On today ’s You Asked : What ’s to come in with the raw Slate Truck and its potential availability ? Is it worth the hype ? Why does it feel like smartphone blueprint and instauration has stall recently ? And why do managing director think that ultra wide 21:9 is a dear ratio for pic ?
Slate Truck breakdown with John McCann
Some of you have been in touch to ask about the accessibility of thenew Slate Truck . I ’ll go through the preorder process in a moment , but first , have ’s get everyone up to race on this fresh uncover EV . What is it ? What makes it suffer out ? And why is it render so much buzz ?
This is being touted as a sub-$20,000 galvanic truck after governance incentives , and you ’ll be capable to customize it to your nub ’s content . It stands out not so much for what it offers , but for what itdoesn’toffer as standard . There ’s just one trimming and one blusher color . No touchscreen , no stereo , no Bluetooth , no electric windows .
So , what do you get ? There are two seats . There ’s a five - meter bed , good for payloads up to 1,400 lbf. . There ’s AC , steel wheels , and handwriting - crank windows , plus all the standard driver safety aid you ’d ask from a modernistic vehicle . There ’s a rear - bestride electrical motor , a roommate frunk , and a barrage rated for about 150 Admiralty mile , according to Slate .
That is n’t slap-up in the world of EV range , but a bombastic barrage fire will be available to push that figure up to a more fair 240 naut mi . That bigger battery is just one of over 100 add - ons Slate is make available . These will be offered not just at the distributor point of purchase but also at any time during your ownership , let you to swap and upgrade as your want evolve .
Want to add a splash of color ? see to it out the vast range of vinyl wraps you may apply and hit from the hand truck at will . There ’s also an SUV upgrade kit that win over your two - seater motortruck into a five - seater auto . Inside , infotainment is purely “ land your own gimmick . ” There ’s no touch screen , no build - in CarPlay , not even a stereo . Instead , you get a ecumenical earpiece mount and a few USB larboard . you’re able to also add holders for a tablet if you need a large display , and a Bluetooth speaker if you desire to mind to euphony while out for a parkway .
All of this is genuinely intriguing . Slate is doing something very different from what traditional auto maker extend . And for anyone into DIY car customization and looking for a gloomy - cost entry into the EV world , the Slate Truck is deserving considering . The ability to adjust your truck as your life change is a compelling crotchet , and it will be fascinating to see how this plays out .
you’re able to appropriate your Slate Truck online now for just $ 50 down . That amount is fully refundable if you vary your mind . As for when the truck will start showing up in driveways , there ’s no unfaltering escort yet , but it is expected to make it sometime next twelvemonth .
Mobile tech talk with Gareth Beavis
Question from Christopher John : Hi team , I am weigh my option between Samsung Ultra Tab 10 vs Red Magic Tablet for both productiveness and gaming amusement . Which one will give me value for my money ? Thanks . Watching your canal from Trinidad .
This is a great inquiry because tablets decent now are dish out both gaming and productiveness need really well . allow ’s initiate with theGalaxy Tab S10 Ultra . First off , it ’s a very expensive machine — over $ 1,000 , and sometimes even $ 1,200 — but it comes with some strong productivity features .
One matter I ’ve always been impressed with is Samsung DeX. In the early Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , DeX did n’t exercise very well , but it has ameliorate a lot . you’re able to cast to multiple screens , multitask with multi - window , and the admit S Pen is a real bonus . Unlike the Apple Pencil , which is sold separately , it come in the box . you’re able to sketch , apply filter , and experimentation with esthetic styles .
The public presentation is solid . It has a MediaTek Dimensity chipset , which did not slow thing down in our benchmarks . The vast 14 - inch screen is not the most portable , but it offers plenty of blank for multitasking and sketching .
If you ’re watching sports or working with multiple windows , it performs well . For word processing , background tasks , or even video editing , it ’s a powerful gadget .
Now , if you look at the ZTE , it is clearly a gaming - first machine . It has caloric cooling system , depleted cover latency , and a high refresh rate , which makes inputs very responsive . you’re able to barf it to a larger screen door , which help since its LCD display does n’t have the ink-black blackness or clarity of Samsung ’s AMOLED .
But if you ’re not concerned about that , or you plan to cast anyway , the ZTE works corking as a mobile console . It ’s fast , has keen aesthetics , and is much more affordable .
In terms of value for money , I ’d say theZTE Red Magic Novacomes out forrader . But it ’s important to read the review , as these two machine go in very different direction . If you need S Pen productiveness , the Samsung is the good selection , though it comes at a higher toll . If you prioritise gaming and can live with more special productivity , the ZTE is a firm plectrum .
query from from @Talex - jb8bp : What are you most aroused about in new phones ?
This one ’s easy . A few years ago , I experience a morsel bored with telephone . They all started to look and feel standardized — orthogonal blocks with flat screens , doing basically the same thing . You could n’t really purchase a bad phone anymore . That made reexamination a bit dull compared to the early day when we had clean one - virtuoso and five - virtuoso devices .
But what still excites me ? Foldables .
Yes , they ’ve been around a while , but I ’ve followed rollable and folding displays even before becoming a technical school journalist . And only now do I feel like we ’re reaching an exciting turn point , especially with trifold devices .
Huawei read us a three - screen fold - out twist . That ’s where thing start to get really interesting . If a smartphone can truly turn over into a pad , we ’re foil into a sci - fi hereafter . Only now it ’s real .
There are still ways to differentiate these devices . One of the things I ’m most emotional about is foldable phone . That might vocalise obvious , since we ’ve had them for a while , but I ’ve been following this space even before I became a technical school diary keeper . I was looking at rollable displays in more of a B2B linguistic context , and the fervour around them has been live for 20 years .
I think we ’ve finally , and I mean finally , catch to the point where folding phone are actually becoming exciting . That ’s largely because of the trifold gimmick that are emerge . Huawei enter a poser last year with three screens folding out . That ’s where things get exciting for me . If you’re able to in truth turn a smartphone into a tablet , that ’s when we enter the next level . It once matte up like skill fiction , but now it is becoming substantial .
Of naturally , there are still things that need to improve .
The creese — everyone enjoin they ’re getting better — but they ’re still not good enough for me . They need to disappear completely . That way , it feel like you ’re going from aGalaxy S25to a Galaxy Tab seamlessly . That would be astonishing .
And the potential to go from one small , sinewy smartphone , which on its own is already decent , to something that folds out into a whole other family of gadget ? That ’s where it catch really exciting .
establish on questions from our Instagram community of interests : Has smartphone innovation innovation stall ?
Now , this come in the context of use of theiPhone 17 , which is being rumored as wait very much like the Google Pixel . I ’d say yes — I recall smartphone innovation , especially when it comes to design , has stalled . I ’d say around five or six years ago , things started to become quite standardized .
I ’m not saying it ’s completely identikit . you’re able to still see some interesting ideas , especially from some of the Chinese smartphone manufacturers doing cunning things with camera arrays that give a real ocular personal identity . And those do look very dissimilar . But Samsung , Apple , and Google are all doing more or less the same thing . So yeah , I think things are starting to get quite homogenized .
That ’s not to say they ’re exactly the same . If you line them up , you’re able to in spades tell which is which . But I think the day of possess a smartphone just because of how it reckon — I’m talking about the HTC era , or the early iPhone days , and even some of those early Samsung and LG phones — those were iconic , and they looked very different .
That has alter . I think the homogenize rectangle is really here to stay .
Is that a job ? I do n’t think so . I ’m actually quite excited about the new trend toward sparse gimmick . If the iPhone 17 turns out to be as slim as bruit , I think it ’ll be really cool . Holding a sparse phone just feel tangibly different from the slightly thicker ones we ’ve cause used to . Even though none of them are thick by old standards , that surplus bit of slimness is detectable .
We ’re regard this movement with Samsung as well , and multiple Taiwanese brands are press for it too . I guess that ’s really cool .
Home entertainment questions with Chris Hagan
doubt from @Jeff1960G : What would be a good soundbar for an 18×15 chamber ? I am fresh to the soundbar experience and want a good sound but under $ 600 . Thank you .
Jeff , I sense you — especially on the under-$600 part . as luck would have it , soundbars not only come in a mixed bag of shapes with an even larger variety of characteristic , but they ’re also not as expensive as you might think and still pack a ton of quality .
To keep thing simple , I ’m go to give you a few options since I do n’t know your accurate room apparatus . Hopefully , these spark some ideas you may not have debate .
The first is theBose Smart Soundbar , and it just consecutive - up delivers . It checks every boxwood I ’d need in a sleeping room : not too great , should fit easily under most TVs , and of class , it ’s Bose — it brings the audio faithfulness the brand is cognise for . It supports Dolby Atmos and use their TrueSpace technology , which adds an immersive level to whatever content you ’re watching .
But most importantly , it handle what many people care about most : dialogue . There ’s an AI dialogue mode that clears up those bad - to - learn conversations without overpowering or degrading the rest of the sound . That ’s peculiarly helpful if , for model , your layer is on the opposite rampart from the video or soundbar , and you still want to get wind every detail of your favorite show . And it ’s $ 500 , so it fits your budget with a bit of room to spare .
in person , I do n’t bonk if I ’d want a subwoofer in that space — but hey , it might be fun .
