Technology

It’s hard to be optimistic sometimes, we know. Politics is a mess, the environment’s in trouble and half the world appears to be either melting or actually on fire. But there are reasons to be cheerful, because technology is working to defeat each and every horseman of the apocalypse. Here’s how technology will save the world…

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We know that Google is preparing to launch a couple of Pixel 3 phones later this year, and now there are hints that a Pixel Stand charging dock is on the way too. Among the features it's said to include is seamless Google Assistant integration.

In other words, put your Pixel phone down in your Pixel Stand, and you can then ask Google Assistant

Tesla is no stranger to branded merch. Its got the standard company swag — the hats, the shirts, and the mugs. Itgot quirkier stuff, like miniature Teslas for kids and USB chargers shaped like the Superchargers that juice up their vehicles.

And now they&ve got… surfboards

While itnow gone for some reason, a product page went live in its shop early this morning detailing a $1500 Tesla-branded board (we&ve asked Tesla for insight, but it sounds like they sold out.) Electrek caught the description before the page vanished:

&Designed by the Tesla Design Studio in collaboration with Lost Surfboards and Matt &Mayhem& Biolos, surfboard shaper for World Surf League Championship athletes. The Limited Edition Tesla Surfboard features a mix of the same high-quality matte and gloss finishes used on all our cars. The deck is reinforced with light-weight &Black Dart& carbon fiber, inspired by the interiors in our cars, and featuring tonal logos in subtle contrast gloss.&

(Update: the page is back up now, and it is, in fact, sold out)

While its unclear why the product page vanished, a Google cache of it is visible here, and a few people on Twitter mention being able to get orders in before it went down.

At $1500 before tax, the board is… certainly on the higher end of the surfboard pricing scale. A solid board from a company like JS or Ripcurl would cost you around $750. Most of the boards made by Lost (the company Tesla is doing the collab with here) go for around $700-800. But with a limited run of 200 boards, they&re probably going to sell out here anyway. My gut feeling is that many of these could end up being wall pieces or permanent roof rack accessories rather than shredding up the ocean — but who knows.

And for the curious surfers out there: based on Lostother &Black Dart& models, this board comes in at 6&8″ long. It doesn&t come with fins. The now-gone product page said all 200 boards should ship within 2-10 weeks.

Hereall the photos that were on the product page: