Elon Musk has confirmed that a "next-generation low-cost" Tesla EV is in the works and is "optimistic" that it'll arrive in the second half of 2025, he said in an earnings call yesterday. He also promised "a revolutionary manufacturing system" for the vehicle that's far more advanced than any others in the world by a "significant margin."

An article yesterday from Reuters indicated that the new vehicle would be a small crossover codenamed "Redwood." Tesla reportedly sent requests to suppliers for quotes, predicting a weekly production volume of 10,000 vehicles. Musk previously stated that the automaker is working on two new EV models that could sell up to 5 million per year, combined. 

"Our current schedule shows that we will start production towards the end of 2025, sometime in the second half," he said on the call. The vehicle will be built in Tesla's Austin, Texas Gigafactory to start with and other locations around the world later. Musk hinted that there would be a strong push to ramp up assembly: "We'll be sleeping on the line practically," he said.

We achieved a record production and deliveries of over 1.8 million vehicles, in line with our official guidance. And in Q4, we're producing vehicles at an annualized run rate of almost 2 million cars a year. And people are often surprised that the the highest-output... car factory in North America is in the San Francisco Bay area.

Musk stated that the company's new manufacturing technique will be "very hard to copy" because "you have to copy the machine that makes the machine that makes the machine... manufacturing inception." He added that as before, the new line could start slowly before production significantly ramps up. 

He warned shareholders of "notably lower" sales growth for 2024, however, as the wave of Model 3 and Model Y sales subsides. The company predicted a second sales wave that will start with the next-generation vehicles coming in 2025. 

Musk also touched on Tesla's FSD (full self-driving) progress, noting other "car companies should be asking for FSD licenses" and adding that the reasons "will become obvious probably this year." Musk has made similar rosy predictions for FSD before, though, and it still remains at Level 2 capability. Meanwhile, rival Mercedes-Benz recently gained Level 3 approval in the US. 

As Musk admitted himself, the production forecast "should be taken with a grain of salt as I'm often optimist... regarding time." He was accurate when he said the Model 3 would arrive in 2017, but was very wrong about the $35,000 price (it debuted at just under $50K and Tesla only briefly sold a $35K model). If that history holds, the next-gen model may arrive on time, but it may take some time for the price to come down.

While many organizations are pushing for their employees to return to offices, Microsoft suggests trying a new type of "hybrid" working. The company has announced the launch of Microsoft Mesh, a feature that lets employees' avatars meet in the same place, even if the actual people are spread out. The virtual connection platform is powered through Microsoft Teams. 

Microsoft has tested out Mesh on companies like consulting firm Accenture and pharmaceutical-focused Takeda. "The world of work continues to evolve at a rapid pace, but the importance of human connection has never gone away. Lunchtime conversations, hallway catch-ups, coffee chats — they often hold the key to both workplace success and employee happiness," Takeda's chief technology officer Leo Barella explained in a statement. He claims their meetings have been "more collaborative and immersive."

Mesh provides a series of pre-made spaces that companies can customize with everything from informational videos to logos — without needing to enter any code. The Mesh toolkit works through Unity, Microsoft's 2D and 3D development platform, to tailor the virtual world further. Basically, if there's a retreat an employer has always wanted to take everyone, they can create a version of it and invite everyone's avatars. 

Currently, Microsoft's Mesh is only available on desktop PCs and Meta Quest VR devices (if employees want a more immersive experience). Microsoft is offering a six-month free trial to anyone with a business or enterprise plan. Otherwise, prices range from $4 per user monthly for Microsoft Teams Essentials all the way up to $57 per user monthly for Microsoft 365 E5. 

AlphaTheta has come out of the gate swinging with its release of the Omnis-Duo all-in-one DJ controller and Wave-Eight speaker today. These two products are the first under the company’s new moniker since changing it from Pioneer DJ, although both brand names are expected to coexist for now. The launch coincides with the NAMM event this week and it’s also the 30th anniversary of the landmark Pioneer CDJ-500.

Both the controller and speaker are brimming with connectivity and battery power, making them an appealing option for mobile DJs. Rekordbox is a necessity right now, either for direct play or file prep and the app comes bundled with the Omnis-Duo controller. Serato DJ Lite support is expected later this summer and the software should already be bundled with the product. The Wave-Eight is more flexible and can work just as well with any audio source that has an RCA output.

