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Elon Musk says Tesla's next Roadster could hover or even fly
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Elon Musk claims his new Tesla Roadster will feature technology "crazier than anything James Bond" and hints at a flying car demonstration before year's end.
During Friday's appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, the Tesla CEO teased an "unforgettable" prototype demonstration for the long-delayed sports car, originally promised in 2017 but still not in production. When pressed about whether the vehicle could actually fly, Musk deflected but referenced venture capitalist Peter Thiel's complaint about the lack of flying cars, saying, "If Peter wants a flying car we should be able to buy one."
Musk has previously mentioned a "SpaceX package" for the Roadster, potentially featuring cold-gas thrusters for enhanced acceleration and limited hovering capability.
However, Musk's track record on bold promises gives observers pause. His Las Vegas Loop was initially pitched as a 155-mile-per-hour automated transport system but currently operates with manually driven Teslas crawling through tunnels at low speeds.
Regulatory hurdles remain formidable. Most passenger aircraft in the US require specialized pilot licenses, while autonomous flight in urban airspace presents significant safety challenges.
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Space Race
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SpaceX teases simplified Starship as alarms sound over Moon landing delays
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SpaceX released its first detailed public update in nearly two years on its Moon landing contract with NASA, proposing a "simplified architecture" to accelerate astronaut missions amid growing concerns that China will beat the US back to the lunar surface by 2030. While SpaceX has made progress on life support systems and completed 11 Starship test flights, critical challenges like orbital refueling remain unfinished, prompting NASA to seek alternative approaches from contractors.
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SpaceX Releases Renders of the Inside of Its Enormous Lunar Lander
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SpaceX unveiled interior renders of its massive Starship lunar lander, designed to carry astronauts to the Moon's surface during NASA's Artemis 3 mission in 2028. The spacecraft offers enormous space with its 30-foot width, featuring windowed seating areas and cavernous compartments that dwarf Apollo-era landers. However, SpaceX faces significant technical hurdles, needing to demonstrate successful ground landings and complex in-orbit refueling requiring ten separate launches before the mission.
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The End of the International Space Station Will Begin a New Era of Commercial Outposts
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Featured
NASA plans to deorbit the aging International Space Station by 2031, ending 25 years of continuous human presence in orbit. Commercial space stations operated by private companies like Vast, Axiom Space, and Blue Origin will replace it, with the first launching as early as 2026. These stations aim to create a profitable space economy through tourism, manufacturing, and research while serving government and private customers.
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🌌
Space Launch
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DIY engineer builds a battery-free solar-powered drone — and it flies
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YouTuber Luke Maximo Bell successfully built and flew a drone powered entirely by solar energy without any batteries or energy storage. He attached 27 small solar panels directly to a lightweight carbon-fiber drone frame, achieving direct solar-powered flight. Though the drone wobbled in gentle breezes, it demonstrated the feasibility of battery-free solar flight and Bell plans a larger version to attempt the world record for longest flying drone.
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Blue Origin test-fires second New Glenn rocket ahead of launch next month
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Blue Origin successfully test-fired the seven BE-4 engines on its second New Glenn rocket for 38 seconds Thursday night at Cape Canaveral, marking the final major test before launch. The engines generated nearly 3.9 million pounds of thrust, with engineers extending the test to simulate the booster's planned ocean landing sequence. The rocket could launch as soon as November 9 carrying two NASA Mars-bound spacecraft.
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DJI’s Neo 2 selfie drone has LiDAR for obstacle avoidance
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DJI launched the Neo 2 selfie drone in China, featuring LiDAR sensors for obstacle avoidance and downward infrared sensors for safer flight tracking. The upgraded drone offers gesture controls, nearly 27MPH max speed, improved 19-minute battery life, and 4K recording at 60FPS with a dual-axis gimbal. Priced at approximately $211, the Neo 2 includes 49GB internal storage but currently remains unavailable outside China.
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Tech Build
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Handheld Pi Zero 2 W Computer Fits in Your Palm and Runs Code Anywhere
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Modder Stopdesign created a palm-sized clamshell computer using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W after finding laptops too bulky and phones too cramped for coding. The device features a 5-inch screen, thumb-friendly keyboard, and 8000mAh battery providing 8-10 hours of runtime, all fitting in a 6.5-inch frame. Plans include crowdfunding two versions: a sub-$100 Pi Zero kit and a more powerful CM4 model with swappable keyboards.
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That $20,000 viral humanoid home robot? It's not what it seems
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1X's Neo humanoid robot went viral for performing household tasks like dishwashing and laundry folding, priced at $20,000 or $500 monthly. However, the robot requires human operators wearing VR headsets to control it remotely, struggled with basic tasks during testing, and shows no autonomous capabilities despite promotional claims.
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SARCASM: S.A.R.C.A.S.M : Slightly Annoying Automatic Rubik's Cube Solving Machine
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A 3D-printed robot called S.A.R.C.A.S.M uses a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller and ESP32 camera to automatically scan and solve Rubik's Cubes while delivering sarcastic commentary through built-in text-to-speech. The machine features custom graphics, synchronized lighting, stepper motors for cube manipulation, and position sensors to detect handling errors. Beyond simply solving puzzles, the robot entertains users with witty remarks and animated displays during the solving process.
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Miscellaneous
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The Collapse of the Web: The Sameness & Death of Difference in Tech
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Big Tech companies like OpenAI initially provided AI infrastructure for developers to build upon, but increasingly absorb successful third-party innovations directly into their own platforms while simultaneously adopting startup-like speed and agility internally. This "absorption era" creates a collapsing web where platforms blend together, tools become indistinguishable, and independent developers face impossible competition against giants who control the underlying infrastructure.
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iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable
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Apple plans to launch its first foldable iPhone in late 2026, featuring a book-style design with a 5.5-inch outer display and 7.8-inch inner screen. The device will use a titanium chassis with liquid metal hinges to prevent creasing, include four cameras, and replace Face ID with Touch ID. Expected pricing ranges from $1,800 to $2,500, potentially making it Apple's most expensive iPhone ever.
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Bite-Size Stories
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Why Your Next Cloud Server Will Orbit Earth At 17,000 MPH
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| Space-based datacenters offer unlimited solar power, reduced satellite communication latency, and immediate space mission data processing. Despite heat, debris, and maintenance challenges, decreasing launch costs make orbital datacenters economically viable. |
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