Apple may strike space deal with Musk

PLUS: Rivian's new e-bike is here

AuthorAuthor

Jennifer Mossalgue & Rowan Cheung
October 24, 2025

Good morning, tech enthusiasts. Apple’s dream of texting from anywhere is running into a satellite problem. The Information reports that the Cupertino giant may need to strike a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink after its go-to partner started showing cracks.

Suddenly, the iPhone maker that avoids dependencies might have to phone a rival.

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In today’s tech rundown:

  • Apple’s orbital problem has a SpaceX solution

  • Rivian’s spinoff debuts wild new e-bike

  • A new blood test screens for 50 types of cancer

  • Google bets on carbon-capture gas power plant

  • Quick hits on other tech news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

APPLE/SPACEX

Image source: SpaceX

The Rundown: Apple’s dream of beaming data straight to iPhones is colliding with orbital reality. According to The Information, the Cupertino giant may need to partner with Starlink after its go-to satellite partner, Globalstar, started showing cracks.

The details:

  • Next-gen Starlink satellites are said to support the same spectrum Apple uses for Emergency SOS, making direct-to-device compatibility plausible.

  • Globalstar, Apple’s existing partner, has warned of heavy dependence on Apple, and chair James Monroe is reportedly discussing a sale for $10B.

  • Apple has already pumped $1.5B into Globalstar to keep its satellite texting feature alive, but the orbital infrastructure remains fragile and limited.

  • A Starlink tie-up could extend coverage, add capacity, and provide redundancy for safety features, likely complementing rather than replacing Globalstar.

Why it matters: Neither company has formally commented on the report, but a Starlink partnership would give Apple access to thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites instead of Globalstar's sparse constellation. The deal would also mean handing leverage to Musk at a time when the two companies are increasingly competitive.

RIVIAN/ALSO

Image source: ALSO

The Rundown: Rivian's new micromobility spinoff, ALSO, just pulled the cover off its long-awaited e-bike, the TM-B, along with a matching helmet and a pedal-assist quad aimed at shaking up how people move around cities.

The details:

  • The TM-B runs on DreamRide, ALSO's proprietary pedal-by-wire drivetrain that ditches the mechanical chain for software-controlled pedaling.

  • Its removable battery packs come in 538 Wh or 808 Wh options, claiming an impressive 100-mile range, plus dual USB-C ports to juice up your phone.

  • A modular top frame lets you swap between a solo seat, cargo hauler, or tandem bench in seconds without digging through a toolbox.

  • The $4,500 TM-B Launch Edition is open for preorders with spring 2026 delivery, while the $4K base version arrives later in the year.

Why it matters: DreamRide is the real headline — pedal-by-wire cuts the mechanical chain and lets software shape every aspect of the ride, delivering up to 20 mph on throttle alone and 28 mph with pedal assist. If ALSO can nail the execution, it's betting this digital-first approach will make e-bikes feel more like the EVs Rivian’s known for.

BIOTECH RESEARCH

Image source: Kateryna Hliznitsova / Upsplash

The Rundown: A single blood draw that screens for more than 50 cancers just delivered encouraging trial data across North America, flagging tumors with no existing screening and catching more than half at early stages.

The details:

  • In a yearlong follow‑up of roughly 25K adults across the U.S. and Canada, about 1% returned a positive signal on the blood test, called the Galleri test.

  • Of those who tested positive, about 62% were later confirmed to have cancer after diagnostic work‑ups — a solid hit rate, but far from perfect.

  • Layered on top of standard screenings, Galleri boosted overall cancer detection more than sevenfold compared to routine tests alone.

  • False positives remain a problem: 38% of alerts were false alarms, and 196 cancers slipped through undetected during follow-up.

Why it matters: If multi-cancer blood tests like Galleri scale, they could catch deadly tumors — pancreatic, ovarian, esophageal — that currently have no early detection tools. It’s promising, but still in early days, and experts say that Galleri is meant to complement, not replace, established tests like mammograms or colonoscopies.

GOOGLE

Image source: Google

The Rundown: Google is backing a new gas-fired power plant in Illinois that will strip CO₂ from its smokestacks and pump it underground. It’s a bet on “clean firm” power to feed AI-hungry data centers when wind and solar aren’t available.

The details:

  • The play is “clean firm” power: always-on capacity to feed AI-scale data centers and support Google’s 24/7 carbon-free energy goal.

  • Google has committed to buy the majority of the Broadwing Energy Center’s planned 400 MW output once the plant comes online in 2030.

  • But capture systems aren’t perfect; they burn extra energy, and they don’t eliminate local air pollutants or upstream methane leaks from the gas supply.

  • Past marquee projects have stumbled, pipelines and storage bring regulatory and community risks, and critics see fossil lock-in by another name.

Why it matters: AI’s electricity appetite is colliding with the hard reality that renewables can't always deliver on demand, forcing tech giants to place risky bets on unproven low-carbon technologies. If carbon capture stumbles again, Google’s climate targets — and the promise of “clean” natural gas — go up in smoke.

QUICK HITS

Uber will now pay drivers $4K to swap gas cars for zero‑emission vehicles in a reversal of its 2020 stance to directly accelerate EV adoption.

Valthos, a NY-based biosecurity software startup, emerged from stealth with $30M from OpenAI and others, to build AI tools to thwart AI-enabled biological attacks.

GM will roll out a Google Gemini–powered conversational assistant across its cars, trucks, and SUVs starting next year, the automaker announced at a NYC event.

MD Anderson reports mRNA COVID shots given with checkpoint inhibitors are linked to significantly longer survival in advanced lung and skin cancers.

Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are merging key satellite units into a 25K‑employee “European space champion,” slated to launch in 2027 to challenge Starlink.

Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, said on Thursday the company won’t build erotica‑focused AI, marking a clear split from longtime partner OpenAI.

Apple began shipping U.S.-made AI servers from its new Houston factory, ahead of schedule, as part of the company's $600B domestic buildout.​

Denver-based AI data center startup Crusoe said Thursday it is raising $1.38B at a roughly $10B valuation in an oversubscribed Series E round.

Silicon Valley AI researchers are reportedly working what’s jokingly dubbed “0-0-2” schedules, from midnight to midnight with only two hours off on the weekend.

Seattle’s Basel Action Network says a two-year probe found at least 10 U.S. firms shipping used electronics to Asia and the Middle East, in a “hidden tsunami” of e-waste.

COMMUNITY

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team

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