NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its speedrun through the Sun’s corona, becoming the fastest human-made object ever recorded. The probe passed within 6.1 million kilometers of the surface on Christmas Eve and sent back data to Earth via the Deep Space Network.
The probe was designed to study the dynamic environment of the solar atmosphere, but due to the plasma soup it flew through, everything had to be done autonomously. It pinged Earth with a quick “I’m OK” message on December 26 and checked in with the network again on January 1, dumping telemetry data that showed all instruments performed as expected.
Meanwhile, Apple has settled a lawsuit over allegations that Siri-enabled devices unintentionally recorded conversations. The $95 million agreement will award users $20 for each device they owned over a ten-year period, up to five devices total.
In related news, Apple is pushing its Enhanced Visual Search system, which uses AI to recognize landmarks in photos and record the fact. However, experts have raised concerns about data security and potential exploitation of user data.
Finally, NASA has announced that it will be using its latest animation series on Boeing 777’s auxiliary power unit to educate users about the inner workings of jet engines.
The comment section is now open for discussion.
Source: https://hackaday.com/2025/01/05/hackaday-links-january-5-2025