ESA’s Hera Asteroid Deflection Mission Gets Green Light

Europe's space ministers approved ESA's Hera asteroid mission for construction and launch (via European Space Agency/YouTube)

The European Space Agency’s asteroid deflection mission is a go.

Hera—”humanity’s first-ever spacecraft to visit a double asteroid”—has been greenlit for construction and launch as part of the organization’s broader planetary defense initiatives.

Named for the Greek goddess of marriage, Hera will steer itself through space, autonomously navigating as close as 218 yards from the smaller of the two planetoids: 350-foot-wide Didymos B—affectionately known as the “Didymoon.”

Small asteroids hit Earth almost daily, but most break and burn in the upper atmosphere, leaving no discernable traces on our world. Objects larger than 0.6 miles—like the Chelyabinsk meteor, caused by an approximately 22-yard near-Earth asteroid—can have devastating effects.

In hopes of avoiding disaster, NASA recently began developing a spacecraft to pummel asteroids and knock them off a course for our planet.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, is set to be the first space mission to demonstrate asteroid deflection by a kinetic impactor (i.e. strike the satellite to shift its orbit).

In October 2022, the refrigerator-sized craft is expected to navigate to the asteroid system and use an onboard autonomous targeting system to aim itself at the Didymoon.

That’s when the fireworks start: DART strikes the planetoid at a speed nine times faster than a bullet—about 3.7 miles per second—jolting it ever so slightly off balance.

Earth-based observatories can then see the impact and watch the change in orbit of Didymos B around Didymos A, allowing scientists to “better determine the capabilities of kinetic impact as an asteroid mitigation strategy,” according to NASA.

Due for an autumn 2023 launch, and set to reach its target three years later, Hera will navigate in three different modes as it inches closer to the binary asteroid system.

Two on-board CubeSats can fly much closer to the surface, carrying out scientific studies before touching down.

“Up-close observations will turn asteroid deflection into a well-understood planetary defense technique,” ESA said.

DART and Hera are both part of the international Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission.

More on Geek.com:

• Scientists Uncover New Evidence of Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs
• Don’t Worry: An Asteroid Won’t Collide With Earth This Year
• Astronauts Need Your Help to Fight Light Pollution

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Australia Turns On Mobile Phone Detection Cameras

It's not worth the risk (via Alexandre Boucher/Unsplash)

The world’s first mobile phone detection cameras are up and running in Australia.

The safety technology will target illegal mobile phone use by drivers through fixed and mobile trailer-mounted cameras.

“The [New South Wales] government is serious about reducing our state’s road toll and rolling out mobile phone detection cameras is another way we will do this,” Minister for Roads Andrew Constance said in a statement.

Introduced in September, the tech has been installed in 45 undisclosed locations across the jurisdiction.

Unlike traditional traffic enforcement systems, there will be no warning signs alerting motorists of the cameras’ presence.

“As we enter a notoriously dangerous time of the year on our roads, I want all drivers to know that if you use your mobile phone while behind the wheel of a vehicle in NSW you will have a greater chance of being caught—anywhere at any time,” Constance warned.

During a six-month trial, two permanent cameras detected a total 8.5 million passing cars—more than 100,000 of which were driven by someone illegally using their phone.

HD photography equipment uses artificial intelligence to spot lawbreakers—usually browsing social media or texting. In one instance, the front-seat passenger can be seen steering the car while the driver had both hands on their phone.

It’s easy to tell yourself a quick glance at your handset won’t cause any harm. but , as Constance pointed out in September, a car traveling at 40 mph moves about 100 feet in two seconds.

“In that time a kid could have run out in front of you, you could have run off the road, you could have hit another vehicle, you could hit a cyclist,” he told ABC Radio Canberra. “The list goes on.”

Despite criticism—the National Roads and Motorists’ Association accused the NSW government of using stealth to trap drivers—officials are moving forward with the program.

“Some people have not got the message about using their phones legally and safely,” according to Constance. “If they think they can continue to put the safety of themselves, their passengers, and the community at risk without consequence, they are in for a rude shock.”

For the first three months, as drivers and enforcers get acquainted with the cameras, offenders will receive only a warning letter. Starting in March, lawbreakers can expect a $344 fine (up to $457 in a school zone) and five demerit points (10 during double-point periods).

The program will progressively expand to perform an estimated 135 million vehicle checks on NSW roads each year by 2023.

