Technology

lundi 26 décembre 2022

Cadillac Lyriq review: the Cadillac of EVs

2023 Cadillac Lyriq EV — *Cadillac finally made an electric vehicle, and it’s great.*

Cadillac’s first electric vehicle is the Lyriq, a smooth, sumptuous 312-mile range compact SUV for $64,000 with a focus on comfort over sportiness. But what’s with those door handles?

When something is referred to as “the Cadillac of” its particular category, it usually means it’s the best of the best. That’s because, for decades, Cadillac was the rare American brand willing to go toe-to-toe (wheel-to-wheel?) with the more dominant German brands in competition for luxury car shoppers. (Ask your grandparents, kids.) And while those brands have occasionally outsold Cadillac, the Detroit automaker has won the lexiconic battle by becoming synonymous with style, class, and excellence.

Which brings us to the Cadillac of electric vehicles, the Lyriq. (Pronounced like “lyric.”) Does the brand’s first EV merit the designation? Of course it does — because it’s a literal Cadillac. What a stupid question. But is it the best of the best?

Perhaps a more important question to ask is whether it’s reasonable to expect a world-class EV from Cadillac right out of the gate. A brand’s first electric vehicle is supposed to set the stage for what’s to come. But it can also be a bit rough around the edges, serving as a mishmash of ideas and concepts that may not be fully fleshed out. (See: Leaf, Nissan.)

In that respect, the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq is a beguiling preview of the iconic brand’s future as an all-electric company. It’s comfortable and luxurious but never sporty. Availability remains a major obstacle — Cadillac has already announced that the 2023 model is sold out — but that’s the bitter truth for most EVs these days.

Overall, the Lyriq is a long-legged, compellingly priced, sumptuously appointed EV draped with enough high-tech features to make any Tesla owner reconsider their life choices.

*The Lyriq is already sold out, which is a drag.*

Drive (and charge) my car

For the 10 days I had the Lyriq, I was able to take it on a 350-mile road trip of mostly highway driving with a few gravelly back roads through New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. I also used it for normal daily driver stuff: shopping, errands, school pickups. My kids put their muddy shoes on the white leather upholstery (sorry, Cadillac). The temperature hovered around 30–40 degrees Fahrenheit during the course of my testing: cold but not so cold as to seriously degrade the battery.

The drive quality was everything I’d expect from a Cadillac: smooth, frictionless, whisper quiet, with plenty of hustle. This was my first Ultium driving experience, and I found it to be really nice, if not particularly notable. The Lyriq glides over roads of various surface quality with ease. The version I had was a single-motor RWD, which has better range but not as much oomph as the dual-motor all-wheel drive Lyriq that’s expected to go on sale next year.

The acceleration was delightful — as is typically the case for an EV — without the same neck-snapping, eye-watering intensity of a Performance-equipped Tesla. The RWD motor emits 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, which is on par with other RWD EVs. If it comes out next year, the AWD version promises 500hp and 450 lb-ft of torque.

A quick note about Super Cruise: the Lyriq I tested did not have it, which was a bummer. I was eager to put GM’s hands-free highway driving assistant to work, but according to GM, the Lyriq won’t be getting it for a few more months: after its first over-the-air software update rolls out. If you must have Super Cruise now, you can get it in the decidedly not luxurious Chevy Bolt EV.

The Lyriq is the first Cadillac to be built on GM’s new flexible Ultium architecture, which is being used to power the automaker’s next-generation lineup of EVs, including the Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV. Even on those gravelly back roads, the Lyriq gripped the road with seemingly every ounce of its 5,688 pounds of curb weight. That’s right in between a 2022 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, which is incredible when you consider that the Lyriq is a whole 12 inches shorter and 15 inches more compact than the Escalade. But it’s on par with similarly sized EVs like the BMW iX and Audi E-tron.

Where does the Lyriq hide all of that extra girth, you ask? In the battery, of course! There are 102kWh of electrons percolating under those floorboards, similar to comparably priced EVs from the luxury German brands. The Lyriq’s Ultium battery electronics are incorporated directly into the modules, which GM says eliminates nearly 90 percent of the battery pack wiring as compared to other EVs.

In my 350-mile road trip with the Lyriq, I logged 2.7 miles per kWh, which should translate to about 275.4 miles of range given the 102kWh battery. (The Lyriq’s very good instrument cluster gives you efficiency ratings for up to three trips.) But according to the EPA, the Lyriq’s estimated range is closer to 312 miles, which I assume you can get from slower, less complicated driving in slightly warmer weather. At one point, I started with the battery at 90 percent, and after an approximate 190-mile jaunt on highways and backroads, that dropped to 22 percent.

I won’t regale you with another woeful tale of non-Tesla EV charging failure and regret (so, so many broken chargers) except to note that the Lyriq’s fast-charging capabilities sound great on paper, but seeing it in action took some work.

At one charging stop using an EVgo fast charger, it took nearly 40 minutes with a maximum charging rate of 83kW to go from 49 percent to 80 percent on the battery. Another DC fast-charging experience took nearly two hours with a maximum charging rate of 80kW to get the Lyriq from 10 percent to 90 percent. Again, much of this is a function of receiving less energy than advertised — the Lyriq can charge up to 190kW, but I was unable to find a charger that could deliver such speeds.

On a Level 2 home charger, the Lyriq’s 19.2kW AC charging capability allows it to recoup 52 miles of range per hour, which is how most owners are likely to charge their vehicle. That translates to five hours to bring it to a full charge when parked in your garage.

*The interior is clean and functional without leaning too far toward minimalism.*

Shine bright like a diamond

Maybe you’ve noticed, but EV headlights can be super gimmicky: pixelated light squares, cheap plasticky light bars, whatever the hell Elon Musk was thinking with the Cybertruck. The front of the vehicle has become a weird new sandbox in which designers are throwing a lot of stuff around to see what sticks.

Cadillac is not immune to this trend, but here’s the thing: it works. The diamond-cut pattern on the faux grille is unique and flattering, unlike so many Cadillac grilles that look like a sheer cliffside. The main lines, which descend from the angular headlights and meet in the middle of the grille, are meant to evoke a motorsport checkered flag (but I didn’t really see it). Cadillac is reportedly working on other unique grille patterns to help differentiate various trim levels.

The rear lights are equally impressive, reaching up and along the side of the vehicle until they are parallel with the C pillar. It’s a nifty trick that also has the advantage of making the Lyriq more visible in profile. Locking or unlocking the vehicle sends the red lights flowing across the rear of the vehicle to meet in the center.

At that center is a rather chunky-looking Cadillac logo. It took me a second of searching around the license plate trying to find the latch to open the trunk before I realized the logo was it. Pressing it makes the trunk open automatically. To quote Doug DeMuro, not a bad quirk and feature.

The Lyriq is basically the same size as the Cadillac XT5, with a long wheelbase and 22-inch wheels. It feels like a longer car thanks to its ample hood line. That said, there’s no front storage space, which will be disappointing to all the frunk lovers out there.

Which brings me to the door handles. I can’t really wrap my head around why Cadillac opted for these particular door handles. The paddles, which are flush against the vehicle, improve aerodynamics, sure. But the design makes opening the door a two-step process: push the paddle, and then pull the door open using an L-shaped part attached right below the window. It’s a befuddling decision and clear evidence that automakers are overthinking some of their designs in the shift to electrification. There’s no phone-based locking or unlocking mechanism, so you’re stuck with the weird handle.

Get into my car

Visibility from the driver’s seat was just okay; I found myself wishing the rear end of the Lyriq didn’t slope down at such an angle. As it is, the rear windshield was pretty squat and could stand to be much taller. It didn’t make it harder to see out the back necessarily, but it left me wanting more. Otherwise, the Lyriq’s greenhouse was ample, with obvious assistance from the panoramic glass roof. I’m not saying there were Escalade levels of headroom, but the glass roof certainly lent it that appearance.

The interior is plush, comfortable, and inviting. The absence of a transmission tunnel means there’s more space for a cantilevered center console, which extends forward between the front seats with open air below. The storage area underneath is lined in brilliant blue leather, the same material that can be found inside a neat little drawer that pops out above.

