My first surprise when the 2020 Mazda6 arrived was the color. Mazda sure does love its Soul Red - and with good reason - but the Signature-spec sedan was a far more sober Machine Gray metallic. The second surprise was the price.
The next time someone tells you all new smartphones look the same, show them Planet Computers' Cosmo Communicator. Promising the typing convenience of a physical keyboard, the flexibility of dual-booting Android and Linux, and the pure geek-appeal of anything that looks like a laptop but still fits in a (large) pocket, it's a clamshell unlike pretty much anything else on the market.
Volkswagen's new all-electric crossover, the 2021 ID.4, has sailed through US EPA testing with no upset in its range results, an important milestone as the automaker tries to make a splash in the affordable EV segment. Arriving at dealerships imminently, the ID.4 is America's first taste of VW's MEB platform, its purpose-built architecture for battery-electric vehicles.
Apple will revamp the Apple Watch design and push out entirely new Apple Silicon Macs in 2021, one well-connected analyst has predicted, promising an upending of the familiar industrial design we've seen several generations of smartwatch and computer follow. While Apple hasn't stinted on internal upgrades, it's fair to say that its aesthetic has been fairly consistent in recent years.
Amazon Alexa has colonized the smart home, and now Amazon Sidewalk is coming to spread a shared network around your neighborhood. Both similar and different to mesh WiFi systems in approach, Sidewalk isn't just one wireless standard but a whole bundle of ways for Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets to get online, and future trackers to pinpoint your lost keys or pets. With a US switch-on soon, read on for what you need to know.
Twitter will begin its public verifying program again, having hit pause on the controversial process three years ago amid confusion around what the blue check actually means. Currently, some Twitter users are tagged with a blue check-mark badge, which the social network uses to flag those accounts that are authentic.
Nissan has revealed its newest electrified model, with the 2020 Note e-POWER tapping the second-generation of the automaker's gas-electric hybrid drivetrain. Headed to Japanese dealerships next month, the new Note previews some of the new Nissan design language we're expecting to see on the all-electric Ariya crossover next year.
Amazon is preparing to launch Amazon Sidewalk, its localized networks for Echo, Ring, and other devices, and it looks likely to be one of the most controversial products from retail behemoth so far. Echo owners have begun being notified by Amazon that Sidewalk shared networks are launching later in the year, along with apparent confirmation that it will be turned on by default.
Netgear's newest WiFi 6 router may not be specifically intended for home use, but with working-from-home looking like it's here to stay for the foreseeable future there's a good reason why you might want it over similarly priced consumer access points. The WAX204 Dual Band WiFi 6 AX1800 Wireless Access Point is, Netgear says, intended for small businesses and home offices, but its the router's ability to keep multiple networks separate that might make it appealing to the rest of us too.
Rivian has thrown open access to its online configurator, meaning you no longer need to have a reservation for the R1T or R1S in order to customize your perfect electric truck. Set to begin manufacturing and deliveries next year, the two EVs share the same platform - the R1T having a pickup body, while the R1S is a full-size SUV - though are likely to appeal to different markets.
Apple CarPlay's multiscreen dashboard is one of the biggest recent improvements to the iPhone's in-car interface, bringing third-party navigation apps to the home screen, but only if those apps actively support it. Now, one of the most conspicuous absences, Waze, looks to finally be getting onboard.
Ford has final EPA range figures for its upcoming 2021 Mustang Mach-E, and there's good news for those waiting for the imminent all-electric crossover. While the company had estimated range numbers for the new EV back when it unveiled it in late 2019, they've only been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency today. Turns out, Ford's predictions were almost exactly on the dot.