Tesla Launches Model Y in India at $66K

Tesla's aggressive price-cutting strategy has divided opinions as the company aims to dominate the global automotive industry. In the quest to rule the automotive world, Elon Musk's strategies are polarizing opinion. Some compare him to Henry Ford in the Model T era, while others liken him to Steve Jobs bringing about the iPhone revolution. But what if he's more like Rick Wagoner, who led General Motors to near destruction? Tesla's numerous price cuts this year, taking nearly a third off the cost of its top-selling US model, have left industry insiders debating whether this strategy is revolutionary or desperate. Ford CEO Jim Farley compared Musk to Ford himself, citing the development of an innovative product, efficient manufacturing, and driving down costs as key similarities. On the other hand, the Jobsian theory posits that Musk is applying Silicon Valley tactics to the electric vehicle (EV) industry in an attempt to outperform rivals like Rivian Automotive Inc. and Lucid Group Inc. The cautionary example of General Motors comes to mind, as Wagoner's reliance on incentives after the September 11 terror attacks ultimately led to GM's and Chrysler's bankruptcy in 2009, with Ford narrowly avoiding the same fate. Tesla's plans have been scrutinized before, with investors like Jim Chanos, David Einhorn, Cathie Wood, and Ron Baron divided over the company's survival and growth potential. Tesla's stock has surged more than 750% in the last five years, proving doubters wrong.

27 Huhti 20239min

On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a temporary halt to SpaceX's Starship rocket operations after a test flight concluded with an explosive twist just minutes into liftoff, ultimately crashing into the Gulf of Mexico. Launching from Boca Chica, Texas, the colossal rocket - propelled by 33 Raptor engines - dramatically disintegrated mid-flight, around four minutes after takeoff. Notably, the Starship carried no passengers or satellites during this initial trial. As part of standard safety measures, the FAA will keep the rockets grounded while conducting a thorough investigation. The agency seeks to verify that "any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety," according to their official statement.

26 Huhti 20238min

In this episode, we'll explore the recent feud between Musk and Microsoft, as Twitter's boss threatens to sue the tech giant over allegedly using Twitter's data without permission. We'll also discuss the state of Twitter under Musk's leadership and how the platform is evolving to stay afloat. In a bold move characteristic of Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire has accused Microsoft of training their technology illegally using data from his social media company, Twitter, without permission. Musk took to the very platform in question to announce, "They trained illegally using Twitter data. Lawsuit time." This statement comes as a response to Microsoft's plan to remove Twitter from its corporate advertising platform. Despite providing no further details or evidence to support his claim, Musk's tweet has ignited a heated discussion about data usage and privacy.

25 Huhti 20238min

As the CEO of Twitter, Musk's decision to revamp the platform's verification process by introducing the controversial Twitter Blue subscription model has sparked a frenzy in the online world. From celebrities losing their coveted blue checkmarks to the subsequent backlash and restoration of these badges, we'll be dissecting the implications of this great checkmark debacle and how it has impacted the way we view and interact with one another on social media.

24 Huhti 20238min

In a move that has sparked debate and frustration, Twitter has removed labels describing global media organizations as government-funded or state-affiliated. This comes after Elon Musk, Twitter's owner, started stripping blue verification checkmarks from accounts that don’t pay a monthly fee. NPR in the U.S. was among the organizations no longer labeled, having announced last week its decision to stop using Twitter. NPR was initially designated as state-affiliated media, a term used to identify media outlets controlled or heavily influenced by authoritarian governments like Russia and China. The label was later changed to "government-funded media," but NPR, which receives only a small fraction of its funding from the government, found the label misleading. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Swedish public radio also decided to quit tweeting, and their government-funded labels vanished on Friday. State-affiliated tags on media accounts such as Russia's Sputnik and RT, and China's Xinhua, were removed as well.

22 Huhti 20238min

In today's episode, we'll be discussing the groundbreaking test flight of SpaceX's Starship system, which includes the Super Heavy booster (Booster 7) and the Starship upper stage (Ship 24). This ambitious test flight showcased the system's impressive capabilities and aimed to push the boundaries of rocket engineering, setting a new record for thrust and testing the structural integrity of both Ship 24 and Booster 7. We'll explore the various stages of this historic test flight, including the successful endurance of max-Q, the innovative plan for booster recovery using the launch tower's "chopsticks," and the ultimate goal of revolutionizing space travel through rapid turnaround times and sustainable space exploration. Join us as we take a deep dive into the challenges faced during this test flight, the invaluable insights gained, and the potential impact of SpaceX's Starship system on the future of space travel.

21 Huhti 20239min

Combining social media, news, payments, and even AI, Musk aims to create a one-stop platform for users in the US market, similar to WeChat in China. While his track record with Tesla and SpaceX shows his potential to disrupt established industries, the challenges of creating a super app in the highly competitive US market, with concerns around regulation and privacy, remain significant. In this episode, we'll explore the features that could potentially define X as a super app, such as stock and crypto trading integration and AI-powered services. We'll also discuss the hurdles that X must overcome, like research and development investments, regulatory compliance, and gaining traction in a fragmented app ecosystem. Join us as we delve into the possibilities and challenges of Elon Musk's vision for X and what it could mean for the future of technology in the US.

20 Huhti 202310min

SpaceX is targeting as soon as Thursday, April 20 for the first flight test of a fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket from Starbase in Texas. The 62 minute launch window opens at 8:28 a.m. CT and closes at 9:30 a.m. CT. Starship is a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond. With a test such as this, success is measured by how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship. To date, the SpaceX team has completed multiple sub-orbital flight tests of Starship’s upper stage from Starbase, successfully demonstrating an unprecedented approach to controlled flight. These flight tests helped validate the vehicle’s design, proving Starship can fly through the subsonic phase of entry before re-lighting its engines and flipping itself to a vertical configuration for landing.

19 Huhti 202336min