2016 McLaren 675LT review – Roadshow

The Good Purposeful looks wrap around a focused cockpit and an amazing engine. Performance on the road or track does not disappoint.

The Bad Some comfort compromises have been made in the name of performance.

The Bottom Line If you’re looking for something everyday, the 650S is a better bet. If you need something focused, this is your ride.

By all accounts, the McLaren 650S is a stunningly capable road car. Fast and powerful when you want, yet comfortable and livable when you need. Like the great McLaren F1 that came before, the 650S fits into your life in a way that few supercars can.

But it isn’t the most track-focused supercar out there. Though not lacking in swiftness, it carries a few slight compromises for streetability. The 675LT is what happens when you erase all that and refocus the car exclusively on closed-circuit performance. It’s a $350,000, 666-horsepower, hard-edged, weight-reduced, power-boosted, aerodynamically enhanced limited edition that will hurtle you around corners like a rock on a string before throwing you down the straights at terrible speed.

What’s it like living with such a machine? I spent a few days with one to find out.

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The tweaks

The name 675LT harkens back to the long-tailed version of the McLaren F1, the company’s road-going, Le Mans-conquering roadcar of the ’90s. Naturally, this new LT does indeed have a longer tail than the 650S upon which it’s based. A bigger nose, too, plus massive, carbon-fiber wings front and rear. Despite being noticeably bigger, that new rear wing is lighter, flipping up to provide extra downforce, and extra drag, when you put all your weight on the brake pedal.

Overall the car has shed some 200 pounds over the 650S, while those extra aerodynamic appendages result in a 40 percent increase in downforce, helping to suck the car to the asphalt, magnifying the grip of the meaty Pirelli Trofeo R tires on all four corners.

A daemonic 666 horsepower lurk back here.

Roadshow

When it’s time to go, an enhanced, twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V-8 churns out 666 horsepower, 16 up over the 650S. It inhales through a pair of massive, carbon ducts just aft of the doors that look poised to suck in small woodland creatures on either side of the road, then exhales through a new, titanium exhaust that has little sense of decorum. I’ve been in far louder cars than the 675LT, but it is far from quiet on the inside, and certainly easy to hear on the outside.

Like the exhaust, the brakes don’t really give a damn if your neighbors are still sleeping. Used lightly they will squeal with the sort of note that only race brakes can make.

When it’s time to stop, carbon ceramic discs provide prodigious force, backed by an ABS system that’s quite happy to make the tires squirm and complain as the car sheds speed. Like the exhaust, the brakes don’t really give a damn if your neighbors are still sleeping. Used lightly they will squeal with the sort of note that only race brakes can make.

On the road, around town, the droning exhaust and shrieking brakes quickly try your patience. But, turn up the wick a bit, delve a little deeper into the pedals on both the right and on the left, and all that ceases to matter.

Performance

Carbon ceramics? Very necessary.

Roadshow

The 675LT begs to be driven hard every day, those brakes making sounds like a whining puppy that’s upset because you won’t play. Give it the attention it deserves, drive it like you mean it, and the experience is incredibly rewarding. That sound of that lightweight exhaust morphs from slightly crass to a proper wail once the boost and the revs increase. It is a sound that immediately inspires thoughts of GT cars hurtling down the Hangar Straight at Silverstone, or doing their damndest to stay flat up Eau Rouge in Spa. It demands to be driven faster and harder and, should you be lucky enough to have a tunnel on your route, your ears will be treated to the kind of motorsport music that smiles are made of.

The brakes stop complaining when used hard and everything else in the world seems to quiet down, too. Driving either the 650S or 675LT is an unusual experience because the nose is so low that the windscreen seems to terminate at the asphalt. You can see the road immediately in front of the car, like riding a naked motorcycle. This happens to make the 675LT incredibly easy to park nose-in — at least, as far as supercars go. More importantly, it gives the illusion of flying through the scenery.

T-Mobile begins Galaxy S6, S6 edge Android 6.0.1 push

T-Mobile has begun pushing the Android 6.0.1 update to both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. The update, which weighs in around 1.2GB, bumps the Galaxy S6 to version G920TUVU3EPD1, and the Galaxy S6 edge to G925TUVU3EPD1. T-Mobile has not posted a full changelog, and instead it just reads “Android 6.0 Marshmallow” with N/A under the improvements category.

You should receive a notification for the update, but if you don’t want to wait you can check manually. To do so, head into Settings, then About phone and finally check for the update. Be sure to let us know how the update works out for you.

Discuss the T-Mobile update in the forums

Verizon now pushing Marshmallow for Galaxy S6 edge+, small update for Note 5

If you have a Galaxy S6 edge+ on Verizon, you’ll want to check your phone for an update as the carrier is now pushing Marshmallow out. In addition, Verizon is pushing a small update out for the Note 5 to address some connectivity issues. The Galaxy S6 edge+ update brings a number of big changes, some of which include:

This software update brings the latest Android Marshmallow OS along with improvements to Live broadcast and Edge panel, easier app searches and updates to the Notification panel.

