Honda NSX first drive: The high-tech hooligan
Honda has long been a company that strives to innovate. When it feels a lawnmower doesn’t cut grass efficiently enough, it goes and designs a new one. When private jets need a high-tech overhaul, Honda engineers step in and create something truly fresh.
The same can be said for many of its cars. Back in 1990 Honda tore up the rulebook and unleashed a full fat supercar that proved painfully rapid transportation could also be reliable and relatively affordable: the NSX.
Fast-forward to 2016 and the Japanese marque is innovating once again, as the second-generation NSX packs the same sort of hybrid hypercar technology that’s typically reserved for models such as the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1, yet it costs as much as a Porsche 911 Turbo and is as user-friendly as a hot hatch.
Honda NSX (2016) preview: Hyper Drive
It’s highly likely that you’ve already studied every last detail of the new NSX’s cutting-edge powertrain, as the thing has been teased, touted and revealed for years. But all the PR in the world can’t make up for driving the thing.
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Underneath the NSX’s rear glass hatch sits a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6. It develops 507bhp and 406lb/ft of torque – enough to worry the Audi R8. But Honda, being Honda, hasn’t stopped there.
No, the Japanese engineers have theoretically thrown in another three engines in the form of two electric motors at the front wheel, dubbed the Twin Motor Unit (TMU), and a third at the rear axle, which is labelled the Direct Drive Motor.
These are powered by a large battery pack that sits behind and beneath the NSX’s two front seats and receives its charge via kinetic energy from the braking system and the V6 engine, which acts as a generator to help keep juice levels brimmed.
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But unlike a Prius or other such hybrids, this system isn’t designed to eke out every last drop of fuel (although it does manage a respectable 28mpg). Instead, the motors fill in the gaps in the torque curve, which results in blistering acceleration and scintillating performance.
Honda NSX preview: Better off (not) connected
The new Honda NSX is a car for the digital generation and, as such, allows computers and technology to take care of the important stuff that’s typically handled by analogue hydraulics, racks, cogs and cables.
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The brakes, for example, aren’t actually connected to anything. The pedal is attached to a brake operation simulator and electronic control unit (ECU), which determines how much force is applied to the discs.
This is so the regenerative braking system can work efficiently, but it creates a headache for the engineers tasked with building a track-day weapon that’s designed to pound the circuit all day.
Nick Robinson, NSX Vehicle Dynamics Project Leader, explained that his team had to fashion a warning system that sounds when the brakes start to overheat. “In a normal vehicle, the brake oil begins to boil and the brakes overheat, meaning the pedal starts to go slack, warning the driver to ease off.
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“This doesn’t happen with our system, so we had to build in a warning sound. But that’s not enough, especially when someone is concentrating on the race circuit. So we then decided to add physical play into the brake pedal when the vehicle senses overheating.”
Honda NSX second-gen preview: A digital delight
There are almost too many engineering masterstrokes to mention in one article. But believe us when we say every single one has teamed up to offer a truly impressive drive.
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Select Quiet mode from the cool four-step rotary dial and the systems on the NSX come to life without a peep. Go easy one the accelerator and it’s possible to creep away using battery power alone. The perfect getaway vehicle? Definitely. No that you’ll fit much in the back.
Spin that dial once to the right and the vehicle enters Sport mode where its vocal V6 comes to life. Driving in this setting unshackles some of the performance on offer but it feels restrained. The noise from the engine behind the driver’s head is whiny and can get a little tiresome, so it’s not long before Sport+ is selected.
Here, the NSX really starts to come to life and the soundtrack improves somewhat. The exhaust note is pumped directly into the cabin via some pipes behind the driver’s head and the exhaust gas routing is pumped out of the un-baffled centre pipes. There are barks, pops and bangs on the downshifts and a glorious howl when the accelerator is depressed.
But the real excitement comes in the most extreme mode: Track. This winds back the stability control and releases the full performance potential of both the electric system and the combustion engine.
