Tech
Billionaire offering ‘free ticket to the moon’ on SpaceX Starship – Global News
A Japanese billionaire is looking to fill some seats on his SpaceX rocket to the moon.
You in?
Eccentric fashion designer Yusaku Maezawa has launched an international search for eight people to join him on the planned voyage around the moon, which Elon Musk hopes to accomplish as soon as 2023.
Maezawa, 45, announced the search on his Twitter account Tuesday in his latest high-stakes social media stunt. The announcement was short on details, but Maezawa has previously billed his “dearMoon” expedition as a trip that will include many artists.
Maezawa confessed in a video on Tuesday that it can be hard to define an artist, so he wants to open up his criteria to a more “diverse audience” of potential passengers.
“Maybe every single person who is doing something creative could be called an artist,” he said. “If you see yourself as an artist, then you’re an artist.”
He says he’ll consider candidates for the mission from anywhere on the globe, provided they can meet two criteria:
- By going to space, you must be pushing the envelope in whatever activity you’re into.
- You have to be willing to support other crew members who share “similar aspirations.”
Maezawa says he will cover all costs for the trip, so he is essentially offering a “free ticket to the moon.”
Musk also touted his excitement for the journey in Maezawa’s video.
“We’re going to go past the moon,” he said. “We expect people will go farther than any human has ever gone from planet Earth.”
Potential passengers can sign up for details about the trip on Maezawa’s mission website.
The registration form asks for your name, email and home country. It also allows you to upload a photo that it will automatically crop into the helmet of a spacesuit.
A followup email says that further details about the screening process will be sent out on March 15.
Potential candidates will go through an initial screening process later this month, followed by an “assignment,” an “online interview” and a “final interview and medical checkup” in late May, according to the website. Details about the assignment and the judging process have not been released.
Maezawa, who runs the Japanese fashion brand Zozo, became the first person to pay for a trip to the moon when he signed up in 2018 for an undisclosed sum.
He plans to bring 10 to 12 passengers on SpaceX’s Starship, which is still in its testing phase. The Starship is expected to fly to the moon over three days, loop around the far side of it and then fly back over another three days.
The journey is slated for 2023, although Musk still has some fine-tuning to do on his Starship design after two of the prototypes blew up in recent tests.
A third test flight was scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday.
Maezawa has a history of pulling high-stakes giveaways on Twitter. He once promised to give US$9 million to some of his followers as a “social experiment” to see if it’d boost their happiness.
He also used Twitter last year to launch an unsuccessful search for a girlfriend to accompany him to the moon. He had planned to turn the search into a Bachelor-style reality show for Japanese TV, but later backed out due to “mixed feelings.” He reportedly received about 27,000 applications for the show.
Maezawa announced on Wednesday morning that he’s already received more than 100,000 signups for the trip. The No. 1 country for applicants was India, followed by Japan and the United States. Canada ranked No. 8.
Maezawa is not the only billionaire seeking passengers for a SpaceX voyage. U.S. entrepreneur Jared Isaacman is also putting together a four-person crew for the first all-civilian space flight into orbit later this year.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Tech
Vizio Launches New 86-Inch 4K TV – For Just $999 – Forbes
Perhaps because it’s been a bit busy signing itself over to retail giant Walmart, things have of late been a little quieter than usual on the Vizio product front. Today, though, Vizio has broken its silence with a big – literally – announcement that seems to confirm that its long-running tradition of delivering lots of TV for surprisingly little money isn’t set to change under its new ownership.
This big news is that Vizio will be adding a new 86-inch model to its current range of 4K TVs – and will only be charging $999 for it. That’s a remarkably low launch price for such a colossal TV, and could have home cinema fans falling over themselves to get hold of one if it follows in the footsteps of many of its Vizio predecessors by performing better than its price would lead you to expect.
Set to hit US stores from April 29, the unmemorably named V4K86C-0804 is, unsurprisingly for its price, built on a fairly basic core – namely an IPS panel that doesn’t have any local dimming to bolster its contrast performance. No Quantum Dots are involved in the screen’s colour creation, either.
It also, though, has a few features up its sleeve that suggest it’s got more going on than your typical entry level 4K TV. For instance, its high dynamic range video support includes both of the premium Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, with their extra scene by scene picture information, as well as the basic HDR10 and HLG formats. This means it can take in the best version of any picture source you care to play into it.