There’s an adequate number of USB-C ports (three in all), though they’re sometimes in awkward places. There’s a slot in the center console where you can stick your phone for wireless charging. I wanted to like it — it’s arguably more secure than all of those wireless charging pads, for example — but if you have any kind of cover on your phone, it makes it difficult to get it out. No one wants to have to play tug-of-war with their car’s wireless phone charging slot.

The Lyriq has 28 cubic feet of cargo space behind its rear seats and 60.8 cubic feet with those seats folded. That’s about average for an electric SUV. The cargo area is narrow but deep, and there’s ample space for carry-on bags, boxes, or the occasional large item. There’s also an additional compartment under the floor of the cargo area for charging equipment and other odds and ends.

Now, we get to the part where I gush about the screen. First impression: it’s huge. Thirty-three inches of floating LED infotainment. That’s nearly three feet of screen, almost stretching the entire length of the dashboard pillar to pillar. It’s also one piece of glass featuring three different displays: the main display; the instrument cluster; and a small third display to the left of the instrument cluster (where you can find the aforementioned trip details).

As gorgeous as it was, the user experience left a little to be desired. While not as ostentatious as Mercedes’ Hyperscreen experience, it did still require too much swiping and searching for it not to be a distraction to some drivers. As with all screens these days, it’s recommended to orient yourself before you start driving, find the features you’re likely to use most, and do your best to build that muscle memory right out of the gate.

Cadillac made the right choice by integrating native Google apps, like Maps, Assistant, and the Play Store for media. I used CarPlay less in the Lyriq because I preferred the big full-screen navigation of its native Google Maps. The Wi-Fi hotspot worked great — I was able to do work from my laptop during a couple of protracted charging sessions — and lo and behold, there’s a line of physical buttons underneath the screen controlling the Lyriq’s HVAC system. You love to see it.

The gear stalk to the right of the steering wheel took a full minute to figure out, but once I did, I liked it. A lovely knob on the center console provides an additional way to toggle between menus on the infotainment display that doesn’t involve tapping and swiping. There’s even a cool little silver scroll wheel for volume control. The material matched the delightfully tactile silver knobs on the vents that controlled the airflow. I can’t overstate how comforting it is to have a bevy of physical knobs and buttons in a modern EV. More of this, please!

The Lyriq’s seats were comfy and included massage functions that provided needed relief on long drives. Speakers embedded in the headrest are a nice addition to the AKG sound system found throughout the vehicle. There are 19 speakers in total, including some dime-shaped ones right above your head to capture voice commands. Google Assistant is Google Assistant. It worked fine for simple things, like navigation, but lacked the ability to control the vehicle’s HVAC and other controls.

*This is about as close as you’ll get to a Lyriq for a while.*

Should you?

The Lyriq is a welcome addition to the luxury EV market. And at a starting price of $62,990 for the RWD version I tested ($64,990 for the AWD version), it certainly makes a strong case for itself when compared to pricier offerings from BMW, Mercedes, and Tesla.

But will you actually be able to find a Lyriq for that price? Lol, of course not. Even the cheapest of EVs are selling for thousands of dollars above their asking price. Demand is skyrocketing and supply is scant, so it’s best not to harbor any illusions about driving your brand-new sticker-price Lyriq off the lot in the near future.

That said, Cadillac is accepting reservations for the 2024 model. If you can’t wait that long, then you might want to consider a BMW iX, a Genesis G80, or a Mercedes-Benz EQE. But if the Lyriq sounds like music to your ears, then it’s time to get in line.

Photography by Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge

Standout Tech Products of 2022

Every year I look back at my Product of the Week choices and pick what I think made the most significant impact on my life as the Product of the Year. There were a lot of contenders this year, which I will cover, but I want to lead with why I'm calling out BlackBerry. The post Standout Tech Products of 2022 appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

An A.I. Pioneer on What We Should Really Fear

An A.I. Pioneer on What We Should Really Fear “Some people naïvely think if we teach A.I. ‘Don’t kill people while maximizing paper-clip production,’ that will take care of it,” says Yejin Choi.

dimanche 25 décembre 2022

Did a Fourth Grader Write This? Or the New Chatbot?

Did a Fourth Grader Write This? Or the New Chatbot? Don’t be surprised if you can’t always tell. Neither could two teachers, a professor, nor even the renowned children’s author Judy Blume.

A love letter for the original Steam Link: I regret taking you for granted

A photograph of a Steam Link besides its packaging on a wooden table. — *Poor experiences with the Steam Link app and Cloud gaming services have left me yearning for the now-outdated Steam Link dongle.* | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Back in 2018 I managed to nab a physical Steam Link when Valve was flogging them for £2.50 here in the UK ($2.50 in USD). I was actually buying a Steam Controller for my then-partner and spotted the bargain while browsing through the Steam website, so I purchased the gadget on a whim. That little black puck has since left such a good impression on me that every alternative service has paled in comparison.

The Steam Link is fairly straightforward. It’s a wireless box-shaped dongle that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, allowing you to stream games directly from your PC over your home internet connection. I had great success using it over Wi-fi, seeing barely any detectable lag, but you could also connect the device directly to your network via ethernet for a more stable connection. It even has three USB 2.0 ports for you to hook up wired controllers, mice, keyboards, or headsets in case you don’t have the luxury of owning a load of wireless peripherals.

A Steam Link on a blue backdrop. — *Having all those ports allowed me to crack out the old, wired gaming controllers for couch co-op when friends were over. Bliss.*

I’ve had access to both a computer and various gaming consoles over the years, so I’ve never considered having an allegiance to either side of the PC vs console debate. But there are some titles that just feel better to play sitting on a couch with a controller. The physical Steam Link gave me the best of both worlds: I could play The Witcher 3 or Skyrim with all of my mods enabled from the comfort of my living room, or walk over to my bedroom to play World of Warcraft directly on the same PC.

The aforementioned ex-partner got the Steam Link when we split, by which point Valve had discontinued the gadget and removed its listing from its Steam platform for good. The Steam Link app was released on Android as its replacement in 2018 (later followed by a version for iOS in 2019,) and can be downloaded directly onto most smart TVs. It functions similarly to the original Steam Link and, on paper, offers some advantages over the now obsolete box (such as regular software updates, and support for 4K streaming where the Steam Link was capped at 1080p). But I’ve still experienced numerous connectivity issues and abysmal latency while using it – and now I’m yearning for the dongle again.

A screenshot of the Steam link app displaying controller settings that can be adjusted. — *The Steam Link app allows you to remotely adjust settings and controls, but I find it constantly crashes if I spend too long in the Steam app menu.*

For example, on the days when it does work, the stream randomly freezes or crashes (despite having a solid internet connection) and the input lag is so unbearable that I usually abandon efforts and begrudgingly play on my PC directly. Some days the app randomly disconnects from my PC or refuses to load, forcing me to delete and then re-install it on my TV. These are all issues I never experienced with the original Steam Link hardware — it worked effortlessly every time it was plugged in.

I have better internet speeds and a more stable Wi-Fi connection than I once did. My Philips OLED TV is less than two years old. My current ethernet-connected gaming computer is more powerful and is even closer to both my router and television than it was when I used the Steam Link hardware. I’ve checked every relevant parameter and connection, and by all accounts, the Steam Link app should work. And yet it doesn’t.

Other services haven’t lived up to my previous streaming experience either. The GameStream feature on my Nvidia Shield TV (which works similarly to the Steam Link app) came pretty darn close, but Nvidia recently announced that it plans to discontinue the service in February 2023. Nvidia now points users towards its cloud gaming platform GeForce Now (with which I’ve personally experienced middling performance, despite paying for the Priority tier) or, frustratingly, the Steam Link app. I’ve also found other cloud streaming platforms like Google Stadia to be effectively unplayable due to latency. While cloud gaming tech is neat, it’s not yet a viable replacement for hardware like the Steam Link.

