One of Googles upcoming big projects could be a high-end laptop slated to be the next rival of the MacBook Pro.An internal email obtained by Android Headlines detailed that Google has greenlit a project for a device codenamed Snowy. The email suggests the device is a laptop with premium specifications similar to the Dell XPS, Microsoft Surface Laptop, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook, and the brands largest competitor, Apples MacBook Pro. With the project past the concept phase, it would likely be quickly expanded into a viable product under the Pixel line.Recommended VideosGoogle already has a long history of Pixel laptops. It introduced the first Chromebook Pixel in 2013, followed by a second generation in 2015. The brand released the more cost-effective Pixelbook in 2017 and Pixelbook Go in 2019, before taking an extended break from laptop development. At the time, these were two of the best Chromebooks ever made, though they certainly were priced higher than what typical Chromebook shoppers were used to. Notably, the company hasnt been completely out of the market as it has been providing ChromeOS to its hardware partners and developing its Gemini AI system as an on-device feature for third-party laptops.Rumors about Google developing a new Pixel Laptop have surfaced at an interesting time as there is also speculation that the brand is considering unifying its ChromeOS and Android operating systems. This is also expected to be a strategy to compete against Apple in the tablet market.GoogleReports suggest that the hybrid Android and ChromeOS systems could be used for both Android tablets and Chromebook laptops to make both products entertainment and productivity powerhouses. With Google collaborating with varying partners in addition to releasing its own Pixel devices, it could be a solid strategy to use the merged system to eat at Apples iPad iOS market share.So far, there is little known about the Pixel Laptop. If Google doesnt use a unified ChromeOS and Android system for the coming laptop, it will likely run ChromeOS, similar to the original Pixelbooks. There are a number of components available that could be potential features on the Pixel Laptop, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, T3 noted.We also keep in mind Google has its Tensor in-house SoC series, which could be a contender as hardware for the laptop. Many rumors already suggest Google already has plans to use upcoming Tensor chips in future tablets and wearables and could likely be configured for laptops. However, nothing can be confirmed about the Pixel Laptop at this time.In terms of competition with Apple, analyst reports also suggest that the brand wont release its next major overhaul of its MacBook Pro line until 2026, which could feature an OLED display and M6 chip based on the 2nm process. This could give Google some time to truly flesh out its product.Editors Recommendations

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Led by Kirill Petrenko, the orchestra brought a rich sound and forceful vision to works by Rachmaninoff, Korngold, Dvok and Bruckner during the New York leg of its American tour.

The singer-songwriter blends the styles of the 70s and Tin Pan Alley on this collection of character studies, which often puncture the pretensions of his own persona.

Just you wait A year after ditching waitlist, Starlink says it is sold out in parts of US SpaceX's Starlink doesn't have enough capacity for everyone who wants it. Jon Brodkin Nov 19, 2024 5:11 pm | 32 The standard Starlink satellite dish. Credit: Starlink The standard Starlink satellite dish. Credit: Starlink Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe Starlink waitlist is back in certain parts of the US, including several large cities on the West Coast and in Texas. The Starlink availability map says the service is sold out in and around Seattle; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; San Diego; Sacramento, California; and Austin, Texas. Neighboring cities and towns are included in the sold-out zones.There are additional sold-out areas in small parts of Colorado, Montana, and North Carolina. As PCMag noted yesterday, the change comes about a year after Starlink added capacity and removed its waitlist throughout the US.Elsewhere in North America, there are some sold-out areas in Canada and Mexico. Across the Atlantic, Starlink is sold out in London and neighboring cities. Starlink is not yet available in most of Africa, and some of the areas where it is available are sold out.Starlink is generally seen as most useful in rural areas with less access to wired broadband, but it seems to be attracting interest in more heavily populated areas, too. While detailed region-by-region subscriber numbers aren't available publicly, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said last week that Starlink has nearly 5 million users worldwide.Capacity problemsIt's been clear for a while that Starlink has enough capacity in much of its network and capacity problems in other areas. This was reflected in pricing as Starlink has a $100 "congestion charge" and used to offer lower monthly prices in areas with excess capacity. The SpaceX division offers broadband from over 6,600 satellites and is frequently launching more.It's still possible to order in waitlisted areas, but it's unclear how long people will have to wait. A message in the checkout system says, "Starlink is at capacity in your area. Order now to reserve your Starlink. You will receive a notification once your Starlink is ready to ship." A $99 deposit is required.PCMag notes that users can "bypass the waitlist by subscribing to the pricier Starlink Roam tier." However, they could run into performance problems in congested areas with Roam, which is marketed for use while traveling, not as a fixed home Internet service. Starlink could also block Roam service in specific areas.Roam costs $599 up-front for hardware and $50 a month for 50GB of data, or $165 for unlimited service. Residential Starlink has a hardware price of $349 and monthly service price of $120.Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 32 Comments Prev story

