Kalakshar US

The most dangerous aspect of a water rescue for first responders isn’t the treacherous environmental conditions, it’s the terrified and panicked victim capable of pulling their rescuer under the waves along with them. Rather than risk national treasures like David Hasselhoff, the U-Safe self-propelled buoy from Portugal’s Noras Performance will brave the waves in their stead.

The U-Safe is an aquatic robot designed to drive out to a swimmer in distress using a pair of turbines mounted in its “legs.” The turbines are omnidirectional and operate regardless of the U-Safe’s orientation in the water. It can reach a top speed of 15km/h and range out to 3.2 nautical miles so long as the first responders can maintain a line of sight. The entire unit weighs just over 30 pounds with induction-charged lithium-ion battery providing power. 

It’s controlled using a one-handed bluetooth remote, itself both buyant and waterproof so there’s little risk of a rescue going sideways because you’ve dropped the control unit overboard. First introduced in 2017, and since adopted by both the Italian and Portuguese coast guards, the U-Safe is being readied for US release later this year.

 

When we first started seeing foldable device concepts a few years back, I was intrigued but not particularly impressed. Many of those early prototypes felt very much like experiments: they were often bulky and the bendy displays seemed fragile. And there were creases.

Thankfully, display tech has come a long way in just a few years. That was particularly evident at LG Display’s booth at CES this year, where the company showed off two new mobile OLED concepts: a 17-inch laptop/tablet and an 8-inch smartphone-like device that can fold in two directions.

The 17-inch device is far from the first foldable tablet we’ve seen, but LG Display claims this one is “almost entirely crease-free.” We looked at it pretty closely, and there was a visible seam along the fold, but it was very difficult to detect when the tablet was fully extended. And there wasn’t any kind of rippling or gap that we sometimes see with foldables. Moreover, LG says the display was tested for up to 50,000 folds, so it should be pretty durable.

The other concept was something LG Display officially calls the “360-degree Foldable OLED,” an 8-inch display that looks a lot like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, but folds in both directions. So, in addition to folding it closed, you can also fold it outwards, with the two displays in a sort of tent shape.

LG Display says these “360-degree” abilities could potentially allow an eventual device to be used in multiple different modes. Of course it would also depend on hardware makers and app developers to decide how take advantage of the functionality, but it’s interesting to think about how you might want to use a phone when it’s folded in the other direction.

Of course, two-way folding also requires a more durable display and LG says it’s delivered on that as well. According to the company, the 360-degree foldable is rated for 200,000 folds and is stronger than comparable foldable devices currently on the market. So while we don’t yet know for sure if companies like Samsung are going to pursue phones with these two-way folding abilities, LG Display has shown that such a device could be a lot closer than we think.

 

When we weren’t distracted by all the cool stuff at CES, we found some pretty great deals on tech that you can buy right now. Amazon’s just-released Kindle Scribe, with both reading and writing capabilities, saw its first-ever discount and Razer discounted many of their 2022 Blade 15 gaming laptops by $400. Not surprisingly for the new year, fitness tech saw some decent discounts, with both the Beats Fit Pro earbuds and the Fitbit Inspire 3 seeing 20 percent discounts. There were a few deals on storage cards, both from Samsung and a Switch Online subscription bundle with a SanDisk card, making this a good time to add some capacity to your cameras and handhelds. The Apple Watch Ultra also saw a $50 discount. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Amazon Kindle Scribe

Amazon’s Kindle Scribe came out just over a month ago but is already seeing its first discount. This is Amazon’s latest top-of-the-line e-reader that also allows you to take notes with an included stylus. Depending on the configuration, you can save between $45 and $60 on the list price right now. The base model with 16GB of storage and Amazon’s “Basic Pen” is down to $295 from its usual $340. If you’d like that unit with the premium version of the stylus, which includes an on-board eraser function and a shortcut button, you’ll pay $320, or $50 off the going rate. 

