Hasta La Gadget!

Ford will start shipping a new Tesla Supercharger NACS adapter to customers today, the company told Engadget in an email. The new adapters were co-developed with Lectron, a major manufacturer of EV chargers, adapters and cables for Tesla and others. 

Ford drivers gained access to Tesla Superchargers earlier this year, but the CCS charging port on Ford EVs isn’t compatible with Tesla’s NACS port. To fix that, the automaker offered a free NACS adapter to owners of its Mach E, F-150 Lightning and other vehicles, with a deadline of June 2024.

Earlier this month, however, Ford sent a service bulletin to some customers telling them to stop using the adapter. The reason cited was a “potential issue” that could reduce charging speeds and even cause charging port damage. Ford extended its deadline and promised a replacement adapter in the coming weeks. 

Ford

While some of the supply of the original adapter had potential issues, they don’t apply to all the adapters; in fact, Ford will provide both the old one and these new models. “To continue accelerating access to the Tesla Supercharger Network for Ford electric vehicle customers, Ford will start shipping a new Ford-branded complimentary adapter to customers as of October 31,” a company spokesperson wrote. “Customers who are awaiting a complimentary adapter may receive the new Ford-branded Fast Charging Adapter or the existing approved adapter.”

Other automakers including Nissan, GM and Subaru have also signed pacts with Tesla to use its Superchargers. Tesla’s network represents a large majority of DC fast chargers in the US, with 19,000 installed compared to 15,000 from all other operators. Globally, Tesla has installed over 62,000 supercharger connectors as of Q3 2024, up 23 percent over last year. 

Correction, October 31 2024, 1:42PM ET: This story originally stated that Ford’s new adapters developed with Lectron were a replacement for other adapters that Ford had asked owners to return due to potential issues. That’s not the case. Ford is still provided EV owners with the older-style adapter as not all of the supply were having issues. The new adapter developed with Lectron is meant to augment and increase supply of adapters for customers rather than replace it. We apologize for the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/fords-free-replacement-for-its-telsa-supercharger-adapter-starts-shipping-today-130010480.html?src=rss

At CEATEC 2024, Panasonic showcased its AI vision-powered refrigerator, which was launched in Japan in the Spring/Summer of 2024. This AI-driven refrigerator features intelligent food management technology that improves people’s lives while reducing food waste. Equipped with an integrated external AI camera, this smart fridge can recognize up to 45 types of vegetables, track their freshness, and recommend recipes using ingredients nearing their best-before date. Connected to the Live Pantry app, users can check their fridge contents remotely*, preventing forgotten or duplicate purchases.

In addition to its advanced smart features, the refrigerator includes the “W-Shaki-Shaki (means Double Crispy) Crisper Drawer Plus,” which optimizes humidity levels to keep vegetables crisp for 7 days, supporting better food preservation. This AI and IoT integration offers a streamlined solution for shopping and meal planning, easing users’ decision-making while promoting sustainability by minimizing food waste and helping people consume fresh foods before they spoil.

Panasonic “Refrigerator AI Camera” With Two Smart Cameras And Live Pantry App, How Does It Work?

See Inside The Refrigerator, Cold Compartment, Vegetable (Crisp) Drawer, and Freezer Drawer.

The “Panasonic Refrigerator AI Camera” offers a unique, detailed view of refrigerator contents, using two cameras—one wide-angle lens at the front center and a narrow-angle telephoto lens on the front left. Each time the refrigerator door is opened, the wide-angle camera captures the interior shelves and door pockets, while the narrow-angle camera photographs the vegetable and freezer drawers every time they’re opened.

Panasonic’s AI system uses markers to identify both the upper and lower cases of the vegetable and freezer drawers. The company claims its technology is the only one capable of providing a full view of these compartments and accurately identifying their inner sections.

Images captured by the cameras take a few minutes to appear in the Live Pantry companion app. When the doors open at least 90 degrees, and the drawers are fully extended, the system provides a clear view of the refrigerator’s contents, though some areas, like partial-chilled sections and certain door pockets, may be out of frame. This innovative system allows users to monitor stored items conveniently through the app.

Computer Vision Identifies And Monitors 45 Vegetables In The Vegetable Drawer

Panasonic’s innovative refrigerator technology utilizes an AI-powered camera to capture and identify 45 types of vegetables in the “Double Crispy” vegetable drawer. The system recognizes various produce, including carrots, broccoli, bok shoi,spinach, enoki mushrooms, and komatsuna. It identifies vegetables by shape and appearance, even if cut, with an unfamiliar shape or similar in form, such as spinach and bok choi. The system records the storage date for each vegetable at snapshot time. This data is transmitted to the Live Pantry app, which organizes vegetables by freshness, prioritizing items closer to expiration. Users can also manually add other ingredients, complete with expiration dates, to help ensure a comprehensive overview of all stored items.

AI-Powered Recipe Suggestions to Reduce Food Waste and Improve People’s Shopping Efficiency

Building on this freshness tracking, the AI offers recipe and daily menu suggestions to help reduce food waste and streamline meal planning. Leveraging recorded storage dates, the Live Pantry app recommends recipes using ingredients nearing expiration. This feature not only supports sustainable consumption by reducing food waste but also simplifies meal preparation and shopping management. With timely recipe recommendations based on remaining ingredients, users can efficiently plan meals and shopping trips, making the refrigerator a helpful partner in food management.

