Sendi Jia, a designer running her own studio between Beijing, China, and London, England, says she mainly uses AI generators like DALL-E to make fake photos for background panels or websites when her clients don’t have access to real ones. That’s helped clients with limited budgets, but it’s also exposed just how much of the creative process AI can replace. Recently, a potential client working in a university contacted Jia about creating the logo for a new project. Then, they changed their mind. They had used AI to make it, they said.
Technology
EV vs. HEV vs. PHEV: What Are the Types of Electric Vehicles?
Electrical automobile, or EV, is an umbrella time period for a number of kinds of battery-powered autos. It may be a polarizing or politicized time period, so some individuals really feel they should determine in the event that they’re EV fanatics or anti-EV skeptics. In actuality, the difficulty is extra nuanced than that. There are three kinds of EVs. Some run completely on battery energy, whereas others mix battery and fuel energy.
The three principal varieties of electrical autos are:
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Absolutely battery-powered electrical autos (EVs, or BEVs)
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Hybrid electrical autos (HEVs)
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Plug-in hybrid electrical autos (PHEVs)
Every has professionals and cons by way of gasoline effectivity, value, and driving expertise. Right here’s an summary of the important thing variations between an EV, HEV, and PHEV so you may select the appropriate possibility to your wants.
What Is an Electrical Automobile?
EVs, confusingly also called BEVs (battery electrical autos), don’t have any inside combustion engine to transform gasoline into propulsion energy. As a substitute, they run solely on electrical energy from a number of massive batteries.
EVs began as a little-known driving possibility for the additional environmentally acutely aware, however within the first half of 2022 they hit a tipping level by way of mass adoption(Opens in a brand new window), based on Bloomberg, and totally battery-powered EVs now account for five% of latest automotive gross sales. Whereas nonetheless a small fraction, that is the extent of adoption at which we noticed many new applied sciences, equivalent to cell phones, televisions, and the web, begin to speed up their transition from the fringes to the mainstream.
(Credit score: SouthWorks / Getty Photos)
Fueling up an EV means plugging a charging nozzle right into a port hidden by a flap on the surface of the automobile, similar to a conventional fuel cap. Electrical energy can then movement into the battery. There are a number of private and non-private charging choices, and most producers embrace a house charger with buy. It suits into a regular dwelling outlet on one finish and goes into the automotive on the opposite, so you may energy up in a single day or at any time when the automotive is within the storage.
Dwelling charging makes EVs a superb possibility for driving round city or commuting, particularly with office charging on the rise as an worker perk. Most individuals do the vast majority of their EV driving with out ever going to a public charging station.
Tesla charging at dwelling
(Credit score: Tesla)
By way of longer journeys, a full cost yields 200 to 400 miles(Opens in a brand new window), or a number of hours of driving. Longer than just a few hours of driving means a number of charging stops, including wherever from half-hour to a number of hours every time, relying on the charging degree of the stations you discover.
An rising variety of freeway relaxation stops have quick chargers, which can help you high off in half-hour to an hour, however they’re nonetheless restricted. Automotive producers and the federal government are working collectively to increase the nationwide quick charging community, by means of efforts equivalent to fuel station partnerships and the federal infrastructure invoice. However till charging stations are as ubiquitous as fuel stations, it’s crucial to plan the place you’ll cost alongside your route.
The Tesla Mannequin Y was the highest-selling electrical automobile within the first half of 2022,with 35% of the EV market share based on Kelly Blue Ebook.
(Credit score: Tesla)
What Is a Hybrid Electrical Automobile?
Hybrids have been the primary main market entrant relating to EVs, notably with the Prius’ world debut (Opens in a brand new window)within the early 2000s. These autos perfected the artwork of mixing an inside combustion engine with an electric-powered motor, switching between the 2 to enhance gasoline financial system.
2022 Toyota Prius
(Credit score: Toyota)
For instance, when a hybrid automotive is stopped, it’s doubtless silently working on the electrical energy of the battery slightly than idling with fuel. When it begins up, the inner combustion engine kicks again in.
