Tesla built 305,000 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, delivered 310,000 of them, posted $3.3 billion in net income, and opened two new factories — in Berlin and Austin — all while CEO Elon Musk sought a highly publicized hostile takeover of Twitter.
Tesla's recent factory investments, as well as efforts to shore up its battery component supply chain, are part of the company's localization strategy, which seeks to lower production costs by building vehicles closer to the markets they'll eventually be sold in. But like the rest of the automotive industry, Tesla faces an increasingly tight supply of critical semiconductors and rising prices spurred by inflation itself brought on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It also is currently navigating the shuttering of its Gigafactory in Shanghai, which closed due to COVID outbreaks in the region. Work at the factory has only partially resumed in recent days.
Tesla will hold its quarterly investor teleconference at 5:30pm ET today, stay tuned for updates from that call along with whatever fun tidbits fall out of Elon's head during it.
Another day, another change to Instagram’s algorithm. The app is tweaking the way it ranks content in order to “value original content more,” according to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri.
Mosseri called out the update in a video on Twitter, saying the change was aligned with Meta’s broader goal of empowering creators. “If you create something from scratch, you should get more credit than if you are reshaping something that you found from someone else,” he said. “We're going to do more to try and value original content more particularly compared to reposted content.”
In follow-up comments, he added that Instagram already tries to prioritize original content, but that “it’s becoming increasingly important that [we] don’t overvalue aggregators.” It’s not clear how effective this change will be or what its impact will be. Mosseri said that the company does its best to “predict” whether a given photo or video is original, but they “can’t know for sure.”
📣 New Features 📣
We’ve added new ways to tag and improved ranking:
- Product Tags - Enhanced Tags - Ranking for originality
Creators are so important to the future of Instagram, and we want to make sure that they are successful and get all the credit they deserve. pic.twitter.com/PP7Qa10oJr
The move comes as Instagram has taken other steps to incentivize creators to post original content on its platform first, rather than re-sharing clips from TikTok and other apps. But the latest change also seems to be geared toward discouraging accounts that simply aggregate and distribute popular memes and other re-posted content.
It also reflects just how much Instagram’s feed has changed over the last year. The company has been steadily inserting more and more recommendations from accounts users don’t already follow into their feeds.At the same time, the company has been forced to reckon with the fact that many creators have long been suspicious of how the app ranks content. Instagram’s in-app recommendations have also come under fire from lawmakers who have raised concerns of teen mental health and other safety issues.
But those who dislike Instagram’s ranked feed do finally have an alternative: the company recently brought back its chronological feed, though it’s not enabled by default.
Workers at an Apple Store in Atlanta have filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. This marks the first time that Apple Store employees in the US have formally requested a union election. They'll be represented by the Communications Workers of America.
Over 70 percent of more than 100 eligible workers at Apple's Cumberland Mall store have signed union authorization cards. The group includes sales associates, operations specialists, technicians and creatives. The CWA represents workers from across the telecommunications, media and tech industries.
“A number of us have been here for many years, and we don’t think you stick at a place unless you love it," Apple Genius worker Derrick Bowles said in a statement. "Apple is a profoundly positive place to work, but we know that the company can better live up to their ideals and so we’re excited to be joining together with our coworkers to bring Apple to the negotiating table and make this an even better place to work.”
Engadget has contacted Apple for comment.
Although this is the first Apple Store union drive to result in an NLRB election filing, workers at other locations in the US are attempting to organize. Last weekend, it emerged that employees at the Grand Central Terminal location in New York City were collecting signatures to form a union. That group, Fruit Stand Workers United, this week called for Apple to offer better benefits and pay a minimum of $30 per hour.
Sonicware has stepped into the portable sampler space with its SmplTrek device. The battery-powered groovebox features a built-in mic that'll help you create samples wherever you are. The SmplTrek also lets you add samples from your phone via USB. There are dynamic mic, guitar and line-level inputs as well, and you'll be able to store samples on an SD card.
You can auto-slice samples and assign them to pads. Curiously, the SmplTrek has 15 velocity sensitive pads rather than the standard 16. You'll be able to edit samples with a waveform display and they can be matched to the key and tempo of a song, Sonicware says.
Each song can have up to 16 scenes. Each of those has 10 sequencer tracks, including ones designed for loops, drums, instruments, one shots and external MIDI. The SmplTrek will allow you to mix down a song using mastering effects before exporting it as a single audio file. What's more, if you connect the groovebox to your phone or PC, you can livestream your music.
The sampler comes with 30 effects included. That's a respectable number, though until we're able to try it for ourselves, it's unclear how good those effects are. The SmplTrek also offers more than 500 sample sounds and north of 100 drum kits out of the gate, so even beginners will be able to start piecing together songs right away.
Sonicware is running a Kickstarter campaign for the SmplTrek. It has blown past the funding goal of just under $39,000 by taking in over $458,000 in pledges so far. At the time of writing, there are a few units left as part of the Kickstarter Limited pledge, which will allow you to secure a SmplTrek for around $300. Sonicware expects to start shipments in October. The company has a solid track record with delivering on crowdfunding campaigns, following its successful LIVEN 8bit project.
It remains to be seen how well the SmplTrek works in practice. At the retail price of $429, it'll be in the same range as portable samplers from more established names, such as Novation's Circuit Rhythm and Roland's SP-404MKII.
Meta hid a heck of a surprise up the sleeve of its boiler suit for the end of its Quest gaming showcase. A Ghostbusters VR game is in the works for Meta Quest 2. Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) will publish the four-player co-op game, which is being developed by Far Cry VR: Dive Into Insanity studio nDreams.
Ghostbusters VR (as the game is called for the time being) shifts the action from the franchise's home base of New York City to San Francisco. No prizes for guessing that you'll hunt down and trap ghosts with the help of your proton pack and particle thrower. SPVR says the game will have an "extensive and engrossing campaign" that you can experience solo or with up to three friends. No release window was announced, but SPVR says more will be revealed in the coming months.
It's not the only Ghostbusters title in the pipeline either. Friday the 13th: The Game developer Illfonic is making Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, which will pit a team of four players against someone else who controls the ghost. That game is scheduled to arrive on PC, PlayStation and Xbox later this year.
Meta just held its latest Quest gaming showcase and it included some fresh looks at previously announced games as well as reveals of new titles. The stream offered a more in-depth look at Among Us VR gameplay for one thing, as well as a release window. It's coming to Meta Quest 2, Rift and S, Steam VR and PlayStation VR later this year.
This version looks like it'll completely shake up the dynamics of Among Us. It shifts the perspective to first-person rather than a top-down view. You'll still be running around the level to complete tasks, but you won't be able to see if there's a potential impostor right behind you. Hilariously, during the voting phase, you'll be able to literally point fingers at sus crewmates. Meanwhile, Schell Games, which worked on the VR version, has teamed up with Meta Quest to develop three unannounced projects.
Meta also showed off the initial gameplay trailer for the first officially licensed NFL VR game, NFL Pro Era. Developer StatusPro is using actual game data in a bid to make the experience feel authentic. You'll play as a quarterback and you can build up your skills in drills, read the defense and call audibles. If you can avoid getting sacked too many times, you can take your team to the Super Bowl. Alternatively, you can just play catch with friends in a virtual NFL stadium. NFL Pro Era, which features all 32 teams and will also be available on PS VR, will arrive this fall.
In addition, a Mercenaries horde mode for the VR version of Resident Evil 4 just arrived as a surprise free update. You'll need to take out as many Ganados as possible before time runs out. There are online leaderboards and challenges. Completing challenges will earn you rewards like a black-and-white classic horror mode and golden skins for weapons. Unlocked features will be available in the main game too.
Elsewhere, an electronic mixtape pack is coming to Beat Saber, including songs by Deadmau5, Marshmello and Pendulum. A release date for Cities: VR (a virtual reality take on Cities: Skylines) was announced as well: it's coming to Quest on April 28th.
The event included trailers for some other titles, including an impressive-looking follow up to sci-fi puzzle game Red Matter, espionage sequel Espire 2, narrative-driven JRPG Ruinsmagus and action-adventure title Bonelab.
Never mind the movies and endless spinoffs — Sega knows you want to replay the classic 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games, and it's ready to deliver. The company has announced that its Sonic Origins collection will debut June 23rd on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch. The $40 (£33) standard version will include remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD, while a $45 (£37) Digital Deluxe edition adds difficult missions, exclusive music and cosmetics.
Every game has remastered graphics and other "enhancements" for modern hardware. You can play all of them as they were originally intended (including the old aspect ratio), but you can also experiment with features and modes that were never available on your Genesis or Mega Drive. You can play as Sonic, Tails or Knuckles in any of the games, and an "Anniversary Mode" brings in a widescreen ratio with infinite lives. You can earn medallions to unlock content by completing missions.
This won't satisfy completists. Where's the remaster of the classic 32X title Knuckles Chaotix, Sega? If you can forgive that oversight, though, this may be the easiest way to either indulge your nostalgia or introduce kids to the other iconic platformer of the 16-bit generation.
Glorious PC Gaming Race, the maker of the Model O gaming mouse, the GMMK Pro mechanical keyboard and other popular peripherals, is changing its name. In rebranding as Glorious, the company is hoping to leave behind a name tinged with racial overtones.
The company was formed in 2014. Its original name was a spin on the term "the Glorious PC Gaming Master Race." Game reviewer Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation fame sarcastically coined the expression to poke fun at the elitist attitude held by some PC gamers that their platform of choice was superior to consoles. However, some gamers embraced the term despite the phrase "master race" having roots in Nazi ideology.
“While we remain committed to serving PC gamers and not taking ourselves too seriously, we have also grown and matured significantly as a brand.” Shazim Mohammad, the founder and CEO of Glorious said in a statement. “When I started this company I never could have imagined we’d be where we are today. This new brand identity is more inclusive, accessible and representative of who we’ve become and the direction we’re going long into the future.”
Glorious, which said its new name "inspires positivity," will start updating its branding in the coming weeks. It will introduce a fresh logo and relaunch its online store with a different, to-be-revealed URL. Its upcoming products will bear the new branding, as will the existing product lineup. However, Glorious said completing the transition with its current peripherals will be a multiyear process.
While established automakers try to come to grips with the electric revolution, fresh EV startups are thinking up innovative ways to cater to a new generation of drivers. And after checking out an early version of its upcoming car at the New York Auto Show, it feels like INDIEV may have created the first electric car made for gamers.
When it comes to general specs and performance, INDIEV’s Indi One seems to be using the Tesla Model Y as a template. The base model is slated to cost around $45,000 and features a 75 kWh battery, all-wheel drive and 230 miles of range. Meanwhile, the $65,000 premium version will sport a 95 kWh battery with 300 miles of range and a 0 to 60 time of 4.2 seconds. Even the shape of the Indi One is somewhat reminiscent of Tesla’s popular electric crossover, sporting a shortish hood, room for five passengers and a sloping rear end.
The Indi One's VIC lives beneath the hood, which means you won't get a frunk.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
However, where INDIEV is changing things up comes on the inside. That's because unlike other cars, the premium version of the Indi One features a VIC, or vehicle integrated computer designed to let occupants play games, edit photos and videos, or even live stream while on the go.
