• Apple’s ultra-thin iPhone Air debuts at $999 alongside the iPhone 17 lineup, Apple Watch Series 11 and AirPods Pro 3 – boasting the slimmest design yet and new features like dual-lens video and live translation in earbuds theguardian.com theguardian.com.
• Global automakers unleashed a wave of new electric vehicles at Germany’s IAA Munich auto show – from BMW’s first Neue Klasse EV and Mercedes’ electric GLC to Volkswagen’s sub-€25k ID.Polo – as European brands race to counter a Chinese EV “onslaught” on their home turf reuters.com.
• EV rivalry intensifies across borders: China’s Leapmotor and Turkey’s Togg unveiled affordable EVs for Europe reuters.com reuters.com, while Mexico moved to slap 50% tariffs on Chinese car imports to protect local automakers reuters.com. U.S. startup Rivian, meanwhile, recalled 24,000 R1T/R1S electric trucks to patch a driver-assist software glitch via over-the-air update reuters.com.
• Washington bets big on chips: The U.S. government will take a 10% stake in Intel, converting $10 billion of CHIPS Act grants into equity reuters.com reuters.com – an unprecedented move aimed at turbocharging domestic semiconductor fabs. Analysts warn Intel’s problems “are beyond a cash infusion,” and it “needs to catch up with TSMC” technologically to succeed reuters.com.
• Big Tech antitrust reprieve: EU regulators formally accepted Microsoft’s commitments to unbundle Teams from Office 365, ending a probe into its software bundling reuters.com. By selling Office without Teams (at a lower price) in Europe, Microsoft dodges hefty fines and addresses concerns that its Teams tie-in stifled competition in workplace apps.
• Tech IPOs roar back: New York-based Via went public, raising $493 million at a $3.65 billion valuation reuters.com. Via’s transit-tech platform uses on-demand shuttles and smart routing to optimize public transport in 30+ countries reuters.com, tapping surging demand for sustainable urban mobility. The listing – priced above expectations – underscores an autumn rebound in U.S. tech IPOs amid improving market sentiment reuters.com (rival Klarna’s U.S.-listed shares jumped 30% in their debut this week).
• Cybersecurity reckoning: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden blasted Microsoft for “gross cybersecurity negligence” after a 2024 hospital ransomware attack forced 140 hospitals offline and exposed nearly 6 million patients’ data therecord.media. In a letter on Sept 11, Wyden likened Microsoft to “an arsonist selling firefighting services to their victims,” arguing the company’s outdated default settings (e.g. 1980s-era RC4 encryption) enabled the hack therecord.media. Microsoft responded that it discourages the old settings and will phase them out by early 2026 therecord.media therecord.media.
• Space tech spectacle: SpaceX launched Indonesia’s Nusantara Lima communications satellite on Sept 11, with a Falcon 9 booster completing its 23rd reuse and landing space.com space.com. After weather delays, the rocket lifted off from Florida, delivered the Boeing-built satellite to orbit, and landed on a drone ship. Nusantara Lima will hover in geosynchronous orbit and, starting in 2026, beam internet across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands and neighbors space.com – showcasing reusable rocket prowess and expanding global connectivity.
• Energy tech & green breakthroughs: A Reuters analysis suggests the ongoing oil drilling boom has “inadvertently opened a path” to a geothermal energy “jackpot” breakingviews.com. Techniques from oil exploration – drilling deep wells into hot rock – could unlock vast baseload clean power by tapping Earth’s heat. And in a push for renewables, Colombia’s Celsia announced over $1.2 billion of new solar and wind projects in Peru (1.2 GW by 2028) reuters.com. From floating green ammonia platforms to big emerging-market investments, the period highlights how energy innovation is scaling up alongside the fossil industry.

