20240424943 GM patents a dual-port charging system for EVs with vehicle-to-load I'm not sure why you'd want to do both at the same time, but this EV could. Jonathan M. Gitlin Jan 16, 2025 3:00 pm | 98 Credit: Chevrolet Credit: Chevrolet Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe battery system on an electric car can either chargefrom regenerative braking or an external power supplyor dischargepowering the EV's motor(s) or supplying that power via so-called vehicle-to-load. As a rule, it can't do both at once, but General Motors has some thoughts about that. The patent analysis site CarMoses spotted a recent GM patent application for a system that is capable of charging and discharging simultaneously.The patent describes a "charging system" with a pair of charging ports. One is for drawing power from an external source, just like every other EV. The second charge port is connected to a bi-directional charger, and the battery management system is able to charge the battery pack from the first port while also supplying power from the second port.That second port could be used to charge another battery, including the battery of another EV, and the patent includes an illustration of three EVs daisy-chained to each other. Credit: USPTO The idea of two charge ports on an EV is not unheard of; Porsche's Taycan (and the related Audi e-tron GT) have one on each side, and it's an option on the newer PPE-based EVs from those brands, if I'm not mistaken. I have no idea whether GM's patent will show up on a production EVcar companies patent many more ideas than they ever get around to building, after all.And I must admit, I'm not entirely sure what the use case is beyond seeing how long of an EV-centipede you could make by plugging one into another into another, and so on. But I am intrigued.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 98 Comments

Climate change can increase the frequency and severity of droughtsZhang Yu/VCG via Getty ImagesSevere droughts that persist for years have grown hotter, drier and larger since the 1980s. These long-lasting droughts some of which are extreme enough to be classified as megadroughts can be especially devastating to agriculture and ecosystems.Rising temperatures linked to climate change have increased the risk of drought because warmer air can hold more moisture, boosting evaporation from the land. Combined with changing precipitation patterns that lead to less rain, this can exacerbate and lengthen periods of drought as witnessed in the recent worst-in-a-millennium megadroughts in parts of North and South America. AdvertisementDirk Karger at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research and his colleagues identified more than 13,000 droughts that lasted at least two years between 1980 and 2018 to reveal long-term trends. They found that, since the 1980s, the most severe multi-year droughts have become even drier and hotter.The droughts have also affected a larger part of the globe, with the area affected by the 500 most severe drought events each year expanding by about 50,000 square kilometres annually. Thats an area bigger than Switzerland, says Karger.Satellite images of greenness in the areas affected by drought also showed some ecosystems became browner, indicating the drier conditions were having an effect. The most dramatic shift was in temperate grasslands, which are more sensitive to changes in water availability, while tropical and boreal forests showed a smaller response. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterThe researchers did not do a formal analysis to define how much human-caused climate change has contributed to the trend, but the patterns are consistent with what researchers expect to see with rising temperatures, says Benjamin Cook at Columbia University in New York, who was not involved with the research.The work highlights how long-term drought can have consequences just as severe as climate disasters like destructive wildfires or powerful hurricanes, says Cook. For both people and ecosystems, the cumulative impact of droughts is really what matters.Journal reference:Science DOI: 10.1126/science.ado4245Topics:

