Tag Archives: straightforward

News

The greatest challenges going through automotive retail in 2024 (and the right way to deal with them)

It affords prospects constant, clear ‘no-haggle’ pricing and a extra simple shopping for course of. For producers, it means elevated buyer knowledge, elevated buyer satisfaction and decreased distribution prices and monetary threat.

“The agency model seemingly has several advantages for manufacturers and consumers alike,” says the Cox Automotive report. “For the former, acquired data will no doubt aid consumer retention. It could also more sharply focus marketing strategies. And, for the consumer, at the outset at least, it means transparent pricing and, allegedly, a more hassle-free buying experience.”

The company mannequin has already been adopted by Mercedes all through Europe. Brands like BMW, MINI, Ford, Skoda, Smart, Genesis, Jaguar Land Rover and Alfa Romeo are additionally investigating the rollout of this mannequin.

But what’s the vendor’s position on this new retail chain, and what advantages may it provide? Depending on the specifics of the company mannequin adopted by the producer and the way it evolves, it may imply doubtlessly decreased monetary threat and improved cashflow. This may unencumber further income for sellers to spend money on used automobiles and aftersales, or investing in buyer touchpoints – particularly digital.

Questions stay over who will bear sure model prices, equivalent to the price of demo automobiles, coaching and gross margins. Equally, the numerous capital value of the company mannequin may discourage producers, and make them assume once more.

“Privately, many dealer groups worry that the pure model won’t work, because many of the aspects of the traditional arrangement, in their view are essential to their everyday working,” says the Cox Automotive report. “It’s feared that such aspects, which could be upended by agency model implementation, may render the new system impractical. Indeed, if manufacturers fail to comprehend the work dealers are already doing on the ground, introducing agency – in many cases – will prove to be painful and costly.”

Many within the trade consider the pure company mannequin will evolve over time to a extra blended strategy of franchised and company, permitting manufactures to capitalise on the experience of their sellers, particularly relating to part-exchange, used automobile administration and features of finance – all of which require an skilled, enthusiastic and adept vendor to execute.

Audio

How To Create Your Own Musical Jingles Using Microsoft Copilot

The directions to generate your individual music utilizing the brand new characteristic are fairly easy and simple, as a result of Copilot will likely be doing almost all of the work. You’ll first want to put in Suno as a plugin, nonetheless, earlier than the AI will have the ability to flip your textual content into music. Here’s what it’s essential do to create your individual musical jingles utilizing Microsoft Copilot:

  1. Sign into your Microsoft account. 
  2. Open a dialog with Copilot (previously Bing Chat) by going to copilot.microsoft.com
  3. Turn on the Suno plugin, or click on on the Suno brand that claims, “Make music with Suno.” You can sometimes discover the plugin menu within the higher proper.
  4. Once Suno is enabled, you’ll be able to ask Copilot to make a music through the use of conversational textual content, simply as you’d immediate it for different data or duties. For instance, you’ll be able to say one thing like: “Write a rap song about brushing your teeth.”
  5. Your music will likely be generated shortly. From there, Microsoft suggests you “jam along to your new tune” or share it with others, together with on social media. 

The songs can generare fairly shortly, although they might take a couple of minutes. Each generated music will sometimes be 20 to 40 seconds in size, so do not count on any prolonged ballads. Along with the flexibility to listen to the music, you may additionally get easy AI-generated cowl artwork,c in addition to the lyrics in textual content — that are even damaged down into verse and refrain. That manner, you’ll be able to even sing alongside to your individual co-creation. 

Smartphones

This Feature Will Make Sure You Never Miss An iPhone Alert

Enabling the LED flash for notifications in your iPhone is extremely easy. Here’s how you can set it up:

  1. Launch the Settings app in your iOS machine.
  2. Scroll down till you discover Accessibility (it is within the group that begins with General).
  3. Under the Hearing part, go to Audio/Visual.
  4. Scroll all the way down to the Visual part on the very backside of the web page.
  5. Turn on the toggle for LED Flash for Alerts.
  6. If you don’t need your iPhone to flash when Silent Mode is enabled, flip off Flash on Silent.

The similar steps apply if you wish to use the LED flash in your iPad as nicely. However, not all fashions help this characteristic. You can solely allow it for the sixth technology iPad mini, 2nd technology 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 11-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. It’s additionally necessary to notice that the LED flash solely works while you obtain notifications whereas your machine is locked. Otherwise, you may get common alerts.

Desktops, Laptops, News

How to Install the Windows 11 23H2 Update

Installing the Windows 11 23H2 Update is a simple process. Just follow these steps:

  1. Click on the “Settings” option in your Windows 11 computer.
  2. Next, click on “Windows Update.”
  3. Then, click on the “Check for updates” button.
  4. Your computer will now check for any available updates.
  5. If your system is eligible for the Windows 11 23H2 Update, you will see an option to download and install it.
  6. Once the update is downloaded, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process.

Microsoft has also created a video that provides a detailed guide on how to install the 23H2 Update. You can watch it below:

If you don’t see the option to update even after clicking on “Check for updates,” it could mean that the update is not available for your system. Microsoft may have withheld the update due to compatibility issues with certain applications. Although Microsoft doesn’t mention the specific apps causing this incompatibility, they state that the update will not be issued to such systems until the compatibility issue is resolved.

