Hyundai's Genesis brand is now taking orders for its first electric vehicle, the GV60. The EV, which follows the G80 hybrid, starts at $58,890 and comes with three years of 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America stations at no extra cost.
US sales will be limited at the outset, however. To begin with, the GV60 will only be available for purchase at select retailers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.
The EV will be available in two dual-motor trims, Advanced AWD and Performance AWD. It includes a feature called Face Connect, which will allow drivers to lock and unlock their vehicle using facial recognition if they really want to. The GV60 has a near infra-red camera that can scan the driver's face even in low light and takes advantage of deep learning tech to confirm the person's identity.
Face Connect can register two drivers and it supports individual profiles for them. Using the facial recognition system, the GV60 can automatically adjust the heads-up display, seat, steering wheel, side mirrors and multimedia based on that person's preferences and settings. Other features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bang & Olufsen audio, four USB-C ports and a way to start the engine using your fingerprint.
The GV60 Advanced AWD has 74 kW front and 160kW rear motors that can deliver 314 horsepower. Genesis says the 77.4 kWh battery provides an estimated range of 248 miles.
The Performance AWD model, which starts at $68,980, has the same battery but a lower estimated range of 235 miles. That's because it's more powerful, with a 160kW on the front as well. The EV can deliver 429 horsepower, rising to 483 HP when the boost mode is active.
The higher-end model also supports Genesis Digital Key 2 with ultra-wideband tech, which works with a compatible iPhone, Apple Watch or Samsung phone. It pairs with Apple Wallet and Samsung Pass and allows owners to digitally share keys with other people.
Genesis has said all its new models will be EVs by 2025 and its vehicle lineup will be fully electrified five years after that. Later this year, Hyundai will start building EVs in the US with the Genesis G70.
After missing its originally planned April 3rd release date, Eve's Outdoor Cam is available to buy starting today. Announced at CES 2022, the company claims its latest product is the only HomeKit-exclusive floodlight camera on the market. The device works with Apple’s Secure Video framework to safely store any footage it captures on iCloud. End-to-end encryption ensures only the owner of the camera can see live video and recordings. However, that does mean you need an iPhone, iPad or Mac to use the Outdoor Cam in your home.
Outside of HomeKit exclusivity and a minimalist design, Eve’s latest camera includes all the usual features you might expect in a modern security camera. Its 157-degree field of view lens and sensor can record 1080p footage at 24 frames per second. Additionally, the Outdoor Cam includes support for two-way voice communication, and it can detect motion from up to 30 feet away with the help of infrared night vision.
You can purchase the Outdoor Cam from Eve's website for $249.95.
Behaviour Interactive has shed some light on what's ahead for its massively popular horror franchise Dead by Daylight. One of the more surprising announcements was for a spinoff game that will take the horror-heavy series in a completely new direction — it's a dating sim.
I Love You, Colonel Sanders! developer Psyop is working on the visual novel, which is called Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim. Instead of desperately trying to avoid killers like The Trapper and The Spirit, you'll be able to flirt with them on Murderer's Island. Just don't expect to hook up with licensed characters like Pyramid Head or Sadako from The Ring.
Behaviour says the stories you'll discover in Hooked on You won't be canon, though they'll offer a blend of humor, romance and — since this is a DBD game after all — horror. The studio notes that many DBD fans have been asking for a dating sim set in that universe. They won't have to wait too long to play it, either. Hooked on You will arrive on Steam this summer.
A ton of other DBD news has emerged ahead of the game's sixth anniversary, including details about the next chapter, called Roots of Dread. It includes a new map called Garden of Joy, which is not quite as euphoric as its name suggests.
The latest terrifying killer, The Dredge, is an amorphous mass of limbs that can teleport between lockers to catch survivors unaware. Roots of Dread also introduces a new survivor named Haddie Kaur. PC players can try the chapter on the Public Test Build (PTB) today. It'll arrive on all platforms on June 7th.
Looking slightly further ahead, Behaviour announced a couple more upcoming crossovers, including an unexpected one with Attack on Titan. The studio says fans have been asking for content based on anime and manga. The first partnership of its kind will soon introduce 10 Attack on Titan-inspired outfits for DBD killers and survivors. Among them are an Eren Yeager skin for Dwight, a Hange-inspired look for Zarina and an Armored Titan outfit for The Oni.
