For those who prefer to grind gravel and bound over boulders while surrounded by luxurious napa leather — and can’t imagine emitting even a single molecule of carbon dioxide while doing so — the fully electric Mercedes G-Wagen is for you.
Technology
Elon Musk trolls critics with new ‘stay at work’ merchandise, following ‘woke’ discovery
Elon Musk took to Twitter on Wednesday to troll critics and former workers of his firm in a brand new Twitter merchandise reveal.
The day after Musk discovered and revealed a closet stuffed with “keep woke” t-shirts at Twitter headquarters — a catchphrase usually utilized by these on the ideological Left — the brand new Twitter boss retconned the design and reveal a brand new “Keep at work” shirt.
“Superior new Twitter merch!” he captioned the photograph.
The brand new design, which could possibly be only a meme, is a reference to Musk’s altering or work coverage at Twitter. After he took over the platform, Musk ended distant work for workers, a comfort that was made broadly obtainable below the coronavirus pandemic.
ELON MUSK EXPOSES ‘SECRET CLOSET’ FULL OF ‘STAY WOKE’ T-SHIRTS AT TWITTER HQ
In a mass e-mail on Nov. 9, Musk stated there was “no strategy to sugarcoat the message” and that workers ought to anticipate adjustments regarding workplace coverage.
The e-mail allegedly stated Musk will discontinue distant work and will likely be requiring workers to be within the workplace for at the very least 40 hours per week. Any exceptions would wish his private approval, Bloomberg reported.
He echoed these necessities in an all-hands assembly with Twitter workers, Platformer Managing Editor Zoe Schiffer reported in a tweet.
“Should you can bodily make it to an workplace and also you don’t present up, resignation accepted,” he stated on Nov. 10.
The adjustments had been carried out inside two weeks of Musk finishing his $44 billion acquisition of the corporate.
DONALD TRUMP REACTS AFTER ELON MUSK REINSTATES HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT, ENDING LIFETIME BAN
On Tuesday, Musk posted a video of him and one other particular person discovering a complete “secret closet” stuffed with shirts that learn: #StayWoke.
“Right here we’re on the [merchandise] factor and there’s a complete closet stuffed with hashtag woke,” Musk stated. An unidentified particular person off-camera added: “A secret closet.”
Within the aftermath of the acquisition, critics have vocalized issues Musk’s push to allow “free speech” on the platform would permit discrimination, insults, and faux information to flourish.
Musk has since highlighted that “hate speech impressions” are down by a 3rd, an accolade he credited to the remaining Twitter workers.
Others criticized Musk’s resolution to reinstate beforehand banned customers like former President Donald Trump and the satirical web site Babylon Bee.
Technology
The Mercedes G-Wagen, the ultimate off-road status symbol, goes electric
The very expensive, boxy status symbol is now even status symbol-ier thanks to a 116 kWh battery and all-electric drive train, complete with four individually controlled motors with a maximum total output of 432 kW — or the equivalent of about 580 horsepower — and a max torque 1,164 Newton-meters.
“I recently joked that it’s like the Birkin bag of Mercedes,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said on the Decoder podcast back in 2022. “Everybody wants one, and the waiting time is really long. It may even be the most desirable car in our portfolio.”
But with great power comes great expense. The Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ technology (an ungainly name for an exotic EV, but I’ll allow it) will start at €142,621.50 ($152,184.27), while the first edition trim goes for €192,524.15 ($205,432.89). That’s a premium over the gas models, which typically start at around $143,000. At launch, the Edition One trim will be exclusive to the US market and will arrive at dealerships in the second half of 2024.
The G 580, or EQG if you will, will be built on a ladder frame concept, which the automaker says is fundamental to its off-roading. Like its gas-powered equivalents, the ladder frame includes an independent front suspension with double wishbones, as well as a newly developed rigid rear axle for a lower center of gravity. The battery will propel the EQG to an estimated 473 km (293 miles) on the WLTP standard, which will likely be even lowered when based on the less optimistic EPA rating.
