Monthly Archives: May 2025

Intel Unveils Arc Pro B60 And B50 GPUs To Turbocharge Workstations, Gauid 3 AI Accelerator Too

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Intel Unveils Arc Pro B60 And B50 GPUs To Turbocharge Workstations, Gauid 3 AI Accelerator Too
At Computex 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan, Intel made waves with a series of announcements showcasing serious hardware possessing with advanced AI capabilities, designed for the AI workstation scene. As part of that, the tech giant unveiled the compact Intel Arc Pro B50 (16GB VRAM, 170 TOPS) and a larger Pro B60 (24GB VRAM, 197 TOPS) GPUs, as well

NVIDIA And Foxconn To Build An AI Factory Supercomputer With 10K Blackwell GPUs

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NVIDIA And Foxconn To Build An AI Factory Supercomputer With 10K Blackwell GPUs
Foxconn is teaming up with NVIDIA to deploy what the two are calling an “AI factory supercomputer” in Taiwan, in cooperation with the Taiwan government. Announced at Computex, Foxconn subsidiary Big Innovation Company will collaborate with NVIDIA as an official NVIDIA Cloud Partner to provide the the AI infrastructure, which will feature 10,000

You Can Get the Motorola Moto Edge+ Phone for $400 Right Now

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

There are a lot of phones that promise top-tier performance for under a grand, but not many manage to deliver it quite like the Motorola Moto Edge+ (2023). Now available for just $399.99—down from its original $649.99—this unlocked model is sitting at its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. That’s a steep drop for a phone that PCMag named an Editor’s Choice. It comes in Interstellar Black with 8GB RAM and a generous 512GB of storage. The design lives up to its name with curved edges that wrap around a nearly bezel-less 6.7-inch display with a matte Gorilla Glass Victus back that helps with grip and doesn’t pick up fingerprints—and the whole package is IP68-rated, meaning you don’t have to stress about rain or dust.

Performance-wise, it’s solid across the board, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. Everyday tasks are smooth, multitasking feels effortless, and even demanding games like Genshin Impact can run well (just not at maxed-out settings). It also helps that the screen refreshes at 165Hz, which makes scrolling smoother and gaming more responsive. That said, you’re not getting the sharpest display out there (1080p, pOLED, 395ppi), and you might feel the difference if you’re coming from a 1440p screen like the one on the Pixel 7 Pro, but it’s still bright (1300 nits peak) and colorful. There’s no headphone jack, but the stereo speakers surprise with actual depth and clarity (according to this PCMag review), and it supports Bluetooth 5.3, so connecting your wireless headsets shouldn’t be an issue. Call quality is also top-notch, with strong signal support across major 5G and 4G networks in the U.S.

The camera system of this phone includes a 60MP front camera that delivers social-ready selfies with detail, while the rear trio (50MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto) captures clean, sharp photos and stable 4K or 8K videos. Features like Night Vision, Pro mode, and Motorola’s surprisingly good portrait mode make it easy to get more out of each shot. Add to that Motorola’s clean Android skin, fun gesture controls (My UX), and enterprise-level ThinkShield support, and you’re looking at a phone that works just as well for daily users as it does for businesses. If you’re OK with the display not being top resolution, this is one of the best deals on a flagship-level Android phone right now.

You Should Be ‘Stacking’ Your Peloton Classes

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I am a huge fan of Peloton’s various at-home workout offerings, especially the company’s classic Bike and its incredibly versatile mobile app. Both of those offer me a gigantic archive of on-demand classes as well as access to live ones, all of which come in various lengths, intensity levels, and structures.

Because I am an iPad baby in an adult’s body, I can get bored pretty easily when I do any one thing for too long, so I rely on the 10- and 15-minute classes to spice up my life and keep me engaged. On days when I have enough time, I like to take these back-to-back—especially because Peloton offers warm-up and cool-down rides in the 10-minute length—but it’s always thrown me off my rhythm to stop one class, spend time looking for another, and then start that one up. This week, I discovered a feature I’ve somehow overlooked and it solves this problem handily: stacked classes.

What are stacked classes?

Think of Peloton’s stacked classes as a playlist. Just like you might pre-plan your perfect music playlist before heading to the gym, you can create a playlist of classes using Peloton’s app, which is accessible on your phone or the touchscreen tablet of your Bike, Bike+, or Tread. (Unfortunately you can’t stack classes on streaming devices like the Roku or on the Peloton Row.)

The goal here is to create the full workout upfront so you avoid the decision paralysis that accompanies having to choose each class right before it starts. When you’ve just finished a 15-minute ride and are looking for one of Peloton’s “extra 10” rides or post-ride stretches, it can pull you out of the zone to have to sort through the hundreds of options available. If you add them to your stack, however, they’re queued up and ready to go. They just play one after the other.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you build your first stack:

  • You can stack any combination of cycling, running, strength, yoga, meditation, and stretching classes as well as Lanebreak game levels and scenic rides or runs. That means you can stretch, warm up, complete a run, cool down, and then finish with some yoga, if you’d like.

  • You can put together a series of strength classes for a full-body workout day.

  • Live classes can’t be stacked, but once they hit the archive and become on-demand, they can be.

  • You can’t put the same class in your stack twice and you can only have one stack active at a time, but it’s easy to customize and modify. That leads me to…

How to create and modify your Peloton class stack

Creating the stack is really easy. Under the Start button for any class, you’ll see an icon with two stacked rectangles and a plus sign that pretty clearly represents Stack. Tap that to add the class to your stack. Once you add all the classes that you want, find the Stack icon on the Home screen. You’ll start the first class as normal and, when it finishes, will see a pop-up prompting you to enter the second one you’ve lined up.

It works basically the same on the mobile app. Once you create a stack, navigate to the home page and you’ll see the stack icon—but instead of having a plus sign in the middle, it will have a rightward facing arrow to indicate “play.”

When you tap that icon, you can then hit a big orange play button to start your queue from the beginning or tap the Modify button, which will allow you to edit the order of the stack or remove a class you added by accident, for example. Once you complete a class, it’s removed from the stack automatically, so keep that in mind. If you want to take it again, you have to go back and re-add it.

Why I like this feature

I like this feature because, as I said, it keeps your head in the game. When working through a stack, I don’t have to pause in between workouts. Instead, my heart rate stays up, I stay focused, and I don’t have to think about what I want to do next. After each class in your stack is over, you’re given the choice to keep going, so you can stop or make modifications if you want to, but you don’t need to do anything but hit Play if you want to keep on.

I also appreciated that this worked so seamlessly. You can go from a ride to a stretch easily, which is pretty important for your safety and cooldown, but most Peloton cycling classes only feature a small stretch at the end with the expectation you’ll load up a more involved stretching class after. I also appreciated that each class still counts individually toward the amount of workouts I’ve completed; I was worried that if I took classes back-to-back-to-back in a stack, they’d show up as one megaworkout in my Peloton account history or in my Apple Health data. I’m very particular about keeping my health data granular and accurate (and am trying to complete 28 cycling classes this month because that’s the “May Challenge” my Apple Health app set for me) so this was important to me.

Finally, this keeps you motivated to complete a more well-rounded workout. It’s easy to hop on the bike, sort by class length, and call it a day after taking a 10-minute ride. I won’t lie: I do that sometimes! But even on days I only want to do 10 minutes, I know I should do more. The stacking feature makes it very easy to do that and gives you fewer opportunities to quit just because your class is over.

LG 27 UltraGear OLED review: I finally get the 480Hz gaming hype

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LG’s 27-inch 1440p UltraGear OLED monitor (model 27GX790A) is as close to gaming nirvana as fps-hungry players can get — for now, anyway. It has a 480Hz refresh rate, allowing it to actually display up to 480 fps for insanely fast-paced shooters, along with a low 0.03ms response time. And it supports DisplayPort 2.1, which offers higher bandwidth than typical DisplayPort 1.4 ports, so it doesn’t need to use Display Stream Compression (DSC) like most other gaming displays. Together with NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology, both of which will help to reduce screen tearing, the UltraGear 27 has pretty much everything you’d want in a high-end gaming display.

But given its high $1,000 retail price (though it’s currently on sale for $800), the UltraGear 27 clearly isn’t meant for most people. You’ll absolutely need a powerful GPU and CPU to get close to seeing 480 fps in 1440p. And, let’s be honest, very few people will even see the difference between 480Hz and more affordable 120Hz to 240Hz screens. The LG 27GX790A is for the true sickos.

