Month: October 2018

Enlarge / Can this 3D printer really make rocket parts? (credit: Relativity Space)

No one could argue that a company like SpaceX has one of the most cutting-edge rocket factories in the world, as the company builds some of the most advanced boosters launching today. And yet much of the manufacturing is still done by hand, at various work stations. Humans remain integral to building rockets.

However, a new company called Relativity Space is among those trying to radically automate the process. The California-based company is perhaps best known for its goal to print the entirety of its boosters, from payload fairings to the engines, with additive manufacturing. Equally revolutionary is the company's goal to automate the production of rockets.

To that end, Relativity recently announced the hiring of Tobias Duschl, who has worked for the last six years as senior director of global business operations for Tesla, the electric vehicle company. He will run operations for Relativity as it transitions from development to commercial spaceflight operations over the next three to four years.

Enlarge / An image of the Hawthorne test tunnel under construction. (credit: The Boring Company)

On Sunday night, Tesla, SpaceX, and Boring Company CEO Elon Musk tweeted "The first tunnel is almost done," adding that the tunnel will open December 10. "The first tunnel" refers to the initial tunnel that The Boring Company has been digging under the streets of Hawthorne.

Work began on that project around the start of 2017, when Musk moved excavation equipment into what was then SpaceX's tiny employee parking lot and began digging. Since then, Musk has purchased a boring machine to tunnel under the Los Angeles neighborhood, with the hope of making modifications to the machinery that will allow tunnels to be dug more quickly.

According to The Boring Company website, the Hawthorne tunnel "leaves SpaceX property (parking lot east of Crenshaw Boulevard and south of 120th Street), turns west under 120th Street, and remains under 120th Street for up to 2-miles." Musk tweeted last night that pods in the tunnel will achieve a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The CEO added that there will be an opening event on the evening of December 10, and free rides for the public on the following day.

Enlarge / An image of the Hawthorne test tunnel under construction. (credit: The Boring Company)

On Sunday night, Tesla, SpaceX, and Boring Company CEO Elon Musk tweeted "The first tunnel is almost done," adding that the tunnel will open December 10. "The first tunnel" refers to the initial tunnel that The Boring Company has been digging under the streets of Hawthorne.

Work began on that project around the start of 2017, when Musk moved excavation equipment into what was then SpaceX's tiny employee parking lot and began digging. Since then, Musk has purchased a boring machine to tunnel under the Los Angeles neighborhood, with the hope of making modifications to the machinery that will allow tunnels to be dug more quickly.

According to The Boring Company website, the Hawthorne tunnel "leaves SpaceX property (parking lot east of Crenshaw Boulevard and south of 120th Street), turns west under 120th Street, and remains under 120th Street for up to 2-miles." Musk tweeted last night that pods in the tunnel will achieve a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The CEO added that there will be an opening event on the evening of December 10, and free rides for the public on the following day.

Ron Amadeo

The latest entry to the Google Home ecosystem is called the Google Home Hub. The Home Hub marries a screen with the Google Assistant-powered voice command system, allowing users to call up recipes, utilize smart home controls, or watch YouTube videos.

We've seen this software before—there's presently a whole device category out there known as "Google Smart Displays." Just like with Android, Google makes the software, and a number of OEMs then load the software onto their devices. Google Smart Display devices have thus far been made by LG and JBL, and we did a full review of the Lenovo Smart Display. Unlike Android, Google currently has full control of the Smart Display software no matter who manufactures the hardware. This means every device pretty much has the exact same UI and capabilities, aside from the usual technology treadmill of new features exclusive to new devices.

Ron Amadeo

The latest entry to the Google Home ecosystem is called the Google Home Hub. The Home Hub marries a screen with the Google Assistant-powered voice command system, allowing users to call up recipes, utilize smart home controls, or watch YouTube videos.

We've seen this software before—there's presently a whole device category out there known as "Google Smart Displays." Just like with Android, Google makes the software, and a number of OEMs then load the software onto their devices. Google Smart Display devices have thus far been made by LG and JBL, and we did a full review of the Lenovo Smart Display. Unlike Android, Google currently has full control of the Smart Display software no matter who manufactures the hardware. This means every device pretty much has the exact same UI and capabilities, aside from the usual technology treadmill of new features exclusive to new devices.