Technologies

How to Watch SpaceX’s Next Starship Test Flight on Tuesday

This is Starship’s third test flight this year and the ninth flight overall since SpaceX first launched the craft in 2023.

SpaceX is gearing up for another integrated test flight Tuesday for its Starship launch vehicle, which is a fully reusable craft that has been designed with the intention of one day carrying humans and cargo through space. The May 27 test flight is Starship’s ninth launch, although certain parts of the craft have exploded and been rebuilt since its first launch in April 2023. This test flight will be Starship’s third launch in 2025.

Recent Starship launches have ended in disaster twice, as the upper ship part of the launch vehicle exploded within Earth’s atmosphere during the seventh and eighth test flights. The reusable booster rocket was successfully caught by SpaceX during these launches.

SpaceX revealed in a written mission statement that the company is not planning on catching the booster during Tuesday’s ninth test flight.

The booster will be carrying instruments to measure data that could help SpaceX potentially improve performance and reliability on future iterations of the launch vehicle and it will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico after it’s discarded by the rest of the Starship craft.

How to watch Starship’s next integrated flight test

The Starship launch vehicle will be launching from the Starbase spaceport near Brownsville, Texas, on May 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

A public livestream will become available 30 minutes before the launch window at 7 p.m. ET. SpaceX will be streaming through multiple channels at once — you’ll be able to tune in through the company’s official Flight 9 mission webpage and the @SpaceX account on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Space.com also will be livestreaming the test flight from its homepage and YouTube channel.

Here’s when you’ll be able to tune into Starship’s ninth test flight in your time zone:

ET: May 27 at 7 p.m.
CT: May 27 at 6 p.m.
MT: May 27 at 5 p.m.
PT: May 27 at 4 p.m.

After the test flight, Musk is scheduled to provide an update on the company’s next steps. This will be the first time the beleaguered billionaire has publicly spoken on behalf of the company during a Starship launch window since the vehicle’s third flight in March 2024.

Musk is facing mounting pressure to return to his business obligations after a stint as one of President Donald Trump’s senior advisors for the Department of Government Efficiency, which has made contested claims of saving billions of dollars throughout the federal government but has raised privacy concerns among many US citizens.

In a recent call with Tesla investors, Musk promised to step back from DOGE to focus on his businesses. Tesla buying trends have reversed as prospective buyers came to associate the vehicles with Musk’s politics.

Trump’s most recent budgetary proposal puts certain NASA projects on the cutting block — including ones that involve using Starship for lunar exploration.

Technologies

Here Are the Switch Games That Have Problems Running on the Switch 2

The Switch 2’s backward compatibility is not flawless.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches next week, on June 5, and one of its big selling points is that it will be backward compatible with original Switch games. Nintendo recently updated its database of Switch games that have been tested on the new console, and while most of the games work without any issue, there are hundreds that have some problems.

Nintendo’s page for the compatibility test for Nintendo Switch games on the Switch 2 was updated on Tuesday. More than 15,000 games have been confirmed as having no issues when playing on the new Switch, but those that haven’t been verified will need some additional updates or simply will never work with the Switch 2.

According to the list, Nintendo confirms that these games and apps will not work on the Switch 2:

Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit
Niconico
ABEMA
Hulu
Crunchyroll
InkyPen

The following list are games and software that have issues when starting up on the Switch 2 that Nintendo is currently investigating:

