Ring has today announced a spec bump to its battery-powered video doorbells for all those folks who can’t wire their units to power. The flagship Battery Doorbell Pro (2nd gen) gets 4K video, with 10x zoom and the promise of far longer time between recharges than the previous model. At the same time, it’s bringing 2K imaging to its lower-end battery doorbells, the Battery Doorbell Plus and Battery Doorbell (2nd gen). The former, as fitting its higher price, gets a quick-release battery pack, while both models get 2K video and 6x zoom. Naturally, these features are already available on Ring’s wired products, the bulk of which were announced back in September 2025.
The company is also aware that swapping out batteries isn’t ideal if you really need a doorbell to work all of the time. That’s why it’s also launching a new Solar Charger which integrates into the mount, keeping your doorbell running for longer between trips to the wall outlet. There’s also a bigger Solar Panel, which pumps out more juice than its smaller sibling, and can be mounted in a wider variety of places. All of the above are available to pre-order from today, and are priced as follows: Pro ($250), Plus ($180), Battery Doorbell ($100), Solar Charger ($50), Solar Panel ($60).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ring-adds-4k-to-its-battery-powered-video-doorbells-130021181.html?src=rss
To go along with Intel’s Pro Day announcements this morning, Dell’s got a whole pile of new Dell Pro machines. Dell says that these commercial computers offer exceptional scalability and reliability to make life easier for business and corporate IT departments. All of these systems can be configured with remote manageability and extensive
The M4 chip keeps things feeling quick in everyday use. You can move between a bunch of tabs, documents, and light edits without things getting stuck or slowing down. Apple has also made 16GB of RAM the standard this time, which helps the laptop hold up better over time. It’s the kind of change you notice after a few months, when everything still runs the way it did on day one, even if you’re someone who leaves apps open in the background. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is also easy to like. Text looks crisp, colors feel natural, and it’s bright enough to use comfortably in most lighting. Using it day to day feels straightforward—the keyboard is comfortable enough that you don’t think about it much, and Touch ID makes small things like unlocking or approving downloads faster.
You also get Wi-Fi 6E and MagSafe charging, so you can free up the two Thunderbolt 4 ports for accessories. Those ports can also drive up to two external 6K displays, which is more flexibility than older Air models offered. That said, the port selection is limited to two USB-C connections, so using multiple peripherals often means adding a hub. Storage is fixed at 512GB unless you pay more upfront, and upgrades get expensive quickly within Apple’s ecosystem. This also is not built for heavy, sustained workloads like advanced video editing or 3D rendering, where a MacBook Pro is still the better fit. But for everyday use, this covers a wide range of tasks without feeling restrictive, and the combination of performance, display quality, and battery efficiency makes it the best MacBook for most people.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals Right Now
Flatpak may be next, and the lobbying behind it is raising eyebrowsAfter weeks of debate, code to record user age was finally merged into the Linux world’s favorite system management daemon.…
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The DJI Osmo 360 Essential Combo is down to $389.35 for Amazon’s Spring Sale (March 25 through March 31), a sizable drop from its usual $599. This bundle gives you more than just the camera. You get the Osmo 360 itself, an invisible selfie stick, a protective pouch, a rubber lens guard, a charging cable, and an extra battery pack. DJI is also discounting other versions like the Skiing, Cycling, and Vortex combos, but the Essential kit covers most general use cases without locking you into one activity.
At this price, it sits closer to midrange action cameras while offering something those cameras don’t: full 360-degree capture. The Osmo 360’s main draw is its ability to record native 8K 360 footage at 30fps. That gives you enough resolution to crop and reframe clips later without losing too much detail. In practice, it means you can shoot first and decide your angles after. Battery life is decent for a compact camera, with DJI estimating it at around 100 minutes when shooting 8K, and up to 190 minutes if you drop to 6K at 24fps. The included extra battery in the Essential Combo helps stretch that further.
The invisible selfie stick does exactly what it promises by removing itself from footage automatically, so you get that floating third-person perspective without editing. There’s also a SuperNight mode for low-light scenes, slow-motion recording up to 100 fps, and a selfie mode for wide-angle clips. You also get 105GB of built-in storage (though you can expand it when needed), which is a practical addition, especially if you forget a microSD card. The OLED touchscreen is bright enough for outdoor use, and at around 0.4 pounds, the camera stays easy to carry for long shoots.
