Core77 Weekly Roundup (4-28-25 to 5-2-25)
Here's what we looked at this week: 'Anti-Tesla' Slate to offer sub-$20,000 modular EVs.
Spacetop for Windows: AR glasses that provide a virtual, private 100″ display space.
Smart design: Pelican's reconfigurable, infinitely reusable foam inserts.
Verge's hubless wheels for production vehicles.
The design evolution of mailboxes, for better or worse.
This 'Emigre Fonts' book documents trailblazing digital fonts from the 1980s and '90s.
The Vision V: Mercedes-Benz's over-the-top luxury limousine EV.
Nite Ize's climbing-gear-inspired carabiner-based detachable keyrings.
From China, solar-powered pergolas.
The Versa Air is an airbrush that doesn't require a compressor—or cleaning.
The Flip Alarm Clock, by industrial design firm DesignWright, has the simplest shut-off mechanism.
Remedial design: Industrial designer Peter Williams invents a solution for drying out hydration bladders.
The Ice Device, by industrial designer Vanik Piliguian, improves the UX of the ice cube tray.
dbrand's fake grass cases for your device.
Roberts' designey, Japanese-inspired wooden hot tubs.
The Kangaroo Porter is a handy folding utility cart/worksurface.
This Lift & Slide cart can load goods, and itself, into your truck.
Industrial design case study: Sundberg Ferar tackle's Dremel's next generation power tools.
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Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Cries 'Corruption' as Tesla Superchargers Disappear from Key US Route
Elon Musk Cries 'Corruption' as Tesla Superchargers Disappear from Key US Route originally appeared on Autoblog. A common dealbreaker that new car buyers say steers them out of electric vehicles is the sheer state of the charging infrastructure compared to gas-powered cars. Although manufacturers like Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, and Honda offer new owners the opportunity to install a free home charging unit, this is not an entirely "one-size-fits-all" solution for all owners for various reasons. However, as public EV charging appears in more public places and heavily trafficked corridors for the general public's use, one of America's busiest highways has taken a massive chunk of its EV charging offline. According to a new report by NJ Advance Media and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority has ordered Tesla to decommission and remove 64 Superchargers at rest stops along the New Jersey Turnpike, the stretch of I-95 spanning northern and southern New Jersey. Per a May 30 statement from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), the state agency responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, the move comes as the agency decided to transition to what it calls "Universal Open Access EV chargers" starting on June 6. These chargers, which are provided by Applegreen Electric (an arm of Irish company Applegreen, who operates NJTA's service areas), are said to be compatible "with all makes and models of EVs" and will be available on June 6 at various service areas across the Turnpike including the Vince Lombardi, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Stockton, James Fenimore Cooper, Joyce Kilmer, and Walt Whitman Service Areas, with additional chargers at the Molly Pitcher Service Area in July and the Clara Barton and John Fenwick Service Areas in Fall 2025. According to early user-reported data from Plugshare, these chargers are capable of up to 400 kW charging and are usually located next to Tesla Superchargers at select service areas. However, this move is not without conflict. In a lengthy post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on May 30, the official account for Tesla Charging wrote that the Turnpike Authority's order came after it rejected any requests to coexist with the Applegreen chargers on the Turnpike, adding that it had been "preparing for 3 years for this potential outcome by building 116 stalls off the New Jersey Turnpike" in certain high-traffic areas. Tesla says that it offered the NJTA "above-market commercial terms" to sweeten the deal, including offering its NJ Turnpike Superchargers with "screens and NACS with CCS1 'magic docks.'" Ultimately, Tesla called the NJTA's decision to decommission its Superchargers a step back for all EV users who use the Turnpike. 'Tesla always advocates for more infrastructure and co-location with additional third-party charging providers. This drives down costs through optionality and accelerates EV adoption by having sufficient capacity to shoulder peaks,' the automaker said on X. Despite reaching out to invest in the state, Tesla claims that the NJTA's decision to remove Tesla superchargers is a setback for EV drivers. "We expect that ~30 times more fast-charging capacity is needed to get to full EV adoption," it said on X. "NJTA's decision to remove, rather than add, critical charging infrastructure is a setback for New Jersey's EV adoption goals of 100% Zero-Emission New Car Sales by 2035. It removes Turnpike access to the most reliable (99.9% uptime), least congested (<1% waiters), and cost-effective (~30% lower $/kWh) charging." In a May 30 post responding to a quote tweet from Tesla fan and Model Y owner Sawyer Merritt, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the NJTA's decision "sounds like corruption." I do not own an EV, but I live in New Jersey, and while I observe that EV charging is very prevalent in many convenient places adjacent to major highways, including shopping malls like the infamous American Dream mall, large retail centers where Walmarts and Targets are located, and non-service-area roadside stops like Wawas, I view the loss of Superchargers on the Turnpike as a bit of a disservice to EV owners. The New Jersey Turnpike is a major thoroughfare connecting two major