NASA's Perseverance rover is making oxygen on Mars

It's Thursday, April 22, 2021.

After a relatively quiet few months, all the game movie news came at the same time. No, it’s not another Uncharted delay (that we know of), but a new, reimagined Mortal Kombat movie lands tomorrow. While you can expect violence and gore (of course), according to screenwriter Greg Russo, ensuring the humor of Mortal Kombat’s characters translated to the movie was important, too. 

Warner Bros. Entertainment

At the opposite end of the spectrum, with little-to-no gore, a Sonic movie sequel is underway. We know Sonic’s sidekick, Tails, is likely to feature, but anti-hero Knuckles might also make an appearance, based on the prop of Knuckles standing alongside Sonic and Tails during shooting in Vancouver.

Neither of these game series usually feature serious emotional narratives and that’s okay. We’ll leave that to the incoming Last of Us series from HBO. 

— Mat Smith

NASA's Perseverance rover turns a tiny bit of Mars air into breathable oxygen

There’s more going on than just drone test flights.

Along with a family portrait of its robotic siblings, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab fitted Perseverance with an instrument called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment or MOXIE for short. On April 20th, it successfully pulled carbon dioxide from the planet's atmosphere and converted it into oxygen.

The toaster-sized tool allowed Perseverance to separate oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules by heating the gas at approximately 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit and creating carbon monoxide as a byproduct. During the instrument's first test, it produced about five grams of oxygen or about enough to give a lone astronaut approximately 10 minutes of breathable air in their suit. Continue reading.

Samsung opens Galaxy Upcycling beta to turn old phones into IoT gadgets

Now in the US, UK and Korea.

Samsung

Samsung — which currently has more than 20 handsets for sale in its store after past efforts to cut its range by 30 percent — is hoping to resurrect its old phones by repurposing them into smart home gadgets. Now, the Galaxy Upcycling at Home program is making its way to the public after being announced at CES earlier this year. Like its other smart home experiments, Samsung is testing out the Upcycling software via the Labs feature in its SmartThings app. Once enabled, users will be able to use their old Galaxy phones as baby monitors or light detectors with the help of repurposed sensors, improved AI and battery optimization. Continue reading.

Amazon is bringing its palm-reading payment tech to Whole Foods stores

First, Seattle.

Amazon

Amazon is expanding its contactless payments to Whole Foods Market stores. Amazon has now installed it at a Seattle Whole Foods Market and plans to expand to seven others in the area. With Amazon One, you can link a card to your palm print and pay for goods simply by hovering your hand over the reader device. The company is planning to expand the service further and even offer it to third-party retailers. Continue reading.

PlayStation Plus could soon include a video service

The Video Pass might give you another reason to subscribe.

Sony

VGC spotted a logo and a description for a PlayStation Plus Video Pass on Sony’s official site. While the company has since taken down the material, it promised access to Sony movies (including Venom, and Zombieland: Double Tap) as part of a "trial service" that would last for at least a year. Sony recently announced it would stop selling movies and TV shows through the PlayStation Store on August 31st, and a Video Pass could fill that gap, offering even more to PS Plus subscribers, like Amazon’s Prime offering. Continue reading.

The Lucid Air is another luxury EV

Lucid wants to take on the Mercedes EQS.

Engadget

Starting at $77,400, the Lucid Air is going to be compared to the Tesla Model S. But the automaker wants to target German luxury vehicles from Mercedes and Audi. With the recently unveiled Mercedes EQS coming to market at about the same time as the Air, there’s never been more choice for luxurious EVs. Watch our test drive right here.

But wait, there’s more...

Tesla's solar panels and Powerwall batteries are becoming a package deal

All about Eve: The upstart PC brand struggling to pay back jilted customers

Disney's new deal with Sony gets Spider-Man flicks on Disney+

Google responds to last month's WebView nightmare on Android

TP-Link's latest WiFi 6 mesh system starts at $280

Apple supplier is the latest target of a $50 million ransomware hack

FIA launches 'groundbreaking' electric GT motorsports category

Mac owners in the US can now extend their warranty beyond three years