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A Chinese EV startup wants to build a ridable robot unicorn for kids
Chinese EV maker Xpeng has teased a robot unicorn your kids can ride — but most of its details are still a mystery.
Uber files for its IPO and faces the past
Ten years after the company was founded, Uber is finally ready to go public. The company revealed its S-1 filing for an IPO this afternoon, and as such opened up more information to everyone about its finances and concerns going forward. Going through the document, a lot of those concerns involve the past, particularly in 2017 when a series of revelations about its corporate culture, treatment of drivers and passengers, and other misdeeds resulted in the exit of CEO Brian Kalanick. According to Uber, it has some 91 million monthly active users who've either taken a ride or received an Uber Eats delivery. That number came from Q4 of 2018, and is up 35 percent from the previous year, with some 3.9 million drivers, and 1.5 billion trips in the quarter. Uber also gave some insight on its self-driving car plans, saying "Along the way to a potential future autonomous vehicle world, we believe that there will be a long period of hybrid autonomy, in which autonomous vehicles will be deployed gradually against specific use cases while Drivers continue to serve most consumer demand." As usual for an S-1, the list of risks acknowledges everything that could go wrong for the company including increased regulation, drop in reputation or falling behind competitors. For Uber that includes not just the seedier aspects of its past mentioned above, but also the issue of how to try and achieve profitability while maintaining prices customers have come to expect and compensation that works for drivers. This is expected to be one of the biggest tech IPOs ever, and comes just a month after its main competitor Lyft listed its shares on the open market, revealing over 30 million riders and just under two million drivers.
SpeedX's Unicorn bike knows how much effort you're putting in
SpeedX is back with another "smart" road bike that promises to track your rides with a sleek, blemish-free design. The Unicorn is a sequel to the Leopard, which I took for a spin last June, and comes with a new, detachable bike computer on the stem. It has a 2.2-inch touchscreen and runs a custom version of Android, clearly indicating your current, average and maximum speed, among other information. Despite its color display, SpeedX says the new "SpeedForce" computer will be visible in direct sunlight and last more than 20 hours on a single charge. There's also a wireless button on the handlebars for convenient screen switching.
ICYMI: Sad unicorn truth, disease-fighting drones and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-781614{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-781614, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-781614{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-781614").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The news that a type of unicorn walked the earth at the same time as prehistoric humans makes modern-day fantasy novels make a lot more sense. CERN is getting its Large Hadron Collider back online after a hiatus to improve its electrical system. And Ethiopia is using drones to drop sterile tsetse flies over the country, intending for them to breed with the wild natives and cut back on the population of disease-carrying insects, thus lowering risk of illness to humans and animals. We also share that paleontologists mapped the evolution of the largest type of dinosaurs, learning new things about them; and also touched on how vertical farming operations are moving into grocery stores. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Android's new emoji arrive next week on Nexus devices
Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer said new emoji were on the way, and now they're right around the corner. The Google exec revealed that next week Nexus devices will be updated with the new taco, unicorn and lion face emoji that are part of the Unicode 8.0 standard. The change will require a "new keyboard, new font, new code" so it means a full system upgrade is on the way (as far as any other changes, Lockheimer is declining to "ruin the surprise"). If you don't have a Nexus phone, you'll have to wait for your manufacturer to push the upgrade... eventually. No matter how long that takes, emoji addicts will be happy to see Android picking up the pace on its Unicode support, following Apple which added the latest standard to iOS 9.1 and OS X El Capitan.
Tacos, burritos and unicorn emoji are coming, thanks to Unicode 8.0
The Unicode Consortium unveiled its new emoji set as part of the standard's version 8.0 update on Wednesday. Yes, that taco emoji we've all been waiting for on bated breath has arrived and lo, it is glorious. Other food-related icons include taco's big brother, the burrito, as well as a hot dog, popcorn and a cheese wedge. Inedible emoji like a Unicorn head, prayer beads and a volleyball are also available. Surprisingly though, no hotdog pizza emoji just yet -- probably because we're not sure yet if they're ok for human consumption.
