Coming into 2025, we have six flights of SpaceX's Starship behind us, with a possibility for as many as 25 tests supported by the FAA license for this year. This is also the year we need to see an orbital test, payloads carried, orbital refueling, and hopefully catches of both the Booster and Ship, and progress toward an uncrewed test landing on the moon. So much to discuss, so join Tariq, Rod, and ace space reporter Leonard David as we deep dive into King Starship!

Headlines:
• Wildfires near NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, have displaced many employees and caused the facility to shut down temporarily, but the lab itself remains untouched.
• NASA is considering two options for the Mars Sample Return mission, both under $8 billion, with a launch planned by 2035-2039.
• Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society and former host of "Bill Nye the Science Guy," was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his dedication to science education and space exploration advocacy.

Main Topic - SpaceX Starship in 2025:
• SpaceX plans to ramp up Starship test flights in 2025, with up to 25 launches scheduled throughout the year.
• Starship test flight 7, scheduled for January 13th, will feature a new Starship design with enhanced flaps, a new flight computer, and other upgrades.
• The goal of Starship is to serve as a reusable, heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying up to 100 people and 100 metric tons of cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
• SpaceX is rapidly iterating on the Starship design, with stated plans to build new Starships in a single day and test new features on each flight.
• While Starship's development has been impressive, questions remain about its life support systems, radiation protection, and interior design for crewed missions.
• A discussion of the potential impact of Starship on NASA's Artemis program and the future of space exploration, including the possibility of using Starship as a space station or for Mars missions.
• The conversation also touches on the challenges facing NASA, including aging infrastructure and the need for greater collaboration with the private sector, as highlighted in a recent report by the National Academies.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Leonard David

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This week on Tech News Weekly, host Mikah Sargent is joined by guest co-host Dan Moren to discuss Siri privacy concerns and how Apple could leverage AI to improve the user experience. Jason Hiner of CNET reports on CES 2025 on the latest TV displays, NVIDIA's AI innovations, and more. Then Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, weighs in on Meta's controversial decision to end fact-checking on its platforms.

• Dan's latest column explores how Apple could use AI to benefit users by improving spam filtering, search capabilities, and automation. Implementing these features would align with Apple's focus on simplifying technology.
• Apple released a statement clarifying that Siri recordings are not being used to build ad profiles, despite an ongoing conspiracy theory that devices are always listening. In reality, ad targeting is based on online behavior.
• At CES 2025, new TV display technologies were announced including brighter OLED panels likely using "tandem OLED" and a new mini-LED backlight system from Hisense for improved color depth.
• Lenovo showcased an expensive laptop prototype with a screen that rolls up to double in size, though it may have limited practical appeal for now.
• NVIDIA unveiled COSMOS, an AI framework to generate synthetic training data for robots and self-driving systems, which could accelerate future autonomous innovations.
• Offbeat CES products included an electric spoon that makes low-sodium foods taste saltier to promote healthier eating, and aggressively priced TVs from TCL.
• Meta announced it will end fact-checking and rely on community moderation, which CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed argues will amplify the spread of misinformation and cause real-world harms.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren

Guest: Jason Hiner

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Rabbe Sandelin from Helsinki, Finland, has a large collection of 3D movies and bemoans the death of 3D in modern televisions. He wants to know if any manufacturers are considering a return to 3D. Scott says probably not in flat-panel TVs, but there is another option.

Host: Scott Wilkinson

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