Tag: technology

A year on from release, ChatGPT is still popular among hackers and other cybercriminals.

Microsoft passed Apple before sinking slightly to second place as the world’s most valuable company – what’s next?

The fantastic Hitman trilogy is leaving Xbox Game Pass next week and you shouldn’t miss your chance to try it out at no extra charge.

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Elon Musk has confirmed that a “next-generation low-cost” Tesla EV is in the works and is “optimistic” that it’ll arrive in the second half of 2025, he said in an earnings call yesterday. He also promised “a revolutionary manufacturing system” for the vehicle that’s far more advanced than any others in the world by a “significant margin.”

An article yesterday from Reuters indicated that the new vehicle would be a small crossover codenamed “Redwood.” Tesla reportedly sent requests to suppliers for quotes, predicting a weekly production volume of 10,000 vehicles. Musk previously stated that the automaker is working on two new EV models that could sell up to 5 million per year, combined. 

“Our current schedule shows that we will start production towards the end of 2025, sometime in the second half,” he said on the call. The vehicle will be built in Tesla’s Austin, Texas Gigafactory to start with and other locations around the world later. Musk hinted that there would be a strong push to ramp up assembly: “We’ll be sleeping on the line practically,” he said.

We achieved a record production and deliveries of over 1.8 million vehicles, in line with our official guidance. And in Q4, we’re producing vehicles at an annualized run rate of almost 2 million cars a year. And people are often surprised that the the highest-output… car factory in North America is in the San Francisco Bay area.

Musk stated that the company’s new manufacturing technique will be “very hard to copy” because “you have to copy the machine that makes the machine that makes the machine… manufacturing inception.” He added that as before, the new line could start slowly before production significantly ramps up. 

He warned shareholders of “notably lower” sales growth for 2024, however, as the wave of Model 3 and Model Y sales subsides. The company predicted a second sales wave that will start with the next-generation vehicles coming in 2025. 

Musk also touched on Tesla’s FSD (full self-driving) progress, noting other “car companies should be asking for FSD licenses” and adding that the reasons “will become obvious probably this year.” Musk has made similar rosy predictions for FSD before, though, and it still remains at Level 2 capability. Meanwhile, rival Mercedes-Benz recently gained Level 3 approval in the US. 

As Musk admitted himself, the production forecast “should be taken with a grain of salt as I’m often optimist… regarding time.” He was accurate when he said the Model 3 would arrive in 2017, but was very wrong about the $35,000 price (it debuted at just under $50K and Tesla only briefly sold a $35K model). If that history holds, the next-gen model may arrive on time, but it may take some time for the price to come down.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elon-musk-confirms-a-new-low-cost-tesla-model-is-coming-in-2025-103517158.html?src=rss

While many organizations are pushing for their employees to return to offices, Microsoft suggests trying a new type of “hybrid” working. The company has announced the launch of Microsoft Mesh, a feature that lets employees’ avatars meet in the same place, even if the actual people are spread out. The virtual connection platform is powered through Microsoft Teams. 

Microsoft has tested out Mesh on companies like consulting firm Accenture and pharmaceutical-focused Takeda. “The world of work continues to evolve at a rapid pace, but the importance of human connection has never gone away. Lunchtime conversations, hallway catch-ups, coffee chats — they often hold the key to both workplace success and employee happiness,” Takeda’s chief technology officer Leo Barella explained in a statement. He claims their meetings have been “more collaborative and immersive.”

Mesh provides a series of pre-made spaces that companies can customize with everything from informational videos to logos — without needing to enter any code. The Mesh toolkit works through Unity, Microsoft’s 2D and 3D development platform, to tailor the virtual world further. Basically, if there’s a retreat an employer has always wanted to take everyone, they can create a version of it and invite everyone’s avatars. 

Currently, Microsoft’s Mesh is only available on desktop PCs and Meta Quest VR devices (if employees want a more immersive experience). Microsoft is offering a six-month free trial to anyone with a business or enterprise plan. Otherwise, prices range from $4 per user monthly for Microsoft Teams Essentials all the way up to $57 per user monthly for Microsoft 365 E5. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-launches-mesh-a-virtual-meeting-platform-on-teams-095018763.html?src=rss