In the UK, sales of new Tesla cars experienced a significant surge of over one-third last month, although electric vehicle manufacturers faced tough competition from China’s BYD and other rivals amidst a political backlash against Tesla’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk.
In May, Tesla sold 2,016 vehicles in the UK, a decline from 3,125 in the previous May, reflecting a 36% decrease based on data from the Association of Auto Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Conversely, BYD, the Chinese automaker, saw a remarkable 407% increase in UK sales, rising from 596 units last May to 3,025 this year. BYD offers both hybrid and fully electric vehicles and first surpassed Tesla in sales back in January.
So far this year, Tesla has sold 15,002 cars in the UK, which represents a 7.8% decline compared to 16,272 in the same timeframe last year.
This year, Tesla’s sales have decreased in several of its major markets, with political protests impacting some of its showrooms, along with stiff competition from rivals such as BYD.
Overall new car sales in the UK rose by 1.6% last month, totaling 150,070 units. According to SMMT, this marked the best performance since 2021, although it remained 18.3% lower than pre-COVID levels in 2019, with growth seen in just the second month of this year’s upward trend.
Corporate fleets and businesses drove demand, accounting for nearly two-thirds of vehicle registrations, while interest from private buyers dropped by 2.3% for the second consecutive month. While gasoline and diesel vehicle registrations declined significantly—12.5% and 15.5% respectively—the demand for the latest electric models soared, capturing a total market share of 47.3%.
Sales of hybrid-electric vehicles rose by 6.8% to 20,351 units, and plug-in hybrid EVs surged nearly 51% to 17,898. Furthermore, registrations for battery electric vehicles increased by over 25%, now representing 21.8% of the market as carmakers vie for consumer interest.
Colin Walker, the transport director for the nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Force, is involved in the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) initiative—a series of government regulations aimed at boosting the number of EVs on the roads. He emphasized, “continue doing that, increasing competition between manufacturers, declining prices, increasing sales.”
In terms of EV sales this year, Tesla is reportedly losing its top position to Volkswagen, which has seen a 201% increase in EV sales, according to an analysis by Thinktank New Automotive. Other automakers such as Ford, Renault, and Peugeot are also witnessing substantial growth as they transition to electric vehicles. BYD, the only Chinese maker in the top 10, recorded a 261% increase.
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has reportedly surged to the $44 billion valuation he paid for it, marking a significant turnaround in his fortunes as the billionaire shifted from being a key ally of Donald Trump.
Investors recently assessed the platform, previously valued at $440 billion (£33.9 billion) on Twitter, through a secondary transaction, as reported by the Financial Times.
X is currently in the process of raising $2 billion from Fresh Capital in a major funding round by issuing new stocks to pay off debts exceeding $1 billion, which were evaluated at just $10 billion by existing investor Fidelity Investments in late September.
Musk, the world’s richest individual, took control of what was then Twitter in October 2022 and later rebranded it as X, tweeting “The Bird Is Free” in reference to the company’s logo. Subsequently, he made changes to the site’s moderation policy, resulting in some advertisers pausing or leaving.
Following a profanity-laden outburst at the New York Times Dealbook Summit in November 2023, Musk accused advertisers of attempting to “blackmail” him through boycotts, prompting legal action against the global advertising alliance and major companies like Unilever, Mars, and CVS Health for allegedly conspiring to avoid social networks.
The $44 billion valuation reflects a major shift for X and its investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, 8VC, Goanna Capital, and Fidelity Investments. The $2 billion primary fund raise was priced through the secondary agreement.
Since Musk’s acquisition, X’s revenue has declined, but it managed to record an adjusted profit of $1.2 billion last year. Additionally, Musk’s stake in SpaceX now surpasses his Tesla holdings as his most valuable asset, according to Forbes.
