An anonymous reader quotes a report from Popular Science: On March 2, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost made history, becoming the first commercial lunar lander to successfully touchdown on the moon’s surface. The groundbreaking lander is wasting no time in getting to work. According to NASA, the joint public-private mission has already successfully demonstrated the ability to use Earth-based GPS signals on the lunar surface, marking a major step ahead of future Artemis missions. Accurate and reliable navigation will be vital for future astronauts as they travel across the moon, but traditional GPS tools aren’t much good when you’re around 225,000 miles from Earth. One solution could be transmitting data from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to the lunar surface in order to autonomously measure time, velocity, and position. That’s what mission engineers from NASA and the Italian Space Agency hoped to demonstrate through the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), one of the 10 projects packed aboard Blue Ghost. […]
“On Earth we can use GNSS signals to navigate in everything from smartphones to airplanes,” Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program, said in a statement. “Now, LuGRE shows us that we can successfully acquire and track GNSS signals at the Moon.” LuGRE relied on two GNSS constellations, GPS and Galileo, which triangulate positioning based on dozens of medium Earth orbit satellites that provide real-time tracking data. It performed its navigational fix at approximately 2 a.m. EST on March 3, while about 225,000 miles from Earth. Blue Ghost’s LuGRE system will continue collecting information over the next two weeks almost continuously while the lander’s other tools begin their own experiments.
The Fedora Project is excited to participate in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2025. This continues our commitment to fostering open-source contributions and mentoring new contributors.
Stratogun feels like a mix of Super Stardust Ultra and Geometry Wars, and we tried the PC VR demo before this month’s launch.
While the golden age of arcade shoot ’em ups was before my time, I’ve played considerable catch up over the years, counting Ikaruga, Gradius, Star Soldier, Sky Force Reloaded and Radiant Silvergun among my long-term favorites. In my search for modern takes on the classic genre, Numskull Games and Horsefly immediately caught my eye with Stratogun in last week’s Steam Next Fest.
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Pitched as a nostalgic flatscreen shoot ’em up, Stratogun sees you fighting enemies across spherical levels reminiscent of Super Stardust Ultra VR – sans the first person Invasion Mode, anyway. Using a wireframe neon-soaked aesthetic, I went hands-on with Stratogun’s VR supported demo for about 40 mins, using my Quest 3 via Virtual Desktop with an Xbox Series gamepad.
Let’s get one thing out of the way first; PC VR support doesn’t add a tremendous amount to the gameplay here. You’re viewing the action take place like you would on flatscreen platforms but with some added visual flair enhanced by VR’s sense of presence. It’s more of a nice bonus if you’ve already got a headset, one that complements the presentation.
For me, it’s enough that I’d prefer to use a VR headset compared to playing the flatscreen version. Watching visual effects appear around you after destroying targets is a small but welcome touch, and VR support lets me shut off the outside world to just focus on what’s in front of me. I’d argue this is the more enjoyable way to play.
Stratogun’s premise is straightforward, but that doesn’t make it any less intense. From asteroids to enemy traps, you’re tasked with shooting your way through these swarms and staying alive long enough to reach the area’s boss. The score multiplier provides a strong incentive to take defensive action as if you get hit, that multiplier immediately drops back to zero.
You’ll lose the score multiplier but this isn’t a one-hit kill scenario with extra lives. Your ship can withstand several attacks, helpfully indicating your health through color coordination by going from green to yellow to red before dying. This wouldn’t be the most visually accessible approach on its own, so I’m pleased your armor level is also highlighted on the left side through the UI.
Enemies and asteroids will often drop various power-ups, enhancing your ship’s weapons or providing bombs that helpfully destroy everything in close range. The last one is certainly useful in a pinch when you’re surrounded, though a limited supply saw me clutching onto those until the very end.
Screenshot taken by UploadVR on March 2, 2025.
It’s an engagingly fast-paced game that taps into that competitive arcade game well, one where a small mistake can cost you dearly. Reaching the first boss took several attempts and while I successfully beat it on my first go after getting there, the second area quickly defeated me before I reached another boss. Stratogun doesn’t adopt a roguelite approach where some upgrades permanently stay with you, it’s back to square one after being defeated.
