Joe Skipper/Reuters
- SpaceX updated its Starlink app with a 3D sky scanner for users to check for skyward obstructions.
- The app generates a dome above the Starlink disk, flagging obstructions that could block connection.
- Starlink beams the internet down to users' terminals from a network of 1,650 satellites.
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SpaceX on Tuesday added a 3D sky scanner to the app for its Starlink satellite internet.
It says the scanner makes it easier for users to check for skyward obstructions before installing their dish.
On the old app version, users checked for obstructions above the dish with their phone camera. In the new version, the app generates an image of a 3D dome above the Starlink dish, showing potential obstructions in different colours.
The parts of the 3D dome that are red warn users that obstructions could stop them connecting to Starlink's network of 1,650 satellites. Blue indicates no obstructions. Based on the scanner, users can decide where best to place their Starlink dish.
-nilay patel (@reckless) August 3, 2021
Other updates to the Starlink app include a tool tracking how many times the internet service drops, and a dark mode that makes the app's background black.
People who received their $499 Starlink kit must download the company's app to set up the equipment and join the network. A monthly subscription to the satellite internet service costs $99, and the company is currently charging $100 for pre-orders.
Starlink, which beams internet down to Earth from its satellites in orbit, has topped 90,000 users. Its goal is to provide a worldwide internet network.