That said, 8K 360º footage sounds great, but it demands more storage and editing time, and while DJI’s app is fairly approachable, working with 360-degree video adds extra steps compared to standard video. Also, low-light performance improves with SuperNight mode, but it does not fully match traditional action cameras with larger sensors. Still, at $389.35, the overall package feels more accessible, and it’s a good entry point into 360º video if you’re willing to spend a bit more time editing.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals Right Now
Hearing aid company Sonova has put its Sennheiser consumer audio division on the auction block less than five years after acquiring it, the company announced on Reddit. “Today Sonova announced they intend to divest the business and will focus on Hearing Care,” Sonova wrote, adding it intends to find “the right new owner.”
Sennheiser’s consumer audio division mainly manufactures high-end headphones like the HD 400, HD 500, HD 600 and HD 800 series and recently launched the HDB 630, $500 wireless headphones aimed at audiophiles. The company’s most (in)famous lineup is the HE series, which includes the $55,000 HE 90 and €89,990 HE 1.
Sonova originally purchased Sennheiser with the intent of expanding its demographic to younger customers. At the time, it said “even if [young people] don’t have hearing loss, most of them will gradually get hearing loss with age, and devices like Sennheiser’s allow us to have earlier consumer access to such people.” For its part, Sennheiser said it wanted to relinquish its consumer business in order to focus on its pro audio, business and Neumann (high-end microphone) divisions that it still owns.
Things apparently didn’t go to plan, though. Sonova’s Sennheiser division’s sales in the last half-year declined significantly year-over-year and the company was hit with a €6 million fine over its retail pricing practices (that occurred prior to the acquisition). However, the company’s recent products have been praised by the audiophile community as a return to previous form, with Engadget’s audio reviewer Billy Steele calling the HDB 630 “a sonic marvel.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/sennheisers-owners-want-to-sell-its-consumer-headphone-business-121830441.html?src=rss
Late last year, Samsung launched its newest generation of affordable A-series phones, starting with the entry-level A17. Following the arrival of the flagship Galaxy S26 line, the company has returned to flesh out the rest of its midrange portfolio. The more affordable Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57 sport some interesting upgrades, even when compared to some of their pricier siblings.
Core specs and features
Before we dive into my hands-on impressions, I want to do a quick rundown of each phone’s specs as that should help set up (or temper) expectations. As you’d expect based on their numbering, the A37 is the more affordable of the two with a base price of $450 for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can also choose 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage for $540. Notably, when compared to the A17, the A37 features a much more recent and more powerful Exynos 1480 chip that brings a big jump in NPU performance and helps unlock much of the phone’s newfound AI capabilities. It also comes with a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display, a 5,000mAh battery and three rear cameras. However, two of those will likely get more use than the other as the A37 packs a 50-megapixel main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide, along with a 5MP macro shooter.
The Galaxy A37 will be available in four colors: charcoal, white, lavender and graygreen. However, the middle two are Samsung.com exclusives and the last one is only available from Best Buy.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Meanwhile, the Galaxy A57 is a bit more expensive, starting at $550 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or $610 for the 8GB/256GB version. It also features a slightly more powerful Exynos 1680 processor and a higher-res 12MP sensor for its ultra-wide lens, but aside from that, it has the same general camera setup as A37 and the same size battery. One small difference is that the A57 has Bluetooth 6 connectivity and Wi-Fi 6E, but the A37 is still stuck with BT 5.3 and basic Wi-Fi 6.
For some reason, the A57 is only available in one color: navy.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Both phones come with IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance (which is an upgrade from IP67 on the A36) and 120Hz refresh rates. However, the most important shared trait is that while neither supports wireless charging, they can both take wired power at up to 45 watts, which is actually faster than a base Galaxy S26’s limit of just 25 watts. Finally, in addition to six years of OS and security updates, the A37 and A57 are getting some trickle-down AI features from its flagship siblings. Those include improved support for Google’s Circle to Search, Object Eraser and better transcription and translation capabilities in the Samsung Voice Recorder app.