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Roll up to the start/finish line. Keep the left foot on the brake. Plant the accelerator and let the revs rise to 2,000rpm. The needle bounces off a digital limiter. Release the left foot and be prepared to have your spleen disintegrated.
The Launch Control functionality is ferocious and although Honda won’t give an official 0-62mph sprint time, it’s safe to say it is easily under 3-seconds.
Honda NSX 2016: From track to town and back
The phrase “everyday supercar” is touted all too often these days, as most high performance machines are so sophisticated that complete fools can drive them. But the new NSX really is a doddle to live with.
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Its seats are comfortable, yet don’t require too much climbing in and out of; its proportions are compact; visibility is good, making it easy to park in town; and its driving modes ensure it can be quiet and relaxing on a motorway cruise.
Perhaps the biggest let down, though, is the cabin and its infotainment system. While the leather trim and ergonomically designed steering wheel hint at premium performance, much of the switchgear feels cheap and plasticky to the touch, while the Garmin navigation system appears to be years out of date.
Hop into an Audi R8 or Porsche 911 and the interior ambience and infotainment tech on offer feel light-years ahead.
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But overlook the finishing kit and you are left with one of the most complex speed machines on the market. One that utilises direct yaw control to drag the car around a corner. A car that features innovative Ablation Cast Nodes, which reduce the front and rear overhangs without compromising crash safety. A car with rear brakes that are cooled by special underbody vents.
First Impressions
There’s so much going on underneath the skin of the new Honda NSX that it almost feels like a few days behind the wheel isn’t enough. But our test drive revealed a vehicle that is supremely capable on a race circuit, goading the driver to push harder and go faster, while the hybrid powertrain makes it great to use around town.
Honda has already sold its allocation of 60-odd cars for the first year and the subsequent years are pretty much already accounted for, too, which comes as no surprise. So even if you do have a spare £137,950 to part with, you’ll want to get on the waiting list pronto.
The car makes heads swivel every time it rolls through busy areas and instantly starts conversations surrounding its futuristic powertrain and sharp exterior styling every time it is parked up.
If Honda does something about the human-machine interface and sexes up the interior slightly, it will have a near-faultless vehicle on its hands. Even if that would see that already sizeable price tag increase beyond supercar levels.
Karcher K5 Premium is the cleaner your house needs
When it comes to cleaning your car, your patio, bikes or driveway, few things get the job done as well as a pressure washer. Specifically, one made by Karcher. The latest range continues that trend of offering great performance and versatility, while also adding a neat new feature to the trigger handle.
We tried out the Karcher K5 Premium Full Control home pressure washer, and were mightily impressed by its performance.
In terms of Karcher’s product lineup, the K5 Premium is right near the top end of the scale. It sits one rung below the K7, and has a handsome RRP of £449, although you can find it for about £100 less online. Whether or not you want to pay that money depends very much on how much you actually need to clean, and on your budget.
There are several other options ranging from the £85 K2 Compact all the way up to the £569 K7 Premium. In other words, if the K5 Premium doesn’t fit in your budget, but you need a pressure washer, there are other options, and most will do the job you need them to.
Like most of the manufacturer’s products, the K5 Premium is build from a tough, sturdy plastic, with a more than generous splashing of yellow and black. It stands at just over half a metre tall, 30cm wide, weighs just over 13 kilograms and ships in a few separate parts.
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The main body is a single unit with a hose reel on the back for winding up the 8-metre long high pressure hose. There’s telescopic handle made of aluminium. The handle itself needs screwing on, as does the front storage unit and the base. There are also a couple of wheels, so you don’t have to lift it up and carry it at all (unless you need to move up some steps).
The top plays home to the plug and clean dock, which is where you place the bottle of detergent. This particular kit comes with the stone-washing solution, but you can purchase other cleaning fluids for your car, for wood and for plastic.
