Tag: smartphones
FCC proposal would make it easier for smartphones to link to satellites
Satellite-to-phone service is only just getting started, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to give a boost. The regulator is proposing rules that would make it easier for phone carriers and satellite operators to provide coverage in remote and underserved areas. Under the plan, satellite companies teaming with cellular providers could get FCC permission to operate on some licensed, flexible wireless spectrum normally reserved for ground-based service.
Operators would have to meet certain requirements. They’d have to use non-geostationary orbit satellites, and get leases from terrestrial spectrum owners in a given area. After that, though, they could provide outdoor service even in areas where cellphones are completely non-functional.
Few devices support satellite connections so far. Apple’s iPhone 14 family can use satellites to send emergency messages. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Satellite enables texting off the grid, but only for Android phones using Snapdragon systems-on-chip and the X70 modem. It won’t arrive until the second half of 2023, however. Carrier partnerships also won’t kick off in earnest until T-Mobile and SpaceX roll out their Starlink-based collaboration. Testing for that begins later this year, although it should work with both standard texting as well as some messaging apps.
The technology usually depends on line of sight to a satellite, and the limited bandwidth of existing solutions makes them impractical for significant data transfers. However, they can help you reach first responders during a hike or confirm your arrival at a camp site in the wilderness. Eventually, the hope is to use satellites for general data.
The FCC is looking for public input on how the satellite-to-cell rules would bolster access to 911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The agency is also exploring whether or not it can apply the framework to other purposes, regions and wireless bands. If the proposal moves ahead, though, carriers beyond T-Mobile may have a relatively easy time filling (some) gaps in their networks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fcc-proposal-would-make-it-easier-for-smartphones-to-link-to-satellites-193012161.html?src=rss
Is Samsung Faking the AI-Enhanced ‘Space Zoom’ Photos on Galaxy Smartphones?
But the resulting 100X zoom levels “appear to be more a feat of AI trickery than anything else,” they conclude, citing an investigation by a Reddit user:
That so-called Space Zoom could potentially allow users to photograph the moon, and many do. However, it may be the case that the level of detail in the moon shots may only be higher due to software shenanigans….
The user tested the effect by downloading a high-resolution image of the moon, then downsized it to a 170 by 170-resolution image, and then applied a gaussian blur to obliterate any final details of its surface. They then showed the low-res blurry moon at full screen on their monitor, walked to the other end of their room, zoomed in on the fake celestial body, and took a photograph. After some processing, an image of the moon was produced by the smartphone, but the surface had considerably more detail for the surface than the doctored source. The user reckons Samsung “is leveraging an AI model to put craters and other details on places which were just a blurry mess.”
They go further to stress that while super resolution processing uses multiple images to recover otherwise-lost detail, this seems to be something different. It is proposed that this is a case “where you have a specific AI model trained on a set of moon images, in order to recognize the moon and slap on the moon texture on it.”
The Reddit user has now posted an update:
I photoshopped one moon next to another (to see if one moon would get the AI treatment, while another would not), and managed to coax the AI to do exactly that….
[O]ne moon got the “AI enhancement”, while the other one shows what was actually visible to the sensor — a blurry mess….
It’s literally adding in detail that weren’t there. It’s not deconvolution, it’s not sharpening, it’s not super resolution, it’s not “multiple frames or exposures”. It’s generating data.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Eight of the top 10 best-selling smartphones in 2022 were iPhones
Generative AI will change PCs and smartphones, making one (or both) obsolete
Disclosure: Microsoft is a client of the author.
Microsoft is rolling out an update to Windows 11 that adds ChatGPT. Though it’s mostly a front-end for the Bing search engine at this point, eventually it could change how we interact with our computers. Think of it as another step in a long evolution that began with Microsoft Bob, then Clippy and Cortana, that is now on track to provide the capabilities those earlier efforts never did.
Please Stop Making New Smartphones Every Year
Every year all the big players release new smartphones. Sure, they’re shiny and have big spec lists, but the $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra, expensive iPhone 14 Pro, and others aren’t the huge upgrade we want them to be. Maybe it’s time to stop releasing phones every year.
Read This Article on Review Geek ›
OnePlus Could Be the Next Android Brand with Folding Smartphones
OnePlus could be the next major Android brand with a foldable smartphone. A circulating leak from the Chinese patent offices indicates the company may already be laying the groundwork to offer an alternative for U.S. users.
Why Do Smartphones Have So Many Cameras, and What Do They Do?
Modern smartphones contain several cameras, giving you several creative choices when photographing family members, road trips, football games, and more. But chances are, you don’t really understand how these cameras work, and you may feel like you only ever use the “main” camera.
Read This Article on Review Geek ›
How to Save Your Smartphone’s Battery Life (2023): Tips for iPhone and Android
Samsung Expected to Unveil New Galaxy S23 Flagship Smartphones on February 1
Like Apple, Samsung has a regular release cycle for its smartphones, and new Galaxy models come out in the spring. This year, we’re expecting the Galaxy S23 lineup.
Rumors so far suggest that the new S23 models will adopt the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm, which is the chipset that will support Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Satellite feature. Snapdragon Satellite is similar to Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone 14 function, and Qualcomm is partnering with satellite company Iridium to allow Android users to contact emergency services when WiFi and cellular connections are unavailable.
Bring your epic moments into the spotlight. Join us at #SamsungUnpacked, on February 1, 2023.
Learn more: https://t.co/D6nxwskXj1 pic.twitter.com/jllmsDvWmD
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) January 10, 2023
Notably, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip will be used worldwide, with Samsung no longer opting for separate Exynos chips for devices sold in Europe and other countries. The specific chip that Samsung is using has an overclocked GPU, according to leaked Geekbench benchmarks. Based on those benchmarks, the Snapdragon chip Samsung is using will not be as fast as the A16 in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Samsung’s high-end S23 Ultra could feature a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera, an upgrade from the 108-megapixel version in the S22, with more modest 50-megapixel cameras for the S23 and S23+. Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro models are equipped with a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera.
As for design, there will be no major changes to the S23 lineup, and the S23 Ultra will look similar to the S22. Display improvements are a possibility, as are updated fingerprint sensors and new color options.
We often pay attention when new Galaxy models come out because it gives us an idea of what Apple’s competitors are up to and how the latest Android phones measure up to Apple’s iPhones. We’ll be sharing Samsung’s news on February 1, and will also have some comparison videos pitting Samsung’s new smartphones against Apple’s flagship lineup.
For those interested in one of Samsung’s S23 smartphones, there’s already a reservation page available that provides a $50 credit for the pre-order of a single device or a $100 credit when pre-ordering two devices. Samsung’s reservation system does not charge automatically, requiring only a name and an email address to reserve devices. Credits will be able to be redeemed when pre-ordering after the devices debut.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This article, “Samsung Expected to Unveil New Galaxy S23 Flagship Smartphones on February 1” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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