Galaxy A37 impressions
Both phones have nearly identical designs, right down to the same screen size and number of cameras. That said, one area where Samsung cut corners on A37 is that it features a plastic frame instead of the A57’s aluminum. But even when you hold them side by side, it’s rather difficult to discern between the two. There’s no obvious difference in appearance or button layout, so the main way to tell the two apart is by feeling for the cooler touch you typically get from a metal chassis. Alternatively, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the A37 has slightly thicker bezels around the outside of its screen.
Here’s a closer look at the A37’s color options.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Compared to the Galaxy A17, the A37’s Exynos 1480 felt significantly snappier and much better equipped for multitasking or AI-based tasks like removing unwanted objects from photos. Regardless, as the less expensive of Samsung’s new midrange phone options, the company did a really good job disguising the major differences between the two new models.
Galaxy A57 impressions
To be honest, the A57 wasn’t quite as appealing as the A37 due to its higher price and no additional features. The main tool it has that isn’t available on its more affordable sibling is Samsung’s Best Face camera tool, which allows the phone to analyze people’s expressions so you can select your favorite reaction and put it in the photo you want. On paper, its Exynos 1680 chip should be a bit faster, but in normal use, it’s really hard to tell. And unlike the A37, which comes in four colors (white, charcoal, lavender and gray/green, depending on the retailer), the A57 is only available in navy.
Early thoughts
While they look the same, the A57 features an aluminum chassis instead of plastic like on the A37, which should be better for long term durability.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
As a more powerful and more premium alternative to the $200 A17, the A37 feels like a worthy upgrade for the money. It offers noticeably smoother performance along with a more elegant hole-punch selfie cam (instead of a waterdrop) and stereo speakers (instead of mono). Starting at $450, the A37 can also undercut the Pixel 10a while offering a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED display (versus 6.3 inches for the Pixel) and a smattering of equivalent AI features. And in some ways, the wider selection of colors just reinforces that Samsung is probably placing bigger bets on the A37’s market prospects. If I were looking for an affordable Android phone with a big screen, I’d give more consideration to this new middle child in Samsung’s A-series lineup.
Aside from bezels that are a tiny bit bigger, the Galaxy A37 (left) looks almost exactly the same as the more expensive Galaxy A57 (right).
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
As for the A57, it’s certainly not a bad phone, but starting at $550, it suffers from being in a much more competitive price bracket. For those who prefer smaller devices, the $500 Pixel 10a is cheaper while offering even better AI tools, a cleaner UI, wireless charging, a slightly larger battery and unmatched photo quality. However, the A57’s biggest rival is arguably another Samsung phone: the Galaxy S25 FE. Aside from slower wired charging, it has an even nicer design, an extra year of software and security updates (seven total) and a proper telephoto camera instead of a macro lens. And while its MSRP is a bit higher at $650, it’s regularly on sale for under $600 (or less), which effectively sidesteps the A57’s biggest advantage.
That said, no matter which one you prefer, more options for affordable gadgets are always welcome — especially with the price of smartphones and PCs increasing due to the global RAM shortage.
The Galaxy A37 and A57 will officially go on sale April 9.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-a37-and-a57-hands-on-the-cheaper-phone-might-be-a-winner-120000965.html?src=rss
Zwift’s latest update includes a new gravel frame from Cannondale, the company’s first gravel frame in game. Named the “Cannondale SuperX Lab71”, the frame in this colorway is currently only available as a standalone frameset from Cannondale:
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.110+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 28+ with 1,000,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
“Made to absolutely smash gravel races. Simple as that. This is full-gas road race performance engineered for the full thrash world of gravel. Elbows out, head down, get off the front and don’t look back. SuperX only has one destination – the top step.”
It’s rated 2 stars for aero, 3 stars for weight, and before this week’s update, only one gravel bike (the Cervelo Aspero) had such high ratings. One would expect this bike to perform well against existing in-game gravel bikes, but since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock gravel wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
Cannondale’s SuperX Lab71 turns in a strong performance on the flats, beating all existing gravel bikes on tarmac. It’s even a bit faster than the new Canyon Grail SLX which was also released this week!
