SpaceX has shared footage (below) showing a spectacular close-up view of the Starship’s launch and landing on Sunday.

The mission involved the fifth test flight of the Starship, comprising the first-stage Super Heavy booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft.

The first video shows the 120-meter-tall vehicle roaring skyward from SpaceX’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas, creating 17 million pounds of thrust at launch as it goes.

Tower view at liftoff of Starship's fifth flight test pic.twitter.com/BAtcod2EVD

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024

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The next clip shows the extraordinary moment when the 70-meter-tall Super Heavy was secured by the launch tower’s giant mechanical arms as it returned to Earth just a few minutes after deploying the Starship spacecraft to orbit.

The final phase of Super Heavy's landing burn used the three center Raptor engines to precisely steer into catch position pic.twitter.com/BxQbOmT4yk

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024

And this rocket’s-eye view shows the vehicle coming to rest on one of the arms.

Onboard view showing a catch fitting on Super Heavy as it contacts a chopstick catch beam pic.twitter.com/r1TVQEdITc

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024

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It was the first time for the Elon Musk-led spaceflight company to attempt the catch, and many doubted whether SpaceX would pull it off. But in a moment of pure brilliance, everything came together as the booster gently descended before nestling between the waiting arms of the launch tower.

The achievement is a big step forward for SpaceX as it readies the rocket for NASA’s Artemis III mission, which will involve putting the first woman and first person of color on the moon. In the mission, the Super Heavy will deploy the Starship spacecraft, which will make its way to a lunar orbit. There, two astronauts will transfer from NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Starship, which will then descend to the lunar surface. The mission is currently scheduled for 2026, though the date could slip.

Before then, SpaceX will continue to test the Starship, refining the technology that powers the gigantic vehicle in a bid to get it ready for Artemis III.

The Starship spacecraft could eventually carry up to 100 crew members on a single flight. Elon Musk wants to use the vehicle for the first crewed trip to Mars, which could take place in the 2030s.

OPPO is one of the Android brands whose devices usually compete every year for the throne of “best camera phone.” The company has invested a lot of resources in boosting the photography section of its mobile devices. In line with this, and possibly inspired by the iPhone 16 series, the upcoming OPPO Find X8 series will feature a dedicated camera button.

Apple brought a dedicated physical button to offer a better camera experience on the iPhone 16 series. On Android, Sony stands out by including a dedicated shutter button on its flagship phones. However, Apple added more functionality by integrating a touch and pressure sensitive button. That means that the button can not only launch the camera app, set focus, and take photos, but also allows you to control the zoom by sliding on it.

A dedicated Camera Button will be present on the OPPO Find X8 series

Now OPPO has confirmed that its upcoming flagship phones will feature something similar. Zhou Yibao, product manager for OPPO Find products, confirmed the X8 series’ camera button with a short video on Weibo. The executive describes how the new button will work, and it’s actually pretty similar to what Apple offers, with a few minor differences.

On the iPhone 16 series, the Camera Control button lets you open the camera app with a single press. On the other hand, the camera button on the OPPO Find X8 series requires a double-tap to launch its equivalent. However, the rest of the functions, including zoom control via gestures on the button, seem the same. It’s noteworthy that the iPhone 16 series also lets you set the Camera Control to trigger the assigned action with a double-tap if you want.

A dedicated camera button can be quite useful and handy once you get used to it. Swiping to control zoom saves you from having to touch the screen or press the volume buttons, which is ideal if you need the best image stabilization possible. On the iPhone 16 series, users can also assign the button to launch other apps. The OPPO executive did not reveal whether the Find X8 series’ camera button will allow the same.

OPPO Find X8 series to arrive this month in China

The OPPO Find X8 series is expected to hit the Chinese market on October 24. Meanwhile, the global market should receive it sometime in 2025. Additionally, it will be the first time that the most premium “Ultra” model hits global markets. So, the competition for the best camera phone worldwide will be more intense than ever.

There are few faster ways to improve your smartphone photo and video game than by snapping up a gimbal. This increases image stabilization, reducing hand shake to make for smoother shots and help ensure a still is framed just as you want it. is an option worth considering, especially since it’s on sale. This model is currently $20 off, which brings it .

The Osmo Mobile 6 has a larger clamp than DJI’s previous models, meaning larger smartphones and ones with bulkier cases can slot in. If you attach an iPhone, the Mimo app goes into camera view when the gimbal is unfolded so you can start shooting photos and videos with it faster.

DJI

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Vloggers, action videographers and still photographers alike could all benefit from the DJI Osmo Mobile 6. The smartphone gimbal has dropped to its lowest price ever in a new sale.

