Xorte logo

News Markets Groups

USA | Europe | Asia | World| Stocks | Commodities



Add a new RSS channel

 

Keywords

Marketing and Advertising

2024-03-20 17:23:54| Engadget

Picture the scene: Your date has gone well and you and your partner might sleep together. Like any safe adult, you assume there will be a conversation about STI status and the use of protection. Now imagine how you would feel if they asked to take a photo of your penis and upload it to a website youve never heard of. Thats the future of intimacy, as imagined by Calmara, a new service launched by mens health startup HeHealth. HeHealth Website Its press release suggests users take a picture of their partners penis so it can be run through a deep learning model for visual signs of sexually-transmitted infections. And while the website suggests users should wear protection, a banner atop the HeHealth sites describes the app as Your intimate bestie for unprotected sex. Mixed messages aside, you may notice some major issues with the pitch: That this only covers infections that present visually, and that its only designed to work with penises. But even if that use case applies, you might not feel you can trust its conclusions once youve looked at the data. The Calmara website claims its scans are up to 90 percent accurate, saying its AI has been battle-tested by over 40,000 users. That figure doesnt match up to its press release, which says accuracy reaches 94.4 percent (a figure cited in this NSFW preprint paper submitted a week ago), but its FAQ says the accuracy ranges from 65 percent to 96 percent across various conditions. We've reached out to the company and want to learn more about the apparent discrepancy. Calmara Its not impossible for models to categorize visual information I reported on how systems like these look at images of cells to aid drug discovery. But there are plenty of reasons as to why visual information isnt going to be as reliable for an STI test. After all, plenty of conditions dont have visual symptoms and carriers can often be asymptomatic long after infection. The company admits to this in its FAQ, saying that the app is a first line of defense, not a full-on fortress. Not to mention that other factors, like the lighting, the particular health quirks youre scouting for and a rainbow of skin tones might tweak those [accuracy] numbers a bit. Even more alarming, the unpublished paper (which is riddled with typos) admits that a full 40 percent of its training dataset is comprised of "augmented" images, for instance "extracting specific visually recognizable disease patterns from the existing clinical image dataset and layering those patterns on top of images of health (sic) penises." Calmara The Calmara websites disclaimer says that its tools are for the purpose of promoting and supporting general wellness and a healthy lifestyle and are not to be used to diagnose, cure, treat, manage or prevent any disease or condition." Of course, if it really was intended as a general wellness tool, it probably wouldnt describe itself as Your intimate bestie for unprotected sex, would it. It doesnt help that this is a system asking users to send pictures of their, or their partner's genitalia. Issues around consent and as writer Ella Dawson raised on Bluesky age verification, dont seem to have been considered. The company's promises that the data is locked in a "digital stronghold" lacks specifics about its security approach or how the data it obtains may be shared. But that hasnt stopped the company from suggesting that it could, in future, be integrated directly into dating apps. Fundamentally, there are so many red flags and potential vectors for abuse and giving users a false sense of confidence that nobody should try using it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/friends-dont-let-friends-use-an-ai-sti-test-162354796.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 17:00:14| Engadget

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is here, and we're rounding up the best tech deals we can find as it rolls along. If you're specifically looking for a new gadget on the cheap, though, we've sifted through the trash and picked out a few discounted devices that are genuinely worth your time and now available for less than $50. The offers include our favorite pair of budget wireless earbuds, Amazon's own Echo speakers and Fire TV Stick streamers and a few of our favorite Bluetooth trackers, among others. Here are the best Amazon Spring sale tech deals under $50. As a reminder, Amazon says this sale will run through March 25 and isn't exclusive to Prime subscribers. Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazons Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblogs car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-amazon-spring-sale-deals-under-50-save-on-earbuds-chargers-streaming-sticks-and-more-160014666.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 16:36:59| Engadget