If you think you’ll need more storage than the 16GB provides, the 32GB model is $335 instead of $390 and the 64GB model is down to $360 from its usual $420. Both of the higher capacity models come with the Premium Pen. All models include the option of four months of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service at not extra charge, which gives you access to the entire Kindle library of audio and e-books as long as you’re paying for the service. Note that the subscription will auto-renew after four months (currently $10 per month) so be sure to cancel if you decide you don’t want to pay for the service.  

Beats Fit Pro earbuds

If getting in shape is on your list of to-dos for 2023, a new pair of activity-focused earbuds might be in order. Right now the Beats Fit Pro are down to $160, which is the same 20 percent discount the buds saw for Black Friday. We named them the best best earbuds for workouts in our earbuds guide and this deal matches the lowest price we’ve seen yet. They’ve got plenty of sweat resistance, along with a secure fit that stays put as you move. As an Apple product, they’ve been given many of the benefits of AirPods, like easy pairing, hands-free Siri and audio sharing. But they’ll work well with Android phones too. 

If you don’t need workout buds, the Beats Studio Buds are also on sale right now, bringing them down to just $100. That’s about $10 over the lowest price we’ve seen, but still a great deal on a comfortable pair of earbuds with balanced sound. The discounts are part of a wider Beats sale at Amazon, which also includes the Beats Studio Buds bundled with a $25 Amazon gift card for $185, which is $40 less than usual. 

Nintendo Switch Online membership

Nintendo Switches have been a popular holiday gift since their debut. If you got yours this year, you can add Nintendo’s Switch Online service, plus some extra storage for a tidy 43% discount. Both Amazon and Best Buy have bundled a 12-month Switch Online family plan with a 256GB SanDisk microSDXC card for just $50. That’s an officially licensed Switch microSD card and usually runs for $35 on its own. A year-long family membership to Nintendo’s online service usually goes for $35 on its own, so this deal is really about the storage card. It also usually retails for $35, so with the bundle you’re essentially getting a year of Switch Online plus a 256GB microSD card for just $15. Keep an eye on your subscription if you don’t want to auto renew, it’s set to do just that by default. 

Google Nest WiFi Pro router

Two big things have happened in smart home connectivity recently, the opening of the 6Hz wireless band and Matter support. But you’ll need devices that are designed to work with those advancements, like Google’s newest mesh WiFi routers. Right now Nest WiFi Pro routers are on sale for their lowest price ever, with a 20 percent discount off of all four colors. That brings a single router down to $160 instead of $200. Note that only the white colorway is available in a multi-pack, so if you need three units in, say, the Lemongrass color, you’ll need to add three units to your cart instead of clicking on the three-pack bundle — you’ll still get the 20 percent savings. 

These Nest routers provide access to the potentially faster and less congested 6E WiFi band, which many newer smartphones and some smart home devices are set up to access. They’ll also act as Matter hubs, allowing Matter-enabled devices to connect and work together harmoniously. Matter support has already rolled out to many of the newer Google, Amazon and Apple devices, with more brands coming on board soon.

Samsung Pro Plus MicroSD card

Here’s a great deal on a useful item for your cameras, phones and gaming handhelds. Samsung’s 256GB Pro Plus microSD card has hit an all-time-low price of just $22.50, down from its usual $38. As with many microSD cards, this includes an adapter so you can transfer data from devices with different sized SD slots. The 256GB size can hold up to 15 hours of 4K video or more than 100,000 4K still images. The larger 512GB card is also on sale, for an even steeper 55 percent discount. That brings the storage card down to $50, instead of its usual $110. 

Fitbit Inspire 3

For some people, fitness trackers really do help them stick to goals and keep up their activity levels. (The reminder to take a break from standing or sitting all day is something I certainly rely on.) Here’s a deal on our favorite budget option, the Fitbit Inspire 3. Right now at Amazon, the wearable is down to $80, which is just $10 above its Black Friday prices, and $20 off its usual $100 sticker price. 

We included the Inspire 3 in our fitness tracker guide because it provides excellent activity tracking along with automatic workout detection and smartphone alerts. True, it won’t give you GPS tracking for a run or hike, and there’s no music control or on-board payment capabilities like more expensive devices offer, but for a tracker with Fitbit’s robust activity monitoring and coaching, it’s a good buy. It’s also a great looking wearable, especially with its interchangeable bands.  

Razer Blade 15 

At CES, Razer unveiled their upcoming 16- and 18-inch Blade models. Those are expected in the first quarter of this year and will start at $2,700 for the base configurations. But if you don’t necessarily need the latest release, you can save $400 on a few configurations of 2022 Razer Blade 15 laptops with 12th-gen Intel processors. We think these are some of the best premium gaming laptops out there and said so in our latest laptop guide. 

The version of the Razer’s Blade 15 that we recommend combines bleeding-edge performance and speedy graphics, all wrapped up in a sleek and sturdy aluminum chassis. Usually $3,000, both Amazon and Razer are offering it for $2,600, or 13 percent off the list price. You get a 240Hz QHD display with a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and an Intel i7-12800H processor under the hood. It comes with 16GB of dual-channel slotted (upgradable) memory and 1TB of SSD, with an open M.2 slot.

You can also save on a version with Razer’s new 240Hz OLED laptop screen, RTX 3070 Ti graphics plus a slightly faster Intel i9 processor. It’s on sale at both Amazon and Razer for $400 off, bringing the price down to $2,900. Or go for the fully loaded unit we tried out in our review. It’s also $400 off at Razer’s site, bringing the price down from $3,700 to a slightly more managable $3,300. It’s got a 12th-gen Intel i7-12800H processor, a faster RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, and the quad-HD 240Hz display.

Apple Watch Ultra

Apple’s most premium smartwatch doesn’t see a ton of discounts, having only debuted last September but right now the Ultra is down to $749 at Amazon. The lowest price we’ve seen so far was $739, so this isn’t an all-time low, but still a chance to save $50 on a high-end wearable. We gave it an 85 in our review, calling out its durable build, great battery life and suite of geo-locating features that help you to never get lost. While we did note that it’s got a large build and weighs a bit more than a typical watch, it was surprisingly comfortable and didn’t feel clunky. 

The Ultra has tons of activity and tracking features for athletes and adventurers and a bright, always on display with built-in GPS guidance. There’s also health and safety features like crash detection and heart monitoring. Since the watch comes with cellular connectivity, you can even make calls and texts, so you can leave your phone behind on the next adventure.  

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

 

On Tuesday, New York City public schools banned ChatGPT from school devices and WiFi networks. The artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, released by OpenAI in November, quickly gained a foothold with the public — and drew the ire of concerned organizations. In this case, the worry is that students will stunt their learning by cheating on tests and turning in essays they didn’t write.

ChatGPT (short for “generative pre-trained transformer”) is a startlingly impressive application, a sneak preview of the light and dark sides of AI’s incredible power. Like a text-producing version of AI art (OpenAI is the same company behind DALL-E 2), it can answer fact-based questions and write essays and articles that are often difficult to discern from human-written content. And it will only get harder to tell the difference as the AI improves.

“While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success,” Jenna Lyle, a spokesperson for New York City public schools, wrote in an email to NBC News. Still, the organization may have difficulty enforcing the ban. Blocking the chatbot over the school’s internet network and on lent-out devices is easy enough, but that won’t stop students from using it on their own devices with cellular networks or non-school WiFi.

OpenAI is developing “mitigations” it claims will help anyone identify ChatGPT-generated text. Although that’s a welcome move by the Elon Musk-founded startup, recent history isn’t exactly rife with examples of big business putting what’s best for society over the bottom line. (Relying on AI powerhouses to self-regulate sounds as foolproof as trusting the fossil-fuel industry to prioritize the environment over profits.) And artificial intelligence is big business: OpenAI has reportedly been in talks to sell shares at a $29 billion valuation, making it one of the most valuable US startups.

