HeyWhatsNew: NASA Will Shoot for the Stars During the Eclipse, and a Free Marvel Game Is Coming Soon
Hey there, Heyuppers. Welcome to the end of another exciting week in the tech world. Here is your weekly update of the latest tech news headlines that have shaped our world in the week beginning 25/03/2024.
NASA Will Launch Three Rockets to Study the April 8 Eclipse
If you didn’t already know, April 8 is expected to deliver a celestial spectacle in the form of a total eclipse over certain parts of the United States. Seizing the exciting event, NASA plans to launch three sounding rockets during the Eclipse.
The goal of the experiment is to understand how Earth’s upper atmosphere reacts when sunlight dims during an eclipse. The rockets, called Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP), will take off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia 45 minutes before, during, and 45 minutes after the peak of the eclipse.
Google Seeks to Find Bitcoin Hacker by Tracking YouTube Views
Federal authorities in the United States have ordered Google to provide information about everyone who watched specific YouTube videos during a certain time period, even if they weren’t signed into YouTube on their private account during that time. This includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and recent activity details.
Experts worry this violates privacy, and it’s an act that turns search warrants into broad surveillance tools. However, it comes after a recent hack where a user was able to obtain cryptocurrency illegally. The investigation focuses on a user named “elonmuskwhm” suspected of illegal Bitcoin transactions. Forbes reports that undercover agents used AR technology to send YouTube links on drone mapping to this user, then requested viewer data from Google.
NetEase and Marvel Release Official Trailer for Marvel Rivals
A new free-to-play Marvel game called Marvel Rivals is set to launch in May, according to a report on the Marvel website. Players can step into the shoes of 18 famous Marvel characters, with more to be added later. The initial roster includes heroes like Black Panther and Spider-Man, as well as villains like Loki and Magneto.
Developed by NetEase Games, Marvel Rivals is a team-based shooter where players can build their squad of heroes and villains, battling with unique powers across various Marvel-inspired maps.
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Suffers Yet Another Ban in Portugal
In a move to protect the personal data of minors in Portugal, the country’s National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) has taken the decision to temporarily ban Worldcoin. The cryptocurrency which is led by OpenAI’s Sam Altman has been ordered to halt data processing within 24 hours, and cannot resume for 90 days until the investigation is complete. The data includes biometric fingerprints, face scans, and voice recordings.
It’s believed that more than 300, 000 Portuguese citizens have already provided biometric data to the company since its establishment in 2023. The drastic move came after the CNPD discovered that minors were providing this information to the company without permission from their parents. Earlier this month, Worldcoin was banned in Spain as well as Kenya.
Samsung Releases Its Cheapest Tablet of the Year, and Tells No One
Samsung has recently released an updated version of its popular affordable tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024). Surprisingly, the tablet has been officially listed on Samsung’s website with no prior announcement, build up, or advertisements.
The tablet builds on the success of the original Tab S6 Lite from 2020, which was refreshed in 2022. The design remains familiar, with the main change being the inclusion of a new, unspecified processor, most likely the Exynos 1280 SoC.
OpenAI Partners with Creators to Share a First Glimpse into Sora’s Filmmaking Capabilities
OpenAI has introduced the first collection of short films crafted using its latest video generating AI tool named Sora. The filmmakers behind the new short stories have labeled the results as “completely surreal.”
The launch of Sora last month stirred a blend of excitement and concern regarding its potential. Preliminary clips produced using the AI software showcase its ability to transform basic written prompts into lifelike videos depicting various scenarios. However, there are concerns about potential misuse of the technology, particularly in the creation of deepfake videos and dissemination of misinformation.
Google Maps Is Cleaning Up and Simplifying the Home Screen
Google Maps is making changes to its mobile app ahead of the summer travel season. One of these changes involves simplifying the bottom bar on the screen, resulting in fewer tabs and ultimately, a cleaner home screen.
As it stands, the bottom bar includes tabs for Explore, Go, Saved, Contribute, and Updates. At this stage, it’s unclear whether Google plans to remove some tabs altogether, or merge them into new ones. This new update follows previous updates to the map layer’s colors, as well as changes to the directions interface.
That concludes the update for the week. Join us again next time to learn how technology will have impacted the world in the short span of 168 hours.
