Rimac unveils the 1,900 HP Concept Two electric hypercar

After a shadowy tease, Rimac has unveiled the Concept Two, a hypercar EV with an off-the-wall crazy 1,914 horsepower. That’s about 500 more than pundits were expecting, and will accelerate it to 258 mph in 1.85 seconds, Rimac says. Yes, those figures seem carefully calculated to outdo Tesla’s upcoming next-generation Roadster, which is supposed to hit 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and top out at 250 mph. As a dose of perspective, 1,914 horsepower is 400 more than the Bugatti Chiron, currently one of the world’s fastest, if not the fastest supercars.

Built of carbon fiber, the Rimac Concept Two cuts a dramatic figure. Despite the integrated batteries and other touches designed to lighten things, it still tips the scales at 1,950 kg (about 4,300 pounds), which is a lot for a supercar. It will still corner like its on rails, Rimac says, thanks to torque-steering that’s fully independent on each wheel.

If you get tired of regular cornering, the Concept Two also rocks a full “drifting mode,” letting you switch between the axles and enable your inner rally driver. At the same time, it’ll make sure that you don’t get into trouble thanks to advanced, intelligent traction control.

It’s not just about the pure horsepower. The Concept Two will have Level 4 self-driving capability, according to Rimac founder Mate Rimac, though we’ll believe that when we see it (there are currently zero road cars with that capability). To aid in that, it has eight cameras, a lidar, six radars, and twelve ultrasonic sensors.

That’s just the start of the tech craziness. The hypercar will use facial recognition to unlock the ignition, for one. It can even scan your face to determine your mood and tell whether you might want some high-speed fun or a more relaxed ride. If it feels you’re looking for the “fun” part, the touchscreen will display racing lines you might want to try. If you look like you’d rather not drift around a hairpin, it can set the Concept Two for “cushy.”

Rimac said it will build 150 copies of the Concept Two, which would be a massive output compared to the eight copies it sold of the original. Also, I wouldn’t count on the Level 4 autonomy, unless Rimac has some thing up its sleeve that other, much larger, automakers, don’t. There’s no word on price, but expect to see up to seven digits in that figure.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Dyson to go all cordless with vacuums, starting with the Cyclone V10

Between the DC30 from 2009 and the more recent V8 series, Dyson’s handheld vacuum cleaners have barely changed on the outside, so color us surprised when Sir James whipped out a very different-looking machine today. Dubbed the Cyclone V10, this new vacuum resembles an enlarged conventional hair dryer thanks to its repositioned cyclones and bin — these are now in line with the head attachment and exhaust. Together, these form a linear airflow path from front to end, which ends up boosting suction power while also reducing noise. The new bin also benefits from a larger capacity, along with a more intuitive dirt eject mechanism: just remove the head, point at a trash can and push the eject button. It’s literally just point and shoot.

Of course, the star of the show here is really the new V10 digital motor, which boasts eight poles for faster switching, a redesigned impeller for greater airflow efficiency, plus a specially crafted ceramic shaft to reduce weight while still coping with spinning speeds of up to 125,000 rpm — a bump from the V8’s 110,000 rpm but at around half the weight. Combining this powerful core with the redesigned body, the Cyclone V10 is claimed to be lighter yet 20 percent more powerful than the V8. In fact, Sir James went as far as saying that he now has a handheld vacuum with the same performance as its full-size counterpart, such that “it is the reason why I’ve stopped developing full-size vacuums.”

The interesting thing about the V10 motor is that it can adapt to different altitudes, in order to deliver a consistent performance no matter where. Apparently the altitude between different floors in the same household can already affect a vacuum cleaner’s performance, let alone living in “a high altitude city like Mexico City and Denver” versus “a low lying city like Amsterdam,” according to Dyson.

Another major upgrade here is the battery life. The new 7-cell lithium battery packs more power yet weighs the same as before, and with the low power mode aka “suction mode 1,” it can let the Cyclone V10 run for up to a whole hour. If you need more power, you can now switch to either the new medium power mode or the familiar max power mode, but you’ll obviously have to sacrifice some battery life there. Another addition on this end is a new battery level indicator on both sides of the battery, along with a filter indicator in case it needs to be replaced or reattached. It’s unclear how long it takes to fully recharge a Cyclone V10, but at least this step is a little more convenient now thanks to the new wall cradle: simply slide the vacuum down to plug it in, as opposed to pushing upward first like before.

Dyson sure is keen to get its latest machine in the hands of consumers, so you can already go ahead and buy one in both the US and the UK, with prices starting from about $500 or £400, respectively.

Source: Dyson

Washington is the first state to pass its own net neutrality law

Net neutrality is safe in Washington. Governor Jay Inslee has signed House Bill 2282 into law, which will expressly protect the state’s residents from the rollbacks the FCC passed in December. The bill requires (PDF) any person selling broadband internet access to publicly disclose how it runs its network by putting things like network management practices on a “publicly available, easily accessible” website. That last bit is key — the FCC tried obfuscating the comment page for Title II provisions last year.

