Engadget Podcast: Why is air travel falling apart?

The IT Crowd was right! You really should try turning everything off and on again to make it work. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss how the FAA did just that to fix its NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of potential hazards. It turns out a database error was enough to send that system into a spiral, which forced the FAA to ground flights Wednesday morning. But of course, this was just one issue facing air travel in America – we also dive into Southwest’s holiday fiasco, as well as potential transportation alternatives.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

  • FAA grounds planes after NOTAM outage – 1:34

  • Other News: Microsoft may have given up on the Surface Duo 3 in favor of foldables – 28:23

  • Biden calls for legislation on social media platforms – 35:31

  • NASA is funding ideas for a seaplane and faster deep space travel – 38:18

  • Hyundai’s new EV can “crab walk” into parallel parking spaces – 40:49

  • Samsung’s first Unpacked of 2023 scheduled for February 1 – 45:13

  • Pop culture picks – 52:47

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks

The Morning After: Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried started a newsletter

Sure, it may not sound like the spiciest headline, but Sam Bankman-Fried is in a weird place to be starting a Substack. He’s facing up to 115 years in prison if he’s convicted of federal fraud and conspiracy charges. And yet the embattled founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX – who pleaded not guilty and is out on a $250 million bond while awaiting trial – figured it’d be a great idea to write about his perspective on the saga in a Substack newsletter.

In his first post, about the collapse of FTX International, Bankman-Fried (aka SBF) claims “I didn’t steal funds, and I certainly didn’t stash billions away.” SBF notes that FTX US (which serves customers in America) “remains fully solvent and should be able to return all customers’ funds.” However, he does not mention that FTX co-founder Zixiao “Gary” Wang and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison pleaded guilty to fraud charges and are cooperating with prosecutors.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

 

Tesla drastically lowers EV pricing in the US and Europe

The Model Y Long Range sees a huge $20,500 drop including the Federal Tax Credit.

After steadily increasing prices over the past couple of years, Tesla has cut them drastically across its lineup in the US and Europe, in an apparent bid to boost sales. The least expensive EV, the Model 3 RWD, has dropped from $46,990 to $43,990, while the 5-seat Model Y Long Range fell 20 percent, from $65,990 to $52,990. That means, perhaps crucially, the latter model now qualifies for the $7,500 US Federal Tax credit for EVs.

Continue reading.

Apple’s new AirPods Max and $99 AirPods could launch next year

They won’t arrive until 2024 at the earliest, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple is working on an update to the AirPods Max headphones and developing an AirPods “lite” with a $99 target price, according to analyst Min-Chi Kuo. The new products won’t be coming anytime soon, however, with a target release date for the more affordable AirPods no earlier than the second half of 2024. With the AirPods lite (or LE, or whatever Apple decides to call them), Apple would likely be trying to claw back some market share from the many cheap wireless buds on the market. The current AirPods 2 sell for $129, while the AirPods 3 cost $169. Neither offers active noise cancellation, while rivals from companies like Oppo have ANC for under $100.

Continue reading.

The best tablets for 2023

We’ve got picks for every ecosystem along with some more affordable options.

TMA
Engadget

Following the release of the 2022 Apple iPad Air and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 line last year, there hasn’t been much movement in the tablet world. Apple’s latest tablet is the revamped 10.9-inch iPad, but at $449, it’s more of an upgrade of, rather than an alternative for, the less expensive 10.2-inch iPad. Amazon launched revamped versions of its Fire HD 8 tablets. While the same company’s e-readers aren’t typically considered tablets, the new Kindle Scribe deserves some consideration thanks to its pen and support for handwritten notes. We break down all the options.

Continue reading.

National Transport Safety Board chair says EVs are getting too big and heavy

Bigger batteries may be dangerous in a collision.

In a keynote speech, the National Transport Safety Board NTSB (NTSBNational Transport Safety Board) chair, Jennifer Homendy, said she was worried the size and weight of modern EVs could increase the risk of serious injuries and death. A Hummer EV is over 9,000lbs, the board leader said, while electrified versions of vehicles like the Ford F-150 and Volvo XC40 are far heavier than their gas engine equivalents.