Furthermore, Microsoft has hinted at the development of an auto-update option, which is expected to be introduced in the coming months.

Technology

How To Customize The Screensaver On Your Kindle

Changing the screensaver on your Kindle is a simple process that doesn’t require jailbreaking the device. However, this feature is only available on certain Kindle variants such as Kindle from the 8th Gen onwards, Kindle Paperwhite from the 7th Gen onwards, Kindle Voyage, and Kindle Oasis. Additionally, you may need to upgrade to the Kindle ads-free version if you haven’t already. Once you’ve taken care of these prerequisites, follow these steps to customize your Kindle’s screensaver:

  1. On your Kindle’s home screen, tap the arrow down button at the top.
  2. Go to All Settings.
  3. Select Device Options.
  4. Turn on the toggle switch for Display Cover.
  5. Turn off your screen and then turn it back on.

The screensaver will now display the cover of the book or content you are currently reading or have just finished. The great thing about the Display Cover feature is that it automatically updates the screensaver whenever you start a new eBook, magazine, Manga, or comic, giving you the feeling of opening the cover of a physical book.

First Drive

Mercedes-AMG A35 2023 UK first drive

The days of straightforward, powerful hatchbacks are slowly disappearing. It’s unfortunate, but now these cars feel more like novelties than common sightings on the road.

Hot hatches are becoming rare, with many of them reaching their final stage of evolution and becoming quite expensive. Take, for example, the £50,000 Honda Civic Type R.

But there are still a few stalwarts in the segment, such as the Mercedes-AMG A35. This model, along with the rest of the A-Class range, has received updates for 2023, before an electric successor arrives in a couple of years.

The refreshed A35 inherits the muscular bonnet design from the hardcore A45, as well as its grille. Mercedes has even replaced its own badge with the Affalterbach firm’s logo, emphasizing the car’s AMG credentials.

But is it truly an AMG? Some doubts persist. The A35 has always used a modified version of a regular A-Class engine, rather than a bespoke AMG powerplant. This raises questions about authenticity. However, considering the new C63 now has a four-cylinder engine instead of the iconic V8, perhaps authenticity is a subjective matter.

The A35 still looks sharp with its tweaked headlights, new wheel design, and other minor changes. However, the rear wing, which the more powerful A45 can pull off, looks a bit forced on the A35. Thankfully, this aerodynamic feature is only available on the top-end Premium Plus trim, which comes with a hefty price tag of £51,000. Lesser versions of the A35 get a more subtle spoiler reminiscent of the original Ford Focus RS.

Inside the cabin, Mercedes has removed the touchpad, opting for a crisp touchscreen as the sole controller for the infotainment system. The interior, while emphasizing luxury, doesn’t quite match up to the impeccable quality found in some competitors. Nevertheless, it’s a comfortable place to be, and the new steering wheel is much more appealing than its predecessor.

In terms of driving dynamics, five years after its introduction, the A35 remains an intriguing and somewhat inconsistent character. It wants to excel on twisty B-roads, with its firm suspension providing good composure during spirited driving. However, the steering response can feel a bit slow off-center, and the seats lack the necessary support and low positioning to match the car’s sporty intentions. As a result, dialing back the aggression and adopting a smoother driving style suits the A35 better.

Motorsport

Lyft Sends $1K Card To A Family Named Uber

Signing up for a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft is usually as straightforward as it gets, but not if your last name is identical to the name of the app, it seems.

As it turns out, there’s an actual Uber family out there, and none of its members was able to sign up for an account with the app that bears the same name as them, returning an error message that said: “given last name not valid,” presumably because nobody at Uber the app ever thought there would actually be someone bearing this last name, or because of a security concern.

Additionally, according to the quickstitchplus Threads account, which was founded by one of the family members, the Uber family was mysteriously removed from the same name ride-sharing app last year because of an unspecified violation of the terms and conditions.

But here’s where the power of social media comes into play because none other than rival ride-sharing app Lyft got into the conversation and seized the opportunity to make a splash by offering the Uber family a $1,000 gift card for Lyft rides.

The story unfolded on the freshly launched Threads social media platform, where there was a photo of the gift card posted on the official Lyft account and a description that asked the Uber family to get in touch with the company.

And that’s exactly what happened, with Michele Uber getting word of what was going on at the pink-colored firm and posting a reply on her own account: “Sorry, Uber, this Uber Fam chooses Lyft.”

Bri Reynold, the ride-sharing company’s social media manager, said on her LinkedIn account that they immediately saw this as a golden opportunity to make the Uber family’s life a little less complicated.

“Who knew Threads would have led to this,” she wrote. “Yesterday we met The Uber family on threads (yes their last name is actually Uber). They haven’t been able to make any Uber profiles because their last name is registering as an ‘invalid entry’ (lol). Immediately saw this as a GOLDEN opportunity for us to show up for them.”

As always, we’d like to know what you think about this, so head over to the comments section below to give us your thoughts.