Behaviour Interactive
In addition, DBD is delving back into the world of Resident Evil with another chapter based on that classic franchise. Nemesis, Jill Valentine and Leon S. Kennedy arrived last June, and more characters from the series will join them later this year as part of the Resident Evil: Project W chapter.
Elsewhere, Dead by Daylight Mobile is getting a major update that will include changes to leaderboards, social systems, the control layout and visual performance. The activities and rewards systems are being revamped too. The update recently debuted in Japan. It will hit the US in a closed beta in the next few weeks before a broader rollout.
Some changes are on the way to the core PC and console game as well. Behavior says it will soon rework around 40 killer and survivor perks to freshen things up. A new system to get folks into games faster will reward those who queue up for whichever role (survivor or killer) has a smaller player count.
Meanwhile, starting today on the PTB, players can try a useful new preset feature. You can create custom loadouts with preferred perks and outfits for killers and survivors. That could help speed things up before you start a match.
Ford’s self-driving Argo AI unit has hit a major milestone. On Tuesday, it began driverless operations in Austin and Miami. The company’s cars aren’t carrying paying customers just yet, but they’re now allowed to ferry Argo AI employees without a safety driver at the wheel. Argo called the announcement an “important step” in its plan to commercialize autonomous driving technology by providing a suite of APIs designed to allow ridesharing, delivery and logistics companies to incorporate its vehicles into their own services.
Argo is one of a handful of companies competing in the already crowded space, and a clear winner has yet to emerge. At the start of the year, GM’s Cruise began offering public driverless taxi rides in San Francisco, but when they’re not being pulled over by confused cops, the company’s cars are limited to off-peak hours. Waymo, meanwhile, recently began testing fully driverless cars in San Francisco, but its Arizona service is only partly open to those outside of its Trusted Tester program.
Meta has nearly doubled the amount of violent content it removes from Facebook. During the first quarter of 2022, the company took down 21.7 million pieces of content for breaking its rules around violence and incitement of violence, an increase from 12.4 million in the previous quarter.
The company shared the new metrics as part of its quarterly community standards enforcement report. In the report, Meta attributed the increase in takedowns to an “expansion of our proactive detection technology.”
The report comes at a moment when Meta is facing scrutiny for its response time following the recent mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. Live recordings of the shooting circulated on Facebook and other platforms and companies have been slow to take down all the new copies. One copy posted to Facebook was shared more than 46,000 times before it was removed more than nine hours after it was originally posted, according toThe Washington Post.
As with prior mass shootings like Christchurch, the ability for people to quickly download and make new copies of live recordings has tested Meta’s ability to enforce its policies.
“One of the challenges we see through events like this is people create new content, new versions, new external links to try to evade our policies [and] evade our enforcement,” Guy Rosen, Meta’s VP of Integrity, said during a call with reporters. “As in any incident, we're going to continue to learn to refine our processes, refine our systems to ensure that we can detect we can take down violating content more quickly in the future.”
Apple Store employees who are organizing in Atlanta have accused the company of union busting and violating the National Labor Relations Act. The Communications Workers of America submitted an Unfair Labor Practice filing on behalf of workers at the Cumberland Mall store, who say Apple has conducted captive audience meetings in an attempt to fight their union drive.
For decades, companies have been allowed to conduct captive audience meetings until 24 hours before a union election begins. Employers typically use these mandatory meetings to deliver anti-union messaging.
However, as The Verge notes, National Labor Relations Board general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo claimed in a memo last month that such meetings are in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. "Forcing employees to listen to such employer speech under threat of discipline — directly leveraging the employees’ dependence on their jobs — plainly chills employees’ protected right to refrain from listening to this speech," Abruzzo wrote.
The Cumberland Mall Apple Store workers filed for a union election with the NLRB last month. The election is set for early June. The workers said that while they "love this company," they are fighting for better pay and benefits, among other things.
You might not have to worry that Disney+ will bombard you with marketing when the ad-supported tier arrives later this year. Disney has confirmed to TechCrunch that it will limit the volume of ads to an average of four minutes per hour with this cheaper plan, or far less than the 7.4 minutes you endure with Hulu. Content aimed at preschoolers won't include any ads, and Disney will "never" target ads at individual kids.
It's still not clear how much the ad-backed tier will cost. However, Disney mentioned during its latest earnings call that it would likely hike the price of the ad-free version (currently $8 per month) once the more affordable plan arrives.
