Tech trends 2020: New spacecraft and bendy screens

If your ambition is to fly into space - and you've got plenty of spare cash - then 2020 could be an exciting year.

If space travel is not really your thing, but you would like a much bigger screen on your mobile phone, then 2020 might also have some tech for you.

But if you think there are already too many phones out there and the technology industry needs to be less wasteful, well some tech companies might catch up with your thinking.

Here's a little taster of what might be coming in the next twelve months.

Crewed space missions
2020 is going to be a "pivotal year" for space travel, according to Guy Norris, a senior editor at Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Since Nasa retired the Space Shuttle in 2011, the US has relied on Russian spacecraft to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.

That could all change in 2020 when, if all goes to plan, two US-built spacecraft should start carrying crew.

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, which can carry up to seven astronauts into orbit, is due for its first test flight today before the first manned flight, likely to be in 2020.

Meanwhile the SpaceX Dragon capsule will go through some final tests in early 2020, and if they all go well then it too would be ready for a crewed mission.

Rep. Katie Hill, freshman targeted by revenge porn, resigns with a blast at Trump

During her final speech on the House floor Thursday, Rep. Katie Hill apologized for actions that led to her resignation while also boasting that her last vote as a member of Congress was in favor of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

“I wanted to show young people, queer people, working people, imperfect people that they belong here, because this is the people’s house. I fell short of that and I’m sorry. To every young person who saw themselves and their dreams reflected in me, I’m sorry. To those who felt like I gave them hope in one of the darkest times in our nation’s history, I’m sorry. To my family, my friends, my staff, my colleagues, my mentors, to everyone who’s supported and believed in me, I’m sorry.”

She continued: “And to every little girl who looked up to me, I hope that one day you can forgive me.”

Days earlier, the first-term California lawmaker had announced her resignation after nude photos of her were leaked to media outlets amid allegations of an improper sexual relationship with a subordinate.

While Hill admitted to a relationship with a female campaign staffer during the final years of what she called an “abusive marriage,” she denied having a relationship with a congressional aide — a more serious charge that would constitute a violation of House ethics rules.

US Air Force's mysterious space plane lands after record 780 days in orbit

The US Air Force's X-37B space plane landed Sunday back on Earth after spending 780 days in orbit, the longest mission in the mysterious military test program's history.

The uncrewed plane, which looks like a small space shuttle, conducted in-orbit experiments that could then be brought back to Earth for examination, according to the Air Force.
The exact details of these experiments are a closely guarded secret. In a statement, the Air Force only revealed that the program "performs risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies."
This is the fifth X-37B space plane to be launched into orbit over the past decade, with each flight longer than its predecessor.
"Our team has been preparing for this event, and I am extremely proud to see their hard work and dedication culminate in today's safe and successful landing of the X-37B," said Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess in the statement released Sunday.
Each mission has been highly secretive, leading to public speculation that the planes could be used for spying activity or testing space weapons.

China Is Building 'The Mother of All Bombs

what do we know about China’s big bomb? Not much, and what there is may be mere hype.

China has joined the “Mother of All Bombs” club.

A Chinese arms maker has unveiled a weapon similar to America’s GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB (hence the nickname “Mother of All Bombs”). The Chinese version was dropped from an H-6K bomber, the Chinese version of the 1950s Soviet Tu-16 aircraft.

Photographs on China’s state-owned Global Times news site showed earlier in the year what appeared to be a large bomb falling from a bomb bay, and then a large explosion. Chinese military analyst Wei Dongxu told Global Times that based on photographic evidence and the size of the H-6K’s bomb bay, the bomb was five to six meters long (16.4 to 19.7 feet long). Chinese media also suggested that the bomb weighed several tons, and was so big that the H-6K could only carry one.

El Chapo: Mexican president says police 'did right' to free drug lord's son

When Ovidio Guzmán López was seized at a house on a judge's warrant in the city of Culiacán, cartel gunmen fought street battles with security forces.

At least eight people were killed and 16 wounded, the authorities say, with vehicles left burning in the streets.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the decision to cancel the arrest on Thursday had saved lives.

Senior security officials had decided on his release, the president said at a news conference. "The officials who took this decision did well," he said.

"The capture of a criminal is not worth more than people's lives."



lawyer for the Guzmán family appeared before journalists and described the president as "human" and "Christian". He had decided "not to cause Ovidio harm", Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza said.

There was no negotiation to free him, he added.

Mayor in Mexico tied to a truck and dragged through streets for ‘failing to fulfill campaign promises’

Angry farmers in Mexico abducted the mayor of their village and dragged him through the streets after claiming he went back on key campaign promises.

Police intervened to free Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández, who suffered no major injuries after the ordeal.

A group of protesters armed with clubs and rocks detained the mayor of Las Margaritas and tied him to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him through the streets, according to local news website El Heraldo de Mexico.

Footage of the attack shows the man being dragged along a road, with a mob running after him.

