The Morning After: Tesla's $25,000 EV, and its 200 MPH-capable Model S
New battery tech could Tesla build cheaper cars, but first the fastest Model S ever is going 'Plaid.'
Judging by the standard of last week’s NVIDIA 3080 and PS5 rollouts, the start of Xbox Series X and S pre-orders was only a slight disaster. Not all of the sale pages went live exactly as scheduled (I’m looking at you, Best Buy and Amazon), and Microsoft’s servers were crashing at the same time CEO Satya Nadella gave a speech about the power of cloud computing or something, but things worked well enough for many people to jump in without staying up all night.
It’s bizarre that handing a company money for a video game console is so difficult, but at least now we can get to the important things — arguing over minor differences in framerate or software lineup to prove superiority. It’s the way of things.
— Richard
Tesla's 1,100HP 'Plaid' Model S sport sedan will arrive in late 2021
Pre-orders for a $139K version of its Model S are open.
No, it’s not covered in plaid (shame), but it is fast. This version of the Model S sedan — which goes well beyond the previous Performance version and its high-speed “Ludicrous” mode — will be available late next year. Tesla promises 1,100 horsepower, sub-two-second 0 to 60MPH time and a 200MPH top speed. And as far as range goes, according to the video, the Plaid model can go 520 miles or more between charges. Pre-orders are available now on the Tesla website, with prices starting at $139,000.
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Fitbit Sense review: Basic smartwatch, robust health tracker
No such thing as too much health tracking.
The $330 Fitbit Sense is a comprehensive health-tracking machine with basic smartwatch features and a new navigation system that can be difficult to master. It offers more wellness tools than Apple and Samsung wearables at a cheaper price, and it’s especially great for people who don’t mind wearing a watch to bed to glean more information about their health. Want all the details? Cherlynn Low tests it out — and then went straight on to reviewing Apple’s newest watch.
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Microsoft says its $22,000 85-inch Surface Hub S2 can help with social distancing
Sure, seems legit.
Microsoft says the larger screen will make it easier for people to collaborate while staying six feet apart and could replace traditional whiteboards and projectors. Pre-sales are available now, and you should know that, for the first time, you can get one with Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise installed. The real question is why don’t you have one or two of these already?
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Sponsored by Yahoo Mobile
Back-to-school shoppers, get up to $200 when you buy a new phone and switch
Microsoft gives Outlook for Mac a facelift for Big Sur
A better way to read this newsletter.
Outlook’s Mac version will also get a major facelift in October, just in time for Apple’s macOS Big Sur release. The new Outlook features icons that more closely tie-in to the rest of the company’s apps, along with lots of rounded corners and semi-translucent panels to let whatever’s behind the app shine through slightly. In other words, it’s all clean, friendly and flat, much like the redesigned Big Sur apps Apple first showed off over the summer.
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Tesla lays out 'Battery Day' plans that lead to a $25,000 electric car
And a private beta for Tesla’s Full Self Driving upgrade could start soon.
Yes, Elon Musk said in 2018 that a $25,000 EV could be three years away. And yes, in a presentation on Tuesday, he said Tesla could build a $25,000 EV… three years from now. There are a few more reasons this date might stick, though, all unveiled during a Battery Day presentation. Put simply, by vertically integrating production of more powerful battery cells, the company thinks it can expand EV range and lower costs. Watch the stream for the details on how it all works.
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Walmart is delivering at-home COVID-19 tests by drone
A pilot project is underway in North Las Vegas.
Walmart is starting to deliver at-home COVID-19 tests by drone. A trial got underway in North Las Vegas today, and the deliveries will expand to Cheektowaga, New York, early next month.
It’s delivering the kits to qualifying patients who live within a mile of certain Walmart Supercenters in both locales. Walmart says there’s no cost for those who opt to receive a test by drone, and there’s a prepaid shipping label to return it.
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But wait, there’s more...
Amazon says it has nothing to do with the Echelon 'Prime Bike'
Google will no longer let developers charge for Chrome extensions
Shopify reports 'rogue' employees stole some customer data
SXSW organizers plan to run an online festival in 2021
Amazon Prime Day will reportedly start on October 13th
NASA outlines how it will take humanity back to the Moon in 2024
Jabra's Elite 85t true wireless earbuds offer adjustable ANC for $229
Jabra will add ANC to its Elite 75t earbuds in October
HP's latest Pavilion laptops use recycled ocean-bound plastics
Replacing an ill-fitting Apple Watch Solo Loop could be a headache
Razer made wireless versions of its most popular accessories