Consumer Tech: Apple’s “Awe-Dropping” Upgrades

Apple commanded the tech spotlight with its annual product showcase – cheekily dubbed “awe-dropping” – on Sept 9, and the news reverberated through the week theguardian.com. CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 17 lineup, headlined by a brand-new iPhone Air model that pushes smartphone design to extremes. “Design is at the core of everything we do,” Cook said, calling the 5.6 mm thin iPhone Air the “biggest leap ever” for the device theguardian.com. Clad in a “spacecraft titanium” chassis and sporting a 6.5-inch display, the iPhone Air manages to be thinner than ever yet durable – executives promised its ultra-slim build is crack-resistant, with no compromise on battery life or wireless performance theguardian.com theguardian.com. Priced at $999 with pre-orders from Sept 12 and shipping Sept 19 theguardian.com, the iPhone Air joins refreshed iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and Pro Max models, all powered by Apple’s new A19 chips and iOS 26 software. The entire iPhone 17 family features camera upgrades – including a nifty Dual Capture mode that records video from front and rear cameras simultaneously theguardian.com. The front “Center Stage” camera now auto-tracks and can even film in landscape while the phone is held vertically apple.com, enabling creative selfie videos and multi-cam vlogs. Apple emphasized bigger, better sensors (up to 48 MP) and extended optical zoom up to 8× on the Pro models for serious photographers apple.com apple.com.

Beyond phones, Apple rolled out its latest wearables and accessories. The Apple Watch Series 11 and upgraded Watch Ultra 3 bring new health features targeting hypertension and sleep tracking theguardian.com. The watch can now warn of potential high blood pressure – a feature Apple expects could help “at least 1 million people” by catching hypertension early theguardian.com. The AirPods Pro 3 got a notable functional boost: real-time language translation. Wearers can have a conversation with someone speaking another language and hear translated speech through the earbuds theguardian.com. (This catches Apple up with a similar live translate feature Google introduced in its Pixel Buds.) The new AirPods Pro also offer improved noise cancellation and a wider range of ear tip sizes for comfort theguardian.com. All these devices – from iPhones to AirPods – hit store shelves on Sept 19, with Apple touting robust trade-in deals and financing to spur upgrades apple.com apple.com.

Tech enthusiasts note that Apple’s 2025 lineup leans heavily into hardware innovation and user-friendly features – without leaning on AI buzzwords. In fact, observers pointed out that Cook and team made only “scant mentions” of generative AI this year theguardian.com, focusing instead on the sleek design, cameras, and health capabilities that consumers directly appreciate. The iPhone Air’s jaw-dropping thinness and the life-saving potential of Apple Watch’s health alerts underscore Apple’s strategy of fusing cutting-edge engineering with everyday utility. As one analyst quipped, Apple is “raising the bar once again” by making its gadgets thinner, smarter and more human-focused theguardian.com – a formula likely to keep fans coming back for more.

Automotive & EVs: Electric Showdown in Munich

The global electric vehicle (EV) boom took center stage in Munich, where the IAA Mobility 2025 auto show (Sept 5–10) became a launchpad for next-generation cars – and a battleground between legacy automakers and rising challengers. Major brands from Europe rolled out dozens of new models, determined not to be caught flat-footed again by the wave of Chinese EVs that flooded the show two years ago reuters.com. This year, they came prepared. BMW showcased its first Neue Klasse all-electric model, the iX3 crossover, confirming it will hit Europe in March 2026 at €68,900 reuters.com. BMW’s CEO stressed that pricing in China will be closely watched to stay competitive reuters.com, as Chinese rivals make inroads. Mercedes-Benz pulled the wraps off an electric GLC SUV, converting its best-selling gas model into a zero-emission version to “recover lost ground” in China reuters.com. Volkswagen, grappling with “many crises at the same time” from tariffs to cost cuts, doubled down on affordable EVs – presenting an ID.Polo compact hatchback targeting under €25,000 and an ID.CROSS small SUV around €28–30k reuters.com. Both are slated for 2026 and aim to make EVs attainable for the masses reuters.com.

