FCC clears SpaceX to put its Starlink satellite WiFi in vehicles

SpaceX’s satellite internet service is officially going mobile after the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday authorized the company to provide its Starlink WiFi service to vehicles. SpaceX already offers Starlink home internet, which left beta last October.

“We agree with SpaceX… that the public interest would benefit by granting with conditions their applications,” The FCC wrote in its authorization letter. “Authorizing a new class of terminals for SpaceX’s satellite system will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move, whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight.”

Starlink had already begun expanding its terrestrial footprint, even before the FCC decision, installing receiver dishes at Tesla Supercharger stations, raising prices and unveiling a $500/month Premium service tier. SpaceX has also recently announced partnerships with Delta and Hawaiian Airlines to potentially offer the service aboard their aircraft. 

SpaceX, and CEO Elon Musk, have also played the hero in recent months by offering an “internet bridge” to volcano-devastated Tonga and providing Starlink terminals to the Ukraine government — a generous offer that was, like most of Musk’s ventures, footed by the American taxpayer. The internet service — more specifically, the massive constellation of microsatellites in Low Earth Orbit that enable it — has also drawn condemnation from astronomers worldwide who argue that the highly-reflective satellites, of which there currently more than 2,200 in orbit and which Musk wants 40,000 more of, are grossly interfering with the operation of ground-based telescopes.

TikTok tells senators how it plans to beef up data security for American users

In a letter to nine Republican senators, TikTok said it’s working to “remove any doubt about the security of US user data.” CEO Shou Zi Chew reiterated a claim that TikTok stores American user data on servers run by Oracle, which will be audited by a third party. Chew also said the company expects to “delete US users’ protected data from our own systems and fully pivot to Oracle cloud servers located in the US.”

“[We] are working with Oracle on new, advanced data security controls that we hope to finalize in the near future,” Chew wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The New York Times. “That work puts us closer to the day when we will be able to pivot toward a novel and industry-leading system for protecting the data of our users in the United States, with robust, independent oversight to ensure compliance.”

Chew was responding to questions in a letter sent by the Republican senators — including Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Commerce Committee — following a report by BuzzFeed News. The publication reported last month that China-based engineers of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, accessed non-public data on users in the US between at least September 2021 and January 2022.

The report also prompted Brendan Carr, the Federal Communication Commission’s senior Republican commissioner, to call on Apple and Google to remove the TikTok app from their stores. Carr requested a response from the companies by July 8th if they choose not to remove TikTok from the App Store and Play Store, respectively.

In the letter, Chew refuted much of BuzzFeed News’ reporting, though conceded that ByteDance workers outside the US can access American user data “subject to a series of robust cybersecurity controls and authorization approval protocols overseen by our US-based security team. In addition, TikTok has an internal data classification system and approval process in place that assigns levels of access based on the data’s classification and requires approvals for access to US user data.”

Legislators have been raising security concerns about TikTok over the last few years. In August 2020, then-president Donald Trump signed an executive order that would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for the app to operate in the US. The following month, Trump approved, in principle, a deal that would see Oracle and Walmart take a stake in a new company that would run TikTok’s business in the US. Microsoft was also in the running to secure a deal.

A federal judge struck down Trump’s order just before it was supposed to take effect. President Joe Biden rescinded the order in January 2021, but signed a separate one that required a security review of that app and WeChat. The following month, the Oracle and Walmart deal was reportedly put on hold indefinitely.

Engadget Podcast: Our digital privacy and rights post-Roe v. Wade

This week, Cherlynn is joined by senior editors Jessica Conditt and Karissa Bell to discuss the United States ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, and how, in our digital age, it affects the most vulnerable in our communities. Then, our hosts look at the Supreme Court ruling that guts the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce the Clean Air Act. In consumer tech news, we also look at Sony’s new PlayStation-inspired peripherals and Snapchat’s new subscription service.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

Subscribe!