Unlike some of the other TVs in Vizio’s 4K range, the new 86-inch addition can support 120fps gaming signals – albeit at only 1080p resolutions. There doesn’t appear to be any support, though, for other HDMI 2.1 gaming features such as variable refresh rates or auto low latency game mode switching. The only HDMI 2.1 feature confirmed is eARC, enabling the TV to pass lossless multi-channel audio out to ARC-capable soundbars and AV receivers.
Other value-added features of the new Vizio 86-inch TV include DTS:X audio decoding and Dual-Band WiFi 6 connectivity, while its operating system is the revamped Vizio Home Screen system the brand introduced in 2023. Powered by SmartCast, Vizio Home Screen offers helpful smart TV features such an app ‘row’ with an easily customisable running order, support for AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, genre-based content browsing, and access to many of the most popular streaming services.
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“We’re thrilled to be able to evolve our lineup of 4K, Full HD and HD TVs, which have been a staple of at VIZIO for years and to continue to bring unprecedented value and quality to our customers,” said John Schindler, Vice President of Product Management at VIZIO. “With even more sizes and display ranges to select from, customers can enjoy precise picture quality and built-in entertainment content no matter what room in the home they are in.”
Vizio’s new 86-inch screen joins a host of affordable new king-sized arrivals from the likes of TCL, Hisense, LG and Samsung (see my recent review of the 98-inch Samsung 98Q80C) seeking to cash in on the sudden post-Covid surge in demand for cinematic experiences at home.
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Tech
Record low prices hit Apple's M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch, now on sale from $1,399 – AppleInsider
B&H has dropped MacBook Pro prices further as March comes to a close. Pick up an M3 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM for just $1,549 — or opt for the M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch for $1,699. Both are record-breaking deals.
14-inch models
- M3 14-inch, 8GB RAM, 512GB, Space Gray: $1,399 ($200 off)
- M3 14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB, Space Gray: $1,549 ($250 off)
- M3 Pro 14-inch 11C CPU, 14C GPU, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Black: $1,699 ($300 off)
- M3 Pro 14-inch 12C CPU, 18C GPU, 18GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Space Black: $2,099 ($300 off)
- M3 Max 14-inch 14C CPU, 30C GPU, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Space Black: $2,899 ($300 off)
16-inch models
- M3 Pro 16-inch 12C CPU, 18C GPU, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Black: $2,299 ($200 off)
- M3 Max 16-inch 14C CPU, 30C GPU, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Space Black: $3,199 ($300 off)
- M3 Max 16-inch 16C CPU, 40C GPU, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Space Black: $3,699 ($200 off)
There are numerous MacBook Pro deals on upgraded configurations, so if you’re looking for an M3 Max configuration or extra storage, it’s worth checking out our Mac Price Guide to shop the latest sales.
Even more month-end deals on Apple
Aggressive savings are in effect now on nearly every current Mac. You can also find discounted prices on streaming services, closeout models and software. Here are a few of the top deals going on now:
Tech
Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) New iPad Pro and iPad Air to Hit Markets Soon – TipRanks.com – TipRanks
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is likely to introduce its new iPad Pro and iPad Air as soon as May. The much-anticipated product launch will come just ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
End to a Long Wait
As the much-awaited moment draws near, Bloomberg reports that the tech giant’s suppliers have already ramped up production of the devices. For Apple’s devout customers, the introduction of the revamped iPads marks the end of a nearly 18-month drought of major new releases from the company. The iPads are expected to boast features such as new OLED displays for the Pro model and an option for a 12.9-inch screen for the Air model.
Revamped iPads Unleashed
The long wait for new iPad models has resulted in sluggish tablet sales for Apple in recent times. Consequently, the company will likely look to the revamped versions to boost demand. Additionally, Apple is introducing more processing power to the new versions. The Pro models will feature a new M3 chip. Similarly, the iPad Air is also receiving an upgrade with a new processor, moving from its last version’s M1 chip to the latest technology.
What to Expect in June
Importantly, the product launches are scheduled just before Apple’s highly anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference. This event is slated for June 10. The iPhone maker is widely expected to unveil its AI strategy as well as software updates for its range of products at the event.
Is Apple a Buy, Sell, or a Hold?
Apple’s share price has corrected by nearly 11% year-to-date. The Street has a cautiously optimistic stance on the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Furthermore, the average AAPL price target of $203.40 points to an 18.6% potential upside in the company’s share price.
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