Apple’s been playing it too MagSafe

It’s been almost a year since Apple first debuted the iPhone 12 lineup, and introduced its MagSafe accessory system. So where are all the MagSafe chargers? Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of accessory developers making cases, wallets, car mounts, desk stands, and even magnetic Qi chargers and battery packs that work with MagSafe… Continue reading Apple’s been playing it too MagSafe

How the minds behind Rez and Death Stranding turned virtual worlds into physical spaces

When you build a procedural tree of life, there are going to be branches. This was a learning process for the Irish artist David OReilly, whose existential simulation games started making their way into galleries around the world. Everything, which was long-listed for an Academy Award, was launched in the San Francisco Museum of Modern… Continue reading How the minds behind Rez and Death Stranding turned virtual worlds into physical spaces

Waymo is building a hub for its autonomous trucks in Texas

Waymo announced plans to build a hub for its autonomous semi-trailer trucks on a nine-acre site near Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The Alphabet-owned company also said it is partnering with rental truck company Ryder on fleet management as it looks to grow the delivery and logistics portion of its business. The hub in South Dallas will… Continue reading Waymo is building a hub for its autonomous trucks in Texas

Water shortages loom over future semiconductor fabs in Arizona

Major semiconductor manufacturers looking to expand in Arizona will likely be spared from water cuts induced by an unprecedented water shortage in the Southwest, at least for now.As part of the scramble to end a shortage of another kind — the global dearth in semiconductor chips — both Intel and TSMC plan to open new… Continue reading Water shortages loom over future semiconductor fabs in Arizona

EVgo launches new pricing plans and a rewards program

EVgo is changing how it prices the electricity that gets doled out on its electric vehicle charging networ, and is launching a nationwide rewards program for its customers. Starting in September, the company will start offering three ways to pay for charging on its network across the country. There’s the typical pay-as-you go option, which… Continue reading EVgo launches new pricing plans and a rewards program

Microsoft hires former Uber exec to lead a new consumer apps effort

Microsoft is hiring Manik Gupta, the former head of product at Uber, in a renewed effort to boost Microsoft’s consumer apps. Gupta will be responsible for Microsoft Teams consumer, Skype, and GroupMe, and he will report directly to Jeff Teper, Microsoft’s head of Microsoft 365 collaboration. Gupta spent four years at Uber running the various… Continue reading Microsoft hires former Uber exec to lead a new consumer apps effort

There’s finally a new Densha de Go! train controller, and it’s awesome

Imagine if you were really into a video game series, but no one released a controller that let you play it properly for 14 years. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the situation that fans of Densha De Go! found themselves in until recently. Taito’s quirky train-driving franchise has been around since the mid-‘90s across countless systems and… Continue reading There’s finally a new Densha de Go! train controller, and it’s awesome

This suitcase-sized power station is designed to get you through a blackout

Zendure’s latest “portable” charger is the SuperBase Pro 2000, a hulking power station equipped with a 2,096Wh battery that’s designed to get you through everything from a camping trip to a blackout. Weighing in at 46.5 pounds (21.2kg), it’s only portable in the technical sense of the word — you’re much more likely to use… Continue reading This suitcase-sized power station is designed to get you through a blackout

Meet the self-driving brains inside Volkswagen and Ford

Today I’m talking to Bryan Salesky, the co-founder and CEO of Argo AI, a startup that’s trying to build the tech stack for self-driving cars. Argo was founded in 2016, but there’s some solid foundations there: Bryan and his team were veterans of Google’s and Uber’s self-driving groups, and they have major investments from Ford… Continue reading Meet the self-driving brains inside Volkswagen and Ford