Hashtag Trends Oct. 14 – TikTok eCommerce. Amazon launches Kuiper satellite. Meta’s new VR headset

TikTok is gearing up to enter the e-commerce space, Amazon finally launches two satellites for its internet constellation, and Meta launches its new Quest Pro VR headset.

Welcome to hashtag trending. It’s Friday, October 14th, and I’m your host, Samira Bulsara.

TikTok is now chasing the e-commerce market. Axios says it aims to build its own product fulfillment center. The tip came from one of the job listings that described a product fulfillment system with warehousing, shipping, and customer service returns that would keep the TikTok shop growing. One job called for a Logistics Solutions Manager for a Global Fulfillment Center. Another job asked me to create a new fulfillment service center from scratch. The social media platform piloted shopping features for the first time in North America and the UK last year. A company spokesperson confirmed that it has already launched e-commerce programs in the UK and Southeast Asia.

Amazon is finally gearing up to launch the first two satellites of the Project Kuiper constellation. Project Kuiper, like SpaceX’s Starlink, aims to provide satellite internet around the world. His two satellites, Kuipersat 1 and 2, will be launched on the maiden flight of the United Launch His Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, a joint project between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. This launch is important not only for Amazon, but also for Vulcan. Due to development delays, the rocket is years behind schedule. Additionally, two commercial orbital missions must be completed in order to be certified to launch US military satellites. According to Space News, launching Amazon’s satellites will provide hands-on experience for future missions.

Meta announced a new VR headset at the Connect conference. The Quest Pro is priced at $1,500 and aims to improve his VR experience for both users and developers. It uses a new Qualcomm Snapdragon chip for faster processing and a new touch controller for better hand tracking. The display lens has also been upgraded. At his event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced a partnership with Meta to integrate several Microsoft apps, including the Microsoft Teams chat app, into Quest VR devices.

A new wind turbine prototype generated a record-breaking 359MWh of energy in less than 24 hours. The turbine, manufactured by Siemens Gamesa, uses a 222-meter-wide rotor to generate enough electricity to power 18,000 homes per year. According to the company, once it’s ready, it can be easily mass-produced with low risk. Series production of this wind turbine will start in 2024.

That’s all the tech news trending right now. Hashtag Trending is part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or Google Home Daily Briefing.Be sure to sign up Daily IT Wire Receive our newsletter to receive all the important news directly in your inbox every day. Also, check out the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which airs every Thursday morning. If you have any suggestions or tips, let us know in the comments or email us. Thanks for listening, I’m Samira Bulsara.