Panasonic’s Double Crispy (W-Shaki-Shaki) Feature for the Vegetable Drawer – Extends To 7 Days Of Freshness.

Panasonic External AI Camera Could Be A Great Stand-alone AI-Vision Solution For Smart Fridges Mass Adoption

The Panasonic NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI Camera Refrigerator models (currently only sold in Japan; stay tuned) stand out with a unique AI-powered camera solution for food management. Panasonic offers practical computer vision, affordability, and an external AI camera location for fridges. Unlike other premium brands that integrate cameras inside the refrigerator with limited AI-vision features, Panasonic’s external AI camera not only reduces costs but also opens up possibilities for a standalone AI-vision solution adaptable to various fridge models.

As a Panasonic representative at CEATEC shared, this external AI camera could potentially be marketed independently of specific refrigerator models, aiming for broader accessibility and mass adoption in a market where high-tech fridge features remain a luxury (to my knowledge, $5000 to $15000 refrigerators still offer in-fridge cameras with some AI features). 

Historically, other top consumer appliances competitors started the trend of in-fridge cameras, with models supporting features like tracking what’s inside, creating shopping lists, and tracking diets. 

To my knowledge, only one well-known brand (for the US market, as of Jan 2024) recently claimed to recognize 33 different ingredients in a consumer fridge, focusing on dietary preferences but prioritizing customization over food waste reduction.

In contrast, Panasonic’s AI technology boasts recognition of 45 different vegetables, significantly enhancing its capability to manage food freshness and promote sustainable consumption. Priced around $2259 and $2066*, respectively, the NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI vision-powered models uniquely focus on preventing food waste by suggesting fresh-produce-based recipes and complete menus.

*Based on today’s Yen/USD conversion

Panasonic Refrigerators With AI Camera Help People Cook Smarter and Shop Better While Reducing Food Waste

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

At CEATEC 2024, Panasonic showcased its AI vision-powered refrigerator, which was launched in Japan in the Spring/Summer of 2024. This AI-driven refrigerator features intelligent food management technology that improves people’s lives while reducing food waste. Equipped with an integrated external AI camera, this smart fridge can recognize up to 45 types of vegetables, track their freshness, and recommend recipes using ingredients nearing their best-before date. Connected to the Live Pantry app, users can check their fridge contents remotely*, preventing forgotten or duplicate purchases.

In addition to its advanced smart features, the refrigerator includes the “W-Shaki-Shaki (means Double Crispy) Crisper Drawer Plus,” which optimizes humidity levels to keep vegetables crisp for 7 days, supporting better food preservation. This AI and IoT integration offers a streamlined solution for shopping and meal planning, easing users’ decision-making while promoting sustainability by minimizing food waste and helping people consume fresh foods before they spoil.

Panasonic “Refrigerator AI Camera” With Two Smart Cameras And Live Pantry App, How Does It Work?

See Inside The Refrigerator, Cold Compartment, Vegetable (Crisp) Drawer, and Freezer Drawer.

The “Panasonic Refrigerator AI Camera” offers a unique, detailed view of refrigerator contents, using two cameras—one wide-angle lens at the front center and a narrow-angle telephoto lens on the front left. Each time the refrigerator door is opened, the wide-angle camera captures the interior shelves and door pockets, while the narrow-angle camera photographs the vegetable and freezer drawers every time they’re opened.

Panasonic’s AI system uses markers to identify both the upper and lower cases of the vegetable and freezer drawers. The company claims its technology is the only one capable of providing a full view of these compartments and accurately identifying their inner sections.

Images captured by the cameras take a few minutes to appear in the Live Pantry companion app. When the doors open at least 90 degrees, and the drawers are fully extended, the system provides a clear view of the refrigerator’s contents, though some areas, like partial-chilled sections and certain door pockets, may be out of frame. This innovative system allows users to monitor stored items conveniently through the app.

Computer Vision Identifies And Monitors 45 Vegetables In The Vegetable Drawer

Panasonic’s innovative refrigerator technology utilizes an AI-powered camera to capture and identify 45 types of vegetables in the “Double Crispy” vegetable drawer. The system recognizes various produce, including carrots, broccoli, bok shoi,spinach, enoki mushrooms, and komatsuna. It identifies vegetables by shape and appearance, even if cut, with an unfamiliar shape or similar in form, such as spinach and bok choi. The system records the storage date for each vegetable at snapshot time. This data is transmitted to the Live Pantry app, which organizes vegetables by freshness, prioritizing items closer to expiration. Users can also manually add other ingredients, complete with expiration dates, to help ensure a comprehensive overview of all stored items.

