Lifeboat Foundation

Chandler Cruttenden / Unsplash.

The largest automaker in the world said that by using its new solid-state battery architecture, it can produce batteries with a range of 745 miles (1,200 kilometers), which can also be fast-charged in about 10 minutes, as reported in the Financial Times.

EPFL researchers have developed a 100% effective, ultra-thin active noise cancelling system that uses an ionized air plasma propulsion system instead of speakers. A 17-mm-thick (0.6-in) layer can block 20 Hz noise as well as a 4-m-thick (13-ft) wall.

If you know how active noise cancellation works, then skip ahead. Essentially, the sound waves we hear are pressure waves in the air around us. Speaker cones are big, lightweight membranes designed to push air around in precise patterns to create those pressure waves, either in the form of pleasant music, or whatever it is the kids are listening to these days.

Continue reading “Plasma-based noise cancellation could silence rooms, cars and planes” »

The results of the American Opportunity Survey reflect sweeping changes in the US workforce, including the equivalent of 92 million workers offered flexible work, 80 million workers engaged in flexible work, and a large number of respondents citing a search for flexible work as a major motivator to find a new job.

Competition for top performers and digital innovators demands that employers understand how much flexibility their talent pool is accustomed to and expects. Employers are wise to invest in technology, adapt policies, and train employees to create workplaces that integrate people working remotely and on-site (without overcompensating by requiring that workers spend too much time in video meetings). The survey results identify obstacles to optimal performance that underscore a need for employers to support workers with issues that interfere with effective work. Companies will want to be thoughtful about which roles can be done partly or fully remotely—and be open to the idea that there could be more of these than is immediately apparent. Employers can define the right metrics and track them to make sure the new flexible model is working.

At a more macro level, a world in which millions of people no longer routinely commute has meaningful implications for the commercial core in big urban centers and for commercial real estate overall. Likewise, such a world implies a different calculus for where Americans will live and what types of homes they will occupy. As technology emerges that eliminates the residual barriers to more distributed and asynchronous work, it could become possible to move more types of jobs overseas, with potentially significant consequences.

Compact trucks like Ford’s Maverick, and Telo’s tiny pickup are having a moment. Here are the hottest small vehicles in the US and abroad.

Airbus has officially opened its new Wing Technology Development Centre (WTDC) in Filton, UK. The plant will further its “Wing of Tomorrow” program.

Airbus has officially opened its new wing technology plant in Filton, England. Inaugurated by British Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani, the new plant is a fundamental part of Airbus’ plan for its so-called “Wing of Tomorrow.”

Continue reading “A new Airbus facility opened to battle Boeing for new wing designs” »

Tesla car insurance rates vary by model. Find out how much it costs and why coverage is more expensive.

After finding early success with a robot crop-spraying plane, the California startup Pyka has developed an autonomous cargo carrier that could be among the first of a wave of novel electric aircraft to come to market that could change how goods get around.

Lucid Motors is planning new, affordable models with which to take on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. The American automaker recently entered an agreement to supply Aston Martin with electric powertrain components, but company CEO Peter Rawlinson is already focused on what comes next. Speaking with Auto Express, Rawlinson shared some interesting tidbits about future models — including rivals to Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y.

Once the all-new Gravity SUV arrives in the second half of 2025, Lucid intends to hit Tesla where it hurts. “After Gravity, we’re going to do Model 3 and Model Y competitors. We think around $50,000, maybe $48,000 — something like that. It’s too early to say, but that’s the vision.”

This would bring Lucid ownership within reach of customers who can’t afford the $87,500 required to purchase the Air luxury sedan. When questioned about manufacturing right-hand drive vehicles, Rawlinson said Lucid would love to cater to more markets but is currently focused on getting the Air Sapphire to market.

Tesla delivered upwards of 466,000 vehicles in the second quarter — 20,000 more than Wall Street’s consensus forecast of about 446,000, it revealed on Sunday. Jim Chanos waved away the strong showing on Twitter, saying it was fueled by price cuts and firmly priced into Tesla’s current valuation.

“Again, ‘blown away’ is a 4% beat on deliveries with huge price cuts? The $800B valuation might just be discounting that…$TSLA,” he tweeted about Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle company.

“Is ‘massive’ 4% for a stock at 10x revenues…? Shouldn’t a company trading at that valuation always exceed expectations? $TSLA,” the short seller wrote in a second tweet.