Technologies

Amazon’s Rival to Starlink Satellite Service Is Planning a Rocket Launch: How to Watch Tonight

Project Kuiper is planning to take a major step forward tonight with its first full-scale satellite launch.

Amazon plans to launch 27 low-Earth orbit satellites this evening as part of Project Kuiper. The launch window is set for Wednesday, April 9, between 7 and 9 p.m. ET (4 to 6 p.m. PT), depending on weather and other factors.

The launch mission, «KA-01» or Kuiper Atlas 1, will be on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Amazon said. There’s a mission page for updates on the launch and plans to livestream the takeoff.

You can watch the rocket launch live on the mission page or on YouTube.

It’ll be a big step forward for the project, which Amazon announced in 2019 with promises of a $10 billion investment. Now the company is poised to enter the race to provide satellite internet service, a space currently dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, which has about 7,000 satellites. Amazon’s plans call for 3,200 satellites to be deployed over 80 launches. The company intends to provide internet service with this technology later this year.

More competition will improve internet services

The literal space race, which includes Starlink, Amazon and other companies such as Viasat, Hughesnet, Eutelsat and China’s SpaceSail, could mean more availability of internet service in far-flung and rural areas that have limited broadband options. Though Starlink is the leader in the space, some of these other companies are continuing to launch satellites and working to deploy high-speed internet in more markets such as Brazil. With more players in the market, that could mean faster and cheaper internet in more areas, although whether that actually bears out for consumers remains to be seen.

Mahdi Eslamimehr, executive vice president at Quandary Peak Research and adjunct professor at the Department of Computer Science at USC, said Amazon is well poised to go up against Starlink. «Amazon has made extensive launch agreements with major providers such as United Launch Alliance (ULA), Arianespace, Blue Origin, and even SpaceX itself, positioning Kuiper as a major challenger due to its expansive infrastructure and significant resources.»

He said, «While Starlink currently enjoys clear market leadership, it faces increasing competition from well-capitalized and strategically agile competitors, specifically from China, suggesting the market will become considerably more competitive in the near future.»

Amazon’s satellite efforts so far, Eslamimehr said, have been promising and successful, at least in the prototype stages. The company has also been testing Amazon Web Services in space. «These developments collectively underscore Amazon’s robust entry into the satellite internet market and reflect positive early momentum in its overall space strategy.»

Beyond how it fares against Starlink and other companies, the Amazon satellite launches are significant in other ways. Eslamimehr said, «Project Kuiper isn’t just about competition; it’s positioned as a critical step toward closing the global digital divide, promising to deliver high-speed internet to underserved communities worldwide.»

Correction, April 4: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the USC professor and Quandary Peak Research executive vice president. His name is Mahdi Eslamimehr.

Technologies

Grok Now Remembers What You Talked About, and Here’s How to Make It Stop

The chatbot’s memory is in beta and now available on Grok.com and the official iOS and Android apps.

Elon Musk’s artifical intelligence company xAI has added memory to its flagship AI known as Grok. The announcement was posted on Musk’s social media platform X on Wednesday, along with information about how the memory functions work, which is similar to other AI models. When you speak to Grok, it’ll pick up tidbits about your likes, dislikes, preferences and interests, and then use that information to tailor its responses directly to you.

Chat GPT and Google’s Gemini AI both added memory in 2024, and both can now remember conversations long-term to give you more personalized answers. In the example from xAI, the user asks Grok for a workout routine. The AI responds by mentioning that the user had previously asked about «dynamic, high-energy activities and fitness trends like jump rope and weightlifting.» Grok then makes a workout routine that incorporates those elements.

When referencing old conversations, Grok’s UI has a button that lets you see which previous conversations it references. Users can also view what Grok remembers about them and can tune that manually to make Grok forget what it learned. Grok’s new memory is available in beta on Grok.com along with the official iOS and Android apps. It is available for both free and premium Grok users.

Read more: Best AI Chatbots of 2025

How to turn the memory off

Despite being in beta, the feature is enabled by default, or at least it was when we tried it. The good news is that you can toggle Grok’s conversation history mode on and off at will. So, if you don’t want Grok to remember everything you tell it, here’s how to make it stop.