Northeastern cities, New York and Philadelphia. Many drivers who travel on it pass through with a further destination in mind, and the faster out of Jersey, the better. It's not just Teslas that charge at Superchargers. So far, Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Hyundai, and Genesis are just some of the manufacturers that support it, with others like Honda and Acura soon to have that capability. Though one may view Tesla Supercharging as anything but universal, as someone who has had to wait upwards of hours in line to charge non-Tesla EVs at "universal stations," keeping the Superchargers where they were would help ease any potential congestion these Applegreen chargers will have. Trust me, there will be congestion. The service areas on the Turnpike have Shake Shacks, Dunkins, and Popeyes now. Elon Musk Cries 'Corruption' as Tesla Superchargers Disappear from Key US Route first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
San Francisco Chronicle
37 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bulgaria is close to joining the euro currency but faces disinformation and fear
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria is close to realizing its decades-old goal of joining the euro currency union and deepening ties with the more prosperous countries of Western Europe. But the government faces a populist backlash against the shared currency on the eve of a key decision by European Union authorities. Fears of inflation, poverty and the unknown are mingling with disinformation spread on social media that aims to turn people against the euro. The discontent tracks with increased support for populist and anti-EU parties across Europe, which is exploited by nationalist and pro-Russian politicians in a country that remains one of Europe's poorest and most afflicted with corruption. 'Adopting the euro will make us feel the threshold of poverty. After all, prices will be in euros,' said 78-year-old retiree Tanya Ignatova. 'Bulgaria is not ready for the euro. Someday we may be ready, but not now," said another retiree, Mario Georgiev. Several thousand people rallied against the euro in the capital on Saturday, urging a referendum on whether to transition from the lev currency to the euro. The head of the pro-Russian Varazhdane party, Kostadin Kostadinov, told the crowd that 'Bulgaria has risen and declared: Freedom, we choose the Bulgarian lev!' Many do support the euro Others in Bulgaria say the country already benefits from EU membership and it does not matter what the currency is. "We have inflation now and we will have it in the future,' said 26-year-old Konstantin Bozhinov. Aiming at deepening European integration amid growing geopolitical tensions, the government is pressing ahead. It has asked for a review of whether it meets the requirements of low inflation, sound government finances and legal conformity to EU institutions. On Wednesday, the European Commission will announce the results. If the commission gives a green light, other member states will decide on Bulgaria's candidacy in the coming weeks. At the last review in 2022, Bulgaria failed on the inflation requirement. Inflation has since fallen. President Rumen Radev has encouraged the anti-euro voices by proposing a referendum on the currency, citing public concerns over inflation and purchasing power. That followed a protest in February that saw the offices of the EU's executive commission in Sofia spattered with red paint and its entrance set on fire. The president's proposal was turned down by the pro-European majority in parliament, which accused Radev of acting in favor of Russia with his last-minute attempt to sabotage the euro adoption. According to the EU's multi-country Eurobarometer survey released last week, 50% of Bulgarians are against the adoption of the euro, while 43% are in favor. In contrast, trust in the euro continues to grow across the rest of the EU. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. It has been plagued by political instability and corruption that have fueled euroscepticism among its 6.4 million citizens. Analysts say disinformation campaigns from abroad have fed fears of economic changes that could bring more poverty. Scores of false claims by opponents of the eurozone have been published on social networks. One claim says the EU plans to take away people's savings if they fail to spend them within a certain period. Another claims that plans to introduce a digital version of the euro are part of a plan to control everyone. 'There is a powerful brainwashing of the average Bulgarian. Illusory fears are being spread, lies are being told wholesale, unscrupulously and brazenly," said Ognyan Minchev, director of the Institute for Regional and International Studies in Sofia. Risks and rewards Economists say joining the euro will not bring massive change to Bulgaria's economy in the short run. That's because the government has pegged the currency to the euro by law, at a fixed rate of 1 lev for every 51 euro cents. Joining the euro can bring lower borrowing costs, greater ease in comparing domestic and foreign prices and no need to exchange money when vacationing in another euro country. More than that, it's a sign of integration into the EU and its large economy. Members get a seat on the European Central Bank's interest rate-setting committee. Countries agree to join the euro when they join the EU, but so far 20 of 27 members have taken the step. Croatia was the last to join in 2023. Bulgaria's government has very little debt, at 24.1% of GDP — the second lowest in the EU and well below the 60% level in euro membership criteria. That's a sharp contrast to its neighbor, Greece, which entered the euro in 1999 with high debt that was concealed through complex financial transactions. Greece's broken finances eventually triggered a eurozone-wide crisis. Bulgaria's government has been 'fiscally super conservative ... the risk of Bulgaria becoming a fiscal risk to the eurozone is essentially zero,' said Zsolt Darvas, senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bulgaria is close to joining the euro currency but faces disinformation and fear
