Month: July 2023
Dynatrace acquires cloud-native debugging platform Rookout
Observability and security platform Dynatrace today announced that it plans to acquire Rookout, a Tel Aviv-based observability startup that focuses on helping developers troubleshoot and debug their code in production. Publicly traded Dynatrace already offers a comprehensive suite of observability tools, but the addition of Rookout will allow it to expand these services with code-level
Observability and security platform Dynatrace today announced that it plans to acquire Rookout, a Tel Aviv-based observability startup that focuses on helping developers troubleshoot and debug their code in production.
Publicly traded Dynatrace already offers a comprehensive suite of observability tools, but the addition of Rookout will allow it to expand these services with code-level observability into production environments. Dynatrace expects the transaction to close before September 30.
The two companies did not disclose the acquisition price, but Rookout previously raised a total of $28 million, including a $16 million Series B round it announced a year ago. The company’s investors include the likes of Fort Ross Ventures, TLV Partners, Emerge, Cisco Investment, LIAN Group, Mighty Capital and Binder & Partners.
Unsurprisingly, Dynatrace says it plans to embed Rookout into its existing platform and notes that this will also help it improve collaboration between development, IT and security teams, which will then be able to use a single platform for their observability needs.
“Our mission is to make debugging easy and fast for developers with state-of-the-art quality and a simple experience,” said Shahar Fogel, CEO at Rookout. “We believe integrating Rookout into the Dynatrace platform and leveraging the AI and automation capabilities Dynatrace is known for will accelerate this mission. This will also create a new standard for how engineers use developer-first, cloud-native observability to improve productivity by enabling them to spend less time on manual activities and more time delivering business value.”
SpaceX’s ‘Mega Steel Pancake’ Will Protect Starship From Fiery Launches
SpaceX, the renowned aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk, recently conducted a full-pressure test of a
The post SpaceX’s ‘Mega Steel Pancake’ Will Protect Starship From Fiery Launches appeared first on ReadWrite.
SpaceX, the renowned aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk, recently conducted a full-pressure test of a new water deluge system for its Starship launch vehicle. This test is a significant step towards resolving one of the major problems that arose during the orbital flight test in April, where the heat and energy from the Super Heavy booster’s engines damaged the launch pad and orbital launch mount. In this article, we will delve into the details of SpaceX’s innovative solution and explore the environmental considerations surrounding this new system.
To protect against the immense heat and force generated during the Starship launch, SpaceX has developed what CEO Elon Musk refers to as a “mega-steel pancake.” This water deluge system consists of a thick perforated steel plate placed directly underneath the rocket, along with multiple large water jets that continuously cool the rocket with water, even in the presence of flames from the rocket engine.
Elon Musk shared a tweet showcasing the new water deluge system, stating, “New water deluge system to protect against the immense heat & force of Starship launch.” The accompanying video posted on X by Musk provides a glimpse of the test, suggesting a substantial amount of water is discharged during a full-pressure spray.
While the water deluge system appears to be an effective solution for protecting the launch infrastructure, there are environmental concerns surrounding the use of such a system. It has been reported that SpaceX did not apply for an environmental permit for disposing of industrial process wastewater as required by the U.S. Clean Water Act. However, it remains unclear whether SpaceX actually needs such a permit.
The key question is whether pollutants, such as chemicals, may mix into the water as it sprays up at the rocket. If this is the case, SpaceX will need to implement a process for disposing of the water without causing harm to the surrounding wetlands. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is currently evaluating the new deluge system to determine if any environmental regulations apply.
A representative from TCEQ mentioned that the need for a discharge permit is the responsibility of the business owner based on their wastewater management plan. While the evaluation process is ongoing, SpaceX seems confident in the effectiveness of their water deluge system. With the installation of the steel plate, the company is now closer to conducting pre-launch testing on Booster 9, the Super Heavy prototype for the upcoming test flight.
