As an all-electric racing series, Formula E presents a unique set of challenges for drivers. The hurdles include power management, when to enable attack mode and the constant effort not to overheat the tires. The day before the Monaco E-Prix, we stopped by the Avalanche Andretti Racing garage to chat with Formula E rookie Oliver Askew, the lone American driver in the series. Askew discusses the series’ challenges, racing in Monaco and the new Gen3 car.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Billy Steele: With this being your first year in Formula E, are there any specific challenges that are unique to this series? Are there things you didn't expect or aspects that have been more challenging?

Oliver Askew: Multiple things. We'll start with the tracks. They are very different from what I'm used to. I have raced street tracks from the Road to Indy and IndyCar, but there are different straight tracks, they're a lot more tight. Combine that with how I need to drive this car, which has very little grip. It's very heavy, no aero and we're on treaded tires. So that's been a bit of a challenge.

But it's a race car at the end of the day, and it has good power, good acceleration and it decelerates well. The window of operation is very small, so in the racing situation, with our energy, it's a completely different story.

SOPA Images via Getty Images

Qualifying is one thing, but when we go to the race, it's all a big chess match. You are racing other guys and deciding when to deploy energy and when to save energy. Obviously, qualifying is very important. But if you're able to go fast, while saving energy at the same time, you can overtake guys. It's a very action-packed race day, usually, and you keep seeing guys come from the back to the front by preserving energy in the beginning and then deploying it at the end – and vice versa.

We rely a lot on our engineering. Our preparation in the simulator is massive, especially for me. I show up on the race weekend, and I get like six push laps if I'm lucky before qualifying, which is nothing from what I'm used to.

BS: What is your favorite aspect of Formula E?

OA: I'd like to say that the car suits me. I do like operating in that very small window – the fine margins – especially when we go to the street tracks. It's a game of inches. And though I'm still learning how to get the most out of it, my development is on a very steep road at the moment. And I think it'll continue to be that way until we get to where we want to be at the front.

The traveling aspect I really, really enjoy. It can be tiring. But back in the States racing IndyCar the biggest trip that I would take would be from Florida to Indianapolis, or from Florida to the west coast, which doesn't take much time at all. Traveling to Jakarta and then going back to the simulator in Munich, seeing countries that I wouldn't have the chance to see before this experience, is pretty cool.

BS: And not the opposite. What’s your least favorite?

OA: Probably my teammate, Jake. Super annoying bloke.

Just kidding, we get along really well. I’d say the fact that we get virtually no practice.

BS: Most of your practice is in a simulator, right?

OA: Yeah, and at the end of the day, it’s very impressive what we're able to do there. But it’s still not the real thing.

NurPhoto via Getty Images

BS: What are your thoughts on the circuit here in Monaco? It’s quite different from other tracks.

OA: There is a lot of elevation. I've never been to this city before, so I didn't realize how vertical it was. Like you're literally taking elevators across town just to get to where you want to go.

On the track, Monaco is pristine – like everything about it. It's the most gorgeous three track I've ever been to. Combine the harbor and the yachts with the glitz and glam and it's definitely a special place. And just to imagine are legends of sport, icons racing around here. I'll definitely take that in for the first couple laps and then get to work.

BS: Are there any specific challenges to the circuit?

OA: This is our most high speed circuit. To put that into perspective, this is one of Formula 1’s slowest. So yes, these cars are not as quick as the F1 course, but they're very difficult to drive – combined with a very high speed circuit. Take turn three, for example, the line is a very long left hander, and you're cresting the hill on approach. It's difficult to find the braking zone. You have to rely a lot on the car settings through there. And then you take the hairpin, the heavy braking out of the tunnel into turn 10. Like we spoke about before, the brakes in this car are vital to get right.

Billy Steele/Engadget

BS: With this weekend being the debut of Gen3, do you have any initial thoughts on the new car?

OA: Hopefully I get to drive it at some point! On paper, it seems very powerful and very fun to drive. I think the other drivers are in the same boat. It's impressive what they've been able to put into this car. And I think it's going to be a lot more enjoyable to drive than the Gen2.

BS: Is there one aspect that stands out more than the others in terms of the new technology on board?

OA: With four-wheel regeneration, we're able to put twice as much battery into the car throughout a race. We put back 40 percent into the battery of what we use energy-wise during a 45 minute race, which is pretty impressive. The brake zones are kind of going to condense with that extra front axle breaking. I don't know what that's going to do to the racing aspect of the series. It's probably going to make it a lot more difficult to overtake but the excitement is still gonna be there.

Although some of the details have already been announced, Formula E officially unveiled its Gen3 car today ahead of this weekend’s Monaco E-Prix. Big changes are coming in terms of power and efficiency when the new cars hit the track next season, but the vehicles will also sport a new look that differs from the current second-gen design. In fact, Formula E has gone so far as to call the Gen3 “the world’s most efficient racing car.”

Until now, much of the focus on Gen3 has been the massive upgrades to performance and efficiency, but the car also sports a new overall body design. Wheel covers are gone in both the front and rear, making the new model more of a true open-wheel car. There are no individual wings over the rear wheels either. Instead, Gen3 has two jet-like fins on the back. That’s because the aerodynamic shape of the car was inspired by fighter aircraft, and indeed the vehicle looks a bit like a more modern F-18 on wheels.

Formula E hopes the new design, which is both lighter and smaller than the Gen2 model, will enable more entertaining racing. Like the new Formula 1 cars that debuted this season, Gen3 is built for more speed, but also for more “agile” wheel-to-wheel racing. Any tweaks that enable more duels on the track usually means a better viewing experience for fans. Plus, these cars should be two to four seconds faster in both qualifying and race conditions.

“The Gen3 is a creature designed for its habitat: racing on city streets in wheel-to-wheel combat,” Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle said in a statement. In fact, the series says this is the world’s first race car specifically designed and optimized for street circuits. With that in mind, it’s fitting that the series would debut the vehicle in Monaco, where last year’s E-Prix saw a half-dozen lead changes and more than 60 overtakes.

Billy Steele/Engadget

When it comes to powertrain, Formula E says the Gen3 car is its “most powerful, lightest, and fastest race car to date,” according to Reigle. “Formula E’s Gen3 race car represents a leap forward for motorsport and electric mobility," he explained. "Designed to demonstrate that high performance, efficiency and sustainability can be packaged together without compromise.”

Inside, an electric motor can deliver 350kW of power (470BHP) to reach top speeds of 200MPH (320 km/h). What’s more, Formula E explains that the power-to-weight ratio for the Gen3 is twice as efficient as the output for a comparable internal combustion engine (ICE). For reference, Formula 1 cars average speeds between 220 and 230MPH during a Grand Prix, depending on the circuit layout. Then there’s the motor efficiency. Formula E says the electric power units can convert over 90 percent of their energy to mechanical power, compared to around 40 percent for an ICE motor.

“The overall performance of the car is going to be much quicker than we have today,” Roger Griffiths, team principal Avalanche Andretti Racing, told Engadget. “That’s the exciting bit – combination of the lower weight, the electric powertrain and the regeneration. Two to four seconds faster around the race track is huge.”

Gen3 won’t rely solely on batteries for power. Around 40 percent of the energy cars will use during an E-Prix will be produced by regenerative braking. This will also be the first Formula car ever with both front and rear powertrains, which will add 250kW to the 350kW in the back. All of it combines for a total of 600kW, which will be more than double the regenerative abilities of the Gen2. In another first for a Formula car, the Gen3 won’t be equipped with hydraulic rear brakes thanks to the addition of the front powertrain and its regenerative output.

Billy Steele/Engadget

“As drivers, we’re always very excited to race with cars that are more competitive with more performance and more efficiency,” ROKiT Venturi Racing driver Edoardo Mortara told Engadget. “With this new Gen3 car, it’s going to be lighter, more powerful and more grip, so it’s going to make [racing] more fun.” Mortara said the second powertrain at the front could be a challenge, demanding a new driving style and enabling new race strategies from the current Gen2 car.

Of course, sustainability is also a key piece to the overall Formula E mission, and Gen3 certainly takes this into account. The series says this will be the first Formula car that incorporates Life Cycle Thinking, or how used components are dealt with once they’re removed from service. In this case, there’s “a second life” already in place for recycling tires, parts and battery cells.

For the new Hankook tires, Formula E says a new process allows for the overall composition to comprise 26 percent sustainable materials, including natural rubber and recycled fibers. The series plans to use the same process as from aviation and aerospace industries for carbon fiber recycling to produce material that can be used in other applications. In fact, recycled parts from the current Gen2 cars will be used to make components for the new vehicles. Formula E says this is the first time recycled materials have been used in the body for a Formula car. Lastly, Gen3 will be a net-zero carbon vehicle, in line with Formula E’s achievement as the first net-zero sport. And part of that is strict sustainability benchmarks for suppliers.

“For me, the key thing is efficiency,” Mahindra Racing principal Dilbagh Gill explained to Engadget. “If you look at every parameter, it’s more optimized. 40 percent regeneration is so amazing, and I think that’s something that will be applicable to road cars going forward and something that we’ll learn a lot from.”

Though Formula E has done some on-track testing and simulations of its own, the teams have yet to embark on running the new car. The series says seven teams – DS Automobiles, Jaguar, Mahindra Racing, Maserati, NIO 333, Nissan and Porsche – have signed on with the FIA to race the Gen 3 car in Season 9. Pre-season testing is set to begin this winter.

True to its word, Sennheiser is debuting the latest Momentum True Wireless earbuds in April. Today, the company is officially unveiling the Momentum True Wireless 3 after an initial tease during an event last month. The third-gen version of the company's flagship earbuds pairs much of what made the previous model so great with a retooled design and was Sennheiser calls Adaptive Noise Cancellation. These buds are also $50 cheaper than the Momentum True Wireless 2 when they first debuted. 

The key change for MTW3 is the tweak Sennheiser made to its active noise cancellation (ANC). The company says its news "adaptive" setup "continuously observes ambient noise to suppress it in real time." In other words, the earbuds automatically adjust ANC based on any environmental rumble without you having to manually change any settings. Other earbuds and headphones do this, but that doesn't make it any less handy. Noise cancellation was one area where Sennheiser had room to improve, so it will be interesting to see how much of a difference the new system makes. 

Sennheiser

The other difference between the second- and third-gen models is design. Where the previous two Momentum True Wireless products had a more circular touch panel, Sennheiser has given the MTW3 a more square shape — like its more affordable CX earbuds. 

According to Sennheiser, one thing that hasn't changed is the excellent sound quality. The company says its True Response transducer is paired with 7mm dynamic drivers for "immersive" sound with "deep bass, natural mids and detailed highs." The Momentum True Wireless line has been consistently the best-sounding earbuds in our buyer's guide for a long time, so if what Sennheiser says holds true, this third-gen model should offer similar high-quality audio. As it has before, the company's Smart Control app offers the ability to tweak the EQ and a Sound Personalization feature provides a hearing test to cater the audio profile to your ears. 

Sennheiser

The Momentum True Wireless 3 supports AAC, SBC and aptX Adaptive codecs with reduced latency for things like gaming and streaming video. Sennheiser says it now uses a three-microphone setup on each earbud to improve call quality and customizable touch controls for easy access to audio and voice assistants. The MTW3 retains the MTW2's IPX4 splash resistant rating, so while you're not going to want to submerge these, getting them a bit sweaty during a workout should be okay. Lastly, the same seven-hour battery life from the second-gen model returns, with three additional charges in the case for 28 total hours of listening time. The case also supports wireless charging, so you won't have to reach for a USB-C cable unless you really want to. 

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 is available for pre-order now with general availability coming May 10th. The earbuds are $249.95 and you'll have the choice of black, white and graphite color options. 

Success and failure at Pebble

Eric Migicovsky, Medium

The founder of Pebble, one of the hottest products ever to hit Kickstarter, reflects on why the startup failed during the 10-year anniversary of its crowdfunding launch. "We succeeded at inventing the smartwatch and an entirely new product category," he writes. "But in the end, we failed to create a sustainable, profitable business."

The Goodman experiment

Alan Siegel, The Ringer

Bob Odenkirk and the folks who created Saul Goodman offer an oral history on how the character eventually got his own show even though it wasn't intended to work out that way. "Not long after Saul made his debut midway through Season 2 of Breaking Bad, it became very apparent that he was more than just comic relief," Siegel explains.

Mark Zuckerberg's augmented reality

Alex Heath, The Verge

The Verge offers a detailed look at Meta's AR roadmap, including info on a number of different augmented reality glasses models the company is working on. 

The rumors were true. Less than a month after Bloomberg reported that Spotify was mulling a name change for its Clubhouse competitor Greenroom, the company has officially done just that. Starting today, the live audio offering will be known as Spotify Live. Additionally, the company is integrating the live audio inside of its main app, confirming another item in that initial report.

To start, only "select original programming" will be available from Spotify Live in the app alongside music and podcasts. You won't have to wait to check it out though as a live episode of Off the Record with DJ Akademiks will stream today. On Friday (April 15th), the company is hosting a live DJ set from Swedish House Mafia as part of the group's album release party and it will only be available as it happens. Several other events are set for April and May, so there will be ample opportunity for you to see how Spotify Live works inside the Spotify app. 

Live events will be available on the artist or show page with green labels so you can easily see them. Don't worry if your favorite shows aren't originals, the standalone Spotify Greenhouse — now Spotify Live — app lives on. The company says you'll still need it if you plan to hop in the chat or join a host onstage. It's not surprising that Spotify would give its originals preference for the new integration given the extent of its investments in programming.

Spotify launched its Clubhouse rival Greenroom last June, a few months after acquiring Betty Labs, the maker of a live audio app called Locker Room. Until now, the company kept its live audio aspirations separate from its core music and podcast streaming. However, it makes a lot of sense to combine the three in one place. If nothing else, it makes things convenient for casual listeners who don't usually participate in show chats and won't be a guest. What's more, it's far more likely someone who's curious will give a Spotify Live session a try if they don't have to download a separate app to check it out. 

Nike has facilities all over the world for product innovations and its aspirations beyond footwear. Today, the company announced that it's opening a new Technology Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Nike says the location will be located in West Midtown and is slated to open in early 2023. Until it's ready, employees based out of the new center will work remotely. 

The Atlanta Technology Center will focus on expanding Nike's digital-first supply chain and logistics operations. The location will also be home to a new east coast cybersecurity command center for the company. Third, the new center will use AI and machine learning to "reimagine consumer experiences." Details are vague at this point, but we expect specifics from Nike as the Technology Center's opening approaches. 

Atlanta may not be a city that screams tech hub, but Nike touted its deep sports roots and skilled workforce for the decision to build there. "We chose Atlanta because of its strong connection to sport, as well as the city’s wealth of skilled and diverse tech talent — both in the private and public sectors — and all the great universities in the region," the company said in a press release. Atlanta is home to Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Emory University, Morehouse College and many other schools. The University of Georgia isn't far away either, located a little over an hour down the road in Athens. The city also has professional sports franchises in the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL and MLS. 

Nike has tapped Dr. Mona-Lisa Pinkney to lead the Atlanta Technology Center. Pinkney has worked with the company as its senior director of cybersecurity as well as co-founder of the Black Employees in Technology Network (BEiT) and she assists with the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS). As senior site leader, Pinkney will oversee "work on cutting-edge technology and innovation initiatives that move the world forward through sport." 

The extraordinary lives of migratory birds

Fresh Air, NPR

In this recommended listening, Author Scott Weidensaul discusses how new tracking tech may help keep migratory birds alive and how one species, bar-tailed godwit, can fly over water for more than a week.

Musicians are begging fans to mask up at concerts. Here’s why.

Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork

SXSW returned earlier this month, two years after being the first big music event to be canceled due to COVID-19. The festival required proof of vaccination or proof of negative test and masks in conference rooms and exhibit halls, but those rules for music venues were left to the owners of those places to decide. A lot of people got COVID just as their touring schedules started to ramp back up and many can't afford to miss shows after the last two years of missed income. 

Am I being tracked? Anti-stalking tech from Apple, Tile falls short.

Geoffrey A. Fowler, The Washington Post

By now, you've likely heard stories of things like Apple's AirTags being used to stalk people. The Washington Post took a look at the anti-stalking features Apple, Samsung and Tile offer to try to prohibit this only to find those tools still aren't good enough. 

Traeger is one of the biggest names in backyard grilling. The company's line of pellet grills offers WiFi connectivity and other handy features across the board starting at $900. After churning out new smart models in both 2018 and 2019, the company hasn't debuted a new grill in about three years. Instead, it focused on redesigning its app to include recipe guidance and video tips along with an Apple Watch version and recently introduced Traeger Provisions meal (read: feast) kit service. For grilling season 2022, though, Traeger has completely redesigned its premium model, the Timberline.

And a lot of those upgrades relate to the tech. First, Traeger touts "an entirely new level of performance" thanks to a new smart combustion system. With added sensors, the grill monitors the cooking area to prevent pesky flare-ups for consistent results. The company has also swapped out the old black and white display for a full-color touchscreen unit. Not only does it offer a more modern look, but the screen can show a guided setup in addition to monitoring time and temperature. What's more, Traeger has built in a maintenance check where the grill can self-diagnose issues and guide you to customer service or replacement parts via a unique QR code.

You won't have to worry about the Timberline pulling cooking power for that display either. Traeger says dual controllers handle the cooking and the screen separately, and the display has its own dedicated graphics processor. The new controller automatically detects Meater's wireless food probes and the new Timberline comes with two of those accessories (you can use up to four at a time). In case you missed it, Traeger acquired Meater last summer, so this integration was inevitable. The only caveat is you have to use the probes designed for the new Timberline grills. Previous versions from Meater aren't the same so they won't work here. If you prefer wired probes, you can still use those on these new models. 

Traeger Grills

To help with sauces, frying, searing and other tasks, the new Timberline grills have a side burner. Sure, a lot of grills have that extra burner, but they're not common on pellet models. More specifically, Traeger says this Timberline features the first outdoor-rated induction burner for both precision and power. It should especially be handy for fans of the reverse sear as it will heat up much faster than trying to get the entire grill up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or higher after a quick smoke. 

Plenty of grills offer lighting to help you see at night, with Weber being one of the biggest names to do so. Until now, Traeger hadn't included built-in illumination, but the new Timberline has it. The company's vice president of product Michael Colston explained that Traeger spent a lot of time researching where the best location for the lights should be so that smoke doesn't interfere with visibility. Instead of putting lights inside the smoke chamber, it positioned them on the outside, so it can be activated by a lid sensor and it won't get smoked up while lighting the entire cooking surface.

"We've thought about where that light needs to be placed," he told Engadget. "It also signals to the controller that the door is open and barely keeps the smoke going." So when the lid is up, the grill is no longer working to produce the same level of smoke as when it's closed. It's also not trying to recover from the drop in ambient temperature before you're ready for it to do so. 

Traeger Grills

Inside, a new grease and ash collection system sends all of the waste out of the bottom instead of rolling grease to a small pan on the side. Colston described the Timberline as "nearly self-cleaning" since a new FreeFlow firepot ejects the ash over to what Traeger calls the EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg. New plates channel grease to the same receptacle where gravity carries over wood pellet ash and debris. Besides putting all the waste in one spot, this new setup also means you won't have to break out the shop vac as frequently to clean up. Colston explained he's been using a new Timberline for months and probably could've gone longer without vacuuming out the inside. If the description is accurate, this will alleviate a key headache with pellet grills. 

Instead of a four-post support for the new Timberline, Traeger opted for a cart stand like you typically see with gas grills. This offers more storage via a cabinet and small shelves below the pellet hopper. The company also designed what it calls the Pop-And-Lock (P.A.L.) rail system for accessories — things like an adjustable roll holder (paper towels, foil or butcher paper), tool hooks and a basket for rubs/sauces. The rails wrap around the front and sides of the grill, but not the back, so you have some room to move things as needed. Traeger relocated the pellet hopper cleanout chute to right below the hopper, so it's accessible from the front. The cart was designed so you can easily slide in a storage container and empty pellets between cooks. So not only are you able to keep your fuel fresh, but you might also be more likely to use different types of wood instead of sticking to your go-to variety (read: buy more pellets).

The new Timberline should also offer more consistent performance in chilly weather thanks to full stainless steel insulation and a multi-level heat delivery system that wraps the cooking area in radiant warmth. Traeger says all of this creates hotter temperatures at the grates for better searing and improved overall heat regulation.

Traeger designed the new Timberline so it can be installed in an outdoor kitchen's countertop setup. A trim kit can be purchased for a finished look and you can install the induction side burner off to the side of the grill as well. Lots of Traeger users have built outdoor setups with counters and bigger carts by removing the legs that come with the grills, so the company is catering to those folks by designing its latest model so that this process is relatively easy. 

Traeger Grills

Even if you don't want a full kitchen on your patio, the company has more accessories to add other culinary capabilities to the Timberline. With ModiFire products, you can purchase a stainless steel fish/veggie tray or a griddle for the induction cook top. The company says a two-sided griddle for use inside the grill is coming this fall alongside pizza stone and cover system that has its own sensors and cooking algorithm. 

Despite all of the new stuff, some old favorites are still here. The Timberline is still powered by Traeger's D2 platform and WiFire wireless connectivity. The company's app still provides step-by-step guidance, video tutorials and a wealth of recipes, in addition to giving you control over every grill setting except for pressing the ignite button to get things going. And yes, you can use it to control that new side burner with the app too. The company has swapped out the WiFi antenna for a 360-degree component is says is more powerful that what was on previous models. Super Smoke mode is also back for low-and-slow cooking, but Traeger says it's capable of even more flavor with that new firepot that can churn out more smoke.

The new Timberline and the larger Timberline XL will sit at the pinnacle of Traeger's product lineup. Both models will be available this spring for $3,499 and $3,799, respectively. For comparison, the previous-gen Timberline 850 and 1300 are $2,100 and $2,300, so you'll have to pay quite the premium for all of the upgrades the company has added to it's high-end models. 

As the weather warms up, it's time for aspiring pit masters to dust off their aprons and meat probes before heading outside for some low-and-slow cooking. Pellet grills have become a popular choice for backyard cooks as they offer the flavor of food cooked over wood with a much more convenient fuel source. However, you still have to go outside to use one, and unless you have a screened-in porch or shelter of some kind, cooking in the rain is no fun. And if you live in an apartment, chances are you can't have a grill in the first place. FirstBuild, a product innovation lab backed by GE Appliances, has built Arden: an indoor smoker that burns wood pellets and "eliminates" the smoke so it's safe to use in your kitchen.

Like an outdoor pellet grill, the Arden has a hopper for the fuel and burns it to produce smoke to flavor foods. The difference here is this countertop unit has a separate heating element that helps to regulate the temperature so it's not solely relying on burning pellets to cook. FirstBuild says the Arden circulates smoke around the chamber before a "game-changing smoke-elimination technology" uses "a catalyst" to get rid of it. The company explains that the small appliance doesn't have a filter you need to clean or replace, it just expels carbon dioxide and water vapor out of the back. Details are scarce on exactly what happens during that process, but it's clear the thing doesn't emit any smoke during a cook.

FirstBuild is using smoke elimination tech here that was built for the Monogram Smart Hearth Oven. That appliance is an in-wall electric unit that's designed to mimic the performance of wood-fired brick ovens used in restaurants for pizza, baking and roasting. The company says the idea for a smoker was first implemented in an old GE fridge that had been converted to a BBQ cooker. In order to bring the device indoors to escape the weather, FirstBuild team outfitted it with the smoke trapping tech from the Hearth Oven. 

The company says the smoker generated a ton of interest from its community so it asked if people would buy one and how big it needed to be. The first answer was a resounding "yes," and the second was that it needed to fit on the counter like other kitchen appliances. Unlike the old refrigerator, the Arden is a moveable unit, so you can stash it somewhere else when its not in use — unless you really want to dedicate counter space to showing it off. Despite easy moving, it's still quite a large thing to have out all of the time.

The Arden is about the size of a mini fridge with enough capacity for two racks of ribs, a small brisket or "an average-sized" pork butt. The device can also accommodate a whole chicken standing up on a rack or beer can. Three removable shelves allow you to fit things as needed, but based on FirstBuild's videos, you'll need to cut racks of ribs in half to make them fit. Cook times remain the same as outdoor smokers, so you're looking at three to five hours for ribs and up to 12 hours for a pork butt, for example. The Arden cooks at temperatures between 185-300 degrees Fahrenheit and it allows you to use a meat probe to monitor internal temp. It can also hold foods at a certain temperature once they're done cooking in case you can't get to them immediately. 

Since the Arden has separate heat sources for the pellets and the main heat setting, FirstBuild says the device offers more accurate overall temperature. The company says this smoker also uses a lot less pellets since they smolder for flavor instead of burning to heat an entire grill. While barbecuers seem to be impressed by the smoker flavor the Arden prototypes impart, Mad Scientist BBQ's Jeremy Yoder noted that it's not as "complex" in the overall profile. 

According to Yoder, the smoke flavor is more on the surface, so while you can certainly taste it, it hasn't penetrated the meat like hardwood coals or a full-size pellet grill can manage (BBQ nerds will also notice the lack of a well-defined smoke ring). Yoder did confirm that the results on pork ribs are a massive improvement over what you can get faking it in a regular oven, and they were even better than what he'd had in some restaurants. There is a smoke level adjustment on the Arden control panel, so presumably you could dial that up to fit your desired taste profile. Speaking of smoke, it's unclear if the smoker stops smoldering pellets temporarily if you open the door during the cooking process. 

Like it has in the past, FirstBuild is taking the crowdfunding approach for initial pre-orders. If you snag one via Indiegogo, the earliest devotees can secure it for $599. After that, you'll get a $400 discount off the expected MSRP when the Arden goes on sale ($699 vs. $1,099). Prices will go up during the course of the campaign, so opting in sooner will save you some cash. The only downside to ordering early is backers will have to wait until summer 2023 to get one. However, the product lab crowdfunded the initial launch of the Opal Nugget Ice Maker in 2015 — raising over $2.5 million — so it has a history of delivering the goods. GE now offers a range of Opal machines, so it will be interesting to see what happens if the Arden hits or surpasses that mark. 

Telegram's dangerous game

Casey Newton, Platformer

Telegram was almost banned in Brazil because it missed some emails from the local authorities. In his newsletter, Newton explains why this is the latest in a series of troubling decisions from a platform with over 500 million users. "When you’re providing critical communications infrastructure to tens of millions of people, though, you have more responsibility," he writes.

Here’s how an algorithm guides a medical decision

Nicole Wetsman, The Verge

Artificial intelligence is being used for all sorts of things in medicine, one of which is predicting if a patient is at risk for conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular issues. However, it can be difficult for us as members of the public to understand how these algorithms work. The Verge guides us through one called Sepsis Watch, a system that monitors patients for a potentially deadly condition following an infection.

Ukraine’s engineers battle to keep the internet running while Russian bombs fall around them

Thomas Brewster, Forbes

Elon Musk's Starlink satellites are helping to provide internet access in Ukraine in the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion, but crews on the ground are venturing into dangerous areas to fix equipment that was already in place that's being damaged by bombings.