Tag: Elon Musk

  • Tesla overcomes setbacks, produces first Cybertruck after two years

    Tesla overcomes setbacks, produces first Cybertruck after two years

    Tesla announced via a tweet that its inaugural Cybertruck has been successfully manufactured at the company’s Austin, Texas plant, marking the end of a two-year delay.

    Back in 2019, Tesla founder Elon Musk introduced the pickup truck during a revealing event where the vehicle’s designer unintentionally demonstrated a flaw in the supposedly indestructible “armour glass” windows.

    Since then, the production timeline has faced multiple setbacks, with Musk attributing the delays to component sourcing shortages, leading to a rescheduled Cybertruck launch in 2023.

    During a shareholder meeting in May, Musk expressed Tesla’s ambition to produce up to 250,000 Cybertrucks annually, depending on market demand.

    With the introduction of the Cybertruck, Tesla is poised to enter one of the most lucrative sectors of the U.S. market, directly competing against electric pickups from industry giants such as Ford Motor and Rivian Automotive.

    Although these competitors have already released limited numbers of their own electric truck models, Tesla’s entry into the market is highly anticipated. According to a Reuters report from last year, Tesla aims to initiate mass production of the Cybertruck by the end of 2023.

  • Twitter introduces content monetisation, paying influencers from advertising revenues

    Twitter introduces content monetisation, paying influencers from advertising revenues

    Elon Musk’s social media platform, Twitter, has taken a significant step by initiating payments to content creators from advertising revenues for the first time. This development has caught the attention of numerous influencers; however, not all users are eligible to receive compensation from the platform.

    Influencers such as Ian Miles Cheong, Benny Johnson, and Ashley St. Claire, who are considered high-profile figures within the far-right community, shared details of their Twitter earnings prior to the official announcement of monetiation.

    “Wow. Elon Musk wasn’t kidding. Content monetisation is real,” tweeted a user named End Wokeness, boasting 1.4 million followers, showcasing earnings surpassing $10,400.

    Users who have subscribed to Twitter Blue and have accumulated over 5 million tweet impressions per month for the past three months are eligible to receive earnings.

    Elon Musk, who also serves as the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, stated that an initial sum of $5 million will be distributed, accumulating from February onwards. However, the program is only accessible in countries where Stripe, a payment platform, supports payouts.

    Renowned writer Brian Krassenstein, boasting approximately 750,000 followers, claimed to have received $24,305 from Twitter. Similarly, SK, another creator with around 230,000 followers, reportedly earned $2,236, while political commentator Benny Johnson, with 1.7 million followers, disclosed earnings of $9,546. Ashley St. Clair, a writer for Babylon Bee, shared that she earned $7,153.

    Who will not benefit from Twitter monetisation? According to Twitter’s content monetisation standards, sexual content, as well as pyramid schemes, violence, criminal behaviors, gambling, drugs, and alcohol-related content, cannot be monetised.

    In a blog post, Twitter explained that creators’ share of advertising revenue would be determined based on the number of replies to their posts and monthly impressions.

    According to a report by The Washington Post, some non-political contributors expressed frustration with the company’s lack of transparency during the program’s rollout.

    “My tweets have generated hundreds of millions of impressions for Twitter every year,” stated Matt Navarra, a social media strategist who runs the tech-focused newsletter and community Geekout. He further added, “And I’ve been on the platform for 15+ years. It’s pretty lame that there is no payout coming my way. Twitter has never generated any income directly from all the content I have contributed.”

    This development comes shortly after Twitter faced fierce competition from its rival Meta-owned Threats, which witnessed millions of sign-ups within hours of its launch.

  • Taliban praises Twitter’s freedom of speech and credibility amidst Threads launch

    Taliban praises Twitter’s freedom of speech and credibility amidst Threads launch

    Twitter’s challenges in attracting advertisers, maintaining site functionality, and retaining users have been widely discussed. However, amidst these struggles, an unexpected endorsement has emerged from an unlikely source—the Taliban. Anas Haqqani, a prominent figure within the Taliban, recently expressed his appreciation for Twitter in light of Meta’s Threads, a rival platform that gained over 100 million users within a few days of its launch.

    Haqqani, in justifying his decision to remain active on Twitter, highlighted two key advantages the platform offered. “The first privilege is the freedom of speech,” he stated. “The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesn’t have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it.”

    Meta, the parent company of Threads, has made it clear that the new platform will adhere to the same content guidelines as its sister app, Instagram. This includes a stipulation that explicitly prohibits support or praise for terrorism, organised crime, or hate groups.

    Elon Musk’s involvement in Twitter’s operations has been marked by a series of seemingly arbitrary policy decisions, the loosening of moderation guidelines and enforcement capabilities, resulting in chaotic circumstances, and a focus on prioritising paying users. Under Musk’s leadership, instances of hate speech have surged, and ad sales for the platform have experienced a significant decline of 59% since the previous year.

    It is difficult to argue that having members of the Taliban celebrate the extent to which they can exploit the platform does not present a compelling case for potential ad buyers. Twitter, grappling with these challenges, must now confront the task of restoring confidence in its ability to provide a safe and appealing environment for both users and advertisers alike.

  • Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Meta Platforms plans to launch a microblogging app called Threads, which aims to compete with Twitter. This development comes shortly after Twitter CEO Elon Musk faced criticism for implementing a temporary cap on the number of posts users can read on the platform.

    According to a listing on Apple’s App Store, Threads is expected to be released on Thursday. The app will enable users to maintain their followers from the photo-sharing platform Instagram and keep the same username.

    This rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has encountered several controversies since Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in 2022. Last week, Musk introduced new restrictions on the app, limiting the daily number of tweets users can view. This move sparked outcry among many Twitter users.

    Although alternative microblogging sites like Mastodon and Blue Sky have experienced an increase in user numbers following Musk’s acquisition, neither has managed to rival Twitter. However, Instagram already boasts hundreds of millions of registered users and has a track record of incorporating successful features from other social media platforms.

    In response to the growing popularity of Snapchat, Instagram introduced a feature called “stories” in 2016, allowing user posts to disappear after a certain period. More recently, Instagram’s “Reels” feature has aimed to compete with the rising prominence of TikTok.

    The launch of Threads poses a credible threat to Twitter under Musk’s leadership. His attempts to boost revenues and reshape the platform in his own image have faced significant criticism. Following the acquisition last year, Musk downsized the company by approximately 80 per cent and reinstated several banned accounts, including those of former US President Donald Trump and the conservative satirical news site Babylon Bee.

    Concerns over an increase in harmful content on the platform led hundreds of advertisers to pause their spending on Twitter. Internal documents viewed by Reuters also revealed a decline in engagement among the platform’s most active users.

  • ‘Your mom still cleans your mess’: Twitter roasts Elon after mom cancels fight with Zuckerberg

    ‘Your mom still cleans your mess’: Twitter roasts Elon after mom cancels fight with Zuckerberg

    Social media came to a standstill a few days ago when Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that he would like to have a cage fight with the CEO of Facebook and Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg.
    The prospect of the fight of the billionaires caused a frenzy on social media with placing bets on which tech CEO would come out succesful.

    Time to forget about your bets though because ammi nay mana kardiya hai.

    Elon Musk’s mother Maye Musk shut down rumors of the cage fight on her Twitter account, tweeting that instead of a physical fight, both Zuckerberg and her son should ask each other three questions instead.

    How hilarious that a 52-year-old man needs his mother to counsel him on his wildest decisions. We also hope that she can encourage him to stop destroying an important app, maybe?

    https://twitter.com/EvilNukem/status/1673759228111237120?s=20

    “Elon Musk mother is searching Mark’s Mother number.. both mother together could convince their stubborn kids.. Later, Hope mothers don’t end up having a fight,” one user wrote.

  • Elon Musk announces temporary daily tweet reading limits, prompting user complaints worldwide

    Elon Musk announces temporary daily tweet reading limits, prompting user complaints worldwide

    According to Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, the company has recently introduced temporary restrictions on the number of tweets users can read per day. Musk stated in a tweet that unverified accounts are now limited to reading up to 600 posts daily, while verified accounts face a temporary limit of 6,000 posts per day.

    Consequently, a significant number of Twitter users experienced difficulties accessing the platform on Saturday night, as reported by Downdetector, a website that tracks service outages.

    Notably, the United States recorded over 7,000 reported incidents of issues with Twitter, while the United Kingdom saw over 5,000 complaints. Similar problems were reported by users in various other countries, including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, and Germany.

    Users attempting to utilise the Twitter application or website were greeted with an error message stating “rate limit exceeded,” resulting in an absence of tweets displayed on their feed.

  • Twitter aur Facebook ki kushti? Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg serious about cage fight

    Twitter aur Facebook ki kushti? Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg serious about cage fight

    Brawl of the Billionaires?

    The CEOs of the two leading social media apps, Facebook and Twitter, have reportedly decided to settle their competition with a fist fight. CEO of Twitter and Tesla, Elon Musk, suggested the idea when he responded to a user questioning him about Facebook’s plans to build a rival to the bird app. Musk, no stranger to eccentricity, asked if Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg would be ready for a cage match.

    ‘I’m up for a cage match if he is”, tweeted the SpaceX CEO.

    Zuckerberg then shared a screenshot of the conversation on his Instagram, writing: “Send me the location”.

    After a spokesperson from META seemingly confirmed that Zuckerberg was set for the billionaire brawl, Musk tweeted a sugggestion for the location: Vegas Octagon. He then stated hat he has a move called “The Walrus” where he sits on top of a person and does nothing.

    While social media is wondering who could win the Brawl of the Billionaires, sports journalist Nick Peet spoke to BBC and revealed that there is a chance this fight could actually take place because of “Elon Musk and his personality and his eccentric character. His career kind of suggests he’s not somebody who willingly steps down.”