Hybrids usually declare as excessive as two occasions the miles per gallon of a gas-powered automobile, starting from 40 to 60mpg. The common gasoline financial system of a gas-powered automobile was 25.4mpg in 2021, based on a examine by the Environmental Safety Company(Opens in a brand new window).
As a substitute of charging by means of an exterior port like EVs or PHEVs, HEVs replenish their batteries autonomously by means of power from the fuel engine. In addition they use “regenerative breaking,” as do EVs and PHEVs. Everytime you brake, the automobile captures power usually misplaced and shops it for later use.
With out the trouble of discovering charging stations and spending the additional time powering up, hybrids have a no brainer high quality to them—so long as you may afford the additional value, that’s. They’re usually just a few thousand {dollars} greater than gas-powered automobiles, however lower than plug-in EVs.
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For instance, the 2022 gas-powered Toyota Rav 4 begins at $26,975. The hybrid model is $29,575, and the plug-in electrical hybrid model is $40,300. However at any time when fuel costs spike, it’s simple to see how the fee evens out over time.
Toyota’s Rav 4 Hybrid and Rav 4 Prime (PHEV) made up 20% of the mixed HEV and PHEV market within the first half of 2022, based on Kelly Blue Ebook.
(Credit score: Toyota)
What Is a Plug-In Hybrid Electrical Automobile?
Basically a mixture of an EV and an HEV, a plug-in hybrid electrical automobile (PHEV) is constructed to run on each fuel and battery energy. The important thing distinction is that the facility comes from plug-in chargers, making them extra like an EV. When the battery energy runs out, PHEVs change to fuel like a hybrid. However PHEVs go longer on battery energy than hybrids do, providing you with wonderful gasoline financial system.
Persevering with the Toyota Rav 4 instance, the gas-powered model has a 27mpg (metropolis driving), the hybrid model is available in at 41mpg, and the PHEV actually impresses with 94mpg(Opens in a brand new window).
You’ll be able to cost your PHEV at dwelling and at public charging stations, providing you with a style of the EV life with the safety of a fuel tank to carry peace of thoughts on longer journeys.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe was a top-selling PHEV within the first half of 2022, based on Kelly Blue Ebook.
(Credit score: Jeep)
For extra, see EVs 101: How Do Electrical Automobiles Work? in addition to the highest electrical autos we have examined.
Which EV Would You Select?
Inform us which kind of EV you would be more than likely to purchase—or which one you have already purchased. Tell us why within the feedback.
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Chinese graphic artists are rapidly experiencing the impact of image generators on their day-to-day work: the technology enables copycats and profoundly shifts clients’ perception of their work, specifically in terms of how much that work costs and how much time it takes to produce. Freelance artists or designers working in industries with clients that invest in stylized, eye-catching graphics, like advertising, are particularly at risk.
Long before AI image generators became popular, graphic designers at major tech companies and in-house designers for large corporate clients were often instructed by managers to crib aesthetics from competitors or from social media, according to one employee at a major online shopping platform in China, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from their employer.
Where a human would need to understand and reverse engineer a distinctive style to recreate it, AI image generators simply create randomized mutations of it. Often, the results will look like obvious copies and include errors, but other graphic designers can then edit them into a final product.
“I think it’d be easier to replace me if I didn’t embrace [AI],” the shopping platform employee says. Early on, as tools like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney became more popular, their colleagues who spoke English well were selected to study AI image generators to increase in-house expertise on how to write successful prompts and identify what types of tasks AI was useful for. Ultimately, it was useful for copying styles from popular artists that, in the past, would take more time to study.
“I think it forces both designers and clients to rethink the value of designers,” Jia says. “Is it just about producing a design? Or is it about consultation, creativity, strategy, direction, and aesthetic?”
