Aug 11
Andrew Cuomo’s fall from grace is giving his sidelined lieutenant governor the opportunity of a lifetime.
Aug 11
Teachers Union Leader Says Vaccine Misinformation ‘Has Seeped Into Our Union’
Posted in: Today's ChiliAFT President Randi Weingarten explains why she now supports vaccine mandates and why her union has opposed them.
Aug 11
The AI-generated nudes, which look horrifyingly realistic, are sweeping the web.
Aug 11
California’s Dixie Fire Destroys Nearly 900 Buildings, Threatens Thousands More
Posted in: Today's ChiliCalifornia’s largest fire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural areas.
Aug 11
Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s Tweet About ‘Great Fiction Novel’ ’1984′ Mocked Into Oblivion
Posted in: Today's Chili“This is how I used to start book reports when I couldn’t find the CliffsNotes,” one critic tweeted.
Aug 11
‘RIP Self-Awareness’: Bill O’Reilly’s Hot Take On Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Resignation Goes Awry
Posted in: Today's Chili“Who wants to tell him?” one Twitter user hit back at the disgraced former Fox News personality.
Aug 11
How much mayo can one restaurant use in a week anyway?
Aug 11
Delivery robots and drones are the stuff of science fiction, but many companies have been slowly but surely working to make that a reality in the past years. The need for autonomous delivery methods, however, became even more apparent last year because of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Starship was able to discern that need and deployed its fleet of robots to … Continue reading
Aug 11
Audi has just come out with a pretty wild EV concept: A convertible roadster that extends its wheelbase to transform into a grand tourer (GT). With the touch of a button, the Audi Skysphere’s entire front end can extend or retract 9.8-inches (and drop 0.4 inches).
The Skysphere is meant to show Audi’s design chops as well as its technical prowess. It took inspiration from the company’s 1931 Horch 853, a long, low roadster with a pushed-back cabin and rear-wheel drive. The modern concept retains those primary features, in spades, with the long snout and low, laid-back cockpit giving it a mild resemblance to rear-drive GTs like the Ferrari 812 Superfast.
Audi
In place of the straight-8 gas guzzler on the Horch, the concept car has a 623-horsepower electric motor and an 80-kWh battery, with much of it behind the rear bulkhead. That makes for a Porsche 911-like rear weight bias of 60-40, meaning it would be easy to get the Skysphere sideways if it was ever built. It also delivers 553 foot-pounds of torque, enough to take it to 60 MPH in around 4 seconds. At the same time, it will go around 310 miles on the Euro WLPT cycle, or less in EPA terms.
The interior is meant to evoke 1930s Art Deco architecture (matching the period of the Horch), with modern electronic conveniences. It has a full dashboard screen like the Honda E, along with large touchscreens at the armrest locations. The sharply angled, minimalist interior is designed for a Level 4 autonomous operation, so you can relax in GT mode and take control when you want to have some roadster-powered fun.
Audi
Audi
The most unique (though perhaps highly unrealistic) feature of the Skysphere is the variable wheelbase (above). Electric motors drive a telescoping structure that takes it from a long-wheelbase grand touring EV to a considerably shorter and lower roadster. It also uses active aerodynamics that are closed in GT mode and open in roadster form. When activated, they would duct air under the car for extra downforce.
The interior also transforms, pushing the steering wheel and pedals forward and the passenger seat rearward in roadster mode, while the dash moves forward to become a more driver-centric instrument panel. Despite the sporty nature of the EV, it has space for custom luggage and two golf club sets.
All told, the Skysphere concept is a fun take on an EV that could be two cars at once, offering both driver fun and some autonomy if you wanted to relax. Don’t expect to see one on a road near you, but some of the ideas may one day come to Audi EVs. The automaker also announced that it will unveil two other concepts, the Grandsphere and Urbansphere, in the coming months.
Aug 11
Instagram's new anti-hate feature lets you limit comments and requests on popular posts
Posted in: Today's ChiliInstagram has introduced new features called Limits and Hidden Words designed to reduce hate and abuse on trending posts, the company announced. The update is designed to protect its users, particularly creators and public features, from seeing harassing, racist, homophobic and sexist content in comments and DM requests.
The new Limits feature, available starting today, will allow all users to hide comments and DM requests from users who either don’t follow them or only recently started following them. On top of that, the app will issue “an even stronger warning” and halt posting immediately if someone tries to publish an offensive content — rather than waiting for a repeat offense as before.
“Creators also tell us they don’t want to switch off comments and messages completely; they still want to hear from their community and build those relationships,” said Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a blog post. “Limits allows you to hear from your long-standing followers, while limiting contact from people who might only be coming to your account to target you.”
Instagram said that it developed the features following racist abuse directed at UK footballers in their direct messages. “Our research shows that a lot of negativity towards public figures comes from people who don’t actually follow them, or who have only recently followed them, and who simply pile on in the moment,” said Mosseri.
We saw this after the recent Euro 2020 final, which resulted in a significant — and unacceptable — spike in racist abuse towards players.
The other new feature, Hidden Words, allows users to filter abusive messages in DM requests. If a request contains any filter word you’ve chosen, it’s automatically placed in a hidden folder that you can choose to never open — though it’s not completely deleted.
The update, available starting today, arrives after Facebook announced that it would make Instagram safer and more private for teens. Changes introduced last month include automatically making accounts private for teens under 16, limiting the ability of advertisers to target personal information like “interests” and using AI to detect a users’ age.
The changes also come as Facebook explores creating a version of Instagram for kids under 13. While it’s still in the early stages, the idea has drawn attention from Democratic lawmakers who’ve asked the company to detail exactly how it would work “given Facebook’s past failures to protect children,” they wrote. It is opposed by 44 state attorneys general, who wrote that “this is a dangerous idea that risks the safety of our children and puts them directly in harm’s way.”
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.