Halloween is just over a week away, with parties for the annual holiday likely hitting next weekend. Normally, this year’s festivities would be like any other year: you dress up with your friends as your favorite characters and hang out or watch some horror movies, or you watch other people dress up as your favorite…
SpaceX is planning to launch as many rockets as it can over the next two-and-a-half months in an attempt to fly 100 flights by the end of the year, company exec Bill Gerstenmaier recently told the US Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science. He also revealed that the company has an even more ambitious goal for 2024: To launch around 12 flights a month, for a total of 144 missions for the whole year. According to a company official who talked to Ars Technica, SpaceX intends to ramp up its mission numbers next year, mostly so that it could officially roll out its satellite-to-cell phone service.
“With our 2 million users, (we) need that constellation refreshed,” the spokesperson told Ars. “We’re also going to look at direct to cell communications with Starlink, and that’s a key feature that gets added next year with those 144 flights.”
The company first announced the service, which will allow normal smartphones to connect with its satellites, back in 2022. It made the revelation alongside T-Mobile, which promised to make the capability accessible to its subscribers. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert likened the technology to putting a cellular tower in the sky and said it could eliminate deadzones one day, allowing people to easily get in touch with loved ones even if they’re in the middle of the ocean. SpaceX VP of Starlink enterprise sales Jonathan Hofeller also said earlier this year that the company is gearing up to start testing the service.
As Ars notes, SpaceX previously said that the capability will require larger satellites that will launch onboard the company’s Starship vehicle. The giant rocket is yet to be operational, though, and the company had to design an intermediate-sized Starlink satellite that can fly on its Falcon 9 rockets. That satellite is bigger than older models but smaller than the ones needed to enable voice and data services. SpaceX doesn’t have plans to roll out Starlink voice and data until 2025, though, and will introduce its direct-to-cell capability with texting coverage only next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spacex-will-ramp-up-its-launches-in-2024-for-starlinks-satellite-to-cell-service-133050178.html?src=rss
A pair of spacecraft is undergoing final testing before a roughly 230 million mile journey to explore the Red Planet.
iOS 17 is now with us, and it comes with a range of upgrades, tweaks, and improvements—including new ways to share your whereabouts with other people. Whether you’re meeting friends in town or keeping an eye on the kids at school, you’ve now got more options for doing it on the iPhone.
Jon Stewart is best known for pissing the right people off with his nuanced political takes on his Apple TV show The Problem with Jon Stewart, and it appears he’s also pissed off his employer. Stewart’s The Problem has officially been canceled, and the reason why may lie in his view on artificial intelligence, a…
SpaceX is planning to launch as many rockets as it can over the next two-and-a-half months in an attempt to fly 100 flights by the end of the year, company exec Bill Gerstenmaier recently told the US Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science. He also revealed that the company has an even more ambitious goal for 2024: To launch around 12 flights a month, for a total of 144 missions for the whole year. According to a company official who talked to Ars Technica, SpaceX intends to ramp up its mission numbers next year, mostly so that it could officially roll out its satellite-to-cell phone service.
“With our 2 million users, (we) need that constellation refreshed,” the spokesperson told Ars. “We’re also going to look at direct to cell communications with Starlink, and that’s a key feature that gets added next year with those 144 flights.”
The company first announced the service, which will allow normal smartphones to connect with its satellites, back in 2022. It made the revelation alongside T-Mobile, which promised to make the capability accessible to its subscribers. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert likened the technology to putting a cellular tower in the sky and said it could eliminate deadzones one day, allowing people to easily get in touch with loved ones even if they’re in the middle of the ocean. SpaceX VP of Starlink enterprise sales Jonathan Hofeller also said earlier this year that the company is gearing up to start testing the service.
As Ars notes, SpaceX previously said that the capability will require larger satellites that will launch onboard the company’s Starship vehicle. The giant rocket is yet to be operational, though, and the company had to design an intermediate-sized Starlink satellite that can fly on its Falcon 9 rockets. That satellite is bigger than older models but smaller than the ones needed to enable voice and data services. SpaceX doesn’t have plans to roll out Starlink voice and data until 2025, though, and will introduce its direct-to-cell capability with texting coverage only next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spacex-will-ramp-up-its-launches-in-2024-for-starlinks-satellite-to-cell-service-133050178.html?src=rss
The trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried reached its halfway point, and a flurry of incriminating evidence, emotional testimonies, and odd tales have surfaced in the last three weeks.
As some societies grapple with labor shortages exacerbated by declining and aging populations, Mitsubishi’s AVATAR aspires to be a game-changing solution. Through its remote operation capabilities, AVATAR provides a platform (software and hardware) designed to make it easier for anyone to perform tasks from any location, thereby democratizing labor and potentially improving safety in hazardous work environments.
Mitsubishi thinks the AVATAR operation interface is simple and intuitive. I didn’t get to operate it, but it did look reasonably simple to get the robots to do its various tasks.
Drawing on human cognitive characteristics, the interface employs Visual Haptics technology to present force levels at remote locations as Augmented Reality (AR) images. Powered by Mitsubishi Electric’s proprietary AI technology Maisart, the system is said to learn and replicate movements automatically. This simplifies tasks like moving objects from one point to another and reduces the operator’s work.
At CEATEC 2023, Mitsubishi demonstrated the entire stack of hardware and software using a simple robot that could move around and move objects using two arms. Obviously, this demo doesn’t achieve the full AVATAR vision, but the company wanted to show tangible progress.