Related Video: U.S. Border Agent Dies on Patrol Near Mexico/Arizona Border
It was the second attack by farmers demanding that he fulfil his campaign promise to repair a local road and bring drinking water and electricity to the community of roughly 500.

In an earlier incident four months ago, a group of men ransacked his office after turning up there and finding it empty.

Hypersonic 'space plane' promises four-hour London to Sydney flights by 2030s

 


Flight times from London to Sydney could be 80% shorter by the 2030s, should a hypersonic rocket engine being developed in the UK get off the ground. The UK Space Agency announced Tuesday at the UK Space Conference 2019 that it would be working more closely with the Australian Space Agency in an agreement dubbed a "world-first Space Bridge." The Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) engine, from Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines, looks to be the jewel in the crown of this new enterprise. "When we have brought the SABRE rocket engine to fruition, that may enable us to get to Australia in perhaps as little as four hours," said Graham Turnock, head of the UK Space Agency. "This is technology that could definitely deliver that.

We're talking the 2030s for operational service, and the work is already very advanced." Fans of supersonic flight have been yearning for a new way to break the sound barrier ever since Concorde stopped flying in 2003. In April 2019, Reaction Engines announced successful tests of a precooler, simulating conditions at Mach 3.3, or more than three times the speed of sound. That's more than 50% faster than the cruising speed of Concorde -- which used to make the journey between New York and Paris in around 3.5 hours -- and matches the speed record of the fastest jet aircraft ever made, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The precooler tests took place at a testing facility at the Colorado Air and Space Port in the United States. At such high speeds, air flowing through the engine can reach incredibly high temperatures, which can potentially cause damage.

How a routine training flight ended with 6 Marines killed in a tragic midair collision and 4 officers out of a job

The Marine Corps has finally finished investigating a midair collision off the coast of Japan that killed six Marines in December.

The collision of an F/A-18D Hornet and KC-130J Super Hercules was caused by an inexperienced fighter pilot who conducted an unusual maneuver, hitting the back end of the tanker aircraft during nighttime refueling operations.

But there were other issues, as the investigation also called attention to inadequate oversight of training and operations by squadron leadership and an unprofessional command climate within the squadron.

In the wake of the incident, the commanding officer, the executive officer, the operations officer, and the aviation safety officer were all relieved of their duties.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Six Marines lost their lives in a tragic midair collision last December, and an investigation revealed a series of problems that resulted in the unfortunate incident.

A bank mistakenly put $120,000 into a couple's account. They spent it, police say

A Pennsylvania couple is facing felony theft charges after their bank accidentally put $120,000 in their account, and the couple spent most of it instead of contacting the bank, police said.

Robert and Tiffany Williams of Montoursville are also facing overdraft fees from the bank of about $107,000, according to the criminal complaint filed in the Lycoming County magisterial district court.
In an interview with law enforcement, Tiffany Williams said the money was spent on an SUV, a camper, two four wheelers and a car trailer, among other things, according to an affidavit.
The bank error occurred May 31 when a customer in Georgia made a deposit of $120,000, and the BB&T Bank teller entered a wrong account number. When the customer contacted the bank to ask about the missing deposit, investigators discovered the funds had gone into the Williams' joint account, the affidavit said.
"While we can't comment on the specifics of this issue due to client privacy practices, we always work as quickly as possible to address any issue that affects our clients," Brian Davis, a spokesman for BB&T, told CNN in a statement.
"We're also continuously working to enhance our client service and operating procedures to provide the best client experience possible."

Top Fashion Trends: Sunglasses/Prescription you need in 2019

You don’t need a blazing sun to wear sunglasses, but it’s an incentive, and with summer just around the corner, it’s time you up your game with the hottest sunglasses of the moment.
Don’t worry, Jupitoo have a wide range of runaway approved shades and rounded up the latest sunglasses trends for you to try on. From circular to square, vintage to modern, and neutral to bright colored, the Spring/Summer collections have them all.


Sunglasses are arguably the one item that can make or break your entire summer wardrobe. Think about it: If you've settled on the perfect pair that makes a statement but still somehow goes with everything, it will take your look from zero to 100 in an instant. But on the other hand, make the mistake of leaving it at home, and your outfit can never really live its best life.

Inside dark underbelly of Las Vegas where Pornhub star Jenni Lee battles to survive in deadly flood tunnels with 1,000 homeless ‘mole’

THE Las Vegas strip is the ultimate in glittering excess, with glaring neon lights, headline shows and millions being gambled in the luxurious casinos. But just 25ft below the roulette tables of Sin City lurks a hidden world where hundreds of homeless people fight for survival in a network of underground tunnels. The grim underbelly of the Nevada gambling mecca was revealed this week, when Dutch documentary workers discovered Pornhub star Jenni Lee living in the dank storm drains.




 It’s estimated around 1000 homeless eke out an existence below the strip, living on food rescued from bins and the odd cash handout from jubilant gamblers who struck lucky. Residents - dubbed 'mole people' - range from full-time workers, unable to afford housing in the cash-rich city, to gambling addicts and drug addicts, who occupy three separate tunnels depending on whether they prefer crack, meth or heroin.

