Elon Musk removes Facebook pages for Tesla and SpaceX after being challenged on Twitter

If Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has a social media manager (which we’re pretty confident he has one) for both companies, he/she/they have one less account to handle. Musk took down the Facebook pages for the aforementioned companies after being goaded on Twitter to delete the SpaceX page if he was “the man.” This started off after he responded to a tweet by Signal’s Brian Acton, the co-founder of now Facebook-owned WhatsApp, that contained the hashtag #deletefacebook. Musk replies, “What’s Facebook?” And thus, the challenge from some followers began. Musk claims he didn’t know the SpaceX page existed and that he will delete it. When asked about deleting the Tesla page, he responded “Definitely. Looks lame anyway.” On top of this, even Tesla-owned Solar City has lost its Facebook account. However, the Instagram pages for SpaceX and Tesla are still around. We don’t know yet if Musk plans to delete the accounts from this Facebook-owned company, too.

These provocations come after it was revealed over the weekend that consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which worked on President Donald Trump’s election campaign, had improperly acquired the data of 50 million Facebook users. The backlash over the news has its users calling out the social network’s disregard for its user’s privacy and US government officials asking for an explanation. 

Source: The Verge

Elon Musk’s Boring Company has a US$500 flamethrower, because why not?

SpaceX, Tesla, and Boring Company CEO Elon Musk has made some bold proclamations in the past and has entered random segments for what seems like the heck of it. The latest product from his Boring Company seems like an elaborate, pre-April Fool’s Day prank: a US$500 flamethrower. He tweeted back in December that he planned to sell The Boring Company flamethrower after he sold 50,000 of Boring Company hats. When that hit its target on Christmas Eve, he tweeted that the flamethrowers were coming soon. Musk is known to make promises on deadlines he can’t keep. But this was apparently a promise he could keep. The Boring Company is now accepting pre-orders for the flamethrower and is even selling a $30 branded fire extinguisher to go with it.

They claim it’s the “world’s safest flamethrower.” The Boring Company warns against additional custom fees international orders might get when the product is shipped, and they promise international customers can receive full refunds if they aren’t happy with the fees. And as a warning, it says on the pre-order page that the flamethrower “may not be used on Boring Company decorative lacquered hay bales or Boring Company dockside munitions warehouses.” With shipping said to be starting in April, we’re thinking this is an April Fool’s Day prank that has been set up really early.

Source: The Verge

Tesla sets October 26th as tentative date for Semi truck launch event

Tesla originally set a September launch for its all-electric Semi truck but that got pushed back and now we get a new tentative date for the launch. Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the Semi truck will be unveiled on October 26^th at Hawthorne, California, which is where SpaceX HQ is located. But he adds the caveat that it’s “tentatively scheduled.” Not only will those in attendance get to see the truck but Musk says there will also be a test ride, meaning the Semi will be operational when it gets unveiled.

As expected details about the truck are sparse. But the event should shed light on questions like whether it’ll feature autonomous driving technology, have a 200- to 300-mile range (as reported by Reuters), and have a sizable battery pack to power through this (and whether it needs more charging time to fill its battery). Musk has previously said there would be more surprises at the event.

Source: TechCrunch

The first full-production version of the Tesla Model 3 goes to Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last week that the company’s Model 3 was entering into full production then. Now, the first car rolls off the assembly line and heads to the CEO himself. Tesla investor and board member Ira Ehrenpreis was the first on to place a deposit on the car but he gave it to Musk as a gift for the CEO’s 46^th birthday. Ehrenpreis will then get the number two car off the production line. Musk, of course, teased an image of the car, which is the first mass-produced car and most affordable vehicle from the company.

Tesla has a goal of producing 500,000 units in 2018, which is definitely a big bump from the 85,000 units the cars sold back in 2016. What’s driving the demand for the Tesla Model 3 is that it costs around US$35,000. It does, however, feature a simpler design that the Model S and Model X and the first available version of the car has fewer options to choose from, such as exterior color, wheels, interior, and the ability to enable Tesla’s Autopilot functionality. All-wheel drive and bigger battery packs seen in the Model S and X, will come at a later date once production of the cars are fully operational.

Source: CNET