Musi, come back Musi fans refuse to update iPhones until Apple unblocks controversial app Musi doesnt risk extinction over App Store removal, Apple says. Ashley Belanger Nov 19, 2024 4:24 pm | 38 Credit: nicoletaionescu | iStock / Getty Images Plus Credit: nicoletaionescu | iStock / Getty Images Plus Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn more"Who up missing Musi?" a Reddit user posted in a community shocked by the free music streaming app's sudden removal from Apple's App Store in September.Apple kicked Musi out of the App Store after receiving several copyright complaints. Musi works by streaming music from YouTubeseemingly avoiding paying to license songsand YouTube was unsurprisingly chief among those urging Apple to stop allowing the alleged infringement.Musi was previously only available through the App Store. Once Musi was removed from the App Store, anyone who downloaded Musi could continue using the app uninterrupted. But if the app was ever off-loaded during an update or if the user got a new phone, there would be no way to regain access to their Musi app or their playlists.Some Musi fans only learned that Apple booted Musi after they updated their phones, and the app got offloaded with no option to re-download. Panicked, these users turned to the Musi subreddit for answers, where Musi's support staff has consistently responded with reassurances that Musi is working to bring the app back to the App Store. For many Musi users learning from others' mistakes, the Reddit discussions leave them with no choice but to refuse to update their phones or risk losing their favorite app.It may take months before Musi fans can exit this legal limbo. After Apple gave in to the pressure, Musi sued in October, hoping to quickly secure an injunction that would force Apple to reinstate Musi in the App Store until the copyright allegations were decided. But a hearing on that motion isn't scheduled until January, making it appear unlikely that Musi will be available again to download until sometime next year.Musi claimed Apple breached its contract by removing the app before investigating YouTube's claims. The music-streaming app is concerned that the longer the litigation drags on, the more likely that its users will move on. A mass exodus of users "risks extinction," Musi argued, telling the court the app fears a potentially substantial loss in revenue over allegedly unsubstantiated copyright claims.But Apple filed its opposition to the injunction last Friday, urging the court to agree that because Musi fans who still have the app installed can continue streaming, Musi is not at risk of "extinction.""Musi asserts that its app is still in use by its preexisting customer base, and so Musi is presumably still earning revenue from ads," Apple's opposition filing said. "Moreover, Musiprovides no evidence relating to its financial condition and no evidence that it is unable to survive until a decision on the merits in this case."According to Apple, Musi is not being transparent about its finances, but public reporting showed the app "earned more than $100 million in advertising revenue between January 2023 and spring 2024 and employs 10 people at most."Apple warned that granting Musi's injunction puts Apple at risk of copyright violations. The App Store owner claimed that it takes no sides in this dispute that's largely between Musi and YouTube. But to Apple, it would be unreasonable to expect Apple to investigate every copyright notice it receives when thousands of third parties send notices annually. Thats partly why Apple's contract stipulates that any app can be removed from the App Store "at any time, with or without cause." Apple further claimed that Musi has not taken serious steps to address YouTube's or any other rights holders' concerns."The public interest in the preservation of intellectual property rights weighs heavilyagainst the injunction sought here, which would force Apple to distribute an app over the repeated and consistent objections of non-parties who allege their rights are infringed by the app," Apple argued.Musi fans vow loyaltyFor Musi fans expressing their suffering on Reddit, Musi appears to be irreplaceable.Unlike other free apps that continually play ads, Musi only serves ads when the app is initially opened, then allows uninterrupted listening. One Musi user also noted that Musi allows for an unlimited number of videos in a playlist, where YouTube caps playlists at 5,000 videos."Musi is the only playback system I have to play all 9k of my videos/songs in the same library," the Musi fan said. "I honestly don't just use Musi just cause its free. It has features no other app has, especially if you like to watch music videos while you listen to music.""Spotify isn't cutting it," one Reddit user whined."I hate Spotify," another user agreed."I think of Musi every other day," a third user who apparently lost the app after purchasing a new phone said. "Since I got my new iPhone, I have to settle for other music apps just to get by (not enough, of course) to listen to music in my car driving. I will be patiently waiting once Musi is available to redownload."Some Musi fans who still have access gloat in the threads, while others warn the litigation could soon doom the app for everyone.Musi continues to perhaps optimistically tell users that the app is coming back, reassuring anyone whose app was accidentally offloaded that their libraries remain linked through iCloud and will be restored if it does.Some users buy into Musi's promises, while others seem skeptical that Musi can take on Apple. To many users still clinging to their Musi app, updating their phones has become too risky until the litigation resolves."Please," one Musi fan begged. "Musi come back!!!"Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 38 Comments

