Day: March 6, 2018

That cute Honda Urban EV? Customers can place orders early next year

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Cars

via Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com

March 6, 2018 at 08:42AM

Jaguar’s all-electric SUV will start at $69,500 in the US

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Pre-orders for the Jaguar I-PACE may have been available starting March 1st, but there was a problem: We didn’t actually know how much the electric crossover SUV would actually cost in the US. Jaguar released that information today at the Geneva Motor Show, and it will start at $69,500.

Considering the I-PACE starts at €63,495 in the UK (roughly $87,216), that pricing is pretty good. It’s especially reasonable when you remember that it’s a Tesla Model 3 competitor, and that electric SUV’s base price is $10,000 higher, $79,500.

The SUV is equipped with a 90 kWh battery and has a range of around 240 miles. Additionally, the car can be charged from zero to 80 percent in 40 minutes using a 100kW DC fast charger, or in 10 hours from a 240V AC wall box. Customer deliveries for the I-PACE are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2018 in the US; you can register your interest in purchasing one of these SUVs at Jaguar’s website.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Tech

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

March 6, 2018 at 08:45AM

Open Source RFID System Keeps Untrained Members Off Dangerous Machines

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Tech

via MAKE https://makezine.com

March 6, 2018 at 08:02AM

This Super-Sharp Knife Made From Pasta Probably Cuts Better Than It Tastes

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Tech

via Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com

March 5, 2018 at 02:15PM

MoviePass CEO: ‘We watch how you drive from home to the movies’

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MoviePass’ approach to gathering viewer data might raise eyebrows. According to Media Play News, CEO Mitch Lowe told those at a business forum that the movie subscription service’s app not only tracks your location, but follows you to and from the theater. "We watch how you drive from home to the movies," he said, adding that "we watch where you go afterwards." Not surprisingly, the company is hoping to understand customer habits and "build a night at the movies." If people tend to have dinner before the movie or to have a drink afterwards, for example, MoviePass could steer customers to restaurants and bars and take a cut of the revenue.

It’s no secret that MoviePass would want to collect at least some data. It can use that to help movie studios gauge how well their shows are really doing, which is particularly important now that MoviePass has a stake in some productions. However, the company doesn’t tell you that it’s actively tracking your location. As TechCrunch explains, the privacy policy only covers a "single request" to help you choose a theater and improve the service. If Lowe is right, the app is not only collecting location info without consent, but creating a huge privacy risk — even if the tracking data is anonymized, someone could theoretically figure out who you are and where you live.

We’ve asked MoviePass for comment. Provided Lowe hasn’t misspoken, though, this would help explain why MoviePass is comfortable charging so little for a month’s worth of theater trips. In theory, the wealth of data would offset whatever losses MoviePass endures. The question is whether or not it’s collecting that data honestly, and it doesn’t look like that’s the case.

Update: A MoviePass spokesperson has responded, indicating that the comments have been taken a bit out of their original context, saying the company is "exploring" location-based marketing. We have asked if any current customers are being tracked and will update the post further if we get any more details. The full statement is below.

At MoviePass our vision is to build a complete night out at the movies. We are exploring utilizing location-based marketing as a way to help enhance the overall experience by creating more opportunities for our subscribers to enjoy all the various elements of a good movie night. We will not be selling the data that we gather. Rather, we will use it to better inform how to market potential customer benefits including discounts on transportation, coupons for nearby restaurants, and other similar opportunities. Our larger goal is to deliver a complete moviegoing experience at a price anyone can afford and everyone can enjoy.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Media Play News

Tech

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

March 5, 2018 at 06:21PM

ESA’s air-breathing thrusters help keep satellites alive longer

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Satellites could soon remain in orbit for years on end thanks to new technology that turns air molecules into propellant. A European Space Agency (ESA) team has developed an electric thruster that collects molecules from the top of the atmosphere and gives them electric charges so they can be accelerated and ejected to provide thrust. This could create a new class of satellites able to operate in orbit for long stretches.

Current technology means that satellite missions are limited by the need for on-board propellant. ESA’s GOCE gravity mapper, for example, managed to operate for five years thanks to an electric thruster that minimised air drag, but it still relied on 40kg of xenon — once that was depleted the mission ended. A host of companies, including NASA, ViviSat and The China National Space Administration have already demonstrated some in-space refuelling capabilities, but this is obviously a much more elegant solution.

The new electric thruster, developed for testing by Sitael, works on a passive basis (there are no valves or complex parts), and comprises an intake that’s able to collect and compress the air molecules that otherwise bounce away. According to ESA’s Louis Walpot, the research means air-breathing electric propulsion "is no longer simply a theory but a tangible, working concept, ready to be developed, to serve one day as the basis of a new class of missions." The team says the thrusters could also be used at the outer fringes of other planets, such as drawing on the carbon dioxide of Mars, potentially opening up far-away planets for exploration in a way that’s been largely unobtainable until now.

Source: ESA

Tech

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

March 6, 2018 at 07:27AM

Hyundai’s Le Fil Rouge concept is the future of the automaker’s design

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Not to be left behind in the concept car parade of the Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai unveiled its Le Fil Rouge EV concept. It’s bigger than you would expect from the Korean automaker, but also prettier.

While the automaker didn’t share anything about the performance of the car other than it’s an EV, the design of the vehicle is a good indicator of the future of Hyundai’s line up. The car is "the cornerstone of Hyundai design," according to Hyundai VP of design SangYup Lee.

The interior is equally impressive with a wood-heavy wrap-around dash for the driver and passenger and a 21.5-inch panoramic display. Of course, a long dash goes great with a long car.

It’s unlikely this car will ever come to market, but if this is an indicator of what to expect from the Hyundai lineup in the future.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Tech

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

March 6, 2018 at 04:03AM