10 Things in Tech: Quest for flying cars

April 25, 2022

10 Things in Tech: Quest for flying cars

Welcome back, readers. We have a futuristic edition in store for you today, with talk of flying cars and a look at a luxurious EV concept that comes with storage for your slippers.

Ready? Let's dive in.

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A car, from the drivers perspective, flying into the sunset — **Edmon De Haro**

1. Nothing screams "the future" quite like a flying car — and Archer Aviation is promising to launch its fleet in 2024. The only problem? They haven't been able to make theirs fly. Adam Lashinsky dives into the company and their "fake it till you make it" Silicon Valley ethos:

Last June, Archer Aviation gathered onlookers to "unveil" its futuristic new vehicle, dubbed "the Maker," which its founders presented as a flying taxi — never mind the fact that it couldn't actually fly.
The barriers to getting a flying car off the ground are formidable: The Federal Aviation Administration can take up to seven years to certify new models of traditional aircraft — let alone a flying car being dreamed up by aviation upstarts backed by hedge funds.
"What worries me about the Silicon Valley mindset as it applies to aviation is that you can't fake it till you make it, because the FAA won't let you," one analyst said.

Read Lashinsky's full piece here.

In other news:

2. Twitter is reportedly reevaluating Elon Musk's takeover bid. The Wall Street Journal reported the social-media company may be more receptive to Musk's offer since he lined up financing. Get the full rundown here.

3. Lucid insiders detail the EV startup's struggle to ramp up production. Like its competitors, Lucid is facing supply-chain shortages and a war for talent — but employees also described 100-hour weeks, buying parts off Amazon, and production snafus. Here's what else they said.

4. Elon Musk turned down a philanthropic opportunity with Bill Gates. Leaked texts show Musk declined the opportunity after asking the Microsoft founder if he was shorting Tesla (but Musk tweeted this weekend that he's "moving on"). What we know about the texts.

5. Startups are encouraging employees to take out loans to buy their stock options. The loans can be tricky in a downturn — and one tech executive shared a horror story of how he ended up owing $1 million in the dot-com era. Read his experience here.

6. Amazon just got approval to build its helix-shaped tower in Virginia. The Arlington County Board gave unanimous approval for Amazon to build the tower, which will serve as the centerpiece to its second headquarters. Get a look at the spiraling tower.

7. It's not just you — search sucks these days. Searching for just about anything — a tweet, a Word doc, a simple email — is a special kind of hell, and as Insider correspondent Adam Rogers explains, it's only getting worse. Why search isn't getting any better.

8. A director of sales at Meta shares her morning routine. Christine Trodella starts her day before the rest of her household wakes up, and since the start of the pandemic, has been consciously taking more breaks throughout the day. Here's how she organizes her days.

Odds and ends:

9. Lincoln just unveiled its new electric concept vehicle. With relaxing smells, a wine fridge, and a spot for your slippers, the super-futuristic Lincoln Star SUV is basically a lounge on wheels. Check out the Star here.

10. Jack Dorsey has a new title: "Block Head." Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter and the cofounder of digital payments company Block, is no longer the company's CEO. Instead, he's the "Block Head and Chairperson." Here's what that means.

What we're watching today:

After two years, Datacloud Global Congress is returning to Monaco.
Project Voice 2022 starts today in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York are holding a union vote.
Meta is set to appeal the UK's block on its GIPHY acquisition.
The Web Conference starts today.

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Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Michael Cogley in London.

Read the original article on Business Insider