Technology 6/6: Starlink meets strong competitor, Apple loses lawsuit

SES and Intelsat merge, creating a new rival to Starlink in Europe

Luxembourg satellite company SES is moving closer to a $3.1 billion acquisition of Intelsat, with a final decision from the EU expected by June 10. If the merger goes through, the alliance would become Europe’s second-largest satellite internet provider, behind only Eutelsat.

Starlink will face big competition in Europe.

Despite the new opportunities, SES-Intelsat still faces a major challenge from Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has more than 7,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, far outpacing its European rivals. EU companies such as Eutelsat, Inmarsat and Hisdesat are seeking to increase their technological sovereignty amid concerns about their dependence on the US’s private satellite network.

Europe still has a long way to go to compete with Starlink, but the merger marks an important step toward satellite technology independence, a topic that will be discussed at the TNW Conference in Amsterdam on June 19-20.

Epic Games wins lawsuit, Fortnite returns to iOS

After a five-year legal battle with Apple, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has won a major court victory, forcing Apple to expand its App Store payment methods and end its 27% fee on US developers. This means the hit game Fortnite will return to iOS2.

Sweeney called it “the end of Apple’s tax nightmare” and hoped the upcoming WWDC would mark a new era for developers. While Apple said it would comply with the ruling, the company still plans to appeal.

The App Store ecosystem is set to generate $1.3 trillion in revenue by 2024, but Sweeney believes the shift will bring greater economic benefits to developers and users.

Google adds interactive financial charts

Google has updated its search feature to display customized stock charts and compare company performance right in search results. The feature uses Google's advanced AI to automatically generate charts and summarize data in real time, making it easy for users to track the markets without having to visit a separate financial page.

Currently, the feature is only available to users enrolled in the Labs beta program in the United States and requires the latest version of the Google app on Android.

Walmart expands drone delivery service to 5 cities

Walmart has announced the expansion of its drone delivery service to Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando, Charlotte and Houston, becoming the first retailer to launch the service across five states in the US.

The service will be rolled out in 100 stores, thanks to a partnership with Wing, a drone company that operates under FAA guidelines. The drones can make deliveries within a six-mile range, with an average completion time of 19 minutes.

Walmart has made more than 150,000 drone deliveries, while rival Amazon has had trouble with a similar program. Walmart plans to continue expanding the service next year.

Minh Hoan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cong-nghe-6-6-starlink-gap-doi-thu-nang-ky-apple-thua-kien-ar947316.html