Estonia-based company Ampler is launching the world’s first e-bike with USB-C charging. Already known for their subtle hidden batteries, Ampler’s new Nova and Nova Pro bike models have a USC-C port built right into the bike frame and you charge them up with any old USB charger you have lying around.
Available only in Europe, the company says it was able to make this bike a reality thanks to EU laws for standardizing USB-C charging. A 140W USB-C should be able to charge up the batteries in around three hours but with 240W chargers also on the way, it could get even quicker.
Proprietary chargers can be pretty heavy and bulky, so this will be a great win for people who carry their chargers around with them. Plus, if you forget it, you can just grab a USB-C from the office or borrow one from a friend — because everyone in Europe uses USB-C now!
The USB-C port on the Nova bike is bidirectional, which means you can plug in a phone or a tablet and get some power. It will only output 15W (which is not a lot) but it could still help you out if you’re out of juice and need to contact someone.
Both models are available for pre-order today in the UK, EU, and Switzerland. The Nova starts at €2,990 (around $3,230) and the Nova Pro is €3,490 (around $3,770). Each model comes in three different sizes with either a step-through frame or a step-over frame, so most people can find a configuration that suits them.
USB-C might not be mandated by law in the United States but it’s still been widely adopted across phones, laptops, gaming handhelds, and many other gadgets. With any luck, a US-based e-bike brand will jump on this idea soon too — though some American cities should probably build a few extra bike lanes first.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.