As I continued playing, I could feel myself getting into the “one more try” mentality that’s only encouraged by the online leaderboards. Coming 25th on my best run left me feeling accomplished. This isn’t the most revolutionary idea but if you’re after some old-school thrills, Stratogun offers a fun time. Because PC VR support is limited, we probably won’t give this a full review at launch. Still, the shoot ’em up fan in me enjoyed what I’ve tried, and I’ll be back for the full game.
Stratogun launches this month on flatscreen platforms and PC VR. The VR supported Steam demo remains available on a separate store page.
As much money as Big Tech is sinking into generative AI, it’s no surprise to see more AI-powered tools materializing to valiantly assist you in spending your hard-earned cash. (Yay?) Snark aside, the shopping tools Google began rolling out on Wednesday might make it a bit easier to find the clothing and makeup you’d have been searching for anyway.
Vision Match
Google
Once a wee Google Labs experiment, Vision Match has graduated into the mainstream. The AI feature, which arrived for testers in 2023, lets you describe a garment you’re picturing in your own words and find the best available matches. If that sounds like “googling it with extra steps,” well, it is. But AI-generated images serve as a bridge between your words and the products you may eventually buy — one that hopefully produces results that better fit what you had in mind.
Say you’re looking for a specific piece of clothing you saw a stranger wearing in public. With Vision Match, describe the garment as vividly as possible (Google’s example: “colorful midi dress with big daisies”), and the Gemini-powered AI tool will then spit out a few images that fit the description. You can refine it from there if what you see doesn’t quite match. After you pick one, you’ll see real-world products you can order.
You can find Vision Match in a couple of places, but only on your smartphone. One option is to google the piece of clothing (like any other search term) and then scroll to the “Can’t find it? Create it” prompt in the results. You can also find it in the left-hand panel of the Google Shopping tab under “Create & shop.”
Expanded AR makeup
Google
Google’s AR beauty features let you “try on” makeup by showing a digital representation of it on your face in real time. Today, the company added the ability to sift through how multiple makeup products would look on you (rather than just one specific brand) when searching for terms like “spring makeup” or celebrity looks.
“For example, searching ‘soft glam’ might offer you a selection of neutral eyelash, a rosy blush and a subtle lip gloss, all applied virtually to your face,” Google explained.
You can try the expanded AR try-ons by tapping “See the looks on you” when searching for makeup trends or those inspired by celebrities or influencers.
Virtual try-on: Pants and skirts
Google
Finally, Google’s virtual try-on tool, which launched in 2023 with tops, now supports pants and skirts. Instead of showing an augmented real-time view of you, this feature shows how the clothing would look on models. Fortunately, they cover the entire human spectrum of shapes and sizes — from XXS to XXL.
“Whether you need flattering skinny jeans for a night out, a silk skirt for the office or comfortable linen pants for summer, finding the right style is only a few clicks away,” Google said.
You can try the feature by searching for specific pants or skirts on your mobile device or desktop. Look for results that include a “try on” badge. From there, you can choose the model that looks the most like you (or the person you’re shopping for) to get a clearer picture of how it might look when it arrives at your door.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-stuffs-even-more-ai-tools-into-online-shopping-120026444.html?src=rss
One thing Shadowveil: Legend of the Five Rings does well is invoke terror. Not just the terror of an overwhelming mass of dark energy encroaching on your fortress, which is what the story suggests. Moreso, the terror of hoping your little computer-controlled fighters will do the smart thing, then being forced to watch, helpless, as they are consumed by algorithmic choices, bad luck, your strategies, or some combination of all three.
Shadowveil, the first video game based on the more than 30-year-old Legend of the Five Rings fantasy franchise, is a roguelite auto-battler. You pick your Crab Clan hero (berserker hammer-wielder or tactical support type), train up some soldiers, and assign all of them abilities, items, and buffs you earn as you go. When battle starts, you choose which hex to start your fighters on, double-check your load-outs, then click to start and watch what happens. You win and march on, or you lose and regroup at base camp, buying some upgrades with your last run’s goods.
Shadowveil: Legend of the Five Rings launch trailer.
In my impressions after roughly seven hours of playing, Shadowveil could do more to soften its learning curve, but it presents a mostly satisfying mix of overwhelming odds and achievement. What’s irksome now could get patched, and what’s already there is intriguing, especially for the price.
In addition to Vulkan-powered AI / machine learning talks at last month’s Vulkanised 2025 conference, another interesting topic at this annual Vulkan developer conference was around improving the Vulkan API and making it easier for new developers and maximizing the potential with new GPU hardware…
A new Apple Immersive Video releasing in April will see Joe Buck give viewers a tour of Yankee Stadium before and during a Friday Night Baseball game.
VIP: Yankee Stadium will be hosted by veteran sportscaster Joe Buck, and the game is a June 2024 matchup between the New York Yankees and their “longtime rivals” (I’m told), the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What Is Apple Immersive Video?
The Apple Immersive Video format is 180-degree video with 8K per-eye resolution, 90FPS, stereoscopic 3D, high dynamic range (HDR), and spatial audio. It’s served in the Apple TV app with higher bitrate than many other immersive video platforms.
We highly praised Apple Immersive Video in our Vision Pro review. It’s not possible to cast or record Apple Immersive Video though, so you’ll have to take our word for it unless you have access to a Vision Pro.
“From early morning prep scenes to a tense nighttime finale, viewers will go far beyond the front row — with an all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary,” Apple says.
The announcement comes a week after Apple announced Bono: Stories Of Surrender, a documentary releasing in May which will be the first feature-length Apple Immersive Video.
While some baseball watchers (and particularly Yankees fans) with an Apple Vision Pro will likely enjoy the experience, that it will involve a match from 10 months ago will disappoint others. It’s a similar situation to the Super Bowl LVIII Highlights and 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend Apple Immersive Videos. What sports fans are really waiting for is the ability to watch games live in immersive video, as they can for NBA games on Quest but in 3D. But streaming high-bitrate immersive video is a significantly more challenging proposition than preproducing it. Can Apple deliver this any time soon?
The FreeDesktop.org GitLab instance that is heavily relied upon for the development of the Mesa graphics drivers, Wayland, and many other Linux desktop projects will be down for up to one week later this month due to its cloud migration…
Linux already supports a number of XP-Pen drawing tablets while the upcoming Linux 6.15 kernel is set to include support for another one: the XP-Pen Artist Pro 19. This XP-Pen Artist Pro 19 is a big, 4K resolution display drawing tablet that retails for nearly $800 USD and features dual stylus, 16K pressure levels, and a nice display for this 19-inch drawing surface…
Sven Peter continues work on upstreaming more of the Apple SoC support to the mainline Linux kernel. On the DeviceTree side following the DT support for Apple T2 SoCs sent out last month, another set of updates were submitted this week ahead of the Linux 6.15 merge window…
WS_FTP Professional is a secure FTP client that provides reliable and secure transfer of critical files. We recommend the best free and open source alternatives.
Volvo has officially launched the ES90, the fully electrified version of its S60 sedan. While the vehicle can technically be considered a sedan, Volvo says it has the “adaptability of a fastback, and the spacious interior and higher ground clearance associated with SUVs.” It’s the first Volvo EV with an 800-volt system, which promises faster charging times. Since Volvo’s 800-volt technology uses lighter components to reduce the vehicle’s overall weight, it could also lead to a longer range and better acceleration.
For the ES90, specifically, Volvo promises a driving range of 700 kilometers or 435 miles, though the official EPA range could be shorter. When plugged into a 350 kW fast charger, the model can add 300 kilometers (186 miles) of range in just 10 minutes, and its 106 kWh battery can go from 10 to 80 percent full in just 20 minutes. All the vehicle’s variants have a top speed of 112 mph, but the Twin Motor Performance (all-wheel drive) version has the fastest acceleration and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
The ES90 was built on top of the Volvo Cars Superset tech stack, just like the EX90 SUV. That’s a single set of hardware and software that will serve as the base for all of Volvo’s electric vehicles and will make it possible to simultaneously roll out over-the-air updates for all its EVs as needed. ES90, however, is the first Volvo model to be powered by dual NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin configuration, which the company’s chief engineering and technology officer says makes it the “most powerful car [Volvo has] ever created in terms of core computing capacity.”
Volvo gave the ES90 a slightly raised ride height and its Thor’s Hammer headlight design, along with its new C-shaped LED rear lamps. It also equipped the vehicle with an array of sensors that include one lidar, five radars, seven cameras and twelve ultrasonic sensors for its active safety systems that can help drivers avoid collision and hazards. Inside, owners can individually fold down its three rear seats for more space. And while the panoramic roof provides 99.9 percent UV protection, buyers can choose the electrochromic version that will allow them to darken the glass and reduce glare at the touch of a button. Owners can access the model’s infotainment system on its 14.5-inch center screen display, which comes with built-in Google apps, including Maps and Assistant.
