Latest News - Page 994

German automaker Sono Motors will bring its Sion solar electric vehicle to the United States and recently completed a multi-city coast-to-coast US tour. The car had press stops in New York City, Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles - with Sono aiming to stir up interest in the US auto market.

The total range should provide 190 miles on a full charge, with solar power helping contribute around 5,400 miles per year - so drivers can expect around 10-15 miles per day of solar-powered driving. Of course, that's an average number daily, weather, parking location, and other factors could impact solar power generation.

The outer shell of the car has 456 solar half-cells and EV power is generated by a 54 kWh LFP battery. Almost 190 miles of range can be charged in a half hour using a Level 2 DC fast charger.

We all know there are a bunch of AIB partners that sell NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, AMD Radeon graphics cards, and just a few are now on the market selling Intel Arc graphics cards... but who leads the pack in terms of the number of custom cards made?

That would be GALAX.

GALAX makes an incredible 187 different designs of NVIDIA's previous-gen Ampere-based GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards, which is a staggering amount of cards. We have the big AIBs like COLORFUL, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, and ZOTAC... while EVGA is still on the list with 63 different GeForce RTX 30 series GPU designs, but zero going forward as EVGA terminated its relationship with NVIDIA.

Cloud gaming will be an extension of gaming, but won't ever replace traditional dedicated hardware--at least that's what Xbox's Phil Spencer believes.

Many have tried before it, and Sony was arguably the first to really put muscle into cloud gaming with PlayStation Now, but Microsoft is undoubtedly the leader in the space thanks to its value-oriented business model. Xbox cloud gaming is the most attractive among its peers because consumers can access games they have already purchased or have access to via Game Pass. As such, cloud gaming is complementary to Xbox's core engagement-driven monetization empire, and that's exactly how Microsoft wants it to stay.

While some believe cloud gaming will eventually kill consoles, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer is not among them. According to Spencer, cloud gaming will not be the end-all be-all future for the industry. Instead, cloud access is all about offering customers more choice in how they play games on all platforms.

Electric vehicle automaker Lordstown Motors recently provided a couple of its Endurance all-electric truck to be tested in the midwest.

After driving two different Endurance pickups for 90 minutes, here is what Car and Driverthought of the experience:

"It clearly needs some final tweaks, but based on our limited driving, we'd say the Lordstown Endurance is approaching readiness for fleet-truck use. That presumes the assembly quality is high and the trucks hold up in the hands of early customers. Most important, it also assumes Lordstown can convince conservative, risk-averse fleet buyers they should not only buy EV pickup trucks but do so from a startup company."

Microsoft is unlikely to ever lower its royalty fees as long as it ships console hardware.

A while back during the Epic vs Apple trial, Microsoft's Lori Wright said that a 30% commission was required in order to help subsidize console hardware losses. Unlike Nintendo, who has always sold the Switch at a profit, and Sony, who recent hit profitability on the PlayStation 5, Microsoft sells its Xbox Series consoles at a loss. "My justification is that the commission is required for us to even build the console," Wright said during the trial.

Now fast-forwarding to the present we hear Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer saying similar things. In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, Spencer said that the Xbox Series consoles are sold at a $100 - $200 loss. Microsoft sells hardware at a loss with the assumption of being able to recoup spending via games, monetization, subscriptions, and accessories.

Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, many have speculated if the Tesla and SpaceX CEO would become the social media platform's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - which would make him CEO of three completely different companies.

Musk finalized the Twitter deal a day before the deadline set by the Delaware Court of Chancery, successfully coming up with the $44 billion in funding and taking the metaphorical keys to Twitter to do as he pleases. His first order of business was to clean out some top executives such as now former CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ned Segal, and Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal policy, trust, and safety. With the firing of top executives, it begged the question of who was going to take the helm at Twitter as its CEO.

Whole Mars Catalog posed the question to Musk, asking, "Elon, do you plan to be CEO for some time?". Musk replied to the question by saying that his title is "Chief Twit", and that it's "right there in the bio". The SpaceX CEO added that he has no idea who the Twitter CEO is, which is seemingly a stark indicator that there is currently no one in the running for Twitter's CEO, as it may just be too soon to know who would be right for the job.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken to his personal Twitter account to share an email from Twitter which informs new management on how to run the company.

Musk posted a screenshot of the email to his Twitter account only a few minutes ago that reveals a managing Twitter course called @Twitter 101 (M101). The email states that course covers what it means to be a "good manager at Twitter" through creating opportunities that impact as well as help employees at the company a grow their careers. Notably, the email also states that the course informs new management on how to demonstrate care for their new team.

Furthermore, the email reads that new management has only 30 days to digest this information via the "mandatory course". Additionally, once the course is completed Twitter will enroll the new management in "Managing @Twitter 201", which is seemingly the next step on how to successfully manage the company from the company's point of view. Musk states in his caption that "this is an actual, real email that was autogenerated".

Just in time for Halloween, NASA and the European Space Agency's (ESA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has snapped a haunting photograph of one of the most iconic places in the cosmos.

It was only a few weeks ago when NASA released a breathtaking view of the Pillars of Creation, and now the space agency has released a second view, but this one is different as it primarily is taken in mid-infrared light, giving it a completely different appearance.

The Pillars of Creation are located 7,000 light-years away from Earth within the constellation Serpens, and as explained on the ESA's website, the thousands of stars seen in the below image (Webb's first image) completely disappear from view, with the thick clouds of interstellar gas and dust becoming the main focal point.

NASA's Mars rover is currently collecting samples across the Red Planet and placing them in sample tubes that will eventually be transported back to Earth.

NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting samples of the Red Planet for many months, and now the space agency, along with the European Space Agency (ESA), has agreed upon a location for the first sample drop-off site. In a new blog post on the NASA website, the space agency explains that Perseverance will soon be entering a new phase of its mission which will be transporting the samples it has onboard to Three Forks, a location at the base of an ancient river delta in the Jezero Crater.

Notably, Perseverance has been collecting samples in pairs which ties into NASA's plan of having Perseverance deliver its samples to a rocket that will blast off from the Red Planet back to Earth. However, to give the mission its best chance of success, one of the duplicated samples will be dropped off at the first Mars sample depot at Three Forks. By doing this, Perseverance clears room for more samples to be collected, and the already collected samples are put away for safekeeping.

We are only days away from AMD's huge Radeon RX 7000 series "RDNA 3" graphics card reveal on November 3, with slow trickles on leaks for what to expect.

Another day, another confirmation that AMD won't be leading with the Radeon RX 7900 XT and its 20GB of GDDR6 memory but rather the purported Radeon RX 7900 XTX with 24GB of GDDR6 memory will be the flagship Navi 31-based GPU design that we'll see unleashed on November 3.

I wouldn't be trusting random leakers, but VideoCardz picked up that leaker "chi11eddog" teased the Radeon RX 7900 XT with 20GB of VRAM, and the higher-end Radeon RX 7900 XTX with 24GB of VRAM "confirmed" says the leaker. The leaker shared two product stickers with hidden names, leaving out the "XT" and "XTX" and their respective 20GB and 24GB of frame buffers.

Microsoft has told investors, consumers, and regulators that it intends to treat Call of Duty similar to Minecraft and presumably make the $30 billion franchise as widespread as possible--including on competing platforms like Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Switch.

If the Activision merger should go through, Microsoft has made a public commitment to treat Call of Duty similar to how it has treated Minecraft. The implication is that Call of Duty will be made available practically on every gaming platform on the planet, and not being restricted and closed off on the Xbox ecosystem as the UK's Competition and Markets Authority indicates as a possibility. There's just a few potential issues with this--Minecraft is not Call of Duty, but Microsoft could indeed try to make the mature shooter franchise adhere to Minecraft's overall business model.

In a recent WSJ interview, Phil Spencer echoes Microsoft's sentiment, and says he would personally like to see Call of Duty everywhere--including the Nintendo Switch.

The mainline Call of Duty franchise may have sold 25 million copies last year, but Microsoft sees the most potential in Call of Duty Mobile.

Microsoft says that mobile is their main reason to buy Activision-Blizzard for $68.7 billion. With the mighty ad tech-fueled empire of King, whose digital games reached 240 million players last quarter, and the billion-dollar might of Call of Duty Mobile, Microsoft wants to use these powerful established games to engage a section of the market that it's sorely lacking in: Mobile gaming.

In a recent Wall Street Journal Live event, Xbox boss Phil Spencer shared some interesting insight on Microsoft's rationale for the incoming merger with Activision. According to Spencer, mobile is what Microsoft is really interested in, and rightly so given King's sustainable and stable revenues that are complemented by Activision and Blizzard mobile games that are quickly accelerating.

Japanese automaker Toyota said its GAZOO Racing team has helped contribute towards an updated GR Supra GT4 race car for the upcoming 2023 season. The vehicle has enhanced braking, handling, and engine performance based on customer and driver feedback of previous models.

More than 50 GR Supra GT4 cars have participated in races since the first full racing season in 2020, with multiple national and international championship wins. To ensure it remains competitive, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing developed the EVO update for the 2023 season. There was a specific focus on improved handling, higher cornering speeds, and better braking.

The 3.0-liter, six-cylinder turbocharged engine has a better cooling system so drivers are able to focus on better lap times from the increased power and optimized engine torque.

