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All-wheel drive unlocks 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds

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Formula E is halfway through its Gen3 car cycle and plans are in motion for the upcoming Gen4 racer. However, the series isn’t waiting until that all-new electric car is ready to hit the track to debut some significant upgrades to the current model. Ahead of the Monaco E-Prix this weekend, Formula E debuted what it calls the Gen3 Evo, the fastest accelerating FIA single seater in the world by current standards. The series is also introducing body changes aimed at improving aerodynamics and durability, particularly to the nose, along with all-wheel drive (AWD) for the first time on a Formula E car.

Formula E says the Gen3 Evo is capable of accelerating a full second faster than the Gen3 version, going from 0 to 60 mph in 1.82 seconds (0-100 kph in 1.86 seconds). It explained that that time is 30 percent faster than a 2024 Formula 1 car and 36 percent faster than the Gen3 EV currently used in races. Those numbers aren’t theoretical either: the series has already achieved the benchmarks on track in Misano, Italy.

“It’s not simulated, it’s real,” Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds told Engadget. “It was really timed by the FIA at that speed.” Dodds added that there were some “slight tweaks” in some areas, but the Gen3 Evo should still hit 60 mph in under two seconds when it debuts on track for races next year.

A key aspect of this unlocked acceleration is the use of AWD on a Formula E car for the first time. The series debuted dual powertrains with Gen3, but until now, the one up front was only being used for battery regeneration. AWD will only be used during the later rounds of qualifying (head-to-head duels), the race start and when a driver has activated Attack Mode during the race. Besides the boost to acceleration, drivers should have better control and more grip when AWD is active. Plus, it entirely changes team strategy and could lead to even more exciting racing.

“One of the occasional criticisms I hear is Attack Mode doesn’t have a big enough difference,” Dodds said. “I think with all-wheel drive, that will make a difference.” He also noted that when you have 22 cars that are all capable of 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds barreling towards turn one, “that makes for a high jeopardy, exciting start of a race.”

Formula E Gen3 Evo car, front wing detail.Formula E Gen3 Evo car, front wing detail.

The redesigned front wing on the Gen3 Evo. (Formula E)

One frustration of Gen3 that Formula E is addressing with the Gen3 Evo is the fragility of the front wing. As part of a larger overhaul to the body that includes new side pods, rear wing and more, the new car has a redesigned, slightly pointier nose and a strengthened front wing. With the Gen3 car, front wing damage is common, and it often gets stuck under the car, which becomes dangerous for a driver trying to make his way back to the pit lane. In addition to being “stronger” and “more robust,” according to Formula E, the body changes also improve aerodynamics, which could contribute to more wheel-to-wheel battles on track.

Another key change is to the tires. Formula E is still working with Hankook on the all-weather compound used for its races, but the updated version offers 5- to 10-percent more grip compared to the current spec. Dodds explained that this increase in traction is essential since Gen3 Evo employs the front powertrain for AWD.

“If you haven’t got the increase in grip on the tires, that’s pretty challenging to control,” he said.

In total, Formula E says the performance upgrades on the Gen3 Evo equate to a two-second drop in qualifying lap times around the tight, twisty Monaco street circuit. Since the series stipulates qualifying time in that estimate, that means AWD and a higher power mode would be active to achieve it. But, it also means Formula E is unlocking the full potential of what Gen3 has been capable of since its debut last season.

Formula E Gen3 Evo driving away from the camera, blurred lights on both sides.Formula E Gen3 Evo driving away from the camera, blurred lights on both sides.

Formula E

Indeed, the bulk of the Gen3 car is still intact. That includes an all-electric race car that’s incredibly efficient, converting 90 percent of its energy to mechanical power. By employing 600kW regenerative braking, the cars produce almost 50 percent of the energy they need to complete a race while on track. Like its predecessor, the Gen3 Evo remains capable of a top speed of 200 mph. And just like before, teams will make performance updates to the cars via software changes in search of any on-track advantage.

Formula E says there has already been some driver testing of the Gen3 Evo behind closed doors, and the feedback has been very positive. Dodds explained that Tag Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein and DS Penske’s Jean-Éric Vergne both drove the car in test sessions with rave reviews. Vergne, who is one of the more outspoken drivers on the grid, specifically noted how much better it drives than the current car.

“The sooner we can get to [Gen3 Evo] in season 11, the better, as far as he’s concerned,” Dodds explained. “It’s lovely to get that feedback, because happy drivers often create happy races.”

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Bisnis Industri

iPhone SDK unlocks power of apps

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March 6: Today in Apple history: Devs get the key to unlock iPhone's awesome power March 6, 2008: Apple releases the iPhone software development kit, finally allowing coders to start creating native mobile apps for the new smartphone. The iPhone SDK gives developers the tools they need to unlock the new smartphone’s potential.

When the App Store eventually opens a few months later, a new industry springs up overnight. Third-party devs rush to take advantage of Apple’s lucrative distribution network.

Birth of the App Store

From the moment Apple unveiled the iPhone, developers prayed for an SDK. At first, debates raged inside Apple about whether a marketplace for third-party apps made sense. Some thought the move risked watering down Apple’s level of control, potentially allowing low-quality software on iPhones.

The main person against the App Store initiative? Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs.

Others, such as Phil Schiller and Apple board member Art Levinson, lobbied Jobs to change his position and make the iPhone a generative platform rather than keeping it locked down.

Eventually, Jobs changed his mind. On March 6, 2008 — around nine months after the iPhone’s big reveal — Apple hosted an iPhone Software Roadmap event. Here the company announced the iPhone SDK, which became the basis of the iPhone Developer Program.

“We’re excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community with potentially thousands of native applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” Jobs said in a press release.

You can watch him reveal the iPhone SDK in the video below:

Apple releases iPhone SDK, the key to building iPhone apps

iPhone apps had to be built on Macs running a new version of Apple’s integrated development environment, Xcode. Other Apple software allowed developers to design iPhone-friendly interfaces and monitor iPhone memory usage. A particularly useful tool called Simulator let them mimic the iPhone’s touch interactions on a Mac with a mouse or keyboard.

Developers who wanted to launch apps on the iPhone paid a standard $99 annual fee. (A higher-priced enterprise tier was initially available only to companies with more than 500 employees.) Developers, Apple said, would receive 70% of the sales revenue from their apps — with Cupertino taking the other 30%.

By the time the App Store opened in June 2008, 500 third-party apps were available, with 25% of them being free to download. By 2024, the App Store — bringing software to more than 2 billion devices worldwide — has become a revenue-generating powerhouse, for devs as well as Apple.

“The efforts, innovation, and creativity of the developers who leverage Apple technology to build these incredible experiences, coupled with the power of the App Store’s global platform to connect businesses of all sizes with over 600 million people each week across 175 countries, has led to developers selling digital goods and services earning more than $260 billion since the App Store launched in 2008,” Apple said in a 2022 press release.

App Store success brings scrutiny

Opening up the iPhone to third-party developers with the iPhone SDK was a monumental step in the device’s history. The popularity of apps also became a big driver of growth for Apple’s smartphone.

However, Apple’s “closed garden” approach to the App Store has drawn international scrutiny from antitrust regulators. The European Union’s broad Digital Markets Act forced Apple to make changes to the App Store, among other things. Apple opened the iPhone to sideloading of apps and alternative app stores with iOS 17.4 — but only in the European Union — despite the company’s lingering security concerns about these sorts of changes.

Were you an early developer for the iPhone? What was the first app you downloaded? Leave your comments below.



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