Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Clones Apple Force Touch; Leather Tesla Stocking Stuffer
Posted: December 14, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Fast charging, Force Touch, Galaxy S7, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, RFID blocking, Samsung, Tesla, USB type C Leave a commentMore is leaking out about the Samsung Galaxy S7. Due out in March, the S7 will have a pressure sensitive screen copying Apple’s Force Touch, according to theverge.com. The non-Edge version will have expandable storage like the S6 models, and it will sport an improved camera with no ‘bump’ on the back. Maybe best of all, the S7 will have a USB-C port….the kind that lets you insert the cable in either way, and fast charging…reportedly a nearly full charge in 30 minutes! There are still rumors of a retina scanner, but those have been popping up since the S5, so don’t hold your breath.
Be still my heart….a Tesla for Christmas! Well, sort of. Like many other manufacturers, Tesla has leather left over after cutting those buttery seat covers. Now, they’ve started making iPhone 6 cases out of the excess. Bgr.com reports that they run $45 to $50, depending on whether for a 6 or 6 Plus, and if you want a wallet case or not. The wallet case has RFID blocking, too. Thanks, Santa Musk!
When Will That ‘Baby Tesla’ Be Available?
Posted: September 3, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Intel, laptop, Model 3, Model S, PC, Skylake, tablet, Tesla Leave a commentElon Musk Tweeted yesterday that the Model 3, the smallest Tesla, will go into production in 2017. Silicon Valley Business Journal reports that pre-orders will start next March when the car is unveiled. It’s expected that the Model 3 will sell for around $35,000, nearly half the price of the current top line Model S, and have a 200 mile cruising range. Musk said the 2017 date is because demand for the cars will mean the giant battery producing factory will have to be up and running. It will come in both sedan and crossover suv models.
Intel has rolled out it’s new 6th generation core processor, Skylake. The advanced chip has 2-1/2 times better speed, 3 times the battery life, and 30 times the graphics power of an average 5 year old PC. According to businessinsider.com, it will enable cutting the weight and thickness of a PC in half, and for some laptops to go fanless…great news if you’re looking at a laptop, but a blow to the struggling tablet market. Expect the Skylake chips to start showing up in laptops late this year.
The ‘Small’ Tesla Model 3 May Have Serious Cruising Range
Posted: June 11, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Cruising Range, Foxconn, India, Model 3, Model S, Tesla Leave a commentSometimes you see something you know will be a game changer. While a lot of eyeballs have been on Apple’s WWDC this week, Elon Musk spoke at the Edison Electric Institute get together in New Orleans. According to bgr.com, Musk let it drop that the compact Model 3, which is 20% smaller than the pricey Model S, Will have a driving range of at least 250 miles. If Tesla holds to the $35,000 price point on the smaller car, they won’t be able to build these things fast enough, and other car makers will breathlessly be trying to play catch up. The Model 3 will be rolled out next March, and should be launching in late 2017.
On the subject of the aforementioned Apple, major supplier Foxconn is reportedly in talks to open a factory in India. Reuters says this would allow them to avoid the wage inflation in China, and in addition help them keep Apple business in a market Apple wants to develop. Foxconn is shooting for developing 10-12 facilities in India, between factories and data centers…all by 2020.
Tesla’s Home Batteries Could Be Leased
Posted: April 27, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Elon Musk, Facebook, Home Batteries, iOS, Leasing, Rent Sharing, SolarCity, Splittable, Tesla, Venmo, WhatsApp Leave a commentThe poorly kept secret Tesla home batteries may be leased instead of sold. Engadget.com picked up a report from the Guardian that says some have already been leased to a few SolarCity customers. SolarCity is, of course, run by Tesla boss Elon Musk. The 10 year deal has been test run at $1500 down and $15 a month, or $27.50 a month, making the decade lease cost $3300. Subsidies from energy companies could drop the price even lower. Whatever the deal will be should be revealed in a few days.
A new app is out for renters, that works like Venmo for shared meal tabs. Splittable lets housemates divvy up rent and expenses evenly…a big help in places like the Bay Area and New York City, where house and apartment sharing are common. It was already given a trial run in London for 1000 renters, and is available on Android, iOS, and the web. TEchcrunch.com says you can invite housemates over email, Facebook message, or WhatsApp.
Mobile Moving Up In Google Searches
Posted: March 1, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple VR, Electric cars, FedEx, Fuel Savings, Gear VR, Google, Mobile, Samsung, Search, Tesla, Trucks, Virtual Reality Leave a commentGoogle has an upcoming change to search…engadget.com says on April 21st, they will roll out an updated algorithm that puts mobile versions of websites higher in the search results. The search giant also has a mobile-friendly test tool available for website operators to check that Google recognizes their mobile version.
Samsung has frequently been dinged for copying Apple. According to bgr.com, the tables are about to be turned, as Apple may be working on a virtual reality headset like the Gear VR. Cupertino already has some VR patents, but new job listings indicate things are heating up on developing an Apple VR headset.
Electric cars get all the glory, but a co-founder of Tesla says its electric trucks that will matter more. The verge.com reports that Ian Wright claims companies should retrofit gas guzzling trucks with his Wrightspeed range-extended power trains. Wright is already converting 25 FedEx trucks to his system, and says they’ll save 35 grand a year each in fuel and $20,000 in maintenance.
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