Now other car makers like Tesla have dabbled with in-car gaming, with owners enjoying support for titles like the Witcher 3, Stardew Valley, Cyberpunk 2077, and more on its vehicles. But the few dozen or so games available in Tesla’s Arcade feature are still a far cry from what you can get from PC marketplaces like Steam or the Epic Game Store. Additionally, due to NHTSA regulations, you can’t game on a Tesla’s main screen while the car is in motion, which makes a lot of sense, but is a bummer for any passengers seeking alternative entertainment.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But on the One, INDIEV gets around that restriction by having two large screens on the car’s dashboard. There’s a main infotainment screen powered by Android Automotive, along with a second screen on the passenger’s side running Windows. Not only does this mean guests can play while moving, it also means you can install pretty much any PC app you want. The car’s gaming credentials aren’t too shabby either. At the show, INDIEV reps told me the car currently features an Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU. But by the time the One officially goes on sale next year, the company is hoping to upgrade that to an RTX 3080 or better (assuming we’re still not in the midst of a chip crunch).
While it probably won’t be easy, INDIEV says the car’s GPU may even be user-replaceable, so you shouldn’t have to worry about buying a whole new car after a few years when it struggles to play the latest AAA games. And while I didn’t get a chance to game on it myself, I was able to pull up Twitch, get a glance at the standard Windows UI running underneath and see the One’s in-car streaming setup in action. INDIEV even lets users access one of the car’s built-in cameras to capture your face, so there’s no need for an external webcam. That said, because there isn’t a built-in mouse, keyboard or gamepad, you’ll need to figure out a control setup that works for your needs.
The Indi One's VIC will run Windows so you can install games or apps like Streamlabs, which you can see running here.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
INDIEV also teamed up with markers of ARK Park so guests can dive into in VR, with the game set to mimic the motion and turns of the car to reduce motion sickness. Additionally, the VIC will be open-sourced and will have an SDK for developers, so if you’re not afraid of some code, you can create custom apps and routines. And thanks to military-grade vibration reduction surrounding the VIC, the car’s gaming components shouldn’t come loose due to unforeseen bumps in the road. How’s that for geeky?
Finally, INDIEV says the One supports blockchain integration, allowing the car’s computer to function as a node for an unspecific decentralized ledger. This means the car could rake in a bit of passive income when you’re not driving it, which sounds like a nice idea in an alternate world where crypto has overtaken cash and credit, but I don’t think we’re yet. I should also point out that it’s hard to say how much juice gaming or running a node will have on the One’s range, which could render both of these features moot if you’re low on battery.
Of course, EV startups are kind of a dime a dozen these days. And for every Tesla that makes it big, there are sure to be others that crash and burn before reaching critical mass. But as someone who has always wondered why car makers don’t try to get more utility out of the computers inside them, I appreciate the ambition. And as we seen from Tesla and other EV makers have already proven, the tech inside a car matters just as much as how it looks or drives.
Now I admit that the newness of being able to game in your car makes it difficult to say if INDIEV’s endeavor will be a success or even help sell an extra car or two. But as someone who never has enough time to play games as it is, the idea of fitting in a quick round of Apex Legends while recharging or poking away in Civ 6 as a passenger during a road trip sounds fantastic. So if you’ve ever dreamed about an EV that can push pixels just as well as your rig at home, the One provides an interesting glimpse at a next-gen driving machine.
Reservations for the Indi One are available now ahead of its official release date next year in Q2 2023.
You no longer need to bring out an iPad or iPhone just to use Zoom's gesture recognition. Zoom has updated its Mac and Windows apps with visual gesture support. Raise your hand or give a thumbs-up and you'll send the appropriate reaction. As you might imagine, this promises more natural interaction in virtual classrooms and meetings than you'd get from clicking buttons.
The feature requires the latest version of Zoom as of this writing (5.10.3). It's disabled at the individual level by default, but you can enable it per user, per account or entire groups.
Gesture recognition comes alongside multiple updates that include a revamped Zoom Whiteboard collaboration tool that now exists as a full-fledged feature, not just a meeting extension. A chat etiquette tool helps administrators block or warn about rude behavior, and events now have a "Backstage" that lets organizers and panelists talk without facing the audience. Simply speaking, Zoom is adapting to reflect a world where remote and hybrid workplaces are likely here to stay.