Before SpaceX can proceed with the next Starship flight test, they must obtain approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA, as the regulatory authority for all rocket launches, grounded the Starship after the last test resulted in a mid-air explosion. While the grounding was expected given the outcome of the test, SpaceX still needs regulatory approval for the next flight test.
In addition to the FAA’s approval process, SpaceX is also a co-defendant in a lawsuit filed by environmental and Indigenous groups. The lawsuit alleges that the FAA failed to fully assess the environmental effects of SpaceX’s activities in the Starbase area, where the Starship launch program is centered. Although the lawsuit is in its early stages, it poses the potential to delay Starship’s future flights.
In summary, cSpaceX’s development of the “mega steel pancake” water deluge system marks a significant advancement in ensuring the safety and integrity of the Starship launch infrastructure. The company’s innovative solution to protect against the intense heat and force generated during launch demonstrates their commitment to pushing the boundaries of space technology.
While environmental concerns and regulatory considerations remain, SpaceX is actively working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to evaluate the impact of the water deluge system. The outcome of this evaluation will determine the necessary steps SpaceX needs to take to comply with environmental regulations.
As SpaceX awaits regulatory approval from the FAA for their next flight test, they also face potential delays due to the ongoing lawsuit regarding the environmental review of Starbase and the Starship launch program. Despite these challenges, SpaceX continues to push forward, aiming to revolutionize space travel and exploration with their groundbreaking technologies.
Stay tuned for more updates on SpaceX’s progress as they pave the way for the future of space exploration.
First reported on TechCrunch
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is SpaceX’s water deluge system, and why is it significant?
SpaceX’s water deluge system, also known as the “mega-steel pancake,” is designed to protect the launch infrastructure during Starship launch missions. It consists of a thick perforated steel plate placed under the rocket and multiple large water jets that continuously cool the rocket, even in the presence of rocket engine flames. This system is a significant advancement in ensuring the safety and integrity of the Starship launch infrastructure.
2. What was the major problem that arose during the orbital flight test in April?
During the orbital flight test in April, the heat and energy from the Super Heavy booster’s engines damaged the launch pad and orbital launch mount. The water deluge system is SpaceX’s innovative solution to address this issue.
3. Has SpaceX applied for an environmental permit for the water deluge system?
There are environmental concerns surrounding the use of the water deluge system, and it has been reported that SpaceX did not apply for an environmental permit for disposing of industrial process wastewater as required by the U.S. Clean Water Act. However, the need for a discharge permit depends on the evaluation of the system’s impact by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
4. How is TCEQ evaluating the water deluge system’s impact?
TCEQ is currently evaluating the water deluge system to determine if any environmental regulations apply. They are assessing whether pollutants, such as chemicals, may mix into the water as it sprays up at the rocket. The outcome of this evaluation will determine the necessary steps SpaceX needs to take to comply with environmental regulations.
5. What is the status of the FAA’s approval for SpaceX’s next flight test?
Before SpaceX can proceed with the next Starship flight test, they must obtain approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA, as the regulatory authority for all rocket launches, grounded the Starship after the last test resulted in a mid-air explosion. SpaceX is awaiting regulatory approval for the next flight test.
6. What is the current situation regarding the lawsuit against SpaceX?
SpaceX is a co-defendant in a lawsuit filed by environmental and Indigenous groups, alleging that the FAA failed to fully assess the environmental effects of SpaceX’s activities in the Starbase area, where the Starship launch program is centered. The lawsuit is in its early stages and could potentially lead to delays in Starship’s future flights.
7. What does SpaceX’s progress with the Starship launch program signify for space exploration?
SpaceX’s continued development and advancement of the Starship launch program demonstrate their commitment to pushing the boundaries of space technology and revolutionizing space exploration. The water deluge system is a key part of their efforts to ensure safe and successful launch missions.
8. How can readers stay updated on SpaceX’s progress with the Starship launch program?
Readers can stay informed about SpaceX’s progress by following official announcements from SpaceX and reputable news sources covering space exploration and technology. Regular updates from SpaceX and reliable media outlets will provide the latest developments and milestones in the Starship launch program.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
The post SpaceX’s ‘Mega Steel Pancake’ Will Protect Starship From Fiery Launches appeared first on ReadWrite.
Who Paid for a Mysterious Spy Tool? The FBI, an FBI Inquiry Found.
A New York Times investigation uncovered earlier this year that the US government used spyware made by Israeli hacking firm NSO. Now, after an FBI investigation into who was using the tech, the department uncovered a confusing answer: itself. From a report: The deal for the surveillance tool between the contractor, Riva Networks, and NSO was completed in November 2021. Only days before, the Biden administration had put NSO on a Commerce Department blacklist, which effectively banned U.S. firms from doing business with the company. For years, NSO’s spyware had been abused by governments around the world. This particular tool, known as Landmark, allowed government officials to track people in Mexico without their knowledge or consent.
The F.B.I. now says that it used the tool unwittingly and that Riva Networks misled the bureau. Once the agency discovered in late April that Riva had used the spying tool on its behalf, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, terminated the contract, according to U.S. officials. But many questions remain. Why did the F.B.I. hire this contractor — which the bureau had previously authorized to purchase a different NSO tool under a cover name — for sensitive information-gathering operations outside the United States? And why was there apparently so little oversight?
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
A New York Times investigation uncovered earlier this year that the US government used spyware made by Israeli hacking firm NSO. Now, after an FBI investigation into who was using the tech, the department uncovered a confusing answer: itself. From a report: The deal for the surveillance tool between the contractor, Riva Networks, and NSO was completed in November 2021. Only days before, the Biden administration had put NSO on a Commerce Department blacklist, which effectively banned U.S. firms from doing business with the company. For years, NSO’s spyware had been abused by governments around the world. This particular tool, known as Landmark, allowed government officials to track people in Mexico without their knowledge or consent.
The F.B.I. now says that it used the tool unwittingly and that Riva Networks misled the bureau. Once the agency discovered in late April that Riva had used the spying tool on its behalf, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, terminated the contract, according to U.S. officials. But many questions remain. Why did the F.B.I. hire this contractor — which the bureau had previously authorized to purchase a different NSO tool under a cover name — for sensitive information-gathering operations outside the United States? And why was there apparently so little oversight?
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
First U.S. nuclear reactor built from scratch in decades enters commercial operation in Georgia
submitted by /u/ourlifeintoronto [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/ourlifeintoronto
[link] [comments]
New Relic to go private in a $6.5 billion all-cash deal
Observability software provider New Relic has reached an agreement led by a consortium led by Francisco Partners and private equity group TPG to go private in a $6.5 billion deal. The news comes at a time of intense competition in
Observability software provider New Relic has reached an agreement led by a consortium led by Francisco Partners and private equity group TPG to go private in a $6.5 billion deal. The news comes at a time of intense competition in […]
Inside Meta’s Threads Launch
Naomi Nix and Will Oremus, reporting for The Washington Post:
With a mandate from Zuckerberg to take a big risk, Mosseri
assembled a lean, engineer-heavy team of fewer than 60 people to
hack together a bare-bones app on a breakneck timetable more
reminiscent of a start-up than an entrenched tech giant. Speaking
to investors this week after Meta reported strong earnings,
Zuckerberg held up Threads as vindication of his “year of
efficiency,” in which he sheared tens of thousands of jobs
in a bid for more agile teams that would ship products quickly.
That Threads was created by such a small group in such a short
amount of time has become something of a marvel inside Meta,
according to current and former employees who spoke on the
condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, as well as
private messages viewed by The Post. Many see its __ quick rise
as a reminder that well-executed product launches might not need
all the bureaucratic trappings that a company with some 66,000
employees had grown accustomed to.
“Quick execution. Nothing fancy,” one person wrote on Blind, an
anonymous workplace app. “Just solid engineering that most of our
ICs [individual contributors] can do but unfortunately are
shackled.”
