Sometime Thursday, Apple sent a memo to all of its retail managers and employees stating that all of its retail stores will remain closed until early May due to the continuing situation with the Coronavirus.
No word on an exact opening date yet.
[AppleInsider.com]: The Federal Communications Commission has drafted rules that would permit unlicensed devices to operate across the 6GHz band, a move that could increase the bandwidth, speed, and efficiency of consumer Wi-Fi and the devices that connect to it.
The proposal floated on Wednesday by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will make available all 1,200 megahertz of the 6GHz band for unlicensed applications. The FCC is slated to vote on it by April 23.
Currently, the 6GHz band is only available for licensed uses, such as wireless backhaul in the telecom industry and electronic newsgathering (ENG) for broadcasters. Unlicensed use would be everything else, including Wi-Fi routers and smart home devices.
The FCC says that opening up the entire band could "increase the amount of spectrum available for Wi-Fi almost by a factor of five."
"This is would be a huge benefit to consumers and innovators across the nation. It would be another step toward increasing the capacity of our country's networks. And it would help advance even further our leadership in next-generation wireless technologies, including 5G." the announcement reads.
Pai's draft report and order would authorize two different types of unlicensed use: standard-powered applications in 850 megahertz of the band, and indoor, low-power application over the full 1,200 megahertz.
While some broadcasters have expressed concerns about interference to the FCC, the Commission says that it will implement an "automated frequency coordination system" to prevent certain access points from operating where they'd cause interference to licensed operators.
"From Wi-Fi routers to home appliances, Americans' everyday use of devices that connect to the Internet over unlicensed spectrum has exploded," Pai said. "That trend will only continue."
Wi-Fi advocates have argued that currently available bands, 2.4 and 5GHz, won't be able to support projected demand. Many device makers, like Amazon and Apple, are even eyeing the band for new devices like wearables and augmented reality headsets, Fierce Wireless reported.
The 6GHz band has more than twice as much bandwidth as the current 5GHz band used by many Wi-Fi devices today, with broader support for super-wide channels. Since older Wi-Fi devices can't connect to it, latency and interference should be lower in the new spectrum, too.
Since 6GHz devices would use need to support Wi-Fi 6, they'd also share the speed and efficiency upgrades of the next-generation wireless standard.
In other words, devices equipped to take advantage of the new spectrum will benefit from faster connectivity, more bandwidth, lower latency and a more reliable connection. It's better Wi-Fi across the board, making it particularly well-suited for low-power IoT applications or tech like augmented and virtual reality.
It will take time for devices with support for the 6GHz band to roll out. While Apple's latest slate of iPhones sport Wi-Fi 6 support, that standard only uses the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum. It's Wi-Fi 6E, currently unavailable to consumers, that will be able to take advantage of the new spectrum.
The Wi-Fi Alliance said in January that Wi-Fi 6E will likely arrive on consumer wireless access points and smartphones first, followed by enterprise hardware. Many device and component makers are eyeing a release in the second half of 2020.
Although Apple doesn't currently have a Wi-Fi 6E device, and there aren't any reports suggesting that one is on the table, it's likely that we'll see iPhones and other products equipped to take advantage of the new band in the near future.
Apple's last stable of iPhones quietly introduced Wi-Fi 6 support without much fanfare. Based on the fact that chipmakers are already looking to ship Wi-Fi 6E chips in the second half of the year, it's probable that Apple's rumored "iPhone 12" will also be able to support the new band.
The FCC also lists augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) as key potential applications of Wi-Fi 6E. Of those two, it's also pretty clear is Apple has its sights set on bigger applications for AR over the next couple of years.
With all the talk and media about the Coronavirus, people tend to forget (or are scared too) donate blood to there local medical institutions by going to the local blood bank. Because of this, local hospitals around the U.S. and the world are currently running short on necessary blood supplies.
We here at CompuScoop would like to ask our readers, who are healthy, to consider donating blood. Local Hospitals need that blood to give any critically ill patients that may need it. Your local blood bank has taken all precautions to ensure that you stay safe before and during the time you’re giving blood.
So please consider taking some time out of your day and go to a local blood bank and give the best gift you could give - LIFE.
More than 12,000 people have applied to join NASA’s next class of astronauts, demonstrating strong national interest to take part in America’s plans to explore the Moon and take humanity’s next giant leap – human missions to Mars.
Applications were received from every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories. However, the process is just beginning for NASA’s Astronaut Selection Board, which will assess the applicants’ qualifications and invite the most qualified candidates to the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for interviews and medical tests before making a final selection. NASA expects to introduce the new astronaut candidates in the summer of 2021.
“We’ve entered a bold new era of space exploration with the Artemis program, and we are thrilled to see so many incredible Americans apply to join us,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “The next class of Artemis Generation astronauts will help us explore more of the Moon than ever before and lead us to the Red Planet.”
The application for the newest class of astronauts opened March 2 and closed March 31. The number of people who applied to be an astronaut represents the second-highest number of applications NASA has ever received, surpassed only by the record of 18,300 set by the most recent class of astronauts who graduated in January.
For this round of applications, NASA increased the education requirement for applicants from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree in a science, technology, math, or engineering field. In addition, the application period was shortened from two months to one.
“We’re able to build such a strong astronaut corps at NASA because we have such a strong pool of applicants to choose from,” said Anne Roemer, manager of the Astronaut Selection Board and director of human resources at Johnson. “It’s always amazing to see the diversity of education, experience and skills that are represented in our applicants. We are excited to start reviewing astronaut applications to identify the next class of astronaut candidates.”
Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 350 people to train as astronaut candidates for its increasingly challenging missions to explore space. With 48 astronauts in the active astronaut corps, more will be needed to serve as crew aboard spacecraft bound for multiple destinations and propel exploration forward as part of Artemis missions and beyond.
Once selected, the astronaut candidates will go through approximately two years of initial skills training, such as spacewalking, robotics, and spacecraft systems, as well as expeditionary behavior skills, such as leadership, followership, and teamwork. After completing training, the new astronauts could launch on American rockets and spacecraft -- developed for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program -- to live and work aboard the International Space Station, 250 miles above Earth. There they will take part in experiments that benefit life at home and prepare us for the Moon and Mars.
This new class also may launch aboard NASA’s powerful new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon. Beginning in 2024, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface and will establish sustainable lunar exploration by 2028. Gaining insights from new experiences on and around the Moon will prepare NASA to send the first humans to Mars in the 2030s.
For more information about NASA astronauts, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts
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