Topics

  • What digital privacy looks like post-Roe v. Wade – 1:41

  • SCOTUS nerfs the EPA’s ability to enforce carbon emission limits – 42:10

  • Layoffs at Unity, Niantic, and Tesla – 45:26

  • Apple is starting to allow third party payments in Korea – 49:55

  • Sony’s new hardware brand brings headsets and monitors with PlayStation style – 52:17

  • Snapchat + is membership model for power users – 56:25

  • Picks – 59:59

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Jessica Conditt
Guest: Karissa Bell
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

FDA says updated COVID-19 Omicron boosters won’t require new clinical trials

A Food and Drug Administration official said COVID-19 vaccine makers won’t need to carry out fresh clinical trials to receive approval for booster shots they’re updating for newer Omicron variants. Dr. Peter Marks, who runs the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told Reuters the agency will use data from trials for vaccines that target BA.1 — the Omicron variant that caused a huge surge in infections last winter — as well as manufacturing data to assess the vaccines. Safety data and preclinical data from animal studies may also be used. 

This week, the FDA asked vaccine manufacturers to modify booster shots to target the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants in addition to the original strain of the virus. The agency hopes the updated boosters will be ready by the fall. “It’s going to be really critical as we move into this fall where we’ve seen this evolution into BA.4/5, where we could see further evolution, to try to get as many people boosted as we can,” Marks said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says BA.1 isn’t circulating in the US anymore, but BA.4 and BA.5 now account for over 52 percent of COVID-19 infections in the country. Combined, they made up just 0.5 percent of cases in the US at the end of April.

Pfizer and Moderna this week released clinical trial data which suggests versions of their shots that target BA.1 offered a stronger immune response than the initial COVID-19 vaccines. Those boosters did not perform quite as well against BA.4 and BA.5. However, the data showed that the immune response was still robust.

Biden will posthumously award Steve Jobs the Presidential Medal of Freedom

The US government has no higher award with which to honor a civilian’s achievements than the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Handed out at the discretion of the Commander in Chief, the MoF celebrates “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” President Biden announced the first slate of MoF recipients of his administration on Friday, a list that includes former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs.

President Biden’s nominees for this award class number 17. They include luminaries like Olympic-winning gymnast Simone Biles, retired Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Gold Star Father Khizr Khan, former US Senator John McCain (posthumous), former president of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka (posthumous), and the most clearly worthy recipient of the group, Denzel Washington. 

The MoF has only been awarded 647 times since it was established by President Kennedy in 1963, and of those, just 26 people have been awarded it “with distinction.” The awards will be presented at the White House on July 7, 2022. 

Sonos’ latest refurbished sale knocks $360 off the Arc soundbar

Sonos has discounted many of its refurbished speakers to some of the best prices we’ve seen. A refurbished Arc will set you back just about $540, which is a whopping $360 cheaper than a brand new model. The Sonos Five, one of our favorite music-focused speakers, normally costs $549, but a refurbished model is on sale for just over $373, so you can save about $175. And if you’re looking to get your first Sonos speaker, we recommend the Sonos One SL, which you can pick up refurbished for only $119.

Shop Sonos refurbished saleBuy Arc (refurbished) at Sonos – $540Buy Five (refurbished) at Sonos – $373Buy One SL (refurbished) at Sonos – $119

You might be hesitant to buy a refurbished gadget, and that’s why it’s important to check out the conditions of a company’s refurbished program before doing so. Sonos includes all necessary accessories, manuals and replacement parts with its refurbished devices, and they come with the same one-year warranty as new items, too. Considering how expensive it can get to build your dream home entertainment system (whether with all Sonos devices or not), going the refurbished route is a good option if you’re on a budget.

The Sonos Arc soundbar is one of our favorites and we gave it a score of 85 when it first came out. We like its modern design, excellent sound quality, support for Dolby Atmos and directional audio, plus its ability to recalibrate to your living room when you add additional speakers into the mix. The Sonos Five, on the other hand, is really for music lovers and those who want the best audio quality possible. We also appreciate its simple setup process and how easily it can be added to existing Sonos systems.

Alternatively, the Sonos One SL is a good option for those who don’t have a sound system in place yet. It’s the microphone-free version of the Sonos One, which means it’s also good for those who don’t care to have a virtual assistant speaker in their homes. It has a compact yet attractive design, great sound quality, WiFi and AirPlay 2 support, and stereo audio capabilities when you pair two of them together. Plus, it’s one of the cheaper options you can get from Sonos — a brand new one costs $199, which isn’t bad, but grabbing a refurbished model for $119 is even better.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

We’re heading for a messy, and expensive, breakup with natural gas

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated a number of fault lines already present within the global energy supply chain. This is especially true in Europe, where many countries were reliant on the superstate’s natural resources, and are now hastily …