A Boy and His Blob Retro Collection
A Time Traveller’s Guide to Past Delicacies
Abyss Memory Fallen Angel and the Path of Magic
Aeterna Noctis
Another Crab’s Treasure
Arcade Archives Assault
Arcade Archives Burger Time
Arcade Archives Chack’n Pop
Arcade Archives Crime City
Arcade Archives Dragon Spirit
Arcade Archives Dragon Saber
Arcade Archives Empire City: 1931
Arcade Archives Flipull
Arcade Archives Dig Dug
Arcade Archives Galaxian
Arcade Archives Gradius III
Arcade Archives Metrocross
Arcade Archives New Rally-X
Arcade Archives Pac Land
Arcade Archives Qix
Arcade Archives Roller Jammer
Arcade Archives Rolling Thunder
Arcade Archives Rompers
Arcade Archives Space Seeker
Arcade Archives The Genji and the Heike Clans
Arcade Archives The Tower of Druaga
Arcade Archives Xevious
Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute
Astral Flux
Baseball Club
Boot Hill Heroes
Botany Manor
Cats Hidden in Italy
Chronicles of 2 Heroes: Amaterasu’s Wrath
Clock Tower: Rewind
Crazy Strike Bowling EX
Dadish 2
Darksiders Genesis
Dead by Daylight
Everdream Valley
Felix the Cat
fig.
Final Fantasy
Flan
Grid Autosport
House Builder
I Got Isekai’d Into a Shmup
In My Shadow
Inferno 2
Gang Beasts
Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection
Kill la Kill IF
Kosmokrats
Killing Time: Resurrected
Laboratory Rat Escape Simulator Pro
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
Library of Ruina
Little Nightmares Complete Edition
Malignant Survivors
Manticore Galaxy on Fire
Mega Mall Story 2
Monster Loves You Too!
NASCAR Rivals
NBA 2K18
Nekopara Vol. 2
Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon
Nobody Saves the World
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes
Onigo Hunter
Palia
Pineview Drive
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
Raiden III x Mikado Maniax
Remothered: Tormented Fathers
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles
RiMS Racing
River City Girls Zero
Rocket League
Roller Champions
Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited
Senran Kagura Reflexions
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-fide Edition
Soul Dog TD
South of the Circle
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Sportitions ’24
Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Strania The Stella Machina EX
Super Neptunia RPG
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival
Taito Milestones
The Journey Down Trilogy
The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition
Tokyo Xanadu eX+
Touhou Gouyoku Ibun: Sunken Fossil World
Tricky Towers
Trip World DX
Trove
Trover Saves the Universe
TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3
Under Night in Birth Exe: Late[cl r]
Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi
V-Rally 4
Warface: Clutch
Warframe
Warp Shift
What the Dub?!
Where the Bees Make Honey
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
WRC 9 The Official Game
YouTube

These are the Switch games Nintendo found to start up fine on the Switch 2, but there are some issues that occur while playing:

Alan Wake Remastered
Alien: Isolation
Asphalt Legends Unite
Dadish
Dex
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Elderand
Factorio
Fall Guys
Family Chess
Games Advent Calendar 25 Days 25 Surprises
Godlike Burger
Hitman 3 Cloud Version
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Just Dance 2019
Klondike Solitaire
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Matchpoint Tennis Championships
Mega Man Legacy Collection
MotoGP 21
My Brother Rabbit
Noir Chronicles: City of Crime
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
Pilot Sports
Pocoyo Party
Port Royale 4
Real Car Driving Simulator & Parking 2022 Games
S.N.I.P.E.R. Hunter Scope
Saints Row 4: Re Elected
Steven Universe: Save The Light
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Stumble Guys

These are the games with issues, but will receive an update to address the compatibility problem after the launch of the Switch 2:

112 Operator
Active Life Outdoor Challenge
Airhead
Alchemy Garden
Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly
Batman: The Enemy Within
Beyond the Ice Palace 2
Boot Hill Bounties
Bus Simulator 2023: City Driver
Death Coming
Doom Eternal
Eggy Party
Everspace Stellar Edition
Fables Mosaic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Fitness Boxing
Floor Kids
Fortnite
FRAMED Collection
Gas Guzzlers Extreme
Guns, Gore and Cannoli
Island Flight Simulator
Korean Drone Flying Tour Jeju Island 1
Mexican Train Dominoes Gold
Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame
Musynx
NBA 2K25
Nova 111
OMG Police Car Chase TV Simulator
Parents vs. Kids
Perseverance: Complete Edition
Pizza Tower
Slayin 2
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
Super Mega Baseball 3
The Jackbox Party Pack
The Jackbox Party Pack 2
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
Victor Vran Overkill Edition
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
World of Tanks Blitz
Xtreme Sports

Lastly, the following Switch games can work on the Switch 2, but need to be played with the original Switch Joy-Cons:

Ring Fit Adventure
1-2-Switch
Everybody 1-2-Switch!
Game Builder Garage
Nintendo Switch Sports
WarioWare: Move It!
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit

The Switch 2 launches on June 5, starting at $450 for the console and $500 for the Mario Kart World bundle. Retailers have already sold out of Switch 2 preorders, but stores like Best Buy and GameStop say there will be some units on hand at stores.

