Category: Technology

Microsoft has added a new app called Games for Work to Teams, which will allow users to dive into some casual multiplayer titles together. As many as 250 people can play Microsoft Solitaire, Microsoft Minesweeper, Microsoft IceBreakers and Microsoft Wordament with each other.

Solitaire and Minesweeper are, of course, classic Windows games. Players will go head-to-head in Solitaire in a race to finish first. In Minesweeper, they’ll team up to clear the board and each person will have a few lives in case they click on a mine.

Unsurprisingly, Wordament is a word game. There’s a leaderboard where you can see how you fare compared with your coworkers. IceBreakers does what it says on the tin — you’ll answer questions about certain topics and perhaps find out a little more about your colleagues.

The Teams crew worked with Microsoft Casual Games, an Xbox Game Studios division, on Games for Work. The idea, according to Microsoft, is to help coworkers “pause and re-energize” in a virtual office setting. It cites data indicating that teams who play games together for 45 minutes are 20 percent more productive than those who opt for other types of team-building activities. “Research shows that gaming promotes cognitive benefits, helps foster empathy and encourages inclusion, team building and learning,” the company added.

Perhaps we’ll see a day when Microsoft bakes Xbox Cloud Gaming into Teams. In the meantime, you’ll be able to clear rudimentary virtual minefields with colleagues and battle it out with them in Solitaire. As for folks working at companies using Google Meet, there’s no reason to feel left out: you can play games like Uno Mobile with colleagues too.

 

Be it for work or play, many people are taking trips again, which makes travel-related gifts an excellent idea. Whether your loved ones are globetrotters or frequent business travelers, it’s time to look into upgrading their existing on-the-go kit. We’ve curated a list of various items your friends and family will appreciate. Things like sleep masks and packing cubes are essential, and tech gear like battery packs and noise-canceling headphones can make the hectic parts of traveling a bit less stressful. We’re sure at least one of these will help make your loved ones’ next adventure a lot more enjoyable.

Anker 622 Magnetic Battery

Anker’s 622 MagGo will make a great gift for anyone with an iPhone 12 or newer. The 5,000 mAh magnetic battery pack will adhere and charge any MagSafe-compatible device, which means they no longer need to worry about carrying charging cables when they’re out and about. It’s also super slim at 0.5 inches and is about the size of a deck of cards so it won’t add any extra bulk either. And there’s a bonus: It has a built-in foldable kickstand that will prop their iPhone up at a comfortable viewing angle, making it perfect for long flights. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer

Buy Anker 622 battery at Amazon – $60

Ostrich Pillow Hot & Cold Eye Mask

Sleep masks are a travel essential. They help you get precious z’s on long flights or when you’re suffering from jet lag. But not all sleep masks are the same. The really good ones don’t just fully cover the eyes, but also have enough layers to ensure complete darkness when worn. We also prefer padded models that mold to your face for added comfort and security.

The Ostrich Pillow Hot & Cold Eye mask meets all of those requirements and more. It has a clay bead core that applies gentle pressure to your eyelids for extra stress relief, and it even offers heat and cold therapy (warm it up in the microwave or place it in the freezer). This helps soothe away tense facial muscles or reduce eye strain, which is always welcome after a stressful travel day. — N.L.

Buy eye mask at Ostrich – $39

Sony WH-1000XM5

If you know someone who always complains about crying babies and chatty neighbors on flights, they’ll likely appreciate a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is one of Engadget’s favorites, easily making the best wireless headphones list this year. Senior Editor Billy Steele says it’s comfortable to wear for long periods, has an impressive 30-hour battery life, excellent sound quality and stellar ANC. It also has a combination of touch and physical controls, which means your giftee won’t have to reach for their phone every time they want to switch tracks. — N.L.

Buy WH-1000XM5 at Amazon – $398

Kobo Libra 2

Instead of spending your time scrolling on your phone while you wait for your delayed flight to take off, pick up an e-reader like the Kobo Libra 2. It lets you bring your whole digital library with you wherever you go, so you can catch up on your favorite cozy mystery series instead of swiping aimlessly through Instagram during every idle moment. Plus, Kobo devices have direct integration with Overdrive, and that means you can access your local library’s e-book offerings from the Libra 2. So even when your digital pile of e-books isn’t appealing to you, you can borrow a new read from the library in just a few seconds.

