The Daily Valet. - 3/11/21, Thursday
✔️ A Moon Base
Thursday, March 11th Edition
Is this week flying by for you too?
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
China & Russia Build Moon Base
China wants a long-term lunar presence in the 2030s, but it’s unclear when the outpost will be built.
I haven't started the second season of For All Mankind yet, but this feels like it was pulled right out of the storyline: China and Russia have announced plans to work together to construct a lunar base. station, an ambitious first-ever such space project between the two countries.
Russia's Roscosmos and China's National Space Administration—the two countries' respective equivalents of NASA—announced an ambitious agreement this week to jointly develop a research facility, known as the International Lunar Research Station. The heads of the two space agencies signed a memorandum of understanding in a ceremony conducted via teleconference, reports NPR.
Details about the project were fairly sparse, specifying only that the countries would work together to create research facilities on the surface and/or in orbit around the Moon. The goal was both to establish long-term, uncrewed facilities on the Moon and build up the capabilities for a human presence there.
China has been pretty clear about their ambitions. According to Ars Technica, the plan is to build an international lunar station at the South Pole of the Moon, beginning with robotic missions and followed by short-term human missions in the early 2030s. The country plans to establish a long-term human presence at the South Pole—which is believed to contain vast reserves of water ice—during the period of 2036 to 2045.
The announcement from the former Cold War rivals comes as NASA is working toward a return to the moon, decades after the last of the Apollo landings wrapped up in 1972.
The Biden administration has confirmed that it wants to continue with NASA's Artemis program, which aims to send several astronauts to the lunar surface in the next few years. The U.S. also envisions setting up a base in the lunar south pole.
↦ FYI: Since 2011, NASA has been prohibited from cooperating on space projects with their Chinese counterparts, unless Congress approves such cooperation in advance.
Congress Officially Passes Relief Bill
They’re sending Biden one of the largest economic rescue packages in U.S. history
The COVID relief bill we've been talking about for weeks now is on its way to President Biden's desk. The banner headline on the New York Times Wednesday evening said “$1.9 trillion virus relief plan to vastly expand U.S. safety net.” And one of the Washington Post's lead stories noted that that Democrats' messaging about the bill has shifted “from economic crisis rescue to poverty relief...”
The 220-to-211 vote in the House of Representatives (almost entirely along party lines) sends Biden one of the largest economic rescue packages in U.S. history—which Democrats had promised to pass as one of their first acts of governance after securing narrow but potent majorities during the 2020 election.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told NBC News the legislation will be a “turning point” that transforms U.S. politics by restoring the country's faith in government.
The long-debated bill, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, authorizes another round of stimulus payments up to $1,400 for most Americans; extends additional, enhanced unemployment aid to millions still out of work; and makes major changes to the tax code to benefit families with children.
↦ TIMELINE: When will your stimulus check arrive? The answer may not be straightforward for everyone. Here's what you should keep in mind.
All the Chatter About Twitter
Wondering where those promised Spaces are?
If you opened your phone yesterday or this morning to see a Twitter app update, you likely saw an advertisement for Twitter Spaces, the audio chat room addition that the social network recently launched to compete with Clubhouse. But while you won't actually find the ability to create a new Space (unless you're one of a select few), the company now says it plans to launch Spaces to everyone next month.
Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces may seem like two very similar apps in the trendy audio space, but there's one crucial difference between the two, reports Mashable. It has to do with the way they're recording your audio conversations. Yes, it's all being recorded—but what happens to that data after your live chat is over? The two companies have very different policies surrounding recording audio and data retention.
Of course, Spaces is just one item in a slew of new things popping up on Twitter lately. There are Fleets, which look like Snap and Instagram Stories. And they just acquired Revue, a newsletter product similar to Substack. It also announced something called Super Follows, which will let people pay creators on Twitter for special content.
Meanwhile, Russia has announced that it is imposing restrictions on Twitter for failing to remove illegal content from its platform. According to CNBC, Russia's move to throttle Twitter follows similar actions by governments in Turkey and India who have also threatened jail time for platform execs.
↦ Meanwhile: If Twitter muting stopped working for you recently, you’re not alone. A bug may've kept you from muting WandaVision.
A New, Old School Digital Camera
Hasselblad releases their new digital camera
Shooting photos with an old-school Hasselblad is a unique, analog experience. The old school film camera typically employs a waist-level finder, which means you look down at the top of the camera to compose your shot and focus.
The company's new digital camera, the 907X 50C, is a 740-gram metal box that can serve as a standalone medium format digital camera or as a digital back for Hasselblad V System cameras made from 1957 onward.
At $6,400, it's the smallest digital medium format body Hasselblad has ever made, and it's filled with premium Hasselblad touches. According to The Verge, the responsive touchscreen, all-metal body, and satisfying leaf shutter don't make up for its slow auto-focus or lack of a viewfinder.
But Popular Science says the images that come out of the sensor are simply beautiful. If you hit the focus and you get the exposure pretty close, you’re going to come away with a file that will look amazing as a finished image.
↦ FYI: True to its Scandinavian heritage, Hasselblad cameras are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, uncompromising image quality and extremely high performance.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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What Works for Our Team’s Pets
And the will no doubt, work for you too
If you're a pet owner, your daily schedule revolves, to some degree, around your pet's demands. And on behalf of all the new pets owners that adopted during the pandemic, we thank you.
Honestly, we couldn't imagine this past year without the fun and funny moments our four-legged friends have provided. But that doesn't mean they're always the easiest creatures to live with.
After a lot of trial and error, here are the tried and true products and accessories that our team uses on the regular to keep our dogs and cats happy, healthy and smelling fresh.
↦ Buy: The essentials your pet probably needs now.
Weekend Shopping Plans
From outerwear to leather chairs, our picks from the can't-miss sales going on this weekend.
Up to 50% off winter styles
Fleece zip-up $29.90 / $19.90
Up to 70% off “open box” items
Leather slope chair $399 / $199.97
Take an extra 15% off w/code EXTRA
Garment-dyed tee $29.50 / $19.50
Expires 3/17
Expires 3/15
Expires 3/16
↦ Want More? See all 44 sales
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Morning Motto
Honesty is always the best policy.
↦ Follow: @davidguison
That’s all for today...
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