A reminder that smartphones take pretty darn good photos (Credit: Lance Ulanoff)
Ghost truck
Remember Tesla’s CyberTruck? I do. Back in 2019, I stayed up late to watch the West Coast unveiling and was rewarded with the strangest and maybe coolest electric truck design I had ever seen. There were also some great moments during the unveil, like when Tesla CEO Elon Musk instructed his colleague to through a softball-sized metal ball at the truck window to show that the panes were shatterproof. They weren’t. It was hysterical.
My problem with the Cybertruck, though, was how impractical it looked. I didn’t love the design but also felt like we’d learned our lesson about stainless steel vehicles from the Delorean.
Now, after multiple delays, Musk just revealed that they’ll be making adjustments to the EV truck, raising the price, and delaying its release. None of this is good news, especially for all those who, for reasons I can’t fathom, pre-ordered the oddball truck.
It’s not like Tesla has all the time in the world here. GM, Ford, and others will be rolling out a whole bunch of EV trucks between now and 2025. If the CyberTruck doesn’t release in the same time frame, I think it’s done.
I still think Tesla should make a truck, but maybe recalibrate. Right now, people need a more recognizable design at a far more affordable price. I believe Musk could make the Model 3 version of a Tesla Truck, price it at, say, $39K and sell, well, a truckload of them.
Still Curious, after all these years
10 glorious years on another planet. Who among us can claim that except for an intrepid robot, the Mars Curiosity Rover, that landed on the red planet 10 years ago this month?
Back when I was at Mashable, we tracked every step of the buildup, landing (the 7 minutes of terror), and deployment. It’s rolled across the surface, taken stunning images, drilled, and eaten Mars dirt. We love the little guy, which was later joined by four other rovers, including Soujourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Perseverance.
Sure, Curiosity doesn’t have a helicopter, like Perseverance, but it will always have our hearts. In honor of its 10th birthday, here’s a comic I drew a decade ago to celebrate Curiosity’s Mars landing.
Celebrate the baby hippo
Cincinnati Zoo has the distinction of capturing the world’s attention, with the prolonged birth of a baby giraffe, but if you’re paying attention you know that the zoo has been home to countless baby animal births.
I follow the zoo’s Twitter account where I discovered that its hippo, Fiona, gave birth to an adorable baby hippo last week. I filled my own Twitter feed with all its cuteness.
I share this because, well, when things are tough, it’s nice to know that there’s still a lot of simple beauty and magic in this world.
It’s Samsung
This week Samsung unveils its latest gear, specifically folding phones and maybe some other stuff. I’ll be tracking it all. Follow me on Twitter and at TechRadar.com for the latest details about the Android phones you’ll be considering soon.
Programming Note
I’ll be on a summer break for the next two weeks, which means this newsletter is taking a short break. It returns on August 29. Try not to miss me too much.
Missed on Medium and TechRadar
Take care
See you soon