Honda’s hybrid future starts with new Accord and RDX prototypes
Honda revealed prototypes of two new hybrid models, an Accord sedan and the Acura RDX SUV, during its annual business briefing this week, built on a platform that it says will begin launching next year. The RDX was announced earlier this year as Honda's first SUV to feature the next-gen version of its two-motor hybrid system.
Honda also announced it's dropping the goal of having one-fifth of its sales be EVs by 2030, and for 100 percent of its sales to come from EVs and fuel cell vehicles by 2040. Honda now plans to "reallocate more development and production resources into hybrid models."
- Honda is planning to launch 15 next-generation h …
Closing time
Today was closing arguments in the Musk v. Altman trial, and I almost feel bad writing about the unbelievable demolition derby I just witnessed. Steven Molo, Musk's lawyer, stumbled over his words. He at one point called Greg Brockman - a co-defendant - Greg Altman. He erroneously claimed that Musk wasn't asking for money and had to be corrected by the judge. He made it clear we've heard from many liars over the past few weeks, but offered little evidence for Musk's actual legal claims.
OpenAI's lawyer, Sarah Eddy, countered this by simply arranging the mountain of evidence that the company introduced in chronological order. She didn't spen …
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond got its first big discount
The most graphically-impressive first-person shooter made for the Nintendo Switch is $20 off at Best Buy. Right now, you can buy the physical version of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for $39.99 ($20 off). The game looks surprisingly good on the 2017 hardware, but runs way better on the Switch 2 with the additional $10 upgrade pack that unlocks hi-res textures, faster loading times, and Joy-Con mouse mode.
If you’re gaming on a Switch 2, getting the discounted game and the digital upgrade pack costs $50 versus its normal $70 price for the Switch 2 Edition version. Yeah, it’s a little confusing.
The latest Prime game is a departure from the previous entries, the last of which was released all the way back in 2007. Beyond features an open-world design with plenty of associated trappings. There are map markers, collectibles, and a slick motorcycle to take bounty hunter Samus Aran across the huge desert where Beyond’s story unfolds. I agree with our review by Andrew Webster that these new additions feel out of place in the franchise, but I still had a good time, and the campaign doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Meta brings virtual writing to everyone with Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses
Meta is rolling out new features to its Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, including bringing the ability to write messages just with hand gestures to all users. You'll be able to use the feature in WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and with "native Android and iOS messaging," Meta says.
The feature, which relies on the Meta Ray-Ban Display's included neural wristband, was one of the most impressive features of the Meta Ray-Ban Display when it was first announced. However, it wasn't available at launch, but in January, Meta launched it in early access for WhatsApp and Messenger.
Meta is bringing a few other upgrades to the Meta Ray-Ban Disp …
Behold, the Elon Musk jackass trophy
Yesterday, in Musk v. Altman, before the jurors came in, Sam Altman's team passed up what looked - from a distance - like a little league trophy. It was not. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers had the lawyers read the inscription aloud for the press: "Never stop being a jackass." It's a commemoration OpenAI employees bought for research scientist Josh Achiam, who testified yesterday.
How exactly did this come up in a trial about nonprofit contract law? Allegedly, when Elon Musk was leaving OpenAI, he talked about wanting to race ahead of Google. Achiam, who worked on AI safety, asked if that was really such a good idea. Musk called him a jackass. Years …
Leaked images reveal Xbox Elite 3 controller with mysterious new buttons
Hours after a smaller Xbox Cloud Gaming controller appeared online, Brazil's Anatel regulator has also accidentally published images of what appears to be Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Elite 3 controller. Tecnoblog has posted images that show the successor to the Elite 2 controller, with an interchangeable D-Pad, paddles, and two new mysterious buttons.
The Elite 3 controller design appears to be more refined this time, with the addition of two new scroll wheels at the bottom that could be related to controller adjustments or a new input method for games like Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The Elite 3 will also have a new pair button that …
OpenAI’s Codex is now in the ChatGPT mobile app
OpenAI is going to let users access Codex, its desktop AI tool that can write code and use apps on your computer, from the ChatGPT app on your phone.
Following the surge in popularity for Anthropic's Claude Code, OpenAI has been working quickly to try and catch up, including by cutting back on "side quests," shutting down projects like the Sora video-generation tool, and focusing on growing its enterprise business. The company's push included the recently released major update for Codex that lets it operate apps on macOS - a potentially major step as part of its ambitions to make a desktop "superapp."
Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app lets …
Meta’s summer sale drops Ray-Ban’s new smart glasses to record-low prices
If you’ve been curious about Ray-Ban’s Meta smart glasses, right now they’re on sale in Meta’s biggest deal event outside Black Friday. As part of the company’s Summer Sale event, which runs through May 26th, the original model is on sale starting at $224.25 ($74 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Meta, matching its best price to date. The newer, second-gen glasses are also discounted, and you can grab a pair for $322.25 ($57 off), which is a new low price, at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Meta.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) smart glasses
Where to Buy:
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2
Where to Buy:
No matter which model you buy, you’re getting largely the same core experience. As far as smart glasses go, both are pretty stylish and look like a normal pair of Ray-Bans. They also offer the same feature set, letting you snap hands-free 1080p photos and short videos as well as livestream straight to Instagram or Facebook. Both glasses also double as surprisingly capable open-ear headphones, with speaker quality that’s great for listening to music while letting you stay aware of your surroundings. You can also take calls through a five-mic array that does a good job of keeping your voice sounding clear.
You also get access to all of Meta’s AI assistant features. If you’re planning to travel this summer, for example, the assistant can translate supported languages like Spanish, French, and Italian in real time, and answer questions about landmarks you’re looking at. They can also come in handy in everyday life, helping you brainstorm recipes based on whatever ingredients you already have in your fridge, reminding you about upcoming appointments, scanning QR codes, and more.
The main difference is that the newer model shoots sharper 3K video at 30fps, up from 1440 x 1920 at 30fps, which translates to slightly sharper video and improved image quality. The Gen 2 also can last up to eight hours with heavy use, which is twice that of the original pair’s, and means you can likely comfortably wear them all day before recharging.
Read our first-gen and second-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses reviews.
Microsoft starts canceling Claude Code licenses
Microsoft first started opening up access to Claude Code in December, inviting thousands of its own developers to use Anthropic's AI coding tool daily. It was part of an effort to get project managers, designers, and other employees to experiment with coding for the first time, and sources tell me that Claude Code has proved very popular inside Microsoft over the past six months. Perhaps a little too popular, as Microsoft is now preparing to walk back its Claude Code push.
I understand that Microsoft is planning to remove most of its Claude Code licenses and push many of its developers to use Copilot CLI instead. While Claude Code has been …
Linux devs are fighting the new age-gated internet
In January, Colorado lawmakers introduced a proposal to make operating systems collect users' ages and pass them to app developers. The bill, SB26-051, had clearly been designed for commercial platforms like iOS and Android - one of numerous plans to age-gate the internet through users' devices. It was intended to provide information that would let developers disable age-inappropriate experiences for kids. But as it made the rounds online, Linux laptop maker Carl Richell read the proposal with dismay.
Carl Richell is the founder and CEO of Denver-based System76, which also develops the Pop!_OS Linux distribution. The law, he realized, woul …