The Morning After: SpaceX successfully landed a Starship prototype

If you were left cold by the PlayStation 5-themed sneakers that broke cover earlier this week, maybe you need Adidas’ 3D-printed 4DFWD, the latest model from its running division. Created in partnership with 3D printing company Carbon, Adidas’ 4D bowtie-lattice pattern is designed to turn the vertical forces of your feet into forward motion.

The company says it should generate "three times as much forward motion under vertical loading." Energy savings for you, and at least a little environmental savings in the process: The lattice is made of 39-percent bio-based material, while the fabric Primeknit upper is recycled polyester. It might not be as good as Adidas’ Parley sneakers (with an upper made of 95 percent ocean plastic), but it’s at least a little better.

— Mat Smith

SpaceX's Starship SN15 prototype successfully lands in one piece

Elon Musk took time out of ‘Saturday Night Live’ prep to tweet about the ‘nominal’ landing.

The last Starship high-altitude test went to pieces before the vehicle started its return to the ground, but the SN15 prototype launched, flipped in the air and landed — all without exploding. It’s the first of SpaceX’s prototypes to clear that bar, and while there was a small fire visible after it landed, the fact that it is still standing is more than enough.
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IBM says it has created the world's first 2nm chip

Mobile devices with 2nm-based processors could have batteries that last four times longer.

IBM says it has squeezed 50 billion transistors on a chip the size of your fingernail. The architecture can help processor makers deliver a 45 percent performance boost with the same amount of power as current 7nm-based chips — the same level of performance using 75 percent less energy, according to IBM.
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Facebook’s Oversight Board says Trump ban was appropriate

But says the indefinite suspension was outside of Facebook's power.

Facebook’s Oversight Board, formed to rule on issues around moderation policy, has decided to offer qualified support for the suspension handed down to former US President Donald Trump. In a statement, the board said it was "justified" in restricting access to his account, but the "indeterminate and standardless penalty" was not. It said Facebook can’t simply decide to permanently ban a user without a policy explaining why.

The Oversight Board also called for Facebook to conduct a "comprehensive review" of its contribution to the narrative of electoral fraud. It added: "This should be an open reflection on the design and policy choices that Facebook has made that may allow its platform to be abused."
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Dell driver vulnerability affects hundreds of millions of PCs

The company is issuing a patch for models going as far back as 2009.

Yes, even that decade-old tower PC gathering dust in your guest room.
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Peloton recalls the Tread and Tread+

It will stop selling both treadmills in the US.

Peloton has agreed to voluntary recalls for the Tread and Tread+ treadmills in the US and Canada. The company reached the agreements with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) following injuries and a death.

The recall of Tread+ devices (Peloton’s first treadmill) follows more than 70 incidents of people, pets and/or objects being pulled under Tread+, according to CPSC. Those include 29 reports of injuries to children, such as second- and third-degree abrasions and broken bones. The recall for the newer Tread machines has been issued because the touchscreen can detach and fall, possibly causing injury.

In a statement, Peloton CEO John Foley said “I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize.”
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Nintendo is selling way more Switches than it predicted

But chip shortages may be a problem this year.

Nintendo sold 4.73 million Switch consoles last quarter, almost doubling its own forecasts. It ended up shipping 28.83 million consoles over the last year, beating its own expectations by over 2 million. In short, the Switch is doing very, very well.

It has now outsold the lifetime sales of the Game Boy Advance and should surpass the Wii next year. Well, as long as supply chain wrinkles don't ruin its run. Nintendo says that semiconductor shortages could create "obstacles to the procurement of parts." And remember, there’s that next-gen Switch approaching.
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Sundar Pichai lays out Google's new 'hybrid' workplace plan

He estimated that 60 percent of employees will work onsite a few days a week.

In an expansion of a pilot that started in December, most Google employees will spend approximately three days working out of the office and the other two "wherever they work best." How that split works out in practice will depend on a worker's product focus and the team they're a part of.

Additionally, Google will offer more opportunities for employees to move around. By mid-June, it will introduce a process to allow staff to apply to work from a different office. What's more, all employees will have the chance to work up to four weeks away from their assigned office. Google also plans to develop more remote roles and even teams made entirely of people in different places.

In a blog post, Pichai also mentioned Google’s work “testing new multi-purpose offices and private workspaces, and working with teams to develop advanced video technology that creates greater equity between employees in the office and those joining virtually.”
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But wait, there’s more...

Sony is no longer selling DSLRs

The best work-from-home and office essentials for graduates

Google tries to make Android tablets fun with 'Entertainment Space'

'Returnal' developer reverts patch that could erase your progress

Nintendo's new $30 DIY game is 'Game Builder Garage'

Signal tried to use Facebook's targeted advertising data against it

SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service exceeds 500,000 orders

Twitter's new Billboard chart will highlight trending songs

NASCAR 'future proofs' for hybrid power with Next Gen Cup Series cars

'Loki' is coming to Disney+ two days earlier than planned7