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672 The teepee fire is quick to build and quick to burn.

Many campers and outdoor enthusiasts who are working with campfires start by building a teepee fire, whether they realize thats what theyre constructing or not. I know this was the first fire type I ever started building with because it is so easy to construct. We built them regularly in Cub Scouts. I see kids all over making teepee fires adults too! What is a Teepee Fire?

A teepee fire is a campfire constructed by stacking sticks into the shape of a teepee. It looks much like a cone shape when complete. It differs from other common campfire types because the sticks are stacked almost vertically rather than horizontally.

The teepee fire is probably the most common campfire type. Its regularly taught in outdoor survival classes and in programs like the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, etc. Its a favorite of many people because its so fast and easy to construct. The teepee fire has some downsides, however.

Rather watch than read? I cover the teepee fire and 3 other types of campfires in the video below. Pros and Cons of a Teepee Fire Pros Quick Ignition: Its design allows the fire to rise quickly from the tinder to the kindling and then to the larger logs, making it relatively easy to start. High Flames: The teepee structure tends to produce tall flames, which can be visually pleasing and useful for signaling in emergency situations. Self-Feeding (to a degree): As the logs burn, they collapse inward, which can help in maintaining the fire for a certain duration without much interference. Ideal for Quick Cooking: The tall flames can be used for boiling or cooking food quickly under a campfire tripod, especially if you only need the fire for a short period of time. This is certainly the fire best suited to rapidly boiling water with firewood, but there are of course other methods of boiling water while camping that dont involve a campfire. Cons Not Long-Lasting: Without intervention, the teepee structure burns out quicker than some other fire layouts. Inefficient Fuel Consumption: It tends to burn wood faster due to its design, which might not be ideal in situations where you have a limited wood supply. Requires Monitoring: As the fire burns and the logs collapse, it may need rearranging or rebuilding to maintain a consistent fire. Less Stable: The teepee structure, especially if built tall, can be less stable than other configurations. This can lead to logs falling out of alignment, which could be a safety hazard. Not Ideal for Extended Cooking: For cooking foods that require a long time (like roasting), the short lifespan of a teepee fire isnt ideal. Youd need a more consistent heat source. How to Build a Teepee Fire The frame of this teepee fire is ready to ignite.

The teepee fire method is one of the most basic and popular ways to start a campfire. Heres a step-by-step guide on how to do it. Building the Teepee Frame Start by placing a handful of tinder in the center of your pit. Arrange the kindling over the tinder in the shape of a teepee. Stick them into the ground slightly to help them stand upright. Place the larger pieces of firewood around the kindling in a similar teepee structure. Ensure that theres enough space for air to flow, as fire needs oxygen to burn. Light the Tinder Light the tinder in several places. As it catches fire, the kindling will begin to ignite. Once the kindling is burning steadily, the outer firewood will catch fire. Maintain the Fire As the teepee structure burns, the logs will fall inward. Thats okay. This method is designed to give the fire a strong start. Once the fire is well-established, you can add more logs as needed, placing them on top or around the burning wood. Always monitor your fire closely and keep water or a fire extinguisher nearby for safety. Fire Making: The Forgotten Art of Conjuring Flame with Spark, Tinder, and Skill Hardcover BookHume, Daniel (Author) Buy on Amazon Best Fire for You?

Whats your favorite style of campfire? Im also curious what the first type of fire you ever made is. Let me know in the comments section. Burn on!

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Musk says Tesla is expanding Austin robotaxi service, adding Grok to cars

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Musk says Tesla is expanding Austin robotaxi service, adding Grok to cars

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends an opening ceremony for Tesla China-made Model Y program in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 7, 2020.

Aly Song | Reuters

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is expanding its robotaxi service area and bringing xAI’s Grok to vehicles as it rolled out a new iteration of the artificial intelligence chatbot.

Shares gained about 3%.

Musk said on X that Grok, his AI chatbot that praised Adolf Hitler and posted a barrage of antisemitic comments recently, will be available in Tesla vehicles “next week at the latest.”

xAI officially launched the Grok 4 update overnight as the company continued to face backlash for the vitriol written by the chatbot.

In response to a user post on his social media platform X, Musk said the company is expanding its Austin, Texas robotaxi service area this weekend. He also said Tesla is awaiting regulatory approval for a launch in the Bay Area “probably in a month or two.”

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The expansion of robotaxi and Grok integration comes at a fraught time for Musk and his empire.

Tesla set its annual shareholder meeting for Nov. 6, a Thursday filing showed. A group of investors recently called on the electric vehicle company to schedule the meeting.

Its last shareholder meeting was in June 2024, as Musk established himself as a major backer of President Donald Trump‘s reelection campaign. Musk later led the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.

After stepping down from DOGE at the end of May, Musk has openly feuded with Trump on social media over the major tax bill, with the president suggesting the government look at cutting contracts for Musk’s companies.

Shares have tanked from their post-election high over investor concerns that the public fight could hamper Tesla. Slowing sales and rising competition also stifled some investor appetite.

Tesla shares fell Monday, with the company losing $68 billion in value after Musk continued to blast Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and said he was establishing his own political party, the “America Party.”

