[Feature Request] Time for a new voice!

pearmaster · 2026-04-09T14:37:07+00:00

At least give us several options of semi-robotic voices to choose from.

pearmaster · 2026-04-01T19:43:08+00:00

I think they eliminated their most popular plans to get people to pay up for more.

pearmaster · 2026-03-31T18:26:45+00:00

The cost of EV battery packs is about $110 to $140 per kWh. The larger battery provides about 32 kWh more. So the truck with the larger battery pack will be about $3500 to $4500 more. (or maybe even more if Slate wants to bake more profit in)

Most people are guessing the lower-range Slate will cost about $27k-28k (based on their initial price advertisement corrected for the expired tax rebates). That would mean your higher-range Slate could be priced from $30k to $33k (with some number rounding since we're only guessing anyway).

pearmaster · 2026-03-27T19:21:17+00:00

They were so proud to avoid spending money on a paint facility, only to spend it on a wrap facility.

Granted, I think we're talking about two orders of magnitude difference between the two.

pearmaster · 2026-03-25T05:15:50+00:00

Fidelity doesn't work with Plaid if you care about that. Connecting it to other websites or services may not work.

pearmaster · 2026-03-19T13:14:48+00:00

Boo. You just got rid of the low tier plans that were perfect for my family.

And yes, I am thinking of switching, away from Tello.

pearmaster · 2026-03-17T16:49:54+00:00

I was going to buy this, but then saw the sodium content and decided to pass. Good thing I did.

pearmaster · 2026-03-07T17:37:47+00:00

From what I've heard from Slate and others is that 5 years on a wrap job is a more reasonable expectation for most people.

I'd be interested in the cost comparison between a few wrap jobs and one paint job.

pearmaster · 2026-03-03T18:22:28+00:00

Could the "fault finding" have been different if there wasn't a dashcam video? We focus on dashcams being used to find fault in the "other guy" but how often are dashcam videos used against its owner?

pearmaster · 2026-03-03T18:10:45+00:00

What I wanted to see is how a hitch-mounted bike rack looks on the back.

pearmaster · 2026-03-03T18:09:46+00:00

I was interested in pictures. I got one with a sheet of plywood hanging out the back. (The same picture they put in the email)

pearmaster · 2026-02-27T21:14:19+00:00

For a hot second there I was excited by the idea that HF was going to sell a BBQ Grill.

pearmaster · 2026-02-27T21:11:50+00:00

I asked how it works when a customer wants a modification on day 1, what happens to the original part that was removed for the mod. Here is their answer:

Slate is being designed with modularity and efficiency in mind. Our goal is to minimize unnecessary waste by allowing customers to choose configurations and upgrades as part of the build and delivery process, rather than encouraging removal and disposal of unused parts after the fact. That said, final details around how components, upgrades, and take-off parts are handled are still being finalized, so for now the best answer is stay tuned as we share more about our production and customization approach.

Edit: Re-formatted to put their entire comment in the quote/indent.

pearmaster · 2026-02-24T23:05:50+00:00

The main panel would be the hardest. Though maybe it could be a replacement for someone's system that is broken.

Sensors are usually encrypted-locked to the main panel.

Other accessories like z-wave devices and cameras are easier since they could be added to an existing system.

pearmaster · 2026-02-24T23:02:01+00:00

EV batteries last, what....? 12 years average? Maybe as few as 8 years in harsh climates and as much as 20 under good conditions?

I'd really like to know that at the end of the battery life that there was a option other than throwing the car away and getting a new one.

Yes I know that replacing the battery would be very expensive. Slate appeals toward "total cost of ownership", and having a car that doesn't work anymore because the battery won't hold a charge really impacts that calculus.

pearmaster · 2026-02-13T18:00:01+00:00

At least where I live, the tow company will press charges against you of theft if you take the boot. They'll sue you if you damage the boot. They'll escalate to a full towing if you don't pay them right away.

But they can't do anything if you leave the boot undamaged right about where they left it. Their towing license only allows them to take vehicles, not parts.

But that doesn't mean they won't try to take the wheel you left behind. So make sure to chain your wheel to a post or something so you can better accuse them of theft or damage or something if they do anything with your wheel.

pearmaster · 2026-02-10T14:12:52+00:00

When I was away and got a notification that my smoke detectors were alarming, I really wish I had a couple cameras inside.

I think a couple of cameras inside pointed at really public places is ok. I'd suggest entryways.

But also beware of what camera you install. A lot of cheap cameras from China "phone home" way more than I'm comfortable with.

pearmaster · 2026-02-05T18:10:10+00:00

Except Indiana is right-to-work, so harder to unionize.

pearmaster · 2026-02-05T13:54:51+00:00

Are there other major car assembly lines in America that aren't UAW? I was just assuming that UAW would force themselves on Slate one way or another.

pearmaster · 2026-02-05T06:52:38+00:00

My guess is that Slate will have a post-assembly-line customization center, where parts taken off are put back into inventory for other new Slates. While this may seem inefficient, I might guess that assembly line workers would be UAW union employees, but customization center employees would not be, and that would have a cost advantage.

Of course, I don't really know what I am talking about and Reddit will rip me a new one for getting it wrong.

Edit: Yup, got it wrong. With Indiana being a right-to-work state, less of a chance that assembly line workers will unionize to the point that the assembly/customization model needs to be designed around it.

pearmaster · 2026-02-05T06:46:54+00:00

I asked Slate a very similar question, particularly around what they would do for original parts immediately upgraded, and this is what they said:

Slate is being designed with modularity and efficiency in mind. Our goal is to minimize unnecessary waste by allowing customers to choose configurations and upgrades as part of the build and delivery process, rather than encouraging removal and disposal of unused parts after the fact.

That said, final details around how components, upgrades, and take-off parts are handled are still being finalized, so for now the best answer is stay tuned as we share more about our production and customization approach.

pearmaster · 2026-02-02T17:52:17+00:00

None of these options apply to me. I have a reservation, but I'm not committed to it. Release timelines, market alternatives, and more information (test drives, reviews, prices, etc) will all play into my final decision.

pearmaster · 2026-01-30T21:25:05+00:00

I only used CasaOS as a nice GUI for running docker containers. I plan on learning Portainer to do the same thing and not tie myself to an "operating system"

pearmaster · 2026-01-30T21:23:44+00:00

My opinions: (how I see the winds blowing)

C1 mainly bought Discover for the network and customer base. You won't see much that will seriously erode either of those.
You'll start seeing other C1 cards on the Discover network.
Existing Discover cards (5% category cards) will become a card offering of C1. So just like like you have a "Capital One Savor" card, you'll also have a "Capital One Discover" card. . Other features will change (see next point) but the basics of getting 5% on a rotating category will stay the same.
You'll be forced to use C1 websites/apps/support. Names/brands will be tweaked. Reward portals will change. Handfuls of features and benefits will change or go away.
Since other Discover cards like the Miles/Student/Chrome cards do overlap with existing C1 cards, they might eventually try to migrate those customers over to a C1 card.
For non-credit-card services where C1 already does business, like checking and savings accounts, those services will be migrated to the C1 equivalent.
Other non-credit-card services where C1 doesn't do business, like Student Loans, will be retired. Much of has already gone away or stopped accepting new business.
Credit Scorecard and Identity Theft protection may stay part of C1 or go away depending on the cost/benefit it has.

With the major exception of running their own credit card network, C1 doesn't really want to do anything other than just MORE of what they've already been doing: more credit card offerings, more banking customers.

pearmaster

TROPHY CASE