It continues to astound me that anyone with any experience whatsoever would express surprise that a small-ish talented team was so effective. (I say “ish” because 50-60 people isn’t all that small.) Fred Brooks’s The Mythical Man-Month is somehow simultaneously famous and widely-ignored. A larger team would likely have delayed Threads, not accelerated its launch. A much larger team might have doomed the project to failure.
To keep things moving, the Threads team punted thorny decisions
and eschewed difficult features, including private messages and
the ability to search for content or view the feeds of people you
don’t follow. The company also opted not to launch in the European
Union, where regulators are preparing to enforce new rules next
year requiring tech companies to provide more information to
regulators about their algorithms.
“You do the simple thing first,” Mosseri said. “And I think
that also helps reduce the scope, because often what happens is
scope creep and you want to add all these things because
they’re all great.”
Get something good out, even if it’s missing obvious important features, and start iterating. That’s the recipe. I’m very curious what the story is going to be for private messages on Threads, though — yet another new messaging silo, or something tied to Instagram’s? Whatever it is, I sure hope it uses E2EE.
(Twitter DMs, infamously, do not use E2EE, so every single ostensibly private message ever sent on Twitter is readable by Twitter employees with access privileges, and thus potentially exposable to the public by either a bug or spite. The same goes for Mastodon, which offers “mentioned people only” messaging, a feature that should not exist, in my opinion, because it creates the illusion of privacy. Better to offer no private messaging at all than offer it without E2EE.)
★
Naomi Nix and Will Oremus, reporting for The Washington Post:
With a mandate from Zuckerberg to take a big risk, Mosseri
assembled a lean, engineer-heavy team of fewer than 60 people to
hack together a bare-bones app on a breakneck timetable more
reminiscent of a start-up than an entrenched tech giant. Speaking
to investors this week after Meta reported strong earnings,
Zuckerberg held up Threads as vindication of his “year of
efficiency,” in which he sheared tens of thousands of jobs
in a bid for more agile teams that would ship products quickly.
That Threads was created by such a small group in such a short
amount of time has become something of a marvel inside Meta,
according to current and former employees who spoke on the
condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, as well as
private messages viewed by The Post. Many see its __ quick rise
as a reminder that well-executed product launches might not need
all the bureaucratic trappings that a company with some 66,000
employees had grown accustomed to.
“Quick execution. Nothing fancy,” one person wrote on Blind, an
anonymous workplace app. “Just solid engineering that most of our
ICs [individual contributors] can do but unfortunately are
shackled.”
It continues to astound me that anyone with any experience whatsoever would express surprise that a small-ish talented team was so effective. (I say “ish” because 50-60 people isn’t all that small.) Fred Brooks’s The Mythical Man-Month is somehow simultaneously famous and widely-ignored. A larger team would likely have delayed Threads, not accelerated its launch. A much larger team might have doomed the project to failure.
To keep things moving, the Threads team punted thorny decisions
and eschewed difficult features, including private messages and
the ability to search for content or view the feeds of people you
don’t follow. The company also opted not to launch in the European
Union, where regulators are preparing to enforce new rules next
year requiring tech companies to provide more information to
regulators about their algorithms.
“You do the simple thing first,” Mosseri said. “And I think
that also helps reduce the scope, because often what happens is
scope creep and you want to add all these things because
they’re all great.”
Get something good out, even if it’s missing obvious important features, and start iterating. That’s the recipe. I’m very curious what the story is going to be for private messages on Threads, though — yet another new messaging silo, or something tied to Instagram’s? Whatever it is, I sure hope it uses E2EE.
(Twitter DMs, infamously, do not use E2EE, so every single ostensibly private message ever sent on Twitter is readable by Twitter employees with access privileges, and thus potentially exposable to the public by either a bug or spite. The same goes for Mastodon, which offers “mentioned people only” messaging, a feature that should not exist, in my opinion, because it creates the illusion of privacy. Better to offer no private messaging at all than offer it without E2EE.)
