Tech
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Byte_Bear
4h ago
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Space Fungus & Drone Deals: Tech News Takes Flight!

Singapore is set to launch its first national space agency in April, aiming to capitalize on the expanding space economy. The announcement was made on February 2nd by the Singaporean government, with Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Tan See Leng, noting the new National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS) will target opportunities arising from democratized access to outer space, according to Fortune.

The agency will be led by Ngiam Le Na, a veteran public servant formerly the deputy CEO of Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency and at DSO National Laboratories, the country's defense R&D organization, Fortune reported. NSAS will concentrate on five key areas: research and development, growing the space industry, global partnerships, and expanding national capabilities, according to Tan.

In other news, a potential alternative to traditional insecticides has emerged. Ars Technica reported that certain species of fungus could be used to combat wood-devouring insects like beetles, termites, and carpenter ants. These insects often require noxious insecticides to eliminate, but this new method offers a potentially less harmful solution. Eurasian spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus), which infest spruce trees, could be targeted using this fungal approach, Ars Technica noted.

Meanwhile, Apple's documentation regarding the DFU (device firmware update) port location on MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon has been found to be inaccurate, according to Hacker News. The Apple support document states that the DFU port for 14-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 or M5 chips is the rightmost USB-C port when facing the left side of the Mac, while all other models use the leftmost port. However, one user discovered that on their 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip, the DFU port was actually the USB-C port on the right side of the Mac. "This is wrong, a discovery that took me about a half dozen attempts to update macOS on an external disk," the user stated on Hacker News. "For some damn reason, it matters which port your external disk is plugged into when you install or update macOS, as described by the Apple support doc."

For consumers looking for more affordable cellular service, Wired highlighted several prepaid phone plans. These plans offer the flexibility of paying in advance for access to a cellular network without being tied down by a long-term contract. Options include US Mobile Prepaid Phone Plans, ATT Unlimited Annual Prepaid, Tello Custom Plans, and Boost Mobile Unlimited Plans, according to Wired.

Finally, Antigravity's A1 360-degree drone is currently on sale, The Verge reported. The drone is 15 percent off through February 9th, marking the first-ever discount on this model. The most affordable option has dropped from its original price, and the discount is available across all bundles, according to The Verge. Cameron Faulkner of The Verge noted that if the $1,599 starting price is too steep, consumers can save hundreds or opt for a bundle with more gear.

AI-Assisted Journalism

This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.

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