Additionally, we like the Libra 2 for its seven-inch E Ink display with brightness adjustment, blue light reduction and optional Dark Mode, and its ergonomic design that includes page-turn buttons. If you want the latter on a Kindle, you’ll have to shell out $250 for the Kindle Oasis, so the Libra 2 is an affordable alternative. If you do prefer the Kindle ecosystem and the perks that come with programs like Kindle Unlimited, we recommend the latest Kindle, which comes in at $100. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor

Buy Kobo Libra 2 at Amazon – $180

Incase Accessory Organizer

One of the challenges of traveling is having to corral all of your various cables and chargers, especially if you plan on bringing more than one electronic device. Incase’s Accessory Organizer, however, makes that whole process a lot easier. Made from sturdy lightweight nylon, the bag has lots of room for not just your phone but also a ton of accessories. It has several loops for holding pens and chargers, zip and mesh pockets for battery packs and cables, a padded faux fur pocket that’s ideal for storing your phone without scratching the screen, and more. The whole thing is just the size of a paperback book and it lies flat, so it’s easy to stow away in your backpack. Unlike a lot of other similarly-priced accessory organizers on the market, the Incase organizer is also water-repellent, which is an important factor in keeping your gear free from damage. — N.L.

Buy accessory organizer at Incase – $50

Bellroy Tech Kit

For a more stylish take on the accessory pouch, consider the Bellroy Tech Kit, which is made out of a combination of leather and a water-resistant woven fabric. It’s as functional as it is handsome, with a magnetic slip pocket that’s wide enough to fit a power bank or a mouse and several elastic loops to hold pens, cables and chargers. Plus, the zip opening hinges out to provide full access to the pouch’s contents, making it easy to access everything quickly. — N.L.

Buy Tech Kit at Bellroy – $60

Peak Design Packable tote

It’s always a good idea to bring a reusable bag with you while traveling. It gives you flexibility and will prevent you from attempting to stuff a bunch of essentials into your main carry-all at the last minute. There are thousands of options out there, but we like Peak Design’s Packable tote because it doesn’t have the typical reusable bag design and it remains affordable at only $20. It’s made of 100-percent recycled ripstop nylon, which is resilient and as well as water resistant, and it has a zip closure, which is something most other reusable bags don’t have. It’ll keep your items more secure thanks to that, and it’s easier to carry in different ways thanks to its single shoulder/hand strap that sports microfiber padding for extra comfort. We also like that it has an interior pocket that can hold a phone, wallet or keys, and it takes up a surprisingly little space when it’s packed into itself. — V.P.

Buy Packable Tote at Peak Design – $20

July Carry On

A travel must-have is a reliable piece of carry-on luggage, and the July Carry On certainly fits that bill. It has a built-in ejectable power bank that sits conveniently underneath the handle. It has a 10,000 mAh battery with one USB-C, one microUSB and two USB-A ports that’s able to charge not just your loved one’s phone but their laptop too. And since it’s ejectable, they can easily take it out in order to be compliant with airline flight regulations.

Additionally, the bag itself is very well-designed. It’s made out of a crush-proof polycarbonate shell, is outfitted with anodized aluminum bumpers and quiet spinner wheels, and it has a Y-Strap compression system that lets them fit in more clothes. It also comes in a variety of eye-catching colors. — N.L.

Buy carry on at July – $295

Foldable electric kettle

Not every hotel room comes with a coffee machine or some way to boil water, and the same goes for AirBnBs. If you have a friend or family member who simply must have their morning cup of tea everywhere they go, that’s a problem. A foldable electric kettle like this one from Loutytou is the perfect solution. It folds down to a compact, portable size when not in use, but expands to a full-size kettle that holds about 600ml of water. Just plug it into a power outlet, flip the switch, and they’ll have hot water in about six minutes. On a recent road trip, I used it not just for tea but also for making instant cup noodles in the middle of the night. It proved to be a savior for not just my sanity but those pesky midnight cravings as well. I also appreciate that the power cord and handle are detachable, making it easier to stow away. — N.L.

