Every day we wake up, drink some coffee, get ready for work and check on the latest tech. So here’s a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into that first cup. These are things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
NewLimit Lands $40M to Extend Life
San Francisco-based startup NewLimit has raised $40 million in Series A funding from investors including Dimension, Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, and VC Blake Byers. The company, which aims to extend human health and lifespan through epigenetic cell reprogramming, plans to use the funding to further its research and development efforts.
NewLimit is focused on understanding and manipulating epigenetics to reverse the functional decline associated with aging. It aims to develop products that can regenerate tissues to treat specific patient populations, beginning with immune cells called T cells.
The company generates scientific data by conducting experiments in its lab, inserting human transcription factors into human cells and observing the resulting changes. NewLimit believes that by reprogramming cells, it can potentially reverse the effects of aging and improve the functionality of various cell types, such as liver cells or neurons.
While the company is still in the early research stage, it has attracted significant funding to support its ambitious mission.
Microsoft Launches Desktop Link for iPhone
Microsoft has announced that Phone Link for iOS is now available to all Windows 11 users. Phone Link
allows users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive messages, access their contacts, and see their phone’s notifications directly on their Windows PC. Previously, Phone Link only worked with Android phones.
To use Phone Link, users need to have a Windows 11 PC and an iPhone running iOS 15 or later. Once they have both devices, they can pair them together using Bluetooth. Once the devices are paired, users can open the Phone Link app on their Windows PC to access their iPhone’s features.
Phone Link is a great way for users to stay connected to their iPhone even when they’re away from their phone. It’s also a great way to use their Windows PC to do things like make phone calls, send messages, and access their contacts.
SpaceX Hires Former NASA Human Spaceflight Chief
SpaceX has hired Kathy Lueders, a former NASA human spaceflight chief, to help develop the company’s Starship launch system. Lueders will work out of SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas.
Lueders served as NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations from 2019 to 2022. In that role, she oversaw the agency’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2025.
She also played a key role in the development of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which will be used to transport astronauts to the moon on Artemis missions.
Lueders’ hiring is a major coup for SpaceX, as she brings a wealth of experience and expertise in human spaceflight to the company. She is also well-respected within the space community, and her appointment is likely to be seen as a sign of SpaceX’s commitment to human spaceflight.
SpaceX is currently developing its Starship launch system, which is designed to be the most powerful rocket ever built. The company plans to use Starship to transport astronauts to the moon and Mars, and it is also developing a version of the rocket that could be used to launch satellites into orbit.
Lueders’ hiring comes at a time when SpaceX is gearing up for its next Starship launch attempt. The company is targeting a launch from Starbase in late May or early June.
Startup Aims to Launch World’s First Private Space Station
Space startup Vast has announced its plans to launch the world’s first commercial space station, called
Haven-1. The 100-meter-long (330 feet) space station is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to low-Earth orbit no earlier than August 2025.
Haven-1 will initially act as an independent crewed space station prior to being connected as a module to a larger Vast space station currently in development. The initial mission will be followed in quick succession by Vast-1, the first human spaceflight mission to Haven-1 on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The vehicle and its four-person crew will dock with the new station for up to 30 days while orbiting Earth. The company also secured an option with SpaceX for an additional human spaceflight mission to the station.
Vast’s long-term goal is to develop a 100-meter-long multi-module spinning artificial gravity space station launched by SpaceX’s Starship transportation system. In support of this, the company will explore conducting the world’s first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station with Haven-1.
It is selling up to four crewed seats on the inaugural mission to Haven-1. Expected customers include domestic and international space agencies and private individuals involved in science and philanthropic projects.
Microsoft Scans Password-Protected Zip Files for Malware
In a bid to enhance cybersecurity, Microsoft has implemented a groundbreaking feature that allows scanning the contents of password-protected Zip files for malware. The tech giant has long been committed to protecting its users from evolving cyber threats, and this latest move showcases their dedication to staying one step ahead.
By utilizing a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, Microsoft’s scanning mechanism can now inspect the encrypted files without the need for the password. This innovative approach enables the detection of potential threats hidden within Zip archives, safeguarding users’ systems and data.
However, concerns about privacy have been raised, as the scanning process requires access to the file’s contents. Microsoft assures users that the process is secure and privacy-oriented, with the scanned data remaining protected. This feature underscores Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to prioritize cybersecurity in today’s digital landscape.
