The digitization of the music industry leveled the playing field for artists. An album can be written, recorded and released from a bedroom without an expensive recording studio or predatory record label. This DIY ethic isn’t new. Bands have been recording and releasing albums on their own or out of friendly record stores for decades.

Digitization has also created a glut of available music, which can make it difficult for new bands or artists to break through the noise. Plus, popular artists with record deals still get the lion’s share of the attention. I’m pretty sure every Beyonce release is now a national holiday. For every other artist, the resurgence of vinyl and cassette has revived the ability to give or sell something tangible to their fans – a physical keepsake that could offer a tighter emotional bond with the music. While making copies of tapes has been an at-home pastime since the 1980s, vinyl has required a third party that specializes in cutting records. At least, until recently.

Teenage Engineering’s $149 PO-08 Record Factory combines the nostalgia of a Fisher-Price turntable with the utility of a machine that can actually cut vinyl. You’ll have to assemble it yourself and master each song specifically for the device. Even after all that work, your music probably will sound like it’s being played through an AM radio. That might sound like a nightmare for some, yet is potentially wonderful for others.

Roberto Baldwin / Engadget

The PO-08 is a rebranding of magazine publisher Gakken’s "Easy Record Maker" — a record cutter/player designed by Yuri Suzuki. Teenage Engineering worked with Suzuki for its version and even includes an interview with the designer in the supplied magazine/instruction booklet.

Though the turntable looks like a toy, Teenage Engineering tells you (again and again) that it’s not recommended for kids under the age of 12. It’s really built for “children” between the ages of 17 and 64 — for the type of person that has three bands, strong opinions about direct drive turntables, a very active Discogs account and a DIY attitude. Oh, and also the patience needed to fiddle with tiny parts for hours to create a single, not-so-perfect mono copy of a song. Yes, it works, but it’s a lo-fi representation of a professionally created record; The Factory is an EZ bake oven for vinyl.

Building the Record Factory takes about 60 to 90 minutes, and it helps give you the confidence to disassemble it when you realize that, say, you didn’t attach the cable for the needle securely. I had to do exactly that when there was no audio after I first put the device together – everything seemed to be working but there was no actual sound.

Having to assemble the device also lends insight into the Record Factory’s inner workings, which are quite clever. The cutting needle vibrates via a tiny speaker to engrave your audio onto one of Teenage Engineering’s blank discs. A tiny gearing system moves the needle along and after three to four minutes (depending on the recording speed), your song is inscribed onto the vinyl.

But everything leading up to that is a series of adjustments. If you’re the type of person that requires a thing to “just work” without much tinkering, stay far away from the PO-08.

You begin with your original recording and at the end of the inscription, you get a mono representation. The single-channel audio is a technical limitation of the device. To make sure the audio going in is mono, the Record Factory comes with a minijack cable that takes the left and right channels of your stereo signal and merges them together. You also end up losing fidelity, which is another technical limitation. The top and low ends of a song can get muddy easily and too much bass actually causes the cutter needle to jump.

Roberto Baldwin / Engadget

You can try to fix this yourself, but it’s smarter to use Teenage Engineering’s online audio mastering tool. Just upload the file, wait a few minutes and the site spits out something that works better with the device. This process does result in the loss of all the intricate details of your song. The low end becomes slightly muddy or disappears altogether while the high end loses its bite. If you’re looking for crisp, exact copies, skip the PO-08 entirely.

A whole 45 minutes after mastering your audio, you get to cut a record. In that time, you’ll be adjusting the pressure of the cutting arm, listening very carefully to the audio being sent to the device to make sure it’s not distorting and if it is, turning down the volume. But you can’t go too low, or the signal wont be strong enough to engrave. That means you have to open up the equalizer and make adjustments (so many adjustments) until the audio sounds good (enough).

Now you’re ready to put it on wax (as they used to say in the olden days). Except before you create a record you can share, you need to cut audio onto a test vinyl. You record 10 seconds, wash the disc with water to get all the excess bits out of the grooves, then switch the Record Factory to play mode and listen to your masterpiece.

Roberto Baldwin / Engadget

The test record isn’t that a big deal until you realize that Teenage Engineering has sold out of the discs needed for the turntable and hasn’t shared information on when they’ll be back in stock. This makes testing all the more important.

