Zac Estrada | The Verge

Microsoft will let you pay bills from inside Outlook

2018-05-07T17:47:40-04:00

Microsoft announced Monday that its payment service would be integrated with Outlook in a bid to better integrate bill pay and invoices into emails. It was one of the modifications to Outlook that the company said would allow developers to better engage with users.

The Microsoft Pay system would let users make payments through emails without having to switch to other apps. Microsoft said initial payment partners include Stripe and Braintree, while billing service Zuora and invoicing services including FreshBooks, Intuit, Invoice2Go, Sage, Wave, and Xero would also be among the companies working with the new Outlook capability. Microsoft Pay will be rolled out to some Outlook.com users over the next few weeks, while more users will receive the capability over the next few months.

Additionally, Outlook will gain Adaptive Cards for actionable messages that help contain notifications and conversations into one message. The new card format can be added to emails, bots, and Team chats, Microsoft said.

Drive.ai will launch an autonomous ride-hailing service in Texas

2018-05-07T14:00:02-04:00

California-based Drive.ai is set to launch a self-driving ride-share service in a Texas city this summer to test how well the vehicles work with traffic as well as how the public reacts to them. In its announcement on Monday, Drive.ai said it will offer rides to over 10,000 people in Level 4 self-driving vehicles within a geofenced area that includes retail, entertainment, and office spaces as part of a six-month pilot program.

The company has teamed up with Frisco, Texas — a city of about 170,000 people — and its transportation management agency to finalize the exact drop-off areas between May and the July launch date. In that time, the city and Drive.ai are also working to educate the public about the self-driving technology in the compact vans that are being used in the program. The agencies will also work to gauge public response to determine the final drop-off locations.

“Self-driving cars are here, and can improve the way we live right now,” Sameep Tandon, co-founder and CEO of Drive.ai, said in a statement. “Our technology is safe, smart, and adaptive, and we are ready to work with governments and businesses to solve their transportation needs.”

Drive.ai’s initiative in Frisco comes at a time when self-driving vehicles on public roads have been exposed to severe crashes. Last week, a Waymo minivan was hit by a vehicle in Chandler, Arizona, and in March, Uber’s self-driving program’s problems were exposed after one of its vehicles hit and killed a woman in Tempe.

“Today definitely marks a mobility milestone for our entire region,” Frisco mayor Jeff Cheney said in a statement. “It also gets us closer to achieving one of our council’s ‘Top Ten’ goals, which is to improve traffic throughout Frisco, one of the fastest growing cities in the country.”

Besides the city of Frisco and Drive.ai, other program partners include HALL Group, Frisco Station Partners, and the Denton County Transportation Authority.

The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is more important than the gas models

2018-05-06T13:00:01-04:00

Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid | Porsche

Porsche has made some bold statements recently about how many of its resources it’s putting behind plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars in the coming years. While its first all-electric, the Mission E, is still more than a year off, the next line of its hybrids has been rolling out over the last year. Following the Panamera E-Hybrid and Turbo S E-Hybrid, there’s the 2019 Cayenne E-Hybrid — the latest plug-in hybrid iteration of one of Porsche’s most popular vehicles.

In case you haven’t heard already, two-door sports cars are not the majority of Porsche’s business, and haven’t been for some time. The first Cayenne SUV, introduced in 2002, quickly became the company’s most popular vehicle. It was then followed by the Panamera four-door and Macan SUVs, which by now make up the bulk of Porsche’s business. And it’s likely the latest Cayenne, introduced last year, will continue to grow in popularity as more buyers migrate from cars to SUVs (just ask Ford customers).

For 2019, the new E-Hybrid gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that’s mated to a 14.1 kWh battery pack, 30 percent more powerful than last year’s model. The company estimates 0–60 mph in 4.7 seconds, although that’s in a setting that’s likely to deplete the battery charge fairly quickly. Porsche estimates the range at 27 miles using European methods, which means that number is likely to fall when tested in the US by the EPA. Yet with 462 horsepower, it’s more powerful than the Cayenne S, with just 440 horsepower. That sounds like having your cake and eating it, too.

