Tesla hikes prices across all of its models by up to $6,000

Tesla has significantly boosted prices across its EV lineup, according to changes in its online configurator spotted by Electrek. Most of the models affected are long-range versions, with the Model X AWD Long Range jumping the most, up $6,000 from $114,990 to $120,990. It's the latest in a series of price hikes for Tesla EVs this year. 

The AWD Long Range Model S price also increased significantly by $5,000 from $99,990 to $140,990. The Model Y Long Range and Performance prices went up by $3,000 and $2,000 to $65,990 and $67,990 respectively. Just one Model 3 version was effected, the Long Range, jumping $2,500 from $54,490 to $57,990.

The Elon Musk-owned company didn't explain the changes, but high inflation, electronics shortages and other issues could be to blame. Last week, CEO Elon Musk reportedly said he might reduce Tesla's workforce due to to high inflation. Other EV manufacturers like Rivian and Lucid have also boosted prices recently. (GM, however, significantly lowered the price of its Bolt EV last week to $26,595.) 

The Boring Company will build a 34-mile tunnel network underneath Las Vegas

The Boring Company's underground transportation system will be more expansive than what it originally planned. It has just received approval from the city to bring its underground transportation system called the Vegas Loop to city limits. When Clark County Commissioners first approved the Vegas Loop, it was supposed to be a 29-mile tunnel network connecting 51 stations. Now, the network will span 34 miles and have a total of 55 stations, including ones that will serve the Harry Reid International Airport and the Allegiant Stadium.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Boring Co. President Steve Davis said tunneling in downtown Las Vegas could begin in 2023: "This is step two and there are eight steps for us to be opening. There's a long way to go and a lot of work to do. But if I were to guess on the spot I would guess we'd have machines in (the ground) next calendar year." According to the publication, the downtown stations include the Strat, Fremont Street Experience, the Slotzilla attraction, the Garage Mahal at the Circa Resort and the Plaza Hotel. Boring could add other stations in the future, as well, with each one costing anything in between $1.5 to $20 million to build. 

Davis also said a ride from Fremont Street Experience downtown to Reid International would cost about $12 and take around eight or nine minutes. Before Boring's monorail system could shuttle people to and from downtown Las Vegas, though, it has to secure a bunch of permits and design approvals first. As The Verge notes, only 1.7 miles of the Vegas Loop are operational at the moment underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). That said, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill said he expects more portions serving parts of the Resort Corridor to be operational sometime in 2023.

Thanks to the entire team at the City of Las Vegas! Great discussion today, and TBC is excited to build a safe, convenient, and awesome transportation system in the City. https://t.co/cZUMFR0UCZ

— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) June 15, 2022

Ultra-Low-Power GNSS Module offers Power-Efficient Solution for Size-Constrained Battery-Powered Asset Tracking Devices

Ultra-Low-Power GNSS Module offers Power-Efficient Solution for Size-Constrained Battery-Powered Asset Tracking Devices

u-blox has announced its smallest GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module series u-blox MIA-M10 that is built on the ultra-low-power u-blox M10 GNSS platform and offers the most power-efficient solution for size-constrained battery-powered asset tracking devices. This module is available in two product variants and its small size, low power demand, and performance make it a natural fit for wearable devices.

Lakshita Khanna Thu, 06/16/2022 - 12:38
Circuit Digest 16 Jun 08:08

Samsung merges Pay and Pass into a single Wallet app

Samsung is making it easier to store your credit card information and other digital data on your phone. On Wednesday, the company announced the merging of its Pay and Pass apps into a single Wallet platform. With the change, you won’t have to use two different apps to manage your digital identity. Instead, the company’s new Wallet app will let you store your debit and credit card information for mobile payments, in addition to your login credentials for websites and apps.

Samsung says you can also use the software to store digital car keys from brands like BMW, Genesis, Hyundai and Kia, as well as airline boarding passes, starting with Korea Air. And just in time for crypto winter, there’s support for monitoring your cryptocurrencies across a variety of exchanges.

Later this year, the app will allow you to store digital IDs, including student cards and driver’s licenses, from participating institutions and state governments. There’s also integration with Samsung’s SmartThings platform. Everything is stored securely on your device with protection from Samsung’s Knox platform.

