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Welcome, Tech enthusiasts.
Jeff Bezos just waved the white flag in a long space race grudge against Elon Musk — with Amazon turning to SpaceX to deploy its internet satellites.
Is the drama over, or is this billionaire rivalry about to go interstellar? Let’s investigate…
In today’s tech rundown:
Amazon turns to SpaceX for satellite launches
Subsea habitats pave way for humans to live underwater
8 new products
Zoom releases a new app for Apple TV
Fortnite and Lego reveal "survival crafting"
23andMe says hackers accessed files
Read time: 3 minutes
TODAY’S HEADLINES
AMAZON
Image source: Fortune
The Rundown: Amazon just contracted SpaceX, a major competitor, to launch some of its Project Kuiper internet satellites starting in 2025 — in an effort to help meet an FCC deadline.
The details:
The contract covers 3 Falcon 9 rocket launches for Amazon's satellites, with Amazon needing over 1,600 Kuiper satellites in orbit by mid-2026 to comply with license requirements.
The partnership comes despite a long-running rivalry between SpaceX's Elon Musk and Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
A September lawsuit alleged that Amazon snubbed SpaceX in its search for launch providers, favoring Bezos-founded Blue Origin.
Why it matters: In a billionaire tech feud made for TV, it couldn’t have been an easy decision for Bezos to swallow his pride and turn to SpaceX for Amazon’s launch needs. But for now, the space race runs through Elon.
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AQUATIC TECH
Image source: Deep
The Rundown: A company called Deep is planning to deploy crew members to live in underwater habitats starting in 2026 — kicking off a potentially continuous human presence below the ocean surface.
The details:
Six ‘aquanauts’ will inhabit pressurized habitats called ‘Sentinels’, which sit on the seafloor at depths of 200m.
The habitats have life support for 28 days and will facilitate science and exploration — enabling access impossible with normal diving.
Made from aerospace-grade materials, the configurable habitats will have living quarters, labs, a moon pool, and more.
Deep wants to establish the ocean equivalent of the International Space Station.
The relevance: As climate change threatens marine ecosystems, exploring the deep ocean frontier is crucial — especially given how little humanity knows about the depths that cover the majority of our planet.
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Browse the most popular tools ever featured with our tool database.
SNIPPETS
Zoom has released a new app for Apple TV that allows users to conduct Zoom meetings using their iPhone or iPad as a webcam.
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson ruled out further investments in the struggling space tourism company, saying his business empire no longer has deep enough pockets after the pandemic.
Quantum computers face inherent limitations due to the fundamental trade-off between the precision and resolution of the clocks used in their quantum operations.
Apple is parting ways with Goldman Sachs, its financial partner for the Apple Card, due to various challenges and losses, and is considering Chase as a potential new partner for its credit card services.
Recent studies indicate plants may absorb 20% more CO2 than previously estimated, highlighting their greater importance in combating climate change.
Fortnite and Lego revealed a new "survival crafting" game experience coming Dec. 7 as part of their partnership focusing on family-friendly metaverse spaces.
23andMe says hackers accessed files on ancestry and health info for around 14,000 users in a recent breach, plus a "significant number" of additional customer files.
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THAT’S A WRAP
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