A word of caution: the cutter slows down the turntable, so when played back at regular speed it might sound a little higher pitched. Like low-level Chipmunks high. So make sure you drop your file into the relevant tools online to adjust your song. Except it likely still needs work if you want the closest representation of your song available from the PO-80, which means you’ll have to, surprise surprise, make more adjustments. I conducted five test cuts before I was finally ready to create my first at-home vinyl record of a song.

On top of all that, the turntable itself isn’t a great player, either. It sounds like you’re listening to music from under the sea. It’s fun to create and play on the same device, but it’s best to take the disc to a proper turntable. On my Technics SL-1200 MK2, the mono audio with the high and low-end cut-off sounded a bit far away compared to the original and the fidelity is nowhere near the quality of professional vinyl in my collection. Yet, it’s exactly what I anticipated and I’m happy with the end result.

The Record Factory lives or dies by its owner’s expectations. There are two types of people in this world: those that lose their minds and patience dealing with even the tiniest inconvenience and those that live for tinkering and experimenting.

Roberto Baldwin / Engadget

The second group are people like me, and are excited about the difference in sounds between an at-home produced record, a cassette and a digital file. My band typically records on a digital eight-track but I also use a cassette four-track from the late 80s. There’s something special about sending a fan a vinyl recording that was produced at home. The PO-08 is for people that find beauty in the inherent potential for errors in DIY analog recordings.

The Record Factory will find its niche of users that happily spend hours creating the perfectly imperfect vinyl copy of their song. Unfortunately, if someone doesn’t already have a PO-08 turntable they will have to find one of these beauties on eBay or Craigslist. The power move is to search for the Gaken branded version on eBay. Those turntables are much cheaper (under $100) than the Teenage Engineering version.

Teenage Engineering told Engadget that it has no plans to produce more of the sold-out turntables which is a shame. Not every musician can afford to have hundreds of records produced by a third party. But, if they can find a Record Factory (they’re currently selling from $250 to $500) they can cut one-of-a-kind vinyl they can share with friends and fans while they wait to make it big. As long as they are happy doing that on a toy built for very patient music nerds that are happy trading fidelity for something real.

The Lucid Air is a fantastic first car from a new automaker. It’s also a very expensive EV out of the reach of most people. The company has promised less expensive versions of the Air and today those vehicles are finally being unveiled.

During the Los Angeles auto show, Lucid took the wraps off the Lucid Air Pure and Touring. The two vehicles might not hit 60 in under two seconds, but these are likely the trim levels that will dominate the automaker’s sales.

The Pure is the first and only Air to come in under $100,000 starting at a still pricey $87,400. It’s best to remember that the Air is still a luxury vehicle. While it won’t hit 500 miles between charges, it has an EPA target of 410 miles and can charge at 250kW on a compatible DC fast charger.

The Touring is slightly more expensive at $107,400 and can drive for an EPA estimated range of 425 miles.

While the Pure wasn’t quite ready for testing, we were able to get behind the wheel of the Touring for a quick jaunt around the Lucid headquarters. Watch the video below for the full story.

Rivian impressed car reviewers (and us) with its R1T pickup, and its R1S electric SUV is no different. The slightly smaller vehicle continues the automotive startup’s trend of building no-compromise electric vehicles meant for outdoor adventure.

Living the life of an extreme camper, kayaker or cyclist doesn't come cheap: The R1S has a bank-busting price tag starting at $78,000. It might not be the most efficient EV on the market, but it has a healthy range of up to 316 miles, which should be enough to satisfy those looking to go outdoors with a vehicle that’s solidly built. The R1S also now ships with a new Camp Mode feature that levels the cabin so overnight stays can be a bit more comfortable. 

Designing a desirable EV is not something Rivian has struggled with to date, though: its real issue is mass-producing cars to keep up with orders. Watch the video below for the full story.

For decades, whatever you drove off the showroom floor was what you were stuck with. But now, thanks to over-the-air updates, your car can evolve on your driveway in myriad ways. Tesla has been doing it for years, and now Lucid and other automakers are joining in.

We’ve said it before: Lucid did an exquisite job with the Air, its first ever car. But like all automakers, the company found that developing good software is tougher than it looks. While the Air's driving dynamics are top-notch and the design has been praised, there have been reports of laggy elements plaguing the infotainment system.