Buy foldable electric kettle at Amazon – $50

Anker PowerCore 65W 2-in-1 power bank

If you’re looking for the mother of all chargers to take with you on your next trip, Anker’s 733 2-in-1 power bank is the one to get. It’s both a 65W wall charger and a 10,000mAh portable battery in one, allowing you to charge pretty much anything at full speed no matter where you are. Flip out the built-in prongs and plug it in to power up your laptop, or use it on a flight when your smartphone needs a top-up. It has two built-in USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so not only do you have a variety of charging options, but it can handle powering up three devices simultaneously. Plus, it has Anker’s PowerIQ 4.0 technology for higher efficiency and ActiveShield 2.0 for improved temperature monitoring. — V.P.

Buy Anker PowerCore power bank at Amazon – $100

Newvanger travel power adapter

An adapter like Newvanger’s isn’t the sexiest gift ever, but it’s something all international travelers will want to keep in their bags. This model has the detachable input plugs that will work with European, UK and Australian outlets, making it an essential for anyone who wants to use their existing electronics while they’re traveling. It also has two USB-A ports built in, so you can power up a couple of mobile devices while you’re also using the main plug for things like your laptop or Nintendo Switch. Plus, it has built-in fuse protection so you won’t have to worry about your gadgets getting fried when you’re in a foreign country. — V.P.

Buy travel power adapter at Amazon – $20

 

GoPro’s annual Hero Black update came with a small surprise this year. Instead of just the usual flagship camera, a “Mini” version was also unveiled. Alas, only the regular Hero Black was available when they were announced, so if the diminutive version caught your eye you had to wait until Oct 25th. And then you had to wait just a little bit longer. But finally it’s here and it’s an interesting proposition.

Of course, the pitch is simple: A Hero 11 Black but smaller. The Mini is about 3/4 of an inch narrower than the regular Hero 11 Black when you look at it head on. But it’s also a teensy bit taller and about 5mm deeper. It’s obviously smaller overall, but there’s much less of a difference than there was with the Session cameras and the flagship of the time. As with that camera, though, the main trade off is the lack of viewfinder/displays. That’s a big deal, so that reduction in size really has to appeal to your use case. And I can say right up top here, for most people, it likely doesn’t.

To put things in perspective, at the time of writing, the Mini sells for $299.98 with a GoPro subscription, while the regular Hero 11 Black is listed for $349.98 with the same deal ($449.98 / $549.98 respectively if for some reason you can’t take the subscription offer). That’s either a $50 or $100 difference, depending, for the overall compromises and relatively minor difference in size. And there are additional differences beyond the lack of screen that you’ll want to consider. For example, there’s no photo mode this time around.

To be clear, yes you can get photos out of the camera (there’s one right above this sentence) but you’ll be pulling frames from video. And while that’s pretty easy, it’s definitely not as simple as choosing photo mode and pressing a button (also your photos might end up 16:9 if that’s what the source material is). Taking photos is definitely something you might assume you can do natively and I am obliged therefore to tell you that you cannot.

Of course, as mentioned, there’s no touchscreen which affects how you access the menu. You can navigate the settings via a small display on the top that will send GoPro veterans right back to the Hero 4 (and earlier) days. The options here are slightly limited, with just shooting mode, mode settings and some (but not all) general settings up for grabs. Everything else you’ll be doing through the app.

I personally prefer doing most things on the camera itself, and then use the app when the camera is mounted out of reach, but I didn’t find it hard to transition to doing most everything in Quik. This only really becomes an issue if you’re doing something where your phone isn’t nearby. Surfing, for example, might need a little bit of pre-planning to make sure you’re set up before you get in the water.

Relatedly, I noticed the camera goes into standby very quickly. After just eight seconds of inactivity the Mini will turn itself off (15 if you’re in the settings menu). This is obviously to save battery life, but it also means if you were just pausing for thought, you have to turn the camera back on, and possibly re-connect to the camera over WiFi and then pick up where you left off. It feels like an easy fix to add an option to change the amount of time, but for now, that’s how it is.

If you are used to using GoPro’s video presets, it’s worth knowing there’s only one here on the Mini. Unlike the regular Hero 11 that offers many along with the option to create your own for different shooting scenarios, the Mini has the essentials and not much else. It just means you need to change your video settings on a per-shot basis (like life before GoPro introduced presets) but it was something I found myself missing.

