- Christopher Nolan Says His Unmade Howard Hughes Biopic With Jim Carrey Made ‘Oppenheimer’ Easier, Calls Potential Bond Directing Gig an ‘Amazing Privilege’ Variety
- Christopher Nolan talks Bond: ‘It would be an amazing privilege to do one’ Yahoo Entertainment
- Christopher Nolan on J. Robert Oppenheimer and His Contradictions The New York Times
- Christopher Nolan Slams Hollywood’s ‘Willful Denial’ of What Made Star Wars a Hit CBR – Comic Book Resources
- Director-writer Christopher Nolan on latest masterpiece “Oppenheimer,” Hollywood strike CBS Mornings
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Tag Archives: easier
Larger Titan sub fragments will make investigation easier: expert – Insider
- Larger Titan sub fragments will make investigation easier: expert Insider
- Carbon-Fiber Conundrum: Physicist Explains the Tragic Implosion of OceanGate’s Titan Submersible SciTechDaily
- OceanGate celebrated a patent for its carbon-fiber hull monitoring technology just months before that hull likely failed Yahoo Canada Finance
- OceanGate touted carbon-fiber hull monitoring tech just before failure Insider
- Physicist Explains How Titan’s “Catastrophic Implosion” Happened – And What It Meant for Those on Board SciTechDaily
- View Full Coverage on Google News
World’s Largest Hydrogen Tank Will Make It Easier for NASA to Launch SLS Megarocket
Preparations for the crewed Artemis 2 trip to the Moon are in full swing, with NASA rolling-out various fixes, upgrades, and new technologies to support the mission, which could happen as soon as 2024. Among the more exciting developments are a gigantic new hydrogen fuel tank and an updated escape system that harkens back to the Space Shuttle era.
Artemis 2, the sequel to the recently concluded Artemis 1 mission, is launching no earlier than late 2024, but NASA, in an effort to maintain this timeline, is already in go mode. A key difference between the two missions is that astronauts will take part in Artemis 2, requiring some important add-ons and adjustments that weren’t needed for the uncrewed Artemis 1. To that end, teams with Exploration Ground Systems have been hard at work at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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A big frustration of Artemis 1 was getting NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket off the ground for the very first time. Ongoing technical problems and pesky hydrogen leaks required NASA to perform multiple launch attempts, with the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) megarocket finally taking flight on November 16, 2022, on the third attempt. And that doesn’t include the four wet dress rehearsals (or five, should we choose to include the cryogenic tanking test done on September 21). As a further complication, mission planners had to squeeze the launch attempts within a flight schedule dictated by celestial happenings, namely the position of Earth relative to the Moon and Sun.
Easy access to liquid hydrogen—the propellant that powers SLS’s four-engine core stage and single-engine Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS)—would make it considerably easier for the Exploration Ground Systems team to perform back-to-back launch attempts in the likely event of scrubs. I say likely because liquid hydrogen, or LH2, is notoriously difficult to contain.
The new 1.4-million-gallon liquid hydrogen tank, located within Launch Complex 39B, will serve to reduce the time between multiple launch attempts, NASA explained in a statement. Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems, told reporters late last year that the new hydrogen sphere “will allow us to get more back-to-back launch attempts, which is a huge capability when we’ve got smaller [launch] windows.” Once in operation, it’ll be the largest liquid hydrogen tank in the world, according to the Cryogenic Society of America.
The Exploration Ground Systems program currently has an existing liquid hydrogen tank at launch pad 39B that can hold 850,000 gallons. This tank was constructed during the Apollo missions and was used during the Shuttle era. For Artemis 2 and beyond, “both liquid hydrogen tanks will be in use,” a NASA spokesperson confirmed to Gizmodo today.