Samsung Wallet is available to download starting today in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK. If you already have the Pay and Pass apps installed on your phone, you’ll be prompted to migrate to the new software the next time you open them. A fleshed out Wallet app has been a long-time coming for Samsung, particularly after the company added support for digital car keys last year.

Amazon Prime Day kicks off July 12th this year

Amazon has officially announced the dates for its next annual shopping event. Prime Day 2022 will be on July 12th and 13th this year — the event will begin at 12AM PT/3AM ET on Tuesday, July 12th, and conclude at the end of the day on Wednesday, July 13th. As it has been for the past few years, Prime Day will actually be a two-day event during which Prime members can snag deals on everything from electronics to fashion to Amazon's own devices.

The past two years saw Prime Day in different seasons, mostly due to COVID-19 repercussions. In 2020, Amazon had to delay Prime Day until October, and it rebounded a bit last year by having Prime Day in June. Now, it seems Amazon has returned to its roots by having its shopping event in July, the month in which most Prime Days past have been.

And if you didn't already know, Amazon Prime Day brings exclusive deals for Prime subscribers. Not only is the shopping event a way for Amazon to produce a spike in sales, but it's also a way for the company to encourage people to sign up for Prime. But that might be a harder sell this year than others since the company raised the price of Prime to $139 back in February.

If you do plan on putting that Prime membership to use next month, you can turn to Engadget to find the tech deals worth your month during the two-day event. Unsurprisingly, Amazon Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to get Amazon devices, since most of them will likely be down to all-time-low prices. But we also expect to see worthwhile sales on headphones, robot vacuums, laptops, SSDs and much more. You can also follow Engadget Deals on Twitter for the latest news during Prime Day, and sign up for the new Engadget Deals newsletter to get the best deals delivered right to your inbox.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

PS5 update adds a TikTok-like editor to its game clips editor

Sony unveiled a new quick editing mode for PS5’s Share Factory Studio today that will allow users to create shortform gameplay videos with pre-set, Tik-Tok-like formats. In a blog post, Sony explained the new editing feature — which it has deemed “Bits”— lets gamers choose a curated Bit style for their gameplay clip, or customize their footage even further with the “Quick Edit” mode. Players can expect new Bits styles to roll out every week. Bits themes will be based on special events, holidays, seasons and trending content.

“Our goal with Bits is to make it super easy and fun for PlayStation gamers to create and share short-form gameplay videos for sharing cool achievements, jokes, stunts, and any other type of eye-catching content,” wrote the company in the official PlayStation blog.

For those who aren’t familiar, Share Factory Studio is PlayStation’s free editing app that lets players capture and edit gameplay footage right on their consoles and share to social media. The app is packed with advanced video and audio editing features, including support for HDR video and the ability to add animation, stickers, filters and voice effects. But for those who are overwhelmed by Share Factory Studio’s many options, Bits seems to be an easy way to churn out social media-friendly gameplay clips.

For a preview of what Bits looks like, check out the short trailer below.

Facebook is planning a major redesign to help it compete with TikTok

Mark Zuckerberg and other Meta executives have made it clear for some time that competing with TikTok is their top priority. Now, we have additional details about how they plan to completely overhaul the Facebook app to accomplish that.

The social network is working on a major redesign of Facebook’s main feed that would heavily emphasize recommended content from pages, creators and people you don’t already follow, according to a memo from a Facebook executive that was published by The Verge.

The memo, from Tom Alison who heads up the Facebook app at Meta, states that the goal is to shift Facebook into a “Discovery Engine,” which would heavily rely on recommendations, similar to TikTok’s “For You” feed. Recommendations would mainly come from “unconnected” content, including Reels, and users would see fewer posts from friends and family in their feeds. The plan would also bring Messenger’s inbox back into the Facebook app in an effort to encourage users to share more content from said “Discovery Engine.”

It’s not clear how long it will take Meta to implement these changes, some of which mirror changes already happening at Instagram. But it’s not the first time Meta executives have hinted at big changes to come in Facebook’s app, or even the first time we’ve heard about an upcoming pivot from social network to “Discovery Engine.” Zuckerberg said in April that the company was in the midst of a “major shift” that would change the dynamics of feeds to emphasize AI-driven recommendations over users’ social graphs.

