Technology

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Aw man, here we go again.

Sony Afeela might be just what this sleeping self-driving EV industry needs. There, I said it, and it's a change of heart that comes from finally sitting inside the prototype collaboration between Sony and Honda. Sony Afeela, the EV with the silliest name, may offer everything you want, including AI, in a next-level self-driving electric automobile.

It's been a long road for Sony Honda Mobility's Afeela EV prototype self-driving car. We first heard about it years ago when it was still called Sony Vision S. The rebrand introduced two years ago at CES 2023 was met with some head-scratching, though.

Vision S was cool. Afeela is a softball for wordplay mockery. Part of the problem is that Sony, for the most part, kept the media at arm's length. That changed this week when Sony started inviting the press to a Classic Car Club hanger on Manhanttan's West side.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Afeela is a joint project between Sony and Honda, and company reps insist that it's a 50-50 endeavor. Honda did not simply build an EV and ask Sony for its branding consent. Instead, the fingerprints of both companies are all over the car.

In hindsight, the Classic Car Club might not have been the best place to showcase Afeela's relatively low-key design. Outside the building, a collection of pricey, eye-popping sports and classic cars sat. The gray Afeela sat lonely in the cavernous hanger, looking much the same as it did when I saw it at CES last year and the year before that. Sony did tell me that other color options will be available when the EV goes on pre-order next year and ships in 2026.

Step inside

Sony's intention this time, though, was not just to antiseptically tout Afeela's capabilities. I was almost immediately invited to sit in the mostly white interior.

First, though, I had to figure out hope to open one of the sedan's four doors. While most EVs have recessed handles, the Afeela has none. I was quickly shown how the car could communicate with the companion app on your phone and swing the door open as you approached the car. If app control is not your thing, small buttons are hidden near each window. One press and the door swung open on its own. There's another button inside the door that I used to open and close the car door.

As I settled into the comfortable bucket seat, the chair shifted forward, and the yoke-style steering wheel lowered toward my lap. My gaze was instantly drawn to the virtually full dashboard touchscreen. We swiped it to see various content options. It supports customization, gaming (there was somewhat incongruously a PlayStation controller sitting just below the dash, but we never got it to work with the car), and even movies. You can slide content toward or away from the driver. There will be a method for assuring that a movie playing on the far right of the screen does not distract the driver, though Sony could not describe the technology that will make this possible.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

My favorite use of this display was as a giant navigation map. We pinched and zoomed in and out on it and swept up to transform it into a 3D, 360-degree rendering view.

The dash right in front of me, which is also customizable, has an image of the car and the Fortnite logo above it. I never got to drive the EV, and Sony Honda Mobility has been mum about certain key specs, such as range. However, this screen offered a clue.

I noticed the 0 MPH readout and a "Range" readout to the far left. The bar appeared to be 84% full and promised 234 miles remaining. That could mean Afeela will be in the 250 or even 275mph range, which would more or less match the base range of a rear-wheel motor Tesla Model 3.

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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

This being a prototype, there were many things I couldn't experience (like a test drive) or examine, like the trunk and frunk. Even the 360 spatial audio sound system was incomplete, but they were willing to let me listen. It played music. but also sonic soundscapes that were ear and cabin-filling. The EV will include sound-suppressing features that should mean even if we blasted the music, people outside the car might not be able to hear it.

Afeela uses a combination of cameras (they would not tell me how many) and Lidar sensors for autonomy and to deliver information about surroundings, other cars, and pedestrians to the driver. Along with a standard side view and a rearview mirror, a pair of screens can show you a more complete view from each side of the car (Sony never turned these on in my demo). The rearview can switch between a standard mirror and a rear camera feed.

I also slipped into the spacious rear seats and was confronted by what looked like a 12-inch touchscreen (there was one on the back of each front seat). They showed maps but could be used to display movies, play games, access music, and more.

The EV is big on themes, and depending on which one you choose (or even create), the ambient lighting embedded throughout the car will adjust, as will the sounds. I like the Fortnite blue hue we ended up with.

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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) A rolling computer

Afeela is a smart car. While Sony Honda Mobility wouldn't detail the manufacturer, they claim the EV has a powerful system on a chip (SoC) capable of 800 ToPs (Trillions of Operations Per Second) and that supports on-board machine learning AI that, in combination with all the cameras and sensors, should deliver Sony Honda Mobility's goal of Level 3 and Level 2+ autonomy.

That means the car will be able to drive itself, but it'll still require the driver to maintain contact with the steering wheel as a backup. Company representatives told me the system is well-equipped to handle nighttime driving and bad weather. The car will also get regular over-the-air system updates.

