Watch out StarLink! Amazon Leo is starting to roll out its fastest satellite internet service. Geekwire.com reports that the sat internet was previously known as Project Kuiper. Amazon has started shipping its top of the line terminals to select customers for testing. Although Amazon is way behind SpaceX Starlink at the moment, they are touting their top tier global broadband service…dubbed Leo Ultra…as having 1 gig per second download speed and 400 mbps upload speed. The antenna is 20 by 30 inches in size, and it’s powered by a custom chip optimized for videoconferencing, real-time monitoring, and cloud computing. It can connect directly to Amazon Web Services and other cloud networks. There are two lower tier services, too. Leo Nano uses a compact 7 inch antenna and it has download speeds of up to 100 mbps. Leo Pro uses a standard 11 inch antenna and has download speeds of up to 400 mbps. Amazon says they are continuing to build things out, and will be launching more satellites. At the moment, they just have 153, but they are planning 3,000 more. Pricing hasn’t yet been disclosed on the hardware or monthly plans. 

Since we reported months ago about Jony Ive, former design wizard at Apple, teaming up with OpenAI on a device, all has been quiet. Now, according to theverge.com, Ive and Sam Altman at OpenAI have a prototype of the OpenAI device. This word came out in an interview with Laurene Powell Jobs. Ive said that they are definitely prototyping the device and that it could arrive in ‘less than 2 years.’ There is very little known about the gizmo, except we now know hear it will be screen free and ‘roughly the size of a smartphone.’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the design as ’simple and beautiful and playful.’ Ive commented “I love solutions that teeter on appearing almost naive in their simplicity, and I also love incredibly intelligent, sophisticated products that you want to touch, and you feel no intimidation, and you want to use almost carelessly, that you use them almost without thought, that they’re just tools.” This is in line with the old Steve Jobs mantra that tech gadgets ought to be as simple and un-intimadating as toasters.

After the rather dramatic changes to iOS26, with the ‘Liquid Glass’ look everywhere, Apple says it will focus on ‘quality and underlying performance’ in the iOS 27 release. 9to5mac.com says it will be something of a Snow Leopard update, where Apple will drill down on quality rather than bowing flashy new features. That said, they will still add some new AI features….tow of them worth noting. One is their new AI health agent, that will launch with a rumored Apple Health+ subscription. The other is Apple’s first AI powered web search. Count me among the people that will be happy with Apple just cleaning up things in the OS to make it more reliable and robust. I know flashy updates are a necessary thing…like the changes to styling on new car models, but the ‘under the hood’ stuff really makes a difference…in software as well as in cars!

Elon Musk has hyped the driverless Cybercab endlessly, but none will be sold or hitting the streets without a regulatory exemption…which Tesla hasn’t yet obtained. The reason is that the vehicle doesn’t have any controls…no steering wheel or pedals, among other requirements. The company still doesn’t have authority for full self-driving for the vehicle, either. Amazon’s Zoox has applied for a waiver for its vehicles that lack standard controls. Alphabet’s Waymo doesn’t need waivers, as they are leaving conventional controls in all their robotaxi vehicles. Musk has insisted that the Cybercab will remain without controls, but Tesla’s board chair, Robyn Denholm, has said that Tesla has contingency plans to install a steering wheel and pedals if necessary. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.