$119 at Amazon

The handle is said to be more comfortable to hold compared with earlier versions. DJI retained the built-in extension rod from the previous model, so you can use the Osmo Mobile 6 as a selfie stick. You can set it up as a tripod too.

DJI included an array of smart features, such as timelapse, gesture control, automatic dynamic zoom, panorama and story mode. Using a side wheel, you can adjust the focal length and zoom level manually.

There’s a new status panel built in that displays battery levels and a button that lets you switch between various modes. DJI also upgraded its ActiveTrack feature. This supports stable tracking over longer distances and helps your phone’s front camera to better track subjects as they rotate.

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Memes have become a common form of humor in the digital realm, especially among younger generations. Now, memes are even shared to express certain feelings or actions in one’s life, making them a popular way to laugh with others online.

Memenetic allows users to create and share their memes with the world. This is especially popular among Gen Z, who use memes frequently to communicate with friends.

The humble beginnings of memes

Memes’ evolution

Memes in mainstream pop culture

The rise of Memenetic

The future of memes is here

Google announced today that it has signed a deal with nuclear startup Kairos Power to build seven small reactors to supply electricity to its data centers. The agreement promises to add around 500 megawatts of carbon-free electricity at a time when energy demand for data centers and AI is surging.

The new power plants are scheduled to come online by the end of the decade, according to Google. It’s not clear whether the reactors would hook up to Google’s sites directly — an arrangement known as “behind the meter” — or if they would feed into the grid with Google claiming the carbon-free power by way of its agreement with Kairos.

With the deal, Google joins Microsoft and Amazon in turning to nuclear power to satiate its thirst for electricity. In September, Microsoft announced that it would pay Constellation Energy to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island that was shuttered in 2019. Earlier this year, Amazon said it would build a hyperscale data center and directly connect it to another nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. 

If Kairos can hit the 2030 deadline, it would be a slight revision to a recent forecast: as recently as July, the company was targeting commercial operations by “the early 2030s,” according to an article published by the U.S. Department of Energy. Even if Kairos can hit the revised target, it’s locked in a race with fusion startups, many of which are aiming to turn on commercial-scale power plants before 2035.

Kairos is one of a new breed of nuclear startups that are building so-called small-modular reactors (SMR) in an attempt to lower the cost and speed the construction of nuclear power plants.

Most nuclear plants are massive installations, supplying 1,000 megawatts or more but taking years to plan and nearly a decade to build. The newest fission reactors in the U.S., Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia, were commissioned in 2023 and 2024, respectively, snapping a seven year drought (the next newest reactor was commissioned in 2016). Still, they were seven years late and $17 billion over budget.

SMR startups are attempting to build nuclear power plants faster and cheaper by using mass production techniques to bring down costs and speed construction. Kairos tries to advance the technology a step further by cooling the reactor not with water but molten salts of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the startup’s plans for a 35-megawatt demonstration reactor, something that has eluded Oklo, another SMR startup.

Despite the regulatory nod, Kairos still faces significant challenges. No commercial small-modular reactors have been commissioned yet, which means the economics remain largely unproven. On top of that, Kairos’s molten salt design bucks decades of industry experience with water-cooled reactors.

But Kairos’s biggest challenge might not be technical at all. While 56% of Americans say they favor nuclear power, according to both Pew Research, 44% remain opposed. The number opposed might rise when reactor sites are picked; the Pew survey only asked people if the U.S. should use expand nuclear power generally, not in their backyards. What’s more, while support for nuclear power is near a recent high, far more people support wind and solar, two technologies that are available today and cost far less than new nuclear power plants.

October 10, 2024

Game Freak Inc.

Notice and apology regarding the leak of personal information due to unauthorized access

Game Freak Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Satoshi Tajiri, hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) has discovered that the personal information of our employees and others was leaked in connection with unauthorized access to our server by a third party in August 2024.

We sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience and concern caused to all concerned parties.

1. Leaked personal information

Personal data regarding our employees, etc.*

Items: Name, company email address

Number of cases: 2,606

*Our employees, contracted business workers (including G-appointed employees and former employees)

2. Response to those whose personal information has been confirmed to have been leaked

We are contacting the relevant employees, etc. individually.

For those who cannot be contacted individually due to resignation, etc., we will notify them through this announcement and set up a hotline to handle inquiries regarding this matter.

3. Measures to prevent recurrence

We have already rebuilt and re-inspected our servers, but we will work to prevent recurrence by further strengthening our security measures.

4. Inquiries regarding this matter

Inquiries from those affected by this matter can be made through the hotline below.