Huawei and Chery Autos claim their first production EV bests the Tesla Model S

Huawei is moving deeper into the electric vehicle business with the help of Chery Autos and now we know when the first production model from their joint venture will arrive. Luxeed is slated to debut its coupe-style S7 in China in late November, according to the South China Morning Post.

Luxeed’s blend of Huawei’s tech and Chery’s manufacturing know-how could help the S7 to make a splash in an increasingly crowded EV market. There’s clearly some confidence in the car too. “It will be superior to Tesla’s Model S in various aspects,” Richard Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei’s car unit, said at an event.

The EV’s range, price and tech features weren’t disclosed at the event, the South China Morning Post noted. However, it emerged in August that the S7 will be based on state-owned Chery’s E0X platform, which is designed for two-motor, all-wheel-drive EVs.

This isn’t exactly Huawei’s first foray into EVs. The company collaborated with automaker Seres to create the Aito brand (which Huawei now fully owns) in 2021. Aito’s first all-electric model, the M5, arrived last year. Aito will start deliveries of its M9, a luxury electric SUV, in China in December. Huawei has also been supplying other automakers with its Huawei HI intelligent automotive solution that includes a 4D imaging radar and an autonomous driving platform.

Don’t expect to see Luxeed’s S7 make its way over to the US anytime soon, if ever, though. Huawei is still subject to sanctions in the country.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/huawei-and-chery-autos-claim-their-first-production-ev-bests-the-tesla-model-s-200918326.html?src=rss

Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones offer 50-hour battery life for $180

Sennheiser announced a new pair of mid-ranged headphones today that carry over some features from its latest flagship model. The Accentum Wireless offers “a similar sound” to the $380 Momentum 4, along with hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC), 50-hour battery life and a $180 price tag.

The company suggests you’ll hear “breathtaking Sennheiser sound” from Accentum Wireless. They use 37mm dynamic transducers (slightly smaller than the 42mm ones in the Momentum 4) and Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint connectivity. The headphones support aptX HD, which can output up to a 576 kbps bitrate for those with supported devices. It’s also compatible with AAC (the maximum for iPhone users) and SBC codecs.

The headphones’ battery can last an estimated 50 hours on a single charge, not terribly far from the Momentum 4’s absurd 60 hours. (By comparison, Sony’s latest flagship headphones are only rated for 30 hours.) Sennheiser says the Accentum can quick-charge for up to five extra hours of playtime in only 10 minutes. In addition, the included USB-C cable also enables wired listening mode for environments where Bluetooth doesn’t make sense.

Lifestyle marketing photo for the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones. A young man stands along a rocky terrain: jutting rocks behind him. He wears a green button-down shirt with gold / orange floral patterns.
Sennheiser

On the voice side, the Accentum Wireless has two mics with a wind-reduction mode and adjustable sidetone, which lets you control how much you hear your voice during calls. The headphones also pair with the Sennheiser Smart Control app, which gives you a five-band equalizer, user presets, software updates and management of multipoint connections.

Sennheiser claims the Accentum’s battery life is matched by its long-term comfort. “The earcup and headband padding contact points effortlessly conform to the wearer’s shape, with a gentle touch that always feels secure and natural,” the company wrote in a press release. The fold-out cans also appear to borrow design cues from the Momentum 4, which (somewhat controversially) dropped previous Momentum headphones’ iconic / vintage look.

The black version of the Accentum Wireless will begin shipping on October 4, with pre-orders starting tomorrow (September 26). Meanwhile, the white colorway arrives in “late November.” The headphones cost $180 and will be available from select retailers and Sennheiser’s website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sennheiser-accentum-wireless-headphones-offer-50-hour-battery-life-for-180-220058335.html?src=rss

David McCallum, Star Of ‘NCIS’ And ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E,’ Dies

The actor died Monday of natural causes surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS said in a statement.

A Handheld History Celebrates the Time We Spent With Screens

Lost in Cult and Retro Dodo have collaborated to assemble dozens of essays on the art of the handheld device. From the hardware to the games themselves, A Handheld History: A Celebration of Portable Gaming is a gorgeous introspection into the decades of gaming that many of us remember from long rides on trains,…

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Dave Limp will lead Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin after 'retiring' from Amazon

Reports of David Limp’s retirement have been greatly exaggerated. The former SVP of Devices and Services announced last week at Amazon’s 2023 Devices Event that he would be stepping down from the role he had held for more than a decade. By Monday, however, Limp had reportedly been tapped by Jeff Bezos to take over for current Blue Origin CEO, Bob Smith, who is retiring at the start of December.

MSNBC reports that Smith will stick around until January 2, 2024 to assist with the transition. Bezos sent the following announcement to the Blue Origin’s workforce on Monday: 

I’m excited to share that Dave Limp will join Blue starting December 4th as CEO, replacing Bob, who has elected to step aside on January 2. The overlap is purposeful to ensure a smooth transition.

Before I provide some background on Dave, I’d like to take the time to recognize Bob and the significant growth and transformation we’ve experienced during his tenure. Under Bob’s leadership, Blue has grown to several billion dollars in sales orders, with a substantial backlog for our vehicles and engines. Our team has increased from 850 people when Bob joined to more than 10,000 today. We’ve expanded from one office in Kent to building a launch pad at LC-36 and five million square feet of facilities across seven states.