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos exchanged friendly tweets after rocket launches on Thursday.The billionaires have had a long-standing rivalry over space ambitions and more.Their recent interactions suggest a possible end to their long public feud.Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos may no longer be enemies. In fact, a friendship may be budding between the two billionaires, judging by tweets they recently posted on X.Both tech founders own rocket companies that launched missions on Thursday, with mixed results.SpaceX's huge Starship spaceship exploded, although its Super Heavy rocket booster successfully returned to a platform on Earth."@elonmusk Kudos to you and the whole SpaceX team on the flawless booster catch! Very impressive." Bezos wrote on X.Earlier in the day, Bezos' Blue Origin launched its 32-story-tall New Glenn rocket into orbit. It lost its booster during the test flight."Well done, @JeffBezos, and the Blue Origin team!" Musk wrote.Is their long feud over?Followers on X formerly Twitter were quick to notice the seaMusk and Bezos have been embroiled in a years-long feud.They've argued over their space ambitions at SpaceX and Blue Origin as they've repeatedly leapfrogged each other for the title of the world's richest person. That's a title Musk currently holds by a massive margin: With Bloomberg estimating his net worth at $439 billion, he's by far the richest person in the world. Bezos is second, with an estimated net worth of $240 billion.Musk has said Blue Origin has tried to poach talent from SpaceX, and he's taunted Bezos repeatedly about the status of their respective businesses.In 2015, when SpaceX landed its Falcon 9 spacecraft, Bezos needled Musk on Twitter by suggesting Blue Origin had already accomplished a similar feat.Bezos has also subtly criticized Musk's mission to colonize Mars over the years. When NASA picked SpaceX for a major contract in 2021, Blue Origin was furious and protested the decision.Less than two months ago, they were at it again.In an X post, Musk said BezosDonald Trump was bound to lose the presidential election.Hours later, Bezos said the claim was "100% not true."Billionaire"Step Brothers"This history is what has made Thursday's friendly repartee between the billionaires so jarring.Musk posted a gif on X from the movie "Step Brothers," with the main characters saying,"Did we just become best friends? Yep!""Step Brothers is the perfect meme for @JeffBezos& me," Musk wrote.He posted another clip from the same movie, implying his relationship with Bezos was now harmonious.Of course, all of this is unfolding on social media, which has its limitations. But one thing is for sure: No matter what's happening behind the scenes or offline, Thursday's exchanges mark a change in Bezos and Musk's online rapport.

The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal: clinical, cautious, and successfulGameCentralPublished January 17, 2025 1:00am An unexciting but successful reveal (YouTube)GameCentral muses over the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 teaser trailer and tries to decide whether it was a disappointment or a finely judged annoucement event.So now the Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially unveiled, and we know that all the rumours were true. For those that have been following the news they will have learnt nothing new from the reveal trailer on Thursday, apart from the existence of Mario Kart 9. But for more casual customers who are always Nintendos primary concern it was an effective, if clinical illustration of what the Switch 2 is and some of the new things it can do.There are clearly many secrets left to reveal, not just the mysterious new button but how exactly transforming the Joy-Cons into computer mice will be used. Likewise, while you would assume the Switch 2 is more powerful than its predecessor, the reveal trailer made no such claim and Mario Kart 9 did not make it obvious either.Those few seconds of footage did hide more clues than it first appeared though, with hints at 24-player online action and possibly open world, or at the very least off-road, gameplay. Both would be major deviations for the series, which is great, because Mario Kart seemingly having hit an evolutionary dead end was one of the major concerns for Nintendos next generation console.Despite all the positives, theres no denying the trailer was rather impersonal and unexciting. In terms of footage of previously unannounced games it was no different than the reveal trailer for the original Switch but it was shorter, with no live action framing or third party games even though there are clearly many waiting to be unveiled.The failure of the Wii U will have been foremost in Nintendos mind while planning the reveal of the Switch 2 and you can interpret the trailer as an attempt to get across one single, but vital point: that this is a new console. The uncharacteristically sensible name gets that point across, but you would have thought footage of a game that is clearly impossible on the Switch 1 would have helped hammer the point home.Super-fans picking through every frame of the trailer for hints may have realised the implications of Mario Kart 9, but the first question from casual and non-gamers, when talking to more invested friends and family, is almost certainly going to be: Is it a new game?Thats not really the first question you want someone asking about the only game you showed for your new console. Even something as uninspired as a comparison video with a remastered version of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild wouldve got the point across more clearly.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5videoUp NextIts already a popular fan theory that the teaser trailer is a knee jerk reaction to the leaks but that would be a very un-Nintendo kind of thing to do and, before the reveal, ex-staff were suggesting that Nintendo was studiously ignoring the leaks and continuing with their original reveal plan.A reveal in January certainly seems the optimum time to make an annoucement, now theres no concern about adversely affecting Christmas sales, and a Nintendo Direct in April is exactly the same span of time between the original Switchs reveal and its first major Direct (which led to a launch two months later which would put the Switch 2 on course for a June release).Given their longevity, and the extraordinary highs of their most successful products, a more casual observer would assume that its best not to speculate and that clearly Nintendo knows what its doing. Longer term fans will know thats not necessarily the case.The teaser trailer isnt necessarily a mistake though, its just a surprisingly reserved way to announce a follow-up to a massive cultural and sales success like the Switch. However, it has certainly got people talking. As we write this the Nintendo of America YouTube trailer is just about to hit 10 million views and despite what the vocal minority would lead you to believe, the feedback is 97% positive. Pretty much what everyone expected (YouTube)That alone is a significant achievement and helps to put in context the reveals seemingly modest ambitions. But while Nintendo is worried people wont realise its a brand new format others will be concerned that its not just the annoucement video that seems too cautious.Its often said that its impossible to predict Nintendo but even without any leaks everyone assumed the new console would just be called the Nintendo Switch 2. At the same time, many fans have written in to us over the years speaking of their hopes that the new console would just be a refined version of the current Switch and nothing crazy more powerful but with the same basic form factor.More TrendingIt seems as if those people have got their wish. And yet is it not, on at least some level, disappointing that the console proved to be so predictable? Even Mario Kart 9 which was never leaked was guessed at by many, as an obvious launch title. In our feature about what Nintendo might do for the next entry we even suggested a focus on larger scale online play.Fans seem to be getting exactly what they want except for that impossible-to-predict sense of innovation which drives Nintendos best hardware and games. What everyone wants most from Nintendo is something they can never ask for, because it is the one thing they never even imagined. There is still every reason to assume that the Switch 2 will provide such experiences, in terms of both hardware software, but the teaser trailer did not show it.Everyones been hoping for a Switch 2 reveal for at least the last five months but if that seemed a slog to get through the wait until the new Nintendo Direct, on April 2, is going to feel like forever. Thats when the Switch 2s full games line-up is expected to be unveiled, but therell no doubt be a steady stream of third party leaks leading up to it. Or perhaps officially sanctioned reveals, now that the Switch 2 is something that can be spoken about in public.The prospect of a superpowered Switch 2, with unique new features and the games to take advantage of them, is hugely exciting but even after the teaser trailer all that still lies almost solely in the imagination. We know that the Switch 2, and Mario Kart 9, exists but we dont know much else and that cant help but be frustrating. What arent they tell us about Mario Kart 9? (YouTube)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.ArrowMORE: Like A Dragon boss rules out Akiyama spin-offGameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