Samsung didn’t put an S Pen inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for a very relatable reason
Samsung considers all kinds of options when designing its Galaxy smartphones
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could have included an S Pen. No, not the one currently offered on the optional case, but inside the body of Samsung’s largest and most productive foldable. This isn’t guesswork, Samsung’s design team considered it, going so far as to create an aluminum mockup with the integrated S Pen. I saw it, touched it, and even popped the S Pen out.
Samsung however, chose a different path. In fact, the road to the current Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 was full of such design considerations, something I learned when I (along with an invited collection of international journalists) sat down during Samsung UnPacked last week with the company’s mobile design team at Samsung Headquarters in Suwan, South Korea.
The full expression of Samsung’s foldable line was developed and influenced not just by last year’s model or even the most recent Samsung Galaxy S23 line.
Choose your aspect ratio. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
According to the man who worked on every Samsung smartphone since 2000, Samsung Head of Foldable Smartphone Design Tae-joong Kim (also known as “The Master” by his colleagues), the new foldables are influenced by everything from the company’s first dual-screen folding phone to the thin Ultra Edition 5.9 and Armani Phone, both launched in 2007. The latter was the first collaboration with a third-party design company.
For its latest Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, the team went through countless prototypes and showed us many of them in their mock design studio.
Along with the pen, Samsung considered a wide variety of aspect ratios for the Z Fold 5, including some that made the cover screen look considerably wider and, yes, more like a Google Pixel Fold.
Some foldable mockups that show the potential impact of different cover screen aspect ratios. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Samsung’s design team stuck with the relatively narrow form factor because they believe it offers the best “usability and grip and portability.”
That Samsung looked into those other ratios makes me wonder if we’ll see a change in the not-too-distant future. When Samsung was the only big-name foldable game in town, it could afford to tell consumers what their foldable experience should be like. Now, though, consumers have seen the well-reviewed Pixel Fold and Samsung may have to take a second look at those aspect ratio studies when it comes time to design the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
See? There’s an S Pen in this mockup. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
These foldables, including the S Pen one on the left, look real, but they’re just pretty blocks of metal. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Still, the potential inclusion of the S Pen really intrigued me. Based on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, we know Samsung can easily integrate the pen into the body of a not-too-thick smartphone. Plus, as I mentioned to Samsung Head of MX Design Hubert Lee, Samsung should consider including an S Pen in the $1,799.99 / £1,749 price of the Z Fold 5. After all, few people have adopted foldables, and even fewer understand the productivity potential of the Z Fold 5.
What better way to educate consumers than to have early adopters all running around with an S Pen that they pop out of the phone or off the case and use to draw, take notes, or markup a document on the Main unfolded screen? I don’t want to speak for Lee, but he didn’t dismiss my idea and his assistant appeared to take notes.
The designers at work in Samsung’s mock design studio. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
This guy spent a lot of time on the Z Fold 5 camera array. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Samsung spends a lot of time considering colors and materials for everything from the face plates to the hinge covers. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Z Fold 5 color considerations. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Some Z Fold 5 body design work. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Some credos from Samsung’s walls. Words to live and design by. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Oh, but what a wonder it would be to have a Z Fold 6 that offers an embedded pen.
When I asked why Samsung didn’t go ahead with that idea this time, Lee told me, “There’s a lot to consider. You can’t just stick a pen in there. If you stick in a pen in there are other cost consequences. For now, we decided not to have the pen in the Fold.”
Those consequences are probably the weight, thickness, and battery life of the device. All would change with a pen tunneled into the body. The phone might get thicker, it could be a little heavier, and you’d definitely lose some battery capacity. The last bit is especially concerning because the current Z Fold 5 has the same battery capacity and life as the last model. It really can’t afford to lose a few hours of performance to an integrated S Pen.
As Samsung EVP and head of R+D office Won-Joon Choi told us later, when developing these products, “every millimeter, every gram matters.”
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’: Streaming Release Date and How to Watch From Anywhere – CNET
The wait is nearly over to watch it on Disney Plus.
The wait is nearly over to watch it on Disney Plus.