While many of us were sleeping, SpaceX launched tons of supplies to the International Space Station for NASA. 

Hitching a ride to the station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is the Crew Interactive Mobile Companion, or CIMON — a new artificial intelligence technology developed by a team of researchers from the European Space Agency, NASA, and IBM.

CIMON has a roughly spherical shape, with a childlike drawing of a face on the screen. It’s a little… creepy looking. 

The AI bot is designed to float around in the space station until an astronaut calls its name. Then, CIMON will navigate through microgravity in the direction of whoever is talking. Read more…

More about Space, Nasa, International Space Station, Artificial Intelligence, and Spacex
Source: Mashable | Meet the creepy new AI system designed to help astronauts in space

No, it’s not just you. 

The internet service provider America loves to hate, Comcast, is reportedly experiencing service outages across the U.S. And it’s bad. 

Comcast provided a statement to CNBC confirming a “nationwide outage impacting some of our internet, video and voice customers.” 

According to DownDetector, the outage appears focused on the East and West Coasts.

Comcast has also confirmed that one of its “large backbone network partners had a fiber cut,” and that that may be responsible for the outages.  Read more…

More about Comcast, Tech, and Big Tech Companies

Source: Mashable | Comcast went down all over the U.S.

Once upon a time, prospective vacation-goers would journey to an IRL storefront, where a person called a “travel agent” would be waiting amid stacks of maps and dog-eared travel guides. (Probably.) There, the travel agent would type away on a gigantic desktop computer for several minutes, summoning the perfect itinerary from some inscrutable database of flight options.

But thanks to the internet, travel agents have been rendered largely obsolete, leaving travelers to sift through thousands of flights on their own. Or at least, it might seem that way. 

The truth is we’re not alone, or at least not completely. Websites abound to help us amateurs parse an often overwhelming number of choices, comparing everything from prices to the ideal layover city.  Read more…

More about Travel, Flying, Flights, Mashable Shopping, and Shopping List
Source: Mashable | Going somewhere? These are the best websites for finding flights.

OK, so this has been a pretty crazy week and it seems like it’s getting just a tad crazier as comedian John Melendez (aka “Stuttering John” to Howard Stern fans) claims he successfully prank called President Trump.

The call, which apparently took place Wednesday night as Trump flew back from a rally in North Dakota, is part of an episode of Melendez’s podcast in which he manages to get in touch with Trump on Air Force One by posing as Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ). Read more…

More about Donald Trump, Stuttering John, Bob Menendez, Bob Melendez, and Culture
Source: Mashable | Comedian claims he successfully prank called Trump on his podcast

Even in The Happiest Place on Earth, robots are stealing our jobs. 

Disney’s new “Stuntronics” – robotic aerial stunt performers – are capable of flying through the air, performing acrobatic tricks and striking snap-worthy poses, all while adjusting their trajectory to stick calculated landings. Don’t believe me? Check the tape.

A recent interview with TechCrunch revealed just how far the project, which is currently in development at Disney’s Imagineering labs, has progressed—and how far its lead creators hope it can go.

Most park visitors are accustomed to the charming but often underwhelming static performances of their favorite animatronic characters. The Imagineers behind Stuntronics are aiming for more. According to Tony Dohi, a lead Stuntronics scientist, these new bots should bring more of the action we see on screen to the park and end the “disconnect” experienced by many visitors. No more standing around, Mr. Lightyear. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Disney, Robot, Stunts, and Entertainment

Source: Mashable | Move over, Tink: Disney sends robot stunt doubles flying into parks

Nostalgia is present in all of pop culture, and that is especially true in video games. There is a desire to enjoy the games of old that built the games industry up to what it is today. And if you want to experience some of the classic titles, especially Nintendo titles, then you will love this bit of news.

The NES Classic is back in stock. No, you didn’t misread that, the NES Classic is back in stock. The miniature version of Nintendo’s first home console comes loaded with 30 classic games like the original Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. And you’ll be able to share in the games with two controllers in the box. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Video Games, Walmart, Nes Classic Edition, and Mashable Shopping
Source: Mashable | Walmart has the NES Classic in stock, and for cheaper than Amazon

Driving, flying, and (rarely) boating around the pseudo-United States of The Crew 2, it’s hard to ignore the ever-present feeling of emptiness.

The name of the game in The Crew 2 is racing. Whether it’s with cars, motorcycles, airplanes, speedboats, motorcycles, or monster trucks, The Crew 2 is an endless stream of competitive events against AI that, while fun for a while, grows a bit tiresome as it becomes clear that this is the only thing there is to do aside from roam around aimlessly and do ill-advised things like this:

More about Reviews, Ubisoft, The Crew 2, Entertainment, and Gaming

Source: Mashable | 'The Crew 2' wants to be good but feels so empty