Asteroid Hunting | VR Ads | Robo Subs - The Convo Kit - Issue #1

Chances are you’re reading this somewhere in between the bottom of the ocean and outer space. If so, we got some “local” talking points for you in this debut issue.

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Asteroid Hunting Telescope

NASA’s NEO Surveyor telescope will use infrared sensors to detect asteroids that could threaten Earth.

• NEO = Near Earth Object

• Experts estimate ~25,000 threatening NEOs

• Surveyor to detect 90% of threats within 10 yrs

For now, if we find a NEO threat we just throw a DART at it. The first Double Asteroid Redirection Test is planned for later this year. Option 2: Send Ben Affleck with a drill.

Interesting Engineering has a cool article on this.

Virtual Reality, Real Advertisements

Facebook is testing advertising in its virtual reality experience. Oculus users looking to escape reality will get sprinkles of it via in game ads.

• Goal: Increase revenue for devs…and FB

• Users will be able to hide ads

• Testing begins in Blaston, by Resolution Games

Ads in games are not surprising, but how they are used may alter the UX. Seeing a car ad in a driving game makes sense. The same ad in a medieval RPG is immersion breaking.

More info over on Tech Crunch.

Autonomous Submarines

Terradepth, founded by 2 former Navy SEALs, wants to make “Google Earth” for the ocean floor.

• Over 80% of the ocean is unmapped

• Subs will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells

• Tested in Texas, next trial in Gulf of Mexico

Current methods for mapping our oceans are impressive, but inefficient. Automation will eliminate many risks and drastically speed up discovery.

Pictures and video available over on Interesting Engineering.

TikTok's Secret Sauce

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent, is selling software for digitizing businesses. Companies can now buy the power of great recommendation algorithms instead of building their own.

• The name: Volcano Engine

• ByteDance VP compares it to AWS and Amazon

• Includes growth consulting

Productizing the “secret sauce” signals competitors are getting close. Turning their market advantage into a commercial product extends its life far more than viral videos ever could.

Pingwest has a detailed write up on this.

Megarockets and Moon Bases

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket aims to put humans on the moon by 2030. They recently assembled the “megarocket” for the first time.

• Unmanned test flight later this year

• Taller than Statue of Liberty

• Part of the Artemis program

Commercial space flights are cool, but moonwalks are cooler (in space and on dance floors). SLS test runs will have a large impact on moon base planning.

For more on this, check out BBC News.

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