You’ve heard of Smart TV, but its unlikely you’ve ever heard of ‘cognitive’ TV. If Sony Electronics has its way, though, you’re likely to hear about it often.
The consumer electronics giant announced yesterday that it plans to unveil Bravia XR, the world’s first ‘cognitive’ TV sets, at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new devices will feature revolutionary methods for processing information. Sony says they will closely mimic the ways humans see and hear.
How does a ‘cognitive’ TV set differ?
The Cognitive Processor XR will control the new screens. The new processor divides the screen into multiple zones and senses location of the picture’s ‘focal point’. The XR can analyze several elements at once. It then adjusts each element for the best user view of the picture, and analyzes sound position so what the viewer hears matches what’s on screen. It can upgrade any sound signal to 3D Surround Sound.
According to Sony’s president, Mike Fasulo, the Cognitive Processor XR mimics the way the brain processes information.
The Bravia XR line includes the Master Series Z9J 8K LED, Master Series A90J and A80J OLED, and X95J and K90J 4K LED.
The XR TV sets also feature HMDI 2.1 compatibility, hands-free voice remote, Netflix Calibrated Mode, IMAX Enhanced Mode, smart speaker compatibility, and PureStream near-lossless UHD resolution with speed of up to 80 MB/S. In addition, Sony offers easy access to Google TV with all TV models.
All Bravia XR TV sets can receive NextGen TV cable signals.
Call 1-800-216-0185
Sony has not announced pricing or availability of the Bravia XR line, but is expected to do so in the spring.
To get the most out of any TV set, you need a reliable internet connection. And for the connection that best needs your needs and budget, get HughesNet through Satellite Country. Call today. We can help.
Call 1-800-216-0185
Share on Social Media:
Crisis Management by Digital Means
By all accounts, 2020 has been an unusual year. One alarming crisis succeeded another- then another- then another. The Covid-19 pandemic, and the ensuing restrictions on normal activity, have imposed unaccustomed hardships on most Americans. Hurricanes, mass riots, devastating wildfires, and electrical outages (in California) followed.
In facing such daunting events, what can we do? Well, some communities rely on digital technologies.
Where do we look for help in a crisis?
One answer is HughesNet. The satellite internet system offers several emergency services. One is SatCell Connect. Another is called Internet Continuity.
The first provides instant cellular service when cell networks fail. SatCell registers up to 10,000 cellular devices, and can handle up to 100 streaming video calls or 400 voice calls at a time. In addition, it can handle up to 800 simultaneous chat sessions at speeds of up to 200 MB/S.
The latter is slightly different. ‘Internet Continuity’, designed chiefly for small businesses, provides emergency backup when cable and fiber internet networks fail. In event of such failure, HughesNet automatically routes web traffic to the satellite system. Then, when the original service is restored, HughesNet switches back to it.
Call 1-855-216-0185
In a crisis, a satellite internet system proves most reliable. Weather conditions and earthquakes that disrupt fiber, DSL, and cable systems won’t interrupt HughesNet.
Businesses and government offices that can’t afford prolonged internet outages need this emergency backup.
HughesNet is also the practical internet alternative for remote locations. Customers can connect service quickly and easily, and with HughesNet’s built-in WiFi, workers can easily connect their mobile devices. Furthermore, with a wide array of fixed and portable antennae, you can connect almost anywhere.
To sum all of this up, HughesNet may be the ideal means to guarantee you can remain online in a crisis. And Satellite Country is the ideal portal for HughesNet.
So, then, don’t take unnecessary chances. Contact us today.
How soon can you get connected?
Don’t take chances in an emergency. If you can’t afford to stay offline for long, you need a reliable connection. For the best deals in reliable web service, call Satellite Country. Call today. We can help.
Call 1-855-216-0185
Share on Social Media:
Prepare for the Coming of Jupiter III
If you’re an American customer of HughesNet now, you can expect to see a significant service upgrade soon. The satellite internet system will launch Jupiter III, an advanced high-capacity satellite.
The launch was scheduled for early in the year, but was delayed by Covid-19. This is not unusual. Many businesses in America have had to delay product or marketing moves because of the virus. But it won’t be with us forever.
By current estimates, the launch will occur in the first quarter of 2022.
Why is Jupiter III important?
The new satellite is important because of the massively increased capacity it offers. JupiterIII will add 500 to 550 gigabits. With the spike in capacity, HughesNet can offer speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (MB/S) with some plans. The current top download speed with all plans is 25 MB/S.
The additional capacity is all the more necessary given the lockdowns we’ve suffered- and will continue to suffer in some areas. With more of us working from home, we’re spending more time on the internet.
