Watch Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe snatch a sample from the surface of an asteroid

If there was any doubt that mankind is ramping up to head out into space, seeing a spacecraft bonking against the surface of a large rock speeding through the void might alleviate them. Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft recently collected a sample from the surface of asteroid Ryugu. Earlier in July, in fact, but we didn’t get to see it at the time. Now, you can actually see the sample collection take place. The footage was captured by the probe’s CAM-H small monitor camera, a camera on Hayabusa2 that was actually crowdfunded. Let’s see Kickstarter top that one. You can see the animation at the link below, sped up so that you can view it as more than a slide-show from very, very far away.

Source: JAXA Hayabusa2 (Twitter)

Forget Fitbit, we want Sony’s wearable Reon Pocket air conditioner

This is an idea that might be terrible, but it’s also one that we want to try as soon as possible. Sony’s got a wearable air conditioner in the works, due for release in March 2020. It’s designed to slip into a pocket at the back of a special shirt, where it nestles between your shoulder-blades and keeps you cool. Which sounds like just the thing for driving around in the Free State during summer when the aircon in the double-cab is acting up. It also blasts out warm air, should you be taking the same ride in winter and the window mechanism’s stuck. Unfortunately the Reon Pocket isn’t confirmed for launch anywhere but Japan for the moment, even if the R1,700 strikes us as kinda attractive for something this potentially useful. Or potentially terrible. Either way, we want one.

Source: Sony

Doom 1, 2 and 3 are out on Switch, but you’re going to need to login to play (for now)

Some choices confuse us. Like Bethesda opting to release Doom, Doom 2, and Doom 3 on the Switch but forcing an online requirement for these single-player games. The games released on Nintendo’s platform over the weekend, where folks quickly noticed that they had to connect to the internet and sign into a Bethesda account in order to play. Not… exactly an ideal situation for single-player games. We can only really think of a single reason for that to happen (intentionally), and it’s not a pleasant one: Bethesda may have been after player data, perhaps with a mind towards tweaking an upcoming title. Say… Doom Eternal? Bethesda says the requirement was for the Slayers Club and player rewards, but they’re also working on removing the online requirements so the point’s a little moot.

Source: The Verge

Remember the Rules: Zombieland: Double Tap is increasingly silly and heading our way

Tallahassee. Columbus. Wichita, Little Rock. It’s been too long since we saw these folks. The first Zombieland was an unusual take on the zombie genre, featuring a whole lot more lightheartedness in between the scenes of human devastation and carnage. Of course, we wanted more. The film has been languishing since 2009 but a new trailer for the sequel has given us a new time to watch for, movie wise. Zombieland: Double Tap launches on 18 October — that’s a little over ten years since the initial film. That’s far too long. The best news, though? The situation seems to be stranger than ever. If you somehow managed to miss the trailer last week (and if you’re reading this, you probably did), you can watch it below.