“The decision to pick up your phone can have fatal consequences,” Minister for Regional Roads Paul Toole said. “Whether you’re driving on a major highway or an isolated road in the bush, there’s no excuse for using your phone illegally—and [now], there’s a much greater chance of getting nabbed.”

More on Geek.com:

• AI Now Detects Phone Usage, Smoking While Driving
• Driver Fights Ticket For Using Cellphone With ‘Hash Brown Defense’
• Nissan Uses Faraday Cage to Combat Phone Distractions

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Researchers Discover Unexpectedly Large Black Hole

Artist impression of "monster" black hole LB-1 (via Jingchuan Yu/Beijing Planetarium)

A team of international scientists spotted a stellar black hole three-and-a-half times greater than anyone thought possible.

Researchers previously estimated the mass of an individual black hole in our galaxy at no more than 20 times that of the sun.

Jifeng Liu, a professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, however, has proved everyone wrong.

Alongside collaborators from Australia, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the US, Liu helped uncover a monster black hole 70 times more massive than the sun.

“Black holes of such mass should not even exist in our galaxy, according to most of the current models of stellar evolution,” he said in a statement.

“We thought that very massive stars with the chemical composition typical of our galaxy must shed most of their gas in powerful stellar winds, as they approach the end of their life,” Liu explained. “Therefore, they should not leave behind such a massive remnant.”

Until recently, stellar black holes could be seen only when they gobbled up gas from a companion star, creating powerful X-ray emissions detectable from Earth.

But because the vast majority of black holes are not that hungry and don’t emit revealing X-rays, only about two dozen spacetime regions have been identified and measured.

To circumvent this problem, Liu & Co. used China’s Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) for a needle-in-a-haystack search for stars orbiting an invisible object pulled by its gravity.

To everyone’s surprise, they found something.

Located some 15,000 light years from Earth, the so-called LB-1 black hole is more than three times as massive as expected.

“Now theorists will have to take up the challenge of explaining its formation,” Liu said.

Scientists used the world’s largest optical telescopes—Spain’s Gran Telescopio Canarias and the US’s Keck I—to determine the system’s physical parameters.

The results were shocking: A star eight times heavier than the sun orbits a 70-solar-mass black hole every 79 days.

“This discovery forces us to re-examine our models of how stellar-mass black holes form,” according to David Reitze, director of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

“This remarkable result,” Reitze, a professor at the University of Florida, added, “really points toward a renaissance in our understanding of black hole astrophysics.”

The finding was reported in the latest issue of Nature.

More on Geek.com:

• NASA Finds Eerie Black Hole Forming Stars at a Furious Rate
• NASA Takes You to a Black Hole’s Warped World in Trippy Visualization
• Scientists Find ‘Hungry’ Supermassive Black Hole Eating 3 Meals Daily

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Facebook launches a photo portability tool, starting in Ireland

It’s not friend portability, but Facebook has announced the launch today of a photo transfer tool to enable users of its social network to port their photos directly to Google’s photo storage service, via encrypted transfer.

The photo portability feature is initially being offered to Facebook users in Ireland, where the company’s international HQ is based. Facebook says it is still testing and tweaking the feature based on feedback but slates “worldwide availability” as coming in the first half of 2020.

It also suggests porting to other photo storage services will be supported in the future, in addition to Google Photos — which specifying which services it may seek to add.

Facebook says the tool is based on code developed via its participation in the Data Transfer Project — a collaborative effort started last year that’s currently backed by five tech giants (Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter) who have committed to build “a common framework with open-source code that can connect any two online service providers, enabling a seamless, direct, user initiated portability of data between the two platforms”.

Facebook also points to a white paper it published in September — where it advocates for “clear rules” to govern the types of data that should be portable and “who is responsible for protecting that data as it moves to different providers”.

Behind all these moves is of course the looming threat of antitrust regulation, with legislators and agencies on both sides of the Atlantic now closely eyeing platforms’ grip on markets, eyeballs and data.

Hence Facebook’s white paper couching portability tools as “helping keep competition vibrant among online services”. (Albeit, if the ‘choice’ being offered is to pick another tech giant to get your data that’s not exactly going to reboot the competitive landscape.)

It’s certainly true that portability of user uploaded data can be helpful in encouraging people to feel they can move from a dominant service.

However it is also something of a smokescreen — especially when A) the platform in question is a social network like Facebook (because it’s people who keep other people stuck to these types of services); and B) the value derived from the data is retained by the platform regardless of whether the photos themselves travel elsewhere.

Facebook processes user uploaded data such as photos to gain personal insights to profile users for ad targeting purposes. So even if you send your photos elsewhere that doesn’t diminish what Facebook has already learned about you, having processed your selfies, groupies, baby photos, pet shots and so on. (It has also designed the portability tool to send a copy of the data; ergo, Facebook still retains your photos unless you take additional action — such as deleting your account.)

The company does not offer users any controls (portability tools or access rights) over the inferences it makes based on personal data such as photos.

Or indeed control over insights it gleans from its analysis of people’s usage of its platform or wider browsing of the Internet (Facebook tracks both users and non users across the web via tools like social plug-ins and tracking pixels).

Given its targeted ads business is powered by a vast outgrowth of tracking (aka personal data processing), there’s little risk to Facebook to offer a portability feature buried in a sub-menu somewhere that lets a few in-the-know users click to send a copy of their photos to another tech giant.

Indeed, it may hope to benefit from similar incoming ports from other platforms in future.

“We hope this product can help advance conversations on the privacy questions we identified in our white paper,” Facebook writes. “We know we can’t do this alone, so we encourage other companies to join the Data Transfer Project to expand options for people and continue to push data portability innovation forward.”

Competition regulators looking to reboot digital markets will need to dig beneath the surface of such self-serving initiatives if they are to alight on a meaningful method of reining in platform power.

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Leo DiCaprio Claps Back at Brazil President Accusing Him of Funding Amazon Fires

(via Theo Wargo/Getty Images For Global Citizen)

Leonardo DiCaprio has played a lot of characters—from teen heartthrob to leading man. But rarely has he played the victim.

Until now.

The actor and environmentalist on Saturday responded to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s false accusations that DiCaprio funded fires recently set in the Amazon rainforest.

In a statement released over the weekend, the Hollywood star said he “supports” the people of Brazil “working to save their natural and cultural heritage.”

Amazonian fires have become a global issue, escalating tensions between Brazil’s right-wing populist president Jair Bolsonaro and other countries, which believe the South American leader has neglected commitments to protect the environment.

As reported by The New York Times, Bolsonaro on Friday appeared to comment on social media postings claiming the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) paid for images taken by volunteer firefighters that it used to solicit donations—including $500,000 from DiCaprio.

“This Leonardo DiCaprio is a cool guy, right? Giving money to torch the Amazon,” Bolsonaro said, according to the Times.

The unsubstantiated remarks came after four members of Alter do Chão Fire Brigade were arrested on Tuesday and accused by police of setting fires in order to drum up financial aid.

WWF has denied the allegations.

And, now, so has Leo.

“While worthy of support, we did not fund the organizations targeted,” DiCaprio wrote in a message posted to Instagram.

“At this time of crisis for the Amazon, I support the people of Brazil working to save their natural and cultural heritage,” he continued. “They are an amazing, moving, and humbling example of the commitment and passion needed to save the environment.”

The iconic Amazon forest, known as “the lungs of the planet,” has seen an 84 percent increase in the number of fires this year, the National Institute for Space Research revealed in August.

“The future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at stake,” DiCaprio said, “and I am proud to stand with the groups protecting them.”

More on Geek.com:

• Watch: Man Gives Water to Injured Koala After Wildfire
• Hungry Goats Help Save Reagan Presidential Library From Wildfires
• Six New Species of ‘Superhero’ Catfish Discovered in Amazon

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Cyber Monday 2019: Walmart’s Best Gaming and Tech Deals

Save big on laptops, controllers, and more during Walmart's Cyber Monday sale. (Photo Credit: Walmart)

Black Friday is over, but there is still Cyber Monday if you missed out on Friday’s gaming and tech sales. Walmart, of course, is taking part in the mega shopping holiday with major discounts on all your favorite gadgets.

The retailer recently dropped its Cyber Monday ad and features many types of gifts for yourself or loved ones, including laptops, video games, and headphones. Our sister site BlackFriday.com says Walmart’s Cyber Monday deals start at 12 a.m. ET on Dec. 2, so you may want to get your computer (and wallet) ready, stat.

Below are Walmart’s top gaming and tech deals for Cyber Monday. We will be updating this page from now until Monday, and if you’re still unsure of what to buy for everyone on your list this year, check out our big gift guide here.

For more deals, including all of the latest Cyber Monday announcements, check out our sister site, BlackFriday.com.

Gaming Deals

Photo Credit: Walmart

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Deluxe Edition for $49.99 (Save $20)

Oculus Rift S PC-Powered VR Gaming Headset for $349 (Save $50)

Nintendo Switch with Bonus SanDisk 128GB Micro SD Card for $299 (Save $49.96)

Sony Playstation 4 DualShock 4 Controller for $38.99 (Save $26)

Star Wars Arcade Machine for $399 (Save $100)

Sony PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Gaming Console for $299 (Save $100)

Tech Deals

Photo Credit: Walmart

VIZIO 55” Class 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart LED TV for $279.99 (Save $198.01)

Lenovo Ideapad 130S With Office for $149 (Save $100)

$450 gift card with purchase and activation of a Samsung Galaxy S10 phone

Lenovo 15.6 R5 Laptop for $299 (Save $200)

For more deals, including all of the latest Cyber Monday announcements, check out our sister site, BlackFriday.com.

More on Geek.com:

• Amazon Unveils Cyber Monday Tech Deals
• Geek Gift Guide 2019: Best Gaming, Tech, and Media Gifts

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Adidas Unveils Final Star Wars Capsule of 2019

Adidas' final Star Wars capsule of the year arrives on Dec. 2. (Photo Credit: Adidas)

We’ve been covering adidas’ 2019 Star Wars collaboration since the second leaks started showing up. It’s maybe the single most hotly-anticipated pop culture collaboration in sneakers this year. The first two waves have gone live, the first focusing on lightsabers and the second on the three greatest starships in a galaxy far, far away. The former focused on basketball sneakers, while the latter utilized two classic running silhouettes. Adidas could have stopped there, but no, they saved the best for last.

On Dec. 2, the final capsule in the collection debuts. This one features six different shoes, each designed to pay homage to six of the greatest Star Wars characters of all time. Each colorway adorns either an adidas NMD or Nite Jogger and draws equally from both the light side and the dark.

Photo Credit: Adidas

First up are two Nite Joggers, one for the lovable Astromech droid R2-D2 and another for the foot soldiers of the Empire, Stormtroopers. Each pair comes accented with reflective details and namesake logos including a lace charm, a custom adidas stamp featuring the character, and associated crests found on the shoe’s upper heel. As a dope added bonus, the Stormtrooper colorway features, “OPEN THE BLAST DOORS” emblazoned on the heel guard.

Photo Credit: Adidas

The most iconoclastic of the bunch is the Princess Leia NMD. Rather than draw inspiration from the character’s classic A Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope outfit or her famous Hoth look, the shoe takes note from her Endor garb in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It features an earthy camo-esque print on the upper with gold accents on the sole and laces. It’s all drawn together with “HOPE” printed on the heel, that thing Rebellions are built on. This silhouette is exclusive to women’s sizes, as is the Rey NMD. This one comes in a clean tan with blue accents on the upper and the boost material in the sole. Its heel reads, “LIGHT. DARKNESS. A BALANCE.” If any guys out there are looking to pick one up despite the sizing, just make sure to buy a size and a half up from your normal size in men’s’ shoes.

Photo Credit: Adidas

Lastly, you can’t do a Star Wars line without shoes for Darth Vader. He’s joined by Jedi Master Yoda. These NMDs sport a monochromatic black upper and soles that feature their respective lightsaber colors of red and green. These are incorporated into the accents on each shoe as well. The Vader heel reads, “JOIN ME AND TOGETHER WE CAN RULE THE GALAXY,” while the Yoda colorway has (shocker) “DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY.”

Photo Credit: Adidas

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to close out the collaboration. All in all, it’s comprised of nearly twenty killer sneakers, so there are plenty of options for finding the right pair for you or the Star Wars sneakerhead in your life as the holidays draw near. For now, this is the end of adidas’ 2019 collaboration with Star Wars, but if anything else comes to light we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.

You can pick up the adidas Star Wars character pack on adidas’ website starting Dec. 2.

More on Geek.com:

• Adidas Unveils Full Star Wars Collection Lineup
• Star Wars x Adidas Basketball Shoe Collection Drops Next Month
• Star Wars x Adidas Ultraboost Photos Have Leaked

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