Technologies

Looking for Consistent Phone Plan Pricing? Save With T-Mobile’s 5-Year Guarantee

Costs are rising everywhere. Two T-Mobile phone plans offer some price security.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have one of your monthly expenses remain stable for a while? Phone plans have seemed tumultuous recently, which is why T-Mobile’s five-year price guarantee with new Experience plans was such a surprise when it was announced earlier this year. With costs increasing on everything, and knowing that phone plans often come with strings attached, we’ve looked into the details of this deal so you can start saving on your next phone plan.

T-Mobile’s price guarantee applies to the Experience plans but not the Essentials plans. The first tier is Experience More, which starts at $90 per month for a single line and includes Unlimited Premium data and text. It also offers 60GB of high-speed hotspot data (then unlimited at 3G speeds), Apple TV Plus, Netflix (with ads), Hulu (with ads) and is upgrade-ready every two years. If you need three lines, you’ll get the third one free. This plan includes five-year price protection and is $5 less when you sign up with AutoPay.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Experience Beyond is the next tier, which starts at $105 per month and offers unlimited talk and text, plus 250GB of high-speed hotspot data (then unlimited at 3G speeds). Every streaming service listed above is included, as well as smartwatch and tablet lines starting at $5 per month. Beginning in July, Experience Beyond customers will get T-Satellite service included in the plan. (Experience More customers can get T-Satellite free through the end of 2025, then pay $10 per month as an add-on.) Other perks include upgrade eligibility every year and 30GB of high-speed data in Mexico and Canada. T-Mobile will knock off an extra $5 per month when you sign up for AutoPay, which means you’ll pay just $100.

Families can sign up for two lines and get the third line free, which can save them up to 20% when switching from other carriers. A quick reminder that the five-year price guarantee applies only to the Experience plans and doesn’t apply to other T-Mobile plans.

Looking for more ways to save on your phone bill but aren’t sure if this deal is right for you? We’ve rounded up a list of the best phone plans so you can view all of your options.

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Why this deal matters

T-Mobile’s five-year price guarantee is a great way to have a consistent phone bill that can also save you on data fees and subscriptions. Both eligible Experience plans are an additional $5 off when you sign up for AutoPay. With so many price increases on other basics, this is a great deal for anyone who wants to save on a recurring monthly expense.

Technologies

The Most Popular Instant Messenger App in the World Is Now Available for iPad

WhatsApp for iPad will sync your messages across all of your devices, and it utilizes widescreen hardware features.

The biggest private instant messaging app in the world is finally available on Apple’s widescreen mobile devices. Meta’s social media, instant messenger and voice-over-IP app, WhatsApp, is now compatible with iPadOS.

WhatsApp for iPad will continue to let you make audio and video calls with up to 32 people, share your screen and utilize both of the built-in cameras on your device to allow you to quickly communicate with others.

Several new features take advantage of the iPad’s hardware features to help you multitask easier than ever before. You can use Stage Manager to view other apps on your screen while checking your messages, Split View to send texts while browsing the web and Slide Over to conduct research while on a group call.

WhatsApp is also compatible with iPadOS Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil peripheral device. The iPad app will sync with WhatsApp instances across your iPhone, Mac and other devices, keeping all of your messages in one place.

The app isn’t the most secure end-to-end encryption-based messaging service, but it’s free — and you likely know people that already use this app as their primary means of communication. WhatsApp is used by more than two billion monthly users, making it the most popular private instant messenger app in the world.

By shipping on iPad, the app will broaden its user base and allow people already using WhatsApp to access their messaging history across a larger number of devices.

If you have an iPad, you can download WhatsApp for free on the App Store right now.