Not everyone in the education community is against the AI chatbot. Adam Stevens, a teacher at Brooklyn Tech who spent years teaching history at NYC’s Paul Robeson High School, compares ChatGPT to the world’s most famous search engine. “People said the same thing about Google 15 or 20 years ago when students could ‘find answers online,’” he toldChalkbeat. He argues that the bot could be an ally for teachers, who could use it as a baseline essay response, which the class could work together to improve upon.

Stevens believes the key is to invite students to “explore things worth knowing” while moving away from standardized metrics. “We’ve trained a whole generation of kids to pursue rubric points and not knowledge,” he said, “and of course, if what matters is the point at the end of the semester, then ChatGPT is a threat.”

No matter how schools handle AI bots, the genie is out of the bottle. Barring government regulation (unlikely in the near future, given the US Congress’ current trajectory), AI-powered answers, essays and art are here to stay. The next part, dealing with the potential societal fallout — including the automation of more and more jobs — will be where the real challenges begin.

 

It’s almost time for the 2023 edition of the week-long Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) speedrunning marathon. This year’s event takes place between January 8th and January 15th. As ever, AGDQ will showcase a bunch of skilled players racing to finish games as quickly as they can. Runners will go head-to-head in some games and we might see world records being broken too.

For the third year in a row, AGDQ will take place entirely online. The event was scheduled to take place in Florida with a live audience, but organizers decided against that plan due to the state’s “continued disregard for COVID-19’s dangers (including anti-mandate vaccination policies) and an increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals.” They said that “we do not believe it is a safe place for our community at this time,” but relocating to a “safer location” wasn’t financially feasible. That means speedrunners won’t have an in-person crowd to cheer them on.

As always, the schedule is full of some intriguing runs. Stray, Cult of the Lamb and Neon White (a game that’s all about speedrunning) are among the recent titles making their first appearances at AGDQ. A bunch of fan-favorite games are in the mix too, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Cuphead and Portal.

I’m looking forward to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge run, as well as watching a crew of six players cleaning a bunch of vehicles in PowerWash Simulator as quickly as possible. I’m also curious about a run for a game called I’m going to die if I don’t eat sushi!, which I simply had to buy after seeing it on the schedule. Unless it’s added as a bonus game, though, there’s no Elden Ring this time around.

AGDQ is once again raising funds for Prevent Cancer Foundation. The 2022 edition brought in a record $3.4 million for that cause. AGDQ and its sibling event, Summer Games Done Quick, have raised more than $41 million for charity since 2010.

The latest marathon will commence at noon ET on Sunday with an any-percent run of Splatoon 3 (meaning the player can take advantage of glitches). You’ll be able to watch the entire event on Twitch via the Games Done Quick channel. The stream is embedded below too. If you miss a run or can’t watch AGDQ live, you’ll be able to catch up on the GDQ YouTube channel.

 

Dolby Atmos for cars was first announced for the Lucid Air and select Mercedes models in 2021. But with the immersive audio making it to luxury automobiles in the US last month, the company is showing off the setup here at CES 2023 with in-car demos. We got our first listening session in the backseat of a Mercedes-Maybach S 580. 

First, let me explain a bit about the car. This Maybach is equipped with a Burmester 4D sound system with 30 total speakers, six of which are in the ceiling. Think of those as playing the role of upfiring drivers in your Atmos soundbar. Amplifiers deliver 1,750 watts of power and both front- and trunk-mounted subs handle the bass (the trunk sub has its own 400-watt amp too). It’s a completely insane setup installed in a $185,000 car.

The immersive sound is so impressive, it even manages to upstage its lavish setting. It’s great for pop tunes like The Weeknd, but much like an Atmos system in your home, the in-car version really shines with genres like jazz. When listening to “So What” from Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, it felt like I was in a club. In the backseat, the drums were to my right while the horns were up by the driver and so on. The sensation was like sitting in the middle of all the musicians while they did their thing. As someone who has tested several Atmos home theater setups, I was still surprised by the results here. Of course, this is a crazy sound system in high-end luxury car, likely the best iteration of this type of Dolby automotive collab.

