Technologies

Starlink Will Be Moving Thousands of Its Satellites for ‘Space Safety’ Reasons

Earth’s orbit is congested with satellites, making collisions and disruptions more and more likely.

Starlink said it will reduce the altitude of thousands of its internet-beaming satellites following a mishap with one and a near collision with others, a vivid reminder of how crowded — and dangerous — Earth’s orbit has become.

In a New Year’s Day post on X, Starlink engineering vice president Michael Nicholls said the company would begin «a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation» and lower the orbit of approximately 4,400 satellites, or nearly half its total of more than 9,000, from their current altitude of about 342 miles to about 298 miles.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

«Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety in several ways,» Nicholls said, including by «reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision.»

A representative for Starlink did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

Satellite internet has become an increasingly attractive alternative to terrestrial options for broadband access such as cable, fiber and DSL, especially in rural areas. It is most closely identified with Starlink, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, but other providers include Hughesnet and Viasat. Those satellites are typically in low Earth orbit, in contrast with those like GPS satellites that are thousands of miles from the ground.

In early December, a Starlink satellite came within roughly 200 meters (656 feet) of a Chinese satellite Nicholls posted on X on Dec. 12. He said the Chinese satellite was one of nine deployed days earlier and blamed «lack of coordination between satellite operators,» citing negligence by the operators at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwestern China prior to the deployment of those nine satellites. «This needs to change,» he said in the post.

There are nearly 12,000 active satellites in orbit and thousands more that have stopped working. That number is expected to rise rapidly as SpaceX continues sending up Starlink satellites and as rival internet constellations get built out by projects such as Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) and China’s «Thousand Sails.»

Starlink’s announcement this week comes two weeks after one of its satellites «experienced an anomaly» and began «tumbling» toward Earth from its height of 260 miles. The company said the object will disintegrate when it hits the Earth’s atmosphere and also does not pose a danger to the International Space Station, which also flies in low Earth orbit.

In his X post this week, Nicholls also pointed to «solar minimum» as another reason to reduce the orbital altitude of its satellites. Solar minimum is the period of time when there is the least amount of solar activity — such as sunspots and solar flares — during the sun’s 11-year solar cycle. During this phase, satellites can last longer in space because there is less atmospheric density and thus less drag on the vehicle. But that also means more congestion for a longer span of time.

Nicholls said that the satellites’ «ballistic decay time» — that is, the time it takes a projectile to lose energy in its descent toward Earth — will decrease from 4-plus years to just a few months.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 8, #562

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 8 No. 562.

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

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Working out.

Green group hint: Cover your face.

Blue group hint: NFL players.

Purple group hint: Leap.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Exercises in singular form.

Green group: Sporting jobs that require masks.

Blue group: Hall of Fame defensive ends.

Purple group: ____ jump.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is exercises in singular form. The four answers are crunch, plank, situp and squat.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sporting jobs that require masks. The four answers are catcher, fencer, football player and goaltender.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Hall of Fame defensive ends. The four answers are Dent, Peppers, Strahan and Youngblood.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ jump. The four answers are broad, high, long and triple.

Technologies

The $135M Google Data Settlement Site Is Live — See If You’re Eligible

Use the settlement website to select your preferred payment method, and you may end up $100 richer.

You can now file a claim in the $135 million Google data settlement. The case centers on claims that Android devices transmitted user data without consent. Specifically, the class action lawsuit Taylor v. Google LLC contends that Google’s Android devices passively transferred cellular data to Google without user permission, even when the devices were idle. While not admitting fault, Google reached a preliminary settlement in January, agreeing to pay $135 million to about 100 million US Android phone users.

The official settlement website for the lawsuit is now live. The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will consider whether Google’s settlement is fair and listen to objections. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement.

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device.

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its «allow background data usage» option is toggled off.

Who can be part of the settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

Be a living, individual human being in the US.
Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website.

If you choose to do nothing, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but you may not receive it if you don’t select a payment method.

How much will I get paid?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the cap is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after any appeals are resolved.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.