But Porsche has also allowed the Cayenne E-Hybrid to use full electric power in its Sport and Sport Plus settings with the standard Sport Chrono Package, effectively allowing the driver to use a temporary boost function if desired. The eight-speed automatic transmission has also been redesigned for quicker shifts. And if desired, there’s a mode to gain back some battery charge by effectively using the engine as a generator, or switch to full electric mode at speeds of up to 83 mph.

In addition to all of the weight savings introduced on the third-generation car, the Cayenne E-Hybrid will also boast the newly introduced technology, such as a trio of digital displays in the dashboard for driving information, navigation, and a new off-road app. Energy and efficiency displays are also included as part of the E-Hybrid package.

Starting from $79,990, the 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid may not sound like an important car for the masses. There are other, less expensive plug-in hybrid SUVs already on the market. But for Porsche’s reputation as an electric vehicle manufacturer, it’s the way most of its customers will experience technology in the near future. And if you were already going to spend a lot of money on a Porsche SUV, why shouldn’t it qualify for better parking closer to the mall entrance?

Kia Niro EV revealed in production form with ambitious range promises

2018-05-04T18:58:11-04:00

Kia Niro EV | Kia

Back at CES in January, Kia teased an upcoming Niro EV crossover that boasted a Chevrolet Bolt-rivaling 238 miles of range. While that concept also had 5G connectivity and a new infotainment system with gesture controls that didn’t seem bound for production, the Niro EV itself is destined for showrooms.

Kia on Friday showed the first photos of the Niro EV as it made its debut at the 5th International Electric Vehicle Expo in Jeju, Korea. Minus the flashy show car add-ons, the styling largely mimics that of both the CES concept and the standard Niro hybrid and plug-in hybrids. The automaker said the Niro EV will use a 64 kWh battery pack that will allow for an estimated 280 miles on a single charge (450 km). A separate 39.2 kWh pack from the Hyundai Kona EV is estimated to be good for 186 miles on a charge. Both of those estimates should fall closer to the 238 miles promised at CES when the Niro EV is tested by the EPA.

No other details were released, but the Niro EV should be priced near EVs like the Bolt and Tesla Model 3 (the elusive $35,000 ones, though). The 2018 Kia Soul EV, which the Niro EV will likely replace in the US, starts at $34,845. The Niro EV will have its first auto show unveiling in October at the Paris Motor Show and likely go on sale shortly thereafter in Korea, with other markets to follow. Expect it to appear in the US as part of Kia’s pledge to launch 16 electrified vehicles globally by 2025, including its first fuel cell electric vehicle in 2020.

Snapchat plans to test unskippable six-second ads

2018-04-25T20:14:57-04:00

In its quest to turn a profit, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. is looking for more ways to generate revenue while preventing users from defecting to other platforms. But Snapchat users may have to endure more ads in the process — and soon those ads will be ones that can’t be skipped.

Snapchat will start testing a six-second ad aptly called “Commercials,” Digiday reported Wednesday. The test, scheduled to start in the middle of next month and which the company confirmed, will appear in some shows, but not in personal stories or the Discover news section. People familiar with the test told the publication that the move is an attempt to see how many ads users will tolerate. Commercials is expected to consist of high-quality ads from major companies, presumably with a hefty price tag attached.

But it’s been a rocky year for Snap, as it weathered severe backlash for its recent Snapchat redesign, disavowals from well-known celebrity influencers, and multiple rounds of layoffs. The company may soon have to add a general distaste for mandatory advertisements to that list, depending on how it designs and rolls out its Commercials platform.

Ford will only sell two kinds of cars in America

2018-04-25T19:27:38-04:00

Ford has previously made it known it’s placing its bets on two major areas: the extremely profitable line of trucks and SUVs and a heavy investment in more forward-looking mobility solutions like connected cars and smart cities. But the automaker made that official, as it announced Wednesday it would be abandoning all of its traditional sedans and hatchbacks for the North American market.