“A person engaged in the provision of broadband internet access service in Washington state… may not: Block lawful content, applications, services or nonharmful devices, subject to network management; impair or degrade lawful internet traffic; engage in paid prioritization,” the bill reads.

Washington is the first state to establish a law protecting Net Neutrality. HB 2282 will be put into practice 90 days from now (by June 6th) or whenever the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom order takes effect, whichever comes first. While executive orders are how some states are dealing with the unpopular decision, net neutrality becoming a law in Washington should make it harder to undo or challenge in court. Here’s to hoping more states follow Washington’s lead — an open internet is too important to not protect.

Source: Jay Inslee (1), (2) (PDF)

Netflix’s ‘Lost in Space’ doesn’t look like the show you remember

Netflix has released the first full trailer for its Lost in Space remake, and it definitely isn’t a retread of the 1960s TV show… or the 1998 movie, for that matter. While the core premise remains intact (the Robinsons have been stranded following a colonization mission gone wrong), much has changed in the past few decades. It’s not just the modern special effects or the grittier (if still family friendly) tone — the show is tinkering with important characters.

The most obvious change is to Robot, which now has alien origins and is potentially dangerous, not just the friendly helper from before. You also get to see the radical change to Dr. Smith, who’s played by Parker Posey. Showrunner Zack Estrin noted to EW that his version of Lost in Space will answer some questions about Smith that weren’t addressed the first time around, such as why the doctor is there and why the Robinsons would keep someone the audience knows is duplicitous.

Netflix debuts the new series on April 13th, and it joins a sci-fi push that includes Altered Carbon, more Black Mirror episodes and Duncan Jones’ noire-like movie Mute. The streaming service clearly wants to corner the market for the genre, and that means attracting big-budget productions that could easily rival what you’d see on broadcast networks.

Via: Entertainment Weekly

Source: Netflix (YouTube)

Engadget giveaway: Win a pair of Sonos One speakers courtesy of TurboTax!

It’s that time of year again: Tax season! But don’t fret, with all the intelligent services being offered now, there’s less to worry about than ever. The Intuit TurboTax app and web interface let you complete your taxes without even leaving the house — but you can if you use the mobile app and can even finish later on your PC. The household name in e-filing services has also launched its TurboTax Live feature this year. Now you can get virtual assistance from a network of certified tax preparers, just in case you hit a snag or really want to get the most out of your refund.

There’s even an Alexa Skill to check the status of your refund. So this week, TurboTax has provided us with a set of Sonos One smart speakers so you can keep track of that money just by asking, plus a gift card for TurboTax Live support which can give you some assistance maximizing your refund while minimizing any potential issues. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this speaker and tax preparation combo — along with some peace of mind!

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• Entries can be submitted until March 7th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

International Women’s Day Activity Challenge Requires Apple Watch Owners to Double Their Move Rings

Apple has debuted a new Activity Challenge for Apple Watch wearers today, this one focused on celebrating International Women’s Day. To complete the challenge and earn the achievement, you’ll have to double your Move ring on March 8, the day that commemorates the movement for women’s rights around the world.

The award for completing the challenge will be a set of still and animated stickers you can send to friends and family members within Messages. You’ll find the new Activity Challenge by opening the Activity iOS app, tapping the Achievements tab, and tapping the icon for the International Women’s Day Challenge achievement, which should be located at the very top of the page.

The new challenge follows one from February that encouraged users to close their Apple Watch’s exercise ring for seven days in a row as a promotion for Heart Month. Apple has regularly added Activity Challenges to the Activity app on iOS over the past few years, marking major holidays like Thanksgiving and New Year’s with challenges that encouraged users to avoid staying sedentary during each holiday.

Apple Watch isn’t the only area where Apple has been celebrating International Women’s Day, with the company debuting a series of female-focused spotlight categories in the iTunes Movies store earlier this week on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. The “Leading Ladies” section offers films like Wonder Woman, Mean Girls, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Room for under $10 for a limited time.

In Apple Music, a “Celebrating Bold Women” card has been featured in the Browse tab for the past few days, linking subscribers to playlists, essential albums, up-and-coming artists, women who made history, and a breakdown of Leading Ladies in musical genres like pop, jazz, rock, and more.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tag: Activity ChallengeBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Toyota will stop selling diesel cars in Europe this year

You can officially add Toyota to the list of manufacturers dropping diesel from their passenger car lineups. The brand has confirmed that it’s phasing out diesel passenger vehicles in Europe over the course of 2018, starting with cars like the Auris you see above — your only choices for the hatchback are a modest 1.2L turbo 4-cylinder or 1.8L and 2.0L hybrid solutions. The company will keep diesel commercial vehicles like the Hilux truck, Land Cruiser SUV and Proace van to “meet customer needs,” but that’s as far as it goes.

Toyota said the death of diesel was due to “strong customer demand” for hybrid versions of its cars. About 41 percent of cars sold through its European branch were hybrid models, while diesel represented “less than” 10 percent. This isn’t so much a bold move as it is a pragmatic one: if hybrids are on the rise (sales jumped 38 percent year-on-year) while diesel is almost a rounding error, why keep diesel around?