HughesNet has seen solid growth in its customer base lately. For the third quarter, the company added 38,000 broadband subscribers. This expands its subscriber total to 1.58 million.
Why do you need HughesNet?
Unlike cable or telecom internet, HughesNet is available almost everywhere in the U.S. This includes rural areas which otherwise couldn’t get broadband service.
HughesNet currently offers download speeds of up to 25 MB/S. This meets the FCC’s definition of true broadband, and it’s enough for almost all web functions: e-mail, surfing, and watching video.
Wherever you live, you need a reliable internet connection. To find the right plan for you, Contact HughesNet through Satellite Country. We can help you find the service that meets your needs and budget. Call now. We can help.
Call 1-855-216-0185
Share on Social Media:
Mexican Homes and Businesses Get HughesNet Service
Imagine you own a small grocery store outside of Morelia, Mexico. As more and more of your customers obtain debit or credit cards, you realize you need ability to process their payments. The future of your business depends on it. But what can you do? In most Mexican exurban and rural areas, broadband internet service is scarce. Few providers are willing to extend their cable or fiber lines to outlying areas.
This is a common obstacle. As appealing as life in Mexico may be for some, it can bring severe deprivations. One is lack of high-speed internet service- especially in small towns and rural areas. Mexican internet penetration is only 14% in rural areas, compared to 86% in major urban centers.
For this reason, HughesNet’s presence in our southern neighbor meets a critical need for the Mexican people. Since the satellite internet system began operating in Mexico, about 95% of its population have access to fast internet service. And it doesn’t matter matter where they work or live, since HughesNet doesn’t need cable or fiber lines.
Mexico is the sixth Latin American country to obtain HughesNet service. The first five are: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
How does satellite internet solve the problem?
HughesNet delivers download speeds of 25 megabits per second (MB/S). Upload speeds are usually 3 MB/S. The service includes free WiFi, and subscribers who need customer care can get it 24 hours per day.
HughesNet has offered commercial enterprise services in Mexico for several years. In this enterprise market, the company works with StarGroup.
What can HughesNet do for Americans?
Exurban and rural areas in the U.S.A. suffer the same lack of wireline internet service that outlying areas in Mexico do. For Americans in this situation, HughesNet is the solution. With 25 MB/S downloads, HughesNet is true broadband.
In the U.S., HughesNet was the first satellite internet system. Decades later, it remains the provider of choice for homes and businesses without access to wireline internet. So far, the company has shipped more than 7 million terminals in more than 100 countries, and it covers about half the entire world market for satellite internet.
Call 1-855-216-0185
For the best deals in internet service, shop with Satellite Country. For the most reliable internet connection, shop with Satellite Country. Then call our toll-free number. We can help.
Call 1-855-216-0185
Share on Social Media:
HughesNet Buys Share of OneWeb
That didn’t last long. The OneWeb satellite internet system, thought to be near death after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a few months ago, apparently has cheated the Grim Reaper- at least in the short term. It may yet shake off fiscal extinction.
A few days ago, Hughes Network Systems plunged $50 million into OneWeb. In this, Hughes joins the British government and Bharti Global, each of which paid $500 million for a 45% share only a few weeks ago.
Bharti Global is an Indian consortium.
How will this affect satellite internet service?
Hughes has operated its own satellite internet system for several decades. Its legacy system relies on high-altitude birds in geosynchronous orbit. OneWeb’s satellites hover in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). At the lower altitude, each of OneWeb’s satellites covers less territory, features lower latency. Latency is the delay between the sending of a signal and when the target receives it.
A geosynchronous satellite matches its speed to the Earth’s rotation. The satellite remains directly above a given spot on the planet’s surface.
With its added interest in OneWeb, HughesNet will be part of a multi-orbit system. High altitude geosynchronous systems offer certain advantages. LEO systems offer other advantages. But a multi-orbit system can provide the best features of both: more complete coverage, with low latency where its needed.
Some competitors, such as Elon Musk’s StarLink, deploy only LEO satellites. Industry experts, though, say multi-orbit systems are the wave of the future.
Before filing for bankruptcy, OneWeb had launched 74 satellites. It had planned to launch a fleet of more than 600.
What are HughesNet’s plans?
HughesNet said it wants to distribute OneWeb services in America. Hughes says this will include custom connections for government and business sites. This will mean, among other things, cellular backhaul and community WiFi hotspots.
Hughes has already gotten more than $300 million in OneWeb contracts for gateway antennae and other ground equipment.
HughesNet customers can also expect upgrades in residential web service.
You can get satellite internet service almost anywhere. You’re not limited by the location of the cable or telecom lines. To find out more, call 1-855-216-0185. Call 1-855-216-0185. Call 1-855-216-0185.
For the most reliable internet connection, contact Satellite Country. We can help.
Call 1-855-216-0185
Share on Social Media:
Are You Ready for the Coming Age of Mass Genius?
Some tech experts believe the intelligence of the human race is about to skyrocket. Some of you, we know, are thinking: “And not a moment too soon!”
What would account for this ballistic bulge in bubba’s brainpower?
Peter Diamandis thinks he knows. Diamandis holds degrees in molecular genetics and aerospace engineering from MIT, and made his reputation as the best-selling author of Abundance: The Future Is Better than YouThink. He says the growth of internet connectivity, the cloud, and maturing brain-computer interfaces will bring dramatic acceleration of mass genius. This includes both individual and collective intelligence. Not only will the world at large become smarter, each of us will become a genius.
Mass Genius through Connectivity
The first factor Diamandis cited is connectivity. For most of history, he said, the greatest intellects have been squandered. Many were hindered by barriers of sex, race, ethnicity, class, and culture. Most, though, simply lacked means to communicate their insights to the world.
The coffee houses founded in eighteenth century Britain and continental Europe played a critical role in destroying these barriers. In the coffee houses, people from all classes and vocations met to discuss ideas, debate them, and refine their own ideas based on the feedback they got from others. The intellectual ferment in the coffee house culture fostered the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.
Concentrating population in large urban centers extended the idea generating power of the coffee house to many more people.
Diamandis says the internet is our current version of the eighteenth century coffee house and the urban center– but is many times more powerful than both. Our current networks need not be confined to our neighborhoods or our cities; they can now encompass the entire globe. More than four billion people now have internet connections. Soon all of us will.
The Cloud and Brain-Computer Interfaces
The second factor, Diamandis says, is thecloud, which will be enhanced by brain–computerinterfaces. The author says we will soon be able to upload our thoughts to the cloud, and download information directly to our brains. We then can bypass the usual cumbersome learning process. Research will become more efficient by several orders of magnitude, because it will be rooted in what Diamandis calls “the neurological basis for innovation”.
Is Diamandis right about this? We should certainly hope so. We wouldn’t be burdened with so many selfies or cat videos on social media. We might even hear Joy Behar or Barbra Streisand say something sensible.
To tap your own genius, you need a reliable internet connection. For the one that works best for you, call Satellite Country. We can help.
Call 1-855-216-0185
Share on Social Media:
Hong Kong Internet Group Resists Chinese Censorship
The Reds are clever. They are relentless. Where they hold power they are, as they’ve always been, ruthless in suppressing challenges to it.
demonstrators n Hong Kong
The People’s Republic of China is no different. It has long operated one of the most sophisticated, thorough, and effective internet censorship systems in the world. The PRC is especially ferocious in attacking the anyone who erects proxies or VPNs to help other citizens bypass the state blockades.
Why can’t Beijing crack down?
The PRC is supreme in its core territories. It faces extreme difficulty, though, in forcing Hong Kong’s web traffic through the state’s firewalls. Consider, for example, what happened when a report began circulating all over East Asia that Beijing was planning to block access to certain websites and online services. The Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association (HKISPA) said it would not and could not comply:
Technically speaking, given the complexity of the modern internet including technologies like VPN, cloud, and cryptographies, it is impossible to effectively and meaningfully block any services, unless we put the whole internet of Hong Kong behind large scale surveillance firewall.
Of course, Beijing could throttle web services in Hong Kong anyway. But it can do so only at the cost of stifling industry. This outcome the state wants to avoid if it can. China already suffers severe economic pain, and will tolerate otherwise intolerable challenges to prevent more.
Of course, it’s impossible to predict how much more Beijing will tolerate. The regime may be nearing its limit.
So far, though, the Hong Hong ISP Association seems undaunted. It continues to remind the regime that it will pay a fearful price for further efforts to suppress internet freedom.
What price will Beijing pay to maintain control of the web?
…Imposing any insensible restrictions on the open internet would only result in more restrictions, as the original restrictions wouldn’t be effective, and ultimately the result is putting Hong Kong’s internet behind a big firewall. Therefore, any such restrictions, however slight initially, would start the end of the open internet of Hong Kong, and would immediately and permanently deter international businesses from positing their businesses and investments in Hong Kong.
This doesn’t mean Beijing is or has been completely passive about the matter. Telegram, an encrypted message service used to coordinate recent mass demonstrations, has suffered a series of massive DDOS attacks. These attacks were almost certainly the state’s handiwork. Still, the Hong Kong ISPs insist they won’t censor Telegram or any other platform.
Beijing has to be careful. The PRC’s economy is already fragile, with growth slowing sharply, and U.S. tariffs are likely to sharpen the pain. A crackdown on internet services in Hong Kong would induce a mass exit of international businesses. China’s economic crisis, severe already, would worsen exponentially.
How will the standoff end? We’ve no idea, but we’re certain to see a great deal of drama before it’s over.
For the best internet connection, shop with Satellite Country. Compare all plans, then call 1-855-216-0185. We can help.
Share on Social Media:
The Russian Hackers Are Coming! The Russian Hackers Are Coming!
Those damned Russians will stop at nothing! They stole the last U.S. Presidential election, according to highly esteemed sources close to Hillary Clinton (cough.. cough…). But now they’re up to something even more nefarious: hacking your office equipment so they can spy on you.
The last statement actually is true. Microsoft announced last Monday that Russian hackers have been invading corporate computer networks by attacking their most vulnerable connected devices. Typically, these are devices we don’t think of as computers: VOIP phones, printers, refrigerators, and even coffee brewers.
How are the intruders getting in?
For such devices, security is often an afterthought, if thought about at all. Since IT experts seldom expect attacks on such devices, they often fail to update their security protocols. And the password for a peripheral- if it’s protected by a password at all- is usually an obvious one such as ‘password’ or a consecutive series of numerals.
The Russian hackers, who go by names such as Fancy Bear, Strontium, and APT28, are said to work in connection with the GRU, Russian military intelligence.
Their hacking activity dates to at least to 2007. It includes such infamous intrusions as:
the NoPetYa attacks in Ukraine,
attacks on NATO,
overriding of the French TV network TV5Monde’s programming in 2015,
hacking of the International Olympic Committee,
attempted 2018 thefts of data from U.S. conservative political think tanks.
For the Russian hackers, peripheral devices are beachheads, the weakest links in corporate communication systems. Once they have penetrated a poorly protected camera, printer, or video decoder, the hackers can easily take over other devices connected to them. This includes the supposedly impregnable central computer system.
We warned about this two years ago. We said that the Internet of Things (IoT) would multiply headaches for online security professionals– and for us.
What can you do about the threat?
The more connected devices we own: Alexa hubs, Fitbits, ‘smart’ TV sets, etc., the more avenues of attack we leave for hackers. This means we must be all the more vigilant about guarding everything.
We’re not suggesting you should panic about this. Just be careful. Use secure passwords or biometric authentication, or two-factor authentication. Be sure to keep your security protocols updated. And be sure to protect all of your devices, including the ones most of us never worry about.
For the internet connection you need, shop with Satellite Country. We can help.
Share on Social Media:
Wall Luxury TV Set by Samsung Measures a Full 292 Inches!
Do your friends brag about the size of their TV sets? Are you jealous of a neighbor with a 65-inch screen on the wall in his living room?
Samsung’s 292-inch Screen
Rejoice, then! Within a few months, you’ll have a chance to buy a TV set that outclasses all others in your neighborhood- IF you have the budget and the room for it. A few days ago, Samsung Electronics demonstrated a TV set, called The Wall Luxury, that measures a whopping 292 diagonal inches. That’s over 24 feet. For all of its monumental dimensions, though, it’s only 30 millimeters thick- slightly over an inch.
In addition to extreme size, Samsung’s new video display boasts a record-setting refresh rate of a blistering 120 Hz and a brightness level of 2000 nits. Most TV sets manage only 60 Hz and 250 to 500 nits. A few HDR-capable screens can be as bright as 1000 nits.
How much does it cost?
“So”, you might be asking, “how much do I have to pay for this amazing new TV set?” Well, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Samsung has not revealed its suggested retail price for The Wall Luxury. But its closest competitor, dubbed simply ‘The Wall’, a now-outclassed and utterly humiliated 146-inch model, sells for $100,000.
If this is still too much for you, Sony sells a 98-inch screen for a mere $70,000. Of course, you’d have to accept the embarrassment of knowing that you’ve settled for the third place finisher.
Is size all that counts?
As impressive as Samsung’s Wall is, it might not be right for you. In fact, if you’re going to pay a premium price for a TV set, we recommend thinking less about size or even resolution, and more about factors more directly and more dramatically affecting the quality of the picture and sound. These other factors are display format and HDR.
Once you have a screen measuring at least 55 inches diagonally, adding more size is unlikely to add much to your enjoyment of the picture. And while HD was a massive and obvious improvement over SD in picture quality, upgrading from HD to 4K, 5K, or 8K will do little for you unless you’re sitting within six feet of the screen.
If you’re willing to pay the price for quality, we recommend buying a good OLED set with HDR capability. For now, OLED is the best available display technology, with the darkest blacks and most intense color gamuts. HDR (high dynamic range) provides the widest available color range, and the most accuracy and subtlety in mid-range and shadows. Is your vision normal? Do you watch TV from more than three feet away from the screen? Then HDR is likely to do more for your enjoyment of the picture than 4K or higher resolution will.
We are your source for HughesNet internet service. For the best deals in all home services, shop with Satellite Country. We can help.
Share on Social Media:
Facial Recognition Technology Will Change Your Life
Any celebrity can tell you that fame comes at a price. If millions of people know who you are and recognize your facial features, you can attract an awful lot of unwanted attention.
You may be thinking: “So? I’m not a celebrity, so this has nothing to do with me.”
Don’t be so sure about this. With recent advances in facial recognition tools, you too may suffer this aspect of fame. Yes, when you’re out of your house, complete strangers could recognize you and track your every move.
Much of this you bring on yourself. Consider, for example, your use of social media. You post what you eat, what TV shows you watch, where you meet your friends for drinks, and even what your pets are doing. All this personal information you post on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram means anyone who cares to look can easily find you with a browser search.
Mohammed Atta (right) and Abdulaziz Alomari at a security checkpoint in Portland International Airport September 10, 2001
As if this doesn’t leave you exposed enough, small, easily concealable cameras are nearly everywhere. Add a few minor tweaks to facial recognition technology which, when it becomes just a little cheaper and more readily available, will enable nearly anyone to follow nearly anyone else in real time.
Your privacy, then, could soon become extinct. Everything you do away from home- and when you do it- will be accessible to the world at large..
Tom Cruise as John Anderton in Minority Report sees a video ad that has been customized for him, and that calls him by name.
How did we get here?
Take a close look at the photo above. Here you see Mohammed Atta and Abdulaziz Alomari, two of the most import conspirators in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, passing through an airport security checkpoint. The next day, Atta and Alomari would hijack Flight 111 from Boston and fly it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. They and their co-conspirators would murder 2,977 people.
To counter-terrorism professionals, this is one of the most disturbing of all 9/11-related images. It disturbs not for what it displays, but what it implies.
The photo demonstrates that law enforcement and intelligence professionals had the information to prevent the 9/11 atrocities. Atta and Alomari had been testing airport security systems for months, and were on federal watch lists. But airport cops couldn’t recognize and stop the pair, lacking the necessary facial recognition tools and image database.
Law enforcement and intelligence adopt FR
Following the 9/11 atrocity, the U.S government strove to make up for lost time. Security experts wanted advanced facial recognition tools- and fast. Electronics firms were happy to meet the new demand, and continually refined their cameras and algorithms to capture ever greater detail, nuance, and accuracy. Software engineers developed machine learning apps that could sift through gigantic image databases almost instantaneously, eliding over irrelevant photos.
Now the technology is nearly perfect. Chinese police recently used facial recognition tools to find a suspect in a dense crowd of 50,000 concert attendees. The PRC also uses the tools to catch jaywalkers and send them instant fine notifications.
Amazon, one of the leaders in the field, sells a real-time facial recognition system, called REKOGNITION, to police departments all over the U.S.
Commercial uses multiply
September 12, 2017 is another signature date in the history of facial recognition. On that date, Apple unveiled the iPhone X. Previous face-scanning phones could be spoofed easily with masks or video. The iPhone X could not. It was the first phone with a truly safe face-scanning security portal.
The success of the iPhone X has opened up other possible uses:
Automated tagging of individuals on Facebook and Instagram
Recognition of, and automatic adjustment of seat and steering wheel placement for, each authorized driver of a car driven by several people
Flagging of frequent hotel guests immediately on their entry into the lobby, so they can bypass the usual desk check-in, and their room doors will open automatically as they approach
Streamlining of airport security checks… Your face will be your boarding pass.
More convenient shopping… At an FR-enabled retail store, you simply walk in, pick up the goods you want to buy, and walk out. You never have to produce cash or swipe a card. The store automatically deducts the price of your purchases from your credit card.
Highly personalized advertising… As you pass a billboard, a kiosk, or a mall sign, it will display ads tailored to your known interests, and may even call you by name.
Don’t call any of this far-fetched. Some of these applications have been implemented already. Others are on the way, and will reach consumer markets shortly.
Can facial recognition threaten your privacy or safety?
FR Technology brings many benefits, but there may be a few drawbacks in it. It could become a serious threat to your privacy, or even your career or your safety.
In a future post, we will explore the dangers of FR technology in detail.
For the best deals in internet service, contact Satellite Country. We can help.
