Technology
The Boring Phone is a nostalgic branding exercise by HMD and Heineken
HMD really wants us to have more fun. Earlier this year, it announced a collaboration with Mattel on an upcoming Barbie flip phone. Now, it’s teaming up with Heineken and creative firm Bodega on another effort designed to tap into nostalgia: the Boring Phone. There are more details on Heineken’s site — which you’ll need to be at least 21 to view — but basically It’s a translucent flip phone with no apps, just good retro vibes to help you connect with your friends over a cold one.
The Boring Phone is apparently real — I know, I was skeptical, too — but it will only be available through giveaways and isn’t going on sale. It’s a limited edition run and Heineken’s website indicates 5,000 will be made. There’s a 2.8-inch QVGA display on the inside, a 1.77-inch display on the outside, a 0.3-megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It supports calling and texting via 2G, 3G, and 4G, but good luck finding a functioning 3G network anywhere in the US.
Specs are beside the point, though; the Boring Phone is a marketing stunt and, honestly, a pretty fun one. If you need navigation, Heineken’s promotional website suggests that you simply text your friends for directions. You can also play Snake in a nod to HMD’s Nokia license. And once again, translucent tech is in the news. Call it a comeback.
The Boring Phone will be available through social media giveaways in the UK, with other markets to follow later in the year. And if you don’t happen to win one, you’ll be able to download an app that “turns smartphones boring” starting in June. Sign up on Heineken’s website to stay on top of all things Boring Phone.
Technology
Maybe go look at Google’s AR animals before they enter the grave
Remember Google’s AR search, which can make augmented reality bugs, dinos, neat objects, and buildings appear atop the real world through the lens of your phone? Now might be a good time to take it in because it seems to be vanishing.
According to 9to5Google, the number of animals that will give you AR renders when you search for them has shriveled to just a few. My editor, Richard Lawler, saw the same thing on his Pixel 8 Pro, as did I when I checked my Pixel 6. But when I searched in Safari on my iPhone 15 Pro, there they were: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus, Rhinoceros Beetle, Jewel Beetle, and a Giant Panda!
Perhaps it’s just a bug? Or perhaps Safari is a temporary workaround.
We asked Google to explain what’s happening, but it didn’t give us an answer by press time. We’ll update if that changes. In the meantime, maybe now is a good time to go look at some AR animals — if they’re still showing up for you. Just in case.
Technology
Tesla Semi’s impressive performance on ice marks another major triumph
For skeptics of the Tesla Semi-Truck, performance across less-than-perfect conditions is near the top of their list of questions. Sure, this all-electric truck can handle perfectly controlled environments, but truckers know that things are rarely perfect on the roads in the real world.
After we wrote about how the Tesla Semi-Truck blew away a diesel-fueled truck in acceleration, even on steep grades, our readers still had plenty of questions about the Tesla truck design. Some of those questions focused on whether it had the control and power to handle rough weather and icy roads.
We sought answers to those questions about weather from Tesla itself but did not receive a response. Fortunately, we have some other means of investigating this issue, including a recent video from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that may provide some answers.
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How the Tesla Semi-Truck appeared to perform in poor weather
The CHP created a Facebook post in early 2024 that mentioned closing Donner Summit along I-80 in California after multiple semi-trucks lost control on icy roads. The announcement itself was not the notable item, though.
What caught our attention – and the attention of 3.5 million-plus viewers – was a video of a Tesla Semi-Truck slowly but successfully navigating the icy roads. The CHP didn’t mention the Tesla truck in the post, but the video clearly shows its unique design.
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We must say that although the video seemed to show the Tesla Semi-Truck handling the ice like a cold-weather pro, it was only 17 seconds long. It’s impossible to tell just how far the truck traveled during the video and how fast it was going. We also don’t know what happened with the truck after the officer stopped recording.
Still, the video evidence appears to show that icy conditions were no problem for this Tesla Semi-Truck. If true, this would indicate that it could perform anywhere in the United States at any time of the year rather than only in warm-weather states that experience primarily mild weather.
MORE: A DIY VERSION OF TESLA’S CYBERTRUCK MADE OUT OF WOOD
How the Tesla Semi-Truck could affect emissions on a large scale
Tesla claims its Semi-Truck has an energy consumption of less than 2 kWh per mile, even when fully loaded at 82,000 pounds. Such energy savings could be monumental in terms of cutting emissions. Transport & Environment estimates semi-trucks in Europe account for 27% of all vehicle emissions while only representing 2% of the vehicles on the road.
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The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) calls heavy-duty trucks the “fastest growing contributor to emissions,” making an all-electric option like the Tesla Semi-Truck game-changing. With the EPA expecting freight activity in the United States to grow by 45% from today to 2040, finding new options for cutting emissions is vital.
Of course, to provide such benefits, the Tesla truck would have to prove that it can handle the conditions that truckers encounter every day, including performing in less-than-ideal road conditions and weather. What the vehicle seemed to do in the CHP video would indicate a positive step forward.
MORE: HOW AI IS PAVING THE WAY TO SMOOTHER STREETS USING AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS
Kurt’s key takeaways
The Tesla Semi-Truck appears to show video proof of the strength of its design, such as the power it delivers on hills. It proved its efficiency for traveling long distances on a single charge. And now it seems to be showcasing safe operation in winter road conditions. It will be interesting to see what this truck can deliver in the near future as it attempts to overcome skeptics.
Do you believe Tesla Semi-Trucks are the future of the trucking industry? Can these trucks meet the needs of truckers who require top-notch, real-world performance? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Amazon says its Prime deliveries are getting even faster
To me, Prime’s promise of two-day shipping is more of an added bonus to Prime Video and stuff like Fallout. But it’s become an expectation, leading other retailers like Walmart and Target to roll out faster shipping options of their own.
Now, Amazon says its deliveries are getting even faster, announcing that it delivered over 2 billion items the same or next day to Prime members during the first three months of 2024, breaking its record for 2023. The company says it delivered almost 60 percent of Prime orders the same or next day in 60 of the biggest metropolitan areas in the US.
If you buy from Amazon, have you noticed any differences lately? Same-day and next-day options seem to be more widely available, but it’s hard to tell how that applies to different items in different places or whether the associated costs are worth it based on reports of warehouse injuries and workers organizing for better conditions.
The control Amazon has over shipping and fulfillment has helped make it the target of a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission. The agency alleges Amazon engages in anticompetitive behavior by unfairly limiting which sellers are eligible for Prime shipping and coercing companies into using its fulfillment services. Amazon claims that the FTC’s efforts could result in “slower or less reliable” Prime shipping for customers.
In 2019, Amazon said it was spending billions to build up an in-house fulfillment operation covering planes, trucks, drones, and robots to rival FedEx and UPS and enable these one-day-or-less deliveries. And last year, it introduced a program that allows sellers to ship their products directly from factories — regardless of whether they’re going to one of Amazon’s many warehouses.
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