The automaker was going to face an uphill battle if it did try to keep diesel passenger cars on the market. Diesel was once Europe’s darling, but has been on the decline ever since Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal erupted in 2015. The backlash (combined with the rise of hybrids and electric cars) has been strong enough that Germany has given cities the all-clear to ban diesel motors from their streets. If Toyota didn’t bail on diesel in Europe, it risked making cars that no one wanted and might not even be legal to drive.

Not that the companies are entirely happy about it. They have to meet a European Union CO2 emissions target that has all of their cars matching or beating 95g/km by 2021, and that’s harder when their diesel emissions controls are more advanced than those on their larger vehicles with standard gas motors. Brands like Ford are considering price hikes on key models to help offset the cost of hybrids, which are sometimes sold at low profit margins or even a loss. Volkswagen chief Matthias Mueller is convinced that diesel will “experience a revival,” but that may be optimistic — it has a bad rap in Europe, and EVs may kill it off even if there is a resurgence.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Via: Automotive News

Source: Toyota

Popular Camera App ‘Halide’ Gains Portrait Mode Support, New Depth Effects

Popular camera app Halide, which provides iPhone users with more control when taking pictures with their iPhones, today received a major update that introduces several new features.

Photos with Portrait effects are now available in the Halide app, with Halide incorporating a mix of smart facial detection and point of interest detection to create Portrait mode photos with background blur effects.

Portrait Mode is combined with a new “Depth Peaking” feature that’s designed to show an outline of the camera’s 3D space when capturing a photo that uses depth effects. A new Portrait Preview mode will also show a preview of what Portrait effects will look like when turned on.

All depth-enabled photos captured with Halide can be viewed using a new 3D photo viewer, allowing users to “walk around and through” captured scenes to see depth in a new way.

On the iPhone X, Halide now offers support for the front-facing TrueDepth camera, offering a new set of depth tools for taking selfies with Portrait effects within the Halide app. The front-facing camera also supports Depth Peaking and can allow users to export depth maps to be loaded in other image editors.

In addition to these new features, Halide 1.7 offers faster photo capture times, better responsiveness, and a quicker startup time, along with new design features and support for opening photos in the Darkroom photo editing app with a single touch.

To celebrate the launch of the new version of Halide, the app is discounted to $2.99 for the next 48 hours. [Direct Link]

Tag: Halide
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Washington Becomes First State to Pass Its Own Net Neutrality Law in Defiance of FCC

Washington this week became the first state to pass a new law — House Bill 2282 — that restores and protects certain net neutrality rules, after the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 in favor of repealing net neutrality nationwide late last year. Washington state’s new rules were signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee yesterday, and prevent internet service providers from blocking and slowing down content online (via The New York Times).

Many multi-state lawsuits began cropping up following the net neutrality vote in December, but this marks the first time that a state has directly gone against the FCC and enacted its own regulations on how ISPs are regulated within the state. Now, the Washington state law will go into effect starting June 6, 2018, barring ISPs from blocking websites, throttling speeds, or charging its customers more for faster speeds on select sites “in a way that benefits the broadband company and partner websites.”

Today we make history: Washington will be the first state in the nation
to preserve the open internet with our own #NetNeutrality law. The open internet lives on for Washingtonians. pic.twitter.com/3wsmAycWLN

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 6, 2018

These actions are now technically legal under the repeal of net neutrality by the FCC, made official by its entry into the Federal Register in February and becoming nationwide law itself April 23, 2018. The law signed by Inslee is said to “immediately” put back into place consumer protections provided by net neutrality rules, and was “passed with broad bipartisan support in the state legislature.”

“Today we make history: Washington will be the first state in the nation to preserve the open internet,” Inslee said during today’s bill signing ceremony. “We’ve seen the power of an open internet. It allows a student in Washington to connect with researchers all around the world — or a small business to compete in the global marketplace. It’s allowed the free flow of information and ideas in one of the greatest demonstrations of free speech in our history.”

Besides Washington state, lawsuits and movements against the FCC have appeared in nearly two dozen states, with bills in each appearing similar to the one signed by Governor Inslee this week. Washington state’s law — and any others that appear in the future — are expected to end up in court, because part of the FCC’s rules passed under the repeal of net neutrality explicitly mentioned that states could not create their own rules.

Various tech companies also joined together in a lawsuit against the FCC filed on Monday, with Etsy, Foursquare, and Kickstarter among the companies banning together to fight the net neutrality repeal. Before the 3-2 vote in December, Apple was vocal against the potential repeal of net neutrality, emphasizing its stance in a letter last August that urged the FCC not to roll back the rules. Apple said this repeal could risk “fundamentally altering the internet as we know it today—to the detriment of consumers, competition, and innovation.”

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: net neutrality
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Google adds Disney parks to Street View

Last year Google revamped its Street View cameras to help us better map the real world, now it’s taken the technology to a much more magical land. From today, you’ll be able to explore inside 11 Disney Parks, getting an on-the-ground glimpse of all its castles, rides and attractions, including the captivating Avatar-themed world of Pandora. It’ll also definitely prove popular when the Star Wars area opens up next year. Now if only the imagery was available in real time, so we’d know whether to bother lining up for Splash Mountain or not.

Source: Google