To make teleoperation practical and user-friendly, AVATAR relies on two core strategies:
First, simple and intuitive vision-based operation: Mobile smart devices serve as the operating interface, transmitting motion and sensory information between the operator and AVATAR. Four specific technologies have been developed to facilitate this:
Secondly, task operations can be broken down into sub-tasks, some of which can be automated to reduce the operator’s workload further. This step-by-step automation allows one operator to manage multiple machines simultaneously. You can think of it as macro-level operating instead of micro-managing every movement from the avatar.
If you want to learn more, I find this white paper (PDF) by Mitsubishi’s award-winning team, “Last Mile,” fascinating.
Beyond addressing labor shortages and safety concerns, AVATAR technology aims to solve the issue of uneven population distribution. It gives individuals the freedom to live and work wherever they prefer, thus creating a more balanced distribution of the working population. By the way, the movie Surrogates was based on a similar idea.
This vision of the future will require time and more research to take shape as envisioned, however, it will probably lead to significant learning and lessons for future designs.
Could Mitsubishi AVATAR End Labor Shortages and Transform How We Work?
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As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, solar power generation is an essential solution. Toshiba has been working hard on its Cu2O tandem solar cells and film-type perovskite solar cells as part of its renewable energy solutions. These innovations are not only efficient but also versatile, offering exciting prospects for large-scale power generation in diverse settings.
Cu2O (copper suboxide) tandem solar cells aim to improve overall power generation efficiency by stacking two solar cells on top of each other. The top cell is a transmission-type Cu2O cell, and the bottom cell is a Si (silicon) cell; both generate power. This stacked configuration allows these cells to be highly efficient, low-cost, and reliable.
A particularly promising application of these tandem solar cells is in electric mobility vehicles such as electric cars (EVs). The cells have the potential to supply large amounts of power in a compact form factor, making them ideal for vehicles with limited space. In the near future, EVs equipped with these cells could be powered for 30 to 50 km without recharging, covering the daily driving distance of a typical short-distance user when recharged by sunlight for a day.
Film-type perovskite solar cells offer a solution for renewable energy generation in urban areas where conventional Si solar cells are challenging to install due to weight and rigidity constraints. These cells are lightweight, thin and can be installed on curved surfaces such as low-load-bearing roofs and walls.
This opens up the possibility for large-scale power generation in urban areas through a “local production for local consumption” model, utilizing the limited sunlight that falls on densely populated regions.
While polymer film-type perovskite solar cells offer numerous advantages, they have historically suffered from lower power conversion efficiency compared to silicon modules. Toshiba has tackled this problem head-on by developing a new one-step meniscus coating method. This approach has resulted in a power conversion efficiency of 15.1% for a polymer film-type perovskite solar cell, which Toshiba says is the world’s highest value for a cell of this type at 703 square-cm.
The coating process is also significantly faster than conventional methods, making mass production more efficient and bringing the technology closer to practical application.
Toshiba’s innovations in solar technology could have far-reaching implications. If perovskite solar cells were installed on the rooftops across Tokyo, they could cover a non-negligible amount of electricity the city consumes.
These cells also offer promising applications in agriculture. Their transparency can be controlled, making them suitable for use as greenhouse covers. This would allow for capturing the appropriate amount of sunlight needed for crops while generating electricity for agricultural operations.
Transforming Urban Landscapes: Toshiba Lightweight Solar Cells for Buildings and EVs
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In a strong move towards inclusivity, Sony’s Creative Center, in partnership with MUSVI Corporation, introduces “XR Catch,” a game of virtual catch designed for everyone, including individuals with visual impairments. This game leverages extended reality (XR) technology and sound to offer a seamless play experience.
Unveiled to the public in July 2023 at Sony Park Mini in Ginza, the initiative has gained significant attention and is a landmark in Sony’s Inclusive Design Initiative, including at CEATEC 2023.
Developed by a visually impaired person keen on playing catch with his son without any hassle, the XR Catch Ball game transforms the traditional game of catch into a virtual experience. By using a smartphone, players can engage in throwing and catching a virtual ball projected on their screen.
To assist in the gameplay, the action is accompanied by a series of sounds that guide the player in determining the right moment to catch the ball. You can learn more about the complete origins of this project in this interview (scroll down the page).
Utilizing MUSVI Corporation’s telepresence system “Mado,” XR Catch enables players to enjoy a game of catch remotely. During CEATEC, visitors to Sony Store Ginza could engage in a game with folks present at the IT convention. The beauty of this system is that it allows players to connect regardless of their vision or physical strength, breaking down traditional barriers to play.
The game works with players holding a smartphone and face each other, either physically or through the telepresence system. A virtual ball appears on the smartphone, and players throw the ball by shaking their hand, pressing a button to release it.
Four speakers are placed between the players, and they emit sounds to signify the ball’s movement. The receiving player, guided by these sounds, catches the ball by pressing a button on their smartphone at the precise moment. The game incorporates varying ball speeds and levels of sound to keep the gameplay engaging.
Since its public introduction, XR Catch has garnered positive responses. Trial sessions have already been held at elderly care facilities and for children with visual impairments, indicating the game’s versatility and wide-reaching impact. Teruhiro Nakagawa, the PLAYERS Foundation lead user with visual impairments, and three Sony designers have expressed optimism regarding the project’s future expansion.
This innovation marks an notable step in making recreational activities more inclusive. By integrating technology, sound, and a focus on accessible design, it exemplifies how innovation can bring communities closer, regardless of physical constraints or sensory impairments. The project showcases Sony’s commitment to inclusivity and is a testament to co-creation’s power.
Sony XR Catch Ball: Game of Catch Revolution Through Inclusive Design
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