Latest news with #Slate
The Verge
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Verge
Slate Auto FAQ: your questions answered
Alright, we get it. Y'all are excited about Slate. We thought the little Slate Truck was cool, but based on the number of clicks and comments on our Slate Auto articles so far, you'd like to know more. Many of you wrote in with questions and more than a few people raised some doubts. So, we wanted to address as many of those as we could. Here's your one-stop shop for Slate answers based on your questions — plus a few of our own. What are the Slate's full specs, and how does it compare to a Ford Maverick or F-150? The Slate is clearly a vehicle built for everyday utility, and while it'll make for a handy machine for hauling a lot of things, big towing and heavy cargo were clearly not a top priority. Here are the key specs, compared against the four-wheel drive hybrid Ford Maverick with the 2.5-liter engine and a Ford F-150 4x2 with a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. Slate Truck Ford Maverick Ford F-150 Horsepower (hp) 201 191 325 Curb weight (lbs) 3,602 3,674 4,171 Max payload (lbs) 1,433 1,500 1,775 Max towing (lbs) 1,000 2,000 8,400 Bed length (ft) 5 4.5 5.5, 6.5, or 8 Bed width (max / min, in) 50 / 54.9 42.6 / 53.3 50.6 / 66.9 Seats 2 5 5 It's worth noting that these Ford numbers vary widely based on configuration. For example, you can get a '4K Tow Package' on the Maverick that boosts towing to 4,000 lbs, and the F-150 has hundreds of variations depending on need. Max towing on an F-150 is 13,500 lbs. The numbers above represent the figures quoted by Ford for a base, option-free vehicle. And one final note: towing substantially reduces the efficiency of the tow vehicle, due to the weight of the trailer and its additional aerodynamic drag. For an electric vehicle like the Slate, that will surely result in reduced range, perhaps by as much as half depending on the trailer. Where will the vehicle be manufactured? Slate has confirmed manufacturing will take place in a former catalog printing facility in Warsaw, Indiana, which closed in 2023. Slate hopes to renovate the facility and eventually employ 2,000 workers, with an annual production volume of 150,000 vehicles. And the company is seeking tax abatements on the factory site from the county government to begin construction. Full details on that here. That domestic production should mean that vehicles produced by Slate are eligible for the full $7,500 federal rebate — if the credit still exists late next year when the Truck enters production. Does the Slate Truck have a cellular connection? No, the Slate Truck does not have built-in cellular connectivity. LTE is an increasingly common feature in new cars, enabling auto manufacturers to do all sorts of stuff, including good things like software updates and some perhaps not so good things like selling your driving data. For the former, o-the-air updates will still be possible via the Slate smartphone app. Updates will be downloaded to the phone and then pushed to the Slate Truck via USB cable. As for the latter, that leads us to our next question. Will Slate harvest and sell my driving data? Not your driving data, no, but you can upload data about the health of your vehicle. Jeff Jablansky, Slate Auto's head of public relations and communications, gave us this example: 'A 'check engine' light comes on: if the driver has their phone plugged in and has opted in to data movement, the company will send a notification to the Slate app so they can be aware of potential service needs.' Jablansky confirmed that no data will be sold to third parties. Can I precondition my Slate Truck? One of the joys of owning a modern EV is easy preconditioning. Regardless of where your car is parked, you can get the interior warmed up or cooled down from just a few taps on your smartphone, all without having to worry about filling your garage with carbon monoxide. Can you do that in the Slate Truck? Maybe. The lack of cellular connection means you won't be able to wirelessly connect to your Truck from anywhere, but Jablansky didn't rule it out entirely, saying, 'This is something we are working on through the app.' Will Slate make models available for designing 3D-printed accessories? Ready to download some STL/3MF files today and start designing your ultimate cupholder? Us, too, but we'll need to be patient for a little bit. 'The Maker community is incredibly important to Slate, and we are on track toward delivering on this commitment closer to launch,' Jablansky says. So stay tuned on that front. Jablansky says this will also include details on third-party accessory providers and licensing. Why didn't Slate use standard DIN slots for ease of installing audio? The DIN slot, also known as the ISO 7736 or Deutsches Institut für Normung 75490 slot, has long been the standard for in-dash audio. Why, then, are there no DIN slots on the Slate Truck? Slate says it was to offer greater flexibility. 