Airbnb bought a Russian design studio and nobody knows why

Russian design firm Lapka sent out a Tweet yesterday announcing that it had been acquired by Airbnb, confusing all of those who were faced with the black and white mock up image publicizing the partnership. The $24 billion home rental service has been investing a lot of its time and energy into shaping its company identity: from a change of logo to offering hosts products to better their properties. But looking at the products that Lapka has released in the past: a smartphone-assisted breathalyzer and concept sensor nodes for Google’s Project Ara phone, we’re left wondering what the two companies will produce.

Airbnb co-founder and chief product officer Joe Gebbia seems excited about the partnership, saying he’s been inspired by Lapka’s “impressive design sensibilities.” The Russian studio’s founder Vadik Marmeladov made a statement on company’s blog which failed to shed any light on the partnership, noting “What we’re capable of building together is beyond explanation, so let’s leave that for later news.” However, the design firm’s eagerness to adapt and evolve its product line, we’re hoping for Airbnb-branded vodka (and companion iPhone breathalyzer) as a welcome gift in the coming months.

Source: Airbnb, Lapka

Tesla’s Model X electric SUV will cost you at least $132,000

Now that Tesla’s Model S has the world warmed up to the idea of classy-looking electric cars, it’s ready to do it all again with a different form factor. After delays (and more delays), CEO Elon Musk announced the Model X in full specific detail — much to the delight to those that put down some heavy deposits years back. A cheatsheet for what you’ll get for waiting? Falcon wing doors to access the back, a scooch slower than the Model S, but also a higher and bigger interior than its forebear. It’ll come in two models (at two prices): crossover SUV will be initially offered in two models: Reuters reports prices as $132,000 for the P90D Signature and $142,000 for the P90D Founder edition. The future isn’t cheap, so let’s take a look what alleged time-traveller Musk has crammed underneath those falcon wings. Slideshow-324385

Let’s start with safety. Because, well, it’s a car. No kidding, the Model X has a bio weapon defense mode button — one that seals the car with true HEPA filters that are ten times larger than a regular car. At the launch event, Musk described that interior of the Model X was “like a hospital.”

Tesla calls the Model X the safest car in world: the company even states it’ll receive a 5-start safety rating — before it’s even taking the test. That’s brassy… and it would made the car the first ever SUV to do so. Active safety is at the core of all of this: automatic emergency braking and side collision avoidance is built-in. That emergency braking even works at high speed — another Tesla-only feature. There’s forward-looking cameras, radar and even a 360-degree sonar for autopilot features. The company is promising to update the vehicle through software with even more lazier features including, yes, Autopark.

Those wings. The Tesla Model X’s falcon doors are actuated on a pair of hinges. It can cheekily open itself while being crammed between two parked doors — you’ll need only 30 cm (around 12 inches) of space to open up. Sensors can also detect the roof height to decide how far to open the doors. Oh, and those doors automatically open when you get near them. Inside, seats move by reading your mind independently of each other for easy access to the back seat. As you might be able to tell from photos, that huge windscreen pretty much reaches the head of the driver and shotgun passenger. Naturally, it’s solar-tinted.

If the giant view of the road ahead bores you, there’s a 17-inch touchscreen that’ll pull together media playing, navigation and cabin control. (We think the latter means air-con). In other firsts, the Model X is the first EV to have a 5,000-pound tow capacity. It’s a proper SUV, yet promises a rush of 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The built-in 90 kWh battery on the signature model promises a run of 250 miles on a single charge. As long as you’re not playing with the doors all day, presumably. We’re at the big, hectic event to get a closer look at the Model X — expect more impressions soon!