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I did the math to see how much a new fridge saves compared to a 10-year-old model, and how long it'll take to pay back the upfront cost.
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Amazon has today announced it is merging with satellite internet provider Globalstar Inc. to bolster Leo, its Starlink rival. Globalstar isn't a household name but you do know its work, as it provides Apple's emergency satellite connectivity for compatible iPhones and Watches. In a statement, Amazon says the deal will grow Leo's space-based footprint and enable direct-to-device service for its burgeoning satellite network.
An interesting wrinkle is Apple owns 20 percent of Globalstar, which it bought for $1.5 billion in 2024, but that didn't get a mention. Instead, the release says Amazon and Apple have agreed Leo will "power satellite services for supported iPhone and Apple Watch models." And that this support will continue as Leo's network evolves, as well as collaborating "with Apple on future satellite services using Amazon Leo's expanded satellite network."
The release adds Leo's direct-to-device service won't start until 2028, and the deal itself isn't expected to close until 2027. That is, of course, unless Amazon doesn't placate the FCC into extending its deadline to get more satellites into orbit before July 2026. At present, the company needs to have 1,600 satellites in orbit by that deadline, but only expects to have around 700 actually up in the heavens and working by then.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/amazon-buys-the-satellite-internet-company-behind-apples-sos-system-130150744.html?src=rss
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Stanford's AI Index says humanoid robots still fail 88% of household tasks, exposing a wide gap between lab gains and the reality of home use.
The post Humanoid Robot Hype Meets an 88% Household Task Fail Rate appeared first on eWEEK.
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A proxy war in the Land of Lincoln.
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The vacuum bends around furniture, and SharkNinja says its dock can hold debris for 45 days.
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 Samsung raised the prices of several of its smartphones and tablets in the United States overnight, likely due to increasing costs caused by ongoing memory shortages.
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Many countries are pursuing social media bans for anyone under 16, but a recent poll is putting the effectiveness of such laws into question. The Molly Rose Foundation, a charity organization that focuses on preventing online harm, recently published a study that polled 1,050 Australian children between ages 12 and 15 in March. The study's results showed that 61 percent of those between 12 and 15 who previously had access to affected social media platforms still have one or more active accounts.
Australia made a first-in-the-world decision to ban social media for those under 16 years old, beginning on December 10. While it's only been a few months since the ban went into effect, the foundation's poll concluded that the ban doesn't have a "clear positive or negative impact on children's wellbeing." The study also noted that 70 percent of children trying to get on restricted platforms said that it was easy to get around the ban.
"These results raise major questions about the effectiveness of Australia's social media ban and show it would be a high stakes gamble for the
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