Omnis-Duo

The Omnis-Duo ($1,499) is built to be portable, but also packs in some high-end tech. It’s a 10-pound device with fairly reserved and minimal styling that the company says you can fit in a “good-sized” backpack given its 20 x 12 x 3-inch in size. There’s a two-channel mixer flanked by two jog wheels and eight performance pads under each, although those only work for hot cues and have white LED lighting only. On top you’ll find a touchscreen display with an XDJ-style workflow and both light and dark modes. The display is flat and not angled up for easier viewing.

AlphaTheta

You get essential controls for volume, EQ, playback, pitch and dedicated ones for beat jump and beat loop. There are also ones to select eight types of beat FX and six types of sound color FX from, but expect some touchscreen coordination to select which channel to apply to.

On the front edge you’ll find both 1/4-inch and 3.5mm stereo headphone jacks. The rear panel displays a wide selection of inputs for USB-A, SD cards and USB-C laptop input next to a USB-C charging port that lets you use either a power bank to top up the battery or an AC adapter. When fully charged we’re told you can expect around five hours of runtime and the system has an eco mode if things are looking grim.

As for wireless connections, there’s a novel Bluetooth input option. People can find the Omnis-Duo in their mobile device settings and connect. If they have files on the phone, the DJ should actually be able to select, load and play files in their set with effects and all. It’s not entirely clear yet, but the other option is likely just normal playback through the controller from a connected Bluetooth device. This is for one user at a time since multipoint is not supported. There's also a wireless output option for connecting to the Wave-Eight speaker using its SonicLink Bluetooth transmitter which connects to the RCA outputs.

And for Wi-Fi connectivity, you can take advantage of CloudDirectPlay to access cloud file storage through a wirelessly connected computer or mobile device running Rekordbox. Additionally, you can use Rekordbox Link Export to directly select and play tracks from a connected device running the app.

Wave-Eight

The Wave-Eight speaker isn’t quite part of a bundled release, it’s just a great pairing with the Omnis-Duo, given its portability, battery power and wireless capability. This speaker has an 8-inch driver and what the company calls a “Vortex Bass Accelerator” for its output. The 28-pound build includes an extendable handle and casters for luggage-style rolling, plus a couple of convenient grab handles for local lugging.

AlphaTheta

You can mount it on a stand with its pole socket, so it’s a proper PA speaker, and it’s IPX4 rated, so it’s good for the outdoors unless rain really starts coming down. There’s an onboard battery that should give you about eight hours of playtime on a charge and it takes about four hours or more of charging to get back to one hundred percent. Obviously you can use it as a powered-speaker all night long if there’s an outlet nearby.

What makes this speaker interesting is the removable AlphaTheta transmitter with SonicLink technology. Each speaker comes with a transmitter packed into a side panel. They have an RCA input and a USB-C cable. With one speaker, you take the transmitter out and connect it to an RCA output from your audio setup. Then return to the speaker and set it to connect wirelessly via SonicLink. Once connected that way, it should display a green light on the front panel, so you can confirm the status at a distance.

If you have a second speaker, you take that one’s transmitter and pop it into the first speaker via the USB-C port. That will transmit the audio to the second unit where you set that one to connect via SonicLink (and so on). The speakers support left and right for stereo delivery as well via a channel selector button on the back. 

To make things more interesting, each speaker has a variety of audio output settings which include Music, Music (Low Cut), Flat, Flat (Low Cut), Vocal and Subwoofer modes. This means each Wave-Eight speaker can be set as a top or sub. You can set one speaker to a low-cut setting and use another one as its subwoofer accompaniment if you like.

The SonicLink is said to provide a latency-free listening experience, so there shouldn’t be any delay and you can beat match by ear from the output. Of course you can also send audio to a single Wave-Eight via a normal Bluetooth signal and expand to more speakers as you would before. This time, however, you're subject to the normal Bluetooth signal's whims in terms of potential audio delays.

There’s an interesting thing about the Wave-Eight in that wired connections (aside from power) were not mentioned anywhere in the press release. You can use the speakers via Bluetooth or with the SonicLink transmitter from any device that has an RCA output, though. We’ve asked for clarification, but at this point we’re led to believe that it just supports wireless connections. We’re also still curious about the Bluetooth range for these devices, but expect that it falls within the normal range of about 30 feet.

AlphaTheta has chosen an interesting combo of high-end features, wireless connectivity and battery-powered portability for its premier offering. While they may not be cheap, there’s quite a lot built into both products to balance out the equation.

The Omnis-Duo all-in-one DJ controller ($1,499) and the Wave-Eight speaker ($899) are both available starting today.