Interested buyers can now order the ES90 in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Volvo will release it in more markets later this year and into 2026.
Volvo
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvo-reveals-its-es90-ev-with-an-800-volt-charging-system-101006882.html?src=rss
Astrea, the studio and publisher behind a host of VR narrative experiences, including Spheres, Astra, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom, has released an interactive VR experience on Quest and PC VR headsets that lets you embody passengers on a train, and help them face pivotal moments in their lives.
Called The Passengers, the four chapter, 40-minute interactive experience allows you to become one of four characters, experiencing their internal monologues and interacting with the environment with both your hands and voice.
Developed by Canada-based studio Couzin Films and France-based Les Produits Frais, The Passengers tells each story with a variety of styles, offering different visuals such as oil paint, watercolor, pencil, colored pencils, and immersive video.
“In this experience, you can be each one of the four passengers who all have their own personal quest. The course of each story is affected according to what they say, where they look, and what they do with their hands. You are one deciding all of that. The characters were created by volumetrically scanning the four actors. They were then rigged and animated through motion capture.”
While The Passengers is new to consumer headsets, it’s actually been on the international festival circuit since 2021 shortly after its completion.
The experience won the Best Immersive Experience – Fiction award at the Canadian Screen Awards (2022), and was selected as a finalist at the Prix Gémeaux (2022), Prix Numix (2021) and the VR Experience of the Year at the VR Awards (2021).
You can find The Passengers on the Horizon Store for Quest 2 and above, and Steam for PC VR headsets, priced at $5.
The MacBook Air and Pro are great all-in-one computers. The excellent trackpad and keyboard on the latest MacBook Air is part of why we named it the best laptop you can buy. The bright screen and long lasting battery on the Pro model helped it earn a high score of 92 in our review. But to really get the most out of a MacBook, we recommend adding a few accessories — both for your stay-put command center and your on-the-go setup. External keyboards and mice can improve your ergonomics, a webcam can enhance your video calls and a docking station lets you connect more than the built-in ports will allow. Here are the best MacBook accessories we’ve used that may work for you too.
Best MacBook accessories for 2025
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-macbook-accessories-150014737.html?src=rss
Australian company Cortical Labs has launched the CL1, the world’s first commercial “biological computer” that merges human brain cells with silicon hardware to form adaptable, energy-efficient neural networks. New Atlas reports: Known as a Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI), Cortical’s CL1 system was officially launched in Barcelona on March 2, 2025, and is expected to be a game-changer for science and medical research. The human-cell neural networks that form on the silicon “chip” are essentially an ever-evolving organic computer, and the engineers behind it say it learns so quickly and flexibly that it completely outpaces the silicon-based AI chips used to train existing large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT.
“Today is the culmination of a vision that has powered Cortical Labs for almost six years,” said Cortical founder and CEO Dr Hon Weng Chong. “We’ve enjoyed a series of critical breakthroughs in recent years, most notably our research in the journal Neuron, through which cultures were embedded in a simulated game-world, and were provided with electrophysiological stimulation and recording to mimic the arcade game Pong. However, our long-term mission has been to democratize this technology, making it accessible to researchers without specialized hardware and software. The CL1 is the realization of that mission.” He added that while this is a groundbreaking step forward, the full extent of the SBI system won’t be seen until it’s in users’ hands.
“We’re offering ‘Wetware-as-a-Service’ (WaaS),” he added — customers will be able to buy the CL-1 biocomputer outright, or simply buy time on the chips, accessing them remotely to work with the cultured cell technology via the cloud. “This platform will enable the millions of researchers, innovators and big-thinkers around the world to turn the CL1’s potential into tangible, real-word impact. We’ll provide the platform and support for them to invest in R&D and drive new breakthroughs and research.” These remarkable brain-cell biocomputers could revolutionize everything from drug discovery and clinical testing to how robotic “intelligence” is built, allowing unlimited personalization depending on need. The CL1, which will be widely available in the second half of 2025, is an enormous achievement for Cortical — and as New Atlas saw recently with a visit to the company’s Melbourne headquarters — the potential here is much more far-reaching than Pong. […]
