catalog stacked. The company is also currently courting indie developers and publishers, with a promise ...