Science & Space
ESCAPADE's Earth Flyby: How Twin NASA Probes Reach Mars
NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft have completed powered Earth flybys and are now heading for Mars. Here is how the unusual route works, what it buys, and what is still unknown.
Gadgets & Science Desk
Stories by Gadgets & Science Desk
Gadgets
Bluetooth Pairing Explained: How Devices Connect and Stay Secure
Earbuds, watches, keyboards and cars all rely on Bluetooth pairing. This explainer covers what pairing does, how the common methods differ, and what the US standards agency NIST says about securing the technology.
Science & Space
Voyager 1 Nears One Light-Day From Earth: What the Milestone Means
Voyager 1, launched in 1977, is about to be one light-day from Earth. Here is what that distance means, how the aging probe is kept alive, and what NASA still does not know.
Gadgets
Does Independent Repair Void Your Warranty? What US Rules Say
Many people assume a phone or laptop warranty disappears the moment someone else fixes it. Here is what the Federal Trade Commission has said about warranties, third-party parts and repair, and where the limits are.
Science & Space
Artemis II Heat Shield: What NASA Found After the Flight
NASA says its post-flight analysis confirms the Orion heat shield performed as expected on Artemis II, with far less char loss than on the first flight. Here is what that means and what is still being checked.
Gadgets
The EU Common Charger Rules: What USB-C Does and Does Not Fix
The European Union now requires a shared USB-C charging port on many everyday gadgets, laptops included. Here is what the rule covers, what it leaves open and why one port is not the same as one perfect charger.
Gadgets
Battery Health Explained: Why Phones and Laptops Age
Lithium-ion batteries wear out faster with heat and with time spent at a full charge. Apple's guidance and Battery University data show what to do about it.
Gadgets
Foldable Phones: What Hinges, Screens and Creases Really Mean
Foldables promise a tablet-sized screen in a pocket-sized phone. Here is how the flexible display and hinge work, what the new dust-resistance ratings mean, and what to check before buying.
Science & Space
How the James Webb Space Telescope Looks Back in Time
Webb sees the early universe because light takes time to travel and because expansion stretches it into the infrared. NASA explains the mirror, the sunshield and the record-setting galaxies.
Science & Space
Nuclear Fusion Explained: Why It Is So Hard and What Progress Means
Fusion powers the Sun, and researchers want it on Earth. How it works, what the 2022 National Ignition Facility result did and did not show, and what ITER is for.
Gadgets
OLED vs Mini-LED: What Actually Differs on Your Next Screen
OLED and mini-LED are the two leading technologies in premium TVs and monitors. Independent testing from RTINGS shows where each wins and why burn-in is less scary than it sounds.
Science & Space
Quantum Computers Explained: What They Can and Cannot Do
Quantum computers use qubits to attack certain problems in new ways. What Google's error-correction result shows, what IBM promises for 2029, and why useful advantage is still unproven.
Science & Space
Reusable Rockets: How Boosters Land and Fly Again
Reusable rockets fly their first stage back to a landing, then fly it again. How a Falcon 9 landing unfolds, how the idea took hold, and what remains unproven.
Gadgets
Smart Glasses: What They Can Do and the Privacy Questions They Raise
Smart glasses put cameras and assistants in ordinary-looking frames. European and UK privacy regulators have just weighed in on what that means for the people around the wearer.