All the important parts are on the front. To the right you’ll find the power dial for switching on the high-pressure motor, and to the left you’ll find both the hose – which feeds through a hole – and the hose adapter. Hook up your machine to a garden hose, turn on the water and power supplies and you’re practically ready to go.
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This particular model ships with three different cleaning tools which attach to the trigger/handle. There’s a high-pressure dirt blaster and the mop-like surface cleaning tool, as well as the Vario Power spray lance which has adjustable pressure. This means you can use it when you just want to rinse something off, or blast it off. Adjusting pressure is as simple as turning the end of the lance clockwise or anticlockwise.
Once you’ve chosen your desired cleaning tool, and switched on the machine, you’re ready to go. Squeezing the trigger shoots the water jet, while the easily visible LED icons on the handle help you select the right flow-rate, if you have an adjustable cleaning tool.
Spec-wise, the K5 Premium has a maximum flow-rate of 500 litres per hour, can use water up to 40 degrees Celsius, and clean areas up to 40 metres squared per hour. In other words: it’s bloody good.
We tested all three cleaner accessories on concrete, bricks and tarmac and were left mightily impressed by the results. It cleaned off long-standing surface muck, thick moss and practically strimmed crevice-dwelling weeds and grass without even trying.
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The high-pressure lance and the high-pressure surface cleaner are so powerful, they come with recoil warnings. Put another way, if you don’t hold the lance tightly, it will push you back. Like-wise, the two high-pressure nozzles spinning on the underside of the surface cleaner will push upwards, spraying everything around it like some crazy garden sprinkler.
One thing that has to be said about the Surface Cleaner is that, because it’s made up of three parts interlocking together, it does feel a bit clunky. Pushing down too hard bends it at the joins, but in testing it held up well despite its multi-part plastic build.
The entire system has been designed in a way to make it as easy as possible to store without having loads of parts all over the place. A hose real on the back keeps the hose neatly wound up, although it can be a pain to wind. The power cable can be wound up and tucked inside the net on the back. When you’re done cleaning, you can fit trigger gun and attached lance on the front of the cleaner, and pop the other lance in the other storage space on the front, pull up the handle and wheel it back to your garage, shed, or wherever else you might keep it.
Cleaning outdoor areas and hard surfaces can be tough, but the K5 Premium makes it stupidly easy. The hardest part is winding up the hose when you’re done, and that’s saying something.
While their RRPs are higher, you can pick up the K5 Premium for £329 on Amazon, while the regular K5 (without the hose reel) is £299.
Europe widens antitrust probe into Google’s ad business
The European Commission is doubling down on its efforts to dig into whether Google has broken rules around restriction of consumer choice with its search and price comparison products. It maintains that the company abused its search position to promote its own products ahead of others’.
That’s not the end of the complaints from Europe, however. Margarethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition, said today that Google abused its position by restricting third-parties from displaying search advertisements.
“Today, we have further strengthened our case that Google has unduly favoured its own comparison shopping service in its general search result pages. It means consumers may not see the most relevant results to their search queries. We have also raised concerns that Google has hindered competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third party websites, which stifles consumer choice and innovation.”
The announcement follows objections lodged earlier in the year, and if upheld by Vestager and the commission could require significant changes to how Google’s AdSense and comparison shopping results work within Europe.
As the commission points out, holding a dominant position within a market isn’t a problem, but abusing that to restrict competition would be. It also notes that, following the Commission’s initial complaints, Google has made some changes to Adsense contracts with partners to give them more freedom to display competing ads.
For Google’s part, it (unsurprisingly) says that it’s not restricting competition with its products:
“We believe that our innovations and product improvements have increased choice for European consumers and promote competition. We’ll examine the Commission’s renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks.”
Nonetheless, with 90 percent of general internet searches in Europe, it’s going to need to be pretty convincing. Google and Alphabet have 10 weeks to respond to the objections. Previous claims have suggested that if found guilty of abusing its search position, Google could be fined nearly $3.5 billion.
