The reality is we don’t really hear all that much about the evolution of hyperloops. The companies are like underground moles, sneakily operating in stealth mode on all matters of engineering and propulsion. Or perhaps they’re more like a duck gliding through the water, frantically paddling underneath? But enough with the animal analogies. I wrote an article a bit over six months ago where I took a look at the progress of some of the key hyperloop companies. Following the news of Virgin’s pivot
Sketchy ads, like those for miracle weight loss pills and suspicious-looking software, sometimes appear on legitimate, well-regarded websites. It turns out that most websites don’t actually decide who gets to show ads to their viewers. Instead, most sites outsource this task to a complex network of advertising tech companies that do the work of figuring out which ads are shown to each particular person. The online ad ecosystem is largely built around “programmatic advertising,” a system for plac
In January, Mercedes unveiled its Vision EQXX concept EV, touting it as “the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever built” — able to deliver a whopping 1,000 km (621 miles) range on a single charge. And as it turns out, the company held true to its word. Today, the German brand announced that its concept car successfully completed a long-range test of 1,008km (626 miles) in real-world conditions. The Vision EQXX is a sleek-looking machine. Credit: Mercedes-Benz The EV traveled across various European
If you’ve seen photos of a teapot shaped like an avocado or read a well-written article that veers off on slightly weird tangents, you may have been exposed to a new trend in artificial intelligence (AI). Machine learning systems called DALL-E, GPT and PaLM are making a splash with their incredible ability to generate creative work. These systems are known as “foundation models” and are not all hype and party tricks. So how does this new approach to AI work? And will it be the end of human creat
WhatsApp’s finally recognizing that people use the chat app as more than a personal communication tool. So the company’s introducing a new Communities feature that can merge your existing groups of similar nature under one umbrella. For instance, if you have different groups related to your living complex, they can be clubbed under one community. WhatsApp says this new feature will also bring tools like cross-group announcement messages: “We think Communities will make it easier for a school pri
Elon Musk has offered to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 a share — about $41 billion — saying the platform needs to go private to thrive and serve free speech. “My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder,” Musk wrote in a letter sent to Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor on April 13. “Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it.” I made an offer https://t.co/VvreuPMeLu — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2022 Musk’s bid
EVs don’t really need radiator grilles. For that reason, some automakers, like Tesla and Kia, have removed them from their models. Others, such as BMW, have kept them as part of their brands’ design identity. But why are radiator grilles pointless in electric cars? Let’s first remember their purpose in conventional vehicles. The grille is there to enable constant ventilation and to allow the outside air to reach the radiator, which cools down the engine. EVs don’t come with a stinky engine, whic
If you’re a current cryptocurrency hodler or a potential investor in India, the government wants you to think twice before putting your money in the sector. For cryptocurrency enthusiasts in the country, it’s been hard to get excited about the space because of speculation of bans and restrictions over the last few years. In February, the county’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave them hope by introducing a tax scheme and recognizing the industry. While it didn’t give any legitimacy to the
The EU may have brought freedoms, peace, and wealth to millions of people, but all those benefits have been nullified by one horrendous drawback: cookie pop-ups. Quite struck on this visit how ubiquitous and how pointless cookie warnings are on the web in Europe. It’s more surprising to click through and not see a warning than to see one. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/DkvdDiktY8 — David Singleton (@dps) December 27, 2019 The consent banners enforced by the bloc’s privacy regulations are among the internet
This week saw Dutch ebike brand Mokumono launch its latest two-wheeler, the Polder. It won’t surprise you to know that I get a lot of press releases and interview requests about new ebikes coming to market. There are plenty of ebikes being released, and plenty of big brands with lots of funding and strategies for consumer marketing. But I wanted to write about Mokumono for a different reason: they’re doing things differently, things that other ebike brands can learn from, or in fact, any startup