Posts Tagged: Reports
GM halts sales of its new Chevy Blazer EV amid reports of major software issues
GM has issued a stop-sale order for the Chevy Blazer EV just weeks after its release following reports of software problems that made the vehicle undrivable. Edmunds, which received confirmation on Friday night that the company is halting deliveries, previously documented 23 issues during tests of the SUV, including the infotainment system repeatedly crashing and displaying a multitude of error messages. Inside EVs writer Kevin Williams also tested the Blazer EV and not only encountered similar problems with the display, but was left stranded after the car broke down while charging.
In a statement to Edmunds, Chevrolet said, “We are aware that a limited number of Blazer EV owners have experienced some software quality issues. To ensure our customers have a great experience with their vehicle, we are temporarily pausing sales of Blazer EVs.” All new deliveries are on pause, VP Scott Bell said.
The Chevrolet Blazer EV is powered by GM’s Ultium battery system, which is being used in a slew of other vehicles including the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq. Those, too, have been the subject of plenty of complaints, as Inside EVs reported. A spokesperson for GM told TechCrunch the Blazer’s problems are “not safety related nor related to Ultium or Google Built-In.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-halts-sales-of-its-new-chevy-blazer-ev-amid-reports-of-major-software-issues-214225984.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
EVs are way more unreliable than gas-powered cars, Consumer Reports data indicates
Consumer Reports has published an extensive ranking of vehicle reliability, and the results pour cold water on the dependability of EVs and plug-in hybrids. The survey says electric vehicles suffer from 79 percent more maintenance issues than gas- or diesel-powered ones, while plug-in hybrids have 146 percent more problems. The troubles portray the industry’s growing pains with the relatively new technology as the planet sets record temperatures, and scientists warn of rapidly approaching deadlines to thwart global climate catastrophe.
The survey polled CR’s members about issues with their rides from the past year, gathering data on 330,000 vehicles. The publication’s data included models from 2000 to 2023, alongside a few (early launched) 2024 models. CR studied 20 “trouble areas,” including relatively minor issues like squeaky brakes or a broken interior trim and more problematic ones related to the transmission, engine or EV battery. The number of potential trouble areas varies by type: internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have 17, EVs have 12, traditional hybrids have 19 and plug-in hybrids have all 20.
The publication combined the data with its own track testing, owner satisfaction survey results and safety info. It then averaged it to assign each brand a numerical score (out of 100).
Non-plugin hybrids scored well, with the survey indicating they suffer from 26 percent fewer issues than gas- and diesel-powered vehicles. CR highlighted the most reliable brands in that space, including the Lexus’ UX and NX Hybrid and Toyota’s Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid and RAV4 Hybrid.
If only plug-in hybrids (PHEV) could enjoy those ratings. Instead, their longer list of trouble spots led to 146 percent more problems than traditional gas-powered vehicles. Lowlights include the Chrysler Pacifica, which scored an abysmal 14 out of 100, and Audi Q5. However, several PHEVs defied the category’s expectations, including “standouts” like the Toyota RAV4 Prime and Kia Sportage. Several others, including the BMW X5, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Escape, scored “average” in reliability.
Fully electric cars and SUVs, the vehicles many automakers aim to fill their dealership lots with by 2030, have mediocre average scores: 44 and 43, respectively. Electric pickups, the newest technology in the bunch, perhaps unsurprisingly scored worse with an average of 30.
Lexus came out on top among EV brands. All but one of its models scored above average or better in CR’s ratings. And the lone exception, the NX, still had an average score. Toyota also did well, including the 4Runner SUV, which CR describes as “among the most reliable models in the survey.” However, its electric Tundra pickup scored poorly. Other EVs with above-average scores include Acura’s RDX and TLX.
Once practically synonymous with electric vehicles, Tesla had overall scores in the middle of the pack (alongside brands like Chevrolet, Buick, Ram, Cadillac and Dodge). CR says the Elon Musk-led company’s EV powertrains tend to fare better than those from traditional automakers. However, Ars Technica notes the company’s reliability scores struggled more with things like bodywork, paint / trim and climate systems.