Right now, the bulk of the content is audio. Simply link your streaming service of choice, so long as it offers Dolby Atmos Music spatial audio, and you’re all set. The infotainment system in the Maybach had all of the compatible tunes clearly labeled as to which were Atmos. Dolby says there are some companies offering a/v uses, so movies and shows with the immersive audio would sync up with an in-car setup just fine. The company’s senior vice president of entertainment John Couling explained during the demo that he anticipated people would watch movies mapped in Dolby Atmos while their EV charged, for example.

Dolby says Atmos was designed to be scalable from the start, so just like it has for soundbars, the audio platform can be configured for more run-of-the-mill speaker setups in more affordable cars. We’re talking four-channel, six-speaker arrangements. It wasn’t so long ago that Atmos was reserved for only premium soundbars and now it’s available on things like the Sonos Beam via virtualization. So even though a family car or minivan may not have the ceiling-mounted overhead speakers a Mercedes does, immersive audio won’t be out of the question. Much like it’s interesting to see how more budget-friendly speakers handle Atmos, I’m looking forward to hearing what a virtualized version sounds like in a Honda Civic. 

Dolby Atmos is currently available on the Lucid Air and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, as well as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, EQS and EQS SUV. Volvo has already announced that Atmos will be available on the Bowers & Wilkins sound system in the EX90 SUV. The EV will be the first Volvo to have Dolby’s immersive audio inside. The Polestar 3 also packs an Atmos-equipped Bowers & Wilkins setup and it’s due to arrive later this year. The Plus pack specifically includes a 25-speaker system for this task. Lotus has also announced a collaboration with Dolby, bringing Atmos to the KEF setup inside the Eletre EV that’s due to debut in 2024. 

 

Humans, we’re a sociable bunch. To that end, we’re pre-programmed to develop technology that helps us stay connected with others. Sometimes, though, the connection can be with the technology itself. Enter Loona, the adorable pet robot that will either melt your heart or, at the very least, serve as a loyal smart home companion (or hopefully both).

Loona appears to be the exact halfway point between the adorableness of Anki’s Cozmo and Amazon’s high-end Astro homebot. There’s definitely a focus on younger users here, but kids of “all ages” might find themselves sucked in by her charms. Loona has apparently also been designed to interact well with any analog pets you may already have.

Armed with a 3D camera and edge sensors for navigating your home, Loona also has a regular camera for face detection and object recognition. There are four microphones that provide Loona the ability to locate you as you beckon her and touch sensors so she’ll lean into your head-strokes with eerily biological authenticity. At launch it’ll respond to a slew of verbal commands and gestures, and the company claims new ones will continuously be added. There will also be a graphical programming tool so you can create your own interactions and a community to share them with.

One of the more endearing features is Loona’s expressive personality. Loona’s digital eyes are surprisingly articulate and feel like they are right out of a Disney movie. The company indicated that there could also be the option to add custom expressions and emotions further down the line.

Beyond being a digital pet, Loona can also double as a home security and monitoring system. The benefit being you can direct her around your abode and find where your IRL cat is hiding unlike static pet-cams where you (and I say this from experience) might ruin a weekend away driving back because you haven’t seen your cat appear for two whole days and you’re worried but it turns out she was just sleeping in one spot the entire time. With Loona, not a problem.

Loona was originally launched on Kickstarter securing over three million dollars in backing which, if nothing else, shows that there’s a lot of interest in this category. The robots are now shipping to backers with general availability on track for the end of this month at the company’s website where it will retail for $449. If you’re extra keen you can pick one up now via the Kickstarter page for $359.