Forbes estimates Musk’s net worth at $323 billion, with his SpaceX shares valued at approximately $147 billion—about $2 billion more than his Tesla shares following a decrease in the automaker’s stock price.
nThe original Donkey Kong Arcade machine, Mint Condition Outrun Race Simulation Game, Esterified between Gamer Cube and Nintendo 64-wired booths, Luke Malpass, engineer dismantling a broken Nintendo Wii.
I brought old game consoles to the house for repairs and fixes, and there was a steady stream of people, a retro gaming arcade of elephants and castles, transformed into a gaming clinic for two days.
Gabriella Rosenau, 35, brought in a broken Wii that had been in the garage “for years.” “I'm still playing my older brother, my older Nintendo 64, and I love it, but I really want to get it [the Wii] Repaired. “
“I've done something weird about Call of Duty and PlayStation, but I'm more interested in retro games,” she adds.
Rosenau is part of a growing community that has abandoned modern video games and picked up consoles since or before childhood. According to a Pringles investigation, Gen Z Gamers are proceeding with lawsuits, with 24% owning retro consoles.
What began as a Malpas passion project, restoring the consoles of its former glory quickly evolved into a full-time business. During the peak during lockdown, his company Retrosix hired 16 people to deal with demand. He places this, in part, on people stuck at home. “People were bored, they were finding things at home and looking for things online.
“We originally only sold on eBay and didn't even have a site. eBay was limiting sales because they thought it was fraudulent,” he says. “It literally took over.”
Luke Malpass modify consoles from the 80s to the 2000s. Photo: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian
Retrosix receives hundreds of requests each month from people who want their console to be fully functional, playable or upgraded. This is “stable,” says Malpas, but the community is still expanding.
“There are a lot of people who are obsessed with this right now. The older generations than me tend to be PC-based for Amigas and Commodores, in their late 40s and early 50s. And then my age, so 30 People in the world are very interested in Game Boys, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo's entertainment system, such as.
“And there's a younger generation that's either one. [the] Nintendo DS, what they've played is beginning to be retro or really hooked on the whole retro. So you get people in their 20s who are more obsessed with than we do.
Malpass has gained massive supporters on social media, with 44,100 followers and 61,700 subscribers on its YouTube channel, Angelsix and Tiktok on Retrosix.
Young people engaged online say they reach for retro games for unique gameplay, and for the opportunity to “switch off,” Malpass says.
“You're turning on the console at the top and playing games. No stress. There's no internet. You're not competing with the world. You have your own in the game, you're going to go I feel a sense of accomplishment in, and that was what you used to do,” he says.
“I think the younger generation is feeling more stressed they are now. Growing up in the world of social media is very mentally challenging. [Retro video gaming] It's their safe place. It's like their escape,” he says.
Matthew Dolan, a software developer in his 40s, brought some of his game gear consoles. His passion for retro games and technology comes from nostalgia and childhood memories, playing games his father wrote for him at BBC Micro. “It was a great introduction to technology,” he says.
“You get all that joy from playing it literally. You go through the battery and plan a long, long car journey,” he says. “They don't rely on equally flashy graphics. [as contemporary games]. ”
Going it a step further, Dolan says he revised and adapted the console, spending £7,000 on his hobby last year. “We've regained some of it from selling things, but it's not cheap.”
He got stuck trying to repair some of the game gear chips and needed Malpas' expertise. Retrosix's repaired Prestige Edition Game Gear Console is £298.80. The LED edition costs £334.80, and mods or services on the console start at £36.
Popular retro consoles
game boy
A handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1989 and in Europe in 1990. It is estimated that over 118.7 million Game Boys and Game Boy colors are available for sale all over the world, making it one of the most successful handheld consoles of the era. Its compact design and affordable price.
SNES
Super Nintendo's entertainment system, also known as Super NES, was Nintendo's second home video game console to release internationally. It was first released by Nintendo, Japan in 1990 and arrived in Europe in 1992. It is estimated that SNES sold 49.1m units worldwide when it was cancelled in 2003.
Xbox Original
The Xbox console was Microsoft's first gaming console offering and the first installment payment for the consoles of the Xbox series, which was first released in Europe in 2002. The second generation Xbox 360 was released in 2005.
Amiga
A series of personal computers created by Commodore International from 1985 to 1994. Other companies continued to produce Amiga after this. The Amiga 1000, also known as the A1000, was the first personal computer released by Amiga Line's Commodore International. It was known for its advanced graphics and sound. Popular games include Alien Breed, Syndicate, Wise Football, and Eye viewers.
Game Gear
A handheld game console was released by Sega in Japan in 1990 and released in Europe the following year. Game Gear competed mostly with Nintendo's Game Boy, Atari Links and NEC's Turbo Experez. In 1991, around 520,000 game gear was sold in Europe, of which over 130,000 were sold in the UK.
FFirst, Mark Zuckerberg removed his gray hoodie. Then he let his curls grow. Now, he is shifting his styling focus to his left wrist, sporting a $900,000 (£740,000) watch by Swiss brand Greubel Forsey, made of white gold and limited to only three pieces per year. This addition to his watch collection includes a $1.2 million rose gold Patek Philippe watch and the thinnest watch ever made.
The trend of mechanical watches is on the rise, driven by Generation Z, who are embracing traditional aesthetics for a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. Depop has reported a 34% increase in watch searches, attributing the shift to analog watches exuding a classic style and functionality.
Despite predictions that smartwatches would eliminate traditional Swiss watches, there has been a decline in sales as consumers opt for old-fashioned timepieces. TikTok showcases a variety of watch styles and brands, from high-end Rolex to more affordable options like Casio and Swatch.
Luxury watches have also found their place on the red carpet, with celebrities accessorizing their outfits with iconic timepieces. Watches of Switzerland Group notes a growing interest among Gen Z customers in Swiss-made watches, emphasizing brand recognition and sustainability.
Wearing a watch can convey status and personal style, reflected in popular television shows and public figures showcasing their timepiece choices. Even high-profile individuals are opting for more modest watch brands, signaling a shift towards less conspicuous displays of wealth.
This shift towards authenticity and understated luxury resonates with Gen Z, who look for genuine expressions of style rather than ostentatious displays of wealth. The appeal lies in something real and meaningful, rather than a symbol of affluence.
This was supposed to be the year of Gen Z’s “summer of the kids,” inspired by Charli XCX’s hit album. The trend was chaotic and scrappy, embodying the messy essence of modern youth.
However, TikTok, the preferred social media platform for teenagers, is now seeing a shift towards a more sepia-toned music trend. Users are delving into classic artists’ back catalogs like Bronski Beat and Sade instead of the latest music.
The use of older songs in UK TikTok posts hit a new record this year, with 19 of the top 50 songs being over five years old. This global trend is exemplified by songs like Alphaville’s 80s hit “Forever Young.”
TikTok’s head of music partnerships in the UK and Ireland, Toyin Mustafa, believes the platform has created a level playing field for music acts, giving both old and new releases an equal chance to shine.
Challenges on TikTok have fueled the popularity of songs like Bronski Beat’s “Small Town Boy” and Alphaville’s “Forever Young.” Even lesser-known tracks like Pavement’s “Harness Your Hopes” have garnered attention on the platform.
TikTok’s influence on the music industry is significant, with both classic and modern tracks making waves. The platform has played a role in boosting artists like Blood Orange and Tinashe, while also impacting global music trends.
The trend of rediscovering back catalog songs resonates with a younger generation seeking unique music experiences. The accessibility of older tracks online allows users to explore a variety of music beyond the mainstream.
TikTok’s top back catalog tracks this year include hits like Blood Orange’s “Champagne Coast” and Alphaville’s “Forever Young,” showcasing the platform’s impact on music discovery and appreciation.
The platform’s future in the US music industry faces uncertainty, but its influence on music trends and artist exposure remains undeniable.
Overall, the resurgence of classic songs on TikTok reflects the timeless quality of good music and the evolving tastes of a new generation of music enthusiasts.
Here are TikTok’s top back catalog tracks this year. To be eligible, your song must be at least 5 years old.
Q
Wayne refused to use them. Musicians’ unions tried to ban them. Then computers overtook them. Synthesizers have been ridiculed, despised, and discarded throughout history, but somehow they’re entering a new golden age.
A new wave of synth makers has emerged, developing machines that are more ambitious and often outlandish than their beeping predecessors, satisfying the desires of a growing fan base.
Thousands, including Portishead’s Adrian Utley, gathered at Makina Bristonica, a festival of “knobs, buttons and discussion” in Bristol this weekend, to perform and sometimes cross the line from musical instruments to conceptual art. The designers created devices that they believed in.
Less than a decade ago, anyone wanting to discover the latest in electronic music production had to make a pilgrimage to the annual Superbooth fair in Berlin, but now there are several Superbooth fairs in the UK It has been. SynthFest UK took place in Sheffield last week, and Synth East in Norwich opened for the first time last year.
“A lot of people are using computers to make electronic music,” says Machina Bristronica co-founder Ben Chilton. Over the past 20 years, software like Cubase, Reason, and Ableton Live have made it easy for anyone to create music on their computer or mobile phone. Software synthesizers can be heard in nightclubs everywhere.
“People sold synthesizers when they were excited about computers, but a few years later they started craving something they could touch,” Chilton says. The ability to shape sounds on the fly during a performance, rather than feeling like you’re programming a machine, is behind the resurgence of synth hardware, he added.
Human League performs live on stage in 1983. Photo: BSR Entertainment/Gentle Look/Getty Images
Synthesizers have inspired generations of musicians in one form or another. Pink Floyd created menacing soundscapes. dark side of the moon Using a synthesizer in my briefcase. The Human League, Gary Numan, and Cabaret Voltaire pioneered the 80s synthpop sound, later enhanced by the Yamaha DX7. And while Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” brought the Moog to disco, DJ Pierre and Juan Atkins pumped out a Roland TB-303, intended as a bass replacement, for squelky sounds. Modern dance music would be very different if we hadn’t realized that it was possible to create . Acid house sounds.
Modern synthesizers fall into two categories. Self-contained desktop synths typically have a keyboard and a number of knobs, dials, and faders that allow the player to swoop or soar the instrument. Additionally, there are synths assembled from different modules, some of which generate sounds and others which manipulate sounds. Modular synths can be simple or extraordinary hunks of cables and metal, like the 15,000-pound colossus that film composer Hans Zimmer built to restart the BBC Radiophonic Workshop this year. There is also. In 2013, sound on sound reported that there are approximately 730 modules available in Eurorack, which has become a modular standard. Today, there are over 16,000.
Yesterday also marked the 60th anniversary of the first commercially available synth, the Moog Modular. Until 1964, anyone interested in the possibilities of electronic music had to build their own machine. Delia Derbyshire uses tape and BBC test equipment in her radiophonic workshop. doctor who Theme song. After Robert Moog’s synthesizer came the Buchla Easel.
“Originally they were designed with the home organist in mind, but by the mid-‘70s people realized they were instruments in their own right. [Jean-Michel] Jarre, Tomita, Vangelis” is a synth historian and ” synthesiszero evolution.
Not everyone liked them. Some musicians feared being replaced, and some bands took a stand. Queen said, “No synthesizers!” It was used on the covers of four albums, and in 1982 the musicians’ union passed a ban.
Now that just about every sound imaginable can be generated from a computer, the options are endless and creators are turning to more limited devices. Tom Whitwell, former editor mix mugnow manufactures synth modules as Music Thing, and today at machina Bristronica he will be demonstrating his latest equipment, a portable modular synth.
Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in London in 1970. Photo: Mirror Pix/Getty Images
The increased interest in synthesizers is due to a post-pandemic boom and easy access to factories in China, Whitwell said, noting that synthesizers like Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, James It is said to be used by Blake, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and others.
