On Tuesday, after a year-long search, the international e-commerce site, television production company, streaming service, hardware manufacturer, and leader in artificial intelligence announced its HQ2 would be split between the New York City borough of Queens, and Crystal City, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. The selections were so patently obvious as to draw ire. Why, people wondered, were Raleigh or Atlanta or Pittsburgh so elaborately vetted when HQ2 was always going to end up in the cultural capital of the country—and the Capitol itself?...

If you’re looking to enter the world of robovacs, consider the iRobot Roomba 671 Robot Vacuum, which is on sale for $179.99, down a whopping $170 from its $349.99 list price. The 671 allows you to schedule daily cleanings in the iRobot HOME app or with your voice assistant, so you never have to remind yourself to vacuum ever again. A three-stage cleaning system grabs dirt deep down in carpets and on hard floors—it doesn’t miss nooks and crannies either, thanks to its Edge Sweeping brush....

You can download hi-res versions of these vintage images from NASA. And for anyone interested, the full timeline on Apollo 11’s mission is here and Apollo 17’s is here. Update on February 15, 2016: After I posted this on Facebook, one of my followers, Jim O’Kane, commented that he animated these images a few years ago. It’s pretty incredibly gorgeous, so I thought I’d share it!

This discovery is one of several major developments over the past year or so that is shaping nuclear fusion technology into a stronger potential candidate for fossil fuel-free energy. This reaction, carried out by researchers at the EUROfusion consortium, more than doubled the last record for fusion energy, which topped at 21.7 megajoules in 1997. They used the Joint European Torus (JET) device to create the massive bolt of power....

Users of Apple Music on iOS will see many similarities between their version of the company’s streaming service and this new one. The interface of the 29MB app is largely the same, save for the hamburger menu button in the top left and the Android navigation menu buttons on the bottom. With many of Google’s iOS apps not supporting universal iPhone-like gestures such as swipe from the left edge to go back, it will be interesting to see if Cupertino will adopt general Android UX language in their app or force Google users to do things their way....

As Bloomberg and elsewhere report, Apple is looking into rolling out native advertising within more its own first-party apps, including popular offerings like Apple Maps, Books, and Podcasts. Although the company already embeds some ads within apps like Stocks and Apple News, it recently announced increased advertising within the App Store itself. At the time, the company stated that the new ads, “will only contain content from apps’ approved App Store product pages, and will adhere to the same rigorous privacy standards....

Barry Prentice is a professor of supply chain management at the University of Manitoba. He recently submitted a paper to Transport Canada (the Canadian government’s equivalent of America’s Department of Transportation) entitled “Transport Airships for Northern Logistics: Technology for the 21st Century.” It argues that, despite the firey failures of the past, Airships have a lot to offer the world of tomorrow, and even today. After outlining the hurdles of season-limited maritime traffic, risky land transport, and expensive airplane shipping, Prentice writes: Highlighting the efforts of a few existing modern airship companies, Prentice outlines one of the first markets where it seems airships truly offer a competitive advantage....

Human height can vary quite a bit, with the tallest folks reaching peaks of six, seven, and even eight feet tall, and the shortest people standing at two, three, and four feet in height. But most people will fall into an average range of between five and six feet. Why did we land at that particular height—and why aren’t we taller? Natural selection and millions of years of time helped humans land at the heights we are at today....

The connection between bone mass and spaceflight has been studied for quite some time. One prior NASA study from 2007 estimated a two to nine percent loss in bone mass within nine months of space travel. Another study published in 2020 simulated the impact of a three-year spaceflight to Mars, finding a 33 percent risk of osteoporosis for long-distance travelers. Decreases in bone density can weaken a person’s skeletal structure and increase the risk of back pain, bone fractures, and loss of height....

We’ve just taken a massive step forward in resolving that question. In a study published Thursday in Science, an international team reports the first-ever localization the origin point of a non-repeating FRB. “This was the first [FRB] where we both found it and had the right type of data to localize it,” says Keith Bannister, an astronomer with Australia’s Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and the lead author of the new paper....

But when discussing beers appropriate for Thanksgiving with the PopSci.com editorial team, we hit upon a better idea. Drink Your Turkey-Day Dinner. It sounds implausible — and it’s certainly not advisable — but it is possible to have a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner in beer form. Pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce are two very obvious dishes that have clear beer counterparts: google “pumpkin ale” or “cranberry beer” and you’ll find a large array of commercially available beers such as Southern Tier’s Pumking and Sam Adams’ Cranberry Lambic....

But there’s a key supporting actor on nearly all helicopters: the smaller tail rotor. It plays a crucial role as an anti-torque device—it prevents the helicopter from spinning around in circles in response to the movement of the main rotor, and also allows the pilot to adjust the direction the nose is pointing when the chopper is hovering. But helicopter-maker Bell has been flying a new experimental craft with a totally different tail rotor, a system that could be safer in some cases, and is also quieter than a traditional tail rotor....

Thickness: To achieve the kind of support that will prevent fatigue and aches, your mat should be at least ⅜-of-an-inch thick. Anything less may not provide the support and stability to improve standing for long periods of time. Environment: What kind of mat you get is largely determined by where you will use it. You can break one out anywhere from industrial kitchens to personal bathrooms. In any area that’s unsanitary or needs frequent cleaning, you’ll want to avoid a mat with surfaces that are gridded or textured, as they may collect more dirt....

De-icer sprays to keep your windows clear: Our picks Best overall: CRC Ice-Off Windshield Spray De-Icer This 12-ounce can melts snow, ice, and frost off your car’s exterior windows. With built-in “power jet technology,” boasts a powerful nozzle that promises to penetrate thick ice. This spray works even in subzero temperatures and on frozen car locks. Best with scraper: Prestone AS242 Windshield De-Icer Weighing in at 11 ounces, this de-icer is one of the largest cans available....

Best overall: Bose Companion 2 Series III multimedia speakersBest gaming speakers: Logitech G560 gaming speaker systemBest for cinema sound: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX-certified computer speaker systemBest for Twitch knob twiddlers: Pioneer DJ VM-50 studio monitorBest for gamers that want to be sound designers: PreSonus Eris E3.5 near-field studio monitorsBest budget: Monoprice DT-3BT Multimedia Desktop Powered Speakers How we selected the products The world of speakers is packed with obelisks, ovals, and what can sometimes feel like obstacles....

Do you attack the mountain, or do you float above the snow, gliding where the mountain takes you? The skis’ materials, shape, edge design, and weight change how they feel and respond. Consequently, if icy conditions rule your local mountain, you’ll need different skis than if a fresh layer of powder welcomes you on the weekends. Keep reading to get the lowdown on the best downhill skis for the wide range of factors you bring to or run into on the mountain....

With many folding picnic table options to choose from, though, you’ll want to decide on a few things: material, size, design, and whether or not it has a hole for an umbrella. You’ll also want to look into manufacturers’ warranties and how easy it is (or isn’t!) to assemble, break down, and store when it’s not in use. The best folding picnic table for you will be one that fits your budget, your style, and your desire for portability—and of course, one that can fit all your delicious picnic recipes....

Best overall: Rollo Label PrinterBest value: Leoity Thermal Label PrinterBest color label printer: Brother VC-500W Versatile Compact Color Label and Photo Printer Best for small businesses: Dymo 4XLBest for organizing: Brother P-Touch How we picked the best label printers Here at PopSci HQ, we have gadgets and other products coming in and out all the time. Combined with some years of online selling experience, it has made some of the writers and editors on-staff into certified shipping label experts....