The Morning After: Tesla offers cheaper Model S and Model X options with shorter range
Plus, the best DACs for hi-def audio and the new all-electric Lambo teaser.
Tesla has quietly launched new – much cheaper – Model S and X variants with a shorter quoted range. Standard Range Teslas are around $10,000 less than the base model, but with ranges cut by 80 and 79 miles, respectively. Both cars are half a second slower 0 to 60, so you might expect your overall responsiveness to drop as well. It’s not clear if the vehicles are the base models with some of the capacity software-locked, or if there’s really a much-smaller battery under the floor.
It’s also not clear when development work began on the models but, at the end of July, Reuters suggested Tesla had overstated its range figures, especially when its EVs are fully charged. It said the vehicles would only report honest range targets when the battery had fallen to 50 percent, at which point the numbers would fall dramatically. And that Tesla had a team set up in Las Vegas to deflect user queries about diminished range when they tried to arrange a service appointment. That report has already triggered the start of a class action lawsuit in California, accusing the company of fraud.
— Dan Cooper
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Lamborghini teases a fully electric supercar ahead of its August 18 reveal
It looks pretty, shrouded in shadow.
On August 18, Lamborghini is expected to unveil its first all-electric super-(hyper? mega?) car concept. Ahead of the event, the company has dropped this teaser, showing off the very clean lines of the model. Details are scarce, but we do know it’ll be an entirely new vehicle rather than an electrified version of an existing whip. You’ll have time to save up to buy one; we’re not expected to see a road-ready version for several years.
Xbox adopts an 8-strike suspension policy
It’s clarified and expanded how it enforces community standards.
Microsoft’s updated Xbox community standards have moved to an eight-strike policy. Minor infringements will get day-long suspensions from Xbox social features, while the gaming giant will ban repeated and persistent rule breakers for a whole year. Users will also be able to see their enforcement history, to make sure the process is transparent.
Comcast debuts Storm-Ready WiFi device ahead of hurricane season
Stay connected when the power’s out.
Comcast has launched Storm Ready WiFi, a backup connection device that uses cellular data to keep you connected when things get rough. The battery-powered unit will run for up to four hours on a charge – twice as long as the average US power cut. It’s available to select Xfinity users for $7 a month, and might be useful come hurricane season.
The best DACs for Apple Music Lossless in 2023
Get HiFi audio on the go.
Apple’s belated embrace of high-resolution audio means there’s a lot more interest in how to get the best out of their audio service. Sound expert James Trew has put together this guide of the best DACs that deliver crisp audio both at home and on the go. He’s also added options that work well with Qobuz, Tidal and Deezer, if those are where your musical loyalties lie.
X is slowing down links to websites Elon Musk has publicly feuded with
Because of course it has.
Xwitter appears to be intentionally slowing outbound links to rival platforms and organizations its founder doesn’t like. In recent days, users clicking links to The New York Times, Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads and Substack have been delayed by five seconds before going through. The list of targets, and the consistency at which the delay is applied, suggests it’s a deliberate attempt to sandbag the targets of Musk’s ire.
