Technologies

SpaceX Reportedly to Test Satellite-to-Cellular Service This Year

The company will reportedly test on T-Mobile’s network.

A SpaceX executive said Monday that the company will start testing satellite-to-cellular communications this year, which will reportedly include operating on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile announced in August that its mobile network dead zones would get coverage from SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, but it didn’t say when that would happen.

At the Satellite Conference and Exhibition 2023, SpaceX VP of Starlink enterprise sales Jonathan Hofeller made the comment during a panel. The tests will include satellite-to-cellular service with T-Mobile, CNBC reported.

While it’s still not clear when T-Mobile customers will be able to benefit from Starlink coverage, it’s the first update since the carrier debuted its SpaceX partnership. That could mean they have the lead, as it’s not clear when AT&T’s network will get augmented by satellite provider AST Mobile, and Verizon’s chosen partner — Amazon’s Project Kuiper — has yet to launch a satellite into orbit.

The Satellite Conference’s panel attendants were reportedly optimistic about the growth of satellite-to-cellular communications despite how few consumers benefit from the technology. iPhone 14 users are some of the only smartphone owners who can use satellite communications using Apple’s Emergency SOS service. Samsung has its own solution in the works, though the phonemaker hasn’t announced which satellite network it will partner with.

Starlink has grown to «well over a million users,» Hofeller said, and SpaceX is building six next-generation satellites a day to add to the company’s constellation of around 4,000 satellites currently orbiting the planet.

Iridium CEO Matt Desch, who was also on the panel, touted the company’s partnership with Qualcomm for its upcoming Snapdragon Satellite service, as well as its «plan to evolve beyond just cell» to service computers and cars, CNBC reported.

T-Mobile declined to comment on SpaceX’s Starlink testing and hasn’t given a timeline for when satellite coverage will be added to its mobile network. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Apple Says a Digital Version of Your Passport Is Coming Soon to iPhones

The feature will be REAL ID compliant, but you still need a physical passport to leave the country.

Apple will soon allow iPhone owners to add digital versions of their US passports to their phones, said Jennifer Bailey, vice president for Apple Pay and Wallet, on Sunday.

The digital document will be compliant with REAL ID, but you’ll still need a physical US passport to fly internationally or cross US land borders with Canada and Mexico.

Apple wants to broaden how people can use its online Wallet feature for identification purposes. You can already use a digital ID for your driver’s license in certain states, and Bailey said Apple wants people to use Wallet for concert tickets, student IDs, house keys, car keys and more.

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Not for international travel

When the feature becomes available, iPhone users can scan their physical US passport to add it to the Wallet app, creating a digital ID that’s compliant with REAL ID. When flying domestically, travelers can show that digital version from their iPhone or Apple Watch, instead of using their physical passport, at participating TSA checkpoints. REAL ID is required to fly within the US and to US territories such as Puerto Rico.

However, travelers will not be able to use their digital ID to fly internationally, not even to Mexico or Canada. When crossing borders, you’ll still need your physical US passport to enter and leave the country.

Convenience … and risk

While relying on Apple Wallet might be convenient, there are risks, according to the Identity Management Institute, a global identity and access management organization. Possible dangers of digital ID wallets include security breaches, identity theft and data privacy issues. Losing your device is another major risk.

The organization said that people using digital ID wallets must take several precautions, which are good tips for any online activity.

Use strong, unique passwords or PINs.
Enable two-factor authentication.
Keep devices and software up to date.
Be cautious about where you’re making digital transactions. Verify that you’re shopping or otherwise using your digital ID at legitimate sites.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I found 6-Across kind of tricky, as it could be so many different words. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: N.B.A. team with purple-and-orange jerseys
Answer: SUNS

5A clue: «___ Demon Hunters» (hit 2025 movie)
Answer: KPOP

6A clue: Scrumptious
Answer: TASTY

7A clue: «Next ___ on the agenda …»
Answer: ITEM

8A clue: Politician Buttigieg
Answer: PETE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Rink rental
Answer: SKATE

2D clue: Ticked off
Answer: UPSET

3D clue: Blame-shifting words
Answer: NOTME

4D clue: Fittingly, the outside letters of «snoopy»
Answer: SPY

6D clue: What might be requested after spinning around an iPad
Answer: TIP

Technologies

TikTok’s Fate May Be Decided This Week After Years of Threats and Bans

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to seal a TikTok deal on Thursday, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

After years of political wrangling, lawsuits, looming bans and uncertainty for millions of people, TikTok’s long-running dramatic saga might finally conclude this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to «consummate» a long-negotiated agreement on Thursday, allowing TikTok to continue operating in the US under new ownership terms.

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«The details are ironed out,» Bessent said, stating that his purpose in the negotiations was «to get the Chinese to agree to approve the transaction» and that it was «successfully accomplished.»

It’s possible, of course, that Thursday could come and go without a TikTok deal finalization. Dates and deadlines have been flexible along the way. Trump set numerous deadlines for changes involving TikTok and has bumped those dates several times. TikTok went briefly offline in January hours ahead of a planned ban, but returned the next day.

TikTok’s controversial history in the US

TikTok’s political rollercoaster began in 2020, when Washington first raised alarms about the app’s Chinese ownership and potential data vulnerabilities. Congress passed a 2024 law forcing ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent, to divest its US operations or face a total ban. Since then, the video-sharing site has faced multiple executive orders, court challenges and failed acquisition attempts.

The time to make a deal has been running out. The US Supreme Court upheld the divestment order earlier this year, rejecting arguments that a ban would violate free speech. That ruling pushed both sides back to the negotiating table, but there have been numerous delays and shifts to the TikTok deal deadline over the last few months.

Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 25, allowing the new ownership to be US-based and made up of a majority of American investors and stakeholders.

The all-important algorithm

The White House confirmed in September that TikTok’s algorithm will be operated in the United States and overseen by American tech company Oracle. Private equity firm Silver Lake and Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, will also be among the investors. In September, Trump said that News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch will also be part of the ownership group, but CNN later reported that the Murdochs’ media company, Fox Corp, would be the investor, not the two Murdochs individually.

TikTok’s algorithm is a major part of the deal. The algorithm is what recommends content to you while you’re scrolling on TikTok, and it is controversial because of US concerns that ByteDance, TikTok’s original Chinese owner, could be forced by the Chinese government to use those recommendations in pro-Chinese, anti-US ways.

Under the new TikTok deal, the algorithm will be retrained on US user data.

What this means for TikTok users

For TikTok users, the alleged deal could preserve access to an app that has become a cultural mainstay in the US, eliminating the looming threat of a shutdown or spinoff app.

As part of the new arrangement, TikTok’s US user data will remain stored domestically and managed by a dedicated oversight board, which may appease many Americans with concerns about data privacy.

Trump and Xi will meet again in Korea on Thursday, which means a TikTok deal could be announced by the end of this week. However, implementing the deal and changing ownership will likely take months.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is a personal friend of Trump, and some users fear his role with TikTok could mean the algorithm could push right-wing political content to users. A recent NPR story reported that analysts say that this could happen, but they will also need to refrain from alienating the existing audience.