As for battery life, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that the sealed-design means you can’t swap out a new cell should you run out of juice. The better news is that the Mini uses the new longer-lasting Enduro battery. GoPro claims you should get about an hour of continuous recording at the highest quality, or nearer to two hours are less demanding settings. This feels about right based on the short time we’ve had with the camera and also inline with the Hero 11 Black, which uses the same battery.

Since the latest redesign and addition of 5.3K video modes, some people had issues with the camera overheating while recording indoors, with the camera in a fixed position. The company issued a software update in response including a new “stationary/tripod” mode.

When we tested our Hero 9, 10 and 11, we didn’t experience that issue, but with the Mini, it happened pretty quickly (in under 10 minutes) when recording at 5.3K/60fps. In less power-hungry modes the issue disappeared, so anything 1080p, for example, was fine. GoPro’s messaging here is that the Mini is an outdoor camera, designed for mounting on you or your gear. So, if you were looking at this for a potential static/indoor application, it’s not the camera you want, even according to GoPro.

If that seemed like a lot of words about things you can’t or shouldn’t do, then the good news is that, from here on out, it’s all about what the Mini can do. The short version of that is, mostly everything it’s bigger sibling can. But it’s worth calling out some specifics, and even a couple of things that are unique to the smaller camera.

The first thing I wanted to confirm was that the Mini had full 360-degree horizon lock. This was something new to the Hero 11 Black and it was one of the standout features this year. There was no reason why the Mini wouldn’t be able to do this, with it having the same sensor and all, but consider this confirmation of that nonetheless.

The same goes for the new Hyperview mode, which squeezes every pixel from the sensor into a 16:9 video. It’s incredibly immersive and makes even the most mundane of activities seem surprisingly dynamic. And of course, full-frame shooting is also here, so you can grab everything the sensor sees and then punch out different mobile-friendly or desktop videos from the same source file.

Where the Mini excels, unsurprisingly, is with anything body mounted. The smaller form-factor and lighter weight make it a much nice experience for head or helmet mounting. In fact, I’d go as far to say that the Mini is all about being a helmet cam. Not least because of the second pair of mounting fingers on the rear that make it easier to fix in a forward-facing position.

And this really feels like what the Mini is all about. If you don’t want all the bells and whistles and just want an honest-to-goodness action camera with all the Hero 11 Black video credentials, then the Mini is it. It also feels like it would make a good secondary camera for a different angle. Similarly, if you use a full-size GoPro for drone FPV footage (rather than the dedicated “Bones” camera) then the Mini is also a great option for that – plus you get a camera you can use elsewhere, too (unlike Bones).

 

It’s an exciting time to be a fan of space. NASA’s going back to the moon with the Artemis program, more and more companies are flying space tourist missions, and the new JWST observatory has already started changing the way we think of ourselves and the universe around us.

The good news is that all of this ongoing and renewed interest in space means that there’s a ton of merch out there. There’s never been a better time to be into space — or to be buying a gift for someone who loves it. These are some of our favorite things that any space lover will appreciate.

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ

If you’re looking for a beginner telescope, the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a fantastic choice. It’s easy to put together, provides a clear crisp view of night sky objects, and is relatively lightweight and portable. The telescope doesn’t have a motor, but it’s more affordable as a result. Compatibility with the StarSense app makes this telescope brilliantly easy to use and drastically reduces the time and effort it takes to find cool objects to look at in the night sky.

Buy Celestron StarSense Explorer at Amazon – $480

Startorialist JWST Cosmic Cliffs High Top Sneakers

JWST has been fully operational since June 2022, and it’s already sent us stunning images of our universe. One is a star-forming region in the Carina Nebula called the Cosmic Cliffs (fun fact, the tallest peaks are 7 light years high!) and you can get this amazing image on a classy pair of high-top sneakers from Startorialist, a STEM fashion brand. Keep in mind these are a custom order, so they may take a few weeks to ship.

Buy Cosmic Cliffs sneakers at Startorialist – $89

Banllis Decorative Astronaut and Moon Bookends

Want to spruce up someone’s book shelves? These adorable astronaut moon bookends will delight any space lover. They come in two colors, gold and gray – depending on whether you want them to pop or blend in. They aren’t the heaviest bookends, so you probably don’t want to hold up a huge stack of hardcovers with these, but they look good from both far away and close up – the detailing on the moons is an especially nice touch.