Japanese automaker Nissan announced the 2023 Nissan GT-R is available in GT-R Premium and GT-R NISMO grades, but only to interested buyers with deep pockets. An aggressive design offers both aerodynamic performance and a visual appeal worth noting that helps this car stand out from competing models.

The GT-R Premium has 565 horsepower and the GT-R NISMO has 600 horsepower. The Nissan GT-R has a 3.8-liter V6 24-valve, twin-turbocharged engine that is hand-assembled.

The interior has a unique horizontal-flow dashboard that is covered in Nappa leather and lightweight seats for the driver and the front seat passenger. It should seem familiar to GT-R fans, though Nissan added Apple CarPlay support and a backup camera. Nothing was disclosed if Google's Android Auto will be supported at any point.

The fallout from Elon Musk's successful $44 billion acquisition of Twitter had an immediate impact while the world watches curiously. It looks like General Motors, an automotive rival of Tesla, has decided to pause advertising on the Twitter platform since Musk took over Thursday night.

Here is what GM had to say in an emailed statement to the media: "We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership. As is normal course of business with a significant change in a media platform, we have temporarily paused our paid advertising. Our customer care interactions on Twitter will continue."

It's likely other advertisers will also jump ship, though Musk is working to reassure advertisers. The social media site relies on advertising, which accounted for 92% of Twitter's revenue during Q2 2022.

Japanese automaker Nissan will use its presence at the SEMA car show in November to show off a number of different concept vehicles. Of note, there will be a couple of electric vehicles that are quite unique, including a gas-to-EV conversion of a late '80s pickup truck.

Nissan took its 2023 Ariya all-electric crossover and gave it a wood panel-style body wrap and chrome trim. Take a look at it:

On behalf of Nissan, the Ariya Surfwagon was produced by the car customization group Tommy Pike Customs. The heavily customized Ariya has 20-inch wheels and polished stainless-steel center caps, white-wall tires, custom lowered suspension, and a custom roof rack able to carry two surfboards. The Surfwagon still has the functionality of a regular 2023 Nissan Ariya, with cosmetics as the main focus of the project.

Japanese automaker Honda recently confirmed the 2023 Civic Type R hatch vehicle, the most powerful Honda production vehicle ever sold in the U.S., is now shipping to dealerships. Honda hopes auto buyers will be impressed by the Type R, as it's promoted as the "pinnacle" of speed and driving pleasure.

Type R has a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine capable of producing 315 horsepower with 310 lb-ft of torque. Engine cooling was improved with a new large-diameter fan, larger grille opening, and a bigger radiator - and the active exhaust is able to open at higher rpm to enhance the roar of the engine.

Drivers can use four different pre-set performance settings that include: Comfort, Sport, R+ Mode, and a custom "individual mode." The car has an EPA MPG rating of 22 city, 28 highway, and 24 combined, Honda confirmed in an announcement earlier in the year.

The Wall Street Journal has finally published its interview with Xbox's Phil Spencer, revealing key details about the Microsoft-Activision merger, Call of Duty exclusivity, and Game Pass revenues.

According to Xbox's Phil Spencer, Microsoft has no plans to pull Call of Duty off of PlayStation in 2-3 years, which implies that even if Sony doesn't sign a partnership deal that Microsoft will still keep the games on the platform.

Spencer also gives a curious statement that Microsoft will continue shipping Call of Duty on PlayStation on a post-merger basis "if it makes sense" to do so. What does this mean exactly? Not a lot of info was given on this particular sentiment.

Diablo 3's auction house, which is arguably the worst thing that Blizzard has ever created, wasn't very successful and it probably won't ever be re-introduced into the series.

If you played Diablo 3 back in 2012 then you know all about the Real Money Auction House (RMAH). Blizzard had created an in-game store where you could buy and sell items for real money, creating a shifting macro-economy that significantly detrimentally affected gameplay. The RMAH fostered an unsatisfying gameplay loop where players were stuck in a kind of hellish limbo of not being able to progress because they were not well-equipped enough to farm specific areas for gear. It was a time where legendary items were incredibly rare, and an era where the smallest of act 2 insects could absolutely destroy most players on Inferno difficulty.

Luckily, this machination didn't make much money. In a recent Diablo panel at PRGE 2022, Diablo 3 game director Jay Wilson talked about the RMAH and revealed that money was never the goal. The auction house was made to secure the game, not monetize it.

Japanese automaker Toyota will have its 2023 Crown model available in early 2023, with the sedan promoted with bold styling, premium control and an elevated ride height for drivers.

Toyota will release three hybrid grades: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with all of them shipping standard with all-wheel drive. Buyers will be able to choose from the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) or Hybrid MAX - the Hybrid Max features 340 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.

The XLE and Limited grades have an electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT) while the Platinum grade features a direct shift six-speed automatic transmission.