In its quarterly earnings call, Ford CEO Jim Hackett said the company would offer only the Mustang and new Focus (in SUV-like Active trim) in North America at some point in the near future, after the current product cycle winds down. This effectively kills the Fiesta and Fusion ranges, while the new Focus arrives sometime next year — likely sourced from a plant in China. The Taurus and current Focus sedans were due to expire this year, too.

Ford does have to keep an eye on its fuel economy averages, though. Hackett confirmed the 2020 Bronco SUV, which will share components with the 2019 Ranger pickup, would get a hybrid version. The Bronco is set to compete with the likes of the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner. Jeep added a 48-volt mild hybrid system to the 2018 Wrangler, but it’s unclear if the Bronco will get a similar system or a plug-in hybrid format. Hybrid versions of the F-150, Escape, Explorer and Mustang have previously been announced.

With Ford now mostly getting out of its loss-making sedan business, however, the company could be on a better track to invest in new technologies. It’s already made further investments in its mobility services this year, as well as being fully invested in its “smart city” concept for the long-term.

Ford reported its first quarter net income for the year at $1.7 billion, up 9 percent year over year. However, its mobility division reported losses of $102 million for the quarter, which the company attributed to a one-time $58 million investment.

Buick’s semi-autonomous electric concept promotes 370 miles of range

2018-04-17T15:32:33-04:00

Buick Enspire Concept | Buick

Buick may still have a reputation for making pleasant if less-than-exciting sedans for older buyers, but it’s one of China’s most popular brands. That’s why the Enspire concept is being shown at this year’s Auto China show in Beijing, and it’s full of advanced technology promises.

The Enspire, announced on Tuesday in China, is a design and technology study for General Motors to explore what the public thinks of the brand’s idea for an all-electric SUV. It adopts some of the technologies we’ve seen on other concepts, such as lots of OLED to project vehicle information, navigation and audio functions, as well as 5G connectivity. Buick says the Enspire has a “‘surround skyline’ interior theme and suspended theater-type seating,” which brings to mind the Byton SUV concept we rode in earlier this year.

But the other technology on the Enspire is under the skin. Buick says the concept boasts a 370-mile EV range, thanks to a battery electric powertrain with up to 410kW of power driving on all four wheels and a claim that it can go from 0–60 mph in four seconds. It can also be fast-charged to 80 percent in 40 minutes.

The Enspire is also equipped with the Super Cruise system that, so far, has been exclusive to the Cadillac CT6. We’ve tried the system and found it to be a worthy rival to semi-autonomous driving systems such as Tesla’s Autopilot, and its lack of availability even on Cadillac’s newest models is a shame. A Buick spokesperson in the US said the company wasn’t commenting on the prospect of adopting Super Cruise on any of its future products, and the Enspire wasn’t based on any current GM vehicles.

But this is a promising sign of where Buick could go in the not-to-distant future. GM has already pledged to release more than 20 new electric vehicles by 2023, and there’s no reason this slick Buick SUV shouldn’t be one of them — especially if it boasts a sophisticated driver assistance system and a generous range.

Tesla temporarily stops Model 3 production line

2018-04-16T19:39:12-04:00

Tesla is temporarily stopping production of its Model 3 electric car, amid a long waiting list and several missed targets. The company, however, says the shutdown is intended to resolve some of the problems that have contributed to the numerous delays in getting the cars to hundreds of thousands of reservation holders.

The automaker said Monday it would halt production of the Model 3 sedan for four to five days at its Fremont, California assembly plant, BuzzFeed reported. Tesla, however, says this is part of a planned period of downtime that was similar to another shutdown in February, and it isn’t intended to have an effect on the company’s current production targets for the car.

“This is not unusual.”

“Our Model 3 production plan includes periods of planned downtime in both Fremont and Gigafactory 1,” a Tesla spokesperson told The Verge. “These periods are used to improve automation and systematically address bottlenecks in order to increase production rates. This is not unusual and is in fact common in production ramps like this.”

Tesla reached a milestone in the first quarter by hitting a production rate of 2,000 Model 3s per week, short of a 2,500-per-week goal by the end of that quarter. But the company still projects to reach its target of 5,000 of the cars per week by the end of the first half of 2018. In March, Tesla said it was able to double Model 3 weekly production by stopping the production line for short periods in order to fix bottlenecks.

