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Tech News
Elon Musk and segments of social media have been engaging in a political discussion around the 'Star Wars' franchise, framing it through meme culture rather than factual critique. The commentary has drawn attention for conflating entertainment commentary with broader political arguments.
Elon Musk is said to be looking at buying an existing wireless carrier after proposals to partner with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile were reportedly turned down. The move would give him a direct path into the $235 billion U.S. mobile phone market rather than relying on the major carriers' networks.
The Washington Post reports that SpaceX has held discussions with EchoStar, parent company of Boost Mobile, about either buying Boost Mobile or gaining access to its wireless network. Boost's network capacity is leased from AT&T and T-Mobile, meaning any deal would require approval from those carriers, which have previously declined to grant SpaceX similar network access. No agreement has been finalized.
An anonymous activist group says it will begin releasing dossiers this month mapping the homes of Elon Musk, his brother Kimbal, Tesla board members, investors and suppliers. The group claims it has raised over $1.2 million and plans to eventually publish more than 150 addresses and 3,500 records on people worth a combined $1.4 trillion, along with alleged evidence of 'criminal exploits and security lapses.'
According to a Washington Post report, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk spoke directly with EchoStar chairman Charlie Ergen in October about buying Boost Mobile, which along with GenMobile serves roughly 7.5 million customers. The move follows SpaceX's $17 billion purchase of wireless spectrum from EchoStar last year and would add to its 2024 rollout of satellite connectivity for T-Mobile subscribers.
Over Halloween weekend, Grok Bot users found their weekly usage limits suddenly maxed out even without heavy overnight use, with some reporting jumps from 50% to 100% usage. Elon Musk confirmed on X that the change was deliberate, saying the cost of running Grok Bot was 'unsustainably high relative to revenue.' He has not detailed how usage limits will work going forward.
A Duke journalism professor and PolitiFact founder, Bill Adair, found that Grokipedia, Elon Musk's AI-written encyclopedia launched a year ago, confused his biography with that of a different, deceased man of the same name, inventing a baseball career and other false details. Despite the errors and bloated writing, Adair notes Grokipedia surfaces obscure details from across the internet that Wikipedia often omits.
Sam Altman said on the YouTube channel Cheeky Pint that it's inefficient for consumers to keep DRAM sitting mostly idle in personal computers, arguing that memory would be better utilized in AI data centers. Elon Musk responded on X with a mocking meme referencing a WWII film about hunting for hidden items, framing Altman's comment as an attack on consumer RAM ownership.
T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan spoke with Fast Company's Modern CEO newsletter about the company's customer-focused culture, which he described as irreverent in tone. He also addressed competition from Elon Musk's ventures, saying he does not view it as a threat.
Elon Musk confirmed that Grok Bot users are hitting usage caps far faster than before, telling an X user the cost of running the chatbot was "unsustainably high" relative to revenue. Users report limits dropping sharply without warning, with some describing usage caps as effectively tripling in cost, and have labeled the change an "indirect rug pull" on Reddit and X.
SpaceX has reportedly discussed a potential deal with Boost Mobile parent EchoStar that could involve acquiring the carrier or gaining access to its network, according to The Washington Post. Elon Musk reportedly discussed the arrangement with EchoStar chairman Charlie Ergen last month. Boost Mobile currently relies on T-Mobile and AT&T for network access, which may require their approval for any SpaceX deal to proceed.
A federal judge, Debra M. Brown, rejected xAI's motion to dismiss a lawsuit from the NAACP accusing the company of operating unpermitted methane gas turbines at its Memphis data center campus in violation of the Clean Air Act. xAI had argued the turbines were exempt because they were mobile, but Brown ruled the power plant supplying the data center is stationary and thus subject to permitting rules. The NAACP filed suit in April, and xAI has since added more turbines at a nearby site in Southaven, Mississippi.