Via: NY Times
Source: Europa
Nintendo’s Classic Mini is a tiny NES with 30 games
That dusty old NES in your attic might be rife with nostalgic memories, but it’s a pain to drag out of its box whenever you get the hankering for a rousing game of Super Mario Bros. 3. Nintendo totally gets it, as well as the fact that you might want something a little more convenient to enjoy your classic games. Enter the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, a mini replica of the original console.
The diminutive version of one of the most influential home video game consoles of all time will launch with over 30 NES titles preloaded, including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and Metroid. The mix also includes some surprising choices such as StarTropics, but it’s a well-rounded sampling of the best the system has to offer.
The full list includes Balloon Fight, Bubble Bobble, Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Dr. Mario, Excitebike, Final Fantasy, Galaga, Ghosts’ N Ghoblins, Gradius, Ice Climber, Kid Icarus, Kirby’s Adventure, Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Pac-Man, Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream, StarTropics, SUPER C, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Tecmo Bowl, The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
For $59.99, you’ll get the preloaded games, an HDMI cable, an AC adapter and one NES Classic Controller, which obviously looks exactly like the ones you’re used to.
The system launches this November 11th for $59.99 across North America and the UK. However, it is interesting to note that the UK edition will not launch with its own AC adapter, which is included with the North American edition.
Source: Nintendo (BusinessWire
The new Moto E is the largest one yet
Motorola’s entire smartphone lineup is getting a refresh in 2016. Following the new Moto Z and Moto G families, the company has unveiled the Moto E3, an update to its most affordable handset. It sports a 5-inch HD display, up from the 4.5-inch panel in the last model, a quad-core processor and a 2,800 mAh battery, which Motorola claims will last you a full day. The rear-facing camera has been stepped up to eight megapixels, while a 5-megapixel selfie-snapper sits on the front. Internal storage is a mystery (don’t expect much) but it will come with a microSD card slot.
The phone is set to grace the UK in “early September” starting at £99 (roughly $132) in select retailers including Tesco, Amazon and Argos. An international release seems likely; the Moto E is an important phone for the company, given its position at the low-end of the market. With Lenovo in charge, the Moto team has a lot to prove with this year’s phones. The Moto Z and its modular accessories are a grand departure from the Moto X line, and initial reviews of the Moto G4 have been less than positive. Here’s hoping the new Moto E can continue the legacy of its capable predecessors.
Dish’s new TV remote listens to your voice commands
Nowadays, you can save energy by talking to your gadgets and letting them do the work for you. So it’s no surprise that Dish wants to help you with that, too. The satellite provider has introduced its aptly named Voice Remote, which lets Hopper 3 and 4K Joey customers search for content with spoken commands. Results populate based on movie or TV titles, genre as well as actor names. Additionally, the new remote features a clickable touchpad for easier navigation, backlit keys and support for two IR devices.
If you’re a Dish subscriber with one of the aforementioned boxes, you can get the Voice Remote starting today for $30.
Cooking in the great outdoors
Camping is a wonderful way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the overly stimulating modern world. If you’re fortunate, you’ll venture beyond cell coverage for a distraction-free trip into the wild. It’s wonderful… until you realize you can’t get a pizza delivered.
Fortunately for hungry campers, there are plenty options for preparing meals while being swarmed by bugs. To keep ourselves from starving we tried out four different stoves to see which would get food in our stomachs the quickest. For car campers we lit up the impressive — but pricey — Jetboil Genesis Base Camp System and old standby, Coleman Triton Stove. For backpackers that need to travel light, the smartphone charging BioLight Campstove was pitted against the Snowpeak Gigapower Stove Auto Ignition.
We decided to do a timed-water boil on each to establish a baseline. Just like you’d expect, the Jetboil (it’s in the name!) did the best in our trial but, you need to watch the video to see how everything stacked up.
Once we got the fires all lit it was time to get down to some actual cooking. We opted to use a prepackaged food service called Fireside Provisions. While the quality of the meals swung wildly between tasteless mush with cashews on top, to succulent, fire-charred pork chops, we were able to replace all the calories we burned up while pitching our tents.