Regionally speaking, Asian automakers enjoyed the highest average scores in the survey at a healthy 63. European companies were second with an average of 46, while US brands slumped with a somewhat disappointing score of 39.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/evs-are-way-more-unreliable-than-gas-powered-cars-consumer-reports-data-indicates-212216581.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after several burn reports
Fitbit will issue you a refund of $ 299 after the receipt of Ionic smartwatch. It will also provide you a discount code for 40% off select Fitbit devices.
Digital Trends
Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after several burn reports
Fitbit will issue you a refund of $ 299 after the receipt of Ionic smartwatch. It will also provide you a discount code for 40% off select Fitbit devices.
Wearables | Digital Trends
Twitter reports record number of takedown requests from governments
Twitter has received the highest number of content removal demands from governments around the world from January to June 2021, the website has revealed in its latest transparency report. To be precise, it received 43,387 legal demands that involve 196,878 accounts. Twitter says those numbers represent the largest increase in content removal requests and accounts reported within a six-month reporting period from the time it started publishing transparency reports in 2012.
One factor that contributed to the spike in accounts reported is the legal demands submitted by Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The agency flagged 102,363 accounts for posting sexual services and illegal adult content, and Twitter took action on 18,570 of them. Twitter also saw an increase in accounts withheld from the public due to content that allegedly violated Russia's laws against inciting suicide.
Last year, Russian News Agency Tass reported that the country's internet authorities threatened to block Twitter if it doesn't remove "suicide incitement aimed at minors, child pornography, as well as information about the use of drugs" on its website. The authorities also slowed down Twitter's loading speeds for desktop and mobile.
A total of 95 percent of the total global volume of legal demands came from five countries in particular, with Japan remaining as the top requester. Japan is responsible for 43 percent of the legal demands Twitter received, with most of them being about narcotics and drug-related posts, obscenity and financial-related crimes. The other four countries are Russia, Turkey, India and South Korea, in that order.
Based on Twitter's report, there's an upward trend in the number of legal demands Twitter gets, with a huge spike happening in the first half of 2020. It remains to be seen whether those numbers will keep on rising, but Twitter's VP of global public policy Sinead McSweeney expressed her concerns in a statement: "We're facing unprecedented challenges as governments around the world increasingly attempt to intervene and remove content. This threat to privacy and freedom of expression is a deeply worrying trend that requires our full attention."
Robinhood reports data breach affecting 7 million customers
Online stock trading platform Robinhood has been hit by a data breach affecting seven million of its customers, the company revealed on Monday, November 8.
Mobile | Digital Trends
GM recalls 68,000 Chevy Bolt EVs after reports of battery fires
You might need to take your Chevy Bolt in for major service. Detroit News and The Verge report that GM is recalling 68,677 Bolt EVs (50,900 in the US) to help it identify the causes of five battery fires between 2017 and 2019. The car maker has found…
Engadget
FBI sees cybercrime reports increase fourfold during COVID-19 outbreak
Instances of cybercrime appear to have jumped by as much as 300 percent since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the FBI. The bureau’s Internet Crime Complain Center (IC3) said last week that it’s now receiving between 3,000 and…
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Google pauses Chrome update for Android after reports of app data loss
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HTC reports major revenue reductions
Yesterday HTC released their monthly and year-to-date revenue figures for 2018 and things are looking really bad for the company. Sure, things have been bad for HTC for several years now prompting the company sell off a significant portion of their business to Google. Even with that, two rounds of layoffs in their U.S. and […]
Come comment on this article: HTC reports major revenue reductions
Samung Galaxy S7 gets nod over Apple iPhone 8 according to Consumer Reports
In their latest round of reviews and recommendations for smartphones, Consumer Reports is recommending buyers choose the Samsung Galaxy S7 over the new Apple iPhone 8. Having one of the leading sources for buying recommendations choose a phone that is over a year old over the latest release from Apple has to sting and points […]
Come comment on this article: Samung Galaxy S7 gets nod over Apple iPhone 8 according to Consumer Reports
Sony may release two new phones at Mobile World Congress 2017, reports say
According to recent reports, MWC 2017 may be a big show for Sony. In fact, the company may release two new phones at the event, one of which is rumored to be the follow-up to last year’s Xperia X.