For comparison, the stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 145.4 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of flat tarmac, while the (former) fastest gravel bike, the Cervelo Aspero, loses 115.2 seconds. The SuperX Lab71 only loses 112.4 seconds.
Climb Performance
The Cannondale SuperX Lab71 is a strong climber compared to the game’s older gravel frames, and also beats the new Canyon Grail SLX.
The stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 161.8 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of Alpe du Zwift climbing, while the (former) fastest climbing gravel bike, the Specialized Crux, loses 122 seconds. The SuperX Lab71 only loses 118.7 seconds.
Jungle (Dirt) Performance
Of course, nobody really cares about how well a gravel frame performs on pavement, which is where we do our aero and climb testing (above). While those flat and climb tests help us tease out a frame’s aerodynamic capabilities and weight, when it comes to gravel bikes, people really want to know how fast they are on Zwift’s virtual dirt!
In that regard, the SuperX Lab71 performs quite nicely.
In fact, the Cannondale SuperX Lab71 is the new “king of the jungle” in our tests, putting 5.2 seconds into the previous leader, the Cervelo Aspero, across 1 hour of Jungle Circuit riding.
Upgrading Your Cannondale SuperX Lab71
Like all frames in Zwift, Cannondale’s SuperX Lab71 can be upgraded in five stages. As a high-end race bike, each of the five stages results in a performance improvement. The SuperX Lab71 upgrade stages are as follows:
Ride 200km, pay 100,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
Ride 260km, pay 200,000 Drops for a weight reduction
Ride 320km, pay 350,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
Ride 380km, pay 500,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
Ride 440km, pay 750,000 Drops for a weight reduction
You can expect a fully-upgraded Cannondale SuperX Lab71 to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs the “stock” Cannondale SuperX Lab71.
Conclusions
Cannondale’s SuperX Lab71 beats every other gravel bike in Zwift, making it the new go-to frame for races involving a significant amount of dirt.
Where gravel riders formerly had to choose between the Cervelo Aspero (more aero) and the Specialized Crux (lighter weight), the SuperX Lab71 is king on flats and climbs, making the choice an easy one.
Should you rush to the Drop Shop and buy the SuperX today? Maybe. I might do it myself, because it looks pretty sweet. But with rumors of fresh dirt roads coming to Zwift, my guess is we’ll see more gravel frames and wheels added to the game shortly. So it may make sense to wait, if you don’t have a key gravel race coming up.
We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:
What do you think of Cannondale’s first gravel frame in Zwift? Share below…
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike’s performance relative to others may also change. We don’t always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
Apple has introduced more than just new features, like an AI playlist generator, with iOS 26.4 in the UK. The company now requires users in the region to verify their ages and to prove they’re 18 years old or above before they can access “certain services or features, or take certain actions on their account.” Users can verify their ages in Settings by linking a credit card to their account or scanning an ID. For people who’ve had an Apple account for a while, the company will check if they already have a payment method on file that can prove they’re of age.
The company says it will automatically switch on its Web Content Filter and Communication Safety features for everyone under 18 and for those who haven’t verified their ages. These tools are integrated into Apple’s operating systems and can restrict users from accessing specific websites on Safari and third-party browsers, as well as warn users when they’re receiving or sending images and videos containing nudity.
Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, praised Apple for the decision, especially since it’s not required to implement age verification for the iOS or its App Store under the region’s Online Safety Act. “Apple’s decision that the UK will be one of the first countries in the world to receive new child safety protections on devices is a real win for children and families,” the regulator said. “Our rules are flexible and designed to encourage innovation, particularly in age assurance. We’ve worked closely with Apple and other services to ensure they can be applied in a variety of contexts in order to ensure users are protected. This will build on the strong foundations of the Online Safety Act, from widespread age checks that keep young people away from harmful content, to blocking high-risk sites and stepping up action against child sexual abuse material.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-introduces-age-verification-for-icloud-accounts-in-the-uk-115340237.html?src=rss
After 14 years of trawling bike trade show floors, it takes something special to catch my eye – and this Tripping Balls prototype from Blues Bikes was one such machine, spotted at the Taipei International Cycle Show today.
