SpaceX is assembling its giant Starship rocket at an incredible pace. Here are some clues on how it does it. — By Frederic Filloux This episode was supposed to be about the funding of the New Space, but I still need to secure a couple of interviews. Plus, I wanted to share new findings on the “Elon Musk method.” The idea emerged from a two-hour video featuring the SpaceX founder touring…

Space is more accessible than ever. Any country can now consider having its own program. But strategies vary widely from one nation to another, as ego, politics, and nationalism get in the way. This is episode 2 of our series on New Space (ep.1 is here) — by Frederic Filloux Take a look at the headlines this summer. Massive flooding in Europe, Turkey, China, and Southeast Asia; wildfires and heatwaves in North America; temperatures reaching an historical record of 48°C in Siberia. As The Economist puts it, “there is no safe place in a +3°C world”. More…

The number of probes against the tech giants is growing fast. So far, none of them have led to profound structural changes. — by Frederic Filloux Since 2010, Europe has launched no less than 36 probes against Big Tech, including 10 from the EU Commission, and 25 from individual European countries. Altogether, more than 70 probes have been launched, according to a compilation made by The Information ($).

The vast majority of news sites or apps are filled with flaws that make the experience painful. Many are easy to fix. — by Frederic Filloux I’m spending more than 1500 dollars/euros each year on a bunch of subscriptions for news websites and applications. They include all the usual suspects in English and French, plus some specialized publications covering business and tech. As someone who supports quality journalism, then, allow me to vent…

Loft Orbital wants to develop a space infrastructure that will have the flexibility of ground-based cloud services. Last Wednesday, the US-French startup put its two first satellites in orbit. — by Frederic Filloux For a satellite operator, a launch is always the moment of utmost stress. Especially when its two spacecraft are put in orbit simultaneously. But this particular Wednesday, June 30 on Launchpad 40-A at Cape Canaveral, Loft Orbital is literally betting the farm. …

The way cars will be manufactured and operated will lead to unprecedented control by their creators over features and the lifespan of vehicles. How wisely will brands use this power? This is episode 8 of our series. — by Frederic Filloux There are many things that we don’t like in consumer electronics right now: low repairability, rapid obsolescence, hazardous upgrades that conflict with the notion of backward compatibility, or apps that eat computing power faster than we can afford it.

The maker of the Mac and the iPhone will have to devise a more advanced car than Tesla with all the craftsmanship of a Mercedes. Can its culture foster this? (This is episode 7 of our Future of Cars series) — by Frederic Filloux Take a look at the dashboard of a Mercedes-Benz next time you see one. …

by Frederic Filloux First, I wish you an excellent 2021. We all agree it could hardly be worse than the previous one. For me, like many, 2020 was a terrible year. Loved ones who died alone without the ability to say goodbye, anxiety at every level, nearly zero revenue as…

The all-out offensive against Big Tech might be justified — at least to some extent — but the outdated modus operandi of antitrust is a recipe for a failure. — by Frederic Filloux Google will fight tooth and nail to counter all of the lawsuits that flared up in recent weeks. Altogether, Alphabet is facing major actions from 38 states, and the Department of Justice. …