Latest news with #dashboard
Motor 1
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Volkswagen Says Car Buyers In Europe Want Buttons
As someone who owns a previous-generation Skoda Octavia , I find my car's dashboard to be borderline perfect in terms of layout and user interface. It strikes just the right balance between buttons and screens, a feature that virtually all Volkswagen Group products had until the late 2010s or so. After that, VW began shoving nearly everything into the touchscreen in the name of minimalism. They wouldn't call it cost-cutting, would they? But VW is aware that a large portion of its customer base prefers a more analog interface. Ralf Brandstätter, the company's head honcho in China, explained that customers in Europe tend to favor 'tactile controls, long-term durability, and driving dynamics.' It's a different story in China, where buyers prioritize 'AI-first, connected vehicles, with seamless voice control and smart cockpits.' 2024 VW Passat Variant Although Brandstätter was comparing EV shoppers in Europe and China, VW's combustion-engine cars have also largely abandoned physical buttons and knobs. The latest, wagon-only Passat is a clear example of how tablet-like displays have taken over dashboards in recent years. The similarly sized ID.7 Tourer electric wagon also keeps hard buttons down to a minimum. In VW's defense, it has promised a return to form . We've already seen tentative steps, with the Golf GTI and R reintroducing real buttons on the steering wheel. Additionally, future models will include tactile controls for frequently used functions. Earlier this year, the company's design chief admitted that going screen-heavy was a mistake. Here's what Andreas Mindt said: 'From the ID.2all onwards, we will have physical buttons for the five most important functions—the volume, the heating on each side of the car, the fans, and the hazard light—below the screen. They will be in every car that we make from now on. We will never, ever make this mistake again. On the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. No guessing anymore. There's feedback, it's real, and people love this. Honestly, it's a car. It's not a phone. ' Since VW-badged cars are always twinned with other Group products to spread out costs, there's a good chance that future models from Skoda, SEAT, Cupra , and the rest of the gang will also revert to proper dashboards. Including more separate controls will undoubtedly drive up production costs, which, logically, will be passed on to buyers. It's a sacrifice some of us are willing to make. Circling back to Brandstätter's statement, he pointed out that the average age of an electric car buyer in Europe is 56, whereas in China it's under 35. His post on LinkedIn addresses the question of why cars developed by the VW Group in China aren't sold in Europe. It all comes down to differing regulations, costs, and customer preferences. Buttons > Screens Hyundai Gets It: Buttons Are Safer than Screens Hyundai Realizes People Find Touchscreens Annoying Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Ralf Brandstätter / LinkedIn Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Gizmodo
22-05-2025
- Gizmodo
Forget Tablets, This Hackable E-Ink Display Runs for Months and Syncs With 100+ Apps, Now Available to Order
This e-ink tablet has everything you need to keep you on task and working at a good clip. If you've ever found yourself picking up your phone to check your calendar and somehow ended up scrolling through social media twenty minutes later, you're not alone. It's so easy to forget what you're doing when you've always got something to do. And distraction really is a thing. Sometimes, all you really want is a simple way to keep track of your day without getting pulled in ten different directions. That's where TRMNL steps in. See at TRMNL For just $129, this compact e-ink dashboard helps you stay focused by showing only the information you actually need and nothing you don't. That means it has all the info you might need to keep abreast of your schedule or what needs to get done, but nothing to ruin your productivity in ways that will keep you from being successful. Productivity on your terms TRMNL is an always-on display designed to blend into your space and serve up essential details like your calendar, the weather, task lists, or reminders, all in one glance. It connects with over 100 different apps and services, meaning you can plug it into your existing digital life without having to overhaul your setup. You can place it on your desk, mount it on a wall, or pop it on the kitchen counter, and once it's up and running, you barely need to touch it again. Because it uses e-ink, TRMNL consumes very little power and can go for months on a single charge. That means no tangled cords, no daily charging, and no bright screen lighting up your space at night. It's a clean, paper-like display that quietly does its job in the background with no pings, pop-ups, or distractions. And if you want to do these types of things, you'll be glad to know it's hackable, with over 2,700 custom plugins already created by developers and hobbyists. If you want to build a completely custom layout that pulls in specific data, you can. But for everyday users, the plug-and-play setup is more than enough to get started quickly. Families use it to display shared calendars and reminders. Developers and remote workers use it to track tasks or sprint goals. Whatever your needs, TRMNL adapts to your workflow, not the other way around. At $129, it's a smart buy for anyone looking to cut back on screen fatigue while still staying on top of things. Simple, focused, and quietly powerful, TRMNL is what you need for a digital detox and then some. And these days, that's super rare. See at TRMNL
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Save money and live in luxury with your very own mobile financial team - offering a flat rate and NO hidden fees
Taking control of your finances can be tough. While a financial advisor can help, those conversations can often be daunting and intimating. Range is a modern solution that gives you back the power, putting you in the driver's seat by providing an accessible and more tech-forward approach to financial planning and investment management. Working with Range is like having a financial planner right in your pocket. The entire program revolves around your specific goals, whether you're saving for retirement, planning a major purchase, or starting a business. The firm develops a financial roadmap specifically tailored to those needs, offering you the holistic support that you need every step of the way to make sense of your complete financial picture. They can help with creating and managing investment portfolios — and when you work with Range, that experience alone is far less daunting. That's because every decision is based on your personal risk tolerance, your specific timeline, and your priorities. Your comfort level is paramount, as no one knows your comfort zone better than you do. 'Before Range, I felt overwhelmed trying to piece together our financial picture with various scattered tools,' said one user. 'Now I feel organized with Range's consolidated dashboard that makes it clear what I need to tackle next in my financial life.' That dashboard is just part of the secret sauce that makes the financial firm so user-friendly. The carefully curated interface is easy to navigate, with sections devoted to your taxes, investments, cashflow, retirements, estate, education, and more. Not all of these may apply to you, and that's perfectly fine — your dashboard is a complete reflection of your whole story, and using it will help you develop a clearer picture of your current status and your future planning. Everything is laid out cleanly and plainly, making the information easy to digest and simple to understand. In a single glance, you can see your portfolio's volatility, for example, and make decisions based on that information. What's especially appealing about Range is that the firm respects your time. Pricing is completely transparent. The company has three tiers (Premium, Platinum, and Titanium), each with a flat semi-annual fee, and absolutely no hidden fees. In other words, you'll never be caught off guard by a surprise surcharge or unexpected cost. Everything is laid out clearly, so you'll always know what to expect no matter which tier you choose. And you can choose to pay either twice a year or annually, making the commitment a simple and flawless experience from the moment you sign up. If you're ready to truly take control of your finances, it's time to get started with Range. It's easy, streamlined, and enjoyable — and it will make it that much easier to meet those goals.
Car and Driver
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
View Interior Photos of the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
Sure, there's a screen in place of the gauge cluster, and a second screen handling infotainment duties on the center stack, but the remainder of the dashboard puts the focus squarely on craftsmanship.
Geeky Gadgets
09-05-2025
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
Unlock Stunning Power BI Dashboards with SVG and DAX
Have you ever felt limited by Power BI's default visuals, wishing for something more dynamic, interactive, or tailored to your unique needs? While Power BI excels at transforming raw data into meaningful insights, its native visualizations can sometimes feel restrictive, especially when you're aiming for a truly standout dashboard. Here's the good news: by combining the power of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) with DAX (Data Analysis Expressions), you can break free from these constraints. This approach allows you to craft visuals that are not only visually stunning but also responsive to your data, creating a level of customization that's hard to achieve with out-of-the-box tools. In this guide, Chandoo shows how SVGs can transform your Power BI dashboards. From designing scalable, resolution-independent visuals to dynamically linking them to your datasets using DAX, the possibilities are vast. Whether you're looking to create interactive KPI indicators, dynamic charts that adapt to slicers, or custom visuals tailored to your brand, this guide will walk you through the process. Along the way, you'll also uncover practical tips, examples, and best practices to help you sidestep common pitfalls and maximize the potential of SVGs. Imagine transforming your dashboards into tools that not only inform but also captivate—what could that mean for your next project? Enhancing Power BI with SVGs What Are SVGs and Why Use Them? Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a widely used web-based format for creating vector images. Unlike raster images, which lose quality when resized, SVGs are resolution-independent, meaning they scale seamlessly without losing clarity. This makes them ideal for creating visuals that need to adapt to different screen sizes or zoom levels. In Power BI, SVGs allow you to go beyond the default visualization options. You can design custom shapes, icons, and text-based graphics that are tailored to your specific data. This flexibility enables you to create dashboards that are not only visually appealing but also highly functional and responsive to user interactions. How to Create SVG Visuals in Power BI Integrating SVGs into Power BI involves a structured process that combines design, coding, and rendering. Here are the key steps: Design the SVG: Use tools like Boxy SVG Editor, Adobe Illustrator, or Inkscape to create your desired shapes, icons, or text-based graphics. Once designed, export the SVG code and modify it for compatibility with Power BI. For example, replace double quotes with single quotes to ensure proper rendering. Use tools like Boxy SVG Editor, Adobe Illustrator, or Inkscape to create your desired shapes, icons, or text-based graphics. Once designed, export the SVG code and modify it for compatibility with Power BI. For example, replace double quotes with single quotes to ensure proper rendering. Generate SVG Code with DAX: Write DAX measures to dynamically generate SVG code. By linking SVG properties such as size, color, and position to your dataset, you can create visuals that respond to changes in your data. Write DAX measures to dynamically generate SVG code. By linking SVG properties such as size, color, and position to your dataset, you can create visuals that respond to changes in your data. Render the SVG in Power BI: Assign the 'Image URL' data category to your DAX measure. This step allows Power BI to interpret and render the SVG within table or matrix visuals. This process enables you to create dynamic visuals that update automatically as your data changes, offering a level of customization that is difficult to achieve with Power BI's native visuals alone. Easily Make Awesome SVG Charts with DAX in Power BI Watch this video on YouTube. Uncover more insights about Power BI in previous articles we have written. Practical Applications of SVGs in Power BI SVGs open up a wide range of possibilities for creating unique and interactive dashboards. Here are some practical applications: Employee Attendance Dashboards: Design employee cards that display attendance percentages, along with interactive calendar visuals to show daily attendance trends. This can provide HR teams with a clear and engaging way to monitor workforce attendance. Design employee cards that display attendance percentages, along with interactive calendar visuals to show daily attendance trends. This can provide HR teams with a clear and engaging way to monitor workforce attendance. Dynamic Visuals: Create visuals that adjust dynamically based on slicers or filters. For example, a bar chart could change its color or size based on performance metrics, offering a more intuitive way to interpret data. Create visuals that adjust dynamically based on slicers or filters. For example, a bar chart could change its color or size based on performance metrics, offering a more intuitive way to interpret data. Custom KPI Indicators: Use SVGs to design unique KPI indicators, such as progress bars or status icons, that align with your organization's branding and reporting needs. These applications demonstrate how SVGs can transform static dashboards into interactive tools that provide deeper insights and a more engaging user experience. Benefits of Using SVGs SVGs bring several distinct advantages to Power BI visualizations, making them a valuable tool for advanced reporting: Customization: Overcome the limitations of native visuals by designing highly tailored graphics that align with your specific reporting needs. Overcome the limitations of native visuals by designing highly tailored graphics that align with your specific reporting needs. Interactivity: Link SVG properties to data-driven measures, allowing visuals to respond dynamically to user inputs such as slicers or filters. Link SVG properties to data-driven measures, allowing visuals to respond dynamically to user inputs such as slicers or filters. Flexibility: Represent data in creative ways using shapes, icons, or text-based designs, allowing for more intuitive and visually appealing dashboards. Represent data in creative ways using shapes, icons, or text-based designs, allowing for more intuitive and visually appealing dashboards. Scalability: SVGs maintain their quality regardless of size, making sure that your visuals look sharp and professional on any device or screen resolution. These benefits make SVGs an excellent choice for users looking to create impactful and engaging Power BI dashboards. Challenges and Limitations While SVGs offer significant advantages, they also come with certain challenges that users should be aware of: Performance Impact: Complex SVG designs or large datasets can slow down report performance, particularly when rendering multiple visuals simultaneously. Complex SVG designs or large datasets can slow down report performance, particularly when rendering multiple visuals simultaneously. Measure Size Restrictions: Power BI imposes a 32,000-character limit on DAX measures, which can constrain intricate SVG designs or highly detailed visuals. Power BI imposes a 32,000-character limit on DAX measures, which can constrain intricate SVG designs or highly detailed visuals. Compatibility Issues: SVGs are best suited for table and matrix visuals. They may not render reliably in other visual types, limiting their versatility in some scenarios. SVGs are best suited for table and matrix visuals. They may not render reliably in other visual types, limiting their versatility in some scenarios. Tooltip Display: By default, tooltips display raw SVG code unless customized. This can confuse end-users and may require additional effort to create user-friendly tooltips. Understanding these limitations is crucial for effectively integrating SVGs into your Power BI reports and making sure a smooth user experience. Best Practices for SVG Integration To maximize the benefits of SVGs while minimizing potential challenges, consider the following best practices: Simplify SVG Code: Keep your SVG designs concise and avoid unnecessary complexity to reduce performance issues and ensure faster rendering. Keep your SVG designs concise and avoid unnecessary complexity to reduce performance issues and ensure faster rendering. Test with Small Datasets: Validate your visuals with smaller datasets before scaling up to larger ones. This helps identify potential performance bottlenecks early in the development process. Validate your visuals with smaller datasets before scaling up to larger ones. This helps identify potential performance bottlenecks early in the development process. Use Templates: Use pre-built templates or examples from experts, such as Carrie Colosco's SVG templates, to streamline your workflow and reduce the time required to create custom visuals. Use pre-built templates or examples from experts, such as Carrie Colosco's SVG templates, to streamline your workflow and reduce the time required to create custom visuals. Optimize DAX Measures: Write efficient DAX code to minimize the character count and improve performance, especially for complex visuals. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your SVG-enhanced Power BI dashboards are both visually impressive and technically efficient. Future Potential of SVGs in Power BI The integration of SVGs into Power BI represents a significant step forward in data visualization. As the Power BI ecosystem continues to evolve, the potential for SVGs is likely to expand. Future advancements could include: More sophisticated visuals, such as interactive employee cards or dynamic calendars, that further enhance user engagement. Improved support for SVG rendering across a wider range of visual types, increasing their versatility. Expanded resources and tutorials to help users of all skill levels unlock the full potential of SVGs in Power BI. These developments will enable users to create even more innovative and impactful dashboards, solidifying SVGs as a cornerstone of advanced Power BI reporting. Media Credit: Chandoo Filed Under: Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. 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