The post Sony may release two new phones at Mobile World Congress 2017, reports say appeared first on Digital Trends.
Apple Reports Second Quarter Results
Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 second quarter ended March 26. The company posted quarterly revenue of $ 50.6 billion and quarterly net income of $ 10.5 billion, or $ 1.90 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $ 58 billion and net income of $ 13.6 billion, or $ 2.33 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.4 percent compared to 40.8 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 67 percent of the quarter’s revenue. “Our team executed extremely well in the face of strong macroeconomic headwinds,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are very happy with the continued strong growth in revenue from Services, thanks to the incredible strength of the Apple ecosystem and our growing base of over 1 billion active devices.”
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Apple Reports Record First Quarter Results
Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 first quarter ended December 26, 2015. The company posted record quarterly revenue of $ 75.9 billion and record quarterly net income of $ 18.4 billion, or $ 3.28 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $ 74.6 billion and net income of $ 18 billion, or $ 3.06 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.1 percent compared to 39.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 66 percent of the quarter’s revenue. “Our team delivered Apple’s biggest quarter ever, thanks to the world’s most innovative products and all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple TV,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The growth of our Services business accelerated during the quarter to produce record results, and our installed base recently crossed a major milestone of one billion active devices.”
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Consumer Reports still believes in the accuracy of the Fitbit
Consumer Reports still supports the Fitbit, noting, “Both the Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge passed our tests handily, accurately recording heart rates at everything from a leisurely walk up to a fast run.”
The post Consumer Reports still believes in the accuracy of the Fitbit appeared first on Digital Trends.
Apple Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results
Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 fourth quarter ended September 26. The company posted quarterly revenue of $ 51.5 billion and quarterly net profit of $ 11.1 billion, or $ 1.96 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $ 42.1 billion and net profit of $ 8.5 billion, or $ 1.42 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 38 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue. The growth was fueled by record fourth quarter sales of iPhone, the expanded availability of Apple Watch, and all-time records for Mac sales and revenue from services. “Fiscal 2015 was Apple’s most successful year ever, with revenue growing 28 percent to nearly $ 234 billion. This continued success is the result of our commitment to making the best, most innovative products on earth, and it’s a testament to the tremendous execution by our teams,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are heading into the holidays with our strongest product lineup yet, including iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch with an expanded lineup of cases and bands, the new iPad Pro, and the all-new Apple TV which begins shipping this week.”
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Apple Reports Record Third Quarter Results
Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 third quarter ended June 27. The company posted quarterly revenue of $ 49.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $ 10.7 billion, or $ 1.85 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $ 37.4 billion and net profit of $ 7.7 billion, or $ 1.28 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.7 percent compared to 39.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue. The growth was fueled by record third-quarter sales of iPhone and Mac, all-time record revenue from services, and the successful launch of Apple Watch. “We had an amazing quarter, with iPhone revenue up 59 percent over last year, strong sales of Mac, all-time record revenue from services, driven by the App Store, and a great start for Apple Watch,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The excitement for Apple Music has been incredible, and we’re looking forward to releasing iOS 9, OS X El Capitan, and watchOS 2 to customers in the fall.”
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Apple Reports Record Second Quarter Results
Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 second quarter ended March 28. The company posted quarterly revenue of $ 58 billion and quarterly net profit of $ 13.6 billion, or $ 2.33 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $ 45.6 billion and net profit of $ 10.2 billion, or $ 1.66 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.8 percent compared to 39.3 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 69 percent of the quarter’s revenue. “We are thrilled by the continued strength of iPhone, Mac, and the App Store, which drove our best March quarter results ever,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re seeing a higher rate of people switching to iPhone than we’ve experienced in previous cycles, and we’re off to an exciting start to the June quarter with the launch of Apple Watch.”
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