The new liquid hydrogen tank will have a capacity of 1.4 million gallons, but with a usable space closer to 1.25 million gallons, the spokesperson clarified. The SLS core stage and ICPS require more than 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen. Filled with 1.25 million gallons of the super-chilled stuff, the new tank will store more than twice the amount of liquid hydrogen required for a single launch, and with some important room to spare, given that a portion boils off on the launch pad. Combined, the two hydrogen tanks will provide a liquid hydrogen storage capacity of 2.1 million gallons. Construction of the new tank began in 2018.
When preparing for an SLS launch, ground teams flow liquid hydrogen from a storage tank to the base of the Mobile Launcher using transfer lines. From there, the service mast umbilical transfers the propellant into the core stage and ICPS tanks. Once the new tank is complete, ground teams will conduct validations tests to “make sure we’re getting the right pressures, flow rates, no issues with manifolding, and things along those lines,” Parsons said.
An emergency egress system terminus area is also under construction at Launch Complex 39B. In the event of an emergency during launch countdown, astronauts can use this system to safely exit the launch pad area. The system, which wasn’t needed for Artemis 1, will be similar to the one used during the Shuttle program, in which astronauts sat in baskets held by cables. It’s kinda like zip lining, but without the fun.
The upgraded system “will enable astronauts to exit Orion at the Crew Access Arm white room through the mobile launcher tower down to the emergency transportation vehicles on the ground and onward to a safe haven,” according to NASA. The new emergency egress system will feature a larger capacity and various upgrades to meet the demands of Artemis 2 and the upcoming Block 1B SLS rocket required for Artemis 4 and future Moon missions.
For Crawler Transporter 2, teams plan to replace the individual shoes, or tread plates, on its two large tracks, in addition to adding new steering cylinders and doing corrosion control work. Ground teams are also in the midst of repairing damage incurred by the Mobile Launcher during the inaugural launch of SLS. This includes busted pipes, fried cameras, and blast doors on the tower’s elevator that got, uh, blasted.
Preparations are also underway for the Artemis 2 Orion crew module, which will actually hold a crew during Artemis 2. Similar to Artemis 1, Orion will venture past the Moon and return home to Earth without any activities planned on the lunar surface. That feat—the first Moonwalk since the Apollo 17 mission of 1972—won’t happen until Artemis 3, currently slated for launch in either 2025 or 2026.
The Artemis 2 Orion capsule will feature hardware not included in Artemis 1, “including normal and emergency communication components, display units, hand controllers, full fidelity side and docking hatches, environmental control and life support subsystems for nitrogen, oxygen, water, and air, as well as waste management, and fire detection and suppression,” according to the space agency. Orion’s heat shield will be added before summertime. As for the rocket’s critically important launch abort system, it’s 90% complete in terms of assembly, integration, and testing.
It seems a bit early to be talking about Artemis 2, but late 2024 isn’t that far off, especially as far as NASA timelines are concerned. The space agency isn’t known for hitting deadlines, so this is all very necessary stuff. NASA also benefited from the tremendous success of Artemis 1, allowing it to set its sights firmly on the next mission.
More: 7 Things We Learned From NASA’s Wildly Successful Artemis 1 Mission
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Getting A PS5 Or Xbox Series S/X Is Sorta Easier 2 Years Later
After two years on the market, you’d probably think scooping up a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X would be simpler by now.
Sure, there’s the semiconductor shortage the world is still contending with and a supply-chain bottleneck that’s expected to last until 2023 (if not 2024 according to some estimates). But, as Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan said at the annual PlayStation Partner Awards ceremony in Japan on December 2, the company has apparently “resolved the long-term supply issue of the PlayStation 5” in Asian markets.
Oh yeah? Then why, when Kotaku called several brick-and-mortar stores just a few days before Christmas this year were we told inventory for both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles was either very limited or completely gone?
The truth of the matter is, while it has become somewhat easier to get your hands on new-gen consoles, doing so still requires diligence and patience—unless you want the smaller, cuter Series S, or can wait for shipping. Otherwise, much like last year, if you were hoping to walk in and out of a store with a brand-spanking-new console in hand, you’re likely out of luck.