Buy bookends at Amazon – $47

The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy

Moiya McTier tells the story of the Milky Way in a unique way: from the point of view of the galaxy. It’s a funny and smart look at our galaxy (and humans’ place within it), and presents scientific information in an approachable and often hilarious way. Whether you’ve read every space book out there and are looking for something new or don’t know where to start, this is a unique perspective for sure.

Buy The Milky Way at Amazon – $14

Four Point Puzzles Moon Puzzle

This 1,000 piece puzzle features an exquisite NASA image of the Moon’s surface. The rich detail here, and the intricate lunar features, will provide a challenge to even experienced puzzle aficionados.

Buy moon puzzle at Four Points – $28

Emily’s Space Craft Jewelry

Want to buy some space jewelry? Emily Lakdawalla, planetary scientist and former Senior Editor of The Planetary Society, has a space-themed jewelry shop on Etsy. And frankly, her designs are stunning. You can find everything from Hertzsprung-Russell star diagram necklaces to solar system bracelets and more.

Shop jewelry at Emily’s Space Craft

Nikon 7245 Action Binoculars

Interested in looking at the night sky on the go? Consider a pair of binoculars instead of a telescope. They’re much more portable and easy to carry, and they don’t require nearly the setup that a telescope does. This Nikon ATB set is widely considered the best for stargazing — they’re lightweight, compact, and the price is equivalent to the most beginner telescopes.

Buy Nikon 7245 Action Binoculars at Amazon – $167

Svaha USA JWST Deep Field Custom Hoodie

Svaha USA is another great brand that’s got some fantastic STEM merch. They’ve even got JWST’s Deep Field image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 on a hoodie! If a pullover hoodie isn’t your thing, you can also find the image on tote bags, dresses, and more. These are custom printed upon ordering, so don’t wait until the last minute or you may not receive yours by the holidays.

Buy at custom hoodie at Svaha – $60

Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Training Experience

If you’re more of an “experience” gift giver than a “things” gift giver, then the Astronaut Training Experience might be just what you’re looking for. Located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on the Space Coast of Florida, this unique trip allows visitors and guests to train like an astronaut — everything from docking to navigating the Martian surface and even performing a spacewalk in low gravity.

Buy training experience at Kennedy Space Center – $175

Astronomy Activity Book For Kids

If you have five to seven year old kid on your holiday gift list who’s fascinated by galaxies far away, this activity book is a great choice. Written by a former NASA scientist and beautifully illustrated, it contains games and projects about space, information on how to find constellations and big astronomical events such as meteor showers, and more.

Buy Astronomy Activity Book at Amazon – $9

LEGO Space Shuttle Discovery

Buying for someone who loves building things? LEGO’s space models are unparalleled. The Space Shuttle Discovery (complete with a small Hubble Space Telescope — based on the Hubble Servicing missions STS-131 in 1990) is 2,354 pieces and comes with a display stand. Of note is the fact that LEGO is retiring a few of their cool space sets this year — Discovery has been spared, but if you want the Apollo Saturn V or International Space Station, you should snag those while you can still find them.

Buy LEGO Space Shuttle Discovery at Amazon – $200

Super Cool Space Facts

If the kid on your list is more into cool facts and less into hands-on projects, this book is exactly what you think it is from the title: full of hundreds of space facts, along with full-color photos. It’s a great choice for any younger space nerd – but honestly, it’s a good read for the adults in your life who want to know more about space but don’t know where to start.

