Apple says there will be no Amazon-like bidding by cities on next big HQ

Where will the next spaceship land?

Following Apple’s big news release yesterday that they were on-shoring hundreds of billions of dollars and looking to create tens of thousands of new jobs in the US, the race is now on to land the next big tech prize: Apple’s new (or next) campus. Apple says that while they are already narrowing the list of places to build their next spaceship – or whatever it will be – they’re not going the Amazon route and pitting cities against each other in a giant bidding war.

Apple simply said in an online statement that they would be building a new facility of some sort, somewhere, later this year that will initially be focused on customer support. Many pundits had initially bet that Austin, Texas, was going to be the top choice as Apple already has a big base there, although the current location is pretty drab in comparison to the newly complete Apple Park in Cupertino.

But a local newspaper report suggests Austin – or Texas in general – won’t get Apple Park 2. And while Apple insisted it won’t succumb to a bidding war, high-profile Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel isn’t so sure and is actively campaigning – already – for the new Apple facility.

Meanwhile, over at Fortune magazine, speculation is running wild about what businesses Apple might buy with about $200 billion in pocket change. Likely targets? Streaming champ Netflix, electric car market leader Tesla, and secretive augmented reality startup Magic Leap. Maybe all three.

Hey Google, turn the wifi back on

We talked earlier this week about how some Google smart home bits – notably the Google Max speaker and some chromecast devices – were slowing down or crashing people’s wifi networks.

Now, Google has officially recognized the problem and they say a patch started rolling out yesterday. Google also noted that the problem usually involved and Android phone that was sending data to the devices, possibly overloading the wifi network. Along with the patch, they advise everyone to make sure they run the latest update and to check to make sure your wifi router router is also running its latest firmware.

If you’re still having problems with your setup, hit this link for more information and tips on patching things up.

Is there a big red “launch” button?

Like you, we’re waiting for Elon Musk to light the wick on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy, his next-level rocket designed to lift large payloads into earth orbit and beyond.

The big rocket, which SpaceX claims is the most powerful operational rocket in the world, still isn’t operational after a static fire test was cancelled earlier this week. The rocket remains on the pad – where it will sit during the test – but if everything goes well, the 27 engines will be refueled and for a first flight test, Musk is going to send an original Tesla Roadster electric car on a trip around the sun and eventually into Mars orbit.

Once proven, the Falcon Heavy will be able to put a 140,000 pound payload into Earth orbit, a 37,000 pound payload into Mars orbit, or a 7,700 pound payload into Pluto orbit. And if you’re interested, SpaceX has also created a comprehensive scheduling page with all future and past launches.

We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans)  on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.

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