All Aboard!

Enlarge / CXC Simulations needed to come up with something special for Norwegian Cruise Lines, so it built an off-road racing simulator. (credit: CXC Simulations) Racing simulators keep evolving as graphics get more and more realistic while physical motion systems innovate new ways to mimic the sensation of driving a real race car.

Enlarge / University of Leeds Literary Archivist Sarah Prescott holds "Mód Þrýþe Ne Wæg," by C. S. Lewis. (credit: © CS Lewis Pte Ltd) Renowned British author C. S. Lewis is best known for his Chronicles of Narnia, but Lewis's prolific oeuvre also included a science-fiction trilogy, an allegorical novel, a marvelous retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, various nonfiction works of Christian apologetics, and literary criticism.

Enlarge / Apple has been tight-lipped about its AI plans but industry insiders suggest the company is focused on deploying generative AI on its mobile devices. (credit: FT montage/Getty Images) Apple has poached dozens of artificial intelligence experts from Google and has created a secretive European laboratory in Zurich, as the tech giant builds a team to battle rivals in developing new AI models and products. According to a Financial Times analysis of hundreds of LinkedIn profiles as well as public job postings and research papers, the $2.7 trillion company has undertaken a hiring spree over recent years to expand its global AI and machine learning team. The iPhone maker has particularly targeted workers from Google, attracting at least 36 specialists from its rival since it poached John Giannandrea to be its top AI executive in 2018.

NEW YORK — Walmart said Tuesday it is launching its biggest store-label food brand in 20 years in terms of its breadth of items, as it seeks to appeal to younger customers who are not brand loyal and want chef-inspired foods that are more affordably priced. The brand, called Bettergoods, is just hitting Walmart stores and online.

Enlarge / What a Supernova spacecraft might look like in orbit. (credit: Portal Space Systems) Over the course of the last seven decades, the vast majority of satellites have launched into orbit with propulsion mostly as an afterthought. That's not to say having thrusters is not important, but once the vehicle reached its intended orbit, the on-board propulsion was used mainly for station keeping and small maneuvers. One of the truisms about spaceflight, in fact, has been that a vehicle isn't going anywhere after it reaches a particular orbit.

Enlarge / Tesla is laying off around 500 staff who have worked on its Supercharger network, plus its new vehicle development team and its public policy team. (credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images) There's more chaos at Tesla this week. The Information reports that last night, the company's erratic CEO Elon Musk emailed workers with news that he has dismissed a key pair of executives—one responsible for the Supercharger network and the other head of new vehicle development. The electric car maker posted its quarterly results last week, and they paint a poor picture, with shrinking sales and plummeting profit margins.