Inventory In Brick-And-Mortar Stores Is Unreliable
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You might be tempted to call up your local physical retailer like Best Buy or GameStop with the goal of buying a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X in the store. That’s certainly a possibility, though it depends on the console you’re going for.
A GameStop associate at a Manhattan, New York location told Kotaku over the phone that Sony’s system is “rarely” in stock and when it is on the store shelves, it’s gone within the week. The Xbox Series X is “a little more common,” the associate said, but the same inventory issue arises: When it is available, it’s sold out in just a few days’ time. This situation is repeated at other physical stores, including Best Buy and Walmart, with store associates at both retailers telling Kotaku in brief phone interviews that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are “occasionally” in stock but quickly sell out.
Surprisingly, things are a little different at Target. An employee at a Manhattan store said that the PlayStation 5 was actually sitting on the shelves “right now,” but folks looking to buy one couldn’t just walk in, take one to the counter, and check out. Instead, you have to do an in-store pick-up through the company’s website and, if inventory was available, then you could walk in with money and walk out with a PlayStation 5. In an eye-popping twist, the Xbox Series X was immediately available. The employee said, if I really wanted to, I could go buy Microsoft’s console this instant. They were quick to point out, though, that all system purchases—especially on the PlayStation 5—were limited to one per person due to “security concerns.” Yikes.
Online Retailers Are A Bit Better, But Not By Much
If brick-and-mortar stores are unreliable in terms of physical inventory, you may have a better chance at buying a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X online and shipping it to your home. All the major retailers typically have both consoles in stock and if they aren’t available by themselves, you can usually get it bundled with a game or subscription. There are some exceptions here, of course. GameStop, for example, is completely sold out of individual PlayStation 5s and Xbox Series Xs online right now. As is Best Buy on the PlayStation 5, though you can order the Xbox Series X if you have an account.
It’s always finicky ordering something from Walmart, as the company tends to partner with third-party sellers to complete transactions. But, as I’m checking the company’s website right now, PlayStation 5s and Xbox Series Xs are mostly available to purchase online—though the prices for these consoles seem to vary wildly. Target is similarly strange, with both systems either being “discontinued for shipping” or relegated to in-store pick-up only—if they are even available at all, of course. One quick note here, though: You could also order the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X directly from Sony and Microsoft’s official websites, and they appear to be in stock. Shipping here seems to be comparable to other major retailers as well, with orders placed now arriving just a few days after Christmas. Not bad.
Hey, You Could Always Just Get An Xbox Series S
You may have noticed I skipped one whole console: the Xbox Series S. That’s because, as I wrote earlier, Microsoft’s cheaper, smaller system is almost always available. Several associates across the brick-and-mortar stores told Kotaku over the phone that they had “plenty” of Xbox Series S’s sitting on their shelves at the moment. And while I was browsing around multiple online retailers, including Microsoft’s own website, the slimmer sister to the behemoth shoebox Xbox Series X was ready to be ordered.
Sure, it’s not the monster powerhouse that is the Xbox Series X. It can’t output native “true 4K” and only has four teraflops of processing power when compared to the bigger sister’s 12. And yeah, you do only get 512 GB of internal storage instead of 1 TB. But what the system lacks in power is made up by its impressive form factor and accessible price point. If you’re willing to make those minor trade-offs, then the Xbox Series S is an excellent way to get into this current generation of console gaming.
Another year is in the books, y’all. We made it through. The entertainment and technology industries are still getting battered by both the ongoing pandemic and semiconductor shortages, but it does appear that things are smoothing over a little. Maybe this time next year, the forecast of getting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X will be significantly better. At the very least, we don’t have to worry much about bots anymore.
New Overwatch 2 Heroes Will Be Easier To Unlock For Free
Free-to-play shooter Overwatch 2 is launching Season 2 tomorrow and with it a brand new tank character, Ramattra. And like last time, you can either buy the premium battle pass to unlock the new hero instantly or you can grind the free path to eventually gain access to him. But this time, following complaints from players, Blizzard is making that second option easier.
Released earlier this fall, Blizzard’s hero-based competitive shooter hasn’t had a great first few months. Between server issues, bugs, characters being removed from the game, pricey skins, and issues with crossplay and support mains, well it’s been a giant mess.
One of the most controversial issues involved Kiriko, a new support character added in the game’s first season. If you bought the battle pass, you got the new hero instantly. However, for players who didn’t buy the pass, you’d have to grind to level 55 to unlock her. Considering how much of a slog it was to level up the battle pass, not many were happy about this. Leveling up the pass took a long time, and involved playing a lot of matches and completing boring or specific challenges—like pin five enemies with Orisa’s spear—that didn’t pay out much XP. Now, ahead of Season 2’s launch tomorrow, Blizzard is promising an easier path to unlocking its new tank for free.
On Twitter, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller tweeted that Blizzard had reviewed data from Season 1 and decided to move Ramattra from tier 55 to tier 45 in the battle pass. And some challenges will be made “easier” to complete.
“Hey, all! Quick update on some changes coming to Season 2,” said Keller. “After reviewing data for Season 1, we’re moving Ramattra into Tier 45 of the Battle Pass and making a few more weekly challenges easier to complete. Excited for you all to see everything new in Season 2 starting tomorrow!”
This is part of Blizzard’s ongoing efforts to make progression in the shooter “more rewarding.” Of course on Twitter, players were mixed. While many seemed happy about the change, others were still upset that the hero was locked behind such a high tier of the pass, suggesting a lower tier would be better.
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Now, it should be noted that unlike in the original Overwatch—which added all characters for free for all players with no restrictions—Ramattra will still be locked behind a paywall unless you grind. But at least now the grind will be less terrible and once you hit 45 you can stop focusing on challenges and the battle pass and just enjoy your new character. Well, unless Blizzard removes him like Mei or Bastion for a few weeks.
Is animal protein easier to absorb than plant protein?
But this isn’t a reason to choose animal proteins over plant proteins.
The difference in absorption is minor, typically about 10 to 20 percent lower from plants than from animals, and would only be a concern if our diets had barely enough protein to meet requirements — about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or about 10 percent of daily calories.
For adults in the United States and other affluent countries, protein intake is usually above what we need — about 15 percent of daily calories on average — so the difference in absorption between animal and plant proteins is largely inconsequential.
One reason there is so much confusion surrounding this topic relates to amino acids. Proteins are strings of 20 amino acids, which are the building blocks for muscle, other body components, hormones, antibodies and enzymes that control our metabolism. Nine of these amino acids can’t be made by our body and are called essential because we need to get them from our diet.
A common argument for consuming animal proteins is that they are “high quality” and “complete” compared with plant protein, in terms of their essential amino acids.
Let’s start with the idea of protein quality. This nutritional concept is based on the mix of specific amino acids that maximize the growth of young mice and other mammals. But maximizing growth isn’t an issue for adults. By this definition of protein quality, eggs and milk come out on top but aren’t dramatically higher than most plant sources of protein, and beef protein is actually similar to soy protein.
You also don’t need to worry about whether plant proteins are “complete.” It’s a myth that plant foods don’t contain all the essential amino acids, and that we need to eat complementary proteins such as rice and beans in the same meal for optimal results. In fact, if we eat a variety of plant foods in our diet, the overall mix of amino acids isn’t substantially different from what we would get from eating animal protein.
Some concerns have been raised that anti-nutrients such as phytates, lectins and oxalates in plant foods may reduce the absorption of essential nutrients.
In poor populations with high intakes of starchy foods and low dietary diversity, eating a lot of phytates may contribute to deficiencies in some minerals. But within the context of a more diverse diet, as is the case in the United States, this doesn’t appear to be a problem.
Phytates may contribute to the many health benefits of plant foods because of their antioxidant activity, and higher phytate intake has been associated with overall good health and lower risk of kidney stones.
Focus on the protein package
Most Americans don’t need to worry about any of these issues — digestion efficiency, amino acid proportions, anti-nutrients — because we don’t consume protein in isolation or from a single food. These differences would only become important for someone on the cusp of protein deficiency.
For everyone else, the health effects of the whole protein package are more important.
When we eat beef, we get protein, essential minerals and vitamins, yes, but we also get hefty doses of saturated fat, cholesterol and other factors that increase the risk of heart disease, with very little beneficial polyunsaturated fat.
With plant proteins such as nuts or soy foods, we get good amounts of fiber and polyunsaturated fats, a different mix of essential minerals and vitamins, and many other compounds that appear to convey health benefits.
Making room for more plants
We can best understand the health effects of protein-containing foods using randomized trials to assess their short-term impact on risk factors for disease, such as blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and epidemiologic studies to assess their long-term effects on risks of specific diseases and overall mortality.
Our research group conducted a prospective analysis of more than 130,000 men and women who were followed for up to three decades. The total amount of dietary protein was unrelated to overall mortality or other outcomes, but mortality increased with greater consumption of animal protein and decreased with greater amounts of plant protein.
Although some evidence suggests that total protein requirements may be greater at older ages, the same pattern favoring plant protein was seen among older adults when the outcome was frailty.
Protein and caloric requirements increase with pregnancy and among serious athletes, but without a clear advantage of animal vs. plant sources. For those who feel “better” with more animal protein, I suggest slowly weaving more nuts and soy foods into meals, which can also be satisfying and delicious.
The benefits go beyond improving your health. At this time in human history, it’s also important to consider the role of food choices in preserving a viable planet for future generations. Although eliminating use of fossil fuels is the highest priority, we have little hope of avoiding disaster if we don’t also shift our diets to be more plant-centric.
While this would be a major shift for many Americans, the traditional diets of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Mediterranean region provide abundant flavorful and attractive examples.
It doesn’t mean we must eliminate steak or Parmesan cheese from our diet, or become a vegan, although that is an option some may wish to pursue. Studies have shown that diets with about two servings of animal-sourced foods per day can be both healthy and sustainable. That can mean a cup of yogurt plus 3 to 4 ounces of chicken or fish.
So instead of having large portions of animal protein at every meal, focus on adding more plant proteins to your plate, such as lentils, tofu, chickpeas, peanuts, nuts and beans. Make your diet as diverse as possible, incorporating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This not only is smart eating but can also unlock new flavors and exciting meals. The advantages include better personal health now — and hope for future generations.
The Sims 4 Modding Is About To Become Easier
Amid fervor for news on The Sims 5 at today’s Sims Summit event, The Sims 4 team announced it would create a new hub for custom content in its current-generation game.
Custom content, or CC to die-hard Simmers, is a core part of the most popular Sims games. It can be in the form of hair, clothes, nails, or skin textures in the Create-a-Sim maker, or it can look like Build Mode features, such as furniture, wall and floor styles, plants, or other items. Bigger mods can change how the entire game is played. There is an enormous amount of The Sims CC out there, but it’s often scattered across sites, something Electronic Arts hopes to change.
Currently, The Sims Resource stands as one of the biggest destinations for CC of all kinds. But others utilize Tumblr or follow the websites of well-known creators like Deaderpool, who makes the ubiquitous MC Command Center mod.
While many players use CC and mods on PC (console users can’t use CC), others continue to shy away from it. Sometimes that’s because of the lacking user experience at ad-laden sites like The Sims Resource, which offers a monthly subscription to remove both ads and download wait times. (The site is free to use otherwise.) In other cases, people worry about malware and spyware that may be tacked onto their virtual goods. In its presentation, EA promised a CC utopia where players could download “safe” content. It should be noted that many sites do check what’s uploaded. The Sims Resource, for example, says it has a submissions team that makes sure content is appropriate, virus-free, and of decent quality.
