Apple is rolling out a notable update to Apple Maps EV Routing for Ford drivers. Starting today, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers can use Apple Maps EV Routing via CarPlay to plan road trips that include Tesla Superchargers or any station that uses the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. As Ive explained before, Ford beganshipping adapters CCS to NACS adapters that allow Mach-E and Lightning drivers to charge at Tesla Superchargers last year. Until today, however, Apple Maps was unaware of this change. This meant Apple Maps EV Routing would only route Mach-E and Lightning drivers to CCS charging stations, even though a route with Tesla Superchargers mightve been more efficient. With todays change, Apple Maps via CarPlay will now include NACS fast charging stations, such as compatible Tesla Superchargers, in recommended route planning recommendations. In a blog post, Ford explains: Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay allows drivers to input their route and can view the estimated battery level they will have when they get to a destination, as well as suggested charging stations along the way if charging is needed. Previously, Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers would have to manually open another app, then enter a NACS fast charger as a destination to have it added to their route. Now, with the Apple Maps EV Routing and NACS fast charger integration, the experience will be more seamless.How to Use Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay:Connect your Apple iPhone to CarPlay.Open Apple Maps, go to Settings, and confirm your preferred charging network(s) make sure you select a NACS fast charging station, such as Tesla Supercharger. You only have to do this once.Enter a destination.Apple Maps will then calculate the estimated state of charge you will have when you get to a destination.If a charge is required, depending on the fastest route, it will automatically route you to a NACS fast charging station.*This is a significant update to the Apple Maps EV Routing experience for Ford drivers. Next up on my wishlist is support for battery preconditioning when using Apple Maps EV Routing. Android Auto added this feature last October. The new feature is available now to iPhone users running iOS 17 or later. No software update is required for your car. Follow Chance:Threads,Bluesky,Instagram, andMastodon.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Back with iOS 16, Apple introduced a new architecture for the Home app aimed at improving the experience of using HomeKit devices. Since then, upgrading to the new architecture has been optional, but Apple will soon force this upgrade on all users.iOS users will have to upgrade to the new HomeKit architectureCode seen by 9to5Mac in iOS 18.4 beta 3, which was released to developers on Monday, suggests that the Home app will no longer work with the old HomeKit architecture. One of the new strings added to the system warns users that support for the old version of Apple Home will end soon and that they need to update now to avoid interruptions with accessories and automations.According to Apple, the new Home architecture is even more efficient and reliable for controlling compatible devices. The update was first introduced with iOS 16.2 beta, but was then quickly pulled after multiple reports of it causing compatibility issues with smart home accessories. Apple re-enabled the new HomeKit architecture with iOS 16.4 in February 2023.Since upgrading to the new architecture breaks support for the Home app on devices running older versions of iOS and macOS, some users have chosen not to upgrade. However, with this new requirement, everyone will be forced to upgrade to the new architecture in order to keep using the Home app and HomeKit accessories.There are no details on when exactly Apple will implement this requirement, but presumably iOS 19 will only be compatible with the new HomeKit architecture.iOS 18.4 is expected to be released to the public in early April. The update also expands Apple Intelligence support to more languages.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Tesla's stock tumbled by almost 16 percent on Monday, driven by widespread pessimism over the EV maker's plummeting sales numbers worldwide.Wall Street analysts lowered their price targets significantly, expecting the stock to slide even further. Tesla's losses have been so staggering over the last couple of weeks, the company has wiped out all of its gains since president Donald Trump was elected in November. Its stocks are currently down over 55 percent since hitting a record high in mid-December.The carmaker's CEO Elon Musk has felt the hurt too, wiping out over $120 billion of his net worth since reaching an all-time high late last year. Today alone, Tesla's sliding stock has cost the entrepreneur a whopping $12 billion.And the prognosis is grim. Sales are down 45 percent in Europe, a whopping 49.2 percent month in China, and even a catastrophic 70 percent in Australia in February. In the US, Tesla's core market, sales are already down