Executives openly acknowledged the competitive squeeze. “The main problem is we have many crises at once,” VW CEO Oliver Blume told Reuters, citing China’s downturn and hefty U.S. tariffs reuters.com. Still, there was a fighting spirit in Munich. “The Europeans have demonstrated that they are absolutely taking the Chinese seriously,” observed Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights, noting that local brands finally rolled out compelling new models to counter the Chinese onslaught reuters.com. Indeed, several Chinese automakers used the IAA to expand their footprint: Leapmotor unveiled a sleek new B05 electric coupé, its first model for Europe, arriving 2026 reuters.com. Leapmotor’s CEO boldly projected global sales of 1 million EVs by 2026 – 60% outside China – as the company adds 8 new models by 2027 reuters.com reuters.com. BYD, already Europe’s #1 EV seller from China, announced plans to build EVs in Europe within 3 years to sidestep EU import tariffs, while pushing its plug-in hybrids in the interim reuters.com. GAC of Guangzhou launched its Aion V electric SUV for Europe, pricing it under €36,000 in markets like Poland and Portugal reuters.com. And beyond China, newcomer Togg from Turkey made waves by launching its T10X electric SUV and debuting a new T10F sedan – with orders in Germany starting this month reuters.com. It’s part of Togg’s bid to crack Europe’s EV market using home-grown design and regional manufacturing.

The East-West showdown isn’t limited to the showroom – it’s also playing out in trade policy. Mexico grabbed headlines by announcing it will raise tariffs on Chinese-made cars to the maximum 50% allowed by the WTO reuters.com. The tariff hike, set for 2025, is explicitly aimed at the influx of cheap Chinese EVs undercutting local and U.S. automakers reuters.com reuters.com. Mexico’s economy minister argued such steep duties are needed because “without a certain level of protection, you almost can’t compete” reuters.com reuters.com. China’s government protested, saying it “firmly opposes being coerced” with trade barriers reuters.com. The episode underscores growing tensions as Chinese EV exports accelerate – Europe last year already imposed anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese EVs reuters.com, and now Mexico is following suit to shield its market. Europe’s 2035 ban on new gasoline cars looms in the background, adding urgency for Western brands to step up their electric game or cede ground to newcomers.

Even as excitement builds for new EVs, practical challenges like software safety remain in focus. U.S. EV maker Rivian issued a recall (via software update) during this period for over 24,000 of its 2025 model R1T pickups and R1S SUVs reuters.com. The issue? A glitch in its Hands-Free Highway Assist driver-assist system could misidentify adjacent vehicles, a potentially dangerous bug reuters.com. Rivian swiftly pushed an over-the-air patch to fix the problem reuters.com, exemplifying how modern connected cars can be updated remotely – but also highlighting the growing pains of new automotive tech. Regulators praised the proactive fix, but the recall is a reminder that software is as critical as hardware in today’s cars. As EVs and autonomous features proliferate, automakers are essentially becoming software companies on wheels – and they’ll be judged on how well they manage those digital complexities along with motors and batteries.

Semiconductors: Chips, Stakes & Alliances

A historic deal in the semiconductor industry made waves: the U.S. government taking a direct equity stake in Intel. In a bold industrial policy move, President Donald Trump announced Washington will acquire 9.9% of Intel in exchange for roughly $10 billion in federal funding reuters.com reuters.com. This unprecedented arrangement converts grants from the 2022 CHIPS Act (meant to boost U.S. chipmaking) into an ownership stake – effectively making Uncle Sam a top shareholder of America’s iconic chipmaker. The deal secures Intel about $8.9 billion for U.S. fab expansion (plus an extra $5.7 billion grant Intel already received) reuters.com reuters.com. In return, the government gets stock at a slight discount and a warrant for an extra 5% stake if Intel ever tries to spin off its foundry business reuters.com – a clause to ensure Intel keeps critical chip manufacturing in-house. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hailed the agreement as “fair to Intel and fair to the American people”, and Trump crowed that Intel’s CEO “ended up giving us $10 billion” for U.S. industry reuters.com reuters.com.

The backdrop to this dramatic pact is Intel’s quest to regain its former glory. Once the world’s dominant chipmaker, Intel has struggled in recent years – falling behind Taiwan’s TSMC in leading-edge process tech and Nvidia in AI chips. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan (whom Trump had publicly urged to resign over alleged China ties reuters.com) is executing a turnaround plan: building new fabs in Arizona and Ohio, entering the foundry business making chips for other companies, and cutting costs (including tens of thousands of jobs) reuters.com. The SoftBank group jumped in earlier with a $2 billion strategic investment in Intel reuters.com. Now, with Washington’s backing, Intel gets a much-needed war chest – but also unusual government involvement. Officials insist the U.S. stake will be “passive” with no board seat reuters.com, and will vote its shares along with management on most matters.