 

The Federal Communications Commission isn’t done dragging data breach policy into the modern era. The agency has proposed rules that would improve reporting for breaches at carriers. Most notably, the move would scrap a mandatory wait of seven business days before a telecom can warn customers about a security incident. Hackers would have a shorter window of opportunity to abuse your data without your knowledge, to put it another way.

The proposal would also clarify that carriers must notify the FCC, FBI and Secret Service of any reportable data breaches. Providers would likewise have to alert customers to inadvertent breaches, such as leaving account info exposed. The Commission is simultaneously asking for public input on whether or not breach alerts should include specific information to help people take action. such as the nature of the compromised data.

The FCC isn’t shy about its reasoning behind the tentative rule change. The existing rules are more than 15 years old, and are reportedly “out-of-step” at a time where it’s frequently vital to notify victims and authorities as quickly as possible. In theory, telecoms will warn users sooner and reduce the chances of identity fraud and follow-up hacks. This won’t guarantee timely alerts, but it could minimize the damage for both customers and the networks’ bottom line. It’s also more consistent with other laws on breach reporting, particularly in states like California.

There are potential problems. The proposed rule change would let federal agencies delay customer warnings for an initial period of up to 30 days if the notice might jeopardize a criminal investigation or national security. That could put the general public at risk. The FCC is also wondering whether or not there should be a ceiling on the notification period, and whether smaller carriers should get more time to report intrusions. Public comments (open 30 days after the proposal reaches the Federal Register) may help shape these rules, but there’s no guarantee the end result will address every concern.

 

CES is on! This week, Devindra and UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith chat about some of the biggest news from the show, including massive upgrades for laptops, wild new TV concepts and two different pee analyzers! As usual, CES is a mix of major news and random weirdness. Senior Editor Karissa Bell also joins to give us her perspective on the ground at the show.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

What to look for at CES 2023 – 1:36

PC hardware: Intel and AMD release mobile chips, NVIDIA’s 4090 will be in laptops – 3:53

TVs and home theater tech at CES – 21:03

Displace’s OLED TV will suction mount to your wall – 24:43

Accessibility at CES: L’Oréal’s motorized lipstick applicator and Sony’s Project Leonardo PS5 gamepad –49:28

Weird stuff: Why were there two different pee analyzers at CES? – 51:25

Other news – 1:05:52

Karissa Bell’s in-person CES experience – 1:08:24

Pop culture picks – 1:15:50

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Mat Smith and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Karissa Bell
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh

 

To be clear, I still own a car. While I might wish I were hardcore enough to live car-free, I’m not. But instead of owning two or more vehicles (like most American households do), my family now just has one. We bought the RadRunner Plus from Rad Power Bikes after we sold our second car, but I should note that two factors made that move feasible: My husband and I both started working from home, and we moved to a neighborhood that’s only a three-minute walk from our kid’s school. So if I feel a touch of pride in swapping a car for an e-bike, I realize I’m in a fortunate situation that doesn’t apply to everyone.

That said, this bike is rad. It’s fun to ride, it can carry a lot of cargo and takes on hills with seemingly zero effort. I feel like what keeps more people from adopting the bike as a routine form of transport are sweatiness and cargo space. No one wants to show up wherever they’re going looking like they just got out of a sauna, and most of us need to carry around more stuff than what fits in a small bag. The RadRunner solves both issues. If you don’t want to pedal a single stroke, the throttle and 750-watt motor will oblige. If you need space for your kid, your coffee and a bag of groceries, you can configure the bike to handle them all at once (though the accessories are going to cost you).

Rad Power offers three cargo bikes: the RadRunner 2, the RadRunner Plus and the RadWagon. They all have a 45-mile range, a 750-watt motor and an integrated rear rack. The Runner 2 and the Runner Plus are the same size, while the Wagon has an extended (and noticeable) rear rack. When I was first thinking about investing in an electric bike, I saw someone riding one around town with a huge orange rear rack that provided enough room for two school-age kids on the passenger seat. Turns out that was a RadWagon, and while I ultimately went for the smaller Plus model, I’m glad that my Wagon sighting led me to investigate the brand further.