Khachaturyan sisters who killed father touch Russian hearts

In July 2018 three teenage sisters stabbed and battered their father to death in his sleep, in their Moscow flat.

Investigators have confirmed the girls' father abused them physically and psychologically for years.

Charged with murder, the sisters and what should happen to them have become one of the hottest topics of debate in Russia and more than 300,000 people have signed a petition calling for their release.

What happened to the father?
On the evening of 27 July 2018 Mikhail Khachaturyan, 57, summoned Krestina, Angelina and Maria, who was a minor at the time, one by one to his room. He scolded them for not cleaning the flat properly and sprayed pepper gas in their faces.

Soon afterwards, when he had fallen asleep, the girls attacked him with a knife, hammer and pepper spray, inflicting fatal wounds to his head, neck and chest. He was found to have more than 30 knife wounds.

The young women then called the police and were arrested at the scene.

The investigation soon uncovered an extensive history of violence in the family. Khachaturyan had regularly beaten his daughters over three years, torturing them, keeping them as prisoners and sexually abusing them.

That evidence against their father is cited in their indictments.

The Matrix 4 confirmed with Keanu Reeves and more key players returning

They aren't just rumours anymore – The Matrix 4 is happening! And not just in the matrix.

It was announced on Tuesday (August 20) that Lana Wachowski is on board to write and direct a fourth movie set in the world of The Matrix, reports Variety.

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are confirmed to be back, reprising their iconic roles as Neo and Trinity respectively. More casting announcements will be made in due course.

Trinity in The Matrix
WARNER BROS.
Warner Bros Studios boss Toby Emmerich said: "We could not be more excited to be re-entering The Matrix with Lana.

"Lana is a true visionary – a singular and original creative filmmaker – and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in The Matrix universe."


Lana is currently adapting concepts she previously developed with sister Lilly Wachowski for a new screenplay in collaboration with The Lazarus Project author Aleksandar Hemon and writer David Mitchell.

De Niro's company sues ex-employee for $6m for embezzlement and Netflix bingeing

Chase Robinson, who until recently held a senior role in Robert De Niro’s film production company, has been sued by her employer for $6m.

According to Variety, who have seen papers filed in a state court on Saturday, Robinson – whose most recent position was vice-president of production and finance at Canal Productions – is accused of embezzling money and wasting time during office hours watching television shows.

The suit states that Robinson, who left the company in April on a $300,000 annual salary amid growing concerns of “corporate sabotage”, abused expense accounts to pay restaurant and hotel bills and used millions of De Niro’s own frequent flyer miles for personal trips.

It continues to allege that Robinson wasted “astronomical amounts of time” watching Netflix during work hours, including 55 episodes of Friends during one four-day period in January. Another four-day period saw her view 20 episodes of Arrested Development and 10 of Schitt’s Creek.

The suit states: “Watching shows on Netflix was not in any way part of or related to the duties and responsibilities of Robinson’s employment and, on information and belief, was done for her personal entertainment, amusement and pleasure at times when she was being paid to work.”

Don’t Burn Trees to Fight Climate Change—Let Them Grow

Of all the solutions to climate change, ones that involve trees make people the happiest. Earlier this year, when a Swiss study announced that planting 1.2 trillion trees might cancel out a decade’s worth of carbon emissions, people swooned (at least on Twitter). And last month, when Ethiopian officials announced that twenty-three million of their citizens had planted three hundred and fifty million trees in a single day, the swooning intensified. Someone tweeted, “This should be like the ice bucket challenge thing.”

So it may surprise you to learn that, at the moment, the main way in which the world employs trees to fight climate change is by cutting them down and burning them. Across much of Europe, countries and utilities are meeting their carbon-reduction targets by importing wood pellets from the southeastern United States and burning them in place of coal: giant ships keep up a steady flow of wood across the Atlantic. “Biomass makes up fifty per cent of the renewables mix in the E.U.,” Rita Frost, a campaigner for the Dogwood Alliance, a nonprofit organization based in Asheville, North Carolina, told me. And the practice could be on the rise in the United States, where new renewable-energy targets proposed by some Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as well as by the E.P.A., treat “biomass”—fuels derived from plants—as “carbon-neutral,” much to the pleasure of the forestry industry. “Big logging groups are up on Capitol Hill working hard,” Alexandra Wisner, the associate director of the Rachel Carson Council, told me, when I spoke with her recently.

The story of how this happened begins with good intentions. As concern about climate change rose during the nineteen-nineties, back when solar power, for instance, cost ten times what it does now, people casting about for alternatives to fossil fuels looked to trees. Trees, of course, are carbon—when you burn them you release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But the logic went like this: if you cut down a tree, another will grow in its place. And, as that tree grows, it will suck up carbon from the atmosphere—so, in carbon terms, it should be a wash. In 2009, Middlebury College, where I teach, was lauded for replacing its oil-fired boilers with a small biomass plant; I remember how proud the students who first presented the idea to the board of trustees were.