two percent in the first few months of 2025, indicating troubling days ahead.Meanwhile, Musk has taken to his social media platform X-formerly-Twitter in a desperate attempt to drum up excitement for his embattled carmaker.While Tesla's stock was getting hammered, Musk was retweeting posts that gushed over Tesla being the "best car" and talesof the company's plagued driver assistance feature saving them from a crash.Anger over his endorsement of far-right extremism and twoNazi salutes during Trump's inauguration celebration has begun to spill over, with waves of protests and vandalism hitting Tesla dealerships across the country.The man to blame for the outpouring of negative sentiment has since tried to play the victim card, while senselessly blaming other billionaires for Tesla's disastrous stock performance."Heartfelt thanks to everyone supporting Tesla," Musk wrote, "despite many attacks against our stores and offices."Tesla's massive slide was accompanied by a widespread and extended outage of Musk's social media platform X-formerly-Twitter.Without offering any evidence, the billionaire blamed a "massive cyberattack.""We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources," Musk tweeted. "Either a large, co-ordinated group and/or a country is involved."Considering the sheer number of enemies Musk has made, it's not exactly a stretch to imagine somebody had it out for the platform."What we've been seeing is consistent with what we've seen in past denial of service attacks, rather than a configuration or coding error in the platform," Netblocks director Alp Tokertold the BBC, referring to a type of attack that takes down websites by overwhelming them with traffic.Other social media users suggested Musk may have orchestrated the outage to distract from the company's woes.It's not just Tesla and Musk feeling the hurt. US stocks plunged today overall, the worst day for the Nasdaq and Dow since 2022, as Yahoo Finance reports.Trump's trade war has sparked widespread uncertainty and market pessimism. Over the weekend, the president refused to rule out the possibility of a recession, describing the economy as going through a "period of transition."And Musk is happily doing his bidding, leading mass layoffs of federal government workers. The billionaire has been accused of stuffing his pockets and using his newfound influence in the White House to secure plush government contracts for his businesses.But Tesla investors aren't impressed with his performance, accusing Musk of being far too distracted by his government rampage. A poll by retail stock-trading platform StockTwits conducted earlier this month revealed that 60 percent of respondent investors said that "Musk's White House focus" is "hurting Tesla," as Business Insider reports."We think shareholders have legitimate concerns about Elon Musk being spread too thin and it's become clear he's now spending more time on DOGE than anything else," CFRA Research senior equity analyst Garrett Nelson told BI."The truth of the matter is the company should be run by somebody who isn't so political and can bring the brand back, if that's possible," Tesla investor Ross Gerber told the outlet last month.Tesla's disastrous day leaves plenty of questions unanswered. Is this just a temporary blip, or are investors looking for a more permanent readjustment?Musk has bet big on the carmaker's plans for rolling out a robotaxi service. But given the company's financials, Tesla appears to have far bigger fires to put out before it can deliver on that promise.Share This Article

Starship, the SpaceX megarocket that's slated to bring astronauts to the Moon and perhaps one day Mars, is hitting a major snag in its development: the latest version of the spacecraft, known as Block 2, is performing worse than its predecessor, in theNew York Time'sanalysis.On Thursday, during Starship's eighth orbital flight test, the vehicle's upper stage exploded, showering debris down over the coast of Florida. Worse, it marked the second time that the Block 2 Starship blew up; a similarly spectacular scene played out during the previous flight test in late January, when the upper stage experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" over the Caribbean.The pair of botched flights could be a huge setback for SpaceX."There's this persona that has built up around SpaceX, but you're starting to see that they're human, too," Daniel Dumbacher, a professor of engineering practice at Purdue University and a former NASA official, told the NYT.Until this year, the Elon Musk-owned aerospace company has made considerable strides with its flagship rocket, overcoming the ill omen of its explosive debut.Engineers have successfully demonstrated that the lower-stage Super Heavy booster can guide itself back to a launch tower and be caught midair, in a key step towards making the launch system reusable. They have also shown that the upper stage Raptor engines can be relit in the vacuum of space, which will be necessary if the Starship is to be able to perform controlled re-entries into the Earth's atmosphere.But the latest attempts to