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SpaceX Starlink wins permit to send internet to customers like you

While SpaceX missed its 50th Falcon 9 booster landing, the actual mission - putting the fifth batch of Starlink satellites in orbit - was a flawless success. (SpaceX)

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SpaceX has been busy building its Starlink satellite constellation. To date, the company has launched more than 350 of the internet-beaming satellites into orbit. But now, it’s snagged approval for another piece of crucial hardware: user terminals.

The FCC granted SpaceX permission to roll out up to 1 million of the ground-based terminals needed to operate its internet venture.

The approval comes nearly a year after SpaceX’s request and is suitable for 15 years. Announced in a public notice on March 18, the approval is a blanket license that covers the operation of up to 1,000,000 fixed earth station that will communicate with the satellite system.

Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and CEO, has described the terminals as a “UFO on a stick,” citing that they will be easy enough for anyone to install. They will come with just two basic instructions: plugin and point at the sky. (The terminals will have actuators that will ensure they’re pointing in the proper direction at all times.)

SpaceX is eyeing a market that could singlehandedly give Starlink a billion-dollar annual revenue stream. (Teslarati – SpaceX)

The goal of the Starlink project is to provide global internet coverage. Right now, we depend on satellites that are perched high above the Earth to beam down internet coverage or have it routed into our homes and businesses via cell towers and cables. However, these two options are not always a possibility, and often remote and rural areas are left without coverage or are forced to depend on sluggish services.

Musk aims to change that. By operating the fleet in low Earth orbit, SpaceX hopes to provide reliable coverage at an affordable price. Initially, the network of small, broadband satellites, will total 1,584, with the potential for thousands more. As of now, the company has FCC approval for 12,000 satellites and could eventually seek permission to launch 30,000 more.

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But it’s not the only one: OneWeb and Amazon have similar constellations planned. OneWeb is the only other company with hardware in space. It has already launched two batches of 34 satellites each, joining an initial set of 6 launched in 2019. Its initial constellation is expected to consist of 650 satellites. However, the company has recently run into some financial issues. According to a recent report, OneWeb is considering filing for bankruptcy.

SpaceX says it’s building satellites four times faster than OneWeb, by far its closest competitor. (SpaceX/Arianespace)

Musk has said that SpaceX will need at least 400 Starlink satellites in orbit for “minor” broadband coverage and 800 for “moderate” coverage. Service could roll out later this year to parts of the U.S. and Canada first, with international coverage following soon after.

So will SpaceX need more terminals? One million user terminals sound impressive, but it’s not near enough to cover homes in the U.S., let alone that world. But that’s ok because right now, Musk says that the company is targeting the places that are the hardest to reach for traditional telecommunications companies.

The project isn’t expected to have a lot of customers in major cities, as the bandwidth won’t be high enough, but for those currently without service, the chance to be connected will be crucial. According to a 2018 report issued by the United Nations, only around 58% of households worldwide had access to the internet.

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Tesla’s Elon Musk considers insane Cybertruck mod: ‘Maybe we should make this’

The Cybertruck won’t do what the video shows (at least not in our lifetime), but a very entry-level version of it could be developed.

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Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased what could potentially be the company’s next big project, and while it is likely many, many years away, it shows the company truly has its sights set on the craziest things the world has seen.

Musk shared a video created by Grok Imagine, the AI tool that is able to take images and turn them into videos, showing a Cybertruck flying above the clouds and buildings of what appears to be a very futuristic city.

There are also massive robots roaming around in the video, so it is obviously an illustration of what life could look like in several generations.

However, Musk, who does not shy away from some really optimistic projects and goals, shared the video on X and said, “Maybe Tesla should make this.”

What is depicted in the video is not what we’d see Tesla create anytime soon. However, the company could potentially engineer something to make the Cybertruck hover, as it plans to do with the Roadster.

Of course, this is likely a huge “if” considering the current state of the car industry. Vehicles are becoming more advanced with every passing day as companies like Tesla, Waymo, and others are working to sort out things like autonomous and driverless travel.

Tesla has been working on somewhat of a similar idea with the Roadster, a vehicle that has been delayed on several occasions because of Musk’s spectacular imagination. Earlier this year, Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, revealed Musk wanted to push the limits of that vehicle even more.

The new Tesla Roadster will be able to fly: Elon Musk

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It seems it could be on the way soon, considering Tesla has teased an “epic” demo for the car, which could come before the end of the year.

Tesla has been working to make the Roadster hover, using SpaceX cold gas thrusters. It will also utilize these for what could be an incredibly fast 1.1-second 0-60 MPH acceleration rate that has been teased countless times.