Our mission has grown too – we’ve flown 31 people above the Kármán Line, almost five percent of all the people who have been to space. Flight-qualified BE-4 engines are ready to boost Vulcan into orbit. New Glenn is nearing launch next year, and, with our recent NASA contract, we will land Americans back on the Moon, this time to stay. We have also engaged and inspired millions of children and educators through our Club for the Future efforts. We’ve made tremendous progress in building a road to space for the benefit of Earth, thanks to each of you and Bob’s leadership.

I’ve worked closely with Dave for many years. He is the right leader at the right time for Blue. Dave joins us after almost 14 years at Amazon, where he most recently served as senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services, leading Kuiper, Kindle, Alexa, Zoox, and many other businesses. Before Amazon, Dave had roles at other high-tech companies, including Palm and Apple. Dave is a proven innovator with a customer-first mindset and extensive experience leading and scaling large, complex organizations. Dave has an outstanding sense of urgency, brings energy to everything, and helps teams move very fast.

Please join me in welcoming Dave and thanking Bob. Through this transition, I know we’ll remain focused on our customer commitments, production schedules, and executing with speed and operational excellence. I look forward to the many exciting and historic milestones ahead of us!

Jeff    

MSNBC obtained Limp’s welcome as well:

Team Blue,

It’s been about six years since I joined Blue Origin. During that time, our team, facilities, and sales orders have grown dramatically, and we’ve made significant contributions to the history of spaceflight.

With pride and satisfaction in all that we’ve accomplished, I’m announcing that effective December 4, I will be stepping aside as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Origin. I will remain with Blue until January 2 to ensure a smooth transition with the new CEO.

It has been my privilege to be part of this great team, and I am confident that Blue Origin’s greatest achievements are still ahead of us. We’ve rapidly scaled this company from its prototyping and research roots to a large, prominent space business. We have the right strategy. a supremely talented team, a robust customer base, and some of the most technically ambitious and exciting projects in the entire industry. We also have a team that cares deeply about its mission, legacy, and how we contribute to the next generation and bring everyone into a brighter future.

Jeff and I have been discussing my plan for months, and Jeff will announce Blue’s new CEO in a separate note shortly. I’m very excited about the operational excellence and culture of innovation this new leader will bring to Blue. building on the foundation we’ve created over the past few years.

I’m committed to ensuring this transition is flawless, and everyone should know that Ill always be on Team Blue.

Gradatim Ferociter.

Bob Smith

Amazon has not officially named its successor for Limp, though Microsoft’s product chief, Panos Panay — who also just so happened to leave the role he held for two decades last week — has been rumored as a leading choice for that position.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dave-limp-will-lead-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-after-retiring-from-amazon-212411125.html?src=rss

This Disturbing Docuseries Is The Top Show On Netflix Right Now

A British fantasy series and a mystery-drama are also trending on streaming services including Hulu, Apple TV+, Prime Video and Max.

India Continues Efforts to Rouse Its Sleeping Lunar Lander

India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover have been asleep on the surface of the Moon while efforts to revive the pair continue until the end of the lunar day.

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Reddit turns top contributors' Reddit Gold into real-world money

Reddit announced today that it will begin paying top contributors for gold. The platform’s new Contributor Program allows redditors who meet certain requirements to receive real-world money (distributed monthly) for their awarded content. The company is also revamping how post / comment rewards work by eliminating Reddit Coins (and all associated awards) in favor of all gold all the time.

The Contributor Program is open to redditors who are 18+ years old, in an eligible location (only the US at the beginning), have an account “in good standing” and meet karma minimums. Reddit will grant “standard contributor” status (earning 90 cents per gold awarded) to those with at least 10 gold who received between 100 and 4,999 karma in the last 12 months. Beyond that, “top contributors” (earning $1 per gold awarded) will need a minimum of 10 gold and over 5,000 karma from the preceding 12 months. Redditors falling below those thresholds won’t be eligible for real-world payments until they reach the goals.

You can check your eligibility by navigating to the program page via your profile menu. If you can join, the “Get Verified to Start Earning” button will be highlighted and tappable/clickable.

Reddit also made some interface changes to match the new emphasis on gold. Gilded posts and comments will now display a gold upvote icon in place of the standard one. The platform also now lets you award and purchase gold straight from a post: You can now long-press on the upvote icon for a post or comment in the Reddit mobile app (or, eventually, hover the cursor over the symbol on the web) to choose between giving one and 25 gold awards. A single gold will cost users $2, while they could pay up to $49 for 25 of them. The new gold system is available now on mobile and will roll out to web users “later this year.”

Reddit’s API changes from earlier this year make it much more difficult for third parties to track engagement on the platform. However, with anecdotal reports of engagement dropping after the API protests, today’s moves could be viewed as a carrot to lure / retain prolific contributors who will help the platform build engagement — similar to creator programs from X, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-turns-top-contributors-reddit-gold-into-real-world-money-203036387.html?src=rss

Sen. John Fetterman Says He Will Return Sen. Bob Menendez’s Campaign Donation

Fetterman said Menendez “cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.”

Nicolas Cage Haunts Our Sleep in the Smart Sci-Fi Film Dream Scenario

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