Market analysts are divided on whether this is a game-changer for Intel or merely a Band-Aid. Daniel Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust, argued Intel’s issues run deeper than money: “Without government support or a financially stronger partner, it will be difficult for the Intel foundry unit to raise enough capital… Intel needs to catch up with TSMC from a technological perspective to attract business,” he said bluntly reuters.com. The deal also raises broader questions: Is this the start of a new era of U.S. industrial policy, directly owning stakes in tech firms? (Trump’s administration has lately made similar moves, including a revenue-sharing deal with Nvidia on certain China-bound chips reuters.com and a “golden share” in U.S. Steel’s sale reuters.com.) It also sends a signal to China amid the U.S.-China tech war: Washington is literally investing in securing a domestic chip supply.

Across the Pacific, Taiwan – the world’s chip foundry hub – flexed its diplomatic muscles via semiconductors. In Taipei, the SEMICON 2025 industry conference became a platform for Taiwan to deepen international ties through chip tech. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung declared that chips and AI are “strategic resources” and urged “free world” nations to partner with Taiwan for “trusted non-red supply chains,” a veiled swipe at dependence on China reuters.com reuters.com. Taiwan’s President and a delegation of officials from 17 countries (a record attendance) joined, including representatives from nations that historically cut diplomatic ties with Taipei under Chinese pressure reuters.com. Even a group of entrepreneurs from Africa – where Taiwan has almost no official allies – attended to explore tech partnerships reuters.com. The message was clear: Taiwan intends to leverage its crown jewel, TSMC’s semiconductor dominance, as a tool of “chip diplomacy” to forge new alliances reuters.com. With geopolitical tensions high, chips are not just business – they’re bargaining chips in international affairs.

Big Tech & Antitrust: Microsoft’s EU Relief

Microsoft scored a notable win in Europe, as regulators formally settled their antitrust case over Microsoft Teams. On Sept 12, the European Commission announced it accepted Microsoft’s commitments to address competition concerns related to Teams reuters.com. This closes a probe launched in 2023 after rival Slack (now part of Salesforce) complained that Microsoft unfairly bundled Teams – its video conferencing and chat app – with the ubiquitous Office 365 suite, giving it an edge over competitors. EU investigators had preliminarily agreed, finding Microsoft’s tying of Teams to Office skewed the market for workplace communication tools reuters.com.

To avoid fines, Microsoft offered concessions, and Brussels is now satisfied. Under the deal, starting Oct 1, Microsoft will unbundle Teams from its Office/Microsoft 365 packages in EU markets reuters.com. Business customers can choose a version of Office without Teams, reportedly at a slight discount (about €2 lower), or still buy it with Teams included. Microsoft also pledged to improve interoperability – making it easier for third-party apps to work with its software – and to not impede competitors. These commitments underwent a market test with European customers over the summer, and the EU’s acceptance means they found the remedies adequate. No fine will be imposed, and the case is closed with Microsoft avoiding a potential penalty up to 10% of its revenue.

For Microsoft, it’s a relief and a strategic retreat. The company maintains it never intended to stifle competition, noting Teams exploded in popularity organically (especially during the pandemic). Still, this is the first major test of Europe’s tougher stance on Big Tech bundling practices in years, and it shows the EU flexing its regulatory muscle. The outcome “restores fair competition” in office software, said EU officials, and demonstrates that even dominant firms like Microsoft must adjust products for antitrust concerns. Notably, the resolution comes just weeks before new EU Digital Markets Act rules kick in, which will impose further obligations on tech giants to ensure a level playing field. Microsoft, which has had past EU battles over Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player bundling, appears keen to stay out of prolonged war this time. By proactively carving out Teams in Europe, it avoided both fines and a formal admission of wrongdoing – while preserving the rest of its Office franchise. As one tech attorney observed, it’s a sign that “old-school antitrust” (tying software products) is back on regulators’ radar, even amid all the focus on digital privacy and AI. Other bundled services in Big Tech’s empires may face similar scrutiny going forward.

Tech Markets: IPOs Back in Action

After a drought in 2022–2023, tech IPOs are finally pouring in – and public investors are hungry again for high-growth tech plays. The latest evidence came as Via Transportation made its Wall Street debut. Via, a New York-based transit tech company, raised $492.9 million in its U.S. IPO on Sept 12, pricing shares at $46 – above the initial range – for a market cap of about $3.65 billion reuters.com. Via’s strong pricing and first-day pop (the stock opened trading up from the IPO price) add momentum to what analysts are calling an “autumn IPO rebound”. In fact, September has seen a flurry of high-profile offerings: Klarna, the Swedish fintech giant, listed in New York just a day earlier to intense demand – its shares jumped 30% at the open reuters.com reuters.com. Several others, including crypto exchange Gemini (run by the Winklevoss twins) and engineering firm Legence, are lined up to go public in the same week reuters.com. It’s a sharp turnaround from the past two years, when market volatility and economic angst (inflation, interest rates, war in Europe) slammed the IPO window shut.

What’s fueling the revival? For one, the stock market has been buoyant, with tech stocks in particular rallying in 2025. Investors are also betting that interest rates have peaked and rate cuts could be on the horizon, which boosts appetite for growth stocks reuters.com. Furthermore, uncertainty like the U.S.–China trade war has eased somewhat: even Trump’s tariffs – a worry that hung over many firms – have started to recede from investors’ minds reuters.com. Via’s successful IPO reflects these improving conditions.

Via itself is an interesting case: founded in 2012, it’s not a household-name app but rather a B2G/B2B platform that partners with cities and transit agencies. Via’s software enables on-demand shuttles, van pools and shared rides as an extension of public transport networks reuters.com. Think of it as the “Uber for buses” – dispatching small vehicles to dynamically pick up multiple passengers headed the same direction, improving efficiency and coverage. Via operates in hundreds of cities across 30+ countries reuters.com, helping municipalities run smarter paratransit, school buses, and first-mile/last-mile connections. With urban congestion and climate concerns rising, many cities seek to integrate such tech to reduce private car use. Via has benefited from this trend, pitching itself as a solution for “sustainable mixed-mode transit systems” reuters.com reuters.com. Its revenues have been growing (though like many tech startups, it has yet to turn a profit).

The IPO gives Via a cash infusion to expand and also provides an exit for long-time backers (it was last valued around $3.5 billion in 2023 reuters.com). Notably, top-tier banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley underwrote the deal reuters.com, signaling confidence. Via’s CEO cheered the successful listing as validation of the company’s mission to modernize transit. The broader market sees it as part of a larger reopening of the tech IPO pipeline. In the coming weeks, all eyes will be on other debutants – from chip designer Arm (in the semiconductor realm) to various fintech and SaaS firms – to gauge if the IPO resurgence has legs. For now, September’s flurry suggests investors are once again embracing tech growth stories, so long as the price is right.

Cybersecurity: “Arsonist” Allegations After Hospital Hack

A devastating ransomware attack on Ascension Health, one of America’s largest hospital networks, has sparked a high-profile blame game and calls for accountability – with Microsoft in the hot seat. In a dramatic letter dated Sept 11, Senator Ron Wyden urged the FTC to investigate Microsoft’s role in the 2024 Ascension breach, lambasting the software giant for “gross negligence” in cybersecurity therecord.media. The hack, which struck Ascension in late 2024, forced 140 hospitals across 19 states to revert to manual operations for weeks therecord.media. Electronic medical records went down, ambulances were diverted, surgeries delayed – a nurse told CNN it was “putting patients’ lives in danger” as doctors waited hours for critical test results therecord.media. Ultimately, the attackers (a cybercriminal gang) leaked the sensitive health and financial data of nearly 6 million patients therecord.media when a ransom wasn’t paid. It was one of the worst healthcare cyberattacks on record.

Wyden’s investigation pinned a chunk of blame on Microsoft’s legacy technology. The attackers gained entry via “Kerberoasting”, a technique that exploits weaknesses in Microsoft’s default authentication protocols therecord.media. In short, Windows still supported an outdated encryption algorithm called RC4 – dating to the 1980s – for certain network logins therecord.media. Despite RC4 being long known as insecure, it remained enabled by default in Active Directory (the backbone of hospital IT systems) unless administrators manually disabled it therecord.media therecord.media. Wyden’s letter scathingly noted that even Microsoft’s own experts had warned for a decade that RC4 was dangerous therecord.media. “At this point, Microsoft has become like an arsonist selling firefighting services to their victims,” Wyden wrote, accusing the company of profiting from selling extra security add-ons to patch its own weak defaults therecord.media. He argued that Microsoft’s near-monopoly in enterprise software forces customers to rely on it, even when its lapses cause harm therecord.media.

Microsoft’s response, while measured, essentially agreed on the technical facts but not the characterization. A spokesperson acknowledged RC4 is an old cipher that the company “discourages customers from using.” Microsoft noted that RC4 accounts for <0.1% of authentication traffic now therecord.media. However, simply disabling it by default earlier would have “broken many customer systems,” the company claims therecord.media. Microsoft says it is on a path to gradually eliminate RC4 – committing that by Q1 2026, any new Windows Server installations will have RC4 off by default therecord.media. In fact, the company said it already removed another similarly weak standard and has warned admins to use stronger encryption or 16+ character passwords to mitigate Kerberoasting therecord.media therecord.media. Microsoft somewhat defensively pointed out that organizations share responsibility too – noting that U.S. agencies and cybersecurity experts have issued guidance to disable legacy protocols therecord.media.

Wyden, a long-time tech policy hawk, was unswayed – criticizing Microsoft for burying its RC4 warnings in a “highly technical blog post on an obscure website” instead of clearly alerting customers therecord.media. He highlighted that multiple government bodies (CISA, etc.) had strongly urged migrating away from RC4, and yet Microsoft hadn’t forced the issue therecord.media. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has not publicly responded yet, but it could potentially investigate whether Microsoft’s product practices constituted unfair or deceptive acts affecting security. The stakes are high: critical infrastructure like hospitals depend on vendor defaults to be secure out-of-the-box. This case also illustrates how decades-old software decisions can haunt today’s security. As one cybersecurity expert noted, “backward compatibility can be the enemy of security” – Microsoft kept RC4 for old compatibility, and hackers took advantage.

For everyday users and enterprises, the incident is a wake-up call that cyber vulnerabilities aren’t just an IT issue but a public safety threat. It also shows a shift in tone – policymakers are willing to name-and-shame big tech for security failings. Wyden’s “arsonist” metaphor grabbed headlines, and it may pressure Microsoft (and other vendors) to accelerate phasing out obsolete tech. On the flip side, Microsoft’s dominance means even its outdated tools are widely used – a legacy of convenience that’s now a security risk. The story is a stark reminder: software choices can literally have life-or-death consequences in our connected world, and accountability for security is being demanded at the highest levels.

Space: Reusability Records & Global Connectivity

In space news, SpaceX notched yet another milestone in rocket reusability while expanding the reach of satellite internet. On Sept 11, SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 blasted off from Cape Canaveral at 9:56 pm EDT carrying the Nusantara Lima telecommunications satellite for Indonesia space.com. The mission – after three days of weather scrubs – went flawlessly: about 8½ minutes after launch, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster descended and stuck a pinpoint landing on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic space.com space.com. This marked the 23rd successful launch and landing for this particular booster (tail number B1078) space.com, inching closer to SpaceX’s record of 30 reuses for a single rocket set last month space.com. It was also SpaceX’s 114th launch of the year 2025, an unprecedented cadence that highlights how routine orbital launches have become for Elon Musk’s company space.com space.com.