The top smart air purifier in our guide is Levoit's Core 400S Smart Air Purifier, which is currently down to $190 as part of Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Just be sure to click the on-page coupon to take $30 off the list price. The discount is the largest we've seen this year, though the unit did dip to $179 in 2022's Black Friday sale. In our tests, the unit performed better than some of its more expensive competitors and the filters are reasonably priced at $50 (other purifiers require replacements topping $100).  Air purifiers can be a good option for days when the pollen count is high or there's yet another wildfire burning in your region in other words when opening a window to let in fresh air isn't an option. The Core 400S Smart purifier can auto-detect when there's high particulate matter in the air, adjusting the fan speed accordingly. And fortunately, the highest speed isn't disturbingly loud, yet still circulates a good amount of air. The on-board controls are easy and the connected app is fairly easy to set schedules and the like after you get past the superfluous forums, wellness and shopping tabs in the over-stuffed app.  It uses a three-stage system comprised of a pre filter to catch pet hair and larger dust particles, then a activated carbon layer for trapping odors and VOCs. Then there's a HEPA filter to remove pollen, mold and even some bacteria from the air. The machine is also Energy Star and CARB certified. The design isn't the most inspired, but the Core 400S does its job well.   Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazons Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblogs car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/save-30-on-our-favorite-smart-air-purifier-during-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-153658324.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 16:30:04| Engadget