Continue reading.

Some third-party Twitter apps aren’t working right now

Several third-party clients for Twitter are having issues communicating with the social network, leading to issues that prevent users from being able to log in. As TechCrunch reports, Tweetbot and Twitterific have both confirmed that they’re having problems and are trying to find the root cause of the issue. “We’ve reached out to Twitter for more details, but haven’t heard back,” Tweetbot announced. 

Fenix has also confirmed that its client for Android is experiencing problems but that its iOS app seems to be unaffected. Matteo Villa, the app’s developer, said Fenix for Android was suspended with no communication from the company. Villa tweeted a screenshot showing a notification that says Fenix “violated Twitter Rules and policies” and can no longer be accessed as a result. The developer has temporarily pulled the app from Google Play while trying to determine the cause. 

Twitpane has posted an announcement in Japanese that says users have been getting errors, such as “account authentication failed,” that prevent them from being able to access the app. Other clients that seem to be experiencing issues include Echofon, Feather and Talon. 

Twitter has yet to issue an announcement through any of its official accounts. On the Twitter Developer forum, a poster said users have been encountering a lot of bugs with the Twitter API for third party apps since December. It’s unclear what exactly has been preventing third-party apps from accessing the social network, and since Twitter no longer has a communications team, even the affected developers have yet to hear from the company directly.

Tesla drastically lowers EV pricing in the US and Europe

After steadily increasing prices over the past couple of years, Tesla has cut them drastically across its lineup in the US and Europe, in an apparent bid to boost sales. The least expensive EV, the Model 3 RWD, has dropped from $46,990 to $43,990, while the 5-seat Model Y Long Range fell 20 percent from $65,990 to $52,990. That means the latter model now qualifies for the $7,500 US Federal Tax credit, so the final price drop will be $20,500 — over 30 percent. 

All other models, including the Model S and Model X (both regular and plaid versions) and the performance versions of the Model 3 and Model Y saw price cuts. However, the 7-seat option on the Model Y has increased in price by $1,000 to $4,000. While that puts the price over $55,000, it still qualifies for the Tax Credit as it’s considered to be an SUV. In Germany, Model 3 and Y prices were cut by one to 17 percent, and also dropped in Austria, Switzerland and France.

To receive the full $7,500 rebate, customers will have to order before mid-March, when it’s expected to be reduced to half that. The tax rebates apply to SUVs priced below $80,000 and cars under $55,000. The Model Y fell into both categories, depending on the number of seats, meaning certain 5-seat models weren’t eligible — something CEO Elon Musk called “messed up.” Now, all Model Y EVs except the Performance version appear to qualify.  

Late last year, it was reported that Tesla inventory was building up after years of strong sales, first with reports in China, then the US. Tesla recently cut prices in China, then later declined any compensation to customers who complained. The Model 3 now starts at 229,900 yuan ($33,425) in that nation. 

Neither Tesla nor CEO Elon Musk have weighed in on the price cuts, but potential buyers will no doubt be pleased (and recent purchasers displeased). The Model 3 was originally supposed to cost $35,000 and shipped in that configuration for a short time, but saw steady increases to the $46,990 price announced in March 2022. Last month, Musk said that “radical interest rate changes” had affected vehicle affordability and that Tesla could potentially lower prices.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is taking a 40 percent pay cut in 2023

Tim Cook is getting paid around 40 percent lower than last year, according to the annual proxy statement (PDF) Apple has released — and the CEO himself recommended it. Apparently, during the tech giant’s annual advisory meeting for shareholders in 2022, only 64 percent of the “Say on Pay” votes cast regarding the compensation proposals for executives was in favor of retaining their 2021 pay packages. While that’s still majority of the votes, it represents a significant year-over-year decline in approval. As 9to5Mac notes, 94.9 percent of the shareholders who voted the previous year was in favor of the compensation proposals for executives. 

To decide this year’s pay packages, Apple’s Compensation Committee took into account the Say on Pay’s voting results and Tim Cook’s own recommendation “to adjust his compensation in light of feedback received.” For 2023, Cook’s target salary is $49 million, down $35 million from his target salary in 2022. His base pay is still $3 million and his annual cash incentive remains unchanged at $6 million, but his equity award value went from $75 million in 2022 to $40 million this year. Further, he was granted an equity award that’s 75 percent performance and 25 percent time-based vesting, instead of 50-50 like 2022’s. 

The truth is that Cook, who vowed to donate his fortune to charity a few years ago, will likely earn more than $49 million this year due to stock awards and bonuses. According to Bloomberg, he earned $99.4 million in 2022, which was $15.4 million more than his target salary for the year. In 2021, his total pay package was $98.7 million. Critics like advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services previously urged shareholders to vote against Cook’s pay package, citing concerns about how big his equity award is and how it’s structured. “Half of the award lacks performance criteria,” the firm previously said. This shift in Cook’s compensation reflects the changing attitude towards executive pay, and the CEO might be setting an example for his peers. It is, after all, uncommon for an executive his level to recommend that their own pay be cut. 

Mercedes will reportedly drop the EQ brand to prepare for an all-electric future

Don’t worry if Mercedes’ insistence on EQ branding for electric cars seems arbitrary — the naming scheme might not last much longer. Sources speaking to the German daily Handelsblatt claim Mercedes will drop the EQ brand as soon as late 2024, when it’s expected to debut its next wave of compact cars. Simply put, the company won’t have much use for the label when more and more of its cars will be electric.

Mercedes first used the EQ name on production cars with 2019’s EQC SUV. Since then, the company has applied the branding to both electrified versions of conventional designs like the EQB as well as unique models like the EQS SUV. Concept cars like the long-range EQXX have similarly stuck to the nomenclature.

In a statement to Reuters, a Mercedes spokesperson said it was “too early” to divulge plans. However, the representative said the automaker would “adapt” the use of the EQ brand as it transitioned to an all-EV lineup by 2030. The identification still plays a key role in the company’s current electric vehicle strategy, the spokesperson added.

If the report is true, the rethink won’t come as a surprise. While car manufacturers have frequently used names to highlight electric powerplants, such as the Chevy Bolt and Ford Mustang Mach-E, they’re starting to rely on more traditional monikers as EVs become more commonplace. Chevy’s upcoming electric Blazer is one example. EVs will eventually become the default, and companies won’t get to use the presence of an electric motor as a selling point.

Netflix’s ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ will return for its fifth season on February 24th

Formula 1: Drive to Survive, the docuseries that helped the motorsport become a bigger deal in the US, will return for its fifth season on Netflix on February 24th. That’s smart timing, since the three-day preseason test for this year’s F1 calendar wil…

Instacart will pay $5.25 million to settle a workers’ benefit case

Instacart will pay workers $5.1 million as part of a settlement after it allegedly failed to provide some benefits, as The San Francisco Chronicle reports. San Francisco accused the company of violating healthcare and paid sick leave ordinances. The company, which has not admitted to wrongdoing, will pay an additional $150,000 to cover the city’s legal costs and pay for a settlement administrator to distribute the funds.

“Instacart has always properly classified shoppers as independent contractors, giving them the ability to set their own schedule and earn on their own terms,” Instacart said in a statement. “We remain committed to continuing to serve customers across San Francisco while also protecting access to the flexible earnings opportunities Instacart shoppers consistently say they want.”

People who worked as independent contractors for Instacart in the city between February 2017 and December 2020 are eligible for payments based on how many hours they worked. San Francisco estimates that between 6,000 and 7,000 people are affected by the settlement. The city and Instacart previously reached a similar settlement that covered an earlier time period. San Francisco has settled a benefits-related case with DoorDash too.

After December 15th, 2020, Instacart workers were subject to Proposition 22, which afforded them some benefits without the company having to define them as employees. An Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled in 2021 that the measure was unconstitutional, but it remains in force while Instacart, DoorDash, Uber, Lyft and other gig companies who bankrolled Prop 22 appeal the decision. Another suit — filed by San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego — claims that Uber and Lyft drivers should have been classed as workers until Prop 22 passed.