“The barrier is much lower,” he said. “You design something, send some files to Shenzhen, and three weeks later you have these magical circuit boards for £25. It means you can take on the challenge.”
He helps the participants of Machina Bristronica create microphonies. This is a musical joke inspired by Karlheinz Stockhausen, in which the sound of a synthesizer switch is captured with a microphone and fed back into the machine.
The key to synthesizer success is getting people playing again, said Jack Edwards of Beep Boop Electronics. “It rekindles the spark of interest in my environment and the universe that I had when I was a child,” he says. “It’s a conversation between the player and the instrument. You get something that words can’t explain.”
The origins of Cush Jumbo Widely available, with weekly episodes Cush Jumbo is always a joy to be around during press appearances for her films (The Good Wife, Criminal Record, Hamlet), but she’s just as great now that the tables have been turned for her first podcast. She talks to stars like Kate Nash, Harlan Coben, and David Schwimmer about their origin stories, and in episode one, she interviews Anna Wintour, who says she hates people who are ambivalent and recalls being fired from Harper’s Bazaar for not being able to pin a dress on. Holly Richardson
Rebellious Spirit Widely available, with weekly episodes Comedian Akila Hughes returns to her Kentucky hometown and takes on a light-hearted yet serious mission: changing her high school’s racist mascot from a Confederate general to a biscuit. Can she drag her school into the modern era? And what will the change mean for her and the other students? Hannah Verdier
Origins host, Kush Jumbo. Photo: Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Royal Academy
Sarah and Cariad’s Weird Book Club Widely available, with weekly episodes For those who don’t fancy discussing books over cheese and wine, Sara Pascoe and Carrier Lloyd have gone beyond the usual selections for the second season of their book club. First up is Róisín Conaty’s Standard Deviation, a lovely novel by Katherine Haney about an mismatched couple doing their best to raise children. HV
Then and Now Widely available, with weekly episodes Would parenting and childhood have been better when Babatunde and Leonie Aleche were younger? The couple’s new podcast looks at the changes in parenting and is packed with laughs and chemistry. Babatunde is a comedian, but his wife is no less, and doesn’t hesitate to poke fun when needed. HV
Transmission: The Definitive Story of Joy Division and New Order Widely available, with weekly episodes Fans of New Order are in for a treat with this second season, which tells the story of the band’s journey “from black and white to color” with “Power, Corruption & Lies.” Band members and famous fans tell incredible stories about working with Arthur Baker, absorbing the beginnings of Ibiza dance culture, and the new era that saw the birth of World in Motion become a reality. HV
There is a podcast
Star Trek: The Next Generation: LeVar Burton’s Surprising Host at the LeVar Burton Reading Photo: Ronald Grant
this week, Graham Virtue 5 best podcasts Science fictionfrom alternate Marvel universes to star-studded tech thrillers.
Escape Pod The sci-fi stories featured on Escape Pod often depict dizzying or unsettling futures. But this treasure trove of lovely speculative fiction is almost prehistoric for a podcast that first launched in 2005. Each episode delivers a mix of original short stories and fiction gleaned from other sci-fi mediums, delivered in a no-frills audiobook style. With episodes averaging 30 minutes in length, you could cycle through the rise and fall of an entire galactic empire in the time it takes to walk a dog. The back catalogue of over 900 stories is mind-boggling (here Where to start), but the Escape Pod has never lost its DIY origins.
Ad Rusem The world of podcasts is a treasure trove of sci-fi audio dramas with impressive sound design and at least one big Hollywood star. The sleek yet unsettling conspiracy thriller Ad Lucem is a cutting-edge example, though its dark themes and occasional expletives may not be for everyone. Set on the eve of a transformative technology launch in 2032, its roots lie in the touch-deprived trauma of a pandemic. The show asks the question: What if a voice assistant could hug you? Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine and co-creator Troian Bellisario star in the lead roles, but veterans Fiona Shaw and Clancy Brown also deliver flawless supporting performances.