Model S and Model X production is unaffected by the shutdown. And the shutdown reportedly comes before Monday’s report of workplace injuries at the Fremont plant that went unreported. Tesla said those reports from former workers were part of a ploy from an “extremist organization.”

Tesla reportedly failed to disclose some worker injuries at its factory

2018-04-16T16:23:56-04:00

Elon Musk

In a race to get the long-awaited Model 3 production running as planned, Tesla quietly concealed the true number of workplace injuries at its Fremont, California assembly plant, according to a new report. This offsets reports the company made about a sharp drop in injuries and casts another shadow over the plans to reach mass production targets.

Tesla may have violated state law by failing to report these serious worker injuries, according to an investigation by Reveal and The Center for Investigative Reporting. These include reports of “sliced by machinery, crushed by forklifts, burned in electrical explosions and sprayed with molten metal,” the Reveal story states.

“Sliced by machinery, crushed by forklifts”

Injuries were reported by workers to supervisors or managers, but the complaints were dismissed. California law requires injuries sustained at the workplace to be reported, but Tesla reportedly used other ways to avoid reporting.

It’s not the first report of employee problems at the Fremont factory. In October, Tesla was hit with allegations of racial harassment, anti-LGBT harassment, and firing pro-union employees.

In a statement on the company’s blog Monday titled “A Not So Revealing Story,” Tesla denounced the Reveal story. The automaker accused the publication of harassing workers since last fall by phone or social media or even in the parking lot of the factory. The company said the story was based on misleading or inaccurate information, claiming it was motivated by parties that have been trying to unionize the plant. The automaker claims Reveal reporters have been harassing workers by phone and social media, as well as at their homes and on Tesla property.

“In our view, what they portray as investigative journalism is in fact an ideologically motivated attack by an extremist organization working directly with union supporters to create a calculated disinformation campaign against Tesla,” the company said in the post.

Tesla maintains that its injury rate at the Fremont factory is half of what it was a decade ago when General Motors and Toyota were operating the facility as NUMMI.

“What they portray as investigative journalism is in fact an ideologically motivated attack by an extremist organization.”

Reveal, which was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in National Reporting Monday, said it reached out to Tesla for comment in its story. Its editor-in-chief, Amy Pyle, told The Verge that it did not agree with the automaker’s assessment of its story and stands by the accuracy of the piece.

“We always go to great lengths to talk to all stakeholders in a story and appreciate that Tesla allowed us to tour part of the plant and spent time reviewing and assessing documents related to our findings,” Pyle said in an email. “But we certainly did not stalk any employees as the company statement implies; they all talked with us willingly and for those who declined, we accepted that as well.”

Update at 7:55 PM ET: Adds statement from Reveal’s editor in chief.

Mercedes will launch a car subscription service in the US

2018-04-12T14:27:14-04:00

Mercedes-Benz SL450 | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Luxury car brands are increasingly trying out subscription-based services to get customers who want to have access to a fleet of fancy cars, rather than just picking one. Mercedes-Benz is the next to join the fray.

The company’s US arm announced Thursday it would begin a pilot program called Mercedes-Benz Collection in June. Nashville and Philadelphia are the first cities where the automaker will offer an unspecified fleet of their new cars. Those who subscribe will have access to the cars through a dedicated app, with some Mercedes-AMG models also planned to be part of the fleet. Prices for the subscriptions weren’t announced, but similar programs from BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche range from $1,800 per month to more than $3,000.

Both Mercedes and BMW were rumored in January to start offering such services, with BMW announcing theirs just last week — also in Nashville. The already established Book By Cadillac and Porsche Passport pilot programs offer cars that range from sports cars to SUVs to luxury sedans, depending on what the user wants at a given time. Meanwhile, Audi on Demand has operated in San Francisco for a couple years now, with per-hour or daily rates. In all cases, insurance and maintenance are included.

As drivers — especially those in crowded cities — evaluate car ownership, luxury brands are likely to increasingly try out subscription-based services to get you to try their cars. For a price, of course.