Omnis-Duo specs:

• 19.7 x 12.1 x 2.8 inches

• Bluetooth 5.2

• Wireless LAN: 2.4Ghz / 5GHz, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

• Audio codecs: SBC, AAC

• ~5 hour battery life (47.52Wh rechargeable lithium-ion)

• ~3 hour charge time

• Weight: 10 pounds

• Input:

  • USB-A

  • SD Card

  • USB-C PC/Mac

  • MIC 1: Balanced ¼ TRS

  • MIC 2: Balanced dual ¼ TRS / XLR

  • Bluetooth

• Output:

  • Master 1: XLR

  • Booth Master 2: RCA / RCA to SonicLink transmitter (Bluetooth, no latency)

  • Onboard Bluetooth output (normal with latency)

Wave-Eight specs:

• 28 pounds

• ~8 hour battery life

• ~4 hour charge time with power off / ~6 hours with power on

• EQ modes:

  • Music

  • Music (Low Cut)

  • Flat

  • Flat (Low Cut)

  • Vocal

  • Subwoofer

  • *Low Cut mode is intended for use on units that are combined with a WAVE-EIGHT set to Subwoofer mode.

The Pokémon Company knows about Palworld and is very much aware that the game is drawing a lot of comparisons with its intellectual property, based on a statement it has published. While the company didn't explicitly name Palworld, it said it's going to investigate a game "released in January 2024" and will "take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to Pokémon." It also clearly stated that it has "not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game."

Palworld, released on January 18, is an open-world game featuring monsters that look like Pokémon, except they can use guns. It also has a darker theme, allowing players to sell their "pals" to slavery, kill them and eat them aside from being able to battle them to the death. It has gotten a lot of attention since it was released, and according to its developer Pocket Pair, it sold 7 million copies on Steam alone in just five days. 

As IGN notes, Pocket Pair previously said that its game is more like Ark Survival Evolved and Vanaheim than Pokémon. In an interview with Automaton, the company's CEO Takuro Mizobe said Palworld "cleared legal reviews" and that there had been "no action taken against it by other companies." The Pokémon Company's statement insinuates that that could change if it determines that the developer has infringed on its copyright, though we'll have to wait for the results of its investigation to know for sure.

The full statement reads:

"We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future."

HP Enterprise was infiltrated by a hacking group linked to Russian intelligence last year, the business IT company has revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The threat actor is believed to be Midnight Blizzard, also known as Cozy Bear, which was the same group that recently breached the email accounts of several senior executives and other employees at Microsoft. It was also the same hacking group behind the SolarWinds attacks that affected multiple government entities, including the US Treasury Department and Homeland Security. In addition, the National Security Agency accused it in 2020 of trying to steal research on COVID-19 vaccines from the US, UK and Canada. 

In its filing, HPE said it was notified on December 12, 2023 that an attacker had gained access to its cloud-based email environment. It worked with external cybersecurity experts that found that the threat actor was able to access and steal data from "a small percentage" of email accounts owned by employees from various divisions, including those in cybersecurity. HPE didn't say what kind of data was stolen, but it believes the incident is related to an earlier security breach that took place in May 2023, wherein the bad actor was able to get away with "a limited number of SharePoint files." SharePoint is a document management and collaborative platform for Microsoft 365.

HPE spokesperson Adam R. Bauer told AP that the company can't say whether this incident is related to Microsoft's data breach. Bauer also said that the "total scope of mailboxes and emails accessed remains under investigation." So far, HPE's investigation has shown that the attack hasn't had material impact on its operations, but it's still looking into the incident and working with law enforcement. 

Google’s rolling out its first update of 2024 for Pixel phones and it brings new health features and AI tools. Perhaps the most interesting new doodad is an actual working thermometer, which is only available for the recently-released Pixel 8 Pro. We knew this feature would come at some point, as the phone includes a temperature sensor and, well, a thermometer’s the most likely use case.

All you have to do is scan your forehead to see if your headache is just from staring at a screen too long if you have an actual fever. You can beam these results to your Fitbit profile and integrate them with other health metrics.

The company’s also giving that Tensor G3 chip a workout with the addition of a new AI-powered circle to search tool. It works exactly as advertised. You draw a circle over something on your phone’s screen, and the AI will search for the image, text or whatever else you highlighted. This will likely come in very handy in future episodes of spy and detective shows.