One issue we did have with the ready-to-cook system was the amount of waste generated by all the tiny packets Fireside Provisions gives you to prepare your meal. Getting closer to nature shouldn’t involve creating more trash than usual.
But, like Lewis and Clarke, we survived the ordeal and can’t wait to venture into the great outdoors in the future. Well maybe after having a few slices first.
ICYMI: Better walking bot and an anti-aging breakthrough
Today on In Case You Missed It: Georgia Tech overhauled its DURUS robot to walk with a human-like gait that makes it the most efficient bipedal robot. Scientists at the EPFL did some solid research into the pomegranate fruit that shows it can counteract disease and extend the life of worms by 50 percent and endurance in rodents by 40 percent. Human trials are happening now.
You can see the latest 3D bone printer here and what the FBI has been doing with iris scans, here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
iPhone 7 Case Molds Lack Rumored ‘Dark Space Gray’ Option in New Photo
Alleged photographs of the upcoming iPhone 7 have been popping up online for a few months now, and today Apple news and reviews site Macitynet [Google Translate] has shared one, showing off what the handset will look like in Rose Gold, Space Gray, Gold, and Silver. Following in the footsteps of previous images, the new photo doesn’t contribute anything new to the iPhone 7 rumor mill, but it does fall in line with a few design expectations of previous reports.
The picture is said to be of a mold for the iPhone 7, used by case manufacturers ahead of the smartphone’s launch to prepare exact measurements for third-party accessories, so it’s hard to use today’s image as definitive proof of color options for Apple’s new iPhone line.
Still, the rumored Dark Space Gray version of the iPhone — which many believed would help drum up interest in an otherwise fairly slight update year — isn’t included in the new picture, suggesting Apple could keep on with the traditional four colorways, similar to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. However, it is also possible that Dark Space Gray could be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus or “Pro” (presumably not shown in today’s images).
Hardware wise, the iPhone 7’s larger camera is again included in the new design molds, appearing nearly identical to a clear shot of the new iPhone posted by French site Nowhereelse.fr earlier in the week. The more substantial, sloping camera is expected to be a major selling point of the iPhone 7, while its 5.5-inch alternative is expected to get an even more beefed-up dual-lens camera with a pill-shaped enclosure, which could put it on the level of some DSLR cameras.
The iPhone 7’s antenna bands are also moved in the image, yet again adding confirmation to one of the new iPhone line’s longest-running rumors that Apple will redesign the bands so they no longer cut across the top and bottom of the device’s backside. As in most other renderings and image leaks, the bands are now lying along the edges of the rear of the iPhone 7.
No Smart Connector is visible on the rear of the top-most Rose Gold iPhone 7 mold, but the image doesn’t provide a bottom edge view to corroborate the most popular rumor surrounding the iPhone 7: its potential lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple is expected to finally divulge information about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus during a keynote in September, the traditional iPhone announcement month, so it won’t be too long before we know even more about the handsets leading up to their launch.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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Pokémon Go is now officially available in the UK!
Pokémon Go has taken the U.S. and other select markets where it’s available by storm, but now the popular title is finally available in the UK. There’s no longer a requirement for you to risk your handset’s security by downloading some potentially malicious app. Simply head into Google Play, view the Pokémon Go listing and hit that download button.
Note: If you’re not seeing Pokémon Go as available in the Play Store app on your phone, try installing it via the web store on a computer instead.
As has been the case in a number of reports, we urge you fellow British citizens to remain calm and throw some balls, but always be aware of your surroundings. And please, don’t Pokémon and drive. You can grab Pokémon Go from the Play Store using the link below. Sound out in the comments if you’re already out and about this morning!
- Download Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go
- Join our Pokémon Go forums!
- How to deal with GPS errors in-game
- Which team should you choose?
- How to play without killing your battery
- The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
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