86 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Thomas Ricker

Thomas Ricker

Deputy Editor

Deputy Editor

    More From Thomas Ricker

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Daring fireball.

    The European Space Agency says that the harmless 3-foot space rock appeared Saturday night in the skies above Lake Erie with a sonic boom, just as expected. Our ability to predict such occurrences is only getting better.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Call it a hunch.

    Twitter 2.0 is here and operating with a skeleton staff, so now would be a good time to grab an archive before the site suffers a cascading or sudden failure.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Everyone slows down to look at an accident.
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Elon robs from Elon to pay Elon.

    CNBC reports that SpaceX-owned Starlink has purchased one of Twitter’s larger ad packages that cost upwards of $250,000:

    The campaign, which was purchased in the last week, was slated to run in coming days first in Australia then in Spain. SpaceX has not typically purchased large advertising packages from Twitter, the current and former employees said.

    Starlink has yet to turn a profit, burning through almost $20 million per month, according to Musk. But with big name advertisers fleeing the chaos, what’s the man to do but rob from Peter to pay Paul?

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    The US now has 16.9 million “digital nomads.”

    That’s a 131 percent increase from pre-pandemic 2019, according to MBO Partners. Lots of employers not named Elon Musk have made remote work a permanent option. Just make sure you’ve considered the tax and legal implications of taking your career on the road before moving to that shack in Mexico or buying a van.

    Source: MBO Partners
    Source: MBO Partners
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Apple chip maker TSMC to expand Arizona factory.

    The WSJ is reporting that TSMC, maker of Apple’s fast and efficient chips, wants to double its $12B chip-making investment in Arizona by opening a more advanced factory next door using a 3-nanometer process. Any decision might be announced in December when the first batch of production equipment arrives at the site, two years since the original announcement and ahead of mass production which begins in 2024.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Samsung’s “rule-breaking” edition of the Galaxy Z Flip4.

    Well, isn’t that pretty? It was developed in collaboration with fashion house Maison Margiela known for two things: employing both deconstructionist methods and John Galliano, the creative genius known for his antisemitic rants long before Kanye became Ye. But rules of decorum (and law) be damned, this limited edition Galaxy Z Flip4 coming December 1st is solid white and embraces Maison Margiela’s décortiqué technique!

    The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Maison Margiela Edition.
    The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Maison Margiela Edition.
    Image: Samsung
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Twitter usage going up and up.

    The first rule of advertising is “go where the eyeballs are.” But a close second is “avoid association with hateful mobs hiding behind disingenuous banners of ‘free speech’.” Let’s see if Musk can find the balance that advertisers crave.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Is there anything cargo bikes can’t do?

    Cargo bikes can save our cities from the pollution and snarled traffic created by delivery vans, and replace the family car to get the kids to school on time. They can also host a rave.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Here’s Aqara’s new Thread-enabled door and window sensor.

    Sure, Aqara’s Door and Window Sensor P2 is just two chunks of rounded white plastic. But things like color, size (it’s smaller than it looks), and logo placement are important when deciding if you’ll attach one to every door and window of your Matter-enabled smart home to trigger automations. The Thread-enabled sensor isn’t yet Matter-certified, but we saw this prototype working at yesterday’s Matter launch event.

    Photo of the Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 mounted to a plastic demonstration board.
    A prototype of the Thread-enabled Door and Window Sensor P2 from Aqara.