Voyager 2 is alive!

[The Morning After]( It's Wednesday, August 09, 2023. NASA has [regained contact with Voyager 2,]( only one of two human-made objects to leave the solar system. The agency lost touch with the probe on July 21st after a series of planned maneuvers pointed it two degrees away from Earth. It would have reset its orientation in October, but agency officials didn’t want to wait that long to get back in touch. The Voyager 2 team used a network of ground-based transmitters to “shout” a command to the probe, telling it to turn back toward Earth. This bellowed order took 18.5 hours to reach the apparatus, and it would take just as long before NASA would learn it was successful. It’s a testament to human ingenuity, but also a vital reminder to not miss a second of data coming from Voyager 2 since NASA believes it may not function properly after 2025. — Dan Cooper You can get these reports delivered daily, direct to your inbox. [Subscribe right here!]( The biggest stories you might have missed [The best PS5 games for 2023]( [Marvel's visual effects workers vote to unionize]( [GM will enable vehicle-to-home charging on all Ultium-based EVs]( [Valve sells refurbished Steam Decks for around 20 percent off]( [Why humans can't use natural language processing to speak with the animals]( The complexities of speech are nothing compared to birdsong. Surely computers, as powerful as they are these days, are smart enough to decode simple animal calls? That’s the question at the heart of Andrew Tarantola’s latest feature, which asks why [we don’t yet have Google Translate for animal speech](. Turns out, as simple as a bird call may sound to our ears, it’s one of the most complex vocal systems ever developed. Read on to learn why, in fact, we’re the plain-speaking simple folk, not our pets. [Continue Reading.]( [Apple is reportedly testing M3 chips for new Macs arriving this fall]( The company may wish to speed up its release schedule for new machines. [[Image of a MacBook Pro on a wooden desk next to an old-timey alarm clock and a Blue Yeti microphone.] Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget]( As night follows day, Apple releases new products with a name one integer higher than one it presently sells. It’s no surprise we’re hearing [M3 chips are currently being tested in anticipation of a refresh]( later in the year. What might surprise, however, is the hint Apple may speed up its release schedule to refresh its computer offerings faster than it does now. [Continue Reading.]( [Kamado Joe Konnected Joe review: A highly versatile smart grill]( It’s a smart charcoal-burning grill for your preferred meat season. [[Image of a Konnected Joe smart grill with the lid open in a garden space.] Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget]( There are plenty of smart grills, but one that burns charcoal rather than pellets is a slightly taller task. Kamado Joe’s [Konnected Joe]( has been in Billy Steele’s possession for the last few weeks as he tests out this versatile and, crucially, charcoal-burning smart grill. There’s still plenty of summer left, so find out if you wanna snag one of these by reading his review. [Continue Reading.]( [PayPal introduces its own stablecoin pegged to the US dollar]( PayPal USD will help you make purchases or pay other users. [[Image of a device with the PayPal app open showing a list of cryptocurrencies including PayPal USD, the company's new stablecoin.] PayPal]( Stablecoins pegged to a real-world asset are meant to be a necessary counter to the volatile world of cryptocurrency. PayPal has introduced its own in the [form of PayPal USD, a currency pegged to the US dollar]( which you can use to buy stuff or pay your friends. It’s not clear, however, if regulators have given their blessing or if PayPal is about to get a few thousand sternly worded letters from the Federal Reserve and the SEC. [Continue Reading.]( [Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: Here's what to expect this October Prime Day]( Prime Day comes but onc… twice a year. Amazon is once again planning a second Prime Day-style shopping event in October. This [Amazon Prime Big Deal Day]( aside from being a mouthful to say, will offer a bonanza of deals both on Amazon’s own hardware – and everything else. If you’ve got an eye on snagging some bargains ahead of the holiday shopping season, check out our guide to prepare for what’s to come. [Continue Reading.]( The Morning After is a daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't [subscribe](. Craving even more? [Like us on Facebook]( or [follow us on Twitter](. Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? [Send us a note.]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you opted in at [engadget.com](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe from this newsletter.]( Copyright © 2023 Yahoo. All rights reserved.