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However, this wonderful place comes with a major caveat: You have to be invited to upload your work and join what EA calls “The Mod Squad.” What criteria the team is looking for exactly or whether that will continue after launch, no one knows yet. (It seems likely that more risque CC will be excluded.) Existing sites are much more open, which is crucial for those just getting started.
This seems even more exclusive than EA-operated The Sims 3 Exchange, which shut down in 2018. That also served as a hub for custom content uploads and downloads but wasn’t invite-only.
The Mod Squad and its CC haven isn’t here yet, and we don’t know when it’ll come (The Sims 4 team only vaguely said players can keep checking back for updates). But when it does, it’ll be interesting to see what ripple effects it might have on the independent and creator-driven Sims modding sites.
Why it’s easier to find Pfizer’s updated COVID boosters than Moderna’s
Vaccinators around the country are reporting weeks-long delays in shipments of Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters. The delays come after the Food and Drug Administration flagged concerns at a facility contracted to fill the Moderna’s new shots into vials.
The wait stems from an Indiana plant operated by Catalent, which is one of two firms that has been bottling Moderna’s vaccine in the U.S.
Following an inspection, the FDA this month faulted the Moderna contractor for falling short in its quality control procedures, and failing to “thoroughly investigate” batches discovered to be contaminated. Since September 2020, the company had received 179 complaints over impurities in its vials.
The FDA’s inspection had tied up emergency use authorization of all the updated doses filled and finished by Catalent for Moderna.
However, citing “potential supply limitations,” Moderna submitted additional data to the regulator asking to clear 10 batches of its vaccine from Catalent’s plant.
The FDA granted that request on Tuesday. Moderna told the regulator it plans to “submit similar requests for additional batches on a rolling basis” to free up millions more doses.
“This authorization was based on FDA’s determination that the batches met all applicable specifications, following a careful review of information provided by Moderna about the manufacture of these batches. The agency has no concerns with the safety, effectiveness, or quality of these batches,” FDA spokesperson Michael Felberbaum said in a statement.
News of the FDA’s move was reported first by The Washington Post.
“We anticipate that these availability constraints will be resolved in the coming days. We continue to be on track to meet our committed delivery of 70 million doses of our updated, bivalent vaccine by the end of this year,” Moderna spokesperson Christopher Ridley said in a statement.
Chris Halling, a spokesperson for Catalent, said the FDA had “found no issues related to the safety or efficacy of the Moderna product” during its routine inspection, adding that production of the vaccines “has continued without interruption.”
“Catalent takes all observations very seriously, and we have already begun employing all necessary steps to address each observation as quickly as possible,” Halling said.
The delays have resulted in a lopsided rollout of the updated boosters since they were formally cleared for use on September 1.
Some states have moved to suspend ordering for the Moderna doses, citing the delays. Others have urged residents not to wait for the Moderna shots.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services says 26 million doses of the updated shots have been distributed. Americans are eligible to receive either shot, “regardless of which primary vaccine they received.”
“We anticipate that Moderna supply will continue to increase in the coming days and weeks. Pfizer’s updated COVID-19 vaccine is already widely available across the country,” said the HHS spokesperson.
A spokesperson for Pfizer said the company has supplied “more than 21 million doses,” which works out to some 80% of the U.S. supply so far. The company plans to ship “up to 100 million” doses by the end of November.
“Pfizer’s Kalamazoo, MI site alone is currently manufacturing 10-15 million doses per week with capacity to increase this considerably,” said Julia Michelle Cohen, the Pfizer spokesperson.
Nationwide data on how many the shipped doses of vaccine have gone into arms is expected to be released this Thursday, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said at a recent webinar hosted by the COVID-19 Vaccine and Equity Project.
Early figures from the agency posted last week suggested vaccinations climbed to the highest levels since early May, as the updated boosters began to roll out.
The FDA’s move also comes as the regulator has said it is working to vet data submitted by Moderna as well as Pfizer and its partner BioNTech on updating booster shots for younger children.
In planning documents shared with health departments this week, the CDC said it expects the bivalent shots could soon be cleared for use “in early to mid-October” for younger age groups.
Moderna’s shots could be a simpler option for family doctors and pharmacies, given the company plans to use the same vaccine vials as adults for children down to six years old.
“One question that I’ll answer right now, that may come up is, when are we going to have these vaccines for younger children? And I think we can say that, for the age range of five and up, that’s a couple of weeks away,” the FDA’s Dr. Peter Marks told a virtual event with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases on Monday.
“And for the youngest children, it’s probably later this fall to early winter as the data come in and we can review it,” said Marks.
Pixel Buds Pro making it easier to change in-app ANC
Today, you can touch-and-hold Pixel Buds Pro to cycle through Active Noise Control (ANC) or use the app. An upcoming change will make it easier to change ANC with the Pixel Buds app, while Google’s newest headphones are set to get a “Volume balance” feature in a future update.
At the moment, the row of buttons for Active Noise Control are found on the “Sound” page of the Pixel Buds app/settings. Some users are now finding that the three-button strip with Noise Cancellation, Off, and Transparency are located directly on the Pixel Buds app homepage/”Device details.” It appears just under the “Forgot” and “Disconnect” actions.
Additionally, this update brings ANC to the Pixel’s “Sound and vibration” panel that’s accessed by bringing up the system volume slider and tapping the three-dot overflow button at the bottom. The controls appear below “Media volume.”
Both are much better places for the ANC buttons as needing to dive into another menu has been annoying since the Pixel Buds Pro launched in July. This is not yet widely available, but there are a handful of reports today.
Current vs. new (Via u/npbevo)
It’s not clear how this change is rolling out as there does not appear to be a new update to the Pixel Buds app. (The last one was in July.) A Google Play services update could be responsible, but we’re not positive at the moment.
Meanwhile, back at launch, Google said the Pixel Buds Pro would be updated with Spatial audio head tracking and a full 5-band EQ. Both will be located within the Sound menu, and joined by “Volume balance” to
Change volume balance between left and right earbuds or switch to mono audio. Your chosen setting will apply across all your host devices.
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Pixel 6a teardown: Easier battery removal, plastic back
Ahead of the Pixel 6a shipping next week, a teardown has revealed the innards of Google’s $449 mid-ranger. Design-wise, there are more than a few manufacturing similarities with last year’s Pixel 6.
To start the teardown (via PBKreviews), heat is needed to remove the adhesive, though the Pixel 6a continues Google’s use of clips to also secure the screen. Underneath the front-facing camera and just to the left, you’ll notice a rounded square cutout for what should be the proximity and ambient light sensor. Compared to the Pixel 6 Pro, it’s located further down the screen.
Before going further you have to remove protective film and several screws to take off the midplate, which has a vibration motor attached to the underside and a large piece of graphite film to aid heat dissipation. Once removed, you have access to the battery with pull tabs that aid the process, though some additional prying is required and two sets of tabs might help.
For its part, the iFixit repair guides just recommend using isopropyl alcohol:
Adhesive is only present underneath the top and bottom areas of the battery and not underneath the center. The see-through plastic strip around the center of the battery is not especially useful during the removal procedure. Feel free to remove it for easier handling by opening its adhesive seal and pulling it out from underneath the battery.
That said, PBKreviews notes that “prying this battery off was much easier compared to the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro,” so Google hopefully made improvements since last year.
The charging port is unfortunately soldered to the main board, while you get a look at Tensor (left rectangle). Lastly, the black plate is removable (with heat) from the frame and we see how it’s flexible plastic, or what Google calls a “3D thermoformed composite back” as seen in the top cover image.
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