The decision to go for the smaller model was easy (I don’t have two kids or carry all that much stuff), but deciding between the RadRunner 2 and the RadRunner Plus was a little tougher. The former costs $1,500, which is expensive enough, and the Plus adds another $400 to the sticker price. The biggest difference is probably the drivetrain, with a single speed on the Runner 2 and seven speeds on the Plus. The Plus also comes with a cushioned back seat, fenders, an improved headlamp and a control panel with a display that includes an odometer, current speed, battery life and pedal assist levels (the control panel on the 2 doesn’t have a display). The Plus also comes in silver, and it’s very possible that color was the final deciding factor for me.

Before pushing the buy button, I did take a cursory glance at other brands, but no one else seemed to match the level of enthusiasm Rad Power owners put into their reviews. I also liked the large number of accessories they offer. (I’m a sucker for accessories.) Case in point, I bought the front basket, the center console and a basic milk crate and some bolts from Amazon for the back basket, since Rad Power seems to always be out of theirs. I haven’t installed the front basket yet (it requires some light brake rewiring and I just haven’t gotten around to it). The center console is cool, especially the cup holder part, but it negates the sideways step-in benefit of the moped-style frame, so I don’t use it often. So far, the rear milk crate is what I get the most use out of. For kid transport, I got the Thule kid’s seat which fits kids up to 40 pounds, and a grab bar to use with the padded passenger seat once he outgrows the Thule.

Assembly is straightforward with an easy video that walks you through installing the front tire, handlebars, headlight and seat. Rad Power recommends consulting a bike repair person to help, but that wasn’t necessary for me. I liked that the battery came charged enough to get a few rides in. After paying $1,800, it would have been a bummer to have to wait to play with my new toy.

Riding it takes a little adjustment if you’re accustomed to a manual road or gravel bike. First of all, your riding position changes. If you tend to adopt the aggressive, forward-leaning bike messenger position, it might feel a little odd to sit so upright. I’ll admit I felt a little “uncool” the first time I rode it. But that feeling disappeared once I started thinking of the Plus as a moped rather than a bike – more like Roman Holiday, less like Miss Gulch.

The motor kicks in after a half turn of the pedals and you can increase your pedal assist from the light push of a level one to a very zippy level four. There’s also the throttle, which pushes you along with zero pedaling on your part. I find that I use the throttle most after coming to a full stop, particularly at intersections. It engages immediately and quickly propels the bike forward, getting me across traffic safely, with none of the slow start up you have to muscle through on a regular bike. Once going, I mostly rely on pedal assist levels two and three to keep the pace. One thing I noticed is that this bike does not coast. That’s not surprising as it weighs over 75 pounds and has 3.3-inch wide tires, but pedaling more or less constantly made me modify my riding style.

Turns are a little different as well. Where you might feel like a cohesive unit on a road bike, leaning into the turns Tour de France-style, on the Plus, turns are a two-step process: you turn the wheel, then you go in that direction. I was a little wobbly at first but here, too, I got the hang of it. With all that power behind you, it’s nice to know the brakes are solid. There were times when I got going around 25 miles per hour, and the brakes brought me to a stop in a way I felt was safe. I should note that after you reach 20 miles per hour, you won’t get any sort of motor assist. That’s because Rad Power bikes are limited to comply with the legal limits for e-bikes in many states.

In the end, the little differences are just things to get used to, and I got acclimated pretty quickly – especially when facing a 250-foot elevation gain over the course of a ride. I was a little disappointed when I realized the 300-pound weight limit means that my husband and I will never be able to ride the same bike together. Given that I don’t know many couples with a combined weight of under 300 pounds, I feel like this might be true for many adults over 30. Still, this bike has opened up an ideal alternate form of transportation, one in which I can carry lots of cargo plus a kid, while getting only minimally sweaty.