Technology
Tesla slashes price for monthly Full Self-Driving subscription
Tesla is reducing the subscription fee for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver-assist software in a reflection of the company’s continuing financial hardships. The company slashed the price to $99 / month, down from $199 where it has been since at least 2021.
Tesla announced the price adjustment in a post on X, in which it described the Level 2 driver-assist system as “FSD (Supervised)” — a name tweak that’s meant to convey the fact that drivers are required to pay attention to the road and stand ready to take control of the vehicle. (The company has been criticized for failing to include proper driver monitoring and other protections against overreliance on the system.)
Tesla previously charged owners $199 a month to subscribe to FSD. (The driver-assist system was also available for a one-time fee of $12,000.) FSD was also available as a $99 monthly subscription to owners who already have Autopilot, which is less capable than FSD. But now Tesla offers Autopilot as standard on all new car purchases, obviating the need for the price differential.
The company also recently began pushing a one-month free trial of FSD in a bid to get more customers to use it. And Tesla has reportedly been mandating its service center employees take all prospective buyers on a demo ride with FSD, under direct order by Elon Musk.
The company also recently began pushing a one-month free trial of FSD in a bid to get more customers to use it
But FSD is not a perfect system. Some Tesla owners laud its capabilities, but others describe it as erratic and untrustworthy. The company has pushed out numerous software updates in a bid to improve its abilities, with the latest (v12) purporting to finally tap into what Musk calls “end-to-end neural nets.”
Most automakers’ driver-assist systems are for limited use on highways, while Tesla stands alone in encouraging its customers to engage FSD on local roads with traffic signals, intersections, and vulnerable road users. The system controls acceleration and deceleration, makes turns — including unprotected left turns, which are extremely difficult for automated systems — and recognizes traffic signals and other road signs. FSD also requires drivers to pay attention to the road and take control of the vehicle when asked.
Tesla’s driver-assist technology has pushed the boundaries of what’s safe for customers to use on public roads and has drawn scrutiny from federal regulators. Federal regulators are investigating 16 crashes in which Tesla vehicle owners using Autopilot crashed into stationary emergency vehicles, resulting in 15 injuries and one fatality. Both Autopilot and FSD have recently been recalled, with the company pushing software updates that safety experts have called insufficient.
Tesla’s financial difficulties may be behind the latest price cuts. The company’s quarterly vehicle deliveries have declined for the first time in years, putting more pressure on Tesla to increase revenue through its software services as a way to compensate.
Technology
Meta’s glasses will turn off the camera if you tamper with the privacy light
Amid public backlash over its smart glasses, Meta announced that it will be updating its glasses with a new feature that will disable the camera when it detects that someone has tampered with or destroyed the glasses’ privacy LED light. The update is meant to address modders who have taken actions such as physically drilling into the LED light.
Meta has previously tried to discourage tampering with the LED light. For example, starting with its second generation glasses, blocking the light with tape or other objects will trigger a prompt asking users to uncover the recording light. However, many modders have found various workarounds for that particular measure.
Meta’s VP of wearables Alex Himel told The Verge that the privacy-focused update was on the way a few weeks ago after launching cheaper Meta Glasses without Ray-Ban branding. At the time, Himel acknowledged that the company was aware of increasing misuse alongside wider adoption of the devices.
Technology
Discord accidentally banned over 8,000 people for posting grids and other ‘benign’ images
Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord co-founder and chief technology officer, writes that the bug impacted around 200 users who posted “grid-like” pictures, in addition to about 8,000 people who posted “other benign images” since May 2026. “Everyone affected has now been unbanned,” Vishnevskiy says.
In a thread on X, Discord writes that its safety system is designed to flag content by “matching it against known harmful material.” This system can produce “false positives,” Discord explains, which is when an employee would step in to review the flagged content. But instead of just temporarily preventing the account from uploading content during the review, a glitch led its system to ban users entirely.
“When our staff reviewed and cleared those accounts, the same bug prevented the ban from being lifted automatically, so it just stayed in place,” Discord says.
Technology
Hoto’s PixelDrive screwdriver is down to $60, matching its best price
If your Prime Day purchases included a new desk, TV stand, bookshelf, or other furniture you still haven’t assembled, Hoto’s PixelDrive cordless screwdriver can help speed up the process. It’s currently on sale for $59.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, matching its best price to date.
From tightening loose screws on furniture to repairing electronics, the PixelDrive is designed to handle a wide range of household projects. Hoto includes 30 screwdriver bits that cover many of the most common screw types, all neatly organized in a small cylindrical case. It also offers six adjustable torque settings, allowing you to use less power when working with fragile electronics or increase it when putting together a desk, bookshelf, TV stand, or other furniture. You can also switch between a slower 80RPM mode for more precise work and a faster 200RPM mode with the press of a button.
Hoto also added several features that make assembling projects a little easier. A built-in display lets you quickly check your current torque setting and remaining battery life, while an integrated LED light helps illuminate dim spaces, whether you’re working under a desk or inside a cabinet. The rechargeable 2,000mAh battery also charges over USB-C, so you won’t need to keep buying disposable batteries.
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