The Morning After: Starliner’s crewed flight gets scrubbed

Plus, ASUS’ new gaming handheld and the future of Facebook.

The first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner was scrubbed less than four minutes before liftoff after a computer failed to launch the correct countdown. It’s the squillionth setback for the craft, (our math may be out a little) which should support the next generation of spaceflight. NASA says it’ll target June 5 for its next launch attempt. At this point, we’ll believe it when we see it.

— Dan Cooper

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TMA
TMA (Engadget)

ASUS knows how to make a good PC, so it’s no surprise to see its second-generation gaming handheld is an improvement on the original. Sam Rutherford has been trying out the ROG Ally X, for which only the display and chip are unchanged from the original. And while you can guess what his impression is from the headline, you should still click through to see if it’s worth buying.

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Unsurprisingly, 20-year-old Facebook isn’t what young adults flock to. But bless Meta for trying to change that. In an update, Tom Alison, who heads up the Facebook app for Meta, says the service is shifting to reflect an “increased focus on young adults.” Meta executives have been trying to win over young adults for years. Mark Zuckerberg said almost three years ago he wanted to make them the company’s “North Star.”

Alison’s note makes no mention of the metaverse beyond using AI in its products (without getting remotely specific) — I’m not sure how Facebook plans to appeal to those young adults.

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TMA
TMA (Engadget)

Dyson continues to experiment in the robot vacuum arena. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav has been available in other parts of the world for a while, but it recently came stateside to the tune of $1,200. The company claims a 360-degree vision system, with cameras and LED lights, along with suction power similar to its stick vacuum. Is it good in real life? Yes. Is it perfect? No.

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