AI-Powered Recipe Suggestions to Reduce Food Waste and Improve People’s Shopping Efficiency

Building on this freshness tracking, the AI offers recipe and daily menu suggestions to help reduce food waste and streamline meal planning. Leveraging recorded storage dates, the Live Pantry app recommends recipes using ingredients nearing expiration. This feature not only supports sustainable consumption by reducing food waste but also simplifies meal preparation and shopping management. With timely recipe recommendations based on remaining ingredients, users can efficiently plan meals and shopping trips, making the refrigerator a helpful partner in food management.

Panasonic’s Double Crispy (W-Shaki-Shaki) Feature for the Vegetable Drawer – Extends To 7 Days Of Freshness.

Panasonic External AI Camera Could Be A Great Stand-alone AI-Vision Solution For Smart Fridges Mass Adoption

The Panasonic NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI Camera Refrigerator models (currently only sold in Japan; stay tuned) stand out with a unique AI-powered camera solution for food management. Panasonic offers practical computer vision, affordability, and an external AI camera location for fridges. Unlike other premium brands that integrate cameras inside the refrigerator with limited AI-vision features, Panasonic’s external AI camera not only reduces costs but also opens up possibilities for a standalone AI-vision solution adaptable to various fridge models.

As a Panasonic representative at CEATEC shared, this external AI camera could potentially be marketed independently of specific refrigerator models, aiming for broader accessibility and mass adoption in a market where high-tech fridge features remain a luxury (to my knowledge, $5000 to $15000 refrigerators still offer in-fridge cameras with some AI features). 

Historically, other top consumer appliances competitors started the trend of in-fridge cameras, with models supporting features like tracking what’s inside, creating shopping lists, and tracking diets. 

To my knowledge, only one well-known brand (for the US market, as of Jan 2024) recently claimed to recognize 33 different ingredients in a consumer fridge, focusing on dietary preferences but prioritizing customization over food waste reduction.

In contrast, Panasonic’s AI technology boasts recognition of 45 different vegetables, significantly enhancing its capability to manage food freshness and promote sustainable consumption. Priced around $2259 and $2066*, respectively, the NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI vision-powered models uniquely focus on preventing food waste by suggesting fresh-produce-based recipes and complete menus.

*Based on today’s Yen/USD conversion

Panasonic Refrigerators With AI Camera Help People Cook Smarter and Shop Better While Reducing Food Waste

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

It’s getting harder and harder not to view the Humane AI Pin as destined to go down as one of tech’s all-time stinkers and cautionary tales. After reviews questioning why it existed, returns that outpaced its sales and a warning that its Charge Case could pose a “fire safety risk,” the company is now recalling the latter. The issue stems from the case’s battery cells, supplied by a third-party vendor, which could overheat and cause a fire hazard.

Humane posted on Thursday that it’s conducting the voluntary recall “out of an abundance of caution.” The startup says its charging case is the only accessory affected — not the battery booster, charging pad or Pin itself. “The issue is isolated to battery cells used in the Charge Case Accessory,” Humane wrote. “It is not related to its hardware design.”

The company says one of its battery suppliers is to blame. “Our investigation determined that the battery supplier was no longer meeting our quality standards and that battery cells supplied by this vendor can pose a fire risk,” Humane wrote. The company says it’s severed ties with the supplier and is currently evaluating a new one.

Hayato Huseman for Engadget

In fairness to Humane, the recall was (in its words) the result of only one incident where a user plugged it into a third-party USB-C cable and power source. It hasn’t received reports of injuries or damage. As easy as it is to poke fun at an overhyped company’s other shoe dropping, at least it’s informing consumers and conducting the recall voluntarily rather than trying to bury it for the sake of PR. Perhaps Humane can look to Samsung for inspiration on rebounding from a product that catches on fire — and not in a good way.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) posted a blurb about the recall with more detail. It says consumers who bought the Charge Case separately will receive a $149 refund. Those who got the case as part of the Humane AI Pin Complete System will get $129 back. In addition, Humane will supply replacement charging cases, but don’t expect them anytime soon: The estimated wait is three to six months. The CPSC says about 10,500 units are affected.

Humane advises charge case owners to “dispose of the product in accordance with any local and state laws” rather than chucking it in the trash. Presumably, that’s to avoid a real dumpster fire to match the metaphorical one at Humane.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/humane-recalls-its-troubled-ai-pins-charge-case-due-to-overheating-185116736.html?src=rss

It’s deja vu all over again for Microsoft’s AI-powered Recall tool. After a delay in June and then a second one in August, Microsoft is once more pushing back testing of the feature intended for its Copilot+ PCs. The Verge reported that Recall now won’t enter previews for Windows Insiders until December.

“We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall,” Brandon LeBlanc, senior product manager of Windows, told the publication. “To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we’re taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders.”

When it was introduced, Microsoft positioned Recall as a way to give your computer a photographic memory, improving the search process on PCs. But since that photographic memory would demand a high degree of access to a computer’s systems and data, Recall has been the target of privacy and security concerns. Microsoft has tried to assuage those worries by presenting Recall as an opt-in feature, so users will have to give explicit permission for the AI assistant to log their computing activity. The company has also detailed other privacy protections, but today’s third delay could mean that it’s proving more difficult than expected to keep security on lock.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsofts-recall-ai-tool-for-copilot-pcs-faces-a-third-delay-191301031.html?src=rss