Rivian’s R2 vehicles will be powered by batteries made domestically in the US by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, the company announced in its third quarter earnings report.
Rivian first revealed the new batteries back in March when it announced the R2 as its more affordable electric SUV that would start at $45,000. (It also announced the sportier R3 vehicle.) The cell is called “4695” due to its diameter of 46 millimeters and height of 95 millimeters — larger than Tesla’s 4680 cells.
The battery packs that Rivian uses currently in its R1T and R1S vehicles are assembled at its Normal, Ill. factory using cells manufactured in South Korea by Samsung SDI. Now, the cells will be produced in the US to better comply with tax credit requirements outlined by the Inflation Reduction Act. In a letter to shareholders, Rivian said the cells would be manufactured during their first year at LG’s plant in Queen Creek, Az.
The next-gen battery pack will be lighter, less complex, and cheaper to produce than the current batteries, Rivian said. The company also expects a “meaningful reduction in dollar per kilowatt hour (kWh) at the pack level when compared to the R1 platform.” And because its larger than its R1 batteries, the new packs will contain fewer cells overall, which will make the manufacturing process more efficient. Rivian says it expects the assembly process to improve by 45 percent.
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Since the passage of the IRA, automakers have been scrambling to shift EV battery manufacturing to the US to comply with rules requiring domestic production in order to qualify for generous subsidies. And with Donald Trump coming back into office, they will need to work even faster in order to avoid harsh tariffs on imported goods that the incoming president has promised to enact.
Rivian has said the R2 will go into production during the first half of 2026. But with Trump also promising to eliminate Joe Biden’s EV subsidies, the question remains whether struggling EV-only companies like Rivian will be able to stay afloat amidst what’s expected to be a more uncertain market.
Sony reported its quarterly results tonight and it said that third-party games helped it grow operating profits by 2.8 times in the quarter compared to a year ago.
The games that took off included Astro Bot, which debuted on the PlayStation 5 on September 6 and generated 1.5 million copies sold.
So far this year, Helldivers 2, which debuted on February 8 from third-party dev Arrowhead Game Studios, has sold 12 million copies on the PC and PS5.
Helldivers 2
And Sony’s Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut has sold 9.7 million copies on the PS5 and the PC since its debut on May 16.
Sony also got a boost this year from The Last of Us Part II Remastered and from Horizon Forbidden West on the PC, but it did not say how much those games sold.
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Elwood Edwards, the voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” greeting, has died at age 74 after a long illness, according to local Ohio news station WKYC, where he was employed for many years.
During a 2016 interview, Edwards recounted how he became the voice of AOL. His wife, who worked at Quantum Computer Services (which later became AOL), heard that the company was looking to add a voice to its software. “I’d been an announcer throughout my entire broadcasting career, and she volunteered me,” Edwards said.
In 1989, Edwards recorded the once-ubiquitous phrase, along with “Welcome,” “Files done,” and “Goodbye” on a cassette tape for just $200. “It started off as a test just to see if it would catch on, and lo and behold, in the mid-90s, it had really caught on.”
AOL still gives you the option to hear “You’ve Got Mail.”Screenshot: The Verge
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As a longtime AOL user (yes, I still use AOL to this day), I’m ashamed to admit that I never knew there was a person behind that iconic voice — I thought it was computer-generated. Even now, Edwards’ voice will continue to live on in my inbox, which still declares, “You’ve Got Mail.”
With widespread use of generative AI, phishing has become an even more formidable threat for organizations. Hyper realistic emails, texts and deepfake voice-notes can be constructed using AI tools, and with better grammar and spelling making threats appear more genuine, AI-powered phishing is causing major concerns.
This year we have seen an escalation in the complexity and variety of phishing methods, with people being targeted on new platforms they trust, beyond the standard email, phone call, or SMS. The concerns have shot to the very top of business. Accenture’s Pulse of Change research found almost half (47%) of C-suite were concerned about the increased risks from cyber attacks and data breaches. Cybersecurity threats posed by deceptive content, such as realistic phishing emails/messages, were seen as the biggest risk.
Attacks may not be simple, but motivations often are: financial gain. Attackers use messages requesting personal information from fraudulent websites to trick their victims to send money or obtain access to their networks. They also know by impersonating senior leaders they can potentially influence people to share data, money, or credentials.
Unfortunately, as phishing attempts become more realistic, employees are more likely to fall victim, which can create serious disruption, financial loss and potential long-term reputational damage for their organization.
Mark Raeburn
Accenture’s Cyber Resilience Lead in the UK.
Education is key
It is therefore critical that employers provide the necessary education – including training and simulations – to prevent attacks from duping employees into clicking something they shouldn’t.
Simulating an authentic phishing attack isn’t a simple ask. In fact, firms have tried to educate their employees by replicating public brands with typical consumer and employee communications – such as impersonating delivery companies – to create content for educational purposes. This is because these companies tend to have many characteristics that make them ideal targets for social engineering due to brand familiarity, regular personal information requests and sharing of routine tracking links. Delivery companies regularly share emails and SMS updates, meaning the cadence of communication – and the characteristics that come with it – often go unnoticed, and individuals are easily deceived.
However, when organizations copy-cat brands in simulations, it can pose legal issues around IP theft, if they have not asked permission to use their branding and company information. It can also cause the brands themselves reputational damage from being associated with cyber attacks (even fake ones).
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If a business decides to replicate such an exercise, but wants to avoid using a third-party as part of the simulation, it could instead implement internal emails from reliable departments such as finance, legal or HR. This means they still appear credible for employees, as they will resemble emails normally issued directly by internal teams, but they don’t risk falling into legal hot water from external companies.
How can you protect your company
In addition to training employees, businesses can also take preventative measures to stay protected – and turn the tables on attackers by using gen AI itself.
With AI increasing the risk of being defrauded by realistic content, it is also a vital part of an organization’s technological armor. For example, many platform companies and hyperscalers are releasing AI security features in their own environments. Additionally, AI-powered ‘red teaming’ – a cybersecurity technique – mimics an attack to see how individuals would respond. Other examples, including penetration testing, will become mandatory for organizations as regulations evolve. The key to gaining the upper hand in the era of gen AI will be embedding security-by-design along the journey.
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The personal touch
Although security tools are critical, humans are ultimately a key line of defense. Training programs play a central role in helping employees recognize and report suspicious communications, but they should also be encouraged to rely on their instincts, too. Employees should always ask themselves: “Is this typical behaviour from the sender? Is this a platform they’d normally be contacting me on? Would I normally verify my details in this way?”
There are also cultural factors that support an organization’s defense – and it starts with ensuring companies prioritize the ways of working and wellbeing of their people. Always-on and tired employees may be more likely to click on suspicious links in a hurry, so reducing alert fatigue and burnout among people has cyber security benefits, too.
Just as there is a human behind the initial creation of a phishing attack, there’s always a human recipient of a scam. The best defense always relies on the knowledge of an empowered employee that understands the risks and acts mindfully. A healthy dose of human suspicion, combined with a strong line of technology enabled defences, will set organisations on the right pathway to defending against phishing attackers, without inadvertently impacting other brands’ reputations.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.
Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end.
Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. https://t.co/YITfSnqODbpic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs
In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc.
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There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections.
Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups.
Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends.
We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below.
Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily.
“A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.”
On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far:
Meta will open an experiential pop-up store for its Ray-Ban smart glasses. This store will allow customers to try out the smart glasses and even get them customized.
Such stores can allow new customers to experience these wearables and the features they offer. Incidentally, Meta tested the “Meta Lab” experience at this year’s Connect 2024. The social media giant boasted that over 90 percent of Connect attendees visited the Meta Lab. What’s even more promising is that the booth managed to convert 25% of the visitors into customers.
The temporary store will open today, on 8th November 2024 in Los Angeles and will be around through the end of this year. In other words, the experiential store for Ray-Ban smart glasses could be an experiment that Meta might replicate on a larger scale later.
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What will the experiential store offer?
The Meta Lab had quite an elaborate setup. It offered a very personalized and interactive experience. The pop-up experiential store for the Ray-Ban smart glasses might not have the same structure and layout. However, visitors to this store can try out the glasses, and even get them customized.
The temporary store will also host local events with various creators, including stand-up comedians. Meta will also conduct live podcasts and cooking classes at the store. It would be safe to presume that the Ray-Ban smart glasses would feature prominently at these events.
Temporary stores or time-bound experience centers have been an emerging concept for tech companies. Opening, staffing, and maintaining permanent storefronts is a very costly affair. Additionally, such stores need to stock, store, and display inventory, which is another recurring expense.
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Meta seems to be experimenting with such temporary stores. The miniature Meta Lab in Los Angeles would close on December 31. However, the company has reportedly planned another such experience center in Phoenix that could open at the end of January 2025.
Meta is collaborating with Ray-Ban for future iterations of smart glasses. If these experience centers prove successful, these companies could lease permanent retail spaces.
Accessory maker 8BitDo has unveiled its second new product in two weeks. After showcasing a latch-on gaming controller for Android phones, the company now has a new version of its Retro Mechanical Keyboard that adds a numpad and new shortcuts. And yes, the $120 accessory still includes those begging-to-be-mashed Super Buttons.
Like its predecessor, the 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard is inspired by Nintendo’s NES and Famicom consoles. The two variants almost perfectly match the colors of these 1980s gaming machines: white, dark gray and black for the NES-inspired flavor and white and crimson for the Famicom one. Appropriately, the latter has Japanese markings under its English characters.
The keyboard is 22 percent wider than the standard version to accommodate the integrated numpad and other extras. The extended area also includes Windows shortcuts, Calculator, Function Lock and Screen Lock buttons.
Otherwise, the new keyboard retains the features of the 87-key original. That includes using it in wired or wireless modes (including Bluetooth or wireless 2.4G), custom key mapping through 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 (Windows only), N-key rollover and hot-swappable keys.
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8BitDo
The new model includes the same pair of Super Buttons you’ll get with the smaller variant. These programmable macro keys look like giant-sized versions of the A and B buttons on the NES and Famicom. They connect to the keyboard directly via a 3.5mm jack, and you can string up to four sets together. You can also order Super Buttons (in red, blue or yellow) for $30.24 apiece.
Officially, 8BitDo says the keyboard is only supported for Windows and Android, likely because its customization software is only available for the former. But you can still use it with macOS; you’d just miss out on customizing its keys and macros and receiving software updates.
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