With Lucid UX 2.0, the automaker is hoping to squelch those issues with nearly a complete rewrite of the vehicle’s software. Lucid invited us down to its headquarters to check out the latest software update that will be deployed to all Lucid Airs over the next few weeks.

In an EV market increasingly populated by SUVs, trucks and the tiny SUVs we call crossovers, it’s refreshing to have another actual electric car option. But the 2022 BMW i4 M50 is more than just a sedan with an EV powertrain shoved inside. It’s a fine-tuning of suspension, chassis and power that should give those looking at future BMW EVs a reason to be excited.

Starting at $67,300, the all-wheel drive performance Gran Coupe delivers M power in a package that’s actually quite comfortable on long road trips. The i4 M50 might take a range hit compared to the regular i4, but if you’re looking for an outstanding driving experience both on the twisties and on the highway, this is definitely worth considering while shopping for your next electric car. If M models aren't quite your speed, BMW recently announced the announced significantly cheaper 2023 i4 eDrive35. That EV arrives in the first quarter of 2023, and will start at $52,395. Watch the video below for the full story on the BMW i4 M50.

We’ve waited a long time for this one. The Volkswagen ID.Buzz was unveiled way back in 2017. Now it’s here and ready to drive. Except it’s not exactly “here.” It’ll launch in Europe this year and make its way to the United States in 2023. That means that, while we did have an opportunity to drive the long-awaited EV, it was the European model rather than the longer van that’ll arrive in the US.

Still, as far as hype vehicles go, the ID.Buzz is up there with the Ford Bronco for folks looking for an electric alternative to the automotive-nostalgia trend. During our drive we found the ID.Buzz to be as advertised and a proper van that just so happens to be powered by electricity and a desire to reclaim yesteryear. Just don’t ask about price, range, or the actual length of the upcoming US version. Watch the video above for the full story.

The Chevy Bolt has had an interesting history. It beat the Model 3 to market but never came close to the sales numbers of Tesla’s offering. Then a refreshed, larger Bolt EUV arrived that had a serious issue with its LG Chem batteries that caused fires, leading to a massive recall. Long story short, it’s been a ride.

Well, the batteries have been replaced and the larger Bolt EUV is finally making its way into driveways. We took the Bolt EUV for a week-long spin and came away impressed with what Chevy is doing. The Bolt is built on an older EV architecture, meaning it can’t charge as quickly as newer electric vehicles on the road, but it comes in at a price point that makes the vehicle a compelling proposition for those that are looking for an EV that doesn’t break the bank. Watch the video below for the full story.

Lucid has a mission: to take on the German luxury brands. Those automakers all have their own performance sub-brands, so Lucid now does. At the annual Monterey Car Week festivities, Lucid unveiled its Sapphire performance brand. As expected, the Air was the first to get the high-powered treatment. The Lucid Air Sapphire has 1,200 horsepower and will do zero to 60 in under two seconds.

It’s more than just throwing another motor in the back for a tri-motor system. The automaker also enhanced the suspension, added some aero bits, and unveiled a new sport mode called Sapphire. With a starting price of $249,000, it’s not for everyone, but if you’re interested, the automaker will start deliveries in 2024.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lincoln being part of the Ford Motor Company, Lincoln reached back 100 years to the Model L as inspiration for its Model L100 concept. The large luxury sedan combines Lincoln's take on autonomous luxury and electric vehicles. 

Because the vehicle is so low to the ground Lincoln decided to create four-foot-long doors that move out and open and a roof that lifts up to make it easier for passengers to get in and out. It’s an insane idea that’ll never make it to production, but the inside of the vehicle is an impressive take on how the one percent will ride around in the future. 

The Mercedes EQB holds a unique place in the automaker’s US lineup: unlike other EQ vehicles, it’s built upon a platform that supports gas, hybrid and electric drivetrains. If you’re familiar with Mercedes vehicles, you’ll see it’s unmistakably the electric-powered version of the GLB SUV, but it’s had a small makeover to make it fit better with the rest of the EQ line. Those tweaks are mostly saved for the exterior – the interior is nearly identical to its gas counterpart.

The vehicle’s approximate range of 230 miles and DC fast-charging capability of up to 100kW don’t stack up favorably to the latest generation of purpose-built EVs, which could hurt its sales with potential buyers. But for an around-town family SUV, the EQB is hard to beat, offering a combination of comfort, utility and technology in a Mercedes SUV that starts under $60,000. Watch the video below for the full story.