Space tourism gets a new episode, as Instagram finds a way to reset your doomscrolling algo

In today’s episode of Mint Techcetra, hosts Leslie D’Monte and Shouvik Das take us through an exciting exploration of the latest in space tourism and India’s smartphone market. The episode begins with a look at Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, two major players in commercial space travel, backed by Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson respectively. Both are working towards making space more accessible to the masses by offering trips into lower orbit and the outer stratosphere. With missions like NS 28 from Blue Origin, space travel is slowly becoming a reality for more people. Given the chance, would you want to be part of this new frontier? The conversation then shifts to Gopi Thotakura, the first Indian space tourist, who recently took a short recreational trip into space. This opens the door to a bigger discussion on how space travel, once a distant dream, is becoming more achievable. The hosts also discuss ISRO's growing ambitions, from creating a space station to advancing India’s role in lunar exploration. The hope is that, with time, space travel will become more affordable, potentially opening up these journeys to a wider audience. Next, they turn their attention to India's smartphone market, where OnePlus has seen a significant decline in shipments and brand value. With a 46% drop in shipments and a 41% loss in value, OnePlus’ move to target the mass market with cheaper devices has hurt its premium image. Meanwhile, brands like Apple and Samsung have continued to dominate. The hosts discuss how consumers are now more focused on factors like security, battery life, and trust when choosing their devices, especially in light of privacy concerns around Chinese brands. From space to smartphones, this episode sheds light on how these industries are changing fast and how those changes are affecting us all.