It’s a steel enduro bike, with a rarely seen suspension linkage, adjustable travel and a Pinion gearbox drivetrain.
It looks totally wild.
Fresh out of the blocks
The Tripping Balls is a steel enduro bike I could happily sling a leg over. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
The Tripping Balls has 142mm of travel at the back and features a 160mm fork at the front. However, with a longer-stroke shock (and a longer Gates belt), it can be adjusted to 160mm.
While I saw it in 29er form, it can also be set up to run as a mullet – 29in at the front and 27.5in at the back.
The rarely seen linkage was designed by Chris Canfield (of Canfield Bikes fame) and is a multi-link VPP system. It’s currently set up with a coil shock, so I’d assume there’s ample progressivity through the suspension’s stroke to cope with the more linear spring.
Chris Canfield’s linkage delivers the suspension goods. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
Blues Bikes built this first frame from double-butted 4031 Chromoly steel, leaving it raw and ready to rust in order to give it a time-worn patina.
Cables run externally to make maintenance easier, and there’s a removable seatstay bridge, which needs removing if the bike is run in its longer-travel mode.
At the heart of the bike is a Pinion C1.12 gearbox, shifted electronically from the bar.
The rear-suspension linkage is a VPP design. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
This 12-speed gearbox might weigh more than a traditional derailleur-based drivetrain, but with its internals in an oil bath, fully encased in metal, and with the weight low and central in the frame, it’s a solution many harder-riding MTBers may be eyeing up.
These require a strongly sprung tensioner, which is nestled near the gearbox, to prevent the system slipping, but means that weight is not concentrated towards the rear of the bike.
You need a heavy-duty spring to keep the belt tensioned. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
Given a belt can’t be joined as a chain can – they come in one fixed loop – the rear driveside triangle needs to be split.
Rather than cut a structurally important tube in half and give it a coupler, Blues Bikes has created a modular dropout that bolts the seatstays and chainstays together. Remove the dropout and the belt can be threaded into the rear triangle.
The split dropout enables the belt to be fitted. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
While I don’t have a full geo chart, I’m told the Medium-sized prototype has a 450mm reach, 445mm chainstays, 64-degree head angle and 77-degree seat angle.
There’s a plan to bring the bike to market, possibly by the end of the year, once the next set of prototypes have been built and put through more testing.
Here’s hoping they make it to a trail near me soon, because I for one will be asking for a go.
Hot on the heels of Firefox 149, the Mozilla Thunderbird open-source email, news, chat, calendar, and addressbook client has been updated today to version 149 with various new features and bug fixes.
alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Astronomers have an answer for a long-running mystery in astrophysics: why is the growth of supermassive black holes so much lower today than in the past? A study using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray telescopes found that supermassive black holes are unable to consume material as rapidly as they did in the distant past. The results appeared in the December 2025 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
[…] The team ran tests of the three main possible scenarios currently being considered for the slowdown of black hole growth. These options were: could the decline in black hole growth be caused by less efficient rates of consumption, or by smaller typical black hole masses, or by fewer actively growing black holes? Their analysis of the data, extending over billions of years of cosmic history, led them to the conclusion that black holes are indeed consuming material less rapidly the later they are found after the Big Bang. The researchers expect this trend of slower-growing black holes to continue into the future.
During the post-COVID downturn in the bike industry, DVO knuckled down and invested in developing and updating its suspension product lines.
That work has resulted in a new fork, the Diamond 36 Prime SL, and a new Opal XL air shock – both unveiled at the Taipei International Cycle Show.
The brand has not only investeded in new R&D machinery, but also in engineering resources, with a few engineers moving to DVO from the world of motocross racing, with a focus on dialling down damping performance and friction losses.
New forks incoming
The Diamond is the long-travel trail, or lighter-weight enduro fork from DVO. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
The Diamond 36 Prime SL is a 140-170mm enduro fork with a 36mm-stanchion chassis. It features the new Prime damper, which offers eight clicks of high- and low-speed compression damping, along with 22 clicks of rebound-damping adjustment.
DVO has moved away from a bladder-based damper to one with a spring-backed IFP, which it says gives the fork more support and improved tuning capabilities.
