Technology

Boom Supersonic, an aviation startup, unveiled today a full-scale demonstrator of a supersonic passenger jet that aims to be the next-generation Concorde. The XB-1 demonstrator won’t take flight until 2021, but Boom unveiled the prototype to a group of aviation and aerospace executives at Centennial Airport in Denver. At 71 feet long, the XB-1 is a scaled-down version of the full production model that Boom hopes to have ready for passengers by 2029. The prototype only has room for the pilot, while the commercial-ready version will eventually hold up to 44 passengers. Boom aims to start testing the XB-1 next year. The demonstrator is expected to reach speeds of Mach 1.3, thanks to its three J85-15 engines, which are manufactured by General Electric, primarily for military aircraft. Boom is ...

Cows with tummy troubles could be a big problem for the climate, a new study finds. That’s because cattle and other livestock with worms and other parasites produce more of the super potent greenhouse gas, methane, than healthy animals. Methane is 28 to 36 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to heating up the planet. The amount of methane coming from cattle and other livestock was estimated to grow 20 percent from 2017 to 2050 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. But when parasitic worm infections are taken into consideration, the increase in methane could jump as high as 82 percent, according to a new paper published today in Trends in Ecology & Evolution. A dangerous feedback loop That’s a large discrepancy, especially given how much domesticated...

The company behind the $399 Nuraphone Bluetooth hearing-correcting headphones have made a new gaming microphone accessory that effectively makes the wireless headphones wired. The microphone costs $49.99 — on top of the somewhat steep cost for the Nuraphone. However, it allows the headphones to plug into anything that accepts a 3.5mm jack, so they can be used with PCs, Macs, mobile devices, the Nintendo Switch, and modern console controllers. The microphone attachment is as simple as it sounds. The flexible boom microphone attaches to a proprietary port on the bottom of the Nuraphone’s right earcup, which means you can’t use it with any other set of headphones. Part of the way down the long cord there’s an inline remote with volume controls and a mic mute switch. Once it’s plugged in (and ...

Samsung’s One UI 3.0 update, which incorporates Android 11’s new features alongside some Samsung-specific improvements, has started rolling out in public beta in the US, SamMobile reports. The software is reportedly available for the T-Mobile variants of Samsung’s Galaxy S20 lineup, including the standard S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra, though the rollout should expand in the hours and days ahead. If you’ve got a supported device, you can enroll in the beta via the Samsung Members app. Thanks to the earlier developer beta release, we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from One UI 3.0. There are minor UI tweaks like being able to touch and hold an app to quickly access its widgets, or double-tapping the home screen to turn off the phone’s display. A full list of these Samsung-s...

Virtual reality startup Virtuix is building a VR treadmill for your home. The Omni One is an elaborate full-body controller that lets you physically run, jump, and crouch in place. Following an earlier business- and arcade-focused device, it’s supposed to ship in mid-2021 for $1,995, and Virtuix is announcing the product with a crowdfunding investment campaign. The crowdfunded Virtuix Omni started development in 2013. It’s not a traditional treadmill — it’s a low-friction platform that’s used with special low-friction shows or shoe covers and a harness. (You may remember the overall VR treadmill concept from Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.) As an Omni One prototype video demonstrates, the device basically holds you in place while your feet slide across the platform, and that movement ...

Netflix is testing a feature that I am referring to as a “sick day function” — an option to turn off that pesky pop-up that appears after watching three episodes in a row of something to ask if you’re still watching. The new feature looks like it’s been in testing for a while in certain regions, and a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to The Verge today that the feature is still in testing mode. Over the recent weeks, however, excitement over the feature has hit Twitter and TikTok. It is exciting! A box appears that asks if you’re still watching or if you want to “play without asking again.” Hypothetically, if you’re in the middle of rewatching Supernatural and don’t want Netflix to interrupt you every three episodes, hitting “play without asking again” will allow you to binge to your heart’s...

Nintendo has announced that its first theme park area will belatedly open at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka next spring. Super Nintendo World was originally planned to open before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but the date was pushed back along with the Games themselves due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Separately, Nintendo will also open a themed cafe and store at Universal Studio Japan’s Hollywood area next week. Here’s what they’ll look like outside and in: Here are some of the items you’ll find on the cafe’s menu, including Mario and Luigi-themed pancake sandwiches, a Super Mushroom drink in a tropical bottle, and mustachioed fruit cream sodas: And here’s some of the merchandise on sale at the store, including a T-shirt, a pouch, and a cushion: The cafe and store will be open from O...

The House Judiciary Committee has released its conclusions on whether Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google are violating antitrust law. Its 449-page report criticizes these companies for buying competitors, preferencing their own services, and holding outsized power over smaller businesses that use their platforms. “Our investigation revealed an alarming pattern of business practices that degrade competition and stifle innovation,” said committee member Val Demings (D-FL). “Competition must reward the best idea, not the biggest corporate account. We will take steps necessary to hold rulebreakers accountable.” The majority’s report lays out a number of concrete policy recommendations, which, taken together, would drastically change how the tech industry operates. It urges Congress to conside...

YouTube has changed the way it tests new features: it’s now allowing its Premium subscribers access to experimental products in the development pipeline, according to XDA-Developers. Previously, those features were tested by Google users picked at random to beta test. Currently, the new features available for Premium subscribers to test include watching videos with sound and seeking on your YouTube homepage on iOS; voice searching for YouTube videos on-site (only on Chrome); and filtering by topic in additional languages. The language at the top of YouTube’s experimental features page also says that Premium members can only access these features for a limited time. YouTube Premium costs $11.99 a month, and it also gives you ad-free viewing, background play, and access to YouTube Music, amo...

You can’t fly a drone at night. You can’t fly a drone over people. You need to be able to see it with your naked eye at all times — or have a dedicated observer who can. These rules exist to keep dumb drones (and reckless pilots) from crashing into people, property, and other aircraft in the skies. But what happens when drones get smarter, and can dodge obstacles on their own? That’s the kind of drone that Skydio builds, and it appears to be successfully convincing the FAA to create exceptions to that naked-eye, Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) rule. This week, the FAA granted the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) a blanket waiver to fly Skydio drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) to inspect any bridge, anywhere across the state, for four whole years. They primarily need...

The votes are in for Katmai National Park’s annual Fat Bear Week tournament and 747 is the champion! There couldn’t have been a more epic matchup than the championship face-off between two aptly named bears: 747 and Chunk, aka Bear 32. In the end, 747 pulled ahead with more than 47,300 votes compared to Chunk’s roughly 21,900 votes. The annual elimination tournament began in 2014 as a way to celebrate how fat and healthy the park’s bears are. Katmai is one of the most famous places for bear watching in Alaska. Visitors to the park and its Bear Cam webpage can watch the bears splash around in the Brooks River and binge on migrating sockeye salmon. Competition aside, the bears are on a mission to consume enough calories to last them throughout the long winter ahead, when they might hibernate...

Arlo has announced two new security cameras: the Pro 4 Wire-Free Spotlight Camera and the Ultra 2 Wire-Free Spotlight Camera System. You can preorder both cameras now; the Pro 4 starts at $199.99 and the Ultra 2 starts at $299.99. Both cameras are wire-free. That makes them easier to set up and more convenient to place than many other cameras, since you’re not limited by the location of your outlets. The Arlo Pro 4 connects directly to Wi-Fi — no smart home hub required. It produces 2K video with HDR, color night vision, and a 160-degree viewing angle. It also comes with a built-in spotlight to illuminate intruders, a siren, and two-way audio to communicate with guests. The Arlo Pro 4 with the spotlight on.Image: Arlo It can be placed indoors or outdoors, and Arlo says the removable batter...