Places and Things

The first Mercedes-Benz EV fast-charging stations will open this fall Mercedes-Benz is launching its high-power charging hub network in the fourth quarter of 2023 with speeds as high as 400kW — more than any EV on the market can handle, the company announced. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/the-first-mercedes-benz-ev-fast-charging-stations-will-open-this-fall-075912626.html

Amazon CEO reportedly told remote employees: ‘It’s probably not going to work out’ Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has a message to employees who don’t want to return to the office: “It’s not going to work out for you.” That’s according to a report from Insider, which says Jassy made that statement during a meeting earlier this month. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/28/23849754/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-remote-employees-return-to-office

The Apple Watch Ultra is $100 off with a couple colorful strap options We’re inching closer to September’s Apple event, and along with a rumored iPhone 15 lineup, we’re likely to see a new Apple Watch. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/24/23844109/apple-watch-ultra-sony-linkbuds-earbuds-google-nest-doorbell-deal-sale

Meta approved hate-filled Facebook ads that called for violence in Europe Meta is again facing allegations it’s not doing enough to prevent the spread of hate speech and violent content in Facebook ads. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/meta-approved-hate-filled-facebook-ads-that-called-for-violence-in-europe-030015537.html

Scientists strengthen concrete by 30 percent with used coffee grounds Humans produce around 4.4 billion tons of concrete every year. That process consumes around 8 billion tons of sand (out of the 40-50 billion tons in total used annually) which has, in part, led to acute shortages of the building commodity in recent years. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/scientists-strengthen-concrete-by-30-percent-with-used-coffee-grounds-221643441.html

WD refused to answer our questions about its self-wiping SanDisk SSDs What’s the fuss? For months, the company has been laughably silent about how its pricey portable SanDisk Extreme SSDs might lose all your data. It happened to my colleague Vjeran Pavic twice. It happened to Ars Technica. It happened to PetaPixel. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/23837513/western-digital-sandisk-ssd-corrupted-deleted-questions

GM invests in ‘AI-enabled’ battery startup that could help build cheaper EVs GM is leading a $60 million investment round for battery research company Mitra Chem. The California-based startup could help spur the development of more cathode active materials (CAM) for GM’s electric vehicles. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/16/23834197/gm-mitra-chem-electric-car-battery-lfp

January 6th riot investigators obtained Trump's Twitter DMs and deleted posts Despite having trouble obtaining former President Donald Trump's records from Twitter (now X), the special counsel investigating the events of January 6th, 2020 was ultimately able to get his hands on vast amounts of information from the website. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/january-6th-riot-investigators-obtained-trumps-twitter-dms-and-deleted-posts-064330362.html

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is coming out a week early Assassin’s Creed Mirage will now be released on October 5th, which is a week ahead of its original October 12th release date, Ubisoft announced on Monday. The game has also gone gold, indicating that it’s locked for release. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/14/23831569/assassins-creed-mirage-new-release-date

Chip implants get under your skin so you can leave your keys at home Software engineer Miana Windall has about 25 implants under her skin, ranging from magnets to RFID tech. While that might make your skin crawl if you’re squeamish, “for the most part, they’re not really noticeable,” she told Engadget. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/chip-implants-get-under-your-skin-so-you-can-leave-your-keys-at-home-170008199.html

Disney is ‘actively exploring’ ways to crack down on password-sharing Move over Netflix — Disney might be the next company to carry out a password-sharing crackdown. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is “actively exploring ways to address account sharing.” Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/9/23826310/disney-plus-password-sharing-earnings-q3-2023

Google is helping pilots route flights to create fewer contrails, which is better for the climate Google has been working with American Airlines and Bill Gates’ climate investment fund, Breakthrough Energy, to chart more sustainable flight routes. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/9/23825771/google-american-airlines-ai-flights-contrails-climate-change

The Continental is at capacity in new trailer for Peacock’s John Wick prequel series While the very first teaser for Peacock’s forthcoming The Continental series was rather light on details, the latest trailer definitely makes it seem like the John Wick prequel is going to live up to the films’ action-packed reputation — or die trying. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/23825985/the-continental-john-wick-peacock-trailer

How to set up a Matter-over-Thread device in your smart home You may have heard about this new smart home standard Matter and how it will make it easier to buy and set up connected gadgets. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/23823041/matter-thread-device-setup-smart-home-how-to