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Thomas Ricker

Thomas Ricker

Deputy Editor

Deputy Editor

    More From Thomas Ricker

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Is your car at risk of exploding air bags?

    The WSJ has identified at least 6.8 million vehicles with a potentially dangerous air-bag part produced by ARC Automotive:

    Air-bag inflators that regulators have warned could explode during a crash and spray the car’s interior with metal shrapnel are in at least 50 different vehicle models spanning 15 automotive brands.

    Click below to see if your Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Kia, Mini, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Porsche, Saturn, or VW is on the list identified so far.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Remote work now means 2.5 days from home each week.

    “Most companies have settled into a hybrid work strategy that shows little sign of fading,” says a new report in the WSJ.

    About 58 percent of companies now allow hybrid work schedules, according to Scoop Technologies’ monitoring of 4,500 companies. Just 42 percent of companies require a full-time office presence. Low unemployment gives workers leverage and they choose flexibility, duh.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have even larger displays.

    Next year’s iPhone 16 Pro display will jump from 6.1 inches (iPhone 15 Pro) to 6.3 inches, while the Pro Max will jump from 6.7 (iPhone 15 Pro Max) to 6.9 inches, say analysts Kuo and Young.

    Kuo says the extra space will make room for periscope lenses with better zoom performance, also expected on this year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Apple registers “xrOS” wordmark ahead of headset launch.

    Apple’s so-called “Reality Pro” AR/VR headset that could cost as much as $3,000 is said to be running on an operating system called xrOS — a stylized wordmark for its “extended reality OS” that Apple wants to own. Seems like a solid bet at this point, but we’ll know for sure when WWDC kicks off on June 5th.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Oculus co-founder likes Apple’s mixed reality headset.

    Palmer Luckey who, as the primary inventor of the Oculus Rift, should know a thing or two about VR headsets, tweeted out his one-line approval ahead of its expected unveiling on June 5th.

    Then again, Luckey’s also a documented shitposter and troll with a sometimes bad goatee who failed to make VR an Apple-sized success while at Facebook, so.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    EcoFlow partners with Winnebago for #eVanlife.

    No actual products were announced, but I can soon imagine an all-electric Winnebago fitted with an EcoFlow Power Kit that can be expanded with EcoFlow solar panels, batteries, AC, heater, fridge, freezer, ice maker, and smart generator as owners venture further off the grid.

    Days are numbered for diesel-powered white-plastic RVs and this is the kind of push the industry needs. Details coming in July.

    Here’s a custom RV I reviewed from Origin Travelvans with a massive EcoFlow Power Kit (inside), an EcoFlow 400W folding solar panel (and more on the roof), and EcoFlow Smart Generator (on the ground) for unlimited off-grid adventuring.
    Here’s a custom RV I reviewed from Origin Travelvans with a massive EcoFlow Power Kit (inside), an EcoFlow 400W folding solar panel (and more on the roof), and EcoFlow Smart Generator (on the ground) for unlimited off-grid adventuring.
    Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    “Try it but don’t trust it,” is good advice for all of Twitter.

    DMs are untrustworthy and flawed, like the service itself in 2023.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Norway, an EV success story.

    The NYT documents Norway’s shift to EVs ahead of ICE sales ending in 2025. 80 percent of new cars already sold there are battery-powered resulting in cleaner air, quieter streets, and a power grid that hasn’t collapsed. EV owners still have to deal with unreliable chargers and long waits during periods of high demand, but the dire consequences predicted by some haven’t come to pass.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Google’s paying the New York Times $100M to feature its content.

    That’s according to WSJ sources who put a dollar amount to the deal announced earlier in the year that covers distribution, subscriptions, marketing, and ad products. While everyone else in media seems to be struggling, the old gray lady is doing just fine playing the long game.