An array of devices on a table, all displaying the Nvidia GeForce Now streaming service. — *I get mixed results with Nvidia’s GeForce Now service, but the GamesStream feature for Nvidia Shield was near perfect. Sadly, that service is being shut down in February 2023.*

Outside of hunting for used Steam Link listings online, there are two solutions left. One is to hook my TV directly to my router via an ethernet cable. That’s likely to solve at least some of the connectivity problems, but it’s slightly infuriating that I never had to do the same for the physical Steam Link. It worked perfectly on my then-slower Wi-Fi connection over a much greater distance, and I didn’t have to drag cables around my living room.

The other (more drastic) solution would be to fork out a stack of cash for a small, dedicated PC for my TV, such as an Intel NUC. I’m only half considering that since that could cost over a thousand dollars, and I already have a perfectly serviceable gaming PC in another room. At the end of the day, that’s an awful lot of money to spend in order to replicate an experience that once cost me less than a cup of coffee.

Valve’s reasoning for discontinuing the dongle is sound — its 1080p ceiling would have eventually rendered it obsolete, and the software version can be used on non-HDMI devices. Still, I’m far from the only person experiencing similar discontent with the app. Reddit threads still regularly request help with troubleshooting issues, while other users have compared their experiences using the two Steam Link versions to see which offered better performance.

Despite the imminent shutdown of Google Stadia, many companies have also worked hard to push cloud gaming to consumers this year. Gaming Chromebooks have been released that come with Nvidia’s GeForce Now service preinstalled for example, and Xbox Cloud Gaming is eventually making its way onto Meta Quest VR headsets. Streaming games from the cloud is brilliant when it works, but for folks like myself, it simply isn’t a viable alternative to LAN-based game streaming yet. Until cloud gaming truly becomes the exciting frontier these companies promise, nothing will top that 1080p dongle.

What keeping a bullet journal taught me about using to-do list apps

A to-do list written in a physical notebook. — *An example from the official Bullet Journal YouTube channel of how to lay out daily tasks.* | Image: Bullet Journal

On July 6th of this year, I officially ended my three-year-long experiment with trying to organize my life using a physical bullet journal. I know the exact date because I’m looking at my discontinued notebook as I write this. Apparently, five months ago, I needed to take photos of the Corsair K70 keyboard for a then-forthcoming review and follow up with a quote I’d received to insulate my roof. I took the photos. I did not end up insulating my roof.

Since then, I’ve used the notebook for jotting down things to remember here and there, but when it comes to keeping track of daily tasks and chores, I’ve switched back to the same hodgepodge of different note-taking and to-do list apps that I used three years ago. These include Notion for longform notes and lists, Apple Notes when I need something instantly, and Todoist for to-do lists and reminders. But although I’ve ditched the physical notebook for apps, I don’t think bullet journals are a waste of time. In fact, I think my experiment taught me an important lesson about how to stay organized digitally.

Bullet journals can be either physical or virtual (such as with this Notion template), but they’re best known as a way to organize a blank notebook into a personal planner. There are page formats for your yearly, monthly, and daily tasks, a methodology for weaving your to-do list between them, and a series of common symbols and notation to make sense of it all. Ultimately, it’s all in service of giving you a format to design your own planner and flexible rules for how to use it.

There’s a lot of potential complexity, and people like to lay them out in different ways, but my basic approach each day was to write out my list of tasks, manually copy over anything incomplete from previous days (aka “migrate” them), and tick each task off as the day progressed. Some people like to copy over tasks on a weekly or monthly basis, but daily was what worked for me.

The bullet journal’s core is practical, but I was also drawn in by the aesthetics. YouTube is filled with videos of people painstakingly laying them out, filling them with delicate illustrations and little visual elements they slowly fill up over the course of the year. I dreamed of having a small notebook filled with neat handwriting and maybe a sketch or two, like the ones Naughty Dog has its protagonists carry in its games. I imagined my bullet journal as being as much of a scrapbook of my daily life as it was an organizer.

The reality of my truly terrible handwriting meant this never really came to pass, but that didn’t stop my notebook from becoming a half-decent planner. Important emails got jotted down rather than being marked as unread, upcoming articles got categorized with deadlines and priority levels, and I assigned apartment chores to myself on a regular schedule rather than a chaotic ad hoc basis.

But most important was that all of this was being done manually, rather than having an app’s internal logic whisk tasks to and fro. Every morning, I’d be forced to spend a couple of minutes writing out and prioritizing the day’s tasks — and reckoning with what I’d failed to do yesterday. You’d be amazed at how quickly you get around to doing a nonurgent task after forcing yourself to write it out every day for a week. Other times, I realized something that seemed super urgent when I first wrote it down wasn’t worth going through with when I looked back at it the following day.

Having to write each task out manually turned a to-do from something I could just file away in an app and forget about into something that I had to manage on a daily basis. I had to actively prune and prioritize and think about those chores that past Jon had lumbered present Jon with. Did I really need to buy a replacement pair of suit trousers with no formal events on the immediate horizon? And isn’t it time I let that terrible blog post idea go? In each case, forcing myself to just think about what was on my list inevitably kept it more manageable.

It wasn’t that I grew tired of the writing, but eventually, I got sick of having to carry around a physical notebook. A friend would remind me about a film I wanted to watch while we were in the pub, and I’d have to note it down in a notes app before transcribing it into my physical notebook later. Or I’d be passing a grocery store on the way home and not have my physical shopping list with me. Eventually, the allure of keeping things digital on my phone and with me at all times grew too strong.

What I’ve since realized, however, is that it’s perfectly possible to keep lots of the things I liked about keeping a bullet journal without sacrificing the convenience of apps. Ultimately, what I liked about the notebook was less about its physicality and more about the fact that it forced me to spend real time actively thinking about and organizing my life on a daily basis. And that’s something that’s just as possible to do with an app as it is with a notebook. You just have to avoid thinking the technology can organize it for you.

Sceenshots of Todoist’s desktop and mobile interfaces. — *Todoist is my current app of choice.*

Now, instead of spending time writing out tasks each day, I instead take a spin through Todoist, pruning out old tasks, changing due dates on others, and generally trying to keep things neat. I don’t have to fight against my terrible handwriting, and I always have my phone on me when I need to jot something down for later. I can still benefit from the streamlined interface, but rather than filing and forgetting a task, I force myself to keep track of it.

And although I don’t think I’ll ever find an app as aesthetically pleasing as a YouTuber’s bullet journal, that doesn’t mean I have to give up on nice designs entirely. I like the options Notion has here, allowing you to customize pages with elements like cover photos and emoji. It’s enough to encourage me to start thinking of it as an ever-evolving scrapbook rather than a utilitarian collection of documents.

It’s easy to think that an app or to-do list service will take you by the hand and organize your life for you, but if you’re not careful, it can just become an infinite digital locker with a messy collection of notes filed under “forget.”

I’m still tempted to give physical journaling another go at some point, especially after scanning through a couple of beautiful bullet journal illustrations in the process of writing this piece. But for now, I’m happy enough to be back on the apps. They’re far from the perfect solution, but I’ve learned that you get as much out of them as you’re prepared to put in.

Playing Metroid Prime on a Steam Deck shouldn’t feel this good

A picture of Metroid Prime running on a Valve Steam Deck handheld. — *Thanks to the developers of PrimeHack and EmuDeck for making it possible to play one of my favorite games on the go.* | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

If there were gamer commandments, not expecting too much out of Nintendo would probably be chiseled onto it. Still, I was hopeful that on November 18th, it would surprise launch a Switch version of the Metroid Prime Trilogy. Nintendo did no such thing on that day, the 20th birthday of Metroid Prime, the timeless modernization of the series that turned it into a first-person shooter. I didn’t let that get me down. After all, I own a Steam Deck, which seems to be as good at emulating non-PC games as it is at playing many PC titles.

Getting the three-game collection made for the Wii running on the Steam Deck was a surprisingly easy and fast process, and it requires very little experience dealing with emulators. Not to mention, it’s incredible that I can play a Wii motion-controlled game like a modern, dual-stick console shooter without getting lost in settings — a testament to the modders who, I’m sure, worked very hard to streamline the heck out of it. It even put really nice cover art within the Steam Deck’s game dashboard, so it fits in with the rest of my PC games.

