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A couple years back SpaceX was talking up a plan that would see it put 4,425 satellites into orbit to roll out global broadband connectivity. That promise is closer to reality today with the FCC announcing that it has approved the requests of four different companies to roll out new and expanded broadband services using satellites. The four companies include SpaceX, Kepler Communications, Telesat Canada, and LeoSat.

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T-Mobile is working on a TV service that it plans to launch before the end of the year, at least based on comments it made back in January. The Uncarrier previously acquired Layer3 TV, helping position it to launch its own service, and now newly surfaced FCC documents indicate something big is underway.

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The Pixel Slate is arguably one of the most exciting Chromebooks to land in the market. Or rather, that would be landing in the market. Although Google has basically revealed all at its Pixel event last month, the Chrome OS 2-in-1 remains out of reach of everyone. Unlike the Pixel 3 smartphones, Google’s replacement for Android tablets has yet to actually hit store shelves, both virtual and physical, with nothing but a “later this year” promise to hold on to. Fortunately, Google might not be waiting for the 11th hour to bring the Pixel Slate to the public, as it was just listed by the FCC, suggesting that we might just be a week or two away from actual launch.

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Leaks are really just that, unofficial and often mistaken information about unreleased products. But their existence, and especially their overabundance, may also hint at interest in that upcoming product. If that’s the case, then LG’s recent smartphones aren’t feeling the love. Even the LG V40 ThinQ, with its rumored triple cameras, haven’t had much in the way of such leaks. That might not matter because that phone might be arriving soon if this FCC sighting is any indication.

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Friday was a day of celebration for net neutrality proponents, as California’s legislature approved a bill that, once passed into law, is widely seen as the strongest protection in the country. The bill, SB822, not only restores the net neutrality rules that were put into place by former President Barack Obama, but goes even to ban internet service providers from practices like throttling in favor of select content and zero-rating services.

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Donald Trump was concerned this week that Google suppresses conservative news media in search results. He did so in two Tweets, one of which asked whether this practice was legal. Inside the United States, the FCC effectively ended Net Neutrality in December of 2017. Net Neutrality is not the same as Search Neutrality, and neither the FCC nor the FTC (nor any other government entity) has the legal power to tell Google that it needs to show "fair and balanced" search results - at least where politics are concerned.

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A new Google Chromecast is in the pipeline, with the specs of the updated streaming device previewed in recently-revealed test filings. Expectations for the streamer are fairly low, though if you've found yourself frustrated by wireless hiccups when trying to beam higher-resolution video it might still be enough to tempt you into upgrading.

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There's a new BlackBerry in town, and it's not just a KEY2. The device is code-named BBE100-2, and up until the launch of the BlackBerry KEY2, we'd just assumed it'd be launched with a lesser cousin. BlackBerry launched the KEY2 on its own, and the BBE100-2 hasn't appeared in the real world just yet. Except it did, again, in the FCC just this morning.

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It seems that Microsoft is indeed working on a new Surface. Of course, many of us probably expected Microsoft to be preparing a new Surface for launch later on in the year, and this appearance at the FCC seemingly confirms those suspicions. After all, gaining FCC certification is usually one of the last steps before launch for new devices.

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As Apple revealed at WWDC 2018, iOS 12 is getting a lot of handy new features, but one in particular could be a real life saver. Apple has announced that iOS 12 will automatically share your location with emergency services when you call 911, allowing those who respond to your call to locate you faster. The entire process is automatic and secure, and it's based on Apple technology that has existed for a few years now.

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If you were a bit cynical about the US Senate's vote to save net neutrality today, we can't really blame you. With senators and representatives all too willing to vote along party lines, the odds are certainly stacked against this effort by Democrats in Congress to block the FCC's "Restoring Internet Freedom Order." It appears, however, that your cynicism was misplaced, at least in this instance.

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Sorry to ruin your Thursday, but the FCC has announced when its new rules concerning internet service providers will go into effect. The FCC's laughably-named "Restoring Internet Freedom Order" will take effect in June, removing regulations that prevented internet service providers from blocking or throttling internet traffic and implementing paid prioritization. The repeal vote took place in Demember 2017, despite repeated polls that show the US public greatly favors net neutrality protections and regulations.

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