Grok.com: Tap your profile picture and then Settings. Navigate to Data Controls. The feature is «Personalize Grok with your conversation history.» Toggle it off to disable.
Android and iOS apps: Open the Settings, navigate to Data Controls. Here, the feature is «Personalize with memories.» Toggle it off to disable the feature.

In addition, users can toggle the private chat mode by using the ghost icon in the chatbox. Grok will not store the details of your conversation in private chat mode. While you are in the app’s Data Controls, you can also disable Grok from using your X history during conversations.

Technologies

Grab a Certified Refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $580 With This Woot Deal

Save over $200 by opting for a refurbished Apple Watch that includes a year of warranty from Apple.

Last year, the original Apple Watch Ultra was succeeded by the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The headline change is a new sleek black titanium option, but there are some other minor tweaks. If you’re after a high-performance smartwatch at a reduced price and don’t mind a refurbished model, there’s an excellent deal available. You can currently purchase a certified refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $580 at Woot — down from its original price of $799. Since this is an Apple Certified Refurbished unit, it includes a full 1-year warranty from Apple. However, this offer is only available while supplies last, so if you’re interested, it’s best to act quickly to secure one at this discounted rate.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is one of the best smartwatches you can buy, with CNET reviewer Lexy Savvides complimenting its «searingly bright screen and faster responses.» It originally retailed for $799, but with this deal, you receive a certified refurbished model that has undergone Apple’s rigorous refurbishment process. This includes a thorough inspection, replacement of any defective parts, and a comprehensive cleaning. The watch comes with a new battery and outer shell, ensuring it looks and functions like new. It also includes a magnetic charging cable and is packaged in a new white box. As an Apple Certified Refurbished product, it qualifies for AppleCare and comes with a standard 1-year warranty.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

If you’re comfortable with a refurbished device, this is a fantastic opportunity to own Apple’s most rugged and feature-rich smartwatch at a significant discount. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers the same 49mm titanium case as the 1st-gen, an always-on Retina display with up to 3,000 nits brightness, and advanced GPS capabilities for outdoor adventures. It offers up to 36 hours of battery life on a single charge, extendable to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. Health and safety features include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, fall and crash detection and a built-in siren for emergencies. With cellular connectivity, you can make calls, send messages and use Apple Pay directly from your wrist, even without your iPhone nearby.

Read more: Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Apple Watch Ultra: Rugged Watches Compared

If refurbished items aren’t your thing, be sure to check out our roundup of other Apple Watch deals currently available.

Why this deal matters

Purchasing refurbished products is an excellent way to save money without compromising on quality. Apple’s Certified Refurbished program ensures that each device meets strict standards and includes a full warranty for peace of mind. If you’ve been wanting to upgrade without paying full price, this is a deal worth taking before supplies run dry.

Technologies

Meta Removes Use of Apple Intelligence in Its Apps on iPhone

Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads no longer have access to the writing features of Apple Intelligence.

Meta is removing the option to use Apple Intelligence writing tools for four of its apps, CNET confirmed Thursday. These options were originally enabled across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, but seem to have been removed for some users.

It appears that Meta’s removal of Apple’s AI features may have begun as early as December of 2024, bringing confusion to iPhone owners who may have relied on the feature within its apps. Meta and Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

CNET senior writer Abrar Al-Heeti dug deeper. When she attempted to highlight text on Instagram to be rewritten, she saw only a «Write with AI» option, which instead of Apple Intelligence leads to a Meta AI window. On Threads and WhatsApp, she did not see the option to alter her text with AI at all.

Spotted earlier by sorcererhat, AppleInsider did a bit more digging into the Apple Developer documentation to confirm that iOS and iPadOS apps need to manually enable the feature along with the findings from the Apple Support Forums.

In a moment where artificial intelligence is everywhere and each massive tech company is building up their own solutions from the ground up to compete with each other, Meta’s decision to remove the use of Apple Intelligence writing tools may not be incredibly surprising, and certainly will not be in hindsight if a similar feature arrives on Meta’s own apps for iOS.