Oct 15
Los Angeles won Game 5, 2-1, to advance to the National League Championship Series.
Oct 15
Toyota has been building trucks that are ready to go off-road and enjoy the outdoors for decades. Back in the 70s, Toyota built a very small camper on its truck with a company called Chinook. That camper had a pop-up fabric roof and let people enjoy the great outdoors all they wanted. The coolest event that happens for automotive fans … Continue reading
Oct 15
Japanese automaker Mitsubishi promised a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of its newest 2022 Outlander near the end of this year. Mitsubishi has officially unveiled the 2022 Outlander PHEV ahead of its October 28 release date, staying true to its word. The all-new Outlander PHEV model will go on sale in Japan this December, while the first US deliveries will trickle … Continue reading
Oct 15
Tesla debuts new car insurance that uses Texans' real-time driving behavior
Posted in: Today's ChiliTesla now offers car insurance in Texas, its new home state, a couple of years after launching the product in California. According to Electrek, though, the insurance available to Texans is quite different than the one owners can get in The Golden State: It calculates for a customer’s insurance premium using their real-time driving behavior. Their credit, age and gender that are typically used by other insurance providers apparently don’t matter to Tesla. The automaker says it won’t even look at customers’ claim history and driving records.
Instead, Tesla will look at their “safety scores,” which is a feature it introduced with the Full Self-Driving Beta version released in September. That could make things quite tricky, since the premium that needs to be paid can change every month based on the conditions the driver encounters on the road. Every forced collision warning and forced Autopilot disengagement will affect their score. Following other vehicles from an unsafe distance, braking too hard and turning corners aggressively could lower their score, as well. Safety score is still a beta feature at this point, and Tesla said it should improve over time.
Owners can now apply for a quote, wherein which the automaker will assume a 90 safety score to start their policy. The price will depend on the client’s performance after that, and it could be higher or lower than what a traditional provider charges. During Tesla’s shareholder meeting, where its new home state was also revealed, Elon Musk said the company plans to upgrade its offering in California to be based on real-time driving behavior, as well. It’s not allowed to implement the change just yet, but it’s currently trying to ask permission from regulators.
Oct 15
Happy Friday! In yesterday’s newsletter, I explained how Apple was thriving in the world of wearables, but not everyone wants so many notification pings and a watch that needs charging daily. There is still very much a place for simpler wearables, and as we’re approaching holiday season, most of them are also less pricey than the high-end options from Apple, Samsung and Garmin.
Fortunately, we have Valentina Palladino on staff. She’s written about wearables for years, even before joining the Engadget team. She’s now laid out what fitness trackers are capable of in 2021 and whether you should go for one or shop around smartwatches instead. Spoiler alert: Our top pick is a Fitbit.
— Mat Smith
Nanoleaf Lines are customizable smart light bars
Create line drawings or pretty patterns along your wall.
Nanoleaf Lines
Nanoleaf’s stylish light-up tiles adorn plenty of modern homes (and YouTuber backdrops), but the company has added an even more customizable shape: lines. The Nanoleaf Line is a backlight LED light bar roughly 11 inches long. It can join to its siblings at either end or at a 60-degree angle. Nanoleaf Lines are available to pre-order today, with the nine-line starter kit setting you back $200, while three-line add-on packs will cost $80.
Planet orbiting a dead star teases our own solar system’s fate
Astronomers discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a white dwarf.
Scientists have spotted a Jupiter-like exoplanet orbiting a dead star that was once like our sun. According to a paper in the journal Nature, the white dwarf star and planet around 6,500 light years away provides a preview of what will happen to our own solar system in approximately five billion years. The finding indicates that planets with wide orbits are probably more common than inner planets. It also shows that some of our solar system’s worlds may survive the Sun’s death. Probably not Earth, however.
What to expect from Apple’s October 18th Unleashed event
It’s Mac time.
Engadget
On October 18th, Apple will hold its second event of the fall, and judging by the rumors, it’s likely to be a Mac-centric show. Let Igor Bonifacic walk you through our preview, from MacBook Pros to possibly cheaper AirPods.
Apple extends repair program for crackling AirPods Pro buds
It’s now active until October 2022.
Last year, Apple launched a repair/replacement program for AirPods Pro units experiencing sound issues, such as crackling or static. It was only supposed to last for two years after the buds were first sold on October 30th, 2019, which means the program was going to come to a close in a couple of weeks. As first noticed by someone on Reddit, though, Apple has quietly updated its program’s information page to extend its availability. “The program covers affected AirPods Pro for three years after the first retail sale of the unit,” the updated page reads. Funnily enough, I got my own crackling AirPods Pro fixed just last weekend.
HTC’s Vive Flow is a lighter VR headset built for entertainment and wellness
It’ll cost $500.
HTC
As the rumors earlier yesterday suggested, HTC has revealed a new kind of VR headset. The HTC Vive Flow is a pair of glasses weighing just 189 grams (6.6 ounces). They pair with a smartphone to let you play VR content or simply watch TV. It’s pitched as both entertainment and a meditative device.
The biggest news stories you might have missed
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Volvo reveals its first vehicle made of fossil-free steel
Microsoft to shut down LinkedIn in China over ‘challenging operating environment’
Spotify opens its Car Thing waitlist to all US users
The ‘Lower Decks’ season two finale is Star Trek at its best
Missouri governor threatens to prosecute journalist for sharing web security flaw
Oct 15
Former Boeing Manager Indicted for Lying to FAA About 737 Max Plane Before Crashes
Posted in: Today's ChiliA federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas has indicted Boeing’s former chief technical pilot for allegedly lying to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aircraft Evaluation Group (FAA AEG) about Boeing’s 737 Max airplane, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. All 737 Max planes…
Oct 15
Neck pain being, well, a pain in the neck? Relieve the aches and muscle tension with these expert-backed items.
Oct 15
Whether you’ve got melasma or other discoloration caused by the sun, these products can help.
Oct 15
The CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee says he will resign after weeks of division.
Oct 15
Chefs and nutritionists reveal which investments they rely on to make their healthy meals.
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