The restraint wouldn't be surprising. Disney+ is mostly built around family-friendly content, and a heavy ad load could be seen as exploiting the high ratio of child viewers. It just has to look to YouTube as an example. Google's video service drew flak from politicians and other critics for allowing targeted ads meant for kids, not to mention exploitative videos. YouTube responded by restricting ad targeting and demonetizing "low-quality" videos that are overly commercial or promote bad behavior. Limited ads could both prevent a regulatory crackdown and reassure companies jittery about where their ads appear.
As it stands, Disney can't afford to risk alienating customers. While the company said during its call that its growth strategy is still on track, its direct-to-consumer division (which includes streaming) saw losses deepen to $887 million last quarter as licensing and other costs hit hard. The more people sign up for the ad-supported tier, the sooner Disney+ can swing to a profit.
If you’re a vegan or eco-conscious consumer, there are plenty of options when you want a burger or chicken nuggets. But there aren’t many plant-based eggs. Sure, you can find powdered substitutes, but a “whole” egg with a runny yolk is a different matter. A startup wants to change that.
Yo! Egg claims to have developed the first plant-based poached and sunny-side-up eggs. Following a limited rollout in its native Isreal, the company is bringing its products to the US, starting with a debut at the National Restaurant Association Show later this month. Yo! told TechCrunch it expects to have its eggs in restaurants across the Los Angeles area by the end of the year.
The company’s pitch is similar to that of other plant-based substitutes for animal products. Since its eggs are made from soy, sunflower oil, water and flour, they’re more sustainable to make. With 1 gram of protein, they’re not a one-for-one replacement for chicken eggs in terms of nutritional value, but they also don't have any cholesterol. We'll also note Yo!’s fried and poached eggs are separate products.
The company told TechCrunch it recently secured $5 million in seed funding and that it plans to use that money to scale production and start working on hard-boiled and scrambled egg products. “Our vision is to create the world’s largest egg company, not egg alternative company, and not the largest plant-based egg company, but the largest egg company without using chickens,” Yo! Egg CEO Eran Groner told the outlet.
The days of the gas-powered lawn mower and leaf blower are numbered in California. Last October, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1346, banning the sale of new gas-powered tools in the state by 2024, akin to its ban on new internal combustion vehicle sales by 2035.
And the Golden State is far from alone, "I think that the easier the manufacturers make it for other states to adopt the same sort of ban, the more states will do it," University of Southern California environmental law professor Robin Craig told CBS. Lawmakers in Illinois and New York both are seeking to pass similar bills at the state level while cities like Brookline, Massachusetts; Montclair, New Jersey; and Burlington, Vermont, have all independently enacted seasonal bans of their own on gas-powered leaf blowers.
And it’s not just because internal combustion (IC) landscaping equipment is so loud — leaf blowers average 70 dB at 50 feet (the operator hears closer to 95-100 dB) while mowers start at around 85 dB — they are also significant emitters of greenhouse gasses. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) notes that running an IC mower for 1 hour emits the equivalent amount of carbon as driving a 2017 Camry 300 miles from LA to Las Vegas. Operating a 2-stroke leaf blower for the same amount of time produces the same amount of carbon as driving to Denver, roughly 1,000 miles from LA.
Education Images via Getty Images
That’s actually an improvement from what we saw in the ‘80s and ‘90s before California instituted CARB. Today’s small engines are 40 to 80 percent more efficient and cleaner burning than they were before the agency got its start but, regardless, there are still some 16.7 million small (sub-19kW) engines in California — that’s three million more than the number of light duty passenger vehicles currently operating in the state. And given that the average price of a gallon of gas in America is currently $4.37 (the highest since 2000, per AAA), running all those noisy, thirsty mowers and blowers is getting untenably expensive as well.
With a long, hot summer of high gas prices imminent and the writing on the wall for 2-stroke engines, what better time than now to electrify your lawn care equipment? But before you head down to your local home improvement center, here’s some advice on what to look for in an electric mower directly from the people who design them.
Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images
Gas or Electric
Much like the auto industry’s ongoing transition from IC engines to EVs, lawn care equipment makers have spent recent years investing heavily in battery-based systems and have seen the performance of these power plants rapidly improve to be practically on par with the gas engines they’re replacing — not to mention being quieter, less expensive to operate and generally better for the environment.
