SpaceX is looking to add the 2GHz frequency to its Starlink license for use with mobile users. Starlink now has over 2,500 satellites and nearly half a million subscribers. Expanding to the 2GHz frequency would make its signals less affected by obstructing objects and make the service more friendly for smaller devices. Existing Starlink satellites are not capable of providing service to mobiles. SpaceX plans to attach new modules to its satellites and produce a small mobile device for users to connect to on the ground.
Facebook reported its first-ever yearly decline in revenue for the second quarter, with a 1% drop to $28.8 billion. It managed to grow its daily users by 3% to 1.97 billion despite the drop in revenue. Meta's overall profit fell 36% to $6.6 billion. Its Reality Labs metaverse division lost $2.8 billion in the quarter. Meta's drop in revenue growth was expected due to its many business challenges.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is planning an initial public offering for its $500 billion megaproject, Neom. It will set aside an $80 billion investment fund for companies that agree to operate in the futuristic city. The first phase of the project, which runs until 2030, will cost 1.2 trillion riyals. A link to a teaser video that reveals the design for The Line, a vertical city 500 meters tall and 170 kilometers in length, is available in the article.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have designed a dynamic shading system inspired by the skin of krill. Krill are usually transparent, but they can move pigments around in the cells beneath their skin to turn darker and protect themselves from UV damage. The shading system is made up of optofluidic cells that can switch between transparent and opaque on demand while using relatively little energy. These cells can act as windows to provide a low-energy temperature regulation system. They could also be used to create large-scale works of art.
This article discusses SQLite internals. SQLite is simple, easy to use, and reliable. Its limited feature set means that database structures stay simple and easy to understand. Knowing how SQLite works can help developers store data more efficiently and make them feel more comfortable with designing apps with multi-gigabyte tables.
Apple's Live Activities API is now available for developers. The API allows apps to display live data on the Lock Screen on iOS 16. Live Activities can remain on the Lock Screen for a maximum of 12 hours. Each Live Activity runs in its own sandbox. Unlike widgets, Live Activities can't access the network or receive location updates.
Apple has hired Luigi Taraborrelli, a 20-year veteran of Lamborghini, to help lead the design of its vehicle. Taraborrelli oversaw chassis and vehicle dynamics engineering at Lamborghini. He has helped lead the design of many vehicle components. Apple has been rumored to be working on an electric vehicle since 2014 and it aims to begin mass production by 2025. The project has faced many challenges, so the launch timeframe may continue to be pushed back.
Google Maps has announced the launch of many features that will be implemented in the coming weeks. Maps will now provide more information for cyclists on routes, such as whether there are steep hills or bike lanes. Users will be able to receive certain notifications when using location sharing. Google is launching photorealistic aerial views of nearly 100 of the world's most popular landmarks. India is finally getting Google Maps Street View.