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Seth Weintraub

llsethj

Founder, Publisher, and Editorial Director of the 925, LLC publications.

Seth Weintraub is an award-winning journalist and engineer who won back-to-back Neal Awards from 20072010 during his three plus years covering Apple and Google at IDG’s Computerworld.  From 2010-2011, Weintraub covered all things Google for Fortune Magazine, amassing an impressive rolodex of Google contacts and a love for Silicon Valley tech culture.

It turns out that his hobby – the 9to5Mac blog – was always his favorite, and in 2011, he went full time adding his Fortune Google followers to 9to5Google, in addition to adding the style and commerce component of 9to5Toys gear and deals site. In 2013, Weintraub bought one of the Tesla’s first Model S EVs off of the assembly line, which began his love affair with electric vehicles and green energy — this, in turn, became electrek in 2014. To cover the burgeoning world of drones and UAV’s led by China’s DJI, DroneDJ was born in 2018, and then more recently, Connectthewatts, SpaceExplored, and Blocktalk were all launched to cover connected fitness, space, and Blockchain/Crypto.

From 1997-2007, Weintraub was a Global IT director and Web Developer for a number of companies with stints at multimedia and branding agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid, and London before becoming a publisher/blogger.

Seth received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California with a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technology in 1997. In 2004, he received a Masters from NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s ITP program.

Weintraub is a licensed single engine private pilot, a certified open water scuba diver, and he spent over a year traveling to 60 cities in 23 countries. Whatever free time exists is now guaranteed to his lovely wife and two amazing sons.

More at About.me. BI 2014 profile.

Tips: seth@9to5mac.com, or llsethj on Twitter or link at top of page.

Connect with Seth Weintraub

Electrek signs 5-year title sponsorship deal with IEF for Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge

Electrek FSGP

After this year’s incredibly successful Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, Electrek has moved to quintuple down on its title sponsorship of the American Solar Challenge (ASC) and Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) by signing a 5-year sponsorship agreement. The agreement will guarantee the parent organization, Innovators Educational Foundation (IEF), has funds to host the yearly races through 2028.

But there’s a lot more help needed to expand these incredible programs. If you’d like to join us in sponsoring these events, please get in touch! There are so many opportunities available…

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The Electrek review: Luna’s Talaria xXx – super fun eMoto that defies categories

TALARIA_XXX

The Luna Talaria xXx blew our minds when it was announced earlier this year at an introductory price of $3000 shipped – and we hope you got in on that when we exclusively reported it. That price has gone up slightly to $3550 ($3250+$300) shipped, but it still represents an amazing deal on an incredibly well-built electric motorcycle. The bigger question however is: where does this thing really fit in legally? Let’s find out…

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Juiced Fat Tire

Juiced RipCurrent fat ebike $799, Segway ES2 Scooter $300, Leaf blower $87

Probably the best deal we’ve seen on a fat tire ebike in years, Juiced is currently closing out $900 off their super popular and hyper fast RipCurrent fat tire ebike with monster 812Wh/15.6Ah UL-listed battery. This Class 3 28-mph ebike features 1300W peak motor, 9 speed gears, Hydraulic Disc Brakes and Torque/Cadence Sensors. Get it for $799 after applying code VIP100.

Head below for other New Green Deals that we’ve found today and of course Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

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Review: Luna X2 Enduro e-bike is too Ludicrous to be true

Luna X2 Enduro

Luna is selling a bike with specs that don’t seem to be possible. A 58-pound carbon-fiber full-suspension mountain bike with a Bafang M600 motor and a 48V 18.5Ah battery that somehow achieves 2.5kW of power. That makes it a recently marked down $4,000 mountain bike with light moto-like speed that can propel the bike past 30mph on flat dirt.

I’ve been riding the Luna X2 with the $350 Ludicrous option for almost a year now, and I’ve grown to love this thing, but with some important caveats…

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Electrek Formula Sun Gran Prix is off to a hot start, join us in Topeka

Electrek Formula Sun

We’re off to Topeka‘s Heartland Motorsports Park as the top North American engineering schools “scrutineer” their vehicles ahead of the big races this weekend. Along with all of the students, administration, and Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix staff, we’d like to thank our other sponsors: Tesla, Blue Origin, Heartland Motorsports Park, MathWorks, and Altair.

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As pickup competitors loom, Rivian turns to family fun SUVs and lower costs

Rivian R1S Motorcycle

Although it isn’t obvious, Rivian is the midst of a big transformation right now. Until recently, almost all of its sales have been in its high end, 4-motor pickup trucks. However, the company announced in its latest earnings call that it was switching its mix of output to favor its 7-seat R1S SUV which has much less competition currently and on the horizon. It is also spinning up 2-motor versions of its R1 vehicles which will cost significantly less with very little performance cost. Add to that a cheaper LFP battery pack due later this year and R2 models starting at $40,000 to be unveiled next year, and you’ve got an entirely different focus.

Coincidentally, ahead of getting my own R1S in 1-8 weeks, Rivian gave me a loaner to help my vacationing extended family get around town…

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Exclusive: Rivian to acquire ABRP (A Better Route Planner)

Rivian updates

Update: Deal closed

Sources tell Electrek that Rivian has been in talks to acquire the world’s most popular EV route planning service, Sweden-based A Better RoutePlanner, or ABRP for short. Financial details weren’t disclosed, but ABRP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Iternio, which lists a small employee count of under 10 people and 8 people on LinkedIn.

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GM stops replacing ’20-22 Bolt recall batteries, offers diagnostics software instead

Chevy Bolt EV Mom

2020-2022 Chevy Bolt owners, starting yesterday evening, began receiving messages that their high voltage battery/module replacements would no longer be happening. Instead, a software diagnostics tool would be used to verify if the batteries had problems before a replacement would be performed. As you might imagine, affected Bolt owners are up in arms.

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Porsche Mission X design porn hopes to take Nurburgring trophy back from Tesla

Porsche Mission X

Perhaps it was a coincidence that Porsche unveiled its Mission X concept electric vehicle a mere week after Tesla’s Model S Plaid with Track Package took the electric Nurburgring crown from the Taycan. The first bullet point in the Mission X press release was:

“Be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife”

Or perhaps not. But now we’re getting a better look at the concept and can make our own assumptions on whether or not this thing, or some variant of it, will make it to production.

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Luna Talaria XXX goes on sale for game-changing $2995 (U)

Talaria XXX

Big Update here: Luna priced the Talaria XXX at $2995. It is safe to say this is a gamechanger of a electric moto bike.

Eric Hicks, the founder and CEO of LunaCycles, went onto Facebook last night to tease the next big (little) electric moto bike from the high-end manufacturer and importer. The “Talaria XXX” already has us salivating. There are no spoilers here, but let’s dive into what we know and can ascertain from what’s been teased…

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