build on that progress have backfired. Both tests of Starship Block 2, which features a slightly larger upper stage with added heat shielding and a redesigned fuel line, have ended in midair explosions before reaching space. Whereas older iterations of the upper stage have successfully made it to orbit, flown thousands of miles, and re-entered for a splashdown in the ocean.Destruction is par for the course for SpaceX, whose ethos mirrors Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" approach. But what's especially worrying in this case with Starship, the NYT notes, is that the failures in both of the Block 2 tests appear to be caused by a similar issue in the area near the vehicle's engines. If so, that hints there's a huge design flaw in the new Starship that engineers haven't been able to figure out yet, according to the newspaper.Musk, for his part, brushed off the explosion. "Today was a minor setback," he wrote on X, following the blast. On the other hand, Musk exhibited extremely thin skin in response to detractors who mocked the latest failure, which could be a sign that, internally, the situation is more dire than he's willing to let on.Dumbacher is bullish on Starship's success, but even he's not certain how quickly SpaceX can turn things around."I have no doubt that they'll get it addressed, and they'll get flying again and they'll get things fixed," Dumbacher told the NYT. "I just don't know how long it's going to take them to do that."Share This Article

As one of our Founding Full Stack Product Engineers, you will work across the entire tech stackfrom designing sleek frontend interfaces to architecting robust backend services. Youll use TypeScript, React, and Node.js to build products that deliver immediate value to our users. If you enjoy wearing multiple hats and thrive in a high-impact setting, wed love to chat!Key ResponsibilitiesArchitect & Develop: Build and maintain full-stack software products that provide real value to end users.Implement & Improve: Enhance both frontend and backend features for performance, scalability, and usability.Project Ownership: Scope and lead technical initiatives from concept to deployment, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery.Documentation: Write and maintain clear, concise technical documentation to keep the team aligned.What Were Looking ForStartup Experience: Youve worked in a fast-paced environment before and understand how to balance speed with quality.Technical Proficiency: Strong skills in TypeScript, React, and Node.js.Cloud & DevOps: Experience building cloud-based applications across the entire stack, including secure and scalable infrastructure setups.User-Centric Focus: You care about delivering software that users love, and youre quick to iterate based on feedback.Adaptability: Willingness to learn new tools and tackle problems end-to-end.Fast-Paced Environment: Able to work effectively in a setting where priorities can shift rapidly.Nice to HaveFamiliarity with UX/UI design principles.Formal degrees or certifications relevant to the position.Interest in the travel industry and/or exploring AI solutions in product development.Working Hours & LocationOur founding team is primarily based in Miami, FL (EST). While we work standard hours (8 AM-5 PM EST) most days, some flexibility may be needed in a startup environment.Were a remote-friendly team and welcome applicants from all locations who can maintain at least a few overlapping hours with EST.Why Join Us?Impact & Autonomy: Work directly on products that shape the future of our platform, and own your projects from ideation to launch.Innovative Environment: We move quickly, explore cutting-edge technology (including AI), and iterate often to deliver user value.Growth Opportunities: As an early hire, youll have a significant voice in both product direction and technical decisions, setting the stage for your career growth.Collaborative Culture: We celebrate diverse backgrounds and perspectives, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.We are an equal opportunity employerReady to shape the future of software at a fast-paced startup? Join our founding team and make a real impactapply today!Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

Why Join Us?Real Impact: Real estate is the worlds largest asset class, and our technology enables the renovation and management of thousands of homes that families can call their own.Remote Culture: We trust our team to work with independence, owning solutions from ideation to deployment.Cutting-Edge Technology: We actively experiment with modern AI toolslarge language models, code-generation platforms, and automation frameworksto accelerate development and drive innovation.Strong Growth: We operate like a startup, yet manage a $150M/yr business growing 5-7% annually. Theres plenty of opportunity to own projects that will shape our future.Youll be part of a cross-functional pod, consisting of experienced product managers, business owners, and fellow engineers. Together, youll rapidly prototype and ship features that meaningfully improve our core operationsrenovating homes, ensuring smooth property management, and optimizing resident experiences.Key Responsibilities1.AI-Driven DevelopmentExperiment with modern AI tools to rapidly build and optimize features.Identify innovative ways to streamline workflows and stay at the forefront of emerging tech.2.Backend Systems & ArchitectureDesign and build reliable, scalable backend services that integrate with our in-house applications and external SaaS tools.Develop solutions that support everything from financial ledgers to AI-based resource optimization models.3.Integration & CollaborationWork with third-party APIs (REST, GraphQL, etc.) to enhance our platforms and ensure smooth communication across services.Collaborate closely with product and stakeholders to scope, prioritize, and plan the product roadmap.4.Performance & ReliabilityMonitor and analyze system performance, using data-driven insights to refine and optimize applications for high availability.Continuously iterate to meet evolving business needs and ensure a best-in-class user experience.5.User-Centric FocusRegularly engage with our internal teams (e.g., property managers, field staff) to gather feedback and validate your solutions.Balance quick wins with long-term architectural goals, delivering features that truly empower end users.About YouProven Backend Expertise: You have a strong track record of building and deploying production-grade backend systems, preferably in Python. (Experience with Java, Ruby on Rails, or React is a plus.)Data Streaming Pro: Hands-on experience with Apache Kafka or similar technology for real-time data pipelines.Cloud Knowledge: Solid familiarity with AWS services (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda, DynamoDB) and an understanding of best practices in cloud environments.Database Savvy: Comfortable selecting and optimizing databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, etc.) for various use cases.Product-Focused: You think about the why behind each feature, ensuring that your solutions solve real-world user problems.AI-First Mentality: Enthusiastic about leveraging AI to speed development and innovate within your domain.Entrepreneurial Mindset (Preferred): Whether through a side project or previous startup experience, you relish the challenge of building something from scratch.Remote Collaboration: Youre comfortable working independently in a remote environment, with at least 5 hours overlap in US Pacific Time for real-time communication.Working at SFR3Inclusive Culture: We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.Autonomy & Ownership: Enjoy the freedom to propose, experiment, and execute ideasend to end.Fast Iteration: We ship often and learn quickly. If something doesnt work, we adapt and improve.Growth Opportunities: As we rapidly scale, youll have the chance to take on new challenges and shape your role.SFR3 is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.Join us in redefining real estate through technologyone home at a time.Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

Start the week off with a scary flick.

Battery-powered chainsaws make quick work of chopping up firewood and handling a variety of yard maintenance tasks. Here's why I switched over from using gas-powered models.

March 10, 20253 min readMicroplastics Are Messing with Photosynthesis in PlantsMicroplastics can cut a plants ability to photosynthesize by up to 12 percent, new research showsBy Joanna Thompson edited by Andrea ThompsonPlastic sheeting surrounds young zucchini crops. Timothy Hearsum/Design Pics/Getty ImagesMicroplastics are now a ubiquitous part of our daily physical reality. These minuscule fragments of degrading plastic now suffuse our air, our soil, the food we eat and the water we drink. Theyre being detected everywhere researchers look, from Antarctic sea ice to human brains.As scientists develop a better idea of where microplastics are accumulating in the environment, theyre just beginning to understand how these pollutants affect one of the most essential and widespread kingdoms of life on Earth: plants. A new study, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, reveals how microplastics hinder photosynthesis across a wide range of plant speciesincluding crucial food crops. Its really scary, says Marcus Eriksen, a marine scientist at the 5 Gyres Institute, a nonprofit plastic pollution research organization, who was not involved in the study.The researchers found that the presence of microplastics (plastic particles that are less than five millimeters in size) can reduce photosynthesis by as much as 7 to 12 percent, on average. That could range from 6 to 18 percent in terrestrial crops, 2 to 12 percent in marine plants such as seaweed and 4 to 14 percent in freshwater algae. The exposure to microplastics was not surprising at all, Eriksen says. What surprised me was the level of impact.