The electric G-Wagen will come with a whole caravan of nifty circus tricks, including a tank turn (which Mercedes has branded its G-Turn) for sharper, on-axis rotations. G-Turn will work on loose, unpaved roads and trails and only at low speeds. And a three-speed intelligent off-road crawl function will keep the electric SUV at the optimal speed while traveling over uneven surfaces. And Mercedes boasts that the EQG will remain stable on slopes up to 35 degrees and has a maximum fording depth of 850 millimeters (33 inches).
Of course, all that off-roading requires extra protection for the battery, which is stored in the floor of the vehicle for that low center of gravity. Every grain of gravel is a potential hazard when you’re driving around with a two-tiered lithium-ion battery with 216 cells installed in 12 cell modules between three cooling levels under your feet.
The underbody skid plate, which is unique to the electric G-Class, is made from “an intelligent material mix” that includes carbon, which “increases rigidity compared to alternatives made from steel or aluminum,” the company says. It also ensures long-lasting corrosion protection and saves weight. The plate is 26 millimeters thick, weighs 57.6 kilograms, and is attached to the ladder frame with more than 50 steel screws.
And in what is becoming an increasingly normal thing to do with new EVs, Mercedes has decided to give its electric G-Wagen a fake engine noise, branded here as G-Roar. Inspired by the gas lineup’s “emotional V8 sounds,” the G-Roar will use external speakers to emit a sound that simulates the “deep bass and sonorous tones” of its fuel-sipping sibling. The sounds can change when switching between drive modes: Comfort produces a more restrained fake engine noise, while Sport will hit you right in the feelings (Mercedes also describes it as “emotional”).
Even with an emphasis on off-roading over performance, the G 580 with EQ technology (nope, still ungainly, going back to EQG) is no slouch on the pavement. The electric SUV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and will be electronically limited to a maximum speed of 180 km/h (or 112 mph).
The exterior is nearly identical to the current model year of gas-fueled G-Wagens. You do get illuminated accents on the grille, which also can be replaced with an optional blacked-out front panel. The bonnet is slightly raised, and the rear wheel wells include air curtains for better aerodynamic performance. There’s also a new A-pillar cladding and a spoiler lip on the roof. But otherwise, it would be difficult to pick out the EV in an all-G-Class lineup.
A rear-mounted design box looks ideal for a spare tire, but open it up and — surprise! — it’s charging cables and other optional goodies, like snow chains. Of course, if you want to be a traditionalist, you can absolutely stow your spare tire in there. No judgment.
Inside, the electric G-Wagen is sticking to what works, keeping the passenger grab bar and surrounding everything with carbon fiber. There are plenty of physical buttons, and the air vents are delightfully tactile and circular. The pedals are covered in raised rivets because, you know, off-road. And the 12.3-inch digital display runs on Mercedes’ well-received MBUX infotainment system — but also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Rear-seat passengers can enjoy a variety of media on their personal 11.6-inch touchscreens that are mounted on the back of the front seats. Content can be moved from the rear to the front display — but video watching and internet browsing are reserved for parked mode only.
The electric G-Wagen first emerged in concept form back in 2021 and then again in 2022, despite the company’s lack of clarity around production plans. (To compensate, Mercedes released a ridiculously high concept promotional video set in a 1970s-era space opera with aliens.)
But since then, there have been a lot of electric off-roaders, including the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, Hummer EV, and Rivian R1T and R1S. Whether any of these vehicles actually spend a single second doing real off-road stuff — as opposed to picking up grass fertilizer at The Home Depot — is entirely up for debate. The electric G-Wagen will likely be no different, as the boxy SUV has always been seen more frequently in the driveways of the über rich than on the trails in Moab.
Still, the EQG is a sign that while it has pulled back some of its early predictions about electrification, Mercedes still understands that even its super luxury status symbols will need to go electric.
Technology
How to turn your iPhone into instant foreign language translator
In today’s interconnected world, the ability to communicate across language barriers is more important than ever. Apple has recognized this need and, in a recent iOS update, introduced a nifty feature that allows you to translate languages instantly without even opening the Translate app.
This feature utilizes the “Dynamic Island,” a pill-shaped area at the top of the iPhone screen that can change size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications and interactions, turning it into a kind of front-and-center information hub. The Dynamic Island feature is available on the iPhone 15 models, which includes the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
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How to set up the Translate Action Button on iPhone 15
Getting started is simple. Here’s how you can set up the Translate option using the Action Button on your iPhone:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Scroll down and tap the Action Button
- Swipe through the carousel of actions until you get to Translate
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How to use the Translate Action Button on iPhone 15
Once you’ve set it up, using it is just as easy:
- On the upper left side of your iPhone 15, press and hold the Action Button for a moment.
- Continue holding the Action Button until the Dynamic Island changes to display “English, Listening”.
- Start speaking the phrase you want to translate.
- After a moment, the translated text will appear on your screen and will be said aloud.
- If you need to hear the translation again, simply tap the play button.
Make sure to release the Action Button after the Dynamic Island shows “English, Listening” to ensure the feature works correctly.
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How to adjust your translation settings
While you can’t change the Translate settings directly from the Action Button, you can still customize your experience within the Translate app itself:
- Open the Translate app.
- Tap on the top or bottom language listed, and a list of languages will appear for you to choose from.
- You can also toggle whether you want to translate from English to another language or vice versa.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Apple’s latest update is more than just a technical enhancement. It’s a step toward a world where language differences are no longer a barrier to communication. Whether you’re traveling abroad, learning a new language or connecting with friends and family across the globe, the ability to translate on the fly is a game-changer. It’s a testament to how technology can bring us closer together, making the vast world just a little bit smaller.
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Technology
A cheaper Tesla is back on the menu
Tesla says it will build more affordable electric vehicles — perhaps as soon as 2025 — refuting recent reports that Tesla CEO Elon Musk had canceled plans for a cheaper “Model 2” vehicle in favor of getting a robotaxi out the door. But Musk didn’t clarify whether the lower-cost EV would be a brand new model for Tesla or simplified versions of its current vehicles.
“In terms of a new product roadmap, there’s been a lot of talk,” Musk said during the company’s first quarter earnings call, addressing the concerns investors have expressed over the past month about the delayed plans for a low-cost EV. “We’ve updated our future vehicle lineup to accelerate the launch of new models.” Musk said we might see the vehicles in early 2025, if not later this year.
“In terms of a new product roadmap, there’s been a lot of talk”
The vehicles will blend “aspects” of a next-generation platform with the current platform that undergirds the company’s top-selling Model 3 and Model Y. “This is not contingent on a new factory or massive new production lines, it’ll be made on our current production lines much more efficiently,” Musk said, predicting it could accelerate the company’s production to over 3 million vehicles a year.
Tesla has reported $21 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2024, a 9 percent drop year over year. Net income dropped 55 percent to $1.1 billion. The company sold fewer models this quarter as demand for electric vehicles cooled. Analysts say a more affordable model is crucial to Tesla’s future growth.
Musk started the call by addressing concerns that the market is emphasizing the development of hybrid vehicles over fully electric ones, which he believes is “not the right strategy.”
“We’ll talk about this more on August 8th.”
“We’ll talk about this more on August 8th,” Musk said, as he reemphasized that 7 million cars by the end of this year will be part of a robotaxi fleet. August 8th is the date Tesla plans to unveil a new robotaxi vehicle.
Although Tesla is again promising to release cheaper EVs, it hasn’t confirmed whether entirely new cheap models will come. It’s possible cheaper models could just be stripped down Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, which alone drive the majority of the company’s revenues.
Right now, you can buy a Model 3 for $38,990, which is nearly the cheapest the vehicle has ever been — but still not at the elusive $35,000 price point that was promised almost a decade ago. The company has promised that a simplified “unboxed” manufacturing process will bring down costs even further.
When asked directly by an investor about cheaper EVs like Model 2 and where Musk’s “heart is at,” Musk largely shut down on the subject. In contrast, he was happy to go on at length about autonomy, self-driving, and even aliens.
“If you have a great product at a great price, sales will be excellent,” Musk said at one point, responding to a question about value. He said Tesla will keep improving affordability to make the “value for money” better.
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