Playing these games on Steam Deck is made possible thanks to a free app called EmuDeck, which you need to download onto the handheld through its desktop mode. Its site has a helpful written and video walkthrough for loading it onto SteamOS, and within minutes, you’ll be toggling which consoles you’d like to emulate. One thing to note is that EmuDeck doesn’t provide individual game ROMs or BIOS files; you’ll need to source those yourself. Also, it should go without saying that I don’t advocate emulating games that you did not purchase.

A picture of a hand holding the Nintendo Wii game disc of Metroid Prime Trilogy. — *I own a copy of Metroid Prime Trilogy, and I’ll buy it again if (or when) it comes to the Switch.*

One of those “consoles” you’ll want to enable within EmuDeck is called PrimeHack, and it’s where you should place the Metroid Prime game files during setup. PrimeHack is a community-made fork of the Dolphin GameCube emulator for PC authored by a developer named Shiiion and a few others credited at the bottom of the post linked here. It modifies some of the code in these games, tuning the controls and graphics so that they play like modern games.

Needless to say, I’m glad there are fans who clearly enjoy the series more than me, to the point that they put in the work to get these games running as well as they do via emulation. I already felt validated with my decision to purchase a Steam Deck for playing PC games on the go, but trying this particular game was more impressive than I ever imagined it could be. I couldn’t resist snapping a couple of screenshots.

Now, it’s not a totally perfect experience. There are rare drops in frame rate and audio, and I’ve had it lock up a few times, which is frustrating if it’s been a while since my last save. But my experience has mostly been smooth, running at 60 frames per second, and I just can’t get mad at its flaws. It feels just a little strange to play Metroid Prime in HD quality on a Steam Deck that’s docked to my TV, controlled with a DualSense, but the emulation itself is so good that it feels like I’m exploring the Phendrana Drifts for the first time.

Firefox and Tumblr join rush to support Mastodon social network

Elon Musk admits banning links to Twitter rival was a mistake

Elon Musk’s chaotic autumn at Twitter has produced one clear winner: Mastodon, the open-source social network, has now grown to 2.5m users – triggering a land-grab for space on it from groups including browser makers, cryptocurrency advocates and other social networks.

Despite the Twitter CEO’s best efforts to disparage the rival platform, Mastodon has grown by more than 800%, according to its founder and lead developer, Eugen Rochko, who said on Tuesday that it had jumped “from approximately 300k monthly active users to 2.5m between the months of October and November, with more and more journalists, political figures, writers, actors and organisations moving over”.

samedi 24 décembre 2022

Microsoft employee accidentally announces Notepad is getting tabs in Windows 11

Alex Castro / The Verge

A Microsoft employee appears to have accidentally announced that Windows 11’s Notepad app is getting a tabs feature. The employee, a senior product manager at Microsoft, posted a photo of a version of Notepad with tabs, enthusiastically announcing “Notepad in Windows 11 now has tabs!” with a loudspeaker emoji.

The tweet was deleted minutes later, but not before Windows Central and several Windows enthusiast Twitter accounts had spotted the mistake. The Notepad screenshot includes a Microsoft internal warning: “Confidential Don’t discuss features or take screenshots.” That warning suggests the tabs feature is still in early internal testing at Microsoft, but that the Notepad tabs feature may arrive to Windows Insiders at some point in early 2023.

*Notepad with tabs and a confidential Microsoft internal warning.*

If Microsoft does proceed with tabs for Notepad, it will be the first built-in app to get a tabbed interface after Microsoft added tabs to File Explorer earlier this year. Microsoft originally tested tabs across all Windows 10 apps four years ago in a feature named Sets. This included support for tabs inside Notepad and File Explorer, but Microsoft eventually canceled the project and never shipped it to Windows 10 users.

The addition of tabs in Notepad could signal a shift towards tabs appearing in more built-in Windows apps. Microsoft may have canceled its Sets feature for Windows 10, but that hasn’t stopped Windows power users from using third-party tools and apps to bring tabs to life in various parts of the operating system.

YouTube’s testing its Queue system for its iOS and Android apps

The desktop feature is finally coming to phones. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube is starting to test out its queueing system on iOS and Android. The feature has been available on the web for years now, and shows in the YouTube apps under certain circumstances — users who control their Chromecast with their phones might recognize it, as will those who use the YouTube Music apps — but now YouTube Premium users who opt-in to the test will be able to add videos to a stack that acts like an impermanent playlist.

After you turn on the feature (which we’ll cover how to do in just a second), you’ll have access to a new “Play last in queue” button in the three vertical dot menu that appears on video thumbnails. Tapping it will add the video to the bottom of your queue — or will create a new queue if you’re currently not watching a video. Once the video you’re watching ends, the app will starting playing the next video in the queue, and keep going until you run out. You can also rearrange videos in the queue, or remove them. If you close the player, either by fully quitting the app or tapping the “x” button in the bottom bar, your queue will be deleted (though the app may warn you before that happens).

Gif showing the process of adding videos to the queue, moving them around, and removing them. — *At the moment, the feature can be a bit pokey on my iPhone 12 Mini — but it largely works the same way it does on desktop.*

When I opened the app on December 24th, I was greeted with a screen telling me that the feature was now available to test, and a button to turn it on. (YouTube started rolling out the feature earlier this month according to Android Police and 9to5Google, but the pop-up didn’t show up for me until today.) If you didn’t get that screen and you’re a Premium subscriber, you can manually enable it by tapping on your profile picture in the top right corner, going to Settings > Try new features, then scrolling to “Queue” and tapping the “Try it out” button.

According to that settings screen, the test will be available until January 28th.

The test isn’t necessarily a sign that non-paying users will be able to queue up videos anytime soon — YouTube’s picture-in-picture test for iOS ended months before the feature started rolling out. I also noticed that the feature isn’t exactly polished right now — the app failed to add a video to the queue at one point, seemingly because I tried to add another one too soon afterwards. Still, I’m excited to have this feature on my phone; it’s something I use almost every day on the desktop, and the fact that it’s made it to the YouTube Premium testbed makes me hope I’ll be able to rely on it in the app too someday.

Update December 24th 5:56PM ET: Added context that the YouTube Music app already has a queueing system.

Twitter restores suicide-prevention hotline feature after outcry

Top official confirms feature was removed but only temporarily, following Reuters report that prompted criticism of Elon Musk

Twitter has restored a feature that promoted suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content, after coming under pressure from users and consumer safety groups.

The feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, placed a banner at the top of search results for certain topics, listing contacts for support organizations in many countries related to mental health, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, Covid-19, gender-based violence, natural disasters and freedom of expression.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 and online chat is also available. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org

‘Brilliant fun’: UK automaker shrinks classic cars for big spenders

The Little Car Company, housed in a converted RAF base at Bicester, makes miniature classics that run on batteries

Building cars is hard, so when Ben Hedley started his business he started small. To be precise, he started at 75% of the size. The Little Car Company does what its name suggests, producing shrunken but drivable battery electric toy versions of full-size classics from the likes of Aston Martin and Ferrari.

The company has made its way to £10m in turnover and 60 employees almost by accident over four years, Hedley says, walking around the company’s workshop in Bicester Heritage, a converted Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire that has been turned into a hub for classic car businesses. The company made its first profits in the last financial quarter, despite supply chain problems that have hit automotive manufacturers big and small.

EcoFlow Power Kit review: off-grid living made easy

A game-changing all-in-one power system for cabins and RVs that can be installed relatively quickly. Just add solar.

There’s never been a better time to become a digital nomad.

Many employers not named Elon Musk now offer flexible work-from-home arrangements, enacted during the pandemic and made permanent in 2022. Ironically, Musk’s little Starlink RV service has been a boon to remote working by bringing relatively fast internet to great swaths of digital wilderness, even while driving. And for those looking to go truly remote, dozens of countries, like Spain, Barbados, Namibia, and Malaysia, now offer temporary residency permits to digital workers of foreign-based employers.

