Mars Rover has a Helicopter

Something to look forward to: NASA's latest explorer rover is set to make contact with Mars' surface next month, on February 18. It's an important step for the space agency, and not just due to the rover itself: its cargo is equally important. The Perseverance rover is carrying the first-ever "Mars Helicopter," aptly known as Ingenuity. Ingenuity is a small, lightweight helicopter with two rotors, each made from durable carbon fiber. The rotors will spin in opposing directions, at speeds of "around 2,400 rpm," which is "many times" faster than what you'd see on any passenger helicopter on Earth.

So, why are those speeds necessary, and why is Ingenuity so light? According to NASA, Mars' extremely thin atmosphere is to blame. With much less usable air than Earth, any flying vehicle attempting to fly on the Red Planet would need considerably faster rotors to generate enough lift to get off the ground. If the mission is a success, it could revolutionize the way scientists approach Mars exploration. So far, they've had to rely on slow-rolling, ground-based rovers to navigate, but if Ingenuity proves capable of withstanding the harsh environment of Mars, the technology might become much more common. Perhaps a more refined design could be made at a later date? We wish NASA's engineers, and Ingenuity itself, all the best in their endeavors. Whether it lands and takes off successfully or not, you can be certain that we'll be covering Ingenuity's landing here, so stay tuned come February 18.

 

Credits: 

https://www.techspot.com/news/88408-nasa-mars-helicopter-ingenuity-reach-red-planet-next.html

NYU Grad Student Creates a Website to Make Bernie Memes

There's no question. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders stood out on Inauguration Day, and, if you don't know, it was because of a picture that showed him sitting down. Sanders seemed comfortably bundled up, legs crossed, wearing mittens that a teacher in his state of Vermont made, as he waited on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for the ceremony to begin. People quickly latched onto the image, and it became the basis of countless memes. One of the people who latched onto it was Nick Sawhney, a 22-year-old Computer Science graduate student at New York University (NYU). Sawhney set up a website Wednesday with one goal: to let people take the now iconic image of Sanders and put it anywhere. Sawhney said in a Skype interview that things got rolling when he and people he knew started sharing their own memes. "I made the site on a whim because I had an hour to kill, and I thought it'd be a fun inside joke with my friends," Sawhney said via a Twitter message on Thursday. "Didn't expect it to blow up like this at all, but it's been a really fun time trying to keep it running all night."

Using the site is about as easy as you can get. You type in an address, hit return, and Sanders and his mittens appear there. Depending on the image that's pulled for that location, you could catch the senator sitting on a sidewalk, in an intersection or street, or grabbing some chair inside a building. Sawhney's tweet about the website went out at 8:46 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 20). By 11 a.m. on Thursday, it had gotten more than 19,000 retweets and more than 106,000 likes. He said that every time someone requests an image, Google charges him a bit of money for using the image. That's why he included a note on the site about accepting donations in order to keep it running.

Credits:
https://www.kvue.com/article/features/put-bernie-anywhere-an-nyu-grad-student-created-a-way-to-see-bernie-sanders-and-his-mittens-at-any-address/291-6a087219-2eaf-4d37-baf8-ed1db856251b

Can Fitness Trackers Track COVID

Smartwatches and fitness wearables may be able to play a valuable role in the early detection of COVID-19, according to recent studies. Researchers from Mount Sinai have found that the Apple Watch can detect small changes to a user’s heartbeat that may indicate they have the coronavirus, a full week before they feel sick, as CBS News reported. One company is even developing a custom wearable to detect COVID-19 — all of which could help stop the spread of the disease by keeping asymptomatic folks at home. In a study titled called “Warrior Watch,” the Mount Sinai researchers followed a group of 297 health care workers between April 29 and September 29. The participants wore Apple Watches equipped with special apps that measured changes in their heart rate variability (HRV). “The watch showed significant changes in HRV metrics up to seven days before individuals had a positive nasal swab confirming COVID-19 infection,” said study author Robert P. Hirten, MD. 

One of the challenging things about COVID-19 is that many people are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms but are still contagious. This makes it difficult to contain this infection by using the traditional method of identifying someone who is sick and quarantining them. The researchers aren’t the only ones to notice that early COVID-19 symptoms that can be picked up by a smartwatch. A company called NeuTigers, born out of research from Princeton University, has developed an artificial intelligence product called CovidDeep that can help identify people with the virus in clinical situations or care homes. The company used a clinical-grade patient monitoring wearable, the Empatica E4, to take a variety of skin, heart-rate and blood pressure readings. Feeding that information into CovidDeep, they found they could detect the virus at a rate of 90 percent — more accurately than typical temperature screenings. They eventually plan to produce their own app that could work with Fitbit, Withings, Apple, Samsung and other smartwatches.

Credits: 

https://www.engadget.com/amp/smartwatches-detect-symptoms-covid-19-140107922.html?__twitter_impression=true

Razer's New N95 Mask

Gaming equipment maker Razer has created a reusable face mask featuring a medical-grade respirator and an in-built microphone and amplifier. Dubbed Project Hazel, the mask, which is currently a concept and not available to buy, addresses "the environmental issues of disposable masks, while enhancing the features of a multi-use personal protective covering," according to a press release from Razer, published Tuesday. The company, a major hardware maker known for its computer mice and laptops, says the mask uses an N95 medical-grade respirator; detachable and rechargeable ventilators; and airflow regulators. The ventilators can be recharged and sanitized by putting them inside the wireless charging box, which features disinfecting UV lights.

The mask's transparent design allows people to see the wearer's face, and lights inside the mask activate automatically in the dark. A microphone and amplifier enhance muffled speech. And wearers can customize their look by activating two lighting zones with a choice of 16.8 million colors and a variety of dynamic lighting effects. There is no set release date for the mask as it is still being fine-tuned, a spokesperson for Razer told CNN. Earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, Razer converted manufacturing facilities in China to make face masks. And in May the company, which is headquartered in both Singapore and Las Vegas, said it would give out millions of free face masks in Singapore as the country grappled with a surge in coronavirus cases.



Credits:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/americas/razer-smart-face-mask-scli-intl-wellness/index.html