The Prime damper offers high- and low-speed compression damping. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
The new damper has a higher-flow piston, which adds complexity, but also aids performance according to DVO.
While specific tools will be required, the damper’s internals should be reachable by consumers, for those who like to tinker with their suspension.
In addition to the new damper, the brand has been working heavily on reducing the internal friction of the fork, by updating the surface finishes.
Friction is a killer when it comes to the feel of a fork, and so on paper, these should feel luxuriously smooth.
A bit of pressure relief? Yes please. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
With the new damper offering more support, and with influence from the motocross engineers, the new fork is designed to run with much lower air pressures.
Bryson, the DVO engineer we chatted to, weighs around 180lb and runs 50psi in his fork. Even with damping turned right on, Bryson told us there’s little to no spiking when hitting bumps, ensuring stability and comfort on the bike.
There’s a new stiffer and longer fender on offer, too. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
We also saw an updated Onyx 38 Prime SL. This longer-travel fork also features the new damper. Those who have an existing Onyx 38 fork will be able to retrofit the damper in their fork.
Further back
The new Opal XL shock from DVO Tom Marvin / OurMedia
The new Opal XL shock is designed to bridge the gap between inline and piggyback shocks.
Inline shocks need to hide their damping circuits inside the main shock body, while piggyback shocks have them externally.
Those piggyback shocks, therefore, tend to have larger oil volumes and can perform more consistently on longer runs.
The DVO Opal XL shock bridges the gap between inline and piggyback shocks. Tom Marvin / OurMedia
The Opal XL has a small piggyback structure merged into the top of the inline shock, bringing it out from the inside of the shock’s body, but avoiding the bulk of a traditional piggyback shock.
DVO says this gives the Opal XL near-piggyback levels of performance without the bulk, making it ideal for frames with limited space inside the main triangle. That’ll be handy on eMTBs where you want to squeeze a bottle in the frame.
Earlier this month with the release of the Lemonade SDK 10.0 and FastFlowLM 0.9.35, using AMD Ryzen AI NPUs for running LLMs on Linux finally became feasible. AMD XDNA 2 NPUs can now run on Linux well for LLM workloads! Released on Tuesday was Lemonade 10.0.1 with a few improvements for the setup process of this local LLM open-source solution on Linux…
Ubuntu developers at Canonical are looking to strip the signed GRUB bootloader features to the bare minimum for the Ubuntu 26.10 release later this year. Dropping support for XFS, ZFS, Btrfs, LVM, md-raid (except RAID1), LUKS-encrypted disks, and other features is being looked at in the name of security…
Chasing down the weird and the wonderful at any bike show is always good fun, but the Taipei International Cycle Show is in a league of its own.
Finding myself towards the end of an aisle, I spotted this classically styled electric bike, complete with lugs that would make Ernesto Colnago proud.
The motor portion isn’t lugged like the rest of the frame.
Made by Allotec, the bike can be equipped with a choice of electric bike motors, including those from Shimano and Bosch, with the battery supposedly fitted externally to the frame.
The seat collar leaves space for a pin. Nick Clark / Our Media
You can select this retro-inspired electric road bike in an array of colours, and there’s even external cable routing to keep things easy to work on.
The head tube has Colnago Master vibes. Nick Clark / Our Media
While certainly niche, the Allotec doesn’t sit alone as being a lugged electric bike, with Atherton’s upcoming S.170E also using the technique, admittedly with some modernisation.
Away from the novelty factor of the Allotec, the construction is very neat, and it’s nice to see a bike take inspiration from times gone by.
With the recent Fedora 44 beta release, Mesa 25.3 graphics drivers were in use rather than the newest Mesa 26.0 series. The good news is that there is now approval for getting Mesa 26.0 drivers to land in time for next month’s official Fedora 44 release…
While we were given a glimpse of the new 32in forks from X-Fusion at the Taipei International Cycle Show, we were also treated to a preview of the brand’s latest electronic dropper post.
The E-Manic 2 has been given a significant redesign over the original and takes on a look similar to the KS Lev Circuit and the first-generation RockShox Reverb AXS.
