Month: June 2023

Enlarge (credit: Andrew Brookes)

PFAS chemicals seemed like a good idea at first. As Teflon, they made pots easier to clean starting in the 1940s. They made jackets waterproof and carpets stain-resistant. Food wrappers, firefighting foam, even makeup seemed better with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Then tests started detecting PFAS in people’s blood.

Today, PFAS are pervasive in soil, dust and drinking water around the world. Studies suggest they’re in 98% of Americans’ bodies, where they’ve been associated with health problems including thyroid disease, liver damage and kidney and testicular cancer. There are now over 9,000 types of PFAS. They’re often referred to as “forever chemicals” because the same properties that make them so useful also ensure they don’t break down in nature.

Enlarge / The only way we can ensure Sony doesn't capture that planet is if we buy it ourselves! (credit: Bethesda)

Thus far, much of the legal and regulatory drama surrounding Microsoft's proposed purchase of Activision has centered on concerns about the potential for Microsoft to make major cross-platform franchise Call of Duty into an Xbox console exclusive. But Microsoft Xbox Chief Phil Spencer now says separate concerns surrounding Starfield's potential PlayStation exclusivity helped drive Microsoft's 2020 purchase of Bethesda Softworks parent ZeniMax.

In Friday testimony concerning the FTC's attempt to block the Activision purchase, Spencer noted how, in 2020, Sony made paid deals ensuring Bethesda titles Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo would ship on PlayStation months before an Xbox version was available. “So the discussion about Starfield—when we heard that Starfield was potentially also going to end up skipping Xbox, we can’t be in a position as a third-place console where we fall further behind on our content ownership, so we’ve had to secure content to remain viable in the business," Spencer said on the stand.

Those concerns weren't entirely based on Sony's previous practice, either. Just after the Bethesda purchase was announced, former Kinda Funny Host Imran Khan reported that "Sony had been negotiating timed exclusivity on Starfield as recently as a few months ago."

Enlarge (credit: Aston Martin)

On Monday morning, Aston Martin announced that it has a new technology partner. The low-volume British sports car maker has just signed a deal with Lucid, the US-based electric vehicle startup, that will see future Aston Martin EVs use Lucid's efficient and powerful powertrains.

"The proposed agreement with Lucid forms a significant pillar of our electrification strategy, providing Aston Martin with access to the industry's leading powertrain and battery systems technology. Combined with our internal development, this will allow us to create a single bespoke BEV platform suitable for all future Aston Martin products, all the way from hypercars to sports cars and SUVs," said Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin's chief technology officer.

Aston Martin is paying Lucid $232 million in a combination of cash and shares to gain access to its technology. Additionally, it will spend at least $225 million on powertrain components.