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SpaceElon Musks SpaceX is preparing for the sixth test flight of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket. It aims to conduct the launch at 4pm Central Time (10pm UK). Heres everything we know so far 19 November 2024 SpaceX is making preparations for the sixth test flight of the worlds most powerful rocket, Starship. Elon Musks company has been taking a fail fast, learn fast approach to research and development more akin to the world of Silicon Valley than the aerospace industry, and the pace of launches only appears to be speeding up.When is the next flight?SpaceX sayson its website that it aims to conduct the sixth test flight of Starship on 19 November, with a launch window opening at 4pm Central Time (10pm UK). A livestream of the launch will be broadcast on SpaceXs X account, the social media platform also owned Musk, or you will be able to watch it here at newscientist.comIt took SpaceX 18 months to carry out the first five Starship test flights, with the fifth taking place in the middle of October. If the company carries out the sixth next week, it will mean a gap of just over one month since the last flight its fastest turnaround yet.AdvertisementWhat will SpaceX attempt in flight 6?In many ways, flight 6 will be a repeat of flight 5, but with a few key differences.The booster stage will again attempt a chopstick landing, in which the craft is grabbed and secured as it returns to the launchpad, allowing it to be lowered to the ground. This approach is designed to eventually allow the booster to be re-used multiple times and massively reduce the cost of putting payloads into orbit.Starship during a high-altitude test flightSpaceXThe upper stage will reach space, carry out a partial orbit and then re-enter Earths atmosphere for a splash landing in the Indian Ocean. But this time, the upper stage will attempt to reignite one of its Raptor engines while in space in order to collect valuable operational data. It will also test new heat shield designs during re-entry.Another difference is that the launch will take place later in the day so that the landing of the upper stage in the Indian Ocean can be filmed in daylight, ensuring greater detail. Previous missions have seen night landings and therefore footage while cinematic and dramatic hasnt given engineers as much insight as video of a daytime landing will.What happened during previous Starship launches?Test flight 1 on 20 April 2023 saw three of the booster stages 33 engines fail to ignite. The rocket later span out of control and self-destructed.The second test flight on 18 November 2023 got further, gaining enough altitude that the booster and upper stages separated as planned. The booster stage ultimately exploded before reaching ground level and the upper stage self-destructed, although not before successfully reaching space.Test flight 3 on 14 March 2024 was at least a partial success, as the upper stage reached space once more, but it failed to return to ground level intact.The next flight, on 6 June, saw the upper stage reach an altitude of more than 200 kilometres and travel at over 27,000 kilometres per hour. Both the booster and the upper stage completed soft splashdowns in the ocean.Test flight 5 was the most ambitious to date, with Starships Super Heavy booster dropping back to the launch pad and being safely caught by SpaceXs launch tower, called Mechazilla, in a pair of chopsticks. It is equipped with a pair of chopsticks to grab the craftat a specific point and secure it, allowing it to be lowered to the ground.Topics: