Are you considering a Lucid Air, but worried you might not outrun a Model S Plaid in a drag race? That might not be a problem if you have a large-enough bank account. Lucid has introduced a Sapphire badge devoted to "ultra-high-performance" EVs. The first model in the line, the Lucid Air Sapphire, promises to outperform Tesla's Plaid cars in at least some conditions — and not just in a straight line.

The Air Sapphire centers around a tri-motor system (one front, two rear) producing over 1,200HP, topping even the no-longer-available Dream Edition. In tandem with better cooling, the new powerplant reportedly delivers a 0-60MPH sprint in under two seconds, 0-100MPH in less than four seconds and a quarter-mile time below nine seconds. You can expect a top speed above 200MPH. While that's not guaranteed to demolish a customized Model S Plaid, this is also a factory-stock car that doesn't need a preconditioning period (like Tesla's Drag Strip Mode) to reach its full potential.

And yes, Lucid believes the Air Sapphire can handle turns and twists. You can expect a slightly wider body to accommodate new Aero Sapphire wheels with special Michelin tires. The motors' torque vectoring, meanwhile, promises both better turn-in while upgrading stability in straightaways. You can also expect a stiffer suspension, stiffer bushings and custom tuning for everything from the antilock brake system through to power steering. Range and other details are forthcoming.

Lucid Motors

Most of the interior changes revolve around software. While there is a new visual theme and "highly bolstered" seating, the centerpiece is an updated interface with more performance-oriented features that include a dedicated Sapphire Mode.

None of these optimizations come cheap, however. Lucid will ask $249,000 for the limited-run Air Sapphire, with pre-orders in the US and Canada starting August 23rd at 9AM Eastern. That makes the $179,000 Grand Touring trim seem like a relative bargain, and even Porsche's $187,400 Taycan Turbo S is more affordable. In this category, though, bragging rights often help justify any premiums.

This might also represent an important strategy switch for Lucid. The fledgling EV maker has had to drastically cut its production targets in light of supply chain problems, and now expects to make no more than 7,000 cars in 2022 instead of the originally planned 20,000. Sapphire will arrive too late to help this year, but it might offset future financial trouble by increasing Lucid's profit from the cars it ships.

Audi still isn't done unveiling self-driving concept EVs, but its next model might be appealing if you're eager to leave the asphalt. The company has revealed that its fourth Sphere concept will be the Activesphere, an SUV-like machine that promises "maximum variability" for on- and off-road travel. As with earlier designs, the automaker is touting an autonomous-friendly interior that can help you relax. We wouldn't count on going hands-free while you're on the trail, but Audi is at least moving beyond city-oriented prototypes.

The full Activesphere debut is slated for the start of 2023. Audi began its campaign by unveiling the Skysphere roadster in August 2021, and quickly followed it with the Grandsphere sedan (September 2021) and Urbansphere SUV (April this year). As a rule, they've centered around living room-like cabins and ambitious performance. The Grandsphere and Urbansphere, for instance, boast a claimed 466-mile range.

The question, as you might have guessed, is whether or not the Activesphere and any of its predecessors will directly influence future Audi EVs. Right now, the brand's electric lineup revolves around decidedly more conventional (if very speedy) products. Fully self-driving vehicles may also have to wait when many countries only allow limited autonomy at best. Audi expects its new vehicles to be EV-only starting in 2026, though, and it's hard to imagine the company ignoring driverless cars when its rival Mercedes is already touting Level 3 autonomy.

It took more than a decade, but there's finally a sequel to Jetpack Joyride — if not for everyone. Halfbrick Studios has releasedJetpack Joyride 2 as an Apple Arcade exclusive for iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. Sorry, Android fans. The endless flier revolves around more "story-driven" gameplay with a new character to play (Betty Beefpies) as well as fresh mechanics and more detailed graphics. In that light, Halfbrick is effectively dragging the game into the modern era.

The original title came to Apple Arcade last year as Jetpack Joyride+, which maintains the core experience without the need (or ability) to make in-app purchases. The title first arrived in 2011 and helped define the endless runner category alongside classics like Canabalt and Temple Run. Halfbrick's signature game has racked up 500 million-plus downloads in the years since.

JJ2 probably won't justify the $50 per year ($5 per month) for Apple Arcade by itself, and it represents yet another dose of nostalgia on the all-you-can-play service. However, it might build a stronger case for a subscription. You can play simple blasts from the past alongside newer games that make the most of modern Apple devices.

The short life of CNN+ left its parent network without an official home for original shows, but the broadcaster now appears to have a makeshift solution. Discovery+ has launched a CNN Originals hub that offers more than 800 episodes of library material, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, HLN's Vengeance lineup and movies like Race for the Vaccine. Some originals will come to the service after their runs on cable, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) said.

The hub is available through the Discovery+ website and apps for all supported platforms. More show announcements are due in the "months to come," WBD said.

Discovery+ won't be a go-to source for all of CNN's on-demand material. The CNN+ show Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? is coming to HBO Max this fall, for instance. However, this does make Discovery+ a more compelling subscription if its existing batch of reality shows and documentaries wasn't enough.

This situation won't last for long. WBD plans to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ in summer 2023, so you'll likely have access to a unified CNN catalog within a year. Whether or not it includes everything you're looking for is another matter. HBO Max is pulling some shows (including some with unreleased seasons) as part of WBD's broader cost-cutting efforts, and it's not clear if CNN productions are exempt from this strategy.

Sega has unveiled the complete list of games coming with the Genesis Mini 2, and it's clear the new machine is as much for collectors as it is nostalgic fans. The 60-game catalog (shown in full below) includes two previously unreleased games, for starters. You'll find Devi & Pii, a "paddle-style" game designed by Sonic 3's Takashi Iizuka, as well as Mindware's finished but unpublished puzzler Star Mobile. Several new Genesis ports have also made the cut, including Fantasy Zone, the first two Space Harrier games, "hobby" ports of Spatter and Super Locomotive and a demake of Puyo Puyo Sun.

You'll also want to pick up the Genesis Mini 2 if you have fond memories of playing Sega CD games. The retro console will bundle 12 titles originally built for the optical drive add-on, including the infamous Night Trap as well as CD versions of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin and (this author's favorite) Silpheed.

The Genesis Mini is available to pre-order now for $100, and will be released in North America on October 27th. As mentioned earlier, you'll want to snap it up quickly. Sega has warned that supply will be extremely limited in the US and Canada due to chip shortages, and there's no guarantee you'll get one after general sales begin.

BONUS GAMES

NASA is breaking new ground for astronauts. As Indian Country Todayreports, the agency recently confirmed that Marine Corps Col. Nicole Aunapu Mann will be the first Native American woman to travel to space. The Wailacki tribe member will serve as the mission commander for the SpaceX-powered Crew-5 mission heading to the International Space Station as soon as September 29th. When she arrives, Mann will be ISS Expedition 68's flight engineer during a six-month stay.

The Crew-5 mission will also ferry NASA's Josh Cassada, Japan's Koichi Wakata and Russia's Anna Kikina to the ISS. Chickasaw Nation member John Herrington was the first Native American of any gender to visit space, flying aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2002.

Mann has a background well-suited to spaceflight. She started her career as a Navy aviator and has flown the F/A-18 Hornet while supporting missions operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. She also earned her master's degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford. NASA chose Mann as one of eight astronaut candidates in 2013. That group has since become influential, producing influential figures like Anne McClain, Jessica Meir and Crew Dragon pilot Victor Glover. Some of them, including Mann, have made NASA's shortlist for the first crewed Artemis missions to the Moon.

For Mann, this first spaceflight isn't just historic. In her interview with ICT, she saw the trip as smashing "barriers" for Native American children who didn't think they could become astronauts. It won't be surprising if more follow her before long.

The union of HBO Max and Discovery+ is already causing pain through layoffs, and now the move is affecting some shows. Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed to Variety that it's removing 36 titles from HBO Max as soon as this week while it prepares for the Discovery+ platform merger. Most of the productions aren't huge, but they do include recognizable HBO work like the Sesame Street spinoff The Not-too-Late-Show with Elmo and the Peter Dinklage movie My Dinner with Hervé. A handful of Cartoon Network shows are leaving. 

In a statement, HBO Max said content would disappear from both services as it worked to bring the media libraries "together under one platform." The provider didn't elaborate on its reasoning, although Variety noted that pulling the shows outright (instead of canceling future seasons) would help HBO Max avoid paying more royalties. Warner Bros. Discovery said it would find $3 billion in savings as part of the corporate merger.

As you might imagine, at least some affected producers aren't happy — this not only cuts off income, but might prevent people from seeing their work unless it finds another home. Summer Camp Island creator Julia Pott noted that some episodes developed during the pandemic will never see the light of day. Warner Bros. Discovery has "no respect for artists," she said.

The combination of HBO Max and Discovery+ is expected to launch in summer 2023. While it's not clear if Warner Bros. Discovery will drop more shows or otherwise slash costs, this latest move won't be reassuring if you were hoping your favorite series would make the leap to the unified service.

Apple Podcasts has offered paid subscriptions for a while, but how are you supposed to find shows worth a monthly outlay? You now have some help. Apple has introduced charts for both the top 100 subscriber shows and top 100 subscriber channels, making it clearer which shows and providers are interesting enough for people to spend their hard-earned money.

Both new charts are available through the Podcasts app in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. You'll need at least iOS 15.6, iPadOS 15.6 or macOS 12.5. They're available through both the Browse tab and the Charts page, and are refreshed multiple times per day.

There's a clear frontrunner in the inaugural charts. As of this writing, Amazon's Wondery is dominating the show and channel rankings with podcasts like Morbid and SmartLess. Recognizable rivals like Luminary (Black Star's No Fear of Time) and Pushkin (Malcolm Gladwell's Go and See) are also present on the channel list.

There's no mystery behind the strategy. Apple is clearly hoping you'll sign up for subscriptions and support your favorite series while giving the iPhone maker a cut of the fees. Nonetheless, this might be helpful if you're looking for ad-free shows and otherwise crave paid perks.

It was seemingly just a matter of time before streaming overtook at least one form of conventional TV, and now that moment has arrived. Nielsen data indicates that streaming TV viewership in the US surpassed cable for the first time this July. About 34.8 percent of viewing time went to shows on internet services, or slightly more than the 34.4 percent for cable. Streams haven't yet overtaken traditional TV as a whole (broadcasts still represented 21.6 percent), but it's clear online video is capturing more attention.

The shift was helped by a flurry of major releases. Netflix had the largest slice of streaming time (8 percent) thanks largely to demand for Stranger Things 4. However, Hulu also claimed a record 3.6 percent thanks to Only Murders in the Building and The Bear. Amazon Prime Video, meanwhile, thrived at 3 percent with help from The Boys' third season and The Terminal List. YouTube and YouTube TV earned a combined 7.3 percent.

Nielsen

Cable's dependence on sports also played a role. While the medium's overall viewership dipped 8.9 percent year-over-year, sports viewing plunged 34 percent without the help of the Summer Olympics and late-running playoffs for the NBA and NHL. Broadcast TV fared even worse, with a 9.8 percent overall drop and 41 percent for sports.

It's not certain streaming will preserve this momentum. Still, this represents a significant milestone that could affect the content you see. Creators and TV providers now know that you're more likely to stream than browse cable channels — don't be surprised if more money goes toward shows that are primarily or exclusively online.

Numerous third-party iPad styluses magnetically attach to your tablet, but they typically recharge through USB — not much help if you forget to top up before a writing session. Adonit may have addressed that flaw with its $45 Neo Pro, however. From what we've seen, it's the first unofficial pen to wirelessly charge on the side of an iPad Air, iPad mini or iPad Pro. You can pay less than half the price of a $129 Apple Pencil without giving up a major convenience.

The Neo Pro offers up to nine hours of use. It doesn't require a Bluetooth connection to get started, but setting that up will show your remaining charge in the iPad's battery life widget.

There is a reason the stylus is such a bargain. While the Neo Pro offers tilt sensitivity, palm rejection and replaceable tips, there's no pressure detection — this is more for note-takers than creatives producing detailed artwork. With that said, this might be a strong value if you need a pen for lectures and office meetings.