Thomas’ first gadget memory was typing 7734 into his father’s inverted, HP-35 scientific calculator. Clearly fated to tech blogging, he would have to wait another 20 years before the rise of the medium. A degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering led Thomas to Silicon Valley just prior to the dot-com boom. In June of 2011, Thomas wrote his 1,362,258th word for Engadget, leaving to help launch The Verge.
Inspired by XKCD 2347, this interactive data visualization explores how modern digital infrastructure relies on just a handful of dedicated individuals. From time zones on four billion phones to essential code libraries, discover the people quietly maintaining the crucial open-source projects that keep our connected world running.
According to three sources speaking to The New York Times, Meta had withheld Muse from public release for months over safety concerns. But when the competing AI agent started taking off in Silicon Valley circles, Mark Zuckerberg reportedly called in his top AI lieutenants to discuss the threat:
“Fearful of losing a competitive edge, Mr. Zuckerberg said Muse was ready to launch despite the risks.”
The gamble seems to have paid off, this time.
Despite not deploying any new space-internet satellites since early July because of issues at launch partners, Amazon says it’s on track “to launch initial service in 2026” with its existing 396 Leo satellites, having already missed its revised “mid-2026” target. “We’re still doing work to raise them into final position, and then you know there’s a lot of work on the ground to do,” says Amazon VP Chris Weber.
Early adopters should temper expectations, however, until the Leo constellation gets closer to its goal of 3,232 satellites.
The company founded in Kansas in 1989 (and now legally based in Switzerland for tax reasons) has seen its annual revenue triple to $7.2 billion under the leadership of employee number six, Cliff Pemble. The short WSJ profile of the CEO who learned to fly in order to write better cockpit software is the antidote to Silicon Valley’s attention-seeking bootlickers.
[Bloomberg]
Another quarter another record profit, fueled by AI demand for the company’s memory chips.
Projected quarterly operating profit is 782% higher from a year earlier. Revenue forecast of about 195 trillion won is up nearly 127% from the same period last year.
Premium subscribers already get 12 hours of (primarily English) audiobook streaming every month, and that perk is now expanding from 22 to over 180 countries be the end of 2026. The offering includes 350,000 titles, “including new catalogs in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, and more, spanning over 120 languages.”
Apple TV subscribers in the US can experience Formula 1 in the enhanced audio format for the first time starting October 23rd with the US Grand Prix in Austin.
BougeRV’s DuneRover is so good on hills and sand that you’ll forgive the disco lights.