Still, the memo from Alison makes clear just how important the new priorities are for the company, which is desperately trying to catch up to TikTok.

But the shift to more recommendations could also be problematic for the company. The company’s current recommendation algorithms have been blamed for exploiting divisiveness and promoting misinformation. While Alison told The Verge that there would be stricter rules for recommended content, the company has often struggled to enforce its own rules. And, notably, in his memo Alison states that the company is changing the way it views its obligation to reduce “negative experiences.”

“‘Reducing negative experiences’ has been removed as a product priority since it’s more aptly tied to the product culture we are trying to build throughout our approach of being ‘Trustworthy,’ ‘People-Centric,’ and ‘Unified,’” Alison wrote. “Our focus is doing this holistically across all of our products as a permanent part of our culture as opposed to a short-term priority.”

Disney+ will stream a live musical special from Epcot hosted by Idina Menzel

Disney+ is continuing its experiment with live events, this time with a special from one of its own theme parks. The platform will livestream Harmonious Live!, a musical special that will be hosted by Idina Menzel and performed at the Epcot theme park in Walt Disney World, reportedVariety. The live orchestra performance will feature a repertoire of songs from a number of classical Disney films, including Moana, Aladdin, Coco, The Lion King, Mulan and others.

The choice to air Harmonious Live! will no doubt please Disney fans of all ages, especially those who haven't been back to a theme park in a while. After a nearly two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Disney resumed live entertainment at its theme parks again this year. And unlike live shows performed at the park, fans will be able to watch re-watch Harmonious Live! on the Disney+ platform at any time they like.

Disney+ subscribers can expect even more live offerings this year. The upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars will air on the platform, likely in September 2022. Meanwhile, Harmonious Live! will air on June 21 at 6 p.m. PT/9 ET in the US and Canada. You can watch a preview below.

In-person Apple Camp creative sessions return June 20th

In-person Apple Camp creative sessions for kids have been on hold for the past two years due to the pandemic, but Apple is bringing them back now that it's safer to get together. The company will hold in-store sessions worldwide between June 20th and August 31st, and it's launching a new, two-hour format built for families. Staff will lead a comic book creation activity where children between the ages of 8 and 12 use an iPad Pro to draw, take photos outside and otherwise tell a tale about protecting the environment.

There are still options if you'd rather stay at home. You can download an Apple Camp "Field Guide" with 20 iPad-oriented activities for kids, such as creating a podcast, designing a maze or using code to plan an Earth-saving tool.

Apple has been gradually easing back into pre-pandemic activities at its stores. It dropped mask requirements at many US stores in February, and resumed Today at Apple instructional classes in March. While some of the company's corporate employees are still eager to work from home, it's clear the retail team is ready to get back to (relative) normal.

Netflix and Mo'Nique settle lawsuit over alleged discrimination

Netflix has settled a lawsuit from comedian and actor Mo'Nique that accused the company of racial and gender bias. Both parties this week moved to dismiss the suit, which was filed in 2019. “The matter has been amicably resolved," a representative for Mo'Nique told The Hollywood Reporter.

The two sides started talks over a comedy special in 2017, but Mo'Nique claimed the company low-balled her with an opening offer of $500,000 for a one-hour show to which Netflix would own the rights. The Oscar-winning performer called for a boycott of Netflix and said the offer was discriminatory, given the eight-figure deals some other comics (such as Chris Rock and Amy Schumer) reportedly received for their Netflix specials.

Netflix walked away from the discussions after Mo'Nique's assertions. "Once Mo’Nique engaged in protected conduct by protesting the discriminatory offer, Netflix shut down any further negotiations and refused to negotiate in good-faith consistent with its standard practices," the suit stated. Netflix argued there were no legal grounds to support the claim that a company declining to negotiate in good faith equates to discrimination or retaliation.

However, the judge presiding over the case determined in 2020 that Mo'Nique may have had a point. “Mo’Nique plausibly alleges that, after she spoke out and called her initial offer discriminatory, Netflix retaliated against her by shutting down its standard practice of negotiating in good faith that typically results in increased monetary compensation beyond the ‘opening offer’ and denying her increased compensation as a result,” Judge Andre Birotte Jr. wrote in a ruling that rejected an attempt by Netflix to dismiss the case.

Engadget has contacted Netflix for comment.