Buy Super Cool Space Facts at Amazon – $8

The Night Sky Poster by Kurzgesagt

Kurzgesagt has tons of gorgeous educational content and products. The Night Sky poster is definitely a highlight, though. It’s a detailed map of the stars, complete with highlighted constellations, planets and “messier objects” like nebulas and star clusters. Along the bottom is a brief history of astronomy and human kind’s connection to stars. If you’re shopping for someone who seems to constantly be staring off into space (literally as opposed to figuratively), they’ll definitely appreciate this touch of educational decor. — Terrence O’Brien, Managing Editor

Buy Night Sky Poster at Kurzgesagt – $25

NASA JPL Space Tourism posters

Designers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) originally created these “Visions of the Future” posters in 2018. The whimsical posters, which imagine a future space tourism industry, were styled after the vintage National Parks posters that have long been popular with travel buffs. They’ve been adding to the collection ever since. Whether it’s Jupiter’s multicolored auroras, Venus’ peach-toned clouds or imagined nightlife on PSO J318.5-22, each one is also its own mini lesson about a piece of our solar system. NASA has the whole set available to download on its website, or you can buy physical prints (framed or unframed) from allposters.com. — Karissa Bell, Senior Reporter

Shop Space Tourism posters at AllPosters

 

Earlier this year TP-Link launched its Tapo line of smart home devices that revolve around budget 2K security cameras, introducing several models ranging from $30 to $60. Now, the company has launched a pricier but more impressive indoor/outdoor 2K night vision security camera, the Tapo C40S2. 

The new model is battery-powered, weatherproofed and wire-free, offering up to 180 days on a charge in both indoor and outdoor environments. It packs an 850nm IR sensor, along with an f/1.6 aperture lens that allows it to see up to 49 feet in the dark, according to the company. With 2K resolution (2,048 x 1,080) a hair above Full HD, TP-Link promises “pristine images, even in low-light conditions.”

It also comes with AI features that allow it to distinguish between humans, pets, vehicles and packages, providing notifications when someone steps into the property or user-defined activity zones. Other features include a built-in siren and light alarm, microSD and cloud storage with 30 days of video history and motion detection with snapshots and more. The Tapo C420S2 is now available through TP-Link’s website or on Amazon at $200 for a two-pack — a reasonable price for a wireless night-vision camera. 

 

There’s no doubt that air fryers have been having a moment, but they haven’t pushed the humble multicooker completely out of the limelight yet. If you somehow haven’t jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet, you can give it a try for much less right now. Amazon has discounted the six-quart Instant Pot Duo by 50 percent, bringing it down to $50. We’ve seen this model dip slightly cheaper in the past ($48), but this is the best price we’ve seen in many months.

The benefit of a multicooker like this one is that it can do many things, acting as a jack-of-all-trades in your kitchen. The Duo in particular has seven cooking modes: pressure cook, slow cook, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker and warmer. It also has 13 customizable “smart programs” that take a lot of the guesswork out of preparing common foods like soup, beans, rice, poultry and more.

Both kitchen newbies and seasoned home cooks can make use of an Instant Pot like this. For those just getting into cooking, it’ll help you prepare new foods that you may have never tried before, sometimes even more quickly than you could do just with a pot on stove. For those who cook all the time, it’ll make it easier to prepare a lot of food during the holidays by giving you another countertop machine to employ when your other appliances are in use. Plus, it’s a great tool for meal prepping. 

It’s also worth noting that the model on sale has a six-quart capacity, which sits in the middle of the Duo’s lineup. It’s a great size for most families as it’s able to make food for up to six people at once. If you decide to take the plunge into the Instant Pot world, be sure to check out our guide for tips and tricks, recipe inspiration and more.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

Tuvalu’s foreign minister, Simon Kofe, told the COP27 climate summit yesterday that Tuvalu would look to the metaverse to preserve its culture and history. With global temperatures expected to rise as much as 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the Pacific island nation is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. At last year’s COP26 summit, Kofe addressed the conference while standing knee-deep in seawater to highlight the climate change threat. Climate scientists anticipate the entire country will be underwater by the end of the 21st century.

Addressing the climate summit, Kofe said: “As our land disappears, we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation. Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people. And to keep them safe from harm, no matter what happens in the physical world, we’ll move them to the cloud.”

To achieve the 1.5C target put forward by the Paris Agreement, the world has eight years to reduce annual global emissions by a further 45 percent, compared with projections based on current policies.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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Lucid unveils its less expensive Air EV models

The Pure and Touring bring Air prices closer to Earth.

The Lucid Air is a fantastic first car from a new automaker, but it’s also a very expensive EV out of most people’s reach. At the LA Auto Show, Lucid revealed the Lucid Air Pure and Touring EVs. The Pure is the first and only Air to come in under $100,000, starting at a still pricey $87,400, with a range of around 410 miles. Yes, the Air is still a luxury vehicle. The Touring is slightly more expensive at $107,400 and can drive for an EPA estimated range of 425 miles. While the Pure wasn’t quite ready for testing, we did get behind the wheel of the Touring for a quick jaunt around Lucid’s headquarters.

