Indi One first look: Part EV, part gaming PC

While established automakers try to come to grips with the electric revolution, fresh EV startups are thinking up innovative ways to cater to a new generation of drivers. And after checking out an early version of its upcoming car at the New York Auto Show, it feels like INDIEV may have created the first electric car made for gamers.

When it comes to general specs and performance, INDIEV’s Indi One seems to be using the Tesla Model Y as a template. The base model is slated to cost around $45,000 and features a 75 kWh battery, all-wheel drive and 230 miles of range. Meanwhile, the $65,000 premium version will sport a 95 kWh battery with 300 miles of range and a 0 to 60 time of 4.2 seconds. Even the shape of the Indi One is somewhat reminiscent of Tesla’s popular electric crossover, sporting a shortish hood, room for five passengers and a sloping rear end.

The Indi One's VIC or vehicle integrated computer is located beneath the car's hood, where a frunk might be in other EVs.
The Indi One’s VIC lives beneath the hood, which means you won’t get a frunk. 
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

However, where INDIEV is changing things up comes on the inside. That’s because unlike other cars, the premium version of the Indi One features a VIC, or vehicle integrated computer designed to let occupants play games, edit photos and videos, or even live stream while on the go.

Now other car makers like Tesla have dabbled with in-car gaming, with owners enjoying support for titles like the Witcher 3, Stardew Valley, Cyberpunk 2077, and more on its vehicles. But the few dozen or so games available in Tesla’s Arcade feature are still a far cry from what you can get from PC marketplaces like Steam or the Epic Game Store. Additionally, due to NHTSA regulations, you can’t game on a Tesla’s main screen while the car is in motion, which makes a lot of sense, but is a bummer for any passengers seeking alternative entertainment.

The Indi One features two different interior screens: one running Android Automotive, and another powered by Windows.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

But on the One, INDIEV gets around that restriction by having two large screens on the car’s dashboard. There’s a main infotainment screen powered by Android Automotive, along with a second screen on the passenger’s side running Windows. Not only does this mean guests can play while moving, it also means you can install pretty much any PC app you want. The car’s gaming credentials aren’t too shabby either. At the show, INDIEV reps told me the car currently features an Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU. But by the time the One officially goes on sale next year, the company is hoping to upgrade that to an RTX 3080 or better (assuming we’re still not in the midst of a chip crunch).

While it probably won’t be easy, INDIEV says the car’s GPU may even be user-replaceable, so you shouldn’t have to worry about buying a whole new car after a few years when it struggles to play the latest AAA games. And while I didn’t get a chance to game on it myself, I was able to pull up Twitch, get a glance at the standard Windows UI running underneath and see the One’s in-car streaming setup in action. INDIEV even lets users access one of the car’s built-in cameras to capture your face, so there’s no need for an external webcam. That said, because there isn’t a built-in mouse, keyboard or gamepad, you’ll need to figure out a control setup that works for your needs.

The Indi One's Windows-based computer allows users to install practically any app they want, including live streaming software and games.
The Indi One’s VIC will run Windows so you can install games or apps like Streamlabs, which you can see running here. 
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

INDIEV also teamed up with markers of ARK Park so guests can dive into in VR, with the game set to mimic the motion and turns of the car to reduce motion sickness. Additionally, the VIC will be open-sourced and will have an SDK for developers, so if you’re not afraid of some code, you can create custom apps and routines. And thanks to military-grade vibration reduction surrounding the VIC, the car’s gaming components shouldn’t come loose due to unforeseen bumps in the road. How’s that for geeky?

Finally, INDIEV says the One supports blockchain integration, allowing the car’s computer to function as a node for an unspecific decentralized ledger. This means the car could rake in a bit of passive income when you’re not driving it, which sounds like a nice idea in an alternate world where crypto has overtaken cash and credit, but I don’t think we’re yet. I should also point out that it’s hard to say how much juice gaming or running a node will have on the One’s range, which could render both of these features moot if you’re low on battery.

Of course, EV startups are kind of a dime a dozen these days. And for every Tesla that makes it big, there are sure to be others that crash and burn before reaching critical mass. But as someone who has always wondered why car makers don’t try to get more utility out of the computers inside them, I appreciate the ambition. And as we seen from Tesla and other EV makers have already proven, the tech inside a car matters just as much as how it looks or drives.

Now I admit that the newness of being able to game in your car makes it difficult to say if INDIEV’s endeavor will be a success or even help sell an extra car or two. But as someone who never has enough time to play games as it is, the idea of fitting in a quick round of Apex Legends while recharging or poking away in Civ 6 as a passenger during a road trip sounds fantastic. So if you’ve ever dreamed about an EV that can push pixels just as well as your rig at home, the One provides an interesting glimpse at a next-gen driving machine.

Reservations for the Indi One are available now ahead of its official release date next year in Q2 2023.

Zoom’s desktop apps now respond to raised hands and thumbs-up gestures

You no longer need to bring out an iPad or iPhone just to use Zoom’s gesture recognition. Zoom has updated its Mac and Windows apps with visual gesture support. Raise your hand or give a thumbs-up and you’ll send the appropriate reaction. As you might imagine, this promises more natural interaction in virtual classrooms and meetings than you’d get from clicking buttons.

The feature requires the latest version of Zoom as of this writing (5.10.3). It’s disabled at the individual level by default, but you can enable it per user, per account or entire groups.

Gesture recognition comes alongside multiple updates that include a revamped Zoom Whiteboard collaboration tool that now exists as a full-fledged feature, not just a meeting extension. A chat etiquette tool helps administrators block or warn about rude behavior, and events now have a “Backstage” that lets organizers and panelists talk without facing the audience. Simply speaking, Zoom is adapting to reflect a world where remote and hybrid workplaces are likely here to stay. 

Apple Music now offers DJ mixes in spatial audio

Apple Music’s spatial audio is now available for those who’d rather spend their nights at the club than the concert hall. The service is now offering DJ mixes in Dolby Atmos that promise a more immersive dance music experience — not quite like sweating through an all-night rave, but considerably closer. The initiative kicks off today with an enhanced One Mix set from Detroit techno legend Jeff Mills (above) as well as 15 Boiler Room sets from stars like Boys Noize and The Blessed Madonna.

You can expect more spatial audio mixes throughout the year, including monthly One Mix episodes and Boiler Room albums. Apple hasn’t teased future artists, although it is promising the “finest DJs” from the dance and electronic music realms.

Spatial audio is only automatically enabled for AirPods and some Beats headphones. You can use capable third-party gear, but you’ll need to manually enable support and forego head tracking.

It’s not surprising to see Apple expand Atmos support to the mix-and-scratch crowd. Spatial audio is a selling point for Apple Music and AirPods, of course, but electronic artists were also some of the first to embrace surround sound — just ask anyone familiar with Amon Tobin’s gigs. In theory, you’re more likely to keep your Apple Music membership knowing that a favorite DJ might produce an Atmos mix you won’t get at rival services.

You can update your DualSense controller through Windows

You’ve long been able to use a DualSense controller with your PC, but it wasn’t quite so appealing when you couldn’t update the firmware without access to a PlayStation 5. Thankfully, that’s no longer necessary. Sony has released a firmware update tool for Windows that lets you upgrade the DualSense through a USB connection on your PC — no console required. You won’t miss out on bug fixes or refinements just because you prefer computer gaming.

The software requires Windows 10 or 11. You’ll need to update multiple controllers one at a time.

The tool will be helpful for PC-only gamers who want the same controller functionality as their PS5 counterparts, of course. At the same time, it might also useful for Remote Play. You can keep a DualSense by your computer knowing that you won’t have to visit the living room (and partly defeat the purpose of Remote Play) just to bring the gamepad up to date.

Amazon’s latest renewable energy projects include its largest solar farm to date

Just ahead of Earth Day on Friday, Amazon has announced investments in 37 more renewable energy projects around the world. The company says these will increase its renewable energy capacity by almost 30 percent, up from 12.2 gigawatts to 15.7 GW.

The company claims the new investments will help it to power its operations entirely with renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the original timeline. The latest projects are in the US, Spain, France, Australia, Canada, India, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. They include wind farms, solar farms and eight solar rooftop installations on Amazon buildings. A 500 MW solar farm in Texas will be Amazon’s largest renewable energy project to date in terms of capacity.

Amazon has now invested in 310 projects in 19 countries. It says that when they’re all up and running, they’ll generate enough energy to power 3.9 million homes. The quantity of carbon-free energy they’ll generate will help avoid 17.3 million metric tons of emissions each year — the equivalent of taking more than 3.7 million combustion engine cars off roads.

In 2019, Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge, a vow to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. That’s 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement’s deadline. Along the more than 300 signatories that have joined the pledge are Microsoft, IBM and Best Buy.

Amazon said it will invest $2 billion into decarbonization efforts through the Climate Pledge Fund. Along with the accelerated timeline for fully switching to renewable energy, Amazon aims to make its shipments net-zero carbon. It hopes to be halfway to that goal by 2030 and to help it get there, the company placed an order with Rivian for 100,000 electric delivery vehicles.

BMW’s first all-electric 7 series starts at $120,295

BMW isn’t letting Mercedes’ EQS go unanswered. The German marque has introduced its first completely electric 7 series, the i7 xDrive60. The long-wheelbase luxury sedan offers solid performance, with a dual-motor setup providing 536HP, a 0-60MPH sprint in 4.5 seconds and a preliminary EPA range of 300 miles. As with the conventional 7 series, though, the focus is on creature comforts — this is designed as much for chauffeured executives as it is for drivers.

That driver will see a curved dual-display interface that includes a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen. BMW is touting a smartphone-like interface, but you’ll also find a new “Interaction Bar” that provides touch-sensitive controls for common features like climate settings and hazard lights. You can even customize the bar’s lighting to react to certain events, such as incoming calls or invoking BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant (including from the rear seats, for the first time).

As we mentioned, though, the best experience is likely in the back. Spring for the optional Theater Screen and you’ll get a 31-inch, 32:9 ratio 8K rear display with a Fire TV interface. Rear window shades will even close when you switch the system on. Each rear door has its own 5.5-inch touchscreen for climate, media and seating controls, while a standard panoramic LED roof can produce a light show in addition to showing the sky above. You’ll have access to 5G, including a “Personal eSIM” that can migrate between cars. 

Other tech upgrades include an optional Highway Assistant (part of a Driving Assistance Professional Package) that provides hands-free driving up to 80MPH, a smarter Parking Assistant Professional with remote control and a Maneuver Assistant that can replicate tricky driving scenarios (such as a tight parking garage). An augmented reality view on the instrument screen merges video with directions and similar info, while the doors will both detect potential hazards and (with another option) automatically open by touching the handles or Interaction Bar. Owners of recent, UWB-equipped iPhones can also use Digital Key Plus to automatically lock and unlock the doors, and eventually open the doors or activate the alarm system.

Unsurprisingly, this excess will cost you. The i7 xDrive60 will start at $120,295 ($119,300 plus a destination fee) when it reaches the US in the fourth quarter of the year, and that’s before you add extras like the 36-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System. That’s not an outlandish price for BMW’s target audience, though, and it undercuts the $125,900 of the EQS 580.

UK regulators will allow drivers to watch TV in autonomous cars

With self-driving vehicles possibly arriving on UK roads later this year, the government is starting to put rules in place to accommodate them, the BBC has reported. As part of that, it will allow drivers in autonomous vehicles to watch TV from an infotainment screen in self-driving mode, as long as they’re ready to take back control. That’s a modification of a law that has been on the books since 1986 that prohibits drivers from viewing a “television-receiving apparatus” when behind the wheel.

It will still not allow the use of mobile phones, which were officially banned in the UK last year. That’s because automakers can implement technology to stop a car’s built-in screen from displaying content when the driver needs to take back control, but can’t do the same on a smartphone. The government also decided that insurance companies and not people will be liable for accident claims in a number of circumstances. The changes will be an “interim measure” until an all-new set of rules can be put in place by 2025.

Self-driving cars are not yet legal in the UK, but the Department for Transport (DfT) said they may be ready later in 2022. A year ago, the government announced that basic self-driving cars with automated lane-keeping systems could arrive on British roads by the end of last year. 

The UK government predicted that self-driving tech could “improve road safety across Britain by reducing human error, which is a contributory factor in 88 percent of all recorded road collisions.” In the meantime, though, self-driving tech has gone nowhere over the last few years, apart from a few exceptions like GM’s Cruise offering public driverless taxi rides in San Francisco. 

UK court orders US extradition of Julian Assange on espionage charges

A court in London has formally issued the order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US. That puts his fate in the hands of UK home secretary Priti Patel, who’ll be the one deciding whether Assange will be sent back to the US where he’s set to face espionage charges. WikiLeaks made waves in 2010 after publishing thousands of classified documents and diplomatic cables sent to the US State Department. Assange is wanted in the US for 18 criminal charges due to those leaks, and he could face up to 175 years in prison if convicted.

Assange sought refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy of London in 2012 and stayed there for years until his asylum was withdrawn in 2019. WikiLeaks claimed back then that the embassy spied on its founder and took photos, videos and audio recordings of him. He was arrested from the embassy, and the US government has been trying to get him extradited since then. 

In January 2021, a British court ruled that he shouldn’t be extradited to the United States to stand trial, because “the risk to his mental and physical wellbeing was too great.” However, the US government appealed and argued that he had no history of “serious and enduring mental illness.” A UK appeals court reversed the previous ruling in December 2021, opening the doors for his extradition. 

Assange joined the most recent trial via video call from the Belmarsh Prison in London. The extradition order was issued by Paul Goldspring, the chief magistrate, who said during the trial: “I am duty bound to send your case to the secretary of state for a decision.” According to The Guardian, Assange’s side will have the chance to sway Patel’s decision by sending the home secretary “serious submissions” and could also challenge issues he lost in court but haven’t appealed yet. And it is possible to convince a home secretary to block extraditions — former UK home secretary Theresa May blocked Scottish hacker Gary McKinnon’s extradition on human rights grounds. British activist Lauri Love also successfully convinced the UK High Court to side with him when he appealed his extradition orders. 

The Morning After: Electric chopsticks that make food taste saltier

Researchers in Japan have developed a set of electric chopsticks they claim enhance the taste of salt. The device is attached to a wristband computer. It uses electrical stimulation to transmit sodium ions from food to the eater’s mouth, according to Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, who developed the chopsticks with food and drink maker Kirin.

TMA
Reuters

Miyashita is also the person behind the lickable TV that was announced a few months ago. Japan was also where I first saw a similarly specced-out electric fork, using the same theories, but with the Western implement. It’s an unusual sensation: like air-fried food compared to actually fried food, it was a different, almost salty, kind of experience.

— Mat Smith

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This third-party Sony camera battery has a built-in USB-C port

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