To say I loved Alienware's previous flagship gaming monitor, the 34-inch ultrawide QD-OLED, would be an understatement. It was one of the best screens I'd ever seen, with incredible contrast, bold colors and a fast refresh rate. So it came as a surprise that Alienware's follow-up models didn't go bigger (as Samsung did with its massive 55-inch Odyssey Ark). Instead, it went smaller with a 32-inch 4K QD-OLED and a 27-inch 1440p model. The goal this year was to appease more-demanding gamers, which meant avoiding the race towards enormous screens (which also has contenders like LG's recent 49-inch Ultragear) and delivering faster refresh rates for smoother gameplay. Alienware's $1,299 32-inch QD-OLED monitor, which I've been testing for a few months, is notable for being one of the first 4K screens of its size to offer a 240Hz refresh rate. The 27-inch model is even speedier it hits an eye-bleeding 360Hz. To the average consumer, those numbers probably don't mean much. But for gamers, higher refresh rates means the ability to effectively see higher framerates and experience smoother gameplay. It could also lead to competitive advantages: You might spot an opponent in Apex Legends a fraction of a second faster, or have an easier time sniping someone over long distances in Overwatch 2. I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed to see Dell go smaller with its QD-OLED displays this year, but the company's logic makes sense. Most gamers prefer sticking with 1440p and 4K screens, instead of jumping to slightly unwieldy ultrawide aspect ratios (which also aren't always supported in games). It'll also be cheaper for Alienware to produce these monitors in more-common proportions. Competitive players tend to prefer smaller screens so they can have a full view of their gameplay, whereas they may have to turn their heads a bit to take in all the action on an ultrawide screen. Alienware's 32-inch 4K QD-OLED (model number AW3225QF) shares the same sci-fi aesthetic as the company's previous ultrawide. There aren't any sharp corners across its two-tone black and white case, and it looks like a movie prop that you'd find in an '80s space opera. Its dual-leg base is fittingly sturdy for a screen this size (more so than monitors that only rely on a single central leg), but its overall shape and rear LEDs also give off Pixar vibes. I could almost see this monitor hopping around my office when I close the door, just like Buzz Lightyear. While I love Alienware's retro look, it's admittedly not as refined as Apple's Studio Display, which is a glorious work of brushed metal art. Then again, that screen is only 27 inches, costs $1,599 and doesn't support high refresh rates for gaming, so the Alienware is a far better value. Dell also gives you all the ports you'd need: A DisplayPort connection with 240Hz support; HDMI 2.1 for 4K/120Hz console gaming; HDMI eArc/Arc to connect to soundbars and receivers; USB-C 3.2 with power charging; three USB-A 3.2 downstream ports; and a USB-B upstream connection to your PC. The Alienware's QD-OLED panel has all of the benefits of OLED inky dark blacks and high contrast along with the power of Quantum Dots, allowing for richer colors and potentially greater brightness. The most striking thing about the 32-inch monitor is that games and movies look like they're practically painted on. It's like a direct digital feed to your eyeballs. An anti-reflective coating keeps distracting ambient light out of sight, while its ability to cover 99 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut makes colors appear rich and vibrant. There's also support for Dolby Vision and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, both of which mean you can expect deep black levels in games and movies, while very bright elements in the same scene are well-balanced. The monitor supports 1,000 nits of peak brightness, which is enough to make your eyes tear up while staring at the sun in Halo Infinite (Pro-tip: don't do this in real life). Most LCD-based 4K TVs are far brighter, but those are better-suited to living rooms where you're sitting far away, rather than a screen that's just a foot or two away from your eyes. As a gaming monitor, the 32-inch Alienware QD-OLED excelled at everything I threw at it. Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077 and Helldivers 2 all looked incredible, with eye-searingly bright highlights and bold-yet-realistic colors. During some sessions, it almost felt like I was truly seeing those games for the first time. I noticed details in my Halo character's armor I completely missed on other displays, and the neon glow of Cyberpunk's Night City almost leaped off the screen. Mostly, though, I just felt completely immersed in whatever I was playing. It was as if the edges of the monitor bled away and their digital worlds were being directly injected into my eyeballs. Or maybe I've just been playing too much Helldivers 2. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget I knew from the start that I wouldn't be reaching 240 fps in 4K with most titles (even while running on an RTX 4080 Super and Ryzen 7900X), but the 32-inch Alienware still delivered smooth gameplay in Halo Infinite while I hovered around 130 fps. (You can also thank NVIDIA's G-SYNC tech for that, since it locks in the refresh rate to avoid screen tearing and lag issues.) 4K gaming becomes more palatable when you're upscaling titles using NVIDIA's DLSS or AMD's FSR technology, but even then it's still tough to crack 150 fps or more. I had to play most games in 1440p to go beyond 200 fps. (For fast-paced shooters and racing games, I'd much rather have a higher refresh rate than a minuscule 4K fidelity bump.) While super-fast 4K gaming is a bit unrealistic at the moment, it may become more feasible as GPUs get beefier and upscaling tech becomes even more efficient. The Alienware 32-inch QD-OLED is ready for that future. The real question for gamers today, though, is if it's worth shelling out $1,299 just to be primed for what's to come. It's still a fantastic display, and looks great while watching films and putzing around the web. Text looked crisp and clear, and that crazy high refresh rate makes scrolling through websites silky smooth. As with most monitors though, it's worth waiting a bit to see how it depreciates. The excellent 34-inch Alienware QD-OLED ultrawide also launched at $1,299 two years ago, but now you can nab it for $900. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Like Alienwares QD-OLED ultrawide before it, the companys 32-inch 4K gaming monitor is a marvel, with excellent brightness, contrast and rich color depth. Its so immersive that at times it feels more like a virtual window than a mere screen. Its also completely overkill for most games. But for the few that can justify the price, itll be a worthwhile gaming investment for years to come.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alienwares-32-inch-4k-qd-oled-gaming-monitor-is-total-overkill-but-in-a-good-way-153004427.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 16:07:12| Engadget

The Amazon Big Spring Sale is here, and though not exclusive to its products, some of its devices are touting great discounts. Take Amazon's Echo Dot, which is 30 percent off, dropping to $35 from $50. The fifth-generation device is one of our picks for the best smart speakers of 2024, and the more affordable price makes it all the more tempting.  The fifth-gen Echo Dot came out in 2022 but is still Amazon's latest edition in the series. It has similar capabilities to other smart speakers but at a fraction of the cost. It's a small but mighty device, with excellent sound and clarity for the price point. It utilizes Alexa for most actions but has physical buttons for adjusting the volume and muting the mic.  Amazon's Echo Dot with a clock is also on sale, with a 17 percent discount dropping its price to $50 from $60. If you're looking for a slightly more advanced option, then check out Amazon's fourth-generation Echo. The device is down to $65 from its usual $100. It offers additional features like Dolby audio and a built-in camera shutter.  Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazons Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblogs car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pick-up-an-echo-dot-for-only-35-during-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-150712728.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 16:00:33| Engadget