You can also take your nomadic existence off the grid thanks to advances in solar panels and batteries. High-capacity batteries now charge faster, last longer, weigh less, and offer improved safety thanks to the adoption of lithium iron phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4) chemistry. That’s good because you’ll be needing lots of power if you want to live and work from the beach, forest, or mountain top comfortably.

But you can’t count on the sun’s power alone. For extended off-grid stays, you’ll need the ability to replenish those batteries with whatever resources you have at your disposal, be it AC outlets at an RV park (aka, “shore power”), your van’s alternator, and even a diesel generator or wind turbine in a pinch. That’s where the new EcoFlow Power Kits come in.

EcoFlow announced its expandable Power Kit series back in June as an all-in-one turnkey solution to easily bring power to remote cabins and RVs. It’s meant to improve and simplify everything from planning and installation to operation compared to bespoke electrical systems sold today by industry stalwarts like Victron Energy.

In particular, EcoFlow claims that its Power Kits can fit “any van size” and be set up “five times faster” than traditional systems. So I put those claims to the test with the help of both novice and professional installers.

The novice installation was done in an old Ford Transit Westfalia Nugget — the van you rebuild because your parents sold it to you cheap — by Roel, a regular guy capable of installing a light switch or two. The professional installation was done in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — the gold standard for vanlifers — by Fabian van Doeselaar, the owner of Origin Travelvans.

Fabian came away so impressed that he’s redesigning the Victron-based interiors of his custom adventure vans to accommodate the EcoFlow Power Kit. It’s not a perfect system, especially for Roel’s smaller van, but EcoFlow’s solution has far more pluses than minuses.

Just make sure the employer that supports your dreams of escapism also pays well. EcoFlow Power Kits aren’t cheap, with prices starting around $4,000. And that’s before you add any solar panels.

@verge
EcoFlow claims that its Power Kits are a game-changing all-in-one power system for off-grid cabins and RVs. So we put that to the test. #vanlife #vanlifetravel #ecoflow
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What’s in the kit?

EcoFlow sells its Power Kits with a wide range of configurations that can scale for different needs. The base configuration comes with the Power Hub, cables, and choice of batteries for a total capacity between 2kWh and 15kWh.

The EcoFlow Power Kit. From left to right: one 5kWh battery, the battery cable, and the Power Kit box. Below the box is the console display and AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel and cover. Then you see the included Power Hub cabling, and the Power Hub itself.

The Power Hub is the brains of the system and provides a central point of connectivity for the batteries and all of the inputs and outputs. It combines several functions that would typically require their own boxes and external wiring. Inside the Power Hub, you’ll find three MPPT solar charge controllers, an inverter charger, a DC-DC step-down converter, and a DC-DC battery charger. For many installations, this all-in-one approach is an advantage, but when space is severely limited, it can be advantageous to have multiple smaller devices that can be tucked into any available nook (more on that later).

Optionally, you can add both a $499 AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel and a $349 wired seven-inch touchscreen console display for independent control over all of your vehicle’s electrical devices. The console might be redundant for some since it just mimics functionality already included in the excellent EcoFlow app, but others will gladly pay to have a dedicated display mounted inside their van or tiny home.

Up to three batteries can be plugged into the Power Hub, but you can’t mix 2kWh batteries with 5kWh batteries. The batteries are heated, allowing them to both discharge and charge when the temperature drops below freezing outside without affecting their performance or lifespan. Charge heating turns on automatically when temperatures fall below 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) and consumes power from the external charging source (such as solar panels), whereas the battery powers discharge heating, which is why it must be enabled manually to avoid unexpected battery depletion.

Power Kit bundles don’t include any solar panels. The Power Hub is designed to easily connect to any of EcoFlow’s own rigid, flexible, or portable solar panels, but it also works with third-party panels (using standard MC4 connectors or adapters) so long as their maximum open circuit voltage doesn’t exceed 150V. It supports up to 4800W of total solar input spread across three 1600W ports.

The Power Hub is a 48-volt system that uses a step-down DC-DC module to make it compatible with campers built around common 12V or even 24V systems. 48V has a number of advantages including lower current for the same power output, allowing for much thinner (and lighter) cables to be used throughout the vehicle.

The Power Hub inverter is capable of producing up to 3600W (7200W peak), which is enough to easily power just about any AC appliance you’d want to install inside the van, including induction cooktops and air conditioners. (Yes, EcoFlow makes one of those, too.) The Power Hub can even power AC devices drawing up to 5000W thanks to EcoFlow’s X-Boost tech, which lowers the output voltage, thereby reducing the performance of high-wattage devices. It’s best to think of X-Boost as a safety net that could occasionally get you out of a jam.

*Power Kit components on left mirrored by a similar Victron system (with much smaller battery capacity) in blue on the right. EcoFlow requires a lot fewer components.*

The image above shows all of the EcoFlow Power Kit components laid out like a mirror with a comparable system (with much smaller battery capacity) from Victron Energy used in Fabian’s vans. Victron’s little blue boxes are fantastically capable and scalable, which has made them the go-to brand for van builders around the world. But they require knowledge approaching that of an experienced electrician in order to choose the right components and then mount and wire them together correctly. On the other hand, professionals like Fabian can fine-tune Victron configurations to the exact needs of a particular build, which can save money and maybe even a little space.

Some other notable features:

Automatic Bypass mode sends externally connected AC power directly to AC appliances in the van while the batteries charge.
The Power Hub’s alternator port is wired directly to the van’s starter battery (which is connected to the vehicle’s alternator). The Power Hub stops drawing current when the vehicle is idle by default, although that can be overridden in the app.
EcoFlow’s iOS and Android app works over Bluetooth or 2.4GHz Wi-Fi to manage inputs and outputs with impressive granularity.
An integrated Battery Management System (BMS) monitors temperature, voltage, and current to keep everything operating safely.
EcoFlow tells me that Power Kits work with some wind turbines in the 12-60V, 30A range to charge with DC. EcoFlow is exploring a portable wind turbine product for possible release sometime in 2023.
EcoFlow sells a $1,399 dual-fuel Smart Generator that can plug into the Power Hub for emergency AC or DC charging power. It’ll continue to run for as long as you have either propane or diesel to fuel it.

*The Power Hub is the central point of connectivity. The EcoFlow Smart Generator (5) can also be a third battery like Fabian’s setup.*

Installation

Both Roel and Fabian had the same comment upon receipt of their review units: “It’s all very Apple-like.” The experience starts with a gee-whiz unboxing that reveals great looking hardware and an app experience that overdelivers — all highly unusual in the world of van builders.

*Both installers commented on how “Apple-like” the hardware and software experience was.*

*The power button on the Power Hub is neatly hidden below this mechanical flap.*

*Each cable is well made and labeled to avoid confusion.*

*Simple touches like this paper template were a big help with installation.*

The installation benefits from easy to understand instructions available in many languages, quick and informative support videos on EcoFlow’s YouTube channel, and a 1:1 scale paper template to help optimize placement and avoid any time-consuming mistakes.

“By comparison, Victron’s manuals contain large amounts of information that elaborate on the whole system. That can get confusing, sometimes,” says Fabian. “EcoFlow’s manuals are small but explain enough to know how to install it. For many people I think it’s better.”

EcoFlow’s cables are also well built and labeled to avoid any confusion. Screws and other small parts are bagged separately to keep things organized, and lock washers come fitted to bolts in a way that prevents them from coming loose and being lost. Such attention to detail was appreciated by both installers. “It’s very hard to make a mistake,” says Roel.

The level of fit and finish on each Power Kit component is also unusual for systems that typically get installed inside cabinets or underneath seats. Even the monochromatic cables look nice compared to the mess of wiring spaghetti needed for other power systems. Both Roel and Fabian would have no problem leaving some, or all, of the components exposed in their builds. Mounting the Power Hub out in the open lets you see the status lights for charging and output while also providing quick access to buttons that turn on and off the AC and DC outputs. That might come in handy if you don’t feel like firing up the app or walking over to the Power Kit console display.