The payload, Nusantara Lima, is a powerful 5 ton-class satellite built by Boeing for Indonesian operator PSN. About 27 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s upper stage deployed Nusantara Lima into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, from which the satellite will maneuver to its final slot 35,700 km above the equator space.com. Once in position, it will “hover” over Indonesia (geostationary orbit means it orbits in sync with Earth’s rotation) and is expected to begin service in 2026 after months of testing space.com. Nusantara Lima’s mission is significant: it will provide high-speed internet and communications across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands – a vast archipelago where connectivity is a challenge – as well as to parts of Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea space.com. PSN, Indonesia’s first private satcom firm, says the satellite will deliver broadband to remote regions that fiber cables can’t reach, helping bridge the digital divide. It effectively replaces/augments an aging satellite (Nusantara Dua) that was lost in a launch failure in 2020, so this successful launch was watched closely in Indonesia. Officials there celebrated it as a major step toward the country’s goal of nationwide connectivity.

For SpaceX, beyond demonstrating rapid reusability, this launch underscores its dominance in the global commercial launch market. Falcon 9 has become a go-to ride not just for SpaceX’s own Starlink satellites (which make up the bulk of those 100+ launches this year) but also for international customers like PSN. In fact, SpaceX has now launched satellites for a wide array of nations and companies, often on short notice. Reusing boosters allows a high tempo and lower costs, giving SpaceX an edge. It’s notable that this booster had previously flown NASA’s Crew-6 mission (carrying astronauts) among many others space.com – emblematic of how the same rocket can now launch humans one month and a commsat the next. The 100th Falcon 9 flight of 2025 happened recently space.com, and the year isn’t over. With Starship (SpaceX’s next-gen rocket) still in testing, Falcon 9 is doing yeoman’s work. Each successful reuse solidifies the paradigm shift SpaceX sparked: rockets are no longer single-use throwaways, but reliable reusable transports, much like airplanes.

Elsewhere in orbit, International Space Station (ISS) logistics carried on amid geopolitical twists. On Sept 11, a Russian Progress 93 cargo ship launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, carrying 2.8 tons of supplies to the ISS nasa.gov space.com. It docked smoothly on Sept 13, delivering food, fuel, and scientific gear to the multinational crew. Notably, this comes at a time when Russia’s space partnership is one of the few areas of ongoing cooperation with the West. NASA provided live coverage of the launch on its new NASA+ streaming service nasa.gov, emphasizing that ISS operations remain normal despite terrestrial tensions. The next crew swap is also on the horizon: a Soyuz capsule is set to launch in mid-September with two Russians and an American astronaut, under the barter agreement where NASA and Roscosmos exchange seats on each other’s spacecraft. It’s a reminder that even as nations compete (and sometimes clash) in space exploration – from Artemis moon plans to anti-satellite tests – the ISS continues as a symbol of post-Cold War collaboration, now in its 25th year in orbit.

Energy Tech: Green Energy Investments and a Geothermal “Jackpot”

Amid the day-to-day tech news, longer-term developments in clean energy technology quietly pressed forward. In particular, experts are increasingly excited about geothermal energy – tapping the Earth’s internal heat – as the next big renewable resource. A Reuters Breakingviews column posited that the recent oil drilling boom in places like Texas may have unknowingly paved the way for a geothermal breakthrough breakingviews.com reuters.com. The logic: techniques and equipment developed to drill ultra-deep oil wells can be repurposed to bore into hot rock formations and harness steam to generate electricity. The U.S. needs more firm, around-the-clock power (especially as more solar and wind come online which are intermittent). Geothermal is clean and constant, but until now it’s been limited to certain volcanic regions. The column notes that companies hunting for oil have drilled ever deeper and wider, building expertise that could unlock geothermal reservoirs virtually anywhere – a potential “green energy jackpot” if scalable breakingviews.com. Startups and even some oil firms are already piloting projects to fracture hot dry rock and circulate water to extract heat (a technique known as EGS, enhanced geothermal systems). If successful, this could mean thousands of megawatts of clean power from beneath our feet, turning old oil fields into renewable energy sources. It’s early days, but policymakers see promise – the U.S. Department of Energy has a goal to cut geothermal costs 90% by 2035 and generate 60 GW from it (up from just 0.4 GW today). The Breakingviews analysis suggests investors keep an eye on this space, as geothermal could ride the coattails of oil’s infrastructure and workforce – a true transitional pivot from fossil fuel to renewable using the same drills.

