SpaceX Launches Starlink Direct to Phone Satellites

Starlink Direct to Cellphone supports about 7 Megabytes per beam and the beams are very big. Starlink v2-Mini satellites have three downlink antennas and one uplink antenna, each capable of eight beams and two polarizations. This means that each satellite has a total of 48 beams down and 16 up. It is unclear how many …

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Ford Predictions of Niche Cybertruck Will Echo Predictions of iPhone Failure

During an interview with CNBC/Mad Money/Jim Cramer, Ford CEO Jim Farley dismissed the Tesla Cybertruck as a high-end product targeted at Silicon Valley rather than a truck for real working people. In the United States, Ford F-Series deliveries totaled 170,377 units in Q1 2023, an increase of about 21 percent compared to 140,701 units sold …

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SpaceX Starlink Satellite Direct to Cellphone Gets Second Phone Company

SpaceX has found its second partner for their upcoming Starlink-enabled direct satellite-to-cellular service. New Zealand’s telecommunications company, One NZ (formerly known as Vodafone), has announced it has signed an agreement with SpaceX to offer mobile coverage across the country, eliminating cellular dead zones. SpaceX announced the direct satellite-to-cellular service with T-mobile. T-Mobile has more than …

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FCC Authorizes Carriers to Block Robocalls by Default But Now You Still Need to Request It

The FCC voted to authorize carriers to block robocalls by default. However, currently you still have to call your cellphone carrier to activate scam blocking. T-Mobile charges $4 per month to get telemarketer and survey calls sent to voicemail. They do provide free protection against pure scam calls but only if you request it. Americans …

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Spectrolab making 30.7% efficient solar cells for space applications

Boeing subsidiary Spectrolab Inc of Sylmar, CA, USA, which manufactures multi-junction solar cells and panels for concentrated photovoltaic and spacecraft power systems, says that it has begun manufacturing a higher-efficiency space solar cell, providing opportunities for the aerospace industry to develop lighter and less expensive spacecraft. Due to Spectrolab’s advances in manufacturing, the new XTJ …

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New calculations suggest there could be not one but three more new planets in the solar system

A new astronomical study lead researchers to suggest the most stable scenario is one in which there is not just one new planet in the solar system, but rather several more beyond Pluto. Orbital observations and calculations by Caltech astronomers suggested there is a Planet Nine. The theoretical ‘Planet Nine’ is believed to be 10 …

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China’s first domestic aircraft carrier the Type 001A reported to be launched Dec 26, 2015

China is ready to launch its first domestically built aircraft carrier, known as the Type 001A, on Dec. 26 to mark the 122th birthday of Mao Zedong, according to Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao. President Xi Jinping reportedly visited the Dalian Shipyard to inspect the progress of work on the carrier in August. Previous reports …

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ORNL can make bigger graphene composite fabrication instead of graphene flakes as a step towards commercialization

One of the barriers to using graphene at a commercial scale could be overcome using a method demonstrated by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Graphene, a material stronger and stiffer than carbon fiber, has enormous commercial potential but has been impractical to employ on a large scale, with researchers limited …

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Iran could enrich 25 nuclear bombs each year according to the nuclear framework

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned on Sunday the framework Iranian nuclear agreement being sought by international negotiators, saying it was even worse than his country had feared. Israel has mounted what it terms an “uphill battle” against an agreement that might ease sanctions on the Iranians while leaving them with a nuclear infrastructure with …

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Roll to roll manufactured decorative perovskite solar panels will be 5 times better and 10 times cheaper

VTT Technical Centre of Finland has developed and utilized a mass production method based on printing technologies allowing the manufacturing of decorative, organic solar panels. Design freedom improves the range of applications of the panels on the surfaces of interior and exterior building spaces. VTT is also studying the feasibility of printing technology in the …

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Carnival of Space 380 – NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

The Carnival of Space 380 is up at Links Through Space Universe Today – NASA’s ongoing hunt for exoplanets has entered a new phase as NASA officially confirmed that the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is moving into the development phase. This marks a significant step for the TESS mission, which will search the entire …

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