Sunday, February 14, 2021

Latest Tech News

A new SpaceX launch live stream (embedded below) will happen in a few minutes, and this time the mission is to deliver satellites for something you can actually buy into: space-based high-speed internet.

The SpaceX Starlink launch is going to put 60 satellites into orbit (it already has 1,000 floating up there) and the payload will jettison into the night sky from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The SpaceX live stream is happening at tonight, Sunday 11:20pm EST / 8:20pm PST in the US, or the next morning 4:20am GMT / 3:20pm AEST. As with any SpaceX launch, you'll want to tune in before the Falcon 9 rocket ignites, so plan to watch ahead. Here's the SpaceX launch live stream video:

The Elon Musk-founded private space company is determined to bring internet to the globe by placing satellites in space and beaming high-speed, low-latency internet speeds to a satellites.

This is a major advantage for rural and remote communities where fast internet is spotty. Fiber optical cables are challenging outside of many cities and suburbs.

Starlink speeds are expected to vary between 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s, according to the official SpaceX Starlink sign-up page, and latency should fall between 20ms to 40ms in most locations.

The SpaceX program is currently in beta and limited to certain geographic areas. You have to type in your address to see if it's been rolled out in your part of the world. We're seeing mid-to-late-2021 availability, but can already put $99 on the service.

SpaceX Starlink internet service will cost $99 a month, which is on par or a little higher than with internet packages in the US. We may around $75 a month.

The kicker is that you'll have to pay for the hardware and shipping, a one-time fee of$50 for the shipping and handling and $499 for the Starlink dish, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables and mounting tripod. There's also tax, at least in the US. 

Starlink may act as a competitor to the fiber optic cable-providers, which are often monopolies or oligopolies in many parts of the world. Today's SpaceX launch is to further along the beta 300 miles in the sky.



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The 6 best movies to watch on HBO Max - CNET

What to watch before Zack Snyder's Justice League.

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Netflix's Cecil Hotel documentary is a bloated, irresponsible mess - CNET

Commentary: Skip this one, folks.

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Latest Tech News

Huawei is primarily known for its smartphones and networking equipment and unfortunately, both these segments are under a scanner thanks to the ban placed by the US government. So much so that it had to sell off its sub-brand Honor line up and has been in talks to sell off its premium smartphone line up too.

And while the future of this Chinese technology giant still looks gloomy, reports suggest that the company is looking to open another avenue to offer competition to its US counterparts.

HuaweiCentral has spotted a tipster who has hinted that the company is indeed looking to venture into the PC and console gaming section. It is reportedly planning to add a gaming laptop to its line up and looks to follow it up with a gaming console to take on the likes of Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox.

Since the launch may still be far off, Huawei has not announced any teaser campaign or hasn’t revealed any such plans. However, launching a gaming laptop seems to be the next most practical solution for the company as it already has a laptop lineup called Matebook. The report also suggests that this laptop was initially aimed to be launched last year but somehow got delayed. 

Gaming console seems interesting 

Back in 2014, Huawei did launch an Android-powered gaming console called Tron Console. It was powered by Nvidia Tegra 4 and ran on Android 4.2, Jelly Bean. And Huawei was not the only company to do so. Many other technology companies and startups introduced similar gaming consoles to take advantage of Android’s app ecosystem but all failed.

Hence, a full-fledged gaming console is the right way to go about it and according to the report, the one that Huawei is planning may not be a portable one like Nintendo Switch.

That said since these are early days, there is not much information available at this point. So, let us wait a bit more rather than making assumptions.

But how will Huawei secure supplies? 

It was reported that Huawei did source a lot of components from its US-based technology partners before its supplies were cut off, however, these supplies might eventually dry up. Hence launching a new console could be tricky until and unless Huawei customizes its silicon to make it ready for heavy-duty gaming. 

This still will leave a big question mark on the software front. It is safe to assume that the company may only introduce the console in its home country; it already has a massive following there. 

Further, it will be easier for Huawei to collaborate with other Chinese vendors as well as gaming companies to customize content for the local audience.

Though as mentioned above, the picture will only be clear when we get some more information about Huawei's plans. Till then let us wait.

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Latest Tech News

When the first consumer NBN 1000 plan hit the market last year, we were pleasantly surprised at its asking price – AU$149 a month. But now a number of providers have steeply discounted their plans, so it’s a great time to try out superfast broadband.

MyRepublic has the cheapest NBN 1000 plan on the market, giving you 1Gbps broadband for AU$99 a month, making it the lowest price we’ve seen to date on this insanely-fast speed tier.

But it’s not just MyRepublic offering a heavily discounted NBN 1000 plan. Other ISPs are also cutting the price of their fastest plans and we’ve rounded up the best of what’s on offer in a curated list below.

Please note, all plans are only available to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and select hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) locations.

MyRepublic | NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$129p/m)

This deal sees MyRepublic with the cheapest NBN 1000 plan on the market at AU$99 a month. That price is only available for your first six months on the service though, after which your plan will increase to the usual AU$129 a month. That’s a saving of AU$30 each month, or AU$180 in total. You can expect a typical evening speed of 250Mbps on this plan.

Total minimum cost is AU$99

Aussie Broadband | NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$119p/m (first 6 months, then AU$149p/m)

This well-loved ISP has slashed the cost of its premium NBN 1000 plan down to AU$119 a month, making it the second-cheapest plan in its class. The discounted price holds for your first six months with the service only, after which it bumps up to the standard AU$149 a month. If you’d like to redeem, you’ll need to enter the code FAST30 when you check out.