Afeela uses these smarts to get to know you and make adjustments, like switching up the morning commute routine if it knows – via access to your calendar – that you have a meeting this morning and offers faster routes to ensure you make it on time.

The app-connected bumper displays is kind of cool. It can show off special messages and, as seen here, even tell you how much battery is left. I wonder if they would consider letting drivers rent out the space to advertisers. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Even though Sony Honda Mobility is promising pre-orders next year and delivery by 2026, it still has nothing to say about the price. While the car and its technology-crammed interior are exciting, and the exterior is pleasantly attractive, the Afeela adds up to a big question mark in the EV space.

No one outside the company knows how it will drive, exactly how far it can go, what its 0-to-60mph capabilities are, or how all those in-cabin capabilities will work for the driver and passengers in the real world.

What we do know, though, is what Afeela means. Here's how one Sony Honda Mobility representative described it to me:

At the center of the mobility experience is to create a feeling. Take that idea of creating a feeling, sandwich in augmentation, economy, and affinity, and you get A Feel A, and that's where Afeela comes from."

Okay, we'll take his word for it.

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• Amazon just launched Haul, where all products are $20 or less ... way less
• You won't score free shipping with Prime
• This Temu, Shein, or TikTok Shop alternative is home to a host of products

Look at Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop – now Amazon wants a piece of the ultra-low-cost, generally patience-required shopping buzz. The answer? Well, that’s Amazon Haul.

Amazon Haul is a new mobile-only experience within the Amazon app that offers dozens upon dozens of ultra-affordable products, including fashion, home goods, tech accessories, and even jewelry. While Amazon normally heralds Prime at every opportunity, it’s not featured here.

To score free shipping that isn’t all that fast – delivery estimates are one to two weeks – you’ll need to spend at least $25. Otherwise, shipping is $3.99 for that same time frame. In fact, that fee might be more than what the product you want costs, as some items – including a Stainless Steel Couple Ring—are just $0.99.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

All products on Amazon Haul are under $20, and the experience is very much like a social feed. A rolling top banner rotates with options like “Warm layers. Cool prices.” or “Activewear that won’t stretch your budget.” This is a quick attention grabber, with rolling stats below it and then many featured products across categories. Amazon is also leaning toward emojis and bright colors for the design here. Regardless of product type, Amazon offers additional discounts for Haul, including 5% off when you spend $50 or more and 10% off when you spend $75 or higher.

Haul might be safer than purchasing from Temu or Shein because Amazon backs it with the brand's A-to-Z Guarantee, which offers some consumer protection. Also, you can contact Amazon’s customer support if something goes wrong. You can return any item that costs more than $3.00 within 15 days; it seems like you’re out of luck for lower-priced options, though.

Like TikTok Shop, Temu, or Shein, Haul is clearly designed to encourage purchasing and you can move through it pretty quickly – from homepage to category to product to checkout. The product pages are also a bit more brief than a standard Amazon one. Take this Water Ripple Pattern Phone Case” for example; it has six photos, most of which are of the actual product and minimal details, including an estimated delivery time frame, details on the product, and then similar choices in case you don’t like this one.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Amazon Haul is live now in beta in the Amazon app and on the mobile version of the shopping site in the United States. It’s early days, though, with Amazon’s VP of Worldwide Selling Partner Services, Dharmesh Mehta, saying that Amazon will “continue to listen to customers as we refine and expand it in the weeks and months to come.”

Further, it’s evident what Haul is all about – lower-priced products from a more trusted name, at least in Amazon’s eyes, as all purchases are “ backed by Amazon’s A-to-Z product guarantee so customers can shop with confidence that the products they’re purchasing are safe, authentic, and in the condition expected.”

It offers a wide range of products, including fashion – shoes and jewelry – as well as home goods, electronics, accessories, kitchen, beauty, and sports. You’ll also find seasonal items, including a ton of stuff geared toward the holidays; you’ll just want to order soon enough so you can haul, haul, haul.

I was able to start browsing Amazon Haul in beta right from the Amazon app on an iPhone, though if you’re not seeing it, you may want to check for an update and ensure you’re in the United States. I’ll browse the virtual aisles of this new low-cost experience and report on what I find – just give me about two weeks time.

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• Researchers discover Golssue - a new tool for extracting GitHub user emails
• It is being sold for $700 on the dark web
• Such a high-precision tool could lead to dangerous supply chain attacks

GitHub users are allegedly being targeted in a brand new phishing campaign, according to SlashNext.

The company recently published an article titled “GoIssue – The Tool Behind Recent GitHub Phishing Attacks”, detailing the tool, which, from the headline, appears to have already been put to use.