'We wanted to allow the customer to pick and choose their accessories without forcing combinations of options together in packages. This comes to life in our audio strategy to allow customers to choose to install anything from a Bluetooth speaker to a full audio system,' Jablansky says. So the bad news is if you want to use a standard DIN receiver, then you'll need to DIY an enclosure for it. The good news is if you just want to mount a Bluetooth sound bar, then you won't have to worry about filling any gaping rectangular holes in the dashboard. Is a more advanced active driver assistance system in the works? No. 'Consistent with our broader approach, we focused our engineering to make a Slate a great truck to drive,' Jablansky says. Keep those hands on the wheel, folks. Why choose a Truck to start instead of a sedan or compact SUV? Cost and simplicity, it turns out. Jablansky says that 'a two-door form factor meant less material, less complexity, lower cost.' He adds that the lockable frunk means there's sedan-like secure storage for your stuff, with the added benefit of a big bed out back. And, of course, you can add on the SUV kit if you need more seating or more covered storage. Will any special tools be required for any of the DIY upgrades and add-ons? Per Jablansky, special tools are not expected to be required. Will this thing really sell for $20,000? What about tariffs? What if the EV incentives go away? It's a dynamic world and dynamic industry out there right now, but Slate isn't backing down. 'We are committed to our expected price point of $20,000 after federal incentives,' Jablansky says, which implies an MSRP of roughly $27,500. 'If incentives go away, Slate will remain well-positioned in the U.S. with a strong proposition of value, safety, and customization.' Will those attributes be enough to woo people away from a Ford Maverick, which starts at just over $28,000? We'll have to wait and see. Jablansky says that Slate is also committed to US manufacturing, which should fend off most of the tariff fears, and that the company is still on track to start manufacturing in 2026.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A fake Facebook event disguised as a math problem has been one of its top posts for 6 months
A nearly year-old Facebook event for a "simple maths competition" has been one of the most viral posts on the platform for six months. The "event" racked up about 51 million views on Facebook during the first quarter of 2025, according to the company's latest report on "widely viewed content" on the platform. That would be an impressive stat for any single post, but it's the second quarter in a row in which the "maths competition" has nabbed the number two spot on Meta's list of widely viewed content. It also appeared on last quarter's report, during which time it received about 64.3 million views, according to an archived version of the report. So why is a random Facebook event that's not really an event getting more than 100 million views? It would seem to be a repackaging of an old engagement bait tactic. The header image for the event is an image of a piece of paper with the words "only for genius" followed by a seemingly simple equation. When shared as a Facebook post, the image is prominently displayed in a way that may look like a normal image post. The image also has some striking similarities to other seemingly simple math equations that have been going viral on Facebook for nearly 15 years. A look at the event page itself shows that hundreds of thousands of people have engaged with the event. More than 800,000 people responded to the supposed July 8, 2024 event. Even now, nearly a year later, the event is seeing regular comments from Facebook users — most of whom are intent on earnestly explaining how the equation should be solved (or arguing with others' interpretation). As Slate noted back in 2013, there's something irresistible about arguing basic arithmetic with strangers on the internet. What is a bit of a mystery is why this post has gone so viral months after it was originally posted. I reached out to the account behind the post, a Nigerian-based creator named Ebuka Peter Ibeh and didn't immediately hear back. The post seems to be far more successful than any other recent posts from Ibeh, who has about 25,000 Facebook followers. In any case, the post offers an interesting window into the kinds of bizarre content and questionable tactics that still regularly goes mega-viral on Facebook. Meta recently said it would crack down on creators sharing spammy posts on Facebook, though it's unclear if this type of engagement bait would fall under the category of content it's explicitly trying to discourage.