EcoFlow really nailed the rugged yet refined adventure van aesthetic, something Fabian had already adopted for his custom van builds.

Fabian, the pro, tests “five times faster” claim

Fabian is the owner of Origin Travelvans, a Netherlands-based builder of custom VW Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans for “true adventurers and digital nomads.” His adventurous spirit and mechanical know-how are shared by his brother Mathieu, who makes rugged accessories for adventure vans in Europe and the US through his company Dutch Van Parts. The brothers are experts in van customizations, both inside and out.

*Fabian working inside one of his custom Origin Travelvans Mercedes-Benz Sprinter builds with his brother’s Dutch Van Parts accessories mounted on the roof and rear doors.*

Fabian received the largest (and most expensive at $15,000) 15kWh Power Kit system for installation in his Mercedes-Benz Sprinter L2H2, the workhorse panel van used throughout Europe. This custom six-meter (almost 20-foot) van is Fabian’s personal test vehicle, where he can live with new technologies, components, and layouts before offering them to customers for prices that can exceed $150,000.

His Sprinter van was already fitted with a power system from Victron Energy, which had to be removed prior to installing the EcoFlow Power Hub, Smart AC/DC Distribution Panel, and batteries in the reclaimed space. What you see pictured, including all of the leftover red cabling, is not Fabian’s final assembly, but it’s a reasonable approximation to test EcoFlow’s claim that the Power Kit can be set up and installed “five times faster” than competing systems.

Tucking everything away for a nice clean finish.

Before making the Power Kit installation permanent, Fabian first needs to redesign his custom aluminum cabinets to optimize the fit of each EcoFlow component for easy access and ventilation. See, after spending a few weeks with the Power Kit, Fabian is confident that his future Origin Travelvans will be built around EcoFlow systems, despite experiencing a few hiccups along the way (more on that later).

The AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel might be Fabian’s favorite part of the Power Kit. First, it simplifies the installation and makes it safer by terminating all the wiring inside of a central box using quick-connect wire snaps, while isolating all of the DC and AC cable runs from each other. It has six AC positions and 12 fused DC positions, six of which you can control and monitor independently from either the EcoFlow app or Power Kit console display. Other systems (like Victron) can do this, but it’s more time-consuming and complex to set up since it requires multiple modules that have to be linked together with software and wiring.

Fabian currently standardizes his builds around a couple of Victron system configurations — one for medium power needs and one for high — to simplify his installation process. “But now the Power Kit system allows me to really quickly have new setups and new possibilities without having to completely redesign the distribution,” says Fabian. “And for me as a builder, it’s absolutely great. It simplifies everything. It’s a huge difference from Victron.”

The Smart Distribution Panel is also beneficial to the van owner. Seeing both historic and real-time power consumption for specific AC devices like air conditioners and induction cooktops and DC devices like fridges and lights can help users live more efficiently in order to maximize the time spent off-grid. It also brings many smart-home conveniences to vanlife.

The Power Kit is not a perfect system, however.

To start with, Power Hub placement is limited by the length of the LFP battery cables, which measure just 1.5m (4 feet, 11 inches). That’s not a problem for systems with less battery capacity, but Fabian’s 15kWh config has three giant 5kWh LFP batteries to cable back to the Power Hub, each measuring 19.7in (50cm) wide. As such, the battery that is furthest away is going to determine the location of the Power Hub and vice versa. That’s probably why EcoFlow is so fond of showing its three-battery systems stacked vertically inside vans. But that doesn’t make much sense for Fabian’s 4x4 vans that perform better with the interior weight evenly distributed low to the ground.

*The EcoFlow dual-fuel Smart Generator next to Fabian’s three LFP batteries in their temporary position. The batteries will likely be hidden in the final design.*

In fact, Fabian says his 15kWh configuration is overkill for a typical van and is better suited for tiny off-grid homes fitted with heavy-duty appliances. “I think if you are living and working off-grid, three batteries is definitely a bonus. But for a general system installed in a van, I think you should be okay with one 5kWh battery.” Nevertheless, Fabian plans to tap into all of that capacity to build a propane-free showcase van loaded with power-hungry kitchen, environmental, and entertainment tech.

Installation is also constrained by EcoFlow’s relatively large ventilation requirements that whittle away at precious space. The Power Hub requires at least 10cm (about four inches) on three sides (5cm / 2in on the left side) to ensure proper ventilation. “The Power Hub is a nice compact unit. On the other hand, it does need a lot of room for ventilation according to the manual,” says Fabian. “The Victron elements are smaller and separate, so you can find better ways to use available space.”

The Power Hub’s high-speed fans can get really loud as well. They spin up quickly after plugging the Power Hub into shore power for charging. EcoFlow has a reputation for its loud fans, but that’s unavoidable with the current state of fast-charging tech. Fortunately, you can reduce the charging amperage in the app to lower the fan speeds, which could be a lifesaver if you need to charge overnight at an RV park while trying to sleep.

*Fabian working from his van with the EcoFlow console showing charge status behind him.*

There’s also the issue of bugs. After installation, Fabian discovered that the batteries were draining despite all of his AC and DC devices being shut off, with two of his batteries discharging faster than the third. These issues were resolved through a series of firmware updates over a period of about four weeks. EcoFlow has a reputation for being quick to squash bugs. That’s good, but you have to wonder how such obvious issues allowed the product to ship in the first place and what new problems will be discovered over long-term testing.

Fabian’s final issue is a minor one. Unlike the LFP battery cables, most of the cables that ship with the kit are simply too long. Fabian specializes in building lightweight adventure vans in order to avoid European restrictions that kick in above 3.5 metric tons — so every gram counts. As such, he eventually plans to shorten the cables that run from the Power Hub to the starter battery and Smart Distribution Panel. That’s no problem, though, as the connectors are designed to be opened in order to cut and reconnect the internal wires. And that work pales in comparison to all of the cables Fabian had to create from scratch for the Victron systems he’s been using.

With regard to EcoFlow’s claim that the Power Kit can be installed “five times faster” than competing systems, that’s true, according to Fabian. His installation took less than five hours and included a deep dive into the manuals. Fabian notes, however, that the speed claim is only true for fully specced systems like the one he installed. If your needs are simple and therefore don’t require a lot of cabling and configuration, then the Power Kit won’t save a ton of time, he says.

Roel, the novice, tests “any van size” claim

Roel is confident enough around home electricity to wire up a light switch and install his own solar panels. He has no interest in becoming fodder for the internet’s advertising engines, though, which is why I agreed to withhold his last name.

*Roel installing his entry-level Power Kit in his small Ford Westfalia campervan.*

Roel received the smallest 2kWh Power Kit ($4,000) to install in his 16-year-old Ford Westfalia Nugget. When EcoFlow says its Power Kit can fit “any van size,” well, this is the campervan to prove it.

To fit the Power Hub and single 2kWh battery, he had to first make room by removing his gray water collection tank, which stores runoff from the sink. He wasn’t using the tank, so it wasn’t much of a sacrifice — but not every small van owner will have that kind of flexibility.

The cabinet where everything is installed doubles as storage during the day and supports part of the bed at night. That means the space will be covered by a solid shelf or mattress for long periods of time. The tight space required Roel to get creative with the mounting brackets since there wasn’t enough room to follow EcoFlow’s exact mounting instructions. Fortunately, that work only required drilling a few holes and attaching some bolts.

The Power Kit will live below this cushion, where ventilation might be an issue.

Space for the EcoFlow components was further infringed upon by the spools of long cable that had to be tucked into the area between the battery and Power Hub. Roel plans to shorten the cables to free up more space for ventilation. He did cut some ventilation holes into the surrounding cabinetry, but he’s not within the 10cm tolerances EcoFlow recommends for proper ventilation.

Fortunately, Roel lives in the Netherlands, which has a very mild climate. But it remains to be seen how well the Power Hub holds up over time, especially on long family trips to southern Europe during the summers.

To his dismay, Roel didn’t have enough room to install the optional AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel. Instead, he tapped into his Nugget’s existing distribution point. He hopes to eventually find some extra space for it because he really wants the per-device management that Fabian is enjoying.

