Month: April 2022

Enlarge / The Space Launch System rocket rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building in mid-March, 2022. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann)

After three attempts to complete a critical fueling test of the Space Launch System rocket, NASA has decided to take a break.

On Saturday night the space agency announced plans to roll the large SLS rocket from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center to the Vehicle Assembly Building in the coming days. This marks a notable step back for the program, which has tried since April 1 to complete a "wet dress rehearsal" test, during which the rocket is fueled and brought to within 10 seconds of launch.

The decision comes after three tries during the last two weeks. Each fueling attempt was scuttled by one or more technicals issue with the rocket, its mobile launch tower, or ground systems that supply propellants and gases. During the most recent attempt, on Thursday April 14, NASA succeeded in loading 49 percent of the core-stage liquid oxygen fuel tank and 5 percent of the liquid hydrogen tank.

Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica)

It's the weekend, which means the time has come for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a nice discount on Google's Chromecast with Google TV, as the 4K streamer is down to $40 at various retailers. We've seen this deal pop up a few times in the past, but it's still a good $10 below Google's MSRP. While we have seen the streaming dongle available for $5 less once before, that deal required you to sign up for a month of Sling TV service; the current discount matches the best price we've seen otherwise.

In any event, we continue to recommend the Chromecast to those in need of an affordable streaming stick. It's quick enough for most needs, its remote is sensibly laid out, and it supports all the major apps and HDR standards (plus Dolby Atmos). Most notably, we find Google's UI to be significantly better at organizing and surfacing content you might actually like than competitors from Amazon and Roku. Some users have complained that the Chromecast's 8GB of internal storage is insufficient, but that's unlikely to be a major issue unless you need to download an especially high number of apps. And while reports suggest that Google will launch some sort of Chromecast device later this year, it's unclear if there'll be a true successor to this streamer or a new lower-end device aimed at 1080p playback. For casual 4K streaming, the Chromecast should still make finding something to watch quick and convenient.

If you don't need a new streamer, we've also got lower-than-usual prices on Apple's third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro, CPUs from Intel and AMD—including one deal that makes Intel's high-end i7-12700K chip cheaper than the non-overclockable i7-12700 we reviewed positively last month—Tile Bluetooth trackers, gaming keyboards, loads of video games, and much more. You can check out our full curated list below.

The NBA playoffs kick off today! Universal Pictures marked the occasion by dropping a new teaser for Jordan Peele's forthcoming new film, Nope, featuring eight-time NBA All-Star Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

As we've reported previously, Peele has cemented his status as the current master of thought-provoking horror, starting with Get Out, his surprise box office hit that earned more than $250 million and snagged Peele an Oscar for best original screenplay—the first time the award has gone to a Black recipient. Get Out is a subtle exploration of racial tensions that quietly reveals its horrifying premise and builds to an inevitably bloody conclusion. In Peele's 2019 follow-up, Us, the theme wasn't so much racial tension—it was exploring, in Peele's words, the myriad ways in which "we are our own worst enemies."

Eight-time NBA All Star Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors shows off his moves in 30 second teaser. (credit: YouTube/Universal Pictures)

The first trailer dropped in February—very moody and atmospheric but offering very few details. (There might be aliens involved, or Peele wants us to think there are as a bit of misdirection.) Trailers for Peele's films never reveal too much, since much of the pleasure of his movies comes from their frequently bizarre twists.

Enlarge / Used Tesla model 3 sedans available to purchase at an all-EV dealership. (credit: shaunl | Getty Images)

David Cottrell got his $39,999 Tesla Model Y last February. The compact electric hatchback was a fantastic car, he says. But just a few months later, he decided to input the make and model into the website of an online used car retailer. Surprise! The Tesla was already worth $10,000 more than he and his wife had paid for it. They were thinking of buying a house in their hometown of Seattle, and the extra cash felt like a no-brainer. By June they had sold for $51,000—a tidy profit.

Now, Cottrell looks back at the transaction with a twinge of regret. He loves his new home and is excited about his reservation for a roomier Rivian electric truck, which is set to be delivered this summer. But when he plugged the same Model Y into the online used retailer again this month, he found the car would be worth only about $2,000 less than what he sold it for—even after factoring in the 20,000 miles he’s driven since then. “If we could have kept it, I could have driven for a year here and could have come out pretty equal,” he says.

This is not the way a car’s life span is supposed to work. They’re supposed to lose their value over time. This is why used cars are, generally, less expensive than new ones. But right now, everything is topsy-turvy. A toxic mix of pandemic-era supply shortages and inflation have spiked prices of used cars and trucks, which were up 35 percent in March compared to the same time last year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s not unusual for certain used luxury cars, like Porsches and Corvettes, to go for more than their original sticker prices, says Luke Walch, the owner of Green Eyed Motors, a dealership outside Boulder, Colorado, that specializes in electric and hybrid vehicles. Now, “it’s trickled down into the commoner’s car,” he says.