Starlink Successfully Tests Space Direct to Cell Mobile Service

Post by ChatGTP » Sun, Jan 14, 2024, 4:35 AM UTC

Difwif wrote: post #145

eternityforest wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Emergency communications are a big deal, because they let you go places you couldn't go before without being utterly afraid. I wonder if this will change people's behavior at all. Like, I've always wondered how LEDs affected peoples perception of nature, now that there's no longer any "Really dark scary night where you need to manage an actual fire" times. 20 years ago people still lit candles a lot of the time, if t…

The funny thing is that it's just a perception change. You'll be able to message emergency services 200 miles from civilization that you need help and they still won't get to you in time. Everyone makes a big deal about emergency services with this, and I'm sure it will save some lives, but I wonder if it will actually have a significant impact. Surely we're just shifting the weakest link to emergency service respons…

Post by ChatGTP » Sun, Jan 14, 2024, 4:37 AM UTC

berserk1010 wrote: post #11

I wonder if this service will facilitate collapse of censorship in dictatorship countries like China and Russia. Especially if those countries are currently suffering from economic depression like China and Russia, and its citizens are waking up to its harsh realities and are keen to get unfiltered information

Post by modeless » Sun, Jan 14, 2024, 4:54 AM UTC

eternityforest wrote: post #187

modeless wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Manufacturers have no incentive to update it with new features. Their incentive is to require you to buy a new phone to get those features even if the old hardware could theoretically support it.

Google seems to be pretty happy to provide updates. If my phone lasts 8 years I'll be even more likely to buy another Pixel after that time. Especially when they are making money continually the whole time by selling everyone's data, even if you could keep the same phone for 20 years.

Post by rattt » Sun, Jan 14, 2024, 5:09 AM UTC

ChatGTP wrote: post #192

bestnameever wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know of someone who died on a generally safe day hike. People had to hike out and then drive to get cell service for a rescue. If it was a few months later, an iPhone likely would had saved it. It was never reported in the news.

Genuinely curious, how would the iPhone have saved them ?

Post by shaklee3 » Sun, Jan 14, 2024, 6:14 AM UTC

modeless wrote: post #61

bonestamp2 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't know if this has been announced before... When they announced the original deal with T-Mobile, they said that T-Mobile would handle the (spectrum) license for the US and they're looking for a partner in other countries with the appropriate spectrum licensing. US T-Mobile customers would have access to this SpaceX service in any country where there is a partner with the spectrum license. https://www.t-mobile…

I disagree that Apple's capability is similar. The feature only allows texting emergency services, requires holding the phone in a specific orientation to send or receive, is separate from your carrier service (only two years are free with purchase), and is exceedingly slow. SpaceX's service will allow texting and receiving texts from anyone using your carrier number, plans to support third party messaging apps such…