“You might get a good result, but there will inevitably be dozens or even hundreds of poor ones … Personally, I see [AI image generators] as more of a toy than a tool.”
At ad agencies, for example, graphic designers work on comprehensive strategies for campaigns, aiming to create iconic, recognizable visual identities across a variety of formats. As such, AI image generators are less useful because they don’t produce anything particularly unique, according to Erbing, a graphic designer in Beijing who has worked with several ad agencies and asked to be called by his nickname.
“Each project faces different problems, and designers are there to solve specific problems, not to create identical visuals,” he says. “Sometimes, the process of thinking through a project takes longer than actually creating the visuals.”
When faced with more complex tasks, AI’s utility dwindles. Image generators are capable of creating many images, but that does not replace the work of understanding what an ad campaign needs to establish a visual identity and communicate what it is the client is selling and why people should buy it. Then, translating those concepts to the AI productively is its own challenge. Among graphic designers in China, there’s a joke that using an AI image generator is like gacha, referring to addictive games where users spend money to receive randomized items and find out what they won.
“You might get a good result, but there will inevitably be dozens or even hundreds of poor ones,” Erbing says. “Personally, I see [AI image generators] as more of a toy than a tool.”
Across the board, though, artists and designers say that AI hype has negatively impacted clients’ view of their work’s value. Now, clients expect a graphic designer to produce work on a shorter timeframe and for less money, which also has its own averaging impact, lowering the ceiling for what designers can deliver. As clients lower budgets and squish timelines, the quality of the designers’ output decreases.
“There is now a significant misperception about the workload of designers,” Erbing says. “Some clients think that since AI must have improved efficiency, they can halve their budget.”
But this perception runs contrary to what designers spend the majority of their time doing, which is not necessarily just making any image, Erbing says.
Erbing, like other designers, hopes AI image generators can become more useful to graphic designers in the future, and notes that people’s perception of their usefulness outpaces their actual application. In the meanwhile, it is twisting the clients’ view of the usefulness of the artists themselves.
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If you’ve ever found yourself juggling clubs, bags and gear while trying to keep your focus on your golf game, the Robera Neo might just be the solution you didn’t know you needed.
This AI-powered smart caddie is designed to follow you around the course, carrying your clubs effortlessly and freeing you up to concentrate on your swing. It’s not just another electric cart; it’s a great blend of technology that learns your movements, navigates the course and even offers swing analysis if you opt for the premium model.
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Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
What makes the Robera Neo different from other golf caddies?
The Robera Neo stands out because it doesn’t require you to steer it or use a remote control. Thanks to its advanced time-of-flight camera and artificial intelligence, it recognizes you and follows you automatically. This means no more fumbling with controls or worrying about obstacles like trees or bunkers.
The Neo uses GPS to map out the course, so it knows the best path to take, saving you time and energy as you move from hole to hole.
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Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
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How does gesture control and smart navigation work?
One of the coolest things about the Neo is how naturally it responds to you. A simple wave of your hand tells it to start following or to stop, so you don’t have to break your focus or reach for a remote. It’s like having a caddie who just gets you.
Plus, with multi-frequency GPS, the Neo can access thousands of course maps and navigate with ease. You can even tell it where to go by tapping on your phone or using voice commands, and it will get there ahead of you, ready with your clubs in tow.
Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
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Avoiding obstacles and planning efficient routes
The Neo doesn’t just blindly follow you. It’s smart enough to spot obstacles and plan around them. Whether it’s a tree, a bunker or a water hazard, the caddie charts a safe and efficient path. After you hit your ball, you mark its new location on the GPS map, and the Neo calculates the best way to get to you. This smart routing can save up to a third of the battery’s power, so you can keep playing without worrying about running out of juice.
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Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
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Remote summon and handling tough terrain
Ever lost sight of your cart? With the Robera Neo, you can summon it from up to 328 feet away. It will navigate tricky terrain and come find you with no problem. And if your course has hills, the Neo can handle slopes of up to 25 degrees, so it won’t leave you hanging when the going gets steep.
Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
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Lightweight, durable and ready for any weather
The Neo is built to be lightweight and durable, making it easy to carry and tough enough for any weather conditions. Weighing in at under 33 pounds, it folds up for simple transport and storage. Its waterproof rating ensures that rain won’t slow you down, so you can keep playing no matter the weather.
Battery life is impressive; the standard model will last for about 27 holes, while the premium Tablet model can handle 36 holes or up to eight hours on a single charge. When it’s time to recharge, fast charging gets you back on the course in about four and a half hours.
Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
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Features for every type of golfer
If you just want a smart caddie that follows you and navigates the course, the Robera Neo Vision model has you covered, complete with a handy app for real-time updates and notifications. For those who want a little extra, the Neo Tablet model adds a bright touchscreen and a built-in camera that analyzes your swing, giving you instant feedback to help improve your game as you play.
Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
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Solutions for golf courses and commercial use
Golf courses can benefit from the Neo Drive version, which offers precise full-course navigation and a web-based management system. This lets operators monitor carts in real time, dispatch them remotely and set virtual boundaries to keep things running smoothly. It’s a smart way to manage fleets and enhance the overall player experience.
Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
Pricing and availability
Both the Vision and Tablet models are available at about 40% off through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, priced at $1,799 and $2,399, respectively. Each package includes the caddie, battery, charger and app access, and they come with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty. If all goes as planned, shipping will start in July 2025.
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Robera Neo AI-powered smart caddie (Robera)
Kurt’s key takeaways
The Robera Neo blends smart technology and practical design to create a golf caddie that truly makes your game easier and more enjoyable. Whether you’re a casual player who wants to ditch the heavy lifting or a serious golfer looking for real-time swing feedback and intelligent navigation, the Neo offers features that fit a wide range of needs. While backing a crowdfunding project always involves some risk, the positive response so far suggests this could be a reliable addition to your golf gear. If you’re ready to focus on your game and let your caddy do the heavy work, the Robera Neo is ready to follow you every step of the way.
Are you ready to let cutting-edge AI take the weight off your shoulders, or do you prefer sticking with the traditional way of carrying your clubs? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Microsoft announced earlier this week that it would start testing its new aggregated gaming library on the Xbox app for Windows, and it’s now starting to show up for testers today. This new library experience lists Steam, Battle.net, Ubisoft, Epic Games Store, and Riot Games titles that are all installed on a PC from various other launchers — much like GOG Galaxy.
I’ve been trying out the experience today and found that Microsoft automatically detects installed games and lists them in your library in the Xbox app, along with a relevant thumbnail or icon, and the name of the launcher where the game was installed from. While the thumbnails could do with some work in this beta app, you’ll get an option to play the game or see it in the relevant launcher. You can also hide games from these different PC stores if you don’t want to see them listed in the Xbox app.
This integration simply lists the games and you won’t get Xbox achievements or any additional functionality in these titles. The consolidated library is part of Microsoft’s effort to make the Xbox app on Windows the home of PC gaming, and to improve the handheld experience of Windows.
Speaking of Microsoft’s work to improve the Windows handheld experience, I’ve had multiple people tip me this week that the “Xbox full-screen experience” settings have randomly appeared on their existing ROG Ally devices. While the settings have appeared, the experience isn’t live yet and nothing happens if you try to enable it.
Microsoft confirmed to The Verge earlier this month that existing devices like the ROG Ally will get this full-screen Xbox experience at some point soon, and it looks like the company is already starting to test that on some devices. I’m confident this is a bug showing the settings, as the new ROG Xbox Ally devices aren’t due until later this year and they’ll launch with this new experience first.
If you’re interested in testing the new consolidated library you don’t need to wait until later this year. You just need to have the Xbox test app installed, which is as simple as downloading the Xbox Insider Hub on PC, joining the PC gaming preview in the app, and then updating the Xbox app in the Microsoft Store.
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