Continue reading.

MIT solved a century-old differential equation that will help AI

It could help with weather forecasting and autonomous vehicle driving.

Last year, MIT developed an AI algorithm capable of learning and adapting to new information on the job, not just during its training. These “liquid” neural networks are ideal for time-sensitive tasks, like pacemaker monitoring, weather forecasting, investment forecasting or autonomous vehicle navigation. But all that data can create computational bottlenecks, which makes scaling these systems prohibitively expensive. On Tuesday, MIT researchers announced they have a solution, using a differential equation that has stumped mathematicians since 1907. By decoding this equation at the neuron level, the team is hopeful it’ll be able to construct models of the human brain that measure in the millions of neural connections, something not possible today.

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NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU review

A (slightly) more practical 4K gaming titan.

NVIDIA’s RTX 4080 is a solid upgrade over the 3080 Ti, with faster overall performance and far better ray tracing, thanks to DLSS 3. It’s notably cheaper and less power hungry than the 4090. But it’s still $1,199. If paying more than $1,000 for a video card seems insane to you — and let’s be clear, it should — sit tight to see what NVIDIA’s future cards look like.

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Apple reportedly plans to use US-made chips starting in 2024

It also intends to source chips from Europe in the future.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple hopes to be using US-made chips in a few years’ time. Company CEO Tim Cook reportedly made the revelation during a meeting with local engineering and retail employees in Germany, telling them Apple “already made a decision to be buying out of a plant in Arizona.” As Gurman notes, it would lessen Apple’s reliance on factories in Asia, particularly Taiwan, where 60 percent of the world’s processors are produced. Cook also apparently told staff: “I’m sure that we will also source from Europe as those plans become more apparent.”

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Apple lets you practice sending emergency SOS texts via satellite

It’s also bringing the service to France, Germany, Ireland and the UK.

One of the most noteworthy updates Apple brought to the iPhone 14 series this year is Emergency SOS via satellite. It lets you send text messages to emergency services over satellite if you need help and are outside cellular coverage. If you’re unfamiliar with the feature – most of us probably are – Apple is rolling out a demo mode of Emergency SOS via Satellite, so members of the public can see how it works.

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Boston Dynamics sues rival Ghost Robotics for allegedly copying its robot dog

Ghost’s designs are supposedly too much like Spot.

Boston Dynamics is suing Ghost Robotics for allegedly infringing seven patents linked to its Spot quadruped. The Spirit 40 and Vision 60 purportedly borrow key technologies from Spot, including systems for self-righting and climbing stairs. Boston Dynamics says it asked Ghost Robotics to review Spot-related patents in July 2020, five months after the launch of the Spirit 40. After that, Boston claims to have sent two cease-and-desist letters, asking Ghost to stop marketing its robot canines. In a statement, Boston Dynamics claimed it “welcome[s] competition” but would crack down on anyone violating its intellectual property rights. The Hyundai-owned company is seeking unspecified damages as part of the suit. Ghost Robotics hasn’t yet responded to our requests for comment.

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Genesis has unveiled the X Convertible concept, showing off its design chops with an EV that builds on the previous Genesis X and X Speedium Coupe vehicles. It shares the architecture and electric powertrain with those cars, but uses a folding hardtop roof and is meant to evoke “design purity” and uses what Genesis calls an “anti-wedge parabolic” design. 

Gone are the extra bulgy fenders and aggressive front end, replaced by a more subtle design and cleaner, longer lines. That length is further accentuated by the short front overhang that gives it a protruding nose. The triangular headlights from the X Speedium are carried over, as are the double taillights. The hardtop roof has an integrated moonroof, offering drivers a view of the stars even when it’s closed up.

The interior is very similar to the previous two concepts, with the dashboard screen curving across and down toward the right armrest. It uses recyclable wool fabrics and leather seats, with the interior Giwa Navy and Dancheong Orange colors “inspired in part by traditional Korean roof architecture,” according to Genesis. 

