The Download

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photo: Amazon Leo

TL;DR: The race to bring you internet from space is about to take off. Amazon is gearing up to launch its commercial satellite internet service by the end of the year, wading into territory long held by SpaceX’s Starlink network. It could mean better wi-fi on planes and cheaper prices for everyone.

What happened: Amazon has built its 1,000th satellite for its Amazon Leo project (formerly Project Kuiper)—the internet service it’s spent seven years trying to get off the ground—and it’s reportedly just weeks away from a rollout.

The project hasn’t come without struggles, though. Leo was supposed to launch by mid-2026, according to CEO Andy Jassy. But a shortage of rockets left Amazon behind on an FCC deadline to have half its planned network in orbit by July. (A rocket that exploded on the launchpad in May didn’t help.) The FCC granted an extension but docked the company for the delay: Satellites launched after the deadline temporarily lose priority access to the airwaves (frequencies that wireless signals travel on).

Signal boost: This new space race could pay off most for two groups: frequent flyers and people in rural areas who have fewer broadband options. Airlines like Delta and JetBlue have already signed up to use Leo for in-flight wi-fi. (Just maybe save the family video call for after you get off the plane: The penalty might surprise you.) Amazon has also promised download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, roughly double that of Starlink’s top home plan.

Turf wars: SpaceX isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat. When Amazon asked the FCC for the extension in January, SpaceX pushed regulators to refuse and called the request “gamesmanship.” (Amazon has filed objections to SpaceX’s plans too, to be fair.)

Now, with a rival on the way, the company is diversifying its portfolio and branching out into the traditional telecom business—it reportedly agreed to pay about $8 billion for cellular spectrum licenses. This means it’s gearing up to use old-school cell towers, moving SpaceX onto AT&T and Verizon’s home turf.

Bottom line: More deep-pocketed companies fighting over your internet and phone bills could mean better service and lower prices. —LC

      

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The Zeitbyte

An AI movie wants Oscar gold

Gossip Goblin

There’s a dubious new Hollywood milestone to celebrate: An upcoming film is claiming it’s the first fully AI-generated movie to receive an official MPA rating (an R for, we assume, “robots”). Created by a YouTuber called Gossip Goblin, the animated feature—given the ominous title Gods Don’t Give Gifts—is apparently an anthology of sci-fi stories about a future where “strong minds can outlive weak bodies,” per the very trippy trailer. “We feel it could be this generation’s Toy Story,” the CEO of the film’s production company said in a statement. Except instead of a story about the power of friendship, this movie’s about a world where “consciousness has been commoditized,” according to its logline.

Gods Don’t Give Gifts is even gunning for an Oscar nod in the best animated feature category, moving its release window from October to December to land smack dab in the middle of awards season. And if the bid is successful, there’s a good chance the movie would face off against the actual Toy Story 5 that came out this year. But as Woody likes to say: Reach for the sky. —WK

Chaos Brewing Meter: ☕☕/5

• We could be getting that touchscreen MacBook and these other Apple products in just a few weeks.
• Errr…apparently there was a cage fight event in California that pitted robots against a human (it’s somehow giving both Terminator and Predator)—and the state just said it was illegal.
• You can now get Claude to turn your work data and reports into quick, animated explainer videos.
• These three streaming services will be combined at some point now that Skydance is happening.
• And just like that, the major AI companies are prepping for the moment when AI causes a catastrophic event (like cutting off access to the internet or even water) and people start revolting, per Axios.
• We can’t stop laughing about this developer’s solution to having a really messy desktop—and it’s also very satisfying to watch in action.

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