Engadget
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
A fake Facebook event disguised as a math problem has been one of its top posts for 6 months
A nearly year-old Facebook event for a "simple maths competition" has been one of the most viral posts on the platform for six months. The "event" racked up about 51 million views on Facebook during the first quarter of 2025, according to the company's latest report on "widely viewed content" on the platform. That would be an impressive stat for any single post, but it's the second quarter in a row in which the "maths competition" has nabbed the number two spot on Meta's list of widely viewed content. It also appeared on last quarter's report, during which time it received about 64.3 million views, according to an archived version of the report. So why is a random Facebook event that's not really an event getting more than 100 million views? It would seem to be a repackaging of an old engagement bait tactic. The header image for the event is an image of a piece of paper with the words "only for genius" followed by a seemingly simple equation. When shared as a Facebook post, the image is prominently displayed in a way that may look like a normal image post. The image also has some striking similarities to other seemingly simple math equations that have been going viral on Facebook for nearly 15 years. A look at the event page itself shows that hundreds of thousands of people have engaged with the event. More than 800,000 people responded to the supposed July 8, 2024 event. Even now, nearly a year later, the event is seeing regular comments from Facebook users — most of whom are intent on earnestly explaining how the equation should be solved (or arguing with others' interpretation). As Slate noted back in 2013 , there's something irresistible about arguing basic arithmetic with strangers on the internet. What is a bit of a mystery is why this post has gone so viral months after it was originally posted. I reached out to the account behind the post, a Nigerian-based creator named Ebuka Peter Ibeh and didn't immediately hear back. The post seems to be far more successful than any other recent posts from Ibeh, who has about 25,000 Facebook followers. In any case, the post offers an interesting window into the kinds of bizarre content and questionable tactics that still regularly goes mega-viral on Facebook. Meta recently said it would crack down on creators sharing spammy posts on Facebook, though it's unclear if this type of engagement bait would fall under the category of content it's explicitly trying to discourage.
Geek Dad
4 days ago
- General
- Geek Dad
Flat-Top Cooking With the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle From Weber
We just passed Memorial Day, which means that grilling season has truly begun. But grills aren't the only great way to do some outdoor cooking! In recent years, the outdoor griddle has become a fun addition to the backyard appliances. Weber recently added a 28″ model to their Slate line of griddles. You can choose between two different models, one fueled by propane, and the other by natural gas. Weber sent me a propane model, as well as a few accessories, to try out for myself. What Is the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle? The Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle is a 3-burner gas-powered griddle for making anything from pancakes to smash burgers to fajitas. It retails for $599, and can be purchased directly from Weber or from stores like Home Depot. The 28″ griddle is the smallest one in the Slate line, but models are available in sizes ranging up to 36″. The Slate 28″ Griddle has the following features: • Rust-resistant carbon-steel cooktop is ready, not rusty • Pre-seasoned and ready to cook on right out of the box • Even edge-to-edge heat for consistent cooking across the griddle • Reaches over 500°F for high-heat searing and crispy edges • Wind guards protect burners and keep the temperature steady • Precision control knobs adjust heat smoothly and gradually • Independent heat zones expand cooking capabilities • No use of coatings, so you can use metal tools without worry Assembling the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle The Slate 28″ Griddle arrives unassembled in a single box. Even though the instructions say that assembly is a two-person task, I found that once I opened the box and removed all of the parts, I was able to put the griddle together without any issues. All the parts are packed well in their shipping container, so be aware that there's going to be a lot of cardboard left over once you've gotten all the pieces out. Here's a quick look at the assembly process: This slideshow requires JavaScript. Here's a look at the burners, before putting the griddle surface into place: The three propane burners. Image by Paul Benson. There are four holes on the frame around the burners; there are pegs on the underside of the griddle surface that slot securely into those holes. The griddle surface in place. Image by Paul Benson. As you can see in the above picture, there's an opening in the lower left corner of the griddle surface. The Slate comes with a drip pan, which slides right underneath that opening. Using a griddle scraper, you can get any food stuck to the griddle cleaned off easily. The drip pan in its drawer, ready to slide into place. Image by Paul Benson. The griddle comes with two grill hooks, which clip onto the ends of either of the two side tables. Weber also sent along a few more for me to use. Some of the tool hooks. Image by Paul Benson. There was also a bottle holder, which clips to the side tables in the same fashion as the tool