Year: 2019

Source: US to Investigate TikTok over National Security concerns

CompuScoop Staff November 1, 2019 0

CNBC: The U.S. government has launched a national security review of TikTok owner Beijing ByteDance’s $1 billion acquisition of U.S. social media app Musical.ly, according to two people familiar with the matter.

While the $1 billion acquisition was completed two years ago, U.S. lawmakers have been calling in recent weeks for a national security probe into TikTok, concerned the Chinese company may be censoring politically sensitive content, and raising questions about how it stores personal data.

TikTok has been growing more popular among U.S. teenagers at a time of growing tensions between the United States and China over trade and technology transfers. About 60% of TikTok’s 26.5 million monthly active users in the United States are between the ages of 16 and 24, the company said earlier this year.

For more information, click here.

NASA TV to Air Boeing Starliner Pad Abort Test

NASA Gov November 1, 2019 2

NASA and Boeing will broadcast live coverage of the CST-100 Starliner Pad Abort Test on Monday, Nov. 4, from Launch Complex 32 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The test is scheduled for 9 a.m. EST (7 a.m. MST) with a three-hour test window. Live coverage is targeted to start at 8:50 a.m., on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Coverage will be adjusted as necessary within the window.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and its service module sit atop the test stand at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico

Boeing’s Pad Abort Test is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program work with the American aerospace industry -- through a public-private partnership -- to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil for the first time since 2011. The goal of the program is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station, which would allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration.

The test is designed to verify that each of Starliner’s systems will function not only separately, but in concert, to protect astronauts by carrying them safely away from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency prior to liftoff. During the test, Starliner’s four launch abort engines and several orbital maneuvering and altitude control thrusters will fire, pushing the spacecraft approximately 1 mile above land and 1 mile north of the test stand.

The spacecraft’s crew module will use parachutes with landing airbags to touch down at White Sands Missile Range. It will be recovered and brought back to Launch Complex 32 for evaluation and analysis.

For additional coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

-end-

CNBC Source: NBC Peacock Streaming Service maybe Free with Ads for all users

CompuScoop Staff November 1, 2019 0

Comcast's NBCUniversal is considering making an ad-supported version of its Peacock streaming service free for everyone, bucking the trend of charging for streaming products, according to people familiar with the matter. It would be the first totally free streaming video service from a major media provider.

Previously, Comcast had planned on making Peacock free only to cable subscribers and Comcast broadband customers. The new plan, which is still under consideration, would be to give away the ad-supported Peacock streaming service to anyone who wants it. An ad-free product would also be available but will come with a charge, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Google buying Fitbit in bid to combat Apple Watch

Dan Uff November 1, 2019 0

On Friday, Google announced that a deal is in place to buy Fitbit for 2.1 Billion in a bid to help it fight against the Apple Watch. The deal was announced during a halt in trading early Friday. The two companies have been in talks about this deal for sometime.

Google issued a statement, which reads, in part:

"Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created engaging products, experiences and a vibrant community of users," Google's Rick Osterloh said in a statement. "By working closely with Fitbit's team of experts, and bringing together the best AI, software and hardware, we can help spur innovation in wearables and build products to benefit even more people around the world."

No word on when (or if) this deal will be finalized.