Read by LeVar Burton Actor and director LeVar Burton (pictured above) will forever be associated with science fiction after his lengthy role in Star Trek: The New Generation. But before he played chief engineer Geordi La Forge, Burton hosted the US educational television show Reading Rainbow, helping to improve literacy for generations of primary school children. These two careers came together in LeVar Burton Reads, a collection of fantastical short stories that ran for over 200 episodes before wrapping up earlier this year (finishing with a Ray Bradbury classic). As you’d expect, Burton is a skilled and emotive storyteller, and at the end of each story he also offers his own reactions and reflections, adding to the haunting intimacy of each one.
Marvel’s Wastelanders Tired of superheroes in spandex? Good news. In the world of Wastelanders, most of the Avengers are brutally killed in a surprise attack. Decades later, the United States is a patchwork of villain-ruled fiefdoms in a post-apocalyptic world. This Mad Max version of the Marvel Universe is the grim backdrop for a vivid character study of five aging survivors. Goofy space cops Star-Lord (Timothy Busfield), a bitter circus act Hawkeye (Stephen Lang), The Lone Spy Black Widow (Susan Sarandon), the angry loner Wolverine (Robert Patrick) And the tyrant sidelined Doom (Dylan Baker) The immersive worlds and rich satirical humor make each series enjoyable even before the ragtag band of misfits teams up. One last time.
Clarks World Magazine In the 1940s, science fiction magazines began publishing stories that popularized the genre. Fast forward to today, and science fiction magazines have largely replaced the mainstream of the 1970s. Asimov’s science fiction Digital Anthology Lightspeed Magazine – Create an audio spin-off. Clarks World Magazine The podcast offers a wide scope that broadens the horizons of science fiction and fantasy stories, often shedding light on international tales in translation. Episodes range from 10-minute snapshots to multi-part novellas, and if there’s a captivating sense that anything could happen, Kate Baker, the podcast’s host and narrator since 2009, provides a consistent, delightful flow.
Give it a try…
Football Weekly presenter Max Rushden teams up with comedian David O’Doherty What did you do yesterday? So they ask their famous friends how they’ve spent the last 24 hours.
Miracle Ranch, a California wellness center, promises its patients better, healthier lives through an “alkaline diet.” Chameleon: Doctor Miracle It details the fatal consequences.
BBC satire Everything is news It pairs a former diplomatic correspondent (played by real-life journalist-turned-comedian Helen Price) with a fallen cabinet minister (actor Michael Clarke) to critique the “centrist dad podcast” genre.
If you’d like to read the full newsletter, sign up to receive Hear Here in your inbox every Thursday.
Twenty years ago, deep underground in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, thomas garnon Before I knew it, I was walking through a hellish place. The sound of explosions echoed off the walls and the temperature rose. “It was like a baptism of fire,” he says. It was his first trip to Kimberlite and his diamond mines.
The scene was full of cameras, and Garnon, now a student at the University of Southampton in the UK, was warned that if any jewelery was found on her, accidentally or not, she would be in trouble. But he didn't come here to find his fortune. He was seeking answers to one of Earth's greatest mysteries.
Diamonds are precious to many, but they hold a special place in the hearts of geologists. They were forged long ago in the fiery depths of Earth's inaccessible mantle and rose to the surface riding supersonic jets of magma from strange volcanoes called kimberlites.
Although we don't know exactly how diamonds are formed, we do know that diamonds are like time capsules that reveal secrets of Earth's distant past. And perhaps the biggest question is why the kimberlites that pushed them to the surface appear to have gone extinct millions of years ago.
Now, nearly 20 years after that first visit to the diamond mine, Gernon and his fellow kimberlite detectives finally have a comprehensive model of how volcanoes work, and with it You may gain a deeper understanding of volcanic treasures. Additionally, the study revealed the intriguing prospect that kimberlites may not be extinct after all.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