    When asked about who would most probably win the fight, he said:

    “Zuckerberg all day! He’s 12 years younger. He is a lot smaller. I think he’s 5ft 7, Elon’s probably around 6ft. And Elon’s probably got a couple of stone in weight on him.”

    But unfortunately Mr Musk has got no training whatsoever. Even though Zuckerberg’s only been training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for 18 months, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to take his back, wrap his arms around his neck and give him a good old cuddle and choke him out!”

    The two CEOs have been at odds in the past, with Musk’s response to reports that Zuckerberg was planning to launch an app that will rival Twitter, and then in an interview with conservative satire website ‘The Babylon Bee’ he slammed Metaverse:

    “Am I like one of those people who was dismissing the internet [in] ’95 as some fad or something that’s never going to amount to anything? Sure you can put a TV on your nose. I’m not sure that makes you in the metaverse.”

  • Modi fan Elon Musk says Tesla will be in India soon

    Modi fan Elon Musk says Tesla will be in India soon

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla and the world’s richest man Elon Musk, in New York on Wednesday.

    “Great meeting you today @elonmusk! We had multifaceted conversations on issues ranging from energy to spirituality,” Modi wrote in his tweet along with a picture of Musk.

    Musk retweeted Modi’s quote and wrote, “Great conversation with Narendra Modi.”

    “I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible,” Musk told reporters after meeting Modi.

    “We do not want to jump the gun on an announcement but I think it is quite likely that it will be a significant investment in our relationship with India,” he said. “I would like to thank the prime minister for his support and hopefully we will be able to announce something in the not so distant future.”

    Read more: Former Twitter CEO says Modi Govt threatened to shut down platform in India

    In a different statement, Musk as reported by Indian Express, said that he was a fan of Modi, and that “India has more promise than any large country in the world. He (PM Modi) really cares about India because he is pursuing us to make significant investments in India.”

    India is great for solar energy investment, the American magnate said, describing his talks with the prime minister as “excellent.”

    The Indian PM’s meeting with Twitter’s CEO comes a few days after Co-founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, in an interview with YouTube channel Breaking Points talked about censorship requests he received from the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    A reporter asked for Musk’s reaction on Jack Dorsey’s statement to which he replied, “Twitter does not have any choice but to obey local governments”

    “We will do our best to provide the freest speech that is possible under the rule,” he added.

    The Indian Prime Minister is on a four-day visit to the US.

  • SpaceX introduces internet service allowing customers to connect ‘anywhere on Earth’

    SpaceX introduces internet service allowing customers to connect ‘anywhere on Earth’

    SpaceX, the renowned aerospace company led by Elon Musk, has introduced a groundbreaking service called Starlink Mobility. This innovative offering allows customers to access SpaceX’s space-based Starlink internet service from almost anywhere on the planet, even while in motion.

    Starlink Mobility harnesses a receiver with an expansive field of view and enhanced GPS capabilities, connecting users to SpaceX’s vast constellation of over 4,000 low-Earth orbit satellites. Elon Musk took to Twitter, stating that this service functions “almost everywhere on Earth,” including remote areas like the middle of oceans and deserts.

    The initial beneficiaries of Starlink Mobility are a fleet of school buses in Arizona. By utilizing this service, students can now stay connected and complete their homework while commuting to and from school, revolutionizing their learning experience.

    SpaceX emphasized that Starlink Mobility is particularly well-suited for mobile businesses and various public sector use cases, such as trucking, buses, shuttles, and emergency response services. By subscribing to Starlink Mobility, users gain network priority during peak hours, ensuring uninterrupted internet connectivity. This priority access holds significant value for emergency responders, as it helps them maintain vital connections when it matters most.

    SpaceX’s website asserts, “Starlink Mobility provides 100 percent coverage in your country and every country where Starlink service is available across the globe.” Moreover, the service extends its reach to the vast majority of the Earth’s oceans and seas, offering connectivity even in maritime environments.

    To access Starlink Mobility, customers need to invest $250 per month, along with a one-time hardware fee of $2,500. The Starlink satellite dish, an advanced iteration of SpaceX’s standard hardware, is designed to be permanently installed on vehicles, offering impressive download speeds of up to 220 Mbps.

    SpaceX achieved the milestone of global coverage for its Starlink internet network last year, marking four years since the launch of its first satellite batch. However, certain countries like China and Iran have prohibited Starlink from operating within their borders, hindering their citizens’ access to this cutting-edge technology.

    Looking to the future, SpaceX aims to launch a satellite-to-cellphone service that would eliminate the need for additional hardware to connect to its internet constellation. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised by existing wireless service providers. AT&T in the US, for example, has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject SpaceX and T-Mobile’s proposal, citing potential interference with their terrestrial services.

    Testing of the satellite-to-cell service is slated to commence later this year, and its outcome will likely shape the landscape of global internet connectivity. SpaceX continues to push boundaries, innovating in the realm of space technology and revolutionizing the way people connect and access the internet worldwide.