A plastic body on the top of the seatpost encapsulates the battery, and there’s a single bolt for changing the saddle angle.
The X-Fusion E-Manic 2 was on show at the Taipei International Cycle Show. Nick Clark / Our Media
The remote is wireless and connects to the post via X-Fusion’s own XRSC Remote Bluetooth 5.0 protocol.
X-Fusion says the remote ergonomics were developed alongside TRP. Nick Clark / Our Media
There are five travel options: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 170mm and 200mm, although unlike the brand’s cable-actuated model, this is not adjustable.
X-Fusion also offers three diameter options: 30.9mm, 31.6mm and 34.9mm, meaning you should be able to find one for your frame without needing a shim.
There’s no word on the water resistance, but this design looks up to the task. Nick Clark / Our Media
Weights for the post vary depending on the travel and diameter, with the lightest being the 30.9mm/100mm at 700g. For example, the 30.9mm/100mm comes in 100g heavier.
The post comes with a USB-C charger. Nick Clark / Our Media
X-Fusion says the post is still in testing and won’t be released until later this year.
Sony Honda Mobility, the automotive venture from two of Japan’s most storied companies, has swung the axe on its EV project. In a statement, it said it would “discontinue the development and launch” of the Afeela 1 and 2, its long-in-development electric cars. The company added it would review its “business direction,” and announce its future plans “at the earliest possible opportunity.” Which, if we’re honest, probably means the whole thing is going to be shut down, or scaled back so much it’s no longer worth talking about.
2026 has not been a great year for Honda. On March 12, it posted an up-to $15.7 billion loss as it wrote off a big chunk of its investment in EVs. The US’ pivot toward fossil fuels, removal of federal EV tax credits and the imposition of tariffs has hit its business pretty hard. Not to mention the high-profile embarrassment of its current F1 engine project with Aston Martin, which promised so much and has delivered less than nothing.
Sony’s journey into the automotive world began six years ago with the announcement of the Vision-S, the car which would eventually be re-christened Afeela. But while the product looked good on trade show stands, it stood still while the rest of the car world sprinted ahead. In January, Tim Stevens said Afeela 1 looked a little dated, and a little lacking in emotion, and a lot more expensive than comparable models from rivals. It’s also worth noting Sony and Honda’s vision of a smart device on wheels is hardly a novel concept these days.
Not to mention that Afeela 1 is a sedan, being sold to a world that’s increasingly fallen out of love with the type in favor of higher-riding SUVs. In Sony’s statement, however, the SUV-aping Afeela 2 didn’t even get a mention by name, which hints that it was as much an afterthought for the company as we might have guessed when it was announced.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sony-and-honda-kill-its-afeela-evs-100426852.html?src=rss
By the time you read this, the Audi RS6 Avant is dead. Production at the factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, has already switched over to new models; any unsold wagons at dealerships will be the last of their kind. Time moves on, leaving the unelectrified 2026 RS6 Avant Performance as a relic from a bygone age where people didn’t care quite so much about melting glaciers. In this regard progress is good and climate catastrophe is bad, but there are other things to like about the RS6 Avant, and much that Audi could and should bring to its other cars.
The car was always something of a unicorn here in the US. As the SUV became ascendant, the station wagon suffered a corresponding decline with the general public, and automakers like Audi responded by not importing them anymore. The economics, we were told, didn’t add up: wagon sales would just cannibalize SUV sales but at too small a rate to make the imported wagons profitable. But with smaller volumes, the math made more sense, which is why in 2019 the car maker buckled to pressure and said fine, we’ll import the RS6 Avant. And with a starting price of $130,700, you can understand why this is a low-volume model.
Subtly swollen
A look down its flanks reveals wheel arches that bulge to accommodate larger wheels, part of Audi Sport’s RS transformation applied to the sedate A6 starting point. Larger wheels provide clearance for larger brakes, which in turn help stop it from prodigious velocities—if you have a long enough runway or the right stretch of German Autobahn, top speed for this version, the Performance, tops out at 190 mph (305 km/h). Under the hood, hidden from view by plastic paneling, lies a twin-turbocharged 4.0 L V8 engine, which generates 621 hp (463 kW) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm), sending power to all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
