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Elon Musk

Elon Musk409 posts

Elon Musk is a South-African born Canadian-American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur, born in 1971. He was a co-founder of PayPal, which was sold to Ebay for $1.5 billion. He then founded Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Tesla Motors. He is chief executive and chief designer at SpaceX and CEO and head of product design at Tesla and chairman of Solar City. Musk purchased Twitter in September 2022.

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3 Jun, 2014

4 – 5 more years as CEO

Tesla Inc.Announcement0 Comments

shareholder-642x500At the annual Tesla general shareholders meeting Musk announces that he plans to stay on as CEO for four or five years, or at least through volume production of Gen 3, the mass market, $35,000-a-year car.

No one is a CEO forever. Eventually they carry you out.

17 Jul, 2015

Ludicrous Speed upgrade

Tesla Inc.Tesla Model STesla Model XAnnouncement0 Comments

Musk announces “Ludicrous Speed,” a $10,000 upgrade for the P85D Model S. The upgrade improves 0-60 time by 10 percent, to 2.8 seconds, with a quarter-mile sprint dropping to 10.9 seconds. The top speed increases to 155 miles per hour, 20 percent faster than on a standard P85D. The Model X will also have Ludicrous Speed as an option, but because that vehicle is 10 percent heavier than the S it will be slower.

29 Sep, 2015

Model X launch

Tesla Inc.Tesla Model XProduct Release0 Comments

Musk launches the Model X SUV. The car can seat seven, has rear upward-opening “falcon” doors, and with the “ludicrous” option can reach 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. The car also has a “bioweapon defense mode,” an advanced HEPA air filter that will clean any viruses out of the air. The car also has the best safety ratings of any SUV, a result of its low center of gravity and lack of a traditional engine. The Model X 90D costs $132,000, with a range of 257 miles and 0-60 of about 3.7 seconds; the P90D runs $142,000, 250 miles and 3.2-second acceleration.

If there’s ever a bioweapon attack, the safest place is your car. There’s actually a ‘bioweapon defense mode’ right there in the HVAC. We figure you shouldn’t have to think if you’re in an emergency.

 

2 Oct, 2015

Unveils ‘world’s most efficient’ solar panel

Peter RiveSolarCityAnnouncement0 Comments

In New York City’s Times Square, Musk and Solar City introduce what they claim is the world’s most efficient rooftop solar panel, achieving a peak efficiency of 22.04%, 30-40% more power than current panels.  The rating is verified by the Renewable Energy Test Center. The panels are cheap  enough that the company can make money off of them even if government tax break policies expire. CTO Rive:

That’s been the singular focus of the company… to continue to get the costs down. I’m really excited about this… it’s the best solar panel on the planet and it empowers us from 2017 and beyond to control our own destiny.

Musk says that third-party panel manufacturers were happy to make a standard efficiency 15% panel year-over-year.

So we thought we had to make our own panels. I like counter-intuitive moves. I thought people would think, at the time, ‘Wow, that’s stupid,’ [which made me think], ‘That’s probably a good idea.’

14 Oct, 2015

Autopilot driverless car update

Tesla Inc.Product Release0 Comments

Telsa Autopilot imageTesla launches a beta version of Autopilot, which will be available on Thursday. All vehicles from September 2014 will be given the feature. Vehicles will rely on four major sensor systems. Ultrasonic sensors that tell the computer what’s around a 16-ft perimeter of the car; a forward-facing camera that helps determine where the lanes are and what cars are ahead of it, and which can also read speed signs; forward radar that’s used to detect fast-moving objects and which can see through rain, fog, and dust, as well as pulling from GPS and high-precision digital maps. Musk says it’s very important that people “exercise caution” and that they keep their hands on the wheel.

I don’t think that we have anything to worry about with cars driving themselves. They’re not going to take over the world…Each driver is a trainer in how the autopilot should work.

25 Sep, 2022

Iran blocks SpaceX Starlink website

Iran protests 2022SpaceXStarlinkBan0 Comments

The government of Iran blocks SpaceX’s Starlink website following Elon Musk activating Starlink for Iranians.

26 Sep, 2022

One million Starlink terminals manufactured

SpaceXStarlinkAnnouncement0 Comments

After its recent launch of 52 Starlink satellites, Musk announces that SpaceX has manufactured one million Starlink terminals. The one-million milestone has been achieved less than two years after Starlink began taking pre-orders for the satellite broadband service in February 2021.

Starlink now over 1M user terminals manufactured

30 Sep, 2022

Musk reveals Optimus Robot

Optimus RobotTesla Inc.Announcement0 Comments

Musk unveils the humanoid Telsa Optimus Robot at Tesla AI Day. He shows a walking production prototype, plus one that uses Tesla actuators. Musk says the robot will be produced at scale and will cost less than a family car.

We’ve designed it using the same discipline that we use when designing the car, which is to design it for manufacturing, so it’s possible to make the robot at high volume at low cost, with high reliability. That’s incredibly important. We’ve all seen very impressive humanoid robot demonstrations. But what are they missing? They’re missing a brain. They don’t have the intelligence to navigate the world by themselves. They’re also very expensive and made in low volume, whereas Optimus is an extremely capable robot, but it’s made in very high volume, ultimately millions of units. It’s expected to cost much less than a car, probably less than $20,000.

 

12 Oct, 2022

Burnt Hair fragrance goes on sale

Burnt Hair (fragrance)The Boring CompanyProduct Release0 Comments

The Boring Company starts selling Musk’s Burnt Hair by Singed fragrance.  The fragrance is marketed as ‘Just like leaning over a candle at the dinner table, but without all the hard work’. Musk announced the perfume in September 2022. Musk calls it:

The finest fragrance on Earth!

Musk later tweets that 10,000 bottles have been sold.

21 Oct, 2022

Musk announces Quicksilver & Midnight Cherry Red Tesla colors

Giga BerlinModel YTesla Inc.Announcement0 Comments

Musk introduces two new colours for the Model Y, available from Giga Berlin – Quicksilver & Midnight Cherry Red. Tesla:

Quicksilver & Midnight Cherry Red — made at Giga Berlin. Both are made from highly-pigmented metallic paint, designed to change depending on viewing angle & light. Our most advanced paint system yet, allowing up to 13 layers for depth, dimension & a hand-painted look. Available in Europe & the Middle East

Musk:

Only Giga Berlin can make these colors, as paint shop was specially built to apply many fine layers of paint, giving it complexity not otherwise possible

30 Oct, 2022

Twitter plans paid user verification

X (formerly Twitter)Announcement0 Comments

Musk says Twitter will revise its user verification process, without detail. Separate reports say that users would have 90 days to subscribe to Twitter Blue at $19,99 (up from $4.99) or lose their verified badges. Employees working on the project were told that they need to meet a deadline of November 7th to launch the feature or they will be fired. Musk:

The whole verification process is being revamped right now

Musk later jokes about about the verification levels:

1 Nov, 2022

Musk reveals $8 Twitter Blue details

X (formerly Twitter)Announcement0 Comments

Musk announces that the revamped Twitter Blue will cost $8; will grant a verified user blue tick; priorities in replies, mentions and replies; ability to post long video and audio; and have half as many ads. The price will be adjusted by country.

Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month. Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity, You will also get:

  • Priority in replies, mentions & search, which is essential to defeat spam/scam
  • Ability to post long video & audio
  • Half as many ads

And paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with us. This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators. There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians.

3 Nov, 2022

Twitter to charge for verification from next week. Edit function given to all for free.

X (formerly Twitter)Announcement0 Comments

Twitter will start selling blue verification badges for user profiles as soon as next week, part of a plan by Musk to fight fake accounts and increase profits. Verification will cost $8 a month. Twitter also plans to make the edit function, which is currently available through a $5-a-month Twitter Blue subscription, available to all users for free, also starting next week.

9 Nov, 2022

Musk kills ‘official’ grey checkmark

X (formerly Twitter)Design Change0 Comments

After grey checkmarks that had been rolled out to indicate ‘official’ accounts on Twitter started to disappear, Musk says:

I just killed it. Blue check will be the great leveler

Later, Musk says:

Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months. We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.

11 Nov, 2022

Twitter suspends Blue after impersonations

X (formerly Twitter)Drops Product0 Comments

After reports of multiple impersonations of major brands and politiciansaccounts, Twitter suspends it’s Twitter Blue $8 verification process. An account impersonating Nintendo  tweeted an image of the Super Mario character holding up a middle finger. One posing as Eli Lilly & Co. tweeted that insulin was now free, forcing the company’s official account to say:

We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account

An internal Twitter memo confirmed the change:

An update on what we did tonight: hid the entry point to Twitter Blue, added the ‘official’ label for ONLY advertisers. Note: here is at least one way for users to sign up for Blue. Legacy Blue users can go to subscriptions and upgrade.

In an email to staff, Musk wrote:

Over the next few days, the absolute top priority is finding and suspending any verified bots/trolls/spam

Yoel Roth, the company’s head of trust and safety also resigned

Verified Twitter users complain they can’t change name

Count DankulaX (formerly Twitter)Design Change0 Comments

Users complain to Musk after Twitter disables name changes on legacy verified accounts. A user called Count Dankula pleads for help after his name gets stuck after what he thought was a temporary change to “GIANT PENIS (parody)”:

Hello Elon, you seem to have disabled name changes. I was wondering when that would be getting turned back on as I appear to have gotten myself into a bit of a situation.

This is not a drill any time you try it just says DENY and doesn’t let you change it. I am literally stuck as GIANT PENIS this is not the future I imagined for myself Elon pls.

15 Nov, 2022

Musk reschedules Blue Verification to Nov 29

X (formerly Twitter)Production delay0 Comments

Musk says the relaunch of Twitter Blue verification will be delayed until Nov 29:

Punting relaunch of Blue Verified to November 29th to make sure that it is rock solid

He also says that all unpaid legacy Blue checkmarks will be removed in a few months.

17 Nov, 2022

Musk: Twitter will drop 280-character limit ‘soon’

X (formerly Twitter)Announcement0 Comments

After a user complains about a Twitter thread that is 82 posts long, Musk says:

Ability to do long tweets coming soon

Musk later says he is working on the project personally.

24 Nov, 2022

Musk offers ‘amnesty’ to suspended accounts

X (formerly Twitter)Announcement0 Comments

After a poll that Musk ran, asking users if Twitter should offer a ‘general amnesty’ to suspended accounts, provided they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam, ends in yes, Musk says Twitter will restore accounts from the end of November.  Musk does not give details on how the amnesty process would be carried out.

The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.

More than 3.1m Twitter users responded to the poll, with 72.4% of them voting “Yes”. Mask has already reactivated some accounts, inculding Kanye West, Donald Trump and influencer Andrew Tate.