However, the article’s body mostly discusses the potential risks and the ways it could be used to facilitate targeted phishing campaigns and other cyber attacks. It outlines the features of GoIssue and how attackers "could" use it to target GitHub users, suggesting hypothetical scenarios rather than confirming any specific incidents where the tool has been deployed.

Discount for early adopters

In any case, Golssue is definitely a sophisticated hacking tool, and GitHub users should be on their guard.

SlashNext claims Golssue can extract email addresses from public GitHub profiles, and send bulk emails directly to people’s inboxes. That way, crooks could craft highly targeted, convincing phishing emails, which could result in GitHub users losing access to their profiles, or having projects compromised with malware in supply-chain attacks.

"Whether you're aiming to reach a specific audience or expand your outreach, GoIssue offers the precision and power you need," Golssue’s developer, a threat actor called ‘cyberdluffy’ said in an ad posted on the dark web.

To purchase a custom build of the tool, you will need to pay $700. Access to the source code can also be acquired, but for $3,000. TheHackerNews found on October 11, the developer slashed the prices to $150 and $1,000 respectively - for the first five customers. So, we might assume that no groups used it just yet.

GitHub is a web-based platform that provides version control and collaboration features for software development projects. It is extremely popular, and as such, often targeted by various criminal groups.

Via SlashNext

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• Ahold Delhaize confirms being hit by cyberattack
• Multiple retail stores across the US were affected by the attack
• Other details are not known at this time

Multinational retailer Ahold Delhaize has confirmed recently suffering a cyberattack which forced it to shut down parts of its IT infrastructure. As a result, some of its grocery stores and pharmacies, mainly those in the United States, could not service their customers properly.

In a press release, the company said it recently detected a cybersecurity issue within its US network, brought in third-party experts to assist, notified the police, and brought its network offline.

The company operates a variety of supermarket, convenience store, and online grocery brands across Europe and the United States, including brands like Food Lion, Stop & Shop, and Giant.

Delivery delays and other problems

“This issue and subsequent mitigating actions have affected certain Ahold Delhaize USA brands and services including a number of pharmacies and certain e-commerce operations,” the company said in its announcement.

“Each of Ahold Delhaize USA’s brands' stores are open and serving customers. We will continue to take actions to further protect our systems. The security of our customers, associates and partners is a top priority.”

A report from The Register claims woes for US retailers have been going on for a week now, resulting in even the staff voicing their annoyance on social media.

Not all retailers were affected the same way, however - as at one point, the pharmacy at Stop & Shop could not refill prescriptions. The problem was only exacerbated with phone lines being down, as well. The Food Lion, on the other hand, had to address missing and delayed deliveries. Instacart orders return dates were constantly being pushed back.

At the moment, further details are scarce, and The Register claims that employees were told not to discuss the incident with the media.

Usually, when a company shuts down its systems, it’s to prevent them from being encrypted, and to prevent hackers from exfiltrating information - which usually happens in a ransomware attack.

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• Xiamoi might be entering the smart glasses market, according to a new report.
• The rumored glasses will look to undercut the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
• These should offer a similar feature set with cameras built-in.

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are among the best smart glasses (and the best AI wearable in general) around. They have a sleek, stylish shape and solid Meta AI integration (with helpful tools like Look and Ask, which rely on the glasses’ camera). But they aren’t cheap, which is where these rumored Xiaomi smart glasses might come in.

Per a report from Chinese media outlet 36Kr, industry insiders have said that Xiaomi will launch AI glasses that will "fully benchmark against Meta Ray-Ban," – suggesting they’ll pack all the same tools and features. This would include a version of the Xiaomi AI – which looks awfully similar to Apple Intelligence if you ask us – but also the cameras and built-in speakers.

There’s no precise word on how much they’ll cost when they launch, but Xiaomi is known for producing more affordable tech than its better-known rivals, so we expect its smart specs to start at less than Meta Ray-Ban’s $299 / £299 / AU$449 starting price.

Not a surprise, not a guarantee

Though, we shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out precisely how much the Xiaomi glasses cost, with industry insiders claiming they’ll arrive in Q2 2025. The Mi Fan Festival is usually held in April, which, as 36Kr notes, would align with this schedule, so perhaps the 2025 Fan Festival will be where we see these AI glasses in action.

Obviously, as with all rumors, we should take this leak with a pinch of salt. What’s more, even if these glasses turn out to be real and arrive next year, there’s a non-zero chance they’ll be exclusive to China and/or Asia.