You can download both updates over-the-air now. To get it manually, head into your Settings, then About device and finally check for updates.

Discuss the update in the forums

Save up to 70% on select Crucial and Lexar storage products at Amazon

Amazon’s Deal of the Day can score you up to 70% savings on various hard drives, memory cards, memory and more from Lexar and Crucial. Whether you need a new hard drive for your computer, some RAM to speed it up a bit, or a new memory card for your phone, you won’t want to miss out on this deal. Some of the deals include:

• Crucial 480GB Internal SSD – $100
• Crucial 960GB Internal SSD – $200
• Crucial 16GB DDR3 RAM Kit – $46
• Crucial 8GB DDR3 RAM – $22
• Lexar 64GB microSD card – $20
• Lexar 128GB microSD card – $43

Remember, these deals are only good for today, April 11, so don’t wait too long to pick one up. For a full list of products on sale, hit the link below.

See at Amazon

Festo’s flying sphere makes the creepiest drone deliveries

Festo is known for drones modeled on animals, like the Seagull-inspired SmartBird and 3D-printed BionicANTs. We’re not sure what animal the “FreeMotionHandling” sphere is supposed to be — some kind of flying jellyfish, maybe? Regardless, it’s one of company’s most useful drones so far. Filled with helium, it can soar autonomously in any direction thanks to eight on-board propellers. Guided by indoor GPS and a pair of cameras, it can then grab an object using using the company’s tongue-like FlexShapeGripper and absorb it into the body of the balloon.

From there, it seeks the intended recipient and gently delivers the object by oozing it back out. The process looks pretty bizarre, but the company sees it as useful for future workplaces, where “both man and machine can interact with each other easily and safely.” It could, for instance, smoothly pass you a tool if you’re working in a high up, difficult-to-access spot. It’s unlikely to be commercialized any time soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the video (below).

Via: CNET

Source: Festo

Tesco now lets you automate your shopping with IFTTT

Now we’re at the point where shopping for groceries no longer requires you to trudge down to the local supermarket, retailers are constantly working on new ways to make filling our baskets a little bit easier. For its latest trial, Tesco — still the UK’s largest supermarket despite mega financial setbacks — has launched a new platform that lets you automate some of your shopping. It’s teamed up with task-managing service IFTTT to roll out a bunch of new “recipes” that can automatically add items to your basket when prices drop or even when the weather is unexpectedly favourable.

On its blog, the Tesco Labs team (the R&D people behind the new channel) explain that once you’ve connected your Tesco account to IFTTT, you can set it to monitor when the price of a product changes or drops below a preset price and add it to your basket for later checkout. Tesco’s own recipes are useful but some enterprising users have already had a little fun and added their own. Notable inclusions are the “Push for beer” recipe or getting Alexa (the Amazon Echo voice assistant) to put milk in your basket with a spoken command.

Although IFTTT (which is short for If This Then That) is considered pretty nerdy, its iOS and Android apps make setting up recipes pretty simple. Maybe not as simple as Amazon’s Dash buttons, but easy enough that you could save yourself some hassle when it comes to remembering exactly what you need on your weekly shop.

Via: Tesco Labs Blog

Source: Tesco on IFTTT

Layer3 vows to fix cable TV, not replace it

The prevailing wisdom among the internet literati is that old-school TV is on the way out. When even the incumbents are catering to cord-cutters, surely internet-only video will be the way of the future, isn’t it? Don’t tell that to Layer3 TV. It’s revealing plans for an upcoming cable TV service that, theoretically, tackles some of the biggest problems you run into with conventional providers like Comcast or Time Warner Cable. For a start, Layer3 wants to avoid the overly compressed video that you typically endure — it’s using efficient HEVC (H.265) encoding and a fiber optic backbone to keep bandwidth use in check and maintain the highest quality possible. You’re also promised very precise service appointment windows (within one hour) and set-top box installation so simple that you’ll eventually get to do it yourself.

However, the biggest deal may be Layer3’s willingness to embrace the internet and other modern technology rather than fight it. It’ll include internet services like Amazon Prime and Netflix among regular TV options, and browsing for movies will show you those services in addition to any broadcasts. Also, the days of constantly flipping through channels might be over: the channel guide uses a blend of demographics, time and your preferences to prioritize channels. If you regularly tune into sports, for instance, you may see that channel first.

The service should arrive in Chicago and a few other cities in the next few months, with prices ranging between $80 to $150 depending on the number of TVs you need to hook up. Importantly, Layer3 suggests that it’ll keep its set-tops relatively current, rather than make you wait several years.

Whether or not Layer3 succeeds is another matter. Although it’s eliminating many of the headaches of cable and satellite TV, it’s not changing the basic business model — cord-cutting happens precisely because people don’t want to pay $80-plus per month for hundreds of channels they don’t watch. Also, Layer3 TV co-creator Dave Fellows (formerly of Comcast) ironically created one of the business strategies that might do the company in: the triple play bundle. Rivals frequently give you an incentive to subscribe to multiple services, and jumping ship isn’t trivial even if you can replace all of those services in one shot. Layer3 will have to both convince you that cable TV is worth saving and show that you’re not better off sticking with familiar names.

Source: Layer3 TV, Wired

Netflix’s first UK show, ‘The Crown,’ arrives November 4

If you need more lavish British dramas on your Netflix queue, you’ll have the company’s first UK series to binge watch on November 4. The Crown comes from Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), and it’ll focus on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family. It’s an ambitious project by Netflix — the first season reportedly cost $156 million to produce, its most expensive series yet. Claire Foy (Wolf Hall) will play the young queen, and former Doctor Who star Matt Smith will co-star as Prince Philip.

Netflix doesn’t give away much with its release announcement teaser below, but check out the longer sizzle real for a better sense of what to expect from The Crown.

UK competition watchdog slams Three and O2 merger

The UK’s competition watchdog has called on the European Commission to block a proposed acquisition of Telefonica UK, which runs O2, by Hutchison Whampoa, the company behind Three UK, unless both companies agree to a series of strong concessions. In a letter, Alex Chisholm, CEO for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), says he will only approve if Hutchison Whampoa agrees to sell Three or O2 after the acquisition. Such a move is the only way, he argues, to retain adequate competition in the UK mobile industry. If this isn’t possible, Chisholm suggests breaking off one of the networks and facilitating smaller sell-offs.

“Absent such structural remedies, the only option available to the Commission is prohibition.”

Hutchison Whampoa announced its intention to buy Telefonica’s O2 business in March 2015. A combined subscriber base would make both more competitive with their two British rivals, Vodafone and EE. Seven months later, the CMA asked the European Commission if it could lead the investigation into its potential market impact. The concern is that, with three major carriers rather than four, the acquisition will reduce competition in the UK and lead to higher prices. The CMA argued that its experience investigating telecoms mergers made it ideal for the job.

The European Commission refused the offer and pressed ahead with its own research. No assessment has been published publicly, however today’s letter from the CMA references a “statement of objections” that was sent by the Commission to Hutchison Whampoa in February. A closed-door hearing was then held in early March, with Three UK and a bunch of its rivals, including Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone and BT, in attendance.

A couple of weeks later, reports emerged that Hutchison had proposed its own concessions. These included selling 30 percent of its network capacity. It could be sold to the highest bidder or in fragments to companies interested in managing their own infrastructure. In addition, it promised to sell back the 50 percent stake it currently has in Tesco Mobile, a virtual mobile network operator run by the popular supermarket.

The European Commission has until May 19th to decide whether these concessions go far enough. Clearly, the CMA doesn’t think so. The fast-approaching deadline is why it’s come forward today and urged the Commission to demand more from Hutchison Whampoa. “The proposed remedies are materially deficient as they will not lead to the creation of a fourth mobile network operator (MNO) capable of competing effectively and in the long-term with the remaining three MNOs,” Chisholm says.

Hutchison Whampoa is “very disappointed” with the CMA’s letter, claiming it has “no legitimate status” in the Commission’s investigation. In a statement, the company says the CMA has put forward an “entirely one-sided argument” which doesn’t address its own proposals. “The divestiture of Three or O2 to a new MNO to gain approval of the merger is a red herring,” it said. “There is no taker for such a remedy. It would also undermine the whole economic rationale of the merger and reinforce the spectrum inferiority and capacity constraints of both companies.”

Tom Mockridge, CEO of Virgin Media, has also criticised the CMA. It believes the BT and EE merger , which the CMA approved “without remedies,” has created a company with an unfair amount of spectrum. That’s why it’s now so hard for regulators to create a fourth mobile network operator in the UK. “A combined O2/Three would provide a counter balance to the strength of BT/EE, offering an alternative source of capacity to other providers who will drive competition in their own right.”

Source: Competition & Markets Authority

Lytro’s first pro movie camera is designed for visual effects magic

While there are plenty of advanced digital movie cameras, most of them aren’t really designed for the modern realities of movie making, where computer-generated effects are seemingly ubiquitous. You’ll still have to bust out the green screen if you want to put those real actors in a digital world. Lytro might have a better way, though. It’s introducing the Lytro Cinema, a movie camera built with digital effects in mind. Since Lytro’s light field technology captures a massive, 3D picture of the environment (755 RAW megapixels at up to 300FPS), you might never need a green screen again — you can accurately determine the objects you want to keep in a given scene.

The Cinema also gives cinematographers the rare chance to adjust camera settings after the fact. You can choose the focal point, of course (possible even in the original Lytro cam), but you can also adjust depth of field, dynamic range (up to 16 stops) and shutter speed. In short, you won’t have to reshoot just because you weren’t quite happy with the output. The master footage also makes it comparatively easy to adapt to different frame rates and video formats, like IMAX and TV broadcasts.

Don’t plan on using one to produce your fan film any time soon. Rental packages start at $125,000, and there aren’t mentions of plans to sell the camera directly. The Cinema is really meant for top-tier studios with giant budgets, not indies getting their first production off the ground. Even so, it might be a big deal — it could not only save valuable post-production time, but give creators more freedom to experiment with and perfect their shots.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Lytro (1), (2), BusinessWire