SpaceX’s Starlink internet-from-space service is already available for boats, planes, vanlifers, Amazonian villages, and rural homes in over 75 countries — now it’s coming to backpackers.

The new compact DC-powered Starlink Mini is about the size of a thick laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router right inside the dish. And despite using less power than other Starlink terminals, it can still deliver speeds over 100Mbps.

“This product will change the world,” claimed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X, saying it took less than five minutes to setup.

Notably, the Mini kit consumes an average of just 20-40W compared to the 33-62W we measured just two years ago with a Standard Actuated dish and separate AC-powered Wi-Fi router. That means you can power the Mini dish for two to three hours from something like an Anker Prime 27,650mAh (99.54Wh) power bank, or a little over an hour with smaller 10,000mAh (40Wh) portable batteries you probably already have laying about. It requires a USB-C PD power source with a minimum rating of 100W (20V/5A). 

The Mini dish measures 11.75 x 10.2 x 1.45 inches (298.5 x 259 x 38.5mm) and weighs just 2.43 pounds (1.1kg), or 3.37 pounds (1.53kg) with the 49.2 foot (15m) DC power cable and kickstand. It has an IP67 rating meaning it’s protected from dust and rain, including short periods of water immersion.

In the US, Starlink Mini is an add-on to Residential plans — at least for now. The Mini kit costs $599 which is $100 more than the standard dish, and will cost an extra $30 per month to add the Mini Roam service to existing $120 Residential plans. That gives Starlink Mini users up to 50GB of mobile data each month, with the option to purchase more for $1 per GB, according to early-access invitations sent to some exiting US Starlink customers. 

While Starlink Mini is new to the US, a Starlink support page says it’s already available in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama where it can be purchased with Mini Service or Mobile – Regional Service plans. In those countries, there’s no data or speed caps to use Mini, and in-motion and ocean use is not allowed. SpaceX says it’ll expand to more markets over time.

“Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable,” reads the Starlink support page. “In regions with high usage, like the US, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of the Starlink Mini Kits to start at a higher price point.”

As a standalone service, Starlink Mini could be transformative for anyone in need of an inexpensive and sharable internet service that efficiently sips DC battery power. This includes families that depend upon a cobbled together solar generator for power, a squad of soldiers trying to fight back an invasion, or just bikepackers and overlanders taking the road less traveled.

Elon Musk, who has long touted claims about the world’s supposed depopulation crisis, had another child with an executive at his brain implant company Neuralink, according to a report from Bloomberg. Neuralink director Shivon Zilis reportedly had the child with Musk earlier this year.

As noted by Bloomberg, Musk has repeated that line several times in the past, including during a 2022 interview with Tucker Carlson and again during an interview at the Milken Institute conference in May. He told Carlson “a collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces, by far.” In 2021, Musk’s nonprofit organization donated $10 million to the University of Austin to fund the Population Wellbeing Initiative, a research group that studies the human population.

The revelation also follows multiple reports alleging inappropriate conduct from Musk in the workplace and with subordinates. A recent report from The Wall Street Journal said Musk had a sexual relationship with a former SpaceX intern who later became one of the company’s executives. Another employee says she refused Musk’s requests to have children with him several times, according to the Journal.

Abbott announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has cleared two new over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors (CGM). The Lingo is designed for health-conscious consumers who want to get greater insight into their metabolism. Meanwhile, the Libre Rio is designed for Type 2 diabetics who don’t rely on insulin.

CGMs are small wearable sensors that you typically wear for about 14 days at a time. They don’t actually measure your blood sugar but instead measure glucose in interstitial fluid — the stuff between your cells — just under the skin. Thus far, they’ve generally been used for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who rely on insulin for treatment. However, there’s been a growing push among medical device makers and health tech startups to see whether the tech can help non-insulin dependent diabetics, people with prediabetes, or people who wish to improve their metabolic health.

According to Abbott’s press release, Lingo is meant to be a “consumer wearable” for people 18 years and older. Like Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre CGMs, it’s worn on the upper arm for 14 days and glucose data can be sent to a smartphone app. In the app, users will be able to view coaching insights into a person’s reactions to certain foods, exercise, and stress. However, as a wellness device, it’s not intended to be used to diagnose any metabolic disorders or inform diabetes treatment.

The Libre Rio, however, is aimed at Type 2 diabetics who don’t use insulin and instead manage their condition through lifestyle changes. It’ll be able to track glucose ranges between 40 and 400 mg/dL. Abbott isn’t the only company pursuing this type of CGM. Earlier this year, Dexcom announced the Stelo CGM, an OTC CGM also aimed at Type 2 diabetics who don’t use insulin. The Stelo also received FDA clearance and is expected to arrive later this summer.

The appeal of OTC CGMs is that they improve accessibility. Typically, CGMs require a prescription to obtain, which can deter folks who don’t technically “need” a CGM but could benefit from using one. Improved accessibility may give people with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes a more effective means of monitoring how certain lifestyle changes affect their condition. (And in the case of prediabetes, potentially reversing it.) Some CGM startups, like Nutrisense and Levels, also market themselves to nondiabetics for weight loss, optimized athletic performance, and improved metabolic health. That said, the jury is still out on how impactful CGM use is in nondiabetics.