Your keys (bags, jackets, purses) may soon become easier to find, thanks to the Big Spring Sale at Amazon. Right now a four pack of Tile Pro Bluetooth trackers are down to $80 instead of the $100 full price for the pack. The deal looks even better when you consider a single Tile Pro goes for $35. That's not quite an all-time low, as we saw the set drop to around $70 for the shopping holidays in 2022 and again last year. Still a decent savings over buying our favorite trackers for Android phones separately and at full price.  The Tile Pro lets you swap out the battery, unlike other Tile models where you need to replace the whole unit. It's also louder than other Tile trackers and Apple's AirTag. While Tile trackers will work with Apple and Android phones, we found the connectivity to be much more reliable with an Android device. Like AirTags, the tags rely on the millions of other Tile users to anonymously ping your lost items when they're out in the world. At home, you can make them ring using the app to help you figure out which couch cushion your keys have fallen between. One caveat is that some features, like the alerts that let you know when you've left your items behind, are only available with a monthly subscription.  Other Tile trackers are on sale as well, including the smaller Tile Mate and the Mate paired up with a Tile Slim, our pick for the best wallet tracker. If you're interested in our top overall Bluetooth tracker, it's worth noting that the Chipolo One is on sale for $60 for a four-pack. It was the loudest tracker and the quickest at letting you know when you were leaving the house (or restaurant, coffee shop, grandma's house) without your things. Though it's wider finding community is nowhere near as vast as Apple's or even Tile's.  Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazons Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblogscar experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-four-pack-of-tile-pro-bluetooth-trackers-is-on-sale-for-80-in-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-150033881.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 15:47:42| Engadget

They have only been around for a matter of weeks, but Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones are already on sale for record-low prices in the Amazon Big Spring Sale. Perhaps you've been waiting for a solid deal on the top-end Galaxy S24 Ultra, which usually starts at $1,300 for a version with 256GB of storage. That variant is currently $150 off at $1,150. We gave the Galaxy S24 Ultra a score of 89 in our review. We found it to be very expensive (this sale helps mitigate that!) and the design and lack of Qi 2 support were drawbacks. However, we appreciated the camera upgrades and felt the S24 Ultra delivered great performance and offered terrific battery life. It often had a 50 percent charge remaining after 24 hours of regular use, thanks to the large battery and power efficiency gains afforded by the new processor. One other major thing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset powers is a host of on-device generative AI (GAI) features, the big selling point for the Galaxy lineup this year as Samsung tries to compete with Google Pixel devices on that front. An interpreter mode can translate languages during calls, while the Chat Assist tool can check the grammar, spelling and tone of your messages before sending them. There are also AI-powered options for image editing and search. While the AI tools more or less work as expected, we felt that they're not quite as polished as Google's versions. Nevertheless, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is our pick for the best premium Android phone. The Galaxy S24+ is also $150 off. That too marks a record low for a version with 256GB of storage the handset currently costs $850. Like its smaller sibling, the S24, the S24+ earned a score of 87 in our review. We appreciated the battery life and (for the most part) the GAI tools, though we felt that low-light photography performance was somewhat lacking. The prices of several other Samsung products have dropped as part of the Amazon Big Spring Sale. Those who prefer foldables may be more interested in the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Again, that's $150 off at $850 for 256GB of storage. However, it's $50 more than the lowest price we've seen for the handset thus far. Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazons Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblogs car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s24-smartphones-drop-to-record-low-prices-for-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-144742649.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 15:15:45| Engadget

