Artemis II Astronauts, FBI vs Dark Web, and More: Weekly Tech News Roundup

This week, NASA announced the crew of Artemis II, it’s the 50th anniversary of the cell phone, and the FBI seized Genesis Market. Stadia is completely dead, all the news from Star Wars Celebration, the interesting things of the week and more in the other news section.

NASA Announces Artemis II Astronauts

PHOTO DATE: March 29, 2023. LOCATION: Bldg. 8, Room 183 – Photo Studio. SUBJECT: Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel

Exciting news for the space community! NASA and the Canadian Space Agency just announced the four astronauts for the upcoming Artemis II mission. The chosen crew consists of Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, and they’re all set to embark on a 10-day mission orbiting the moon. As part of the Artemis program, this mission is a critical step in returning humans to the moon’s surface by 2025. What’s especially noteworthy is that Koch will be the first woman, Hansen the first non-American, and Glover the first person of color to eventually set foot on the lunar surface. It’s inspiring to see how the space industry is becoming more diverse and inclusive with each mission.

FBI Seizes Genesis Market

On Wednesday, the FBI seized Genesis Market as part of a crackdown on dark web marketplaces. Genesis Market was known for selling stolen data like credit card information and login credentials. The operation targeted multiple marketplaces, resulting in the arrest of several individuals. This is a significant blow to the dark web community and is likely to lead to more enforcement efforts in the future. The news serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting personal data online.

Stadia is Even More Dead

It was reported on Wednesday that Phil Harrison, the former Vice President and General Manager of Google Stadia, has left Google following the announcement that the company will be shutting down its cloud gaming service Stadia. Harrison played a crucial role in the launch of Stadia in 2019. This has led to speculation that Google may have also shut down their white label game streaming product.

Star Wars Celebration

Over the weekend, several announcements were made at the Star Wars Celebration event. The upcoming film, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, will have multiple directors including Jon Watts, David Lowery, Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Lee Isaac Chung. The spinoff series, The Acolyte, will be released on Disney Plus in 2024. Star Wars: The Bad Batch, the animated series, has been renewed for a third and final season, set to air in 2024. Ahsoka, another spinoff, is set to stream on Disney Plus in August 2023 and a first look has been revealed. The Lando Star Wars show is still happening and Thrawn will be played by Lars Mikkelsen in Ahsoka.

Movies

Regarding the movies, James Mangold’s untitled movie is set 25,000 years before any of the current timelines and stories and will explore the origins of the Force. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s movie will be set 15 years after the events of Rise of Skywalker and features Daisy Ridley returning as Rey, who is now a Jedi master founding a new Jedi Academy as part of a new Jedi Order. Dave Filoni’s untitled movie is set in the present and will act as a climactic event for the current Star Wars series, exploring the conflict between the New Republic and the rising First Order.

Interesting Things of the Week

Other News

In other news, Apple just got a patent for an interactive screen on their AirPods case, which sounds pretty cool. Google Flights now offers a price guarantee on flights, so that’s some reassuring news for travelers. Sadly, Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy, which is a bummer for the commercial space industry. However, Google’s submission of its Pixel Tablet to the FCC suggests we might see a new device soon. It seems like audio-based social media may not be as successful as originally anticipated, as Spotify shut down its Clubhouse competitor. Additionally, Google has announced that Dropcam and Nest Secure will be discontinued in 2024, which is a shame since it might leave some users searching for alternatives.