This project that Musk is teasing with the Cybertruck is likely one that we will not see in our lifetimes. However, this is just one example of the outlandish ideas Musk continues to tease for Tesla in the future.

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Tesla Model Y L addresses one huge complaint from many owners

If you have ever used a wireless charger inside a Tesla or almost any vehicle, for that matter, you will notice that your phone will charge slowly, and it will get extremely hot. This is mostly due to the inherent inefficiency of electromagnetic induction, which is the process that wireless chargers use to transfer energy to the phone.

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The new Tesla Model Y L is officially launching in China at a great price and with all of the awesome features of the original model, but with more space. The vehicle is also addressing one huge complaint that many owners have discussed.

The new Model Y L features a more spacious interior, new front seats with adjustable headrests, captains chairs, and mechanical armrests in the second row, and B Pillar air vents for improved circulation.

Tesla Model Y L officially launched: price, features, and more

However, there are some other features that are flying under the radar, including one that addresses a common complaint of many Tesla owners: wireless charging.

If you have ever used a wireless charger inside a Tesla or almost any vehicle, for that matter, you will notice that your phone will charge slowly, and it will get extremely hot. This is mostly due to the inherent inefficiency of electromagnetic induction, which is the process that wireless chargers use to transfer energy to the phone.

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The inefficiency is evident in the heat, as that is the lost energy that should be going to the phone, but does not.

To combat this problem, Tesla has rolled out a new feature with the wireless charging mat in the Model Y L.

Tesla has used small slit air vents in the center of the wireless charger, which separates the two pads, to blow cool air on the phones to prevent overheating:

This will keep the temperature of your phone down and could prevent the dreaded “iPhone too hot” message that deems your device unusable until it reaches a more stable temperature.

Additionally, Tesla has upgraded the driver’s side wireless charger to support 50W charging speeds. The passenger charger remains at 30W.

This is a small but valuable improvement to the wireless charging apparatus could be a game changer, as there have been so many complaints about this feature in other Tesla vehicles.

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Tesla Model Y Performance zips around Nurburgring with new features

With the performance, there are some improvements to interior aesthetics, but the goal with this particular trim of Tesla vehicles is to improve performance and aerodynamics, bringing a truly first-class experience to one of the best and fastest vehicles on the road.

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Credit: Wilco Blok on Instagram

The long-awaited Tesla Model Y Performance has been spotted zipping around the famed Nurburgring in Germany, a popular location for new vehicles to test their limits ahead of public release.

Earlier this year, Tesla executives Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy both indicated that the updated and upgraded Model Y Performance would be on its way by the end of 2025, and it appears that time is coming close.

New images captured by Wilco Blok and Teslaplaidtokde on X show the Model Y Performance wrapped in camouflage, sporting a handful of new features as the lightning-fast version of the world’s best-selling vehicle prepares for a launch in various markets across the world:

New Features

According to Blok and Teslaplaidtokde, the new Model Y Performance will feature a variety of new improvements compared to the past version.

This is something that was expected, as the launch of the new Model Y over the past year has shown various changes that made a great vehicle even better.

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With the performance, there are some improvements to interior aesthetics, but the goal with this particular trim of Tesla vehicles is to improve performance and aerodynamics, bringing a truly first-class experience to one of the best and fastest vehicles on the road.

 

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A post shared by ᴡɪʟᴄᴏ ʙʟᴏᴋ (@wilcoblok)

Here’s what was mentioned as changes so far that have been seen on this test mule at Nurburgring:

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  • New 21″ wheels
  • All black headliner, a big change that was included in the Model Y L, the first time a Model Y has had that option
  • Updated brakes
  • Bucket seats that appear to be similar to the new Model Y L in China
  • New Carbon Fiber Spoiler
  • Performance Badging
  • Changes to both the front and rear bumper
  • Suspension with Adaptive Dampers

 

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A post shared by ᴡɪʟᴄᴏ ʙʟᴏᴋ (@wilcoblok)

Expected Performance Metrics

These are not official figures, but this is what is expected based on what has been seen at the Nurburgring:

  • 510 horsepower
  • 0-60 MPH in 3.2-3.4 seconds
  • 280-290 miles of range
  • Anticipating the release of a new Track Mode

The previous iteration of the Model Y Performance featured 503 horsepower and a 0-60 MPH of 3.5 seconds. It also had a top speed of 155, which we believe will be improved with the next version of the Y Performance.

Here is some footage of the Model Y Performance running around the Nurburgring ahead of its release:

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Tesla has not yet listed any date or timeframe for the Performance variant to be released. However, it is anticipated to be released by the end of 2025.

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