Spring is officially here and if you've been itching to get back outside for a run, or you want to start a new workout regimen, the Amazon Big Spring Sale might have just what you need to upgrade the music portion of your routine. A number of Jabra earbuds have been discounted for the sale, including a couple of our top picks for the best headphones for running. Key among them is the Jabra Elite 8 Active, which is on sale for $160 only $10 more than its record-low price. The same sale price can be found direct at Jabra as well. These nearly bested the Beats Fit Pro for the top spot in our guide. Not only are the Elite 8 Active buds comfortable and secure when doing any kind of workout, but they're also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance. Jabra also put these earbuds through military-grade testing to protect them from extreme humidity, high temperature, rain and altitude, so it's fair to say these buds can take a beating (probably way more than what you'd put them through even during your sweatiest runs). The Elite 8 Active have solid sound quality and ANC out of the box, but you can customize EQ settings using its companion mobile app. If you prefer bassy sounds to get you in the zone before a workout session, you can change the sound profile to accommodate that. They also support spatial sound with Dolby Audio, which is a great perk to have and it will make the Elite 8 Active an even better option for those who want just one pair of buds to use all day, every day, not only during workouts. Jabra's HearThrough transparency mode is also handy, especially for runners who often train outside, since it lets some sound in so you can stay more aware of your surroundings. Our biggest gripe with the Elite 8 Active buds is that HearThrough doesn't sound quite as natural as the transparency mode on our top pick, the Beats Fit Pro. Otherwise, they're a fantastic option for runners or anyone else who wants a solid pair of wireless earbuds that provide a complete package when it comes to sound quality, ANC and protection against sweat and the elements. If you're looking to spend even less, it's hard to find a better value in Jabra's lineup than the Elite 4 Active earbuds. Those are on sale for $90 right now not a record low, but close to it. They're our budget pick in the same guide thanks to their comfy, IP57-rated design, good sound quality and ANC, solid battery life and support for multipoint connectivity. And even though you don't get spatial audio on the Elite 4 Active, they do support custom EQ with the Jabra mobile app. Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazons Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblogs car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-headphones-for-running-is-20-percent-off-in-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-141545370.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 15:00:13| Engadget

A lot of EVs arent that fun to drive, built as they are to glide around a highway like a swan on a river. Sure, like the swans manic paddling, theres a lot of hardware and software sweating in the background to maintain that serenity. But the feeling can be so soporific that you wind up lusting for the day full autonomy comes and puts us out of our misery. Except, of course, if youre driving a new Lotus. You see, when youre driving an electric Lotus, theres a sense of cognitive whiplash you dont often get these days. EVs are quick and have plenty of torque thanks to their electric motors but they rarely have anything close to a personality. But even when youre driving its new two-plus ton SUV, youre capable of zooming around a race track as if you were driving a go-kart. Its this unity of electric smarts and old-school drivability that Lotus hopes will return the perpetually beleaguered manufacturer to its former glory. Lotus Lotus Cars If youre not a car person, I wouldnt blame you for not knowing Lotus was a big name in manufacturing and F1 emphasis on was responsible for many innovations that shaped how we build, drive and race cars today. We talk about [having] this pioneering and rebellious spirit, says Mike Johnstone, Lotus new VP of Commercial Operations. For the last 75 years, Lotus has been a left-field car manufacturer, with customers who want something that is not necessarily part of the status quo. Lotus is a company defined by, and proud of, its idiosyncrasies. Its idiosyncratically based in rural Norfolk, a hundred miles or more from the rest of the UKs automotive industry. Its idiosyncratic co-founder Colin Chapman (pictured, above), whose famous mantra was simplify, then add lightness. Its idiosyncratic technical innovations, like monocoque bodies, ground-effect aerodynamics and the early use of carbon fiber. Its cars' idiosyncratic obsession with perfect handling and speed rather than creature comforts. It would be impolite to mention the idiosyncratic financial relationship between Chapman and John DeLorean that would lead to the latters undoing. It was this idiosyncratic reputation that made it a draw for pop culture figures who wanted to stand out from the crowd. Patrick McGoohan chose a Lotus Seven to be The Prisoners car in 1996 because it showed a touch of the rebel. The Avengers Mrs. Peel drove a Lotus Elan, while James Bond drove a Lotus Esprit underwater in The Spy Who Loved Me and a Turbo Esprit in For Your Eyes Only. And Richard Gere drove a Lotus Esprit in Pretty Woman because Porsche and Ferrari, who were asked first, objected to the films subject matter. I doubt Lotus has ever uttered the phrase brand safety with a sincere face. Since Chapmans death in the early 80s, Lotus has become a byword for stagnation, passed from one corporate parent to another. Its model line suffered: It sold the Elise from 1996 until 2021, while the Exige was in production from 2000 to 2021. Its newest car pre-Geely was the Evora, and its 12-year lifespan made it the youngest and freshest ride in the range. All three were discontinued in 2021 when the Emira made its debut as the companys last gas-powered car. Lotus remained alive because of its small but passionate fanbase, which happened to include a number of automotive executives. But while demand for its own cars waned, the rest of the industry continued to rely on its expertise in making cars drive well. Lotus fingerprints are visible in so many high-profile cars, from the DeLorean DMC12, Aston Martin DB9 and even Sinclairs C5. More importantly, the first Tesla roadster was developed on Lotus platform, with the first run of cars built at its Hethel, England base. In 2017, Geely the Chinese EV giant that owns Volvo and Polestar  bought a 51 percent stake in the company. Its spent the last few years and a considerable amount of cash to push the company into the 21st century. The existing gas-powered product line was cleared out, the HQ revamped and a new electric-only facility built in China. I was able to visit the companys Hethel plant to see the fruits of this investment, and also to try all of the new vehicles. The headline-grabbing model, of course, is the Evija, the companys $3 million all-electric hypercar. The Evija Lotus Cars Emeya, Eletre, Emira, Evija, Evora, Exige, Elise, Elan, Esprit: Its tradition, or something, that all Lotuses have incomprehensible faux-Latin names beginning with an E. The Evija will, hopefully, lodge itself in your memory as the companys hypercar, of which only 130 will be built. One of the first is owned by former Formula One world champion Jenson Button with a Brawn GP paint job in honor of his 2009 win. Lotus opted to put a lot of hardware in the middle of the car behind the two seats to retain that mid-engined weight distribution. The body is a single piece of carbon fiber, and its obvious to all that this is a race car first, with Lamborghini-esque styling. To save weight, theres little sound dampening, so you can hear the roar of the gear, and the road, as you slice through the air. Put your foot down and youll hear the power unit spin up to push juice to those four wheel-mounted 500W motors. What comes out the other side is eye-bleeding acceleration and enough g-force that you feel your lunch shift from one side of your stomach to the other. Yes, other EVs can go quickly, and some accelerate ludicrously fast, but the Evija is playing in different water. For car people, Lotus has always been synonymous with fast-twitch driving dynamics and slightl lackluster reliability. But the Evija feels mature, solid, stable and able to harness all of the pure grunt