Hasta La Gadget!

People on Twitter took the Fox News host to task for failing to mention a certain ex-president and his brood.

The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star stepped in to help a man he thought was in need.

Researchers Eva-Maria Sadowski & Christa-Charlotte Hofmann from the Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science in Berlin have published a fascinating paper describing a 28 mm flower preserved in amber, the largest of its kind, so far.

For millions of years, amber can preserve ancient insects, or in this case, flowers. However, samples tend to be very small, unlike what you might have seen in movies featuring dinosaurs. This particular sample is believed to be 33 to 40 million years old.

This amber is believed to have been a resin from a tree’s bark or heartwood. Over time, the liquid resign loses its volatile elements and hardens into a polymer form. Additionally, the ambers recovered have often been buried in an oxygen-free environment, which also helps their preservation.

The fossil was discovered 150 years ago and was left untouched until researchers decided to take a closer look to identify the flower species using modern technology. Based on the pollen analysis, it seems like the original Stewartia identification was inaccurate, and it is closer to the Symplocos family.

The identification quality isn’t that important to most of us, but it is pretty amazing to know that this flower bloomed on our planet well before humans appeared. The warm color of amber makes this time capsule particularly visually attractive.

Largest Amber-Preserved Flower Finally Identified

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Last September, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun got people very excited (on Twitter) by the prospect of soon having another electric car choice that resonates with “affordable.” At the time, people were talking about a ~$20k Xiaomi EV (electric vehicle), possibly arriving on the market in 2024.

The recent rumors now mention a price starting at $38k and going well above that for fancier options. That’s quite a price increase, but it seems more realistic if we’re talking about a sedan (codename Modena) that would be attractive and competitive with competitors like Tesla and others.

Of course, it remains to be seen what battery and motor options will be offered and how good the build quality is. Xiaomi has an excellent track record in building technology products with great value. They have successfully entered many markets with various everyday electronic products, so we can’t discard an EV product.

If the same philosophy could be applied to EVs, they could be onto something big. However, we’ll have to wait and see because EVs are still a subject of intense research, unlike many appliances and even smartphones.

However, the market is quickly maturing to the point where electric cars are a known product with an excellent supply chain, allowing newcomers to build a car with mostly existing designs.

Rumors about 400V or 800V batteries seem believable, but we wonder if Xiaomi will indeed feature both Qualcomm and NVIDIA (Orin X) chips, as the rumors claim. The last round of specifications rumors is accompanied by a reported sighting of a prototype, covered with cloth, near Xiaomi’s research facilities.

Xiaomi $38000+ Electric Car Red Hot Rumors

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After steadily increasing prices over the past couple of years, Tesla has cut them drastically across its lineup in the US and Europe, in an apparent bid to boost sales. The least expensive EV, the Model 3 RWD, has dropped from $46,990 to $43,990, while the 5-seat Model Y Long Range fell 20 percent from $65,990 to $52,990. That means the latter model now qualifies for the $7,500 US Federal Tax credit, so the final price drop will be $20,500 — over 30 percent. 

All other models, including the Model S and Model X (both regular and plaid versions) and the performance versions of the Model 3 and Model Y saw price cuts. However, the 7-seat option on the Model Y has increased in price by $1,000 to $4,000. While that puts the price over $55,000, it still qualifies for the Tax Credit as it’s considered to be an SUV. In Germany, Model 3 and Y prices were cut by one to 17 percent, and also dropped in Austria, Switzerland and France.

To receive the full $7,500 rebate, customers will have to order before mid-March, when it’s expected to be reduced to half that. The tax rebates apply to SUVs priced below $80,000 and cars under $55,000. The Model Y fell into both categories, depending on the number of seats, meaning certain 5-seat models weren’t eligible — something CEO Elon Musk called “messed up.” Now, all Model Y EVs except the Performance version appear to qualify.  

Late last year, it was reported that Tesla inventory was building up after years of strong sales, first with reports in China, then the US. Tesla recently cut prices in China, then later declined any compensation to customers who complained. The Model 3 now starts at 229,900 yuan ($33,425) in that nation. 

Neither Tesla nor CEO Elon Musk have weighed in on the price cuts, but potential buyers will no doubt be pleased (and recent purchasers displeased). The Model 3 was originally supposed to cost $35,000 and shipped in that configuration for a short time, but saw steady increases to the $46,990 price announced in March 2022. Last month, Musk said that “radical interest rate changes” had affected vehicle affordability and that Tesla could potentially lower prices.