Tell that to the multiple of people who have been saved by Emergency SOS
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Elon Musk's SpaceX to Launch Satellites for Apple's Emergency SOS Feature on iPhones
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As an avid hiker, which I like to think is not some fringe, risky pastime, I'm extremely thankful for this feature. I used a Garmin InReach for quite a long time, but it's not exactly a cheap investment, especially for the casual folks out there. I've thankfully never had to use it, but that's kind of the idea...It's there if you do need it. If anything, I feel like Apple has been under marketing this feature for what it can be. It's something baked in, on a device you're already carrying that could save your life, regardless of where you find yourself.
Out of all the features (or lack thereof) on the past 2-3 series of iPhones, this one to me is the best of them.
Ok, you are wrong. ULA is still flying their Atlas V in 2023 and still may fly the first flight of their new Vulcan rocket this year. Northrop Grumman has been flying their Antares in 2023. To be fair, it has already flown its last flight of the current version as of last month, but will be flying their new version in a year or two. But since launches tend to be booked years in advance, not sure what being specific about who launches in just a single calendar year really means.
Imo, in a hundred years, people will look back at Musk similarly to how they look back at people like Henry Ford. The visionaries are typically polarizing, mostly because people hate change (also because said visionaries are usually abrasive). But once the public gets use to it, once they get dragged into the future against their will, they realize the error in their ways, and people like Musk etc. are finally appreciated for the things they did.
Yes, pricing is going to be a touchy subject. If they do charge for it I would hope that the system would still be active for non-subscribers on a one time basis. They could charge a one time fee of a couple of hundred dollars. My personal guess is that it will be rolled into some other service like AppleCare.
More like Howard Hughes. Not the movie tycoon and aerospace investor part, but sitting naked in his house consuming nothing but chicken and chocolate milk part.
Howard Hughes - Wikipedia
exTwitter is a true beacon of innovation, I can’t believe I wasn’t giving this man props all along 😔
Nearly everything successful is run by loathsome individuals, or people who started out decent and got corrupted on their way up. As long as his products work as they’re supposed to and they meet my needs, I’ll use them. My relationship with Elon Musk is purely transactional. 🤣
More like Howard Hughes. Not the movie tycoon and aerospace investor part, but sitting naked in his house consuming nothing but chicken and chocolate milk part.
Howard Hughes - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Not to mention Henry Ford was also "polarizing" because he was a raging antisemite for much of his life and is remembered for that along with the innovations he achieved. And that's because people are complex and we can recognize Ford's achievements while also admitting his flaws (and recognizing his ability to change his views). But there's no ability to have an honest assessment of individuals and their contributions to society and technology if we regard every criticism to be blind hatred.
Sadly, that is what's most focused on here - going back 30 years. Seems many people can't feel good about themselves unless they're slagging someone else (TC, for example), or some company (Apple, for example).
Apparently that's how one develops forum cred - at least in their own minds.
And now Musk, many here regarding him as merely the one who supplied money to get all of SpaceX's achievements (making space accessible at roughly 1/20th of traditional costs) into play.
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As opposed tro a TwitterTreme lifestyle?
True, but even the best planned expedition can run into problems, as can what was intended to be a 3 hour tour run into problems. Having an emergency messaging system available is certainly worthwhile, even if it is not suitable for all occasions.
Which is why I think simply rolling it into teh price of all iPhones sold worldwide is a good solution. Apple can get good estimates of the costs and phone sales and simply do the math. Alternatively, the could cut a deal with the service provider to get a cut of revenue from other phone manufacturers who incorporate the servcie to subsize their service.
Marketing hype; and considering it essentially was the only charging available for some time it was by default the standard. Just because it was marketing hype doesn’t mean Tesla didn’t want it to become a standard, the two are not mutually exclusive.
Many are also remembered for the bad side of their personalities, such as Ford’s anti-semitism. Being a visionary doesn’t necessarily preclude someone from being a bad person.
You don’t think Apple is distracted enough? They need engineers and designers working on the next gen of $40 microfiber cloths and reinvent the wheel for Mac Pro so they can charge $1,000 for them.
Globalstar is paying SpaceX 64 million to launch the new satellites into orbit. That's it. SpaceX has nothing else to do with the new satellites. What isn't being said is how many launches will it take to put up the new constellation of satellites.
On another note which multiple people have mentioned who live in areas where they loose cell service while driving into remote areas what Apple and Globalstar could do is have an in car satellite voice service where your car has the ability to connect to Globalstar's constellation to deliver seamless voice service while driving into remote areas. As you leave cell service your call just switches to the satellites through your car over bluetooth or WiFi. Globalstar already has a device the SatFi 2 which allows you to make calls with your cell phone using this device using WiFi.
The real gem Globalstar has to offer is their terrestrial Band n53 which is in Qualcomms latest modems. The unique thing about Band n53 is the position of the spectrum which is at the top end of 2.4Ghz. This spectrum falls within WiFi (Channel 14) and Bluetooth. The FCC gave authority to Globalstar to use this spectrum in LTE-TDD networks. Globalstar originally successfully tested this spectrum for use in WiFI networks.
There is a possibility that Apple could build a custom modem that utilizes Band n53 across cell networks in WiFI networks and Bluetooth use.
On another note which multiple people have mentioned who live in areas where they loose cell service while driving into remote areas what Apple and Globalstar could do is have an in car satellite voice service where your car has the ability to connect to Globalstar's constellation to deliver seamless voice service while driving into remote areas. As you leave cell service your call just switches to the satellites through your car over bluetooth or WiFi. Globalstar already has a device the SatFi 2 which allows you to make calls with your cell phone using this device using WiFi.
The real gem Globalstar has to offer is their terrestrial Band n53 which is in Qualcomms latest modems. The unique thing about Band n53 is the position of the spectrum which is at the top end of 2.4Ghz. This spectrum falls within WiFi (Channel 14) and Bluetooth. The FCC gave authority to Globalstar to use this spectrum in LTE-TDD networks. Globalstar originally successfully tested this spectrum for use in WiFI networks.
There is a possibility that Apple could build a custom modem that utilizes Band n53 across cell networks in WiFI networks and Bluetooth use.
Oh come on. Stuff like the cloth and the wheels are just fluff and I don't think most users (literally) buy in. I haven't looked but there must be 3rd party alternatives to the wheel.
I started getting concerned when Apple began using tape to hold their computers (iMac) together. As a service tech I know the value of periodic cleaning. Difficult on the iMac for no other reason than that Jony Ive didn't like screw holes. They spoiled the lines. It's decisions like that that get me angry. Not cloths and wheels.
If this story would have left out “Elon Musks SpaceX” and just focused on globalstars satellite coverage, there would have been 20 comments…
SapceX in this context is merely a service provider launching satellites, they do that on a regular basis for private and government purposes…
SapceX in this context is merely a service provider launching satellites, they do that on a regular basis for private and government purposes…
hmmmmm so that’s a “product” in your mind. because remember when you said “going to be a sad future for those people when elon products are everywhere”. but that’s like… not a thing.
idk, like most people i really don’t understand the elon fans. you so badly want this weirdo pervert reactionary with a space ship company to be taken seriously and you take it soooooo personally. very confusing.
Yeah, I don’t think that applies here. I don’t see Apple getting into the space industry.
It's literally a product.
It requires a dish you put on your house, boat, car, plane, etc...
Cruise lines are adding it to their line of boats and they advertise it/upsell it in the rooms, TV screens, in the app, at the bar, etc...
Airlines are adding it in the same way.
Then you see it in the news like Florida, Maui, Ukraine where they are praising it.
Then you see viral things like cute cats cuddling on it. https://x.com/tippen22/status/1476985855981993984
It literally is a "thing". LOL
Elon attempted to drive to Mark's house but Zuck packed the bags and flew away https://x.com/cb_doge/status/1691188592314343424
I didn't know anyone could just drive up to Mark's house. I mean fence, gate and all. So Elon drove up to Zuck's intercom, I guess. Fortunately, I think it's all over. We'll have to wait for another stunt for entertainment.
I agree with you about the beacon or Iridium phone, but I don't think Apple's satellite SOS is a stupid feature. I use a beacon when I'm backpacking. I'd never trust my iPhone as an emergency device out in the backcountry. Beacons are purpose-built, unlike a mobile phone that runs out of juice or shuts down because of cold weather or altitude. Beacons are also designed to survive harsh impacts, drops, etc. better than a phone. Shatter your iPhone screen and you're screwed. That's not an issue with a beacon.
Anyone who thinks the iPhone's satellite SOS feature is good enough for serious backcountry use is foolish. If you're putting yourself in a situation that might require rescue, you should carry a dedicated beacon. That said, there are plenty of situations where a beacon is overkill but the satellite SOS feature is nice to have, so I don't think it's a bad feature. Things can go sideways on a simple day hike and most people aren't going to carry a beacon on such days, but they will likely be carrying their phones.
I wonder when Apple is going to start charging for this service and how the fee structure will work. There's absolutely no way this feature stays free. My yearly beacon service fee is around $200. That includes the ability to record my track and allow people to view my location in real time on the web. It also includes global emergency medical and evacuation insurance.
I also wonder how many people will actually pay for this service. I don't see the average iPhone customer shelling out $200/year for satellite SOS. In fact, I don't see the average iPhone customer paying for this feature at all.
I wish everyone operated this way actually.
There have been news stories about people being rescued because of this feature. I wonder if they thought this was a stupid feature? 🤔
Owning a company doesn't mean you're listed as the inventor. 🤦♂️
And Elon doesn't own Tesla 100% yet he was listed as the inventor in at least one Tesla patent, same way Steve Jobs was only listed in a few patents.
Argument is false either way.