We still don’t know anything about the battery or drivetrain. It would make sense, though, to use the E-GMP platform found in Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6. Genesis could then dial up the power and battery size so that range and performance would meet the expectations of luxury car buyers. 

Genesis says the X Convertible is a “beacon for the brand” that will presumably inspire future designs. It’ll likely never be built in this form, but the company wants to show buyers what’s possible. “We have to utilize this opportunity to inject more adrenaline in the brand,” it told TechCrunch. “If somebody believes that electric vehicles cannot be sexy, Genesis will demonstrate the exact opposite.”

 

Twitter might lose even more employees following the mass layoffs that halved its workforce and shortly after the company fired engineers who publicly called out its new owner. According to The Washington Post, Elon Musk gave remaining staff members an ultimatum and asked them to commit to an “extremely hardcore” Twitter going forward. “If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below,” he reportedly wrote in an email that links to an online form. 

So what does an “extremely hardcore” Twitter mean? The report didn’t quite delve into the specifics of Musk’s expectations, but the executive apparently said that it means “working long hours at high intensity.” He added: “Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.” It’s not quite clear if the move is legal for workers in countries that have rigorous labor laws. Regardless, the email said that those who don’t sign the form by 5PM Eastern on Thursday, November 17th, would be let go and would receive three months of severance pay. 

In addition to reporting about the Musk’s email, The Post said that Twitter will be doing a postmortem on the launch of its $8 Blue subscription over the next couple of weeks, in an effort to understand why and how it had led to an influx of impersonators. If you’ll recall, things got so bad that Twitter had to suspend its subscription service, which offered instant verification and, hence, gave fake accounts a semblance of legitimacy. Musk had just announced yesterday that the company is pushing back the return of Blue verification to November 29th to make sure that it’s “rock solid.”

The Post also saw internal information and data externally compiled by a software developer that showed Twitter Blue only had around 150,000 users by the time the website paused subscriptions. That’s a tiny fraction of the 238 million daily active users Twitter said it had in the second quarter of 2022 and would only bring in $14.4 million in annual revenue. 

Further, the new Blue subscription could potentially impact the website’s ad revenue. Twitter earned 79 percent of its ad revenue in the US from merely 10 percent of its most valuable users, with the top 1 percent earning the website $40 a month. They’re also the ones most likely to pay for a subscription, however, which means they’re bound to see fewer ads as one of the perks they’re paying for. 

 

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission has finally launched after several delays caused by engine problems, fuel leaks and Mother Nature giving the agency no choice but to reschedule due to tropical storms. This is the first time NASA’s Space Launch System, its most powerful rocket yet, and Orion crew vehicle are flying together — it also officially marks the beginning of the agency’s Artemis program, which aims to take humanity back to the Moon. 

There was a tense moment before this latest (and successful) launch attempt when NASA was unsure if the rocket would lift off. The launch team discovered a leak on the launch tower’s liquid hydrogen replenish valve, and it took some time to tighten the bolts around it. In addition, the US Space Force had to fix the radar that was going to track the rocket’s launch, because it suddenly went offline. In the end, the ground crew managed to fix the hydrogen leak, and Space Force found that the radar issue was caused by a bad Ethernet switch.

NASA had to push back Artemis 1’s launch by around an hour, but that was the last time the mission got delayed. By 1:50AM Eastern, SLS was leaving its launchpad. The Orion capsule successfully deployed its solar arrays a few minutes later, and the core stage’s engines powered down so it could break away and fall into the Atlantic Ocean. The rocket’s second stage will then fire its engine to send Orion on a trajectory to the Moon. It will also ultimately break away, leaving the crew vehicle to go on a four-week journey around the Moon before coming back to Earth. Somewhere along the way, the capsule will deploy 10 CubeSats designed to perform their own science investigations meant to help future deep space missions.

Artemis 1 will give NASA the data it needs to ensure that astronauts can safely fly to the Moon aboard the Orion capsule. It will also give the agency the opportunity to see whether the vehicle’s heat shield can adequately protect the astronauts onboard when it re-enters our atmosphere and splashes down into the Pacific Ocean. If everything checks out, NASA will be able to start planning for Artemis 2, which will be Orion’s first crewed mission and will send astronauts on a lunar flyby.