By George Dvorsky Published January 16, 2025 | Comments (10) | Starship's Super Heavy booster moments before its landing at the Boca Chica launch tower, nicknamed "Mechazilla." SpaceX It was a one-step-forward, one-step-back kind of day for SpaceX. The Mechazilla tower once again caught the incoming Starship booster in dramatic fashion, but the upper stage was lost due to an anomaly during ascent. Starship lifted off from the Boca Chica launch mount at 5:37 p.m. ET, soaring into a clear blue Texas sky. The 403-foot-tall (123-meter) rocket initiated hot staging and booster engine cutoff shortly before the three-minute mark. The booster then began its descent back to Earth, while the upper stage continued its journey into space. Starship launching on its seventh test flight. SpaceX Flight controllers quickly gave the go-ahead for a booster catch, with the Super Heavy returning to the launch mount roughly seven minutes into the mission. The Mechazilla launch tower, equipped with its chopstick-like arms, successfully caught the incoming booster. This marks the second time that SpaceX has caught the booster (it did so for the first time on October 13, 2024 during Starships fifth test flight), further validating the catch tower concept and providing a major vote of confidence that Starship will eventually become a fully reusable launch system. While the booster succeeded in its mission, the same couldnt be said for the upper stage. An unspecified anomaly resulted in the loss of the vehicle during ascent, preventing SpaceX from achieving several key objectives for the mission, including the deployment of mock Starlink satellites. Starship failed prior to the 12-minute mark, with its final telemetry showing a speed of 13,246 miles per hour (21,317 kilometers per hour) and an altitude of 91 miles (146 kilometers).The upper stage used for this missionthe seventh Starship flight testfeatured an upgraded design. Its the first upper stage failure since the programs early days of fully integrated Starship tests. The upper stage, with its design tweaks, meant SpaceX was essentially dealing with a new kind of vehicle, with systems interacting with each other for the first time. According to the SpaceX broadcast, a couple of engines dropped out before communications were lost with the vehicle, which appears to have exploded. SpaceX will likely disclose a reason for the failure in the coming days or weeks, but needless to say, the company will learn from this setback. Its what SpaceX doestreating failures as incremental stepping stones toward eventual success. Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from todays flight test to better understand root cause, the company explained in a tweet. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and todays flight will help us improve Starships reliability.Unconfirmed photos showed the upper stage falling back to Earth in pieces, leaving bright, colorful streaks in its wake. SpaceX is steadily making progress toward turning Starship into a fully operational launch system, inching closer with each test flight. Once operational, the rocket is expected to revolutionize space access, launching large batches of Starlink satellites alongside payloads for paying customers. Its gigantic payload fairing and lifting power could even enable the design and deployment of spacecraft that were previously unlaunchable due to size and weight constraints; powered by 33 Raptor engines, Starship should be capable of delivering 150 metric tons to low Earth orbit. NASA, which has invested in Starship as part of its Artemis program, plans to use the rockets upper stage as a human landing system for future Moon missions. And, of course, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has far grander ambitionshe sees Starship as the key to colonizing Mars and transforming humanity into a multi-planetary species.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Isaac Schultz Published January 16, 2025 By Todd Feathers Published January 16, 2025 Passant Rabie and George Dvorsky Published January 16, 2025 Passant Rabie and George Dvorsky Published January 16, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 13, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 10, 2025