that only an electric motor can provide. Id go further and say that the Evija is terrifying, especially when Karl Eaton, one of the minds behind the vehicle, took me around the track in one. He waited until the car reached 201 miles per hour to start explaining all of the smart choices embodied in its design. I didnt recall much of what he said at the time since I was trying to keep all the fluids in my body. The Eletre and Emeya Lotus Cars Of course, the Evija is the standard bearer for Lotus as a luxury EV maker that stands out from the crowd. Its not likely youll have a few million lying around, but its existence will make you aware of the relatively more reasonably-priced options in its lineup. The Eletre is the first real Lotus EV, priced around $100,000 and again, something of a departure from the norm. Whereas Lotus prides itself on making zippy, mid-engined sports cars, this is a two-and-change ton SUV that just happens to be as capable on a race track as its E-named predecessors. On my first few laps around the track, I drove the Eletre like a high-sided SUV, which is to say, gently. After all, I didnt want to flip this thing over when Id need to save three years worth of paychecks just for a chance to look at the sales brochure. My co-pilot kept urging me to go harder, and eventually I did, realizing that Lotus has done something amazing. Its a car that you can fling around a track and feel like youre Lewis Hamilton, and then drive it home without missing a beat. Lotus Cars The Eletre is already on sale, but we wont need to wait a decade to see what follow-up Lotus has planned. Next on the docket is the Emeya, a luxury hyper-grand tourer based on the same platform as the Eletre. You can see the shared design language and the emphasis on active aerodynamics in the body to help the cars zoom around the corners. There are gaps and vents all around the body to help push air past the cabin and keep all four wheels planted on the road. As for the interiors, Lotus is a company that has traditionally avoided fripperies like comfort and ease of use. These, after all, arent conducive to Chapmans mantra of simplifying and adding lightness. But the Eletre and Emeya have gloriously un-Chapmanesque cabins full of luxurious materials and physical dials and switches more reminiscent of a high-end camera. When you look at the price and see that the luxurious excesses of this cost the same as a Tesla Model X, you feel as though the incumbents need to get a lot better quickly. The Spirit of Lotus Lotus Cars You could argue that Lotus is just a badge under which Geely can slap components its using elsewhere. But Mike Johnstone said the parent company has no interest in diluting what makes Lotus Lotus. More than 99 percent of all of our development is done ourselves, said Johnstone, where we benefit [from being owned by Geely] is access to a supply chain. Much has been made about what Lotus role in the automotive firmament should be in the new world of electric vehicles. Colin Chapmans famous principles were to simplify and add lightness so arent bulky EVs, shorn of their gas-powered engines, an insult to his memory? Thankfully, I only needed to cross the road that runs alongside Lotus Hethel HQ to ask an expert: Chapmans son, Clive (pictured, left). Clive is the head of Classic Team Lotus, a heritage brand that keeps the companys former gas-powered F1 cars working. Despite the shared name and proximity, theres no financial relationship between Lotus and the Classic Team. Clive showed me around the facility, which maintains those classic F1 cars and races them at heritage events, like the Historic Grand Prix at Monaco. If youre a one-percenter with an old Lotus, you can also send it here to be restored by specialists. On the upper floor, theres a collection of classic Lotuses of every stripe. Its a rare and beautiful sight to see. I asked Clive how his father would feel about the shift to electric. Dad was never sentimental, said the younger Chapman, and directed me to a pristine Lotus 56 in the collection. He explained that his father was never wedded to one technology or philosophy, despite what some Lotus fans may claim. The Lotus 56, after all, was equipped with a gas turbine engine more commonly seen in aircraft than vehicles, but Colin Chapman was very interested in the speed advantage it could have offered. It seems that what mattered to Colin Chapman then is the same as what matters to Lotus now: Pushing automotive design forward, no matter how unusual the method. Before I tried any of Lotus EVs on its test track, I tried the (gas-powered) Emira and used that as my benchmark. My expectation was that the subsequent cars would all pale somehow in comparison to the last true Lotus to be made at Hethel. And yet, the new cars, despite their batteries and electric motors, are just as lithe and energetic as ever. This, I suspect, is why Lotus has a good chance of making a mark in the new world, because it remains enough of that uncompromising spirit to stand out from the crowd and make sure that, for those who need it, you can still feel connected to your car.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lotus-secret-weapon-is-evs-with-personality-140013839.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2024-03-20 15:00:00| Marketing Profs - Concepts, Strategies, Articles and Commentaries

Audience interactions with brand posts on Twitter/X stabilized in 2023 following a drop in 2022, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

Sites: [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] next »

Privacy policy . Copyright . Contact form .