Meanwhile, investment in more conventional renewables continues at a torrid pace worldwide. On Sept 11, Colombia’s energy company Celsia announced it is launching a new investment platform to develop over $1.2 billion worth of solar and wind projects in Peru reuters.com. The initiative, named Celaris Energy, aims to add about 1.2 gigawatts of clean energy capacity in Peru by 2028 reuters.com reuters.com – a huge expansion for that market. It’s part of a trend of cross-border green investments in Latin America, as countries like Peru, Colombia and others push to diversify their energy mix away from hydrocarbons. Celsia (controlled by Grupo Argos) already operates renewable plants in Colombia and Central America, and now sees Peru’s growing electricity demand as an opportunity. The Peruvian projects will include large solar farms and wind parks, helping the country reach its climate targets and supply more stable power to industry. Celsia is seeking international partners to co-invest – not unlike how oil companies partner on big drilling projects, but now for renewables.

Multilateral banks are also stepping up: the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a new $634 million climate finance package this week, with renewable energy among the key targets, from Central Asia to North Africa pv-tech.org. In Asia, private firms are innovating – e.g., a Chinese-Norwegian venture is developing a 500 MW floating green ammonia plant that uses offshore wind power to produce carbon-free ammonia fuel fuelcellsworks.com. And even iconic consumer companies are involved: Mars Inc., the candy giant, announced a novel strategy to power its operations with clean energy by partnering with wind and solar developers in several countries mars.com. In short, the clean tech transition is accelerating on multiple fronts – large-scale solar/wind deployment, experimental geothermal tech, green hydrogen and ammonia, and energy efficiency schemes.

One notable undercurrent is how fossil fuel know-how is being redeployed. Oil services firms, for instance, are now working on geothermal drilling and carbon capture projects. The Breakingviews piece points out that the hunt for oil “inadvertently” opened access to deep hot rocks reuters.com – a silver lining where old-school oil exploration may enable a new era of geothermal. If that pans out, fields that once pumped oil could one day be sites of always-on geothermal power plants, supplying clean electricity and even heating to nearby cities. That kind of full-circle story – drilling rigs delivering green energy – shows the ingenious ways technology can pivot to address climate change. It’s a reminder that the tech news of the day isn’t just gadgets and rockets, but also the less-glamorous advances in how we power our world. From Apple’s latest silicon to literally the Earth’s red-hot core, the period of Sept 11–12, 2025 showcased progress on all fronts of technology – without a single AI algorithm in sight.

Sources:

• Apple’s iPhone Air, Apple Watch, AirPods event details theguardian.com theguardian.com
• Automakers’ EV launches at IAA Munich; Chinese competition quote reuters.com reuters.com
• Mexico 50% tariff on Chinese cars (Reuters) reuters.com reuters.com
• Rivian recall for software issue (Reuters) reuters.com
• U.S. 10% stake in Intel deal (Reuters) reuters.com reuters.com
• Analyst on Intel’s challenges (Reuters) reuters.com
• Taiwan chip diplomacy at Semicon (Reuters) reuters.com reuters.com
• EU accepts Microsoft Teams commitments (Reuters) reuters.com reuters.com
• Via IPO raises $493M; transit tech description (Reuters) reuters.com reuters.com
• Wyden letter on Ascension hack; “arsonist” quote (The Record) therecord.media therecord.media
• Microsoft response on RC4 and plans (The Record) therecord.media therecord.media
• SpaceX Nusantara Lima launch report (Space.com) space.com space.com
• Falcon 9 booster reusability stats (Space.com) space.com
• Progress 93 ISS mission (NASA/Space.com) nasa.gov space.com
• Breakingviews on oil & geothermal energy (Reuters via Breakingviews) breakingviews.com
• Celsia $1.2B renewables in Peru (Reuters) reuters.com reuters.com