That’s just the first AI-adjacent feature included with the new update. There’s something called Photomoji that works exactly as you assume. It turns your favorite photos into emojis or reactions. Magic Compose is like the Magic Editor tool, but for text. Google says the tool “crafts stylized, suggested responses with the context of your messages.”

Finally, there’s the recently-teased Quick Share icon that shows you a list of devices nearby you can share content with. Google’s actually working to also get this feature included with Windows PCs.

Google

To accompany this new update, Google’s releasing a mint green colorway for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. They look really cute and I sort of want to eat them. The new feature drop starts rolling out today. 

Like many major tech companies, Amazon is looking to cut costs. Its Twitch division recently laid off 35 percent of its head count (just over 500 employees) and now it's reducing how much streamers make from each Twitch Prime subscription.

Every Amazon Prime member can toss a Prime subscription in the direction of their favorite Twitch streamer at no extra cost. Since that program debuted in 2016, streamers have received the same amount from Twitch Prime subs as they do from a base paid subscription. That's changing, though.

Starting on June 3, Twitch is moving to a fixed-rate model that bases Prime payouts based on the location of a Prime subscriber (and how much they pay for Amazon Prime)."We believe this is the right structure for the program going forward and are making this change to ensure that the monthly Twitch subscription available to Prime members is a long-term, sustainable benefit for the Twitch community," CEO Dan Clancy wrote in a blog post.

Clancy says that for most countries, the payout rate is dropping by less than five percent, but there are steeper drops elsewhere. For instance, a Prime sub from a viewer in the US will soon be worth $2.25 to a streamer, down from $2.50. That's a drop of 10 percent. A Prime sub from someone in the UK will soon be worth $1.80, while one from a viewer based in Turkey will pay a streamer just nine cents.

As Clancy points out, Prime subscriptions are just one of the ways that streamers can earn money on the platform, alongside tips and regular paid subscriptions. He also announced some changes to the Partner Plus program, which is designed to give smaller creators a bigger slice of the pie.

Twitch is making it much easier for creators to benefit from improved revenue sharing. Until now, they've had to maintain at least 350 paid subscriptions for at least three months. That would qualify them for a 70 percent cut of subs for the next 12 months, up from 50 percent.

Starting on May 1, the platform is changing Partner Plus to a two-tier Plus Program that's based on a points system. A base $5 subscription is worth one point, a $10 Tier 2 sub is worth two points and a $25 Tier 3 sub three points. Gift and Prime subs don't count toward points, but qualifying streamers will get a better cut of revenue from gifted subscriptions.

When a streamer earns at least 100 Plus points for three consecutive months (points reset on the first of each month), they'll receive a 60 percent split of subscription revenue from the next 12 months. If they maintain 350 Plus points, that revenue share jumps up to 70 percent in their favor. Clancy says these changes will enable three times as many streamers to qualify for improved revenue sharing. It should result in a solid increase in earnings for many of them, while giving those who hover around 300-350 points a bit more of a cushion instead of dropping back to a 50 percent revenue share

Twitch announced one more change to its revenue-sharing model. It's getting rid of the $100,000 cap on the 70-30 revenue split for high-earning creators. A change implemented last year saw that split drop to 50 percent after a streamer hit $100,000 in subscription revenue. This won't change anything for the vast majority of creators, but it could help Twitch convince high-profile streamers to stay on its platform instead of jumping to the likes of YouTube or Kick.

In the wake of the layoffs, Clancy said Twitch is still unprofitable (streaming live video to millions of people simultaneously isn't cheap!), so something had to give. While the Twitch Prime changes will be hard to swallow for some streamers, the perk wasn't really sustainable as is. Reducing payouts is better for creators than the program going away entirely. Twitch will also be hoping that improved revenue sharing will push creators to convince their viewers to shell out for a paid subscription instead.

Last year Aviate Audio launched the Developer Edition of its Multiverse pedal — basically a plug-in host in guitar pedal format. Now, just in time for NAMM 2024, the company has announced the Player Edition of the Multiverse. The pedal is, for all intents and purposes, unchanged. Same basic design, same processor under the hood (a 600MHz Cortex M7), it's just cheaper now at $349, and presumably won't have access to some of the developer focused tools.

The pedal itself has a small 1.3-inch OLED screen to navigate the UI. There are four programable push encoders, plus two programable foot switches. There's stereo 1/4-inch TRS ins and outs, an 1/8-inch TRS midi input on the side, two expression jacks and a USB-C port. While the Multiverse can be used with a standard AC adapter, it can also be powered over USB-C, which is pretty handy when loading new effects or testing out a patch.

