Author Victor LaValle and showrunner Kelly Marcel spoke to io9 at a press line after the panel for Apple TV+’s adaptation of The Changeling, talking about how to work within the confines of the novel, and when to push the boundaries of what’s on the page.
Over the decades, there’ve been various interpretations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in film and TV. Some stories play things fairly straight, but others offer some kind of new (and often humorous) take on the titular monster: what if the monster were one of Dracula’s best friends, or what if he was tasked with savin…
The “Veep” star reacted to recent cryptic comments from Jerry Seinfeld.
The first season of Daryl Dixon, a Walking Dead spinoff featuring Norman Reedus’ incredibly popular character, was primarily filmed in France. This is a far cry from the Senoia, Georgia locale where The Walking Dead had been filmed for nearly a decade. When the team landed in Europe, they quickly found out that the…
Tesla continues to aggressively reduce the prices of its electric vehicles establishing a trend of offering more affordable options, even when compared to traditional gasoline-powered competitors. These price cuts have been a recurring theme throughout the year, with Tesla recently implementing another round of reductions in vehicle costs.
These reductions have driven Tesla’s vehicles to price points well below the average transaction price of new cars in September, which stood at $47,899, according to Kelley Blue Book. The base models of Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, in particular, are now available at prices below this average, making them exceptionally competitive in the market.
As a result, Tesla’s latest price adjustments are putting significant pressure on conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. For instance, the base Model 3 sedan is now priced at $38,990, and the most affordable Model Y SUV is available for $43,990. These prices become even more attractive after factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit, bringing the Model 3’s effective price down to $31,490 and the Model Y’s to $36,490, while various state incentives can further reduce costs.
It is important to recognize that listed prices may vary slightly from actual transaction prices due to manufacturer incentives, which typically average around 4% — However, Tesla’s pricing strategy is such that the sticker prices closely resemble the transaction prices.
Although the trim levels and options for Tesla vehicles can affect their average transaction prices, the latest data indicates that the Model 3’s ATP was $41,484, significantly below the industry average. Meanwhile, the Model Y transacted at an average of $53,069, only slightly above the industry average.
Tesla’s overall ATP now stands at $50,931, influenced by its more expensive Model S and Model X. This figure has dropped by nearly 25% from the previous year, making Tesla’s ATPs lower than those of luxury competitors like Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, and Volvo, according to Kelley Blue Book.
This ongoing price reduction strategy by Tesla is aimed at maintaining demand and market share in the face of increasing competition in the electric vehicle sector. While these reductions may impact the company’s profitability, they are intended to achieve price parity with internal combustion engine vehicles, enticing more consumers to make the switch to electric cars.
Currently, luxury gas cars and luxury EVs have similar price points, but mainstream EVs still have a ways to go before matching the affordability of their gasoline counterparts. Tesla’s role in reducing electric vehicle prices overall by 22% over the past year has been instrumental in closing this gap, although the market dynamics remain complex, with the potential for future shifts due to factors like labor strikes and changing consumer preferences.
Tesla Slashes Prices, Outpacing Gas Competitors
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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is taking proactive measures to address potential vulnerabilities in mixed reality (MR) headsets, which could have serious implications for military personnel. They have initiated the Intrinsic Cognitive Security (ICS) program, aimed at safeguarding MR systems against “cognitive attacks.”
These attacks exploit the close relationship between users and MR equipment, including cyberattacks such as information flooding, injection of virtual data, and personal area network disruptions.
Cognitive attacks go beyond digital interference and may involve planting real-world objects to confuse MR displays, using physical objects to trigger false alarms, or tracking a wearer’s eye movements to monitor their actions. The consequences are detrimental, leading to MR users receiving inaccurate information or experiencing debilitating lags that induce nausea and hinder their ability to perform.
The ICS program is founded on the idea that formal methods, which rely on mathematics-based approaches to ensure system guarantees, can be extended with cognitive models to protect MR users from such attacks. These formal methods have not been widely applied to MR protection, but the cognitive engineering field provides principles to create models and guarantees for defense against cognitive attacks.
While DARPA’s ICS initiative is still in its early stages, it is progressing more swiftly than the development of MR technology. For instance, the US Army’s 2022 tests of mixed reality HoloLens headsets, created in collaboration with Microsoft, revealed issues such as headaches, eyestrain, and nausea after only a few hours of use. The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project, derived from custom HoloLens hardware, faced delays and funding concerns.
The Army has taken steps to improve IVAS, but it will take time for cognitive security features from DARPA’s ICS program to be integrated into such devices. Nevertheless, DARPA is determined to develop methods for protected MR systems before they become widespread in battlefield applications, prioritizing the safety and effectiveness of military personnel’s use of MR technology. The exact timeline for achieving these objectives remains uncertain.
DARPA Launches Program To Safeguard Mixed Reality Headsets From Cognitive Attacks
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
“The advantage of poetry over life is that poetry, if it is sharp enough, may last,” the decorated poet once wrote.
Over 15 years ago, the original The Strangers movie became a cult classic horror film for its atmosphere and simple premise of a couple being terrorized by a trio of masked invaders. While it eventually got a sequel in 2018’s The Strangers: Prey at Night, Lionsgate wants the gap between installments to be considerably…
The NBA player said that the Kansas City Chiefs star “deserves” the title amid the Taylor Swift dating rumors.
“My mom is infinitely proud of all of her children, but I wonder if she wasn’t at that moment just a little bit ashamed of me.”
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