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.A generalized reduction in photosynthesis at such a scale could have major implications for the global food supply, according to the studys researchers.With the current rates of worldwide plastic production (and resulting microplastics exposure), farmers could see a 4 to 13.5 percent yield loss per year in staple crops such as corn, rice and wheat over the next 25 years. Additionally, seafood production could drop by up to 7 percent as aquatic ecosystems lose the algae that forms the base of their food webs. This would seriously impact the global economy and exacerbate food insecurity for hundreds of millions of people, according to the studys authors.Decreased photosynthesis could also hamper efforts to fight climate change. As plants photosynthesize, they draw carbon dioxide from the air into their tissues and store it in the form of sugars. Most climate models assume plants will be able to take up atmospheric carbon at a consistent rate over the next several decades. But if less carbon is sequestered in forests, grasslands and kelp beds than researchers had predicted, that will make mitigating warming that much harder.Beyond photosynthesis, microplastics have been linked to health issues in humans and other animals. They are associated with an increase in peoples risk of heart attack and stroke, and they have been found to hamper growth and reproduction in a number of species.The new paper further highlights the need for a global treaty on plastic issues, says marine biologist Richard Thompson, who specializes in microplastic pollution at the University of Plymouth in England and was not involved in the new study. Its team estimates that reducing the amount of plastic particles currently in the environment by just 13 percent could mitigate photosynthesis loss by 30 percent. Efforts to develop an international agreement on plastic have been underway since 2017but the latest United Nationsled negotiations, held in Busan, South Korea, ended without a resolution.Still, Thompson says, it is crucial to keep trying, especially as large chunks of plastic in the environment continue to degrade into microplastics. If we dont take action now, he adds, within the next 70 to 100 years, well see much more wide-scale ecological harm.

Teslasselloff on Wall Street intensified on Monday, with shares of the electric vehicle maker plunging 15%, their worst day on the market since September 2020.On Friday, Teslawrapped upa seventh straight week of losses, its longest losing streak since debuting on the Nasdaq in 2010. The stock has fallen every week since CEOElon Muskwent to Washington, D.C., to take on a major role in the second Trump White House.Since peaking at $479.86 on Dec. 17, Tesla shares have lost over 50% of their value, wiping out over $800 billion in market cap. Monday marked the stocks seventh worst day on record.Tesla led abroader slumpin U.S. equities, with the Nasdaq tumbling almost 4%, its steepest decline since 2022.The downdraft in Teslas stock on Monday was tied to uncertainty surroundingPresident Donald Trumpsplans on tariffs. Canada and Mexico are key markets for automotive suppliers, and increased tariffs, with the potential for a trade war, will likely impact production and lead to higher prices.Tesla is also dealing with brand erosion due to Musks incendiary political rhetoric and his extensive work with the Trump administration, where hes leading up the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, the worlds wealthiest person, has become the public face of the administrations effort to dramatically shrink the federal governments workforce, spending and capacity.Meanwhile, Musk has used his social network X to level accusations against judges whose decisions he didnt like and promoted false Kremlin talking points about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Activists and former Musk fans have protested at Tesla facilities throughout the U.S., and Tesla vehicles and facilities have been the apparent targets of vandalism and arson attempts. Repeated arson attempts and instances of vandalism occurred at a Tesla store and service center in Loveland, Colorado, most recently on March 7, police told CNBC.Ben Kallo, an analyst at Baird, told CNBCs Squawk on the Street on Monday that recent reports of vandalism could hurt demand.When peoples cars are in jeopardy of being keyed or set on fire out there, even people who support Musk or are indifferent Musk might think twice about buying a Tesla, Kallo said.Analysts at Bank of Americas wrote in a report on Monday that Tesla new vehicle sales plummeted by about 50% in Europe in January from a year earlier, partly owing to growing distaste for the brand. The firm also noted that some prospective customers are waiting for the new version of the Model Y.Teslas Model Y, which is a small SUV, remained the best-selling battery electric vehicle globally in January. It was followed by Chinas Geely Geome, which surpassed the Tesla Model 3 sedan for the month.Global sales of electric vehicles, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid models, increased 21% in January from a year ago, even as Teslas sales declined. The growth was driven by demand in Europe, according to Bank of America. CNBCs Jesse Pound contributed to this report.More from CNBC: