FileMakerFeller

While there are probably some minor practical issues at play, I'm usually unhappy when features get limited in such a fashion that the company in question also ends up making extra money out of the situation. I remember when tethering my iPhone to use its network connection with my laptop incurred a $10 monthly charge from Optus, because my other choice was to pay for a separate SIM-based device at the same extra fee.

Keep up those customer-friendly policies, carriers!

designr said:

Folks, remember, what Apple launched yesterday with regard to satellite functionality is just step one. There's more to come. Starlink may be part of that. We'll see. This is just the very beginning. By the end of the decade, we'll all be walking around with satellite phones and not thinking it is anything special.

From the tweet, Starlink emulates a cell tower connection - but that's probably from the ground equipment, which then connects to the satellite using a different protocol and physical signal characteristics. Also from the tweet, if Apple is willing to design the hardware and software to meet the needs of communication with a receiver outside the atmosphere then that will provide an optimal result (which is really just stating the obvious).

We know Apple is fierce in its efforts to design for the best possible experience, and really their announced capabilities for the 14 series prove that they're willing to adapt their product to the status quo while pushing for the satellite systems to provide functionality that Apple views as best.

We saw a similar situation with the release of the iPhone: Apple partnered with a carrier that wasn't necessarily the best in the US market but was willing to make the changes Apple wanted. Once Apple demonstrated its strength in that area, the other carriers fell over themselves to do what Apple demanded and Apple was able to partner with them on much more favourable terms.

I don't see any reason to think that this situation is different.

This will be worth watching. Kudos to Apple for highlighting extraordinary people from countries other than the English speaking parts of the world.

It will be interesting to see what Apple ends up charging for this service after the initial two years are up.

My guess is that it gets included as part of an Apple One subscription.

waveparticle said:

Starkoman said:

Anyone who says “Keep the fear going as long as possible”, in regard to the rapid spread of the deadly Covid-19 virus, clearly hasn’t lost anyone in their family to the horrors of Covid.

Sadly, some people — particularly those anti-mask/anti-vax/anti-safe distancing dimbos (particularly over in America) — are both ignorant and insensitive to the legitimate medical need to protect their loved ones (should they still have any who aren’t estranged or already disowned them), from the appalling misery of their unwarranted suffering or of those left behind in grief.

Had the Covid-19 deniers — in any country (but particularly in America) — been less irresponsible and therefore dangerous in the face of a viral contagion, they would not have lost one million four hundred thousand plus (1,400,000+ US), of their own fellow citizens.

As the rest of the world knows, China endured some of the worst of the novel Coronavirus when it first hit their country so badly in early 2020.  It’s logical that the Chinese are extremely keen to introduce compulsory lockdowns early — and hard — to prevent a fresh outbreak spreading to the rest of the provinces.

It’s regrettable that some people, even today, prove themselves incapable of understanding the basic epidemiology of lethal viruses and have learned absolutely nothing about virology or spread prevention from the past two years.

Harder still to see them recklessly politicising a public health emergency on the ︎AppleInsider site where idiots rarely intrude.

To use an old Liverpool adage: “Sort yer head out, mate”.

There is a secret world heath authority do not want to talk about. Trump administration implemented a US policy forbidding the export of covid vaccines to China in 2020. 

China has developed a domestic vaccine. It is the only one available to mainland Chinese. This vaccine did not go through the rigorous three stages testing required by FDA. Preliminary results done in South America shows that it is effective only about 60%. On the other hand, the two widely used vaccines, by Pfizer and Moderna, are effective over 90%. This means only 60% of vaccinated people can have protection of serious sickness or even death. 

Even with 90% effective, US still experienced wide spread confirmation as well as deaths in the last two years. It is obvious if China does not implement lock downs the casualties will be far more severe than US. 

WIth the hostility of US government and Congress toward China, there is little hope US will allow export of these two vaccines to China. US has won a strategic victory over China. China haters could enjoy now. 

I've seen claims that after three doses the Chinese-developed vaccine is more effective than after three doses of the other vaccines (I thought that was from Stratechery but I cannot now find the link). It's also worth reading Zero-COVID and Free Speech for a thoughtful examination of the topic from a different perspective.

The thing is, we know that physical separation from a source of the virus is 100% effective. Lockdowns, as oppressive and disruptive as they are, remain the most effective tool for combating the spread of disease. The argument to be had is whether the associated costs are worth it. As vaccine effectiveness increases, as a higher proportion of the populace is vaccinated or has developed "natural immunity", the value proposition changes.

Having contracted Covid myself after my son brought it home from school this August, I can say with absolute certainty and sincerity that I would not wish the virus on anyone. I had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine late last year but no booster; the effects were debilitating but not life-threatening for everyone in my family. I'm still a little surprised that I caught it given my hygiene habits are a little more stringent than most people practice, but clearly the contagion of this particular variant of the virus exceeds even my cautious approach. Regardless, I'd not want to be passing it on to anyone and if I had to endure staying at work for a couple of weeks in a lockdown to make sure that didn't occur... I'd probably do it without complaint.

It will be a happy day when the world can effectively deal with Covid-19, influenza, SARS and other deadly viruses.