Sforza Castle was rebuilt beginning in 1497 after its destruction during political unrest. Credit: Wikipedia ShareItalys famed Sforza Castle is a focal point for historians, architects, and art loversas well as a source of many legends. One of the most prominent rumors surrounding the over 575-year-old fortress has long been the existence of secret passageways beneath the grounds originally hinted at by Leonardo da Vinci. But according to recent, ground-penetrating radar and laser scans, da Vincis references to underground tunnels arent mythstheyre real, and some of them may have been used to secretly ferry a Duke of Milan to his late wifes crypt.The version of Sforza Castle that exists today is actually its second iteration, and was built in 1450 on the ruins of a previous fortress destroyed during political instability three years earlier. After Ludovico Sforza (also known as Ludovico il Moro) took over from his father in 1494, the newly installed Duke of Milan commissioned multiple artists to travel there and contribute to decorating its rooms with frescoes. One of these visitors, Leonardo da Vinci, would end up in the Dukes service for years, during which time he famously began work on an uncompleted equestrian monument to il Moros father, Francesco.Da Vincis tenure at Sforza Castle also resulted in sketches and notes referencing hidden underground tunnels. One of these served a very specific purposestretching underneath the castles Ghirlanda, or outer wall, and nearly two-thirds of a mile to the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie. There, il Moro would privately grieve near the tomb of his late wife, Beatrice dEste, who died during childbirth in 1497.As Arkeonews reported on January 16th,researchers from the Polytechnic Institute of Milan visited the site with ground-penetrating radar equipment to map Sforza Castles subsurface to conclusively determine if the corridor existed. These tools emit electromagnetic waves that travel into the soil and bounce back signals that experts use to interpret ground density, soil composition, and even empty spaces. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.The goal is to create a digital twin of the Sforza Castle, a digital model that not only represents the current appearance of the Castle but also allows you to explore the past, recovering historical elements that are no longer visible, Franco Guzzetti, a geomatics professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Milan, said in an accompanying university announcement.After combing the area, Guzzetti and collaborators detected the existence of multiple underground cavities and passageways roughly 1-2 feet underground. In addition to il Moros route to his late wife, researchers believe the many other structures could have served defensive and military purposes.The castle is not just a monument; it is a repository of stories waiting to be told, each layer of stone representing the lives and legacies of those who came before, the researchers wrote in a separate statement for The Independent. By exploring these hidden depths, researchers are ensuring that the castle remains alive in the collective consciousness of both locals and visitors.

Nature, Published online: 17 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00042-1Vegetation clearing to extract nickel, which is used in renewable technologies, leads to greater carbon emissions than realized.

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Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been announced, players and industry professionals have been weighing in on social media. Overall, the reactions to Switch 2 have been largely positive, but some are skeptical that it's going to be able to handle at least one of this year's AAA games.GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain had an apt analogy for the Switch and its successor.pic.twitter.com/eiXnsJ7O8F Tamoor Hussain (@tamoorh) January 16, 2025 Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski wasn't exactly impressed by the increased size.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Kadokawa is aiming to expand its operations after Sony acquired approximately 10% of its shares (this number includes the shares Sony previously owned). The total investment amounts to 50 billion yen (around $322 million) and was completed on January 7, 2025.