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria is close to realizing its decades-old goal of joining the euro currency union and deepening ties with the more prosperous countries of Western Europe. But the government faces a populist backlash against the shared currency on the eve of a key decision by European Union authorities. Fears of inflation, poverty and the unknown are mingling with disinformation spread on social media that aims to turn people against the euro. The discontent tracks with increased support for populist and anti-EU parties across Europe, which is exploited by nationalist and pro-Russian politicians in a country that remains one of Europe's poorest and most afflicted with corruption. 'Adopting the euro will make us feel the threshold of poverty. After all, prices will be in euros,' said 78-year-old retiree Tanya Ignatova. 'Bulgaria is not ready for the euro. Someday we may be ready, but not now," said another retiree, Mario Georgiev. Several thousand people rallied against the euro in the capital on Saturday, urging a referendum on whether to transition from the lev currency to the euro. The head of the pro-Russian Varazhdane party, Kostadin Kostadinov, told the crowd that 'Bulgaria has risen and declared: Freedom, we choose the Bulgarian lev!' Many do support the euro Others in Bulgaria say the country already benefits from EU membership and it does not matter what the currency is. "We have inflation now and we will have it in the future,' said 26-year-old Konstantin Bozhinov. Aiming at deepening European integration amid growing geopolitical tensions, the government is pressing ahead. It has asked for a review of whether it meets the requirements of low inflation, sound government finances and legal conformity to EU institutions. On Wednesday, the European Commission will announce the results. If the commission gives a green light, other member states will decide on Bulgaria's candidacy in the coming weeks. At the last review in 2022, Bulgaria failed on the inflation requirement. Inflation has since fallen. President Rumen Radev has encouraged the anti-euro voices by proposing a referendum on the currency, citing public concerns over inflation and purchasing power. That followed a protest in February that saw the offices of the EU's executive commission in Sofia spattered with red paint and its entrance set on fire. The president's proposal was turned down by the pro-European majority in parliament, which accused Radev of acting in favor of Russia with his last-minute attempt to sabotage the euro adoption. According to the EU's multi-country Eurobarometer survey released last week, 50% of Bulgarians are against the adoption of the euro, while 43% are in favor. In contrast, trust in the euro continues to grow across the rest of the EU. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. It has been plagued by political instability and corruption that have fueled euroscepticism among its 6.4 million citizens. Analysts say disinformation campaigns from abroad have fed fears of economic changes that could bring more poverty. Scores of false claims by opponents of the eurozone have been published on social networks. One claim says the EU plans to take away people's savings if they fail to spend them within a certain period. Another claims that plans to introduce a digital version of the euro are part of a plan to control everyone. 'There is a powerful brainwashing of the average Bulgarian. Illusory fears are being spread, lies are being told wholesale, unscrupulously and brazenly," said Ognyan Minchev, director of the Institute for Regional and International Studies in Sofia. Risks and rewards Economists say joining the euro will not bring massive change to Bulgaria's economy in the short run. That's because the government has pegged the currency to the euro by law, at a fixed rate of 1 lev for every 51 euro cents. Joining the euro can bring lower borrowing costs, greater ease in comparing domestic and foreign prices and no need to exchange money when vacationing in another euro country. More than that, it's a sign of integration into the EU and its large economy. Members get a seat on the European Central Bank's interest rate-setting committee. Countries agree to join the euro when they join the EU, but so far 20 of 27 members have taken the step. Croatia was the last to join in 2023. Bulgaria's government has very little debt, at 24.1% of GDP — the second lowest in the EU and well below the 60% level in euro membership criteria. That's a sharp contrast to its neighbor, Greece, which entered the euro in 1999 with high debt that was concealed through complex financial transactions. Greece's broken finances eventually triggered a eurozone-wide crisis. Bulgaria's government has been 'fiscally super conservative ... the risk of Bulgaria becoming a fiscal risk to the eurozone is essentially zero,' said Zsolt Darvas, senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. Fears of inflation are not entirely without basis. Experience in other countries shows that 'whenever there is a changeover from national currency to the euro, there is often a minor inflation effect, but it's typically less than 1%,' said Darvas Economists say a one-time increase occurs as service providers such as restaurants, which don't adjust prices as often as other sectors, take advantage of re-doing menus and price lists to implement hikes. Veselin Toshkov And David Mchugh, The Associated Press