To celebrate the launch of the Player Edition Multiverse, Aviate Audio is also announcing version 1.3 of its Multiverse Designer software, which will add support for impulse responses (IR) for speaker emulation. If you shell out the $349 to grab one of these customizable multi-effects pedals, you'll have access to a small, but growing library of effect plugins through the Multiverse shop (21 of them by my count). 

They cover most of the basic effects you'd need on a pedal board, fuzz, delay, reverb, et cetera. There's even an emulation of a Klon Centaur, that's cheekily marked as being on sale for $0 with an original price of $7,999. Most of the effects currently in the Aviate shop are free, but there are a few that ask you to pay $5 or $10 for them. The set up isn't terribly different from what Mod Devices tried to do with its Duo line. Clearly Aviate Audio feels it can succeed where Mod struggled.

As new European tech regulations are set to take effect in the coming weeks, Apple is preparing for a future where it will be required to allow users to download apps from sources outside of its App Store. The company hasn’t shared details about how the process, called sideloading, will work, but it seems it may not allow developers to circumvent the company’s fees and app review rules after all.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the App Store owner “plans to collect fees from developers that offer downloads outside of the App Store” and that it will require some kind of review for downloads that don’t go through its storefront. Sideloading would only be offered to iOS users in the European Union in order to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

While the report notes Apple’s plan hasn’t been finalized, the strategy would be in line with another significant change the company just made to its US App Store policies. Last week, the company officially changed its rules for US developers to enable in-app purchases that bypass the App Store’s billing system.

However, the new rules, which came after a lengthy court battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games, stipulate that developers must still pay a hefty 27 percent commission on purchases made outside of the App Store (some smaller developers will only be charged 12 percent). The new rules also give Apple the right to audit developers’ records to ensure compliance. That’s already led to much criticism from Epic, Spotify and other developers who have long been critical of the App Store’s restrictive rules and fees.

If Apple were to charge developers for sideloading, that could lead to similar criticism from app makers. The Digital Markets Act is set to go into effect March 7, and even though Apple has yet to share its plan to comply with the regulation, companies that have previously butted heads with Cupertino over its rules are already preparing. Spotify, a longtime opponent of the App Store’s commission, just previewed what the European version of its app will look like once users can pay for subscriptions and audiobooks inside of its app.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Meta, another vocal Apple critic, is working on its own project that would allow it to distribute developers’ apps via Facebook ads. The effort, reportedly called “Project Neon” internally, could allow the Facebook owner to compete with the App Store more directly, at least in Europe.

It looks like Ring is reversing course on its police-friendly stance regarding data sharing, according to reporting from Bloomberg. Amazon told the publication that Ring’s home doorbell unit would stop acquiescing to warrantless police requests for footage from users’ video doorbells and surveillance cameras. This practice has long been derided by privacy advocacy groups, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Senator Ed Markey even launched a probe into the policy back in 2022.

Additionally, Ring will disable its Request For Assistance tool next week, which is a program that allows law enforcement to ask users for footage on a voluntary basis, according to an official blog post. From now on, police and fire departments will have to seek a warrant to request footage from users, though Amazon could provide footage without a warrant if the agency can prove its essential for an ongoing emergency. 

As a matter of fact, the entire Neighbors app, which is where the Request For Assistance feature lives, is undergoing an overhaul to shift its focus from crime and safety to more of a community hub, according to Ring spokesperson Yassi Yarger. To that end, the Neighbors app is getting a new highlight reel feature for users to peruse the most popular video captures of the week. Ring hasn't given a reason given for this sudden shift in priorities. Crime is down nationwide, sure, but it's not like we live in a Star Trek utopia. The company has been diversifying its portfolio lately, adding new products to the lineup, which could be one reason. 

Ring has been cozying up with law enforcement since inception, as the company always stated its primary reason to exist was to improve public safety. “Our mission to reduce crime in neighborhoods has been at the core of everything we do at Ring,” founding chief Jamie Siminoff said when Amazon bought the company for $839 million back in 2018.

Of course, we don’t exactly know if Amazon and Ring will stick by this decision, or if they’ll start quietly allowing law enforcement to nab videos six or eight months down the line. However, this is becoming something of a trend in the tech industry. Google just changed its location history feature on Maps to stop police from nabbing data on everyone in the vicinity of a crime. Law enforcement had been relying on the feature for years.