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Thomas Ricker

Thomas Ricker

Deputy Editor

Thomas' first gadget memory was typing 7734 into his father's inverted, HP-35 scientific calculator. Clearly fated to tech blogging, he would have to wait another 20 years before the rise of the medium. A degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering led Thomas to Silicon Valley just prior to the dot-com boom. In June of 2011, Thomas wrote his 1,362,258th word for Engadget, leaving to help launch The Verge.

Companies love to say “AI.”

You figured it was true, now we’ve got earnings-call data from the largest 500 companies to back it up, thanks to Factset. “AI” mentions began to spike in late 2022 just as OpenAI announced ChatGPT. Nvidia cited “AI” the most in Q4 2023 as it rode the brain-replacement wave to a record market cap. Apple — the company rumored to be partnering with Google or OpenAI — didn’t even make the top ten list.


<em>ChatGPT was announced in November 2022.</em>

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ChatGPT was announced in November 2022.
Image: Factset
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Hertz CEO out after Tesla flub.

Stephen Scherr, the man who bet heavily on EVs to transform the future of the company, is stepping down after just two years in the role. He’s being replaced by Gil West, the former COO of Cruise robotaxis. West was one of several execs dismissed by GM after that body-dragging incident.


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$1,299.99. Now.

That’s the price and availability date for LG’s new 4K CineBeam portable projector with laser light source and auto keystone correction and focus. It runs webOS giving you access to Netflix, YouTube, Disney Plus, Apple TV, Prime Video, and more without needing to attach another box; as well as AirPlay 2 and Micracast screen sharing. It’s only rated for 500 ANSI lumens brightness when on, but it always looks great when it’s off.


Microlino electric bubble car review: urban delight

Fun, fun, fun till a trailer towed my baby away.

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VanMoof is (nearly) back up and running.

The version 2.0 rollout of the company now owned by McLaren Applied, is well underway, having resumed production of spare parts and signed 50 repair and service locations across seven countries, with more cities on more continents including North America coming “later this year.”

The company also says it will “soon” make an announcement about the resumption of sales for its re-engineered e-bikes.


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Brave choice.

Brave says its browser is having a hockey stick moment after the release of Apple’s DMA-compliant iOS 17.4 last week, which immediately nags users to choose their default browser from a randomized list upon startup.


AirPods Pro getting “hearing aid mode.”

Or so says Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On Newsletter, advancing Apple’s hearing-related accessibility features like Live Listen and Conversation Boost. Hearing aids cost an average of $2,300 per ear.

It’s supposedly coming with iOS 18 which is shaping up to be a big release with RCS messaging support and generative AI. We’ll know for sure at WWDC this summer.


The Microlino electric bubble car.

While cars in general are embiggening, in some cities a new breed of electric microcars is trending. They’re cheaper to own, easier to park, consume less public space and energy, and maneuver around obstacles that would otherwise block big SUVs and snarl traffic.

Here’s a preview ahead of our full review of the Microlino Dolce, coming soon.

(Update, 3/11 1:30PM ET — And now in widescreen.)