The Morning After: Meeting Citroën's tiny two-seater EV
And the Raspberry Pi 4 gets a price cut.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
These days, the internet community experience centers around social networking apps. But some of us recall the old days when it was weird to talk to strangers online, whether via BBS, IRC or Kris Holt's preferred stomping grounds: a message board.
The Foo Fighters fan page where he came of age has shut down, taking with it 20 years of memories and the usual share of low-grade internet drama. Its exit provides space to reflect on what that site (not #thatsite) got right and wrong in building space for all kinds of conversations. While Facebook, Twitter and TikTok struggle with issues of memes, disinformation and free speech at the billion-user scale, it certainly feels like they're just repeating work that small community-moderated sites figured out years ago.
-- Richard
More coronavirus cancellations
As cases of the coronavirus are found in more countries around the globe, companies have responded by cancelling a number of large events. Facebook's F8 developer conference will exist mostly online this year, and yesterday Microsoft announced it's skipping GDC. Overnight, SNK yanked support for offline fighting game tournaments for the time being, and Switzerland's decision to ban events of more than 1,000 people until March brought a swift end to plans for the 2020 Geneva Motor Show.
Timex made a smartwatch for Ironman
Timex's new Ironman smartwatch, the R300 GPS, bundles the workout essentials -- on-wrist heart rate monitoring, guided coaching, a range of performance metrics and water resistance up to 30 meters -- into a wearable that costs just $120. The company claims the battery will last up to 25 days, as long as you only use 20 hours of GPS.
Like the Timex Ironman One GPS before it, this is really more of a fitness band than a smartwatch, or in the company's words a "sports-first smartwatch."
The $35 Raspberry Pi 4 now comes with double the RAM
Compared to the original, the Pi 4 2GB has eight times the memory, 10 times the I/O bandwidth, four times the number of pixels on screen and dual-band wireless networking. Now, on the eight birthday of the original, you can get that upgraded hardware for the same price as when things started.
Citroën's new EV is a tiny two-seater that only costs $22 a month
Meet the "Ami," a two-seater vehicle made for city transportation that's so small it doesn't even require a license. That is, so long as you're at least 14 years old in France or 16 in other European countries. It has a 5.5kWh battery under the floor, which can run for 44 miles on a single charge -- you can simply plug the EV into any standard 220v outlet and wait three hours to fill its battery.
As far as purchasing, Citroën plans to sell the mini EV for €6,000 outright, or on a rental plan for €22 per month (after a significant down payment).
Apple's keyboard cover for the next iPad Pro could add a trackpad
The iPad has never been more like a conventional computing device, blurring the lines between tablet and laptop. Well, it might be about to get blurrier. A report from The Information suggests that Apple is kicking off production of a new keyboard accessory for iPads that would include a built-in trackpad. This would apparently arrive alongside a next-gen iPad Pro later this year.
If you can't wait til then, you could try Brydge's third-party Pro+ keyboard for iPads, which adds backlit keys, a trackpad and a MacBook-esque vibe to your tablet. Prices start from $200, and it's expected to launch in April.
Samsung is already working on fixes for the Galaxy S20's cameras
Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra isn't even out yet, but reviews are suggesting there might be camera problems. The company says it's working on a fix. "The Galaxy S20 features a groundbreaking, advanced camera system," Samsung told The Verge, that it is "constantly working to optimize performance to deliver the best experience for consumers. As part of this ongoing effort, we are working on a future update to improve the camera experience."
Samsung didn't say what the problems were, exactly, but the Galaxy S20 Ultra indeed has a very advanced camera with a 108-megapixel sensor. It also packs a phase-detect system that's supposed to make autofocus (AF) quicker and more accurate. However, critics have found that it's slow and in some cases inaccurate, yielding out-of-focus photos -- something the cheaper S20 and S20+ don't suffer from. The company hasn't said when the fixes will be coming, but the smartphone is due to arrive on March 6th. Our verdict is coming later today.
But wait, there's more...
Clearview AI client list reveals its facial recognition database is being used by businesses
Xbox Series X's game resume feature even works after a reboot
Judges rule that YouTube is not a public forum and isn't bound by the First Amendment
Spotify redesign makes it easier to play, favorite and download music
Walmart+ is the retailer's latest attempt to take on Amazon Prime
YouTube TV to drop Fox regional sports channels amid Sinclair dispute
Bose Frames work with Microsoft's navigation tech for the blind
The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't Subscribe.
Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter.
Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.