Tech Bytes: Grumman returns to moon — in name only

When astronauts first landed on the moon in 1969, they were ferried from the orbiting Apollo command module to the lunar surface in the lunar module, a spacecraft built in Bethpage by Grumman Corp. The aerospace giant disappeared from Long Island after merging with Northrop in 1994, but the Grumman name — as part of Virginia-based Northrop Grumman — is returning to the moon. Northrop Grumman has been named lead contractor for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, which will transport NASA astronauts around the lunar surface after a planned 2024 moon landing. At the time of the first moon landing, Grumman was Long Island’s largest corporate employer with about 35,000 workers.

Dude, you’re recycling a Dell

The "Dell computer dude" is back. From 2000 to 2003, actor Ben Curtis starred in a series of commercials that ended with the catchphrase, "Dude, you’re getting a Dell!" Curtis, 41, is starring in a new Dell ad, but this time it’s about recycling old Dells, not buying new ones. The ad ends with Curtis, fired by Dell after a 2003 marijuana arrest, saying, "All good things deserve a comeback."

Pokémon Unite named best game

Pokémon Unite, the latest entry in the franchise that includes the wildly popular Pokémon Go, was named 2021’s best Android game by Google Play. Meditation app Balance was picked as the best nongame Android app of 2021. In the category where users vote for their favorites, Paramount+ was named best nongame app and Garena Free Fire Max was voted best game.

$52 billion for new chip plants sought

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo pressed Congress to pass legislation that would put $52 billion toward chip manufacturing. The Chips Act would provide incentives for manufacturers to build at least a dozen semiconductor facilities in the United States. Many industries, especially automakers, have suffered production disruptions for nearly a year from a global chip shortage, leading to furloughs for workers. — BLOOMBERG NEWS