Considering the Ray-Ban Meta glasses continue to prove wildly popular, we would be surprised if the Xiaomi specs were the only AI glasses to arrive in 2025. As Xiaomi, Apple, Google, Amazon, and others continue to push AI advancements, it makes sense for them to push out AI accessories to rival the Ray-Ban Meta glasses – and hopefully, this competition means better prices for us.

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• 8849 TANK Pad: rugged tablet with 10.95-inch FHD, 120Hz display
• Equipped with 21000mAh battery, 66W charging, dual-SIM 5G support
• Features laser projector, waterproof speakers, durable build for outdoors

Earlier in 2024, I wrote about the 8849 TANK3 PRO, a rugged smartphone with a massive battery, DLP projector, 200-megapixel camera, and camping light. Now, 8849 by Unihertz is expanding its rugged device lineup with a tablet version, the 8849 TANK Pad.

The TANK Pad boasts a 10.95-inch IPS display with FHD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The rugged tablet has IP68 and IP69K ratings, as well as MIL-STD-810H certification, enabling it to withstand drops, extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, and water.

Like the TANK3 PRO, the tablet’s rear shell includes a large camping light, ideal for outdoor use, and a pair of waterproof speakers rated at 105 dB, providing decent sound output in challenging environments. The camera system features a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor on the rear, with a 32MP Sony IMX616 sensor on the front.

Large 21000mAh battery

The massive 23800mAh battery was arguably the main feature of the TANK3 PRO, and while the TANK Pad can’t match that, it does come with a large 21000mAh battery that supports 66W fast charging, offering extended use on a single charge.

The tablet runs Android 14 and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset. It comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, with the option for an additional 16GB in virtual memory, and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD.

Connectivity includes dual-SIM 5G support, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 5. Additional features include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a USB Type-C port with OTG, an IR blaster, and a classic headphone jack.

As with the TANK3 PRO smartphone, the TANK Pad features a built-in DLP laser projector with an 854 x 480-pixel resolution, 100 lumens of brightness at the center, and 94% brightness uniformity. Its manual focus can be adjusted via a physical dial, with a range of 0.5 to 3 meters. For cooling, the device incorporates two waterproof outlets to vent hot air when the projector is in use.

With its waterproof speakers, powerful projector, and rugged durability, the TANK Pad, which retails for $799, has the potential to serve as a portable entertainment hub. We’ll be testing a review sample soon to find out if this device truly lets you create your very own mini outdoor cinema - even in the pool.

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• Timeline, the journey and location tracking function of Google Maps, will soon switch to local storage
• Google will delete all Timeline data older than 3 months by default
• The official solution is deleting data for some users

Google is gearing up to implement changes to its location-tracking Maps feature that will see users’ previous location history erased unless quick action is taken.

As we previously reported, in December 2023 Google announced that location history gathered via the Timeline feature built into the Google Maps app would be moved from cloud storage to on-device storage by the end of 2024.

By default, this change will download the most recent three months of a user’s Timeline history to their device, erasing the rest forever.

Though we previously expected this change to happen in December, mixed reports have emerged that suggest an earlier deadline.

As Android Authority reports, some users have received emails instructing them to take action by November 19 to save their Timeline data.

What is Google Maps Timeline?

Google Maps Timeline is a feature built into Google Maps that allows users to track their location history as a line across the map. You can think of it as GPS in reverse, plotting a course of where the user has been.

The feature was first introduced in 2015 before making its way to iOS in 2017, meaning some users may have almost a decade’s worth of location history saved to the cloud.

Beyond the sentimental value of plotting your life's journey, Google can (with consent) use Timeline data to assess the effectiveness of advertising.

Google Maps Timeline currently syncs across devices over the internet, but it will effectively become device-specific with the upcoming changes.

How do I stop my Google Maps Timeline data from being deleted?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you want to back up your Google Maps Timeline data, the email sent to users should contain a link allowing you to keep your data beyond the previous three months.

However, some users have reported that this link has wiped their location history entirely, so proceed with caution.

Luckily, you can save this data using something called a Google Takeout and circumvent Google’s email entirely. Head over to takeout.google.com, untick everything except Location History (Timeline), click Next step, and then Create export.

We will of course update this article if more information, or any fixes, regarding this potential bug come to light.

The impending change to Google Maps Timeline is the latest in Google’s slow move from free cloud services to either cloud-based subscriptions or on-device features.

Google Photos famously ended its free unlimited storage option in 2021, and Google subsidiary YouTube has either considered or committed to making features like video queueing and 4K playback exclusive to its Premium subscription.

Nevertheless, most users will simply want to save their data and move on – though we don’t have an estimate for how much storage space Timeline will take up yet.

For the latest updates as we hear them, be sure to keep up with our phones coverage.

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