The world’s richest man suffered another blow Wednesday when Linda Yaccarino stepped down as CEO of his social media platform X, leaving the role after a turbulent two years for the company.

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The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N is here and it’s even better than expected

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The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N is here and it's even better than expected

The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N is finally here, and it delivers. Hyundai’s electric sports car is loaded with fun new features, a sleek design (including a massive rear wing), 641 horsepower, and much more.

Meet the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N

After teasing the new model for the first time last month, Hyundai created quite a buzz. Now, we are finally getting our first look at the upgraded high-performance EV.

Hyundai unveiled the new IONIQ 6 N at the famed Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday in West Sussex, England. The upgraded model follows Hyundai’s first high-performance EV, the IONIQ 5 N.

At the event, the company boasted that its new electric sports car marks “a pivotal milestone in Hyundai N’s electrification journey,” adding “Hyundai N is once again redefining the boundaries of high-performance electrification with the debut of the IONIQ 6 N.”

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The IONIQ 6 N delivers an impressive 641 horsepower (478 kW) and 77 Nm of torque, enabling a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint in just 3.2 seconds. Its top speed is about 160 mph (257 km/h).

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Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

That’s when using Hyundai’s Launch Control, one of the many performance features the new EV offers. Like its other N models, the IONIQ 6 is based on three pillars: Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability, and, of course, an Everyday Sportscar.

Powered by two electric motors, a 223 hp (166 kW) at the front and another 378 hp (282 kW) motor at the rear, for a combined 600 hp (448 kW).

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Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

Redefining the EV driving experience

The upgraded IONIQ 6 “redefines the EV driving experience,” according to Hyundai, thanks to its advanced in-house vehicle control software.

Central to this is Hyundai’s N Active Sound + system, which mimics the feel and sound of a traditional engine. An added N e-Shift simulates shifting gears.

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Hyundai IONIQ 6 N interior (Source: Hyundai)

And that’s just the start. Other performance features, such as N Drift Optimizer, N Grin Boost, and N Torque Distribution, give you even more control over the vehicle while delivering increased power.

The IONIQ 6 N is powered by an 84 kWh battery, providing a WLTP range of up to 291 miles (469 km). However, EPA figures will be revealed closer to launch. Given the IONIQ 5 N has an EPA-estimated range of up to 221 miles, you can expect it to be slightly higher when it arrives.

With a 350 kW DC fast charger, Hyundai’s new performance EV can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 18 minutes.

With a length of 4,935 mm, a width of 1,940 mm, and a height of 1,495 mm, the IONIQ 6 N is about the size of the Porsche Taycan.

Hyundai will showcase the new high-performance EV during the hillclimb event alongside other models like the IONIQ 5 N, IONIQ 6 N Drift Spec, and IONIQ 6 N with N Performance parts. Hyundai promises each vehicle brings unique capabilities to the event, “guaranteeing a dynamic and thrilling on-track experience for all attendees.” Check back soon for more info.

What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric sports car? Would you buy one over the Porsche Taycan? Let us know in the comments.

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Elon Musk says Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles just after it went full Hitler

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Elon Musk says Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles just after it went full Hitler

Elon Musk said that Tesla owners will “soon” have access to Grok, a large language developed by Musk’s xAI startup, days after the AI started calling itself ‘MechaHitler’.

Yesterday, xAI launched Grok 4, the latest version of its large language model.

The new model is benchmarking very well, but that’s generally the case with the latest model to come out. It edges the latest models from Google and OpenAI on intelligence by a few points, but it falls behind on speed:

At the launch event, Musk announced that Grok will “soon” be integrated into Tesla vehicles.

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This is something that the CEO has been discussing since founding xAI, which has been controversial because Musk has also positioned Tesla to compete in the AI space. He even stepped down from his role at OpenAI due to a “conflict of interest with Tesla.”

The announcement of the imminent integration of Grok into Tesla vehicles comes just days after the language model went haywire on X and started praising Hitler, referring to itself as ‘MechaHitler’, and made several antisemitic comments.

xAI acknowledge the issue and put Grok on timeout while they fixed it:

We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts. Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X. xAI is training only truth-seeking and thanks to the millions of users on X, we are able to quickly identify and update the model where training could be improved.

The “bug” came just a few weeks after Musk stated that he was displeased with Grok supporting left-wing narratives, even though it didn’t say anything inncurate, and that he would update Grok to “fix” it.

Now, the large language model (LLM) is expected to power the new voice assistant inside Tesla vehicles.

LLMs are becoming quite common in cars, especially premium vehicles. Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and a few others have all integrated Chat-GPT in some models.

Many Chinese automakers have also developed their own and deployed them in cars, even entry-level ones.

Tesla is playing catch up on that front.

Electrek’s Take

As I have previously stated, I think Musk is setting up Tesla to invest or even merge with xAI at a ridiculous valuation – making Tesla shareholders virtually pay twice for Twitter, which is now part of xAI.

This is how he will be able to gain wider control over the company’s share.

Of course, it will be widely challenged in court. In fact, shareholders have already filed a lawsuit alleging that Musk was in breach of fiduciary duties to Tesla shareholders when he started xAI.

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