RIFT brings back Unicornalia
As the holiday season swiftly approaches, RIFT reminds us all of an important issue that doesn't get much discussion over the year: Unicorns. Oh, sure, the plight of these noble creatures can easily be dismissed with a waved hand and a claim that "these are fictional animals that do not actually exist," but RIFT's Unicornalia returning is a chance for everyone to adopt a unicorn in peril. During the event, which runs until November 26th, you can provide a home for an Onyx Unicorn or an Opal Unicorn. Both can potentially be received from the limited edition Sparkle Troves in the RIFT store. You can also obtain the Onyx Unicorn as a rare drop from an event in Moonshade Highlands or by completing the "A Rainbow in the Dark" achievement, while the Opal Unicorn can be received via Unicornalia dailies. Please, take time out of your day to consider the unicorns. They're not just for virgins any more.
Moto X leaks in more press shots, this time in white
And the saga continues! Hot on the heels of this morning's leaked renders comes a couple more press shots of the Moto X, courtesy of @evleaks -- this time in glorious unicorn white. There's not much more to mention here other than it's a lot easier to spot the mics front and back and to get a feel for the texture that adorns the rear. It looks very much like the svelte handset Eric Schmidt recently flaunted at the annual Allen and Co media conference. Not a fan of the existing hues? Motorola's been pretty clear the phone will be available in custom colors -- we're longing for a beautiful shade of purple ourselves. With the official Moto X launch slated for Thursday August 1st, we're only days away from getting all the details, so stay tuned for more.
Unannounced Motorola Moto X likely spotted in the hands of Google's Eric Schmidt
During the winter, Sun Valley is known for its skiing. This time of the year, however, it's quickly becoming a tech hotspot as some of the industry's top execs gather together at the annual Allen and Co media conference. Among the attendees is Google's Eric Schmidt, who brought along a mystery Motorola phone and couldn't resist showing it off. While Schmidt couldn't "comment on the nature of this phone," according to Variety's Rachel Abrams, it certainly didn't stop him from giving everyone a sneak peek. Multiple images of the device, which appears to feature a carbon fiber-like back and sleek curves, popped up on Twitter from the likes of Gary He and Taylor Wimberly. As it doesn't match the leaked pictures of the upcoming Droid Ultra or Maxx -- but carries an uncanny resemblance to the leaks and FCC diagrams we've seen of the X already -- we're guessing this is the legendary smartphone in the flesh; and judging by Schmidt's willingness to flaunt it, it's quite likely that we won't have to wait much longer before we see even more of it. There's one more shot of the device from the top past the break.
LG Nexus 4 shows up in white at Google I/O (hands-on)
A checkerboard-style glitter pattern with a white background? Yes, please. We've always been impressed by the elegant look and feel of LG's Nexus 4, announced alongside Android 4.2 last October, and now Google is making an ivory version of the device available to (hopefully) the masses. The twist: it still hasn't been officially announced, despite the fact that a conference like I/O would be the perfect time and place to do so. While Google chose not to take advantage of the situation to show the unicorn Nexus to the world, real-life units have been discovered floating around Moscone West. Androidandme's Taylor Wimberly happened upon one of them at the show and was gracious enough to give us a brief moment or two with the device. There isn't any surprise associated with this particular beaut, as it's packing the same design and specs as we've already seen in the original black model (sorry, LTE hopefuls). The pattern on the back actually doesn't stand out as much as it does on the black version, as it happens to blend in with the white a little more. We also noticed the same set of tiny nubs on the bottom that mysteriously appeared on the black version a few months ago. Lastly, the white Nexus is rumored to be the first device with Android 4.3 when it officially launches, but this particular version we saw only sports 4.2.1. There's not much else for us to write about the new color, but let's face it -- you're here for the pictures, which you can gaze upon below. %Gallery-188722% Myriam Joire contributed to this post.
Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android 4.2
Despite being officially unveiled at Google I/O, the stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 has remained the unicorn of the show, seldom seen by anyone not closely associated with the company's top brass. We ran into Android VP Hugo Barra at the show, who was happy to give us a few brief moments with the upcoming device. There is still a lot of mystery around the $649 phone ahead of its June 26th launch, but we've been able to glean a few additional details nonetheless. While the model in Hugo's hand was a pre-release model and therefore subject to change between now and the official release, the hardware and overall design are identical to what we'd find on AT&T or T-Mobile's model: it sports a Snapdragon 600 chipset, 13MP camera, 16GB of internal storage, a 1080p display and LTE support (a perk for stock fans who were disappointed that the Nexus 4 came without it). Google isn't officially declaring this a Nexus device (not yet, at least), but the GS4 at least exhibits many of the same qualities, including an unlocked bootloader and the promise of prompt system updates. The firmware is pristine as well: it's Android 4.2.2 in exactly the same form it would take on a run-of-the-mill Nexus. Samsung's onslaught of smart features -- the S-branding, Air Gestures, special camera modes and the like -- are all absent here, leaving the user with an experience completely untouched by the manufacturer. The phone appears to respond a tad faster without the TouchWiz experience, but we'll need to spend more time with it before coming to any solid conclusions. Sound like the perfect phone for you? Make sure you're in the Google Play Store on June 26th so you can grab one for yourself. In the meantime, enjoy our gallery of images below!%Gallery-188611%
Nexus 4 trots out in white, sets unicorn fans aflutter (update: more shots)
We're pretty fond of unicorns white phones here at Engadget, especially rare ones like the white Nokia N9. So you can imagine our excitement when we came across this photo of a white Nexus 4 over at Phone Arena. While rumors of a white Nexus 4 have been swirling around the intertubes for some time, a picture speaks a thousand words, right? We took a long, eagle-eyed look at this image and didn't see any signs of trickery. Obviously this doesn't mean a white Nexus 4 is on the way -- it could just be a dummy handset and / or a one-off prototype. Still, if last year's white Galaxy Nexus is any indication, there's a chance this is the real deal. We've reached out to Google and LG for comment, so stay tuned -- it sure would be lovely to add this beast to our stable. Update: The folks over at Tinhte managed to grab a closer look at the device. Hit the second source link for a full photo tour -- we've added another shot of the back (in full glittering glory) after the break.
White Samsung ATIV Smart PC launches in South Korea, remains the same inside
There's obviously something about gadgets dressed in white livery that attracts plenty of consumers, and thus it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Samsung introduce a bleached model of its own ATIV Smart PC. Unfortunately for some, however, the maker of the Galaxy line is keeping this particular launch local, with the white ATIV Smart PC set to be an exclusive to South Koreans -- well, at least for the time being. Regardless, Samsung's Windows 8 hybrid remains unchanged otherwise, meaning there's still that same 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.8GHz, dual-core Clover Trail processor, 4,800 mAh battery and 64GB of onboard storage. The frosted ATIV device is on sale now for 1,090,000 won (around $1,000) -- but, hey, because we know there are likely would-be buyers outside of South Korea, we have a gallery past the jump to show what's being missed.
White Motorola RAZR i lands in the UK on December 22nd
If owning one of the first Intel-based phones just isn't unique enough, there's now a rarer color option. The Motorola RAZR i is coming to the UK in a seasonally appropriate white, starting with local reseller Phones4U on December 22nd. The look will be familiar to some of those who've bought a Droid RAZR M on the other side of the Atlantic, but it may be easy to forgive any not-quite-complete color exclusivity through the contract price: Phones4U is giving the white RAZR i away for free to those who sign up for a contract worth at least £20.50 ($33) per month. While other stores might not carry the Atom-powered RAZR until after the holidays, Brits scrambling to find a last-minute tech gift might just have been given a reprieve.
HTC One S 'special edition' comes draped in white, boasts 64GB of storage
HTC previously showed off a special edition One X geared toward fashionistas in New York City, and now it's time for a slightly lesser-specced member of the numero uno family to get a somewhat similar treatment -- we're talking about the One S. And while the most noticeable characteristic of this "special edition" slab is obviously its new white livery, HTC has also made internal improvements by loading the 4.3-inch device with 64GB of internal storage -- which should pair nicely alongside that 1.5GHz, dual-core S4 CPU and 1GB RAM. The only bad news is this unicorn type is expected to only be available in Taiwan, and mum's the word on when, or if, it'll ever make a trip outside the company's home turf.
Second-generation Razer Blade laptop sharpens its edge with GTX 660M, unannounced Core i7 CPU
The 17-inch behemoths that call themselves gaming notebooks are traditionally quite large, trading extreme performance for substantial bulk. These machines routinely flirt with double digit weigh-ins, and flaunt meaty 1.5-plus inch bezels. They represent a unwieldy reality in portable power that most gamers have learned to expect. Not Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, however -- he's still chasing the dream: thin, powerful and sleek. Tan caught up with us this week to brief us on the next generation Razer Blade, a rig that still boldly claims to be the "world's first true gaming laptop." Razer's first laptop hit shelves earlier this year, packing a 2.8GHz Core i7-2650M CPU and a GeForce GT 555M GPU into a svelte 0.8-inch aluminum shell. Tan explained that the rig's attractive hull hadn't changed much, but its internals sure have. "The Blade was our first laptop, and we've taken feedback really seriously since then," the CEO told us. "We've been listening to gamers and made a chart of all the pros to keep, and all the cons to address. Every single one of them." That chart eventually mapped out the refreshed rig's internals, which include an unannounced Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M graphics, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 64GB of fast-booting solid state storage. All this comes in the same aluminum shell as the first Blade, of course, sporting a 17.3-inch high definition display and the firm's exclusive multitouch LCD Switchblade interface. Tan says the new build addresses some of our own complaints too, noting that the sticky hinge that plagued our review unit has been tweaked to bend to a lighter touch. The machine's internal speakers have been upgraded as well, and are said to be 250% louder with no distortion. The new Blade's sharpened specs will come with a price cut, ringing in at a penny under $2,500 -- and gamers who picked up its predecessor (which will be getting its own price cut, to $2,299), we were told, can snag one for $500 less. Pre-orders are slated to start on September 2nd, and should ship within 30 days. The new laptop is being unveiled for the first time at PAX Prime this weekend. Not in Seattle for Labor Day? Check out the official press release after the break. %Gallery-163950%
Sprint confirms HTC EVO 4G LTE in white, battle of carrier-specific phone colors rages on
Not to be outdone by that red Galaxy S III over at AT&T, Sprint has confirmed that its inadvertent ad posting wasn't just a fluke: it's bringing out a white version of the EVO 4G LTE. Strictly speaking, it's more of a aluminum-with-white-accents trim, but we'll let that slide given that the back and kickstand are now decidedly less smudge-prone. The white EVO will cost as much as that Galaxy S III variant (and the black EVO) at $200 on a contract. Sprint will start selling the white hue on July 15th -- and unlike AT&T, it should have phones on shelves rather than leave customers to online window shopping.
Maker Faire Bay Area 2012, in pictures: 3D printers, unicorns, tesla coils and zombies (video)
Did you miss Maker Faire Bay Area 2012? Did you go but want to relive the experience a little? Well look no further: we came, we saw, we conquered. As one of our friends acutely observed, you couldn't throw something this year without hitting a 3D printer. Below you'll find pictures of said 3D printers, but also unicorns, Tesla coils and yes, even zombies (!) -- all lovingly curated from the hundreds of shots we took at the event this past weekend. Craving something with a bit more meat? We've made a convenient list of our Maker Faire posts. Once you're done digesting that, hit the break for our lovely video montage. Hands-on with the Electric Imp at Maker Faire (video) Raspberry Pi hands-on and Eben Upton interview at Maker Faire (video) Hands-on with the MakerBot robot petting zoo at Maker Faire (video) The Engadget Interview: Ben Heck talks Raspberry Pi at Maker Faire (video) Electric Motor Werks hands-on at Maker Faire (video) %Gallery-155867%
Nokia's White Lumia 900 reportedly available now at AT&T stores
We'd previously heard AT&T's White Lumia 900 was slated for a release on April 22nd, but photos tweeted by the outfit's Chris Weber would suggest the Mango device is up for grabs now. By the looks of it, at least a pair of customers were able to walk into a Rethink Possible shop and grab a pale piece of the Lumia pie for themselves. Naturally, AT&T's site still doesn't have the Windows Phone handset listed, while the Cyan flavor remains out of stock. Perhaps, now it's a good time to head to your local AT&T store and cough up those 99 bucks, or get it gratis through tomorrow. Be sure to drop us a line if you were able to take one of Nokia's own unicorns home with you. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
LG Optimus 4X HD gets dressed in white, shows its unicorn side (hands-on)
We know what you're thinking: It's white. But the truth is, there's something intangible about these snow-colored slabs that cause humans to lavishly drool. This time the sole culprit is LG's Optimus 4X HD, which appears to have found a way into the hands of Taiwanese site ePrice. Aside from being dressed in a different outfit than the first time we took it for a spin, not much has changed under that quad-core hood, meaning it's still sporting a flavor of Android 4.0 while also retaining its renown 8.9mm slim figure. Chances are this isn't enough eye candy for you, though, so we're hooking you up with a video of this unicorn in discrete action after the break. Update: We've just added our own hands-on pictures from our recent trip to Seoul, and as you can see, our Quadrant benchmark scores (we ran it four times) only reached just above 4,000 -- a bit less than what we've see previously. That said, ePrice got just above 4,200 on its 4X HD, and things could change again when the device ships with final firmware, so we shall take a look again when that happens.
