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The Polaris Dawn crew safely returned to Earth early Sunday morning, bringing the historic privately funded mission to a close. The Dragon capsule carrying the missions four astronauts Jared Isaacman, Scott Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico around 3:30AM ET. Splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth, @rookisaacman, @kiddpoteet, @Gillis_SarahE, @annawmenon pic.twitter.com/nILpMQh2sR SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 15, 2024 On Thursday, Isaacman and Gillis completed the first commercial spacewalk, each taking a turn to exit the craft and perform a series of spacesuit mobility tests. And with this mission, Gillis and Menon have now traveled farther from Earth than any women before. Polaris reached a peak altitude of about 870 miles, which is also the farthest any humans have ventured since the Apollo program. The crew also performed a number of science experiments, and was able to complete a 40-minute video call to Earth and send files in a major test for Starlinks space communications capabilities. That included a video recorded during the mission of Gillis, an engineer and violinist, playing the violin in space. A new era of commercial spaceflight dawns, with much more to come, Polaris posted on X Sunday morning. HARMONY OF RESILIENCE: Recorded in space and sent to Earth via @SpaceXs @Starlink constellation, Polaris Dawn crewmember and violinist @Gillis_SarahE invites you to enjoy this music moment in support of @StJude & @ElSistemaUSA https://t.co/My8cUwAWzg pic.twitter.com/OoxTllCZNP Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 13, 2024 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-polaris-dawn-crew-is-back-on-earth-after-a-historic-mission-142028997.html?src=rss
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Apple's high-end earbuds will be able to be used a full-on hearing aids. Apple Could Apple really be teeing up a change that could save my elderly mother more than $1,500? Thats the promise of the companys newly announced initiative to add true hearing aid functionality to the AirPods Pro and why, with all due respect to the iPhone 16 and its fancy Camera Control button, it was the most promising section of Mondays keynote, to my eyes. The news couldnt have come at a better time for me. My 80-year-old mother has finally admitted that her hearing is, shall we say, subpar. And she just asked me to book her an appointment at the Miracle Ear clinic down the street (Theyre having a fall sale!). But before I went down that road, I decided to do some research. The frustrating world of hearing aids I knew that there was a burgeoning market for hearing aids since the US government opened the field to over-the-counter competition in 2022. But a bit of googling confirmed that those models even those with familiar names, like Jabra, Sony and Sennheiser start at $300 and go north from there, sometimes topping $2,000. And while thats certainly a lot, the crazy thing is that its downright cheap compared to clinical hearing aids. Those often start at $1,000, and can go as high as $5,000 or more. Yes, really. Some medical insurance may defer costs, but Medicare doesnt. While retired military personnel can get hearing aids through the VA, I remember my fathers journey down that path meant that his hearing aids arrived many months after the initial hearing exam. Jabra Enhance's OTC hearing aid options top out at almost $2,000. Jabra Enhance And heres the clincher: Many elderly folks seem to loathe their hearing aids, and for good reason: Theyre generally tedious and unintuitive to use, sometimes with a single microscopic button to control volume. Want to turn them off? Pop open the battery cover, for starters. (And many hearing aids still use disposable microbatteries.) Case in point: My mother got one of these expensive pair of hearing aids years ago, but found the challenge of wearing and maintaining them wasnt worth the so-so audio improvement they offered. They still power on, but they dont seem to work effectively any more and being out of warranty, the cause of our current hearing aid search. The competition from the OTC market has helped in that regard, as the Jabras and Sennheisers of the world push the traditional hearing aid providers to become a bit more tech-savvy. Some eschew the behind-the-ear battery pack and go for earbud-style simplicity. Bluetooth connectivity for calls and apps for sound adjustments are finally more common, as older people become accustomed to using their phones and tablets. But why go for whats essentially an AirPods knockoff when you can get the real thing at a fraction of the price? (And amazingly, in an age where everything has gone the subscription route free of any sort of recurring monthly fees.) Waiting for the software update and managing expectations So, when will the hearing aid features become available? What seemed to be weeks away may now be much closer. FDA regulatory signoff (in the US) is already a done deal, arriving just a few days after the initial announcement. That leaves the requisite software upgrade. Youll need an AirPods Pro paired with a compatible device running iOS 18, or the equivalent 2024 OS updates for iPad or Mac. On the iPhone side, thats pretty much every model sold after the 2018 model year (iPhone XS/XR and later). While those initial software updates hit on September 16, its unclear if the hearing aid functionality will arrive then, or sometime later perhaps alongside the first Apple Intelligence coming in October. (Apples site simply says coming this fall.) In the meantime, Ive started the upsell to my mother. I showed her the relevant portion of Apples video presentation, and I had her try out my AirPods Pro, just to gauge fit and comfort. The initial response wasnt enthusiastic. While she liked that they didnt fall out of my ears like the AirPods 2, shes put off by the penetration of the eartips into her ear canal. Countless other headphone fans agree, and thats why the design of the new AirPods 4 is more open. But Apple hasnt suggested the hearing aid functionality is coming to those headphones anytime soon if ever. Unlike traditional hearing aids, AirPods Pro are anything but discreet. (This shot is from Apple's keynote video.) Apple And lets be honest: This isnt envisioned as a miracle cure. Apple specifically says this feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. I wouldnt be surprised if my mother has graduated to the need for pro-level hearing assistance at this point, over-the-counter or otherwise. So we may end up opting for one of those Jabra Enhance models, which offer a 100-day no-hassle return policy. But now we have the AirPods Pro as a testable alternative. Going forward, anyone in the market for hearing aids can start their journey with the AirPods Pro and its companion free audio test. If you like the results, youre done or you at least have a stopgap solution. And if not, you can compare and contrast them against pricier OTC or clinical options in terms of comfort, battery life, ease of use and of course the respective efficacy of their actual hearing assistance. The very fact that Apple is in the hearing aid conversation with a $200-ish option feels like a win. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/why-the-airpods-pros-new-hearing-aid-features-are-a-bigger-deal-than-you-think-111543985.html?src=rss
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A new, $26 solderless mod kit from 8BitDo can transform your old GameCube controller into a wireless Bluetooth device that works with Nintendo Switch and Android. Itll also work with the original GameCube, but for that, youll have to buy the $26 Retro Receiver too. The mod kit comes with Hall Effect joysticks, a trigger pack and a rechargeable 300mAh battery, which 8BitDo says should get you around 6 hours of play time. Pre-orders for the kit are now open, and itll ship September 25. Introducing the 8BitDo Mod Kit for Original NGC Controller. Easily modify your original wired NGC controller into a Bluetooth controller, bring wireless compatibility with Switch and Android. Including Hall Effect joysticks and the Trigger Pack.Pre-oder on eShop now: pic.twitter.com/oeEUq4WRlP 8BitDo (@8BitDo) September 14, 2024 There are numerous adapters on the market that will allow you to use an original wired GameCube controller with the Switch, including 8BitDos own GBros. adapter and an official one from Nintendo, but the mod kit cuts out the middleman to bring completely wireless Bluetooth connectivity. All youd need to do is open up the controller and swap the old PCB with the new one. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/8bitdos-latest-mod-kit-will-make-your-old-gamecube-controller-wireless-and-switch-compatible-214235096.html?src=rss
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