Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Elon Musk shares his plan to colonize Mars. The SpaceX CEO will be giving a “major” update to audiences at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia. Analysts think Musk may announce a smaller version of the Interplanetary Transport System, and he also teased that “certain aspects of the new design and its applications will be unexpected.”
A big EU meeting in Estonia. Leaders will convene to discuss Brexit and Emmanuel Macron’s plan for bolstering European power, along with new taxes on internet giants.
Sushi giants partner in Japan. Tokyo’s top conveyer-belt sushi chain Sushiro will merge with its smaller rival Genki Sushi. The combined company will control 30% of the market.
While you were sleeping
Ikea bought TaskRabbit. The Swedish furniture giant paid an undisclosed amount for the gig economy startup, which has raised nearly $50 million in VC funding. Many of the 60,000 independent contractors on the platform are already assembling Ikea furniture.
Airport check-in systems around the world crashed. Travelers from Singapore to Baltimore experienced lengthy delays after a widely used software provider crashed. Spanish software giant Amadeus said its Altea system “experienced a network issue” and is now up and running.
Trump loosened shipping restrictions to Puerto Rico. The US president issued a temporary waiver to the Jones Act, which requires US-built and crewed vessels for travel between US ports. That restriction has hampered relief efforts to Puerto Rico, where food, water, and gasoline are in short supply.
Twitter was grilled about Russia propaganda. The social network told US lawmakers that it identified at least 200 Russia-linked accounts that also bought political ads on Facebook. Senator Mark Warner said it was “deeply disappointing” that Twitter did not seek out fake news stories on its own.
The US economy picked up steam. Gross domestic product rose by an annualized 3.1% in the April-June quarter, a bit ahead of expectations, but economists expect weaker third quarter numbers due to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Quartz obsession interlude
Mike Murphy on a startup building eyes for robot cars. “The self-driving cars of tomorrow will need to be able to perceive the world with about as much information and as easily as we do or they’re not likely to revolutionize how we get around. When it comes to seeing the world, few things see as clearly as Russell’s machine.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
Stocks up, dollar down / The less we know on tax cuts / The better they sound
Matters of debate
The future of transportation may be about sharing batteries, not vehicles. A Taiwanese startup uses swappable battery packs for its scooters.
Hugh Hefner embodied the contradiction at the heart of the American dream. The late Playboy founder championed both equality and the objectification of women.
China is punishing and supporting North Korea in the same breath. Reductions in gas exports have been offset by increased shipments of grain.
Surprising discoveries
A Saudi workplace messaging app has gone viral in the US. Teens use Sarahah to send each other anonymous notes (paywall).
Aston Martin designed a futuristic submarine. The sports car-inspired design is fit for James Bond.
You can now see colors that once didn’t exist. Industrialization changed the world’s palette, adding an array of synthetic hues.
China is obsessed with drinking hot water. An ancient tactic to stay warm morphed into a belief that it has beneficial health effects.
Elon Musk’s mother can’t jump the line to get a Tesla. She will have to wait more than a year for a Model 3, just like everyone else.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, anonymous notes, and Mars colonization plans to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.