Mercedes-Benz unifies EV, ICE designs

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is unifying the design of its electric and combustion engine vehicles, a move mirroring BMW's strategy. This "coherent design language" across the lineup aims to boost flagging electric vehicle sales by moving away from distinct EV styling, like the polarizing EQS. Despite a previous EV-only pledge, Mercedes will launch 19 new combustion models alongside 17 EVs by 2027, acknowledging current market demand.  

This shift comes as Mercedes faces declining earnings and plans significant cost cuts. New models this year include the CLA (available as both EV and internal combustion engine), electric GLC and C-Class, and a facelifted S-Class. Mercedes will continue offering a range of engines, including V12s, and will shift some production to lower-cost regions.

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Grok temporarily censors results saying Musk, Trump 'spread misinformation'

Image: xAI

Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, briefly refused to respond to queries about misinformation involving Musk and Donald Trump. This occurred after an ex-OpenAI employee at xAI changed the system prompt without approval, according to Igor Babuschkin, xAI's head of engineering. Users noticed the change when Grok avoided sources mentioning Musk or Trump as spreaders of misinformation. Babuschkin later confirmed the employee's actions and emphasized that they didn't align with the company's values.

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Apple News+ to serve up thousands of recipes in new Food section

 Photo: Apple

Apple is expanding its News+ subscription service with a dedicated Food section, set to launch in April alongside iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. Subscribers will gain access to tens of thousands of recipes sourced from leading culinary publishers, including Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.

The new section will also feature curated articles on healthy eating, restaurant reviews, and kitchen essentials, all selected by Apple News editors. The recipe format within News+ is designed for ease of use, with clear ingredient lists and step-by-step instructions.

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YouTube reportedly revives Premium Lite with new focus

Image: YouTube

YouTube is reportedly relaunching Premium Lite, a cheaper version of its paid service offering ad-free viewing for most videos, excluding music videos. This new tier targets viewers primarily interested in podcasts and non-music content, competing with platforms like Spotify offering ad-free video options.  

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