Like Fabian, Roel also discovered a few bugs with the system. He suffered from the same battery drain issues but also discovered a cold weather charging issue that was patched during testing. A noncritical bug whereby Roel’s system showed 600W constantly flowing from his alternator to the battery stuck at 99 percent full was unresolved by the time this review was published.

In total, Roel’s novice installation took a bit more than 13 hours: one-and-a-half hours to unpack and read the manuals, six hours to figure out his van’s wiring, four hours to figure out how to remove the gray water tank and fashion a Power Hub mount, and about two hours to install the Power Kit and troubleshoot.

Roel made some price calculations on the Power Kit versus a comparable Victron Energy system that would have made better use of his van’s limited space. EcoFlow’s system is roughly twice the price.

*Roel’s 2kWh battery charging (showing 40 percent full) with 1.20kW of total input coming in from his alternator (412W), solar panel (31W), and AC shore power (753W) as viewed on the console display.*

*The Power Kit can also be monitored and managed with the excellent EcoFlow app.*

Still, Roel is enjoying the EcoFlow app and what it’s teaching him about his power-hungry appliances and lights. “Normally, I have no idea how long I can stay off the grid,” he said after everything was connected. “I have AC power now. It’s great. Overall, if I would start with a new van, then I would score it a 9 plus. But for a retrofit, it’s easier to use separate elements that you can scatter around the van in different locations. So for retrofits in a small van like mine, maybe 7.5 out of 10.”

With regard to EcoFlow’s claim that the Power Kit can “fit any van size,” Roel had this to say: “It’s big. I would say it could be a bit smaller, but that’s also because it has nearly 5,000 watts of solar power that can be connected, and you can put up to 15kWh of battery and I’m using only 2kWh. So it’s made for bigger installations. But it does fit.”

*Vanlife doesn’t get any better than this.*

EcoFlow’s Power Kits live up to the company’s claims. The most expensive option really can be installed about five times faster than existing solutions by a professional installer. And novices can fit the entry-level Power Kit inside a small campervan if they’re willing to make a few compromises. It’s also competitively priced at the high end, especially when factoring in the old adage that time is money.

Moreover, the all-in-one Power Kit has proven itself to be a turnkey solution that takes most of the guesswork and complexity out of installing and using a battery-based power system inside an RV — or an off-grid cabin in the woods, if that’s your preference.

The term “game-changer” is tossed around pretty loosely these days. But EcoFlow’s Power Kits really have changed the game for anyone who can afford to become a digital nomad. Prices start at $4,000 and can exceed $15,000, but owning one could be the first step in starting a whole new life — and that’s priceless.

Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

vendredi 23 décembre 2022

Musk sets up Twitter poll asking if he should step down as head

Twitter owner promises to abide by the results of the poll, less than two months after appointing himself CEO

Elon Musk has asked Twitter users whether he should step down as the head of the company, promising to abide by the results of his poll.

Musk assumed the role of CEO at the end of October after firing a host of senior executives and dissolving its board of directors. Within minutes of posting the poll, more than one million people had voted.

Guardian hit by serious IT incident believed to be ransomware attack

Incident has hit parts of media company’s technology infrastructure, with staff told to work from home

The Guardian has been hit by a serious IT incident, which is believed to be a ransomware attack.

The incident began late on Tuesday night and has affected parts of the company’s technology infrastructure, with staff told to work from home.

Elon Musk ‘orders Twitter to remove suicide prevention feature’

Sources say new owner sought removal of #ThereIsHelp feature that appeared at top of certain searches

Twitter has removed a feature in the past few days that promoted suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content, according to two people familiar with the matter, who said it was ordered by new owner Elon Musk.

The removal of the feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, has not been previously reported. It had shown at the top of specific searches contacts for support organisations in many countries related to mental health, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, Covid19, gender-based violence, natural disasters and freedom of expression.

TechScape: Elon Musk’s poll own goal proves he can’t get out of his own way

In this week’s newsletter: Musk has a talent for trying to wiggle out of trouble on Twitter, only to land deeper in it – this time by asking users if he should quit as chief executive

Don’t get TechScape delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the full article here

Call it Chekhov’s Jet: a Twitter account placed on the mantelpiece in act one must surely go off in act five.

Seven days after buying the social network, Elon Musk tweeted that his commitment to free speech extended even “to not banning the account following my plane”. Six weeks later, his reversal of that policy set in motion a series of events that seems increasingly likely to end in his dramatic departure as chief executive of Twitter. How’s that for a satisfying narrative?

About 80% of Meta’s overall investments support the core business, with the other 20% going toward Reality Labs. It’s a level of investment we believe makes sense for a company committed to staying at the leading edge of one of the most competitive and innovative industries on earth.

VR is now at a very special moment – fundamental new pieces of the hardware and technology stack are hitting the market for the first time, and a community of developers and users is unlocking its potential in new ways, from scrappy software startups to top-tier game studios, creators, and artists … We think it’s only going to get better in 2023.

jeudi 22 décembre 2022

Microsoft says three future Bethesda games will be Xbox-exclusive

We knew Microsoft would make Bethesda’s Starfield exclusive to Xbox and PC, and it sure looked like The Elder Scrolls VI would skip PlayStation and Nintendo, too. But now, Microsoft’s lawyers are revealing that they’ve got eyes on at least one more exclusive title — there are three future Xbox exclusives from Bethesda, they revealed today, in a response to the FTC’s lawsuit against the Activision Blizzard deal.

“Xbox anticipates that three future titles — REDACTED — all of which are designed to be played primarily alone or in small groups — will be exclusive to Xbox and PCs,” reads a passage in Microsoft’s response.

Here’s the surrounding context, so you can see for yourself:

What might that third game be? Well, Bethesda’s making an Indiana Jones game, and we know that Fallout 5 is coming... eventually. There’s also Redfall, which — like Starfield — was delayed to 2023. But your guess is as good as ours.

Microsoft’s been pretty clear for years that it’s buying up studios to shore up Xbox (and Game Pass) exclusives, so that’s not much of a surprise, but things have gotten heated recently with the company promising that Call of Duty will continue showing up on PlayStation — a piece of leverage that Microsoft seems to feel it needs to convince regulators to let it go through with the Activision Blizzard deal.

Hackers stole encrypted LastPass password vaults, and we’re just now hearing about it

A cartoon illustration shows a shadowy figure carrying off a red directory folder, which has a surprised-looking face on its side. — *Pictured: the encrypted vault with your passwords.* | Illustration by Beatrice Sala

LastPass has a doozy of an updated announcement about a recent data breach: the company — which promises to keep all your passwords in one, secure place — is now saying that hackers were able to “copy a backup of customer vault data,” meaning they theoretically now have access to all those passwords if they can crack the stolen vaults (via TechCrunch).

If you have an account you use to store passwords and login information on LastPass, or you used to have one and hadn’t deleted it before this fall, your password vault may be in hackers’ hands. Still, the company claims you might be safe if you have a strong master password and its most recent default settings. However, if you have a weak master password or less security, the company says that “as an extra security measure, you should consider minimizing risk by changing passwords of websites you have stored.”

That might mean changing the passwords for every website you trusted LastPass to store.

While LastPass insists passwords are still secured by the account’s master password, it’s hard to just take its word at this point, given how it’s handled these disclosures.

When the company announced it had been breached in August, it said it didn’t believe user data had been accessed. Then, in November, LastPass said it detected an intrusion, which apparently relied on information stolen in the August incident (it would’ve been nice to hear about that possibility sometime between August and November). That intrusion let someone “gain access to certain elements” of customer info. It turns out those “certain elements” were, you know, the most important and secret things that LastPass stores. The company says there’s “no evidence that any unencrypted credit card data was accessed,” but that would likely have been preferable to what the hackers actually got away with. At least it’s easy to cancel a card or two.

We’ll get to how this all went down in a bit, but here’s what LastPass CEO Karim Toubba is saying about the vaults being taken:

The threat actor was also able to copy a backup of customer vault data from the encrypted storage container which is stored in a proprietary binary format that contains both unencrypted data, such as website URLs, as well as fully-encrypted sensitive fields such as website usernames and passwords, secure notes, and form-filled data.

