Elon Musk's Starlink to slow down user internet with daytime data caps

Washington [US], November 7: Starlink, the satellite internet company of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently acquired Twitter, is about to start slowing some users down.

Mashable India has reported that according to Starlink's (the internet division of SpaceX) new fair use policy, folks who use Starlink for home internet may now experience throttling if they use too much internet during a monthly billing cycle.

Throttling is the practice of deliberately slowing down someone's internet speed to the benefit of the overall network's performance. Users who consume more than 1TB of data in a month between 7 am and 11 pm will be throttled. If customers want to keep getting faster speeds before the next billing cycle begins, they can pay USD 0.25 per GB of data, but otherwise, it'll be a one-way journey to slow down town. According to The Verge, less than 10 per cent of existing Starlink subscribers exceed 1TB every month. For individuals who live a certain lifestyle, it is not hard to imagine utilising more than 1TB of data in a month.

Gamers, in particular, must cope with game and patch downloads that might reach or even exceed 100GB on a regular basis. 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II,' for example, is a 100GB download on its own, as per Mashable India.

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Queen Elizabeth found a secret friend in Tom Cruise before her death

Washington [US], November 7: In the weeks before Queen Elizabeth's death, the late monarch had found a new pal in Hollywood star Tom Cruise, suggests a new report

According to Page Six, she and the 'Top Gun' actor "really hit it off" over the summer, a source told a British media outlet.

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations that marked her 70th anniversary on the throne had been attended by Cruise; however, the ailing royal was unable to meet the 'Mission Impossible' star as she suffering from mobility issues.

"The Queen let it be known that she was really disappointed not to have met Tom at the pageant, so he was invited to have a special tour of Windsor Castle with everything laid on for him. Afterwards, just the two of them had tea together," the source said, reported Page Six. The visit was a success, with Cruise given the chance to fire a ceremonial gun. "She loved seeing him and they really hit it off, so much so that she invited him back for lunch. He was even allowed to fly in by helicopter," the source added.

This newly-formed friendship could have continued with a lunch date, but it could not as Elizabeth died on September 8 at the age of 96, before they could reunite.

Cruise had spoken of his admiration for the Queen during a television interview that happened before the Platinum Jubilee's Gallop Through History equine pageant in May. Tom Cruise communiqué "She's just a woman that I greatly admire. I think she is someone who has tremendous dignity and I admire her devotion. What she has accomplished has been historic," he said at the time, as per Page Six.

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Scientists come up with new technology to reduce potholes

Sydney [Australia] November 6: Researchers have created an "intelligent compaction" technology that can evaluate the quality of road base compaction in real-time and is integrated into a road roller. Roads can become safer and more durable with improved road construction, which can also lower maintenance costs and pothole counts.

Months of persistent rain and flooding have brought home how crucial good road building is since it prevents potholes and road sinking. Tyre blowouts and structural damage to automobiles and trucks are both brought on by this, and the likelihood of fatal accidents also rises.

The cutting-edge machine learning method was created by a research team from the University of Technology Sydney and uses data from a sensor mounted to a construction roller. Together with Professor Hadi Kahbbaz, Dr. Di Wu, and Ph.D. student Zhengheng Xu, Associate Professor Behzad Fatahi, head of geotechnical and transport engineering, oversaw the project.

"We have developed an advanced computer model that incorporates machine learning and big data from construction sites to predict the stiffness of compacted soil with a high degree of accuracy in a fraction of a second, so roller operators can make adjustments," communiqué by Associate Professor Fatahi.

Roads are made up of three or more layers, which are rolled and compacted. The subgrade layer is usually soil, followed by natural materials such as crushed rock, and then asphalt or concrete on top. The variable nature of soil and moisture conditions can result in under or over-compacted material.

"Like Goldilocks, the compaction needs to be 'just right' to provide the correct structural integrity and strength. Over-compaction can break down the material and change its composition, and under-compaction can lead to uneven settlement," said Associate Professor Fatahi.

"A well-compacted multi-layer road base provides a stable foundation and increases the capacity of a road to bear heavy loads. Trucks can weigh up to 40 tonnes, so a poor quality base can quickly lead to cracks and weak spots in the asphalt surface."

According to research that was just published in the peer-reviewed journal Engineering Structures, the use of this technology could aid in the construction of more resilient roadways that can endure extreme weather.

The team is currently looking to test the new technology on-site for different ground and roller conditions for road, railway, and dam construction projects. They are also looking into methods to measure the density and moisture content of the compacted soil in real time while construction is taking place.

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