Beam Me Up, Musky!
SpaceX is going all in. According to CEO Elon Musk, the company is working on a next-generation rocket called the BFR, or Big F*cking Rocket. The BFR will be able to go to the Moon AND Mars, launch satellites, and travel to the International Space Station. While Musk hasn’t mentioned much about passenger risks or project costs, he has claimed that the BFR will be SpaceX’s cheapest rocket. He’s even convinced that traveling between any two cities on the planet can happen within 30 minutes. Only time will tell if these projects will succeed – unless Musk tries to mess with time travel next. (Source: The Verge)
Everyone Be Quiet, They’re Driving Up…
Surprise! Uber’s former CEO Travis Kalanick appointed two new directors to the board without actually telling the board.The two new directors, Xerox’s former CEO Ursula Burns and ex-Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, are Kalanick’s way of adjusting the board of directors right before the impending vote on Uber’s governance structure. This sudden and sneaky attack came as “a complete surprise” to the board and may possibly affect their plans to contain Kalanick’s voting powers. Worst surprise party ever. (Source: Bloomberg Tech)
The Political Network
Mark Zuckerberg has recently been under criticism over Facebook’s failure to block Russian interference and fake news during the 2016 presidential election. On Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, Zuckerberg spoke up. “For the ways my work was used to divide people rather than bring us together, I ask forgiveness and I will work to do better,” he posted. Despite the CEO’s efforts to clean up the company’s act, some critics argue that politicizing a religious holiday might not have been the best move. The president has called Facebook “anti-Trump,” further adding to the mixed attitudes people hold towards Facebook. Whether it wants to be or not, the tech industry is now intertwined with politics. (Source: TechCrunch)