Toubba says the only way a malicious actor would be able to get at that encrypted data, and therefore your passwords, would be with your master password. LastPass says it has never had access to master passwords.

That’s why he says, “it would be extremely difficult to attempt to brute force guess master passwords,” as long as you had a very good master password that you never reused (and as long as there wasn’t some technical flaw in the way LastPass encrypted the data — though the company has made some pretty basic security errors before). But whoever has this data could try to unlock it by guessing random passwords, AKA brute-forcing.

LastPass says that using its recommended defaults should protect you from that kind of attack, but it doesn’t mention any sort of feature that would prevent someone from repeatedly trying to unlock a vault for days, months, or years. There’s also the possibility that people’s master passwords are accessible in other ways — if someone re-uses their master password for other logins, it may have leaked out during other data breaches.

It’s also worth noting that if you have an older account (prior to a newer default setting introduced after 2018), a weaker password-strengthening process may have been used to protect your master password. According to LastPass, it currently uses “a stronger-than-typical implementation of 100,100 iterations of the Password-Based Key Derivation Function,” but when a Verge staff member checked their older account using a link the company includes in its blog, it told them their account was set to 5,000 iterations.

Perhaps the more concerning bit is the unencrypted data — given that it includes URLs, it could give hackers an idea of which websites you have accounts with. If they decided to target particular users, that could be powerful information when combined with phishing or other types of attacks.

While none of that is great news, it’s all something that could, in theory, happen to any company storing secrets in the cloud. In cybersecurity, the name of the game isn’t having a 100 percent perfect track record; it’s how you react to disasters when they happen.

And this is where LastPass has, in my opinion, absolutely failed.

Remember, it’s making this announcement today, on December 22nd — three days before Christmas, a time when many IT departments will largely be on vacation, and when people aren’t likely to be paying attention to updates from their password manager.

(Also, the announcement doesn’t get to the part about the vaults being copied until five paragraphs in. And while some of the information is bolded, I think it’s fair to expect that such a major announcement would be at the very top.)

LastPass says that the vault backup wasn’t initially compromised in August; instead, its story is that the threat actor used info from that breach to target an employee who had access to a third-party cloud storage service. The vaults were stored in and copied from one of the volumes accessed in that cloud storage, along with backups containing “basic customer account information and related metadata.” That includes things like “company names, end-user names, billing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and the IP addresses from which customers were accessing the LastPass service,” according to LastPass.

Toubba says the company is taking all sorts of precautions as a result of the initial breach, and the secondary breach that exposed the backups, including adding more logging to detect suspicious activity in the future, rebuilding its development environment, rotating credentials, and more.

That’s all good, and it should do those things. But if I were a LastPass user, I’d be seriously considering moving away from the company at this point, because we’re looking at one of two scenarios here: either the company didn’t know that backups containing users’ vaults were on the cloud storage service when it announced that it had detected unusual activity there on November 30th, or it did know and chose not to tell customers about the possibility that hackers had gotten access to them. Neither of those is a good look.

TikTok’s parent company fires four workers for improper access of user data

ByteDance said four employees were fired for examining data of two journalists in attempt to find leak source

ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of popular video app TikTok, said on Thursday that some employees improperly accessed TikTok user data of two journalists and were no longer employed by the company, an email seen by Reuters shows.

ByteDance employees accessed the data as part of an unsuccessful effort to investigate leaks of company information earlier this year, and were aiming to identify potential connections between two journalists, a former BuzzFeed reporter and a Financial Times reporter, and company employees, the email from ByteDance general counsel Erich Andersen said.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving is blamed for eight-car pileup in California

Illustration depicting multiple red Tesla sedans on a black background. — Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

A Tesla driver is blaming Full Self-Driving software for having caused an eight-car pileup in the Yerba Buena Tunnel in California last month, according to a police report obtained by CNN Business.

According to the December 7th report obtained by CNN Business, California Highway Patrol (CHP) reviewed tunnel footage and found that a Tesla made an unsafe lane change before abruptly slowing down from 55 mph to 20 mph — causing vehicles behind it to crash into one another.

In the report, the driver of the Tesla blamed the automaker’s Full Self-Driving software that allegedly malfunctioned and caused a sudden slowdown. The Thanksgiving incident left nine people with minor injuries, including one child that was hospitalized.

California Highway Patrol said in the Dec. 7 report that it could not confirm if “full self-driving” was active at the time of the crash. A highway patrol spokesperson told CNN Business on Wednesday that it would not determine if “full self-driving” was active, and Tesla would have that information.

The incident is being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with several other accidents, including ones in California and Florida that were fatal and another one in Utah that killed a motorcyclist.

Each of these incidents seems to implicate Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), Autopilot, or the automaker’s $15,000 Full Self-Driving (FSD) software package that performs many of the same tasks as Autopilot on local and residential streets. The first reported crash to allege that FSD was in operation happened last year in a Model Y vehicle.

Earlier this year, an NHTSA report for crashes involving vehicles with ADAS showed Tesla topped the list. Tesla has said that the responsibility falls on the driver for the safe operation of the vehicle running on Autopilot or Full Self-Driving, but critics say the company is overstating the capability of its features.

Twitter Is Said to Have Struggled Over Revealing US Influence Campaign

Twitter Is Said to Have Struggled Over Revealing US Influence Campaign Internal emails showed the company’s communications with the Pentagon over a network of military-run accounts.

Twitter’s CEO post is a non-job if Elon Musk can’t vacate it | Nils Pratley

Tesla shareholders hoping for the full attention of their distracted CEO are likely to be disappointed

Management by Twitter poll is such a silly idea that it remains hard to believe Elon Musk was being sincere when he invited the site’s users to determine if he should continue as chief executive. One suspects he had already decided to hire an executive to front the business – which is what, note, he told a Delaware court he would do several weeks ago. The poll merely created a buzz.

In the unlikely event that users had voted to keep him as boss, Musk could have given roughly the same answer as the one he is giving now. In short, he will stay in charge for a while because a chief executive cannot be recruited overnight.

Two associates of Sam Bankman-Fried plead guilty to fraud charges in FTX fall

Carolyn Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, and Gary Wang, co-founder of FTX, pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges

A federal prosecutor says two associates of Sam Bankman-Fried have pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Carolyn Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, a trading firm started by Bankman-Fried, and Gary Wang, who co-founded FTX along with Bankman-Fried, pleaded guilty to charges “related to their roles in the fraud that contributed to FTX’s collapse”, US attorney Damian Williams said Wednesday night.

mercredi 21 décembre 2022

Twitter view counts start appearing prominently

Making it easier to quantify how much of a banger your tweet was. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

View counts for tweets are starting to show up for some Twitter users — at least for their own tweets. On December 1st, Musk promised the feature would be coming for “all tweets, just as view count is shown for all videos,” an announcement he reiterated a week later adding that it would be coming “in a few weeks.”

One Verge staff member has started to see a counter when he clicks into his posts. While a few other Twitter users have reported getting the feature as well, it doesn’t seem to be available to everyone yet (for example, at time of writing I’m currently not seeing view counts on any tweets besides videos). My coworker also says that he’s currently not able to see view counts on other users’ tweets.

Screenshot of a tweet displaying the view count. — *A view counter has joined the other markers of how popular your tweet was.*

Tweets will show view count in a few weeks, just like videos do. Twitter is much more alive than people think.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2022

In its current state, the feature isn’t providing any new information. You’ve long been able to turn on analytics for your account, and see how many “impressions” your tweets were getting. However, doing so does require clicking on an analytics button; the view counter puts it right in your face.

It’s unclear whether Musk intended for users to be able to see how many views other peoples’ tweets are getting. His comment about the feature being “just like videos,” whose view counts are public for other users, does make it seem like you should be able to see how many views other peoples’ tweets were getting. We’d ask Twitter for clarification on the matter, but it no longer has a communications department. Musk hasn’t recently tweeted about the feature.

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