hooks: The bottle holder. Image by Paul Benson. Here's a look at the fully-assembled griddle, with all of the accessories attached and the propane tank installed and hanging from the griddle stand. The tools from the Weber Griddle Essentials Toolkit hang from the tool hooks. Ready to get to work! Image by Paul Benson. The griddle was very easy to assemble. All I needed was a screwdriver. All the parts lined up perfectly, and it didn't take me long to get everything put together. The griddle surface is a bit heavy, so that bit you may need a second person to help lift it into place. But otherwise, it's smooth sailing. Using the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle The griddle surface is pre-seasoned, so once the propane tank is connected, you're ready to start cooking. The one precaution that Weber asks you to take is to do before firing up the griddle, however, is to do a test to make sure there are no leaks in the propane tank or connections. This is done by simply spraying some soapy water onto the tank and regulator, then turning on the propane. If there's a leak, you'll see bubbles forming. Thankfully, everything was bubble-free, so I was ready to get started. As luck would have it, this last Memorial Day weekend my girlfriend's son and his wife were up visiting from San Diego for his high school reunion. They were available for breakfast, so we invited them over for a home-cooked meal. Some other members of my girlfriend's family who live nearby also came over, bringing our total count to 9. This was going to be a good test of the Slate Griddle. I preheated the griddle, using the suggested low setting for pancakes on all three burners. I had read that 375 degrees was an optimal temperature for cooking pancakes, so I used my infrared thermometer gun to tweak the dials on the burners until most of the spots on the griddle were near that temperature. Once I got the temperature settled, I buttered the griddle and added the batter on the first round of pancakes. This batch of pancakes is almost ready to come off the griddle. Image by Paul Benson. The first round was a success, so once I got those off the griddle, I scraped any scraps off into the drip pan, then repeated the cooking process. I ended up with 17 good-sized pancakes all in all. Ready to serve! Image by Paul Benson. One of my girlfriend's relatives didn't particularly like pancakes, so we quickly made some French toast batter and got some bread dipped and onto the griddle as well. The French toast 'special order' hits the griddle. Image by Paul Benson. We also had eggs and sausage with breakfast, but my girlfriend and her sister prepared those in the kitchen so that everything would be ready around the same time. Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle – Final Thoughts Cooking on the Slate Griddle was a delight. I normally make pancakes almost every weekend, but until now, I had been doing them one at a time in a pan. It was so nice to be able to cook several nice-sized pancakes at the same time, cutting down my labor significantly. Not to mention that I was delighted with how well they came out- so nice and thick and golden brown. It should be noted too that it was a windy morning, yet the design of the griddle ensured that all three of those burners stayed lit. The 28″ size is perfect for a small family, such as myself, my girlfriend, and her daughter. Had we been cooking just for ourselves, we could have made the pancakes, sausage, and eggs all at the same time on the griddle. If I found myself regularly cooking for a larger group of people like we did this last weekend, I'd likely want to graduate to the 36″ griddle, where we could get a lot more cooked at the same time. I enjoyed not just the process of cooking on the griddle, but also the ease of cleaning the surface once I was done. The griddle surface does need to be seasoned after every cook or two, but that's a simple process of applying some oil and then letting it burn off. Weber has made a quality cooking appliance with the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle. I'm looking forward to the next time I make breakfast, and I'm already looking up recipes for smash burgers to try out. If you're looking to cook on a flat surface outdoors, you should definitely give this griddle a look. For more information on the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle or to make a purchase, head to the Weber website. Weber provided a griddle for evaluation, but had no input into this review. Liked it? 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Tatler Asia
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
How this ex-rock vocalist created an AI to turn you into art
Hope in a guitar case Tang's band name, Pandora, was no coincidence. 'I thought it was a beautiful thing,' Tang says. 'Though life is fraught with tragedy and struggle, one thing always remains: hope.' With his bandmates, he brought different musical ideas into perfect pitch. Although their most popular song, Can You Give Me An Answer? , was a melancholic ballad, Tang admits he prefers uplifting music because he wants to offer hope to people, which aligns with the band's founding mission. Above Hong Kong indie band Pandora performed its original music 'Can You Give Me An Answer?' in the final of the Parkland Top Band Competition 2012 (Video: Parkland Music) Performing live was a transformative experience that shaped his confidence and taught him to be mindful—something he has carried into his business career. 'If I say, 'put your hands up', and no one does, that's fine,' he says. 'I learned not to let my actions depend on other people's reactions. I simply own it.' The five-member band stayed together for about four years, performing at over 100 shows. They disbanded in 2014 but regrouped in 2017, led by one of the original members with a new line-up. Read more: Tired of online shopping scams in Malaysia? TikTok Shop's #ShopSafe campaign shares government-approved tips for a safer experience Building with purpose After earning a master's in international management from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2016, Tang spent several years working in consultancy and strategy roles. He quickly became disillusioned, especially in contrast to the passion he felt while performing on stage. 'Looking at numbers felt soulless,' he says. So he asked himself a defining question: 'If I were to dedicate 100 per cent of my life to something with the goal of creating a lasting impact in this world, what would I want to create?' Through reflection, he found his north star: to build something that combined his three core passions of creativity, technology and business. Above In 2022, organised an art show at the shopping mall K11 Musea in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui (Photo: Instagram/Kelvin Tang) That clarity became the foundation for Tang's first concept was a global museum app that allowed users to browse and interact with content from a vast network of participating museums worldwide for free, serving as their source of inspiration . It never took off, as investors believed monetising it would be difficult. Undeterred, he launched an AI-powered mobile app for an art marketplace in 2021 to help artists sell their physical and NFT (non-fungible token) works with fairer commissions. When the market for digital collectables cooled, Tang knew it was time to shift again. Read more: Slate is the affordable EV pickup that can transform into an SUV Personalisation at scale At one of its early projects, generated Van Gogh-style NFTs from user-submitted photos. The activation caught the attention of event sponsor HSBC, which later became first business-to-business client. Over the years, the company created a wide range of personalised products for companies to engage with clients. It developed a suite of AI-powered photo booths that could 'generate branded art on the fly' unlike others in the market, which mostly relied on templates. product development is driven by customer needs, using proprietary AI pipelines and agents. 'We only build stuff customers explicitly request or that we're sure they'll need soon,' he says. One day, Tang hopes, anyone could walk into a space, upload a photo, choose a style and walk out with a one-of-a-kind gift with its support. Though Tang is now focused on scaling his generative AI business, the performer in him still lingers. 'Do I see myself performing again? Yes, I do,' he says. 'I love performing, I love the creative process, but I would like to make it synergistic with my company and my network of artists to deliver unique value to the audience.' The mic may be down now, but the show is far from over. Read more: More than make-up: Unlock meaningful moments with this phygital lipstick Quick takes We asked Kelvin Tang a series of rapid-fire questions, covering topics from tattoos to favourite superpowers to get a glimpse into how his mind works. You have several tattoos. What was your first and when did you get it? Kelvin Tang (KT): It was at the end of Covid. I turned 30 in 2022 and looking in the mirror, I thought, 'If I don't have any tattoos, it's not me.' As a kid, whenever I played video games that let me customise my avatar, I'd always cover it in tattoos. Now, whenever I travel somewhere meaningful, I get a tattoo to commemorate the experience and draw inspiration from it. I wanted my first one done in Hong Kong. I asked myself, who would be the most iconic person to tattoo me here? I thought, 'How amazing would it be if the artist who tattooed David Beckham did it?' Beckham's one of my favourite footballers. So I reached out to the tattooist, who happens to be very involved in Buddhist philosophy, and told him I wanted something that symbolised Zen, a mindset of peace and calmness. Do you plan first or act first? KT: That ties back to my latest tattoo, Festina Lente. It was the motto of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. It means 'think thoroughly, act fast.' If you only act quickly, you make foolish decisions. If you overthink, you get stuck in analysis paralysis. Augustus knew the optimal approach was to think deeply and then move decisively. Read more: The gen AI gamble: why it makes your team more productive but also bored Above Tang and artist Danny Casale, also known as Coolman Coffeedan, at the K11 Art Mall in Shanghai (Photo: Instagram/Kelvin Tang) Which artists would you like to give a shout-out to? KT: I must shout out Coolman Coffeedan, Danny Casale. He's a good friend. Our friendship shows that beautiful, harmonious relationships can exist at a grassroots level between the US, Hong Kong, China and beyond. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? KT: Teleportation, without a doubt. I could pop in and out if I had a campaign in the US. If I want to visit friends in London, I can go there. It's a practical choice for now. If I had unlimited resources for a private jet, I would consider a different superpower altogether. Now, meet more Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow from the Technology sector. NOW READ What if your toothbrush could help fight poverty and grow a forest? Plastic roads? This startup's mission is to make plastic waste into sustainable bricks for roads No jump scares, no problem: this horror filmmaker can terrify you without the shocks