If you ’re leaning toward something a bit more traditional , I ’ll also throw in theKlipsch Flexus Core 300 . It ’s similarly priced — retailing for $ 500 and presently on sale for $ 400 . It delivers big sound as an all - in - one building block and , like the others , supports Dolby Atmos . Klipsch play up its consecrate horn - load tweeter , which enhances vocal clarity . intelligibly , dialogue is a cardinal focus .
desire that facilitate , Jeff . allow us know which one you terminate up pick out .
Question from @andyhoughton1068 : What are your thoughts on streaming boxes ? And what is the good streaming boxwood to corrupt ?
Thanks for this question , Andy . This is another one that comes with more options than you credibly deal to listen me list , but I ’ll give you my top three .
lease ’s bug out with your first question : my thought on cyclosis boxes . In forgetful , they ’re awful — especially when configured correctly . They ’re pretty plug - and - play , but if you ’re rum about the cryptical preferences , we have lots of videos and guides on the distribution channel and DigitalTrends.com that dive into the details .
Streaming boxes are especially helpful when you have a preferred operating system like Google TV , Apple TV , or Amazon Fire TV . They allow you choose the experience you want , rather than relying on the build - in software from your TV . And if it ’s not a newer or gamey - end TV , the cyclosis box might actually run faster than your TV ’s OS .
Plus , some TVs let you customise which HDMI stimulant loads when the TV deform on . That way , with your favourite cyclosis box , you could skip the TV ’s native interface entirely if you want .
My top pickaxe would be theGoogle TV streamer — or for a moment less , theGoogle Chromecast with Google TV — mainly because of how easygoing it is to set up and expend . One account houses your apps , manages logins , and keeps thing unseamed . The layout is clean and work well with a extensive variety of apps .
The banner is faster and smoother than the Chromecast when it make out to sailing , and it offers more store . It ’s a great main - room setup , which is why most citizenry tend to favour it over the Chromecast .
Next up , having used it for a few years myself , I ’m also a fan of Roku ’s lineup . And as a matter of fact , they justreleased some new products . The new Streaming Stick Plus is their top pick for 4 G streaming and only builds on what ’s already been a reliable pick for execution and ease of use . Also worth note : it ’s just $ 40 .
That said , both the Google and Roku options I bring up can admit ads on the house screen . Welcome to 2025 . So if that bothers you , the Apple TV 4 kB is deserving look at . Just keep in judgement that a raw Apple TV is bear sometime in 2025 . If you lean that means , it ’s deserving checking to verify you ’re getting the late tech — especially if you ’re buying near the end of the current model ’s life cycle .
Question from @6cmcnc6 : Remember when we all use to complain about black bars ? Why do director consider 21:9 is a upright aspect proportion now ? No one ’s buying ultra extensive monitor just to watch motion-picture show .
Well , my friend , I see your logic . But riddle me this , Batman : do you mean directors are defecate movies for dramaturgy or for home viewing on God - knows - what machine ?
Spoiler qui vive : it ’s not the latter . Many manager and cinematographers have a specific vision for how their movie should be fancy — on the big screen , in a theater . specially now , with so many exuberant screen selection , movies can play better and feel more immersive in a wide format . Or sometimes , that ’s just how the creators mean the film to be presented .
Take a recent out-and-out masterpiece likeSinners , for instance . Director Ryan Coogler and director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw shoot it on film to be shown in ultrawide , marvelous IMAX , and steady formats , among others . They even shoot the time to show how each version offers a unique showing experience . It ’s really cool to hear him explicate it , if you have n’t already .
Other cinematic creators shoot their films establish on how they require them to look on the boastful screen , and once those moving picture hit streaming services , everyone else just has to deal with it unless it ’s been specifically conform . Often , it ’s out of these Maker ’ hands when it occur to how their employment is delivered across the wide motley of streaming boxes , TV , monitors , and other machine that all support different formats .
speak of which : for shows and picture show that are created specifically for streaming — especially those with big budget from Netflix , Disney+ , Prime , and Max — much of that content is shot with the expectation that it will be take in on a standard 16:9 telecasting . So it make mother wit to use a 1.77 or 1.78:1 proportion , and it often looks phenomenal .
These are premium productions , so when movies apply an ultrawide aspect ratio for theatrical discharge , it ’s one more agency to make them stand out . And to answer your motion flat : director have long favor the 21:9 format — known in picture as 2.35:1 or 2.40:1 .
you may check IMDb for a long list of movies flash this direction , admit The Matrix trilogy , Forrest Gump , Indiana Jones , the Alien and Die Hard franchises — the tilt goes on .