Total minimum cost is AU$119

Aussie Broadband | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$129p/m)

An NBN 250 plan will still deliver ludicrously-fast speeds for the average user, and Aussie Broadband has cut its plan down to AU$99 a month. This lower price is available for your first six months with the telco, after which your monthly bill will go up to AU$129. Aussie Broadband has recently increased this plan’s typical evening speed to 248Mbps, so the discount has come just in time. All you need is the code FAST30 when you sign up.

Total minimum cost is AU$99

Telstra | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$100p/m (first 6 months, then AU$140p/m)

Telstra typically has some pricey NBN plans, but now’s your chance to sign up for just AU$100 a month. The offer is available for your first six months with the provider, before it increases to the standard rate of AU$140 a month – that’s AU$40 off each month, or AU$240 saved in total. You can expect a typical download speed of 215Mbps in the evenings on this plan. While it comes with no contract term, you'll need to pay for the Telstra Smart Modem (AU$216) if you leave within 24 months.

Total minimum cost over 24 months is AU$3,120

Superloop | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$99.95p/m (first 6 months, then AU$119.95p/m)

Superloop’s NBN 250 is now down to AU$99.95 a month for the first six months. After the initial discount, your monthly bill will revert back to the regular pricing of AU$119.95. You’ll get solid speeds of 215Mbps during the busy evening hours, and Australian-based support seven days a week.

Total minimum cost is AU$99.95



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Bill Gates' daughter jokes about vaccine conspiracy involving her dad - CNET

Jennifer Gates, a medical student, notes that "sadly the vaccine did NOT implant my genius father into my brain."

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Dogecoin: The meme that somehow became a real cryptocurrency - CNET

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Latest Tech News

Apple's adaptation of Isaac Asimov's classic Foundation sci-fi novels is unquestionably one of the most high-profile original shows coming to the Apple TV Plus streaming service, and we've just learned a little more about when we can expect it to land on our screens.

New information on the series comes from interviews that writer David S. Goyer and executive producer Michael Malone gave to LovinMalta, a publication that covers the Maltese Islands, a prominent filming location for the show.

According to the publication, the first season of Foundation will consist of 10 episodes and is due to land in "Autumn 2021", which would place it roughly within the last three months of this year. Those initial 10 episodes are just the tip of the iceberg, however, with LovinMalta reporting that current plans include an impressive 80 episodes in total.

Solid foundations

Speaking on the filming location itself, Goyer said that "Malta was always part of the plan. We have a water planet [...] and Malta has copious water tanks – there aren't a lot of those in the world."

Due to the pandemic and its impact on filming, Goyer states that the team "decided to expand [its] footprint on Malta", with some other locations in the series now being represented by other areas of the island country.

Asmiov's series of novels centre around a futuristic and space-faring human civilization, where Hari Seldon (played by Jared Harris) hopes to better humanity with his future-predicting theory of psychohistory.

Other details of Apple's take on the sci-fi epic are thin on the ground, with little else being revealed since the teaser trailer dropped in June last year. For now, you can soak in everything that trailer has to offer below until we hear more.



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PSG vs. Barcelona: How to watch or stream the Champions League in the US, UK and Australia - CNET

The knockout stages of the Champions League are about to begin...

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Latest Tech News

We've been hearing a lot about a DJI FPV (first-person-view) drone over the last few months, with leaked images and news of its US registration in December sparking rumors that DJI is making a new kind of drone.

It seems those rumors may now well be true after an unboxing video of the DJI FPV drone leaked on Twitter, spilling a lot of its design secrets. The only thing we don't know is how well the upcoming quadcopter flies and what its exact specs are.

The video confirms the design leaks revealed earlier, showing off a rounded quadcopter body with a front-facing camera on a gimbal. Also clearly seen are two smaller downward-facing cameras which, according to the video, don't appear to be for capturing footage but are potentially obstacle-avoidance sensors.

The drone itself appears compact, with the accompanying FPV goggles looking just as large as the flying machine itself. However, as the unboxing video notes, the newly designed goggles are "lighter" than DJI's existing FPV headset.

The FPV controller also seems to have been redesigned, looking more like a gamepad than before and featuring better hand grips and triggers. 

The battery that fits into the back of the drone is much larger than what you'd find in one of DJI's current line of consumer drones, which is what we'd expect as FPV drones are essentially used in racing that need better flight times. Also included in the box is a portable power bank, but it's unclear where that would plug in.

Ready for take-off

Everything else about the DJI FPV Combo would be familiar to drone users, although it does feel like DJI's first FPV quadcopter would be user-friendly and not too intimidating for beginners. 

That said, FPV drones are very different beasts from the consumer fliers that we use for aerial photography. They're usually harder to maneuver, are much faster in the air and quite sensitive to control – meaning they need some amount of expertise to fly. They can also be used to carry heavy filming rigs. 

Whether DJI is targeting professional drone racers and filmmakers is as yet unclear, but we doubt there's long to wait before we find out exactly what the upcoming DJI FPV Combo can do. Earlier rumors suggested DJI would debut the drone after the Chinese New Year – if true, we're likely just days away from an official reveal.



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AirPods Pro vs. Galaxy Buds Pro: Here's what I think after 2 weeks of testing - CNET

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