For example, your average electric mower or leaf blower is going to produce around 75 dB of noise (equivalent to a running washing machine) — granted, that’s only a 10dB difference between the gas and electric motors, but because decibels are measured along a logarithmic scale, it actually sounds nearly half as loud to the human ear. And unlike gas mowers, using an electric doesn’t require you to don hearing protection (though safety glasses are always a good idea). What’s more, electric engines (with their decided lack of moving parts) wear much more gently than their internal combustion counterparts: No spark plugs to replace, oil to change, gas-oil ratios to measure and pour.
“Many professional-grade battery-powered tools come equipped with a brushless motor, which is virtually maintenance-free,” Stihl battery product manager, Paul Beblowski, told Engadget via email. “With a battery — there’s no need to buy, transport, or store fuel. There’s no tune-up for an electric motor and no need to winterize.” Aside from sharpening the cutting blade once a season or so, all owners really need to do is ensure the battery gets recharged before their next mowing session.
Found Image Holdings Inc via Getty Images
That’s not to say gas mowers are overnight relics. There are still plenty of use cases in which going with a conventional mower makes more sense, like when you need to clear more than an acre of land, or have to cut through dense, damp underbrush on difficult terrain, or are cutting on a remote field far from power outlets (sit down, Lightning Pro). A given unit of gasoline is still 100 times more energy dense than even the bloodiest-edge battery technology.
When it comes to choosing between a corded versus battery electric mower, “buyers must evaluate the size of their yard, access to outlet, and overall need for convenience,” Beblowski said. “It would make most sense to use a battery-driven mower when there is no access to an outlet or the customer wants the convenience provided by not dragging a cord through their yard. In addition, if the user is mowing around their pool or other water sources, it would make sense to stay away from cords and rely on a battery-driven mower.”
Another thing to consider is that while corded mowers will never run out of power, the amount that they can draw from a standard outlet cannot exceed 15 amps and 1800 watts (15 amps because that’s the US regulation, 1800 watts = 15 amps x 120 volts) — that’s actually the theoretical maximum and will continually throw breakers with that much load, so electric mowers typically top out at 13 amps (and therefore 1500 watts). So, if you’re looking for a heavy duty, high performance mower, especially a riding rig, battery-based systems will largely be your only electrified option.
How electric motors work
Standing in the power tool aisle of your local, prepare to be inundated with signage and branding calling out various aspects of the electric motor’s performance like “13 amps of power!” or “70 minutes of runtime!” These are helpful metrics but can be misleading and finding the right ratio of volts, watts and amps in that electric mower is paramount to getting the most out of your lawn care investment.
Elena Gromova via Getty Images
For those of us that slept through that day of high-school science class, a quick analogy of how electricity works: it’s like plumbing. The given rate of water flowing through a pipe — Wattage, the electrical equivalent of gallons per minute — is determined by the ratio between the water pressure (aka Voltage) and the diameter of the pipe that it’s flowing through (the circuit’s Resistance). If you want to increase the wattage (that is boost the flow of electrons or, by this analogy, have more gallons flow per minute) you either have to increase the water pressure (increase the circuit’s voltage) or widen the pipe (i.e. use a higher amperage wire which lowers resistance).
“A good measuring tool for batteries is watt-hours (comparable to the size of a gas tank),” said Guy Dekowski, Outdoor Senior Product Manager at Dewalt. “Battery watt-hours are battery voltage multiplied by amp hours. This is a good signal of how long the mower can potentially run.”
“It’s important to differentiate between voltage and the amount of work a tool can actually do,” Beblowski said, noting that equating voltage to a motor’s overall power is a common misconception. “While voltage is a factor, the true energy capacity of a battery is measured in watt-hours… the watt-hours tell you the power of the tool. So, if you have an 80-volt system and a 2 Ah battery, you’re looking at 160 watt-hours, but if you have a 36-volt system and a 5 Ah battery, the power is actually higher at 180 watt-hours.”
Unfortunately there is no hard and fast rule governing whether high voltage - low amp tools or low voltage - high amp tools are generally superior. “There are pros and cons to both configurations,” said Dekowski. “Generally higher voltage is capable of more power; however there are variables outside of voltage and current to consider. For example, the deck and blade design have an impact on performance.”
“Hills and the thickness of their grass,” are two yard feature factors users should consider, Dekowski continued. “If a user has an incline, a self-propelled mower may suit them best. The thickness of the grass also plays a factor in the runtime of their mower. In thicker grass, the mower will pull more power driving the need for a mower capable of longer runtime.”
What to look for in an electric mower
The size and shape of your lawn will also impact the size and style of the mower that you need. Pay attention to the mower’s deck size, that indicates how wide of a swath it can clear with each pass. You’ll clear your yard in fewer passes with a 21-inch deck than you will with a 14-inch, though the corollary to that is wider mowers tend to be heavier and less maneuverable than their skinnier counterparts.
“Twenty to 21-inch decks are the most popular for a couple reasons,” Dekowski said. “First, it helps keep the weight at a minimum but the deck is still large enough to minimize work. The other benefits are maneuverability and compactness for storage.”
Like any other tool purchase, when shopping for a new mower try to stick to established, reputable brands like Stihl, Stanley Black and Decker (which owns DeWalt), Makita, Ryobi, Toro, Hart, Greenworks and Sun Joe. Pricing is going to range anywhere from around $125 for a compact, corded unit for urban yards up to a couple thousand for a burly zero-turn riding mower.
Zhanna Danilova via Getty Images
Regardless of which brand you choose there are a few features that you should look for in a quality electric mower:
Deck material: Avoid mowers with plastic decks. Sure you’ll save a few pounds in weight but those made with metal housings will stand up to the elements, kicked stones and general wear and tear for far longer than their plastic counterparts.
Comfortable handles: You’re going to be squeezing these things for the better part of an hour as you systematically amble around the yard, better make sure they’re not going to chafe.
Big wheels: Getting stuck in a rut is bad enough when it’s just in the metaphorical sense. Make sure it doesn't happen where the neighbors can see by using a mower with 10-inch rear, 8-inch front ball bearing wheels, suggests Beblowski.
Height adjustment: As a rule of thumb, you should be taking off about a third of the grass’ total height every time you mow (chopping it to about 2 to 3¾ inches tall). However, weather and solid conditions will impact how fast the blades grow between cuttings so having a mower that can adjust its blade height is key to maintaining a healthy lawn. Look for a model that can span from 1 - 4-inches off the ground.
Beware the brush: Electric motors come in two flavors — brush and brushless. The former has a tendency to overheat and stall while the latter generates more power, less heat and requires basically zero maintenance. Guess which you should choose.
Bagging options: Your willingness to go back and rake the whole yard vs stop occasionally to empty clippings on to the compost pile is a pretty strong indicator of whether you should spring for a side discharge, mulching or bagging mower.
Accessorize: One of the biggest benefits of choosing a battery over a corded mower is that manufacturers designed their battery packs to work in a wide array of power tools and gadgets, from leaf blowers and limb loppers to snowblowers and soil tillers. So if you’re looking to update more than just your mower, maybe take a look and see what other gadgets its batteries are rated for use on.
With the long Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get your yard trimmed up and ready for post-lockdown barbeque parties — as well as defensible for what’s sure to be an unrelenting wildfire season throughout the American West.
Amazon isn't the only one hoping you'll be willing to use biometrics to pay at the store. Mastercard has unveiled a Biometric Checkout Program that aims to set standards for paying with scans or gestures. The company hopes to make the purchase as simple as smiling for a camera or waving your hand in front of a reader — you wouldn't risk holding up the queue by reaching for your card, phone or watch.
The initiative would have you enroll either at the store or through an app. The potential standard is meant to accommodate shops of all sizes, and Mastercard is teaming with Fujitsu, NEC, Payface and other companies to establish baseline requirements for performance, privacy and security.
A pilot version is launching this week in Brazil, with Payface providing technology in five St Marche supermarkets across São Paulo. Customers will just have to smile to pay for their groceries. Tests are also planned for Asia and the Middle East, although Mastercard didn't share more details.
Biometric checkouts may be appreciated if you've ever fumbled for your wallet at the cash. As with other implementations, though, it's not clear if Mastercard will satisfy privacy concerns. Regardless of promises to protect your data, you're still trusting companies with photos and other sensitive body info. Many people aren't comfortable with that, and the Red Rocks Amphitheater even dropped Amazon palm scanning after a backlash from artists and activists worried about hacking and government surveillance. If Mastercard and its allies are going to establish a standard, they'll need to reassure shoppers that spies and fraudsters won't abuse body scans.