I’ve tested plenty of high refresh rate screens in my time, from gaming laptops to a wide variety of monitors. I distinctly remember the excitement around 120Hz LCDs at CES 2010, and I definitely noticed the difference between those screens and standard 60Hz displays at the time. Shooters just looked smoother and felt more responsive. Then there was the leap to 240Hz screens, which was noticeable but not nearly as impressive as the arrival of OLED gaming displays with better black levels and astounding contrast.

Then came 360Hz screens, which, to be honest, didn’t feel like a huge leap over 240Hz. Our eyes can only see so much after all, especially if you’re moving beyond your peak gaming years. So I didn’t really expect to be wowed by the UltraGear 27 — I figured it would be yet another solid OLED monitor, like the 27-inch 4K Alienware we recently reviewed.

But after spending plenty of time with the UltraGear 27 on my gaming PC, powered by an NVIDIA RTX 5090 and AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D, I noticed something strange. While I couldn’t really see a major difference between its 480Hz screen and my daily driver, the 240Hz Alienware 32-inch QD-OLED, I could feel it.

LG UltraGear 27
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

What’s good about the LG UltraGear 27?

The first time the UltraGear 27 truly clicked for me — the point where I finally understood the hype around 480Hz displays — was during a Rocket League match. I noticed that the longer I played, the more I reached a flow state where I could easily read the position of the ball, re-orient the camera and zip off to intercept. It almost felt like there was a direct connection between what my brain wanted to do, and what was actually happening on the screen. I forgot about the Xbox Elite controller in my hand, and the desk clutter in my office. The real world melted away — I was fully inside Rocket League’s absurd soccer arena. When the match ended, it took me a few minutes to reacclimatize to reality.

Rocket League’s fast motion and lack of downtime made it the ideal introduction to super-high frame rates. I was also easily able to reach 480 fps in 1440p with my system’s hardware, but you’ll still easily be able to see upwards of 300 fps with older GPUs, especially if you bump down to 1080p. To be clear, this monitor is pretty much wasted on older and budget video cards.

I noticed a similarly transcendent flow state as I got back into Overwatch 2, a game I gave up on years ago. The UltraGear 27 shined best when I was playing fast-paced characters like Tracer, Genji and Lucio, since I had a better sense of space during heated matches. But it also helped with more accurate shots when sniping with the likes of Hanzo and Widowmaker.

Beyond the seemingly metaphysical benefits of its 480Hz screen, the UltraGear 27 is also simply a great OLED monitor. Black levels are wonderfully dark, and it can also achieve slightly brighter highlights (up to 1,300 nits) than most OLEDs in small areas. Graphically rich games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 practically leap off the screen, thanks to its excellent 98.5 percent DCI-P3 color accuracy. The UltraGear 27 doesn’t use a QD-OLED screen like Alienware’s latest models, but its color performance doesn’t suffer much for it.

LG UltraGear 27
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

If you’ve got a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X around, the UltraGear 27’s two HDMI 2.1 ports will also let them perform at their best. While there are no built-in speakers, the display does include a headphone jack with support for DTS technology for spatial audio like most gaming monitors. It’s also a 4-pole connection, so you can plug in headphones with microphones as well. For accessories, there are two USB 3.0 Type A ports, along with an upstream USB connection for your PC.

The UltraGear 27 doesn’t look particularly distinctive when it’s turned off, but it’s hard to ask for much flair when it does so much right. Its nearly borderless bezel makes the screen practically float in the air, and you can also easily adjust its height and angle to suit your needs.

LG UltraGear 27
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

What’s bad about the UltraGear 27?

The biggest downside with the UltraGear 27 is its $1,000 retail price. While it’s nice to see it already falling to $800, it’s still absurdly high compared to most 27-inch 1440p monitors. If you want to save some cash, LG’s 27-inch 240Hz UltraGear is still a very good option. But if you’re in the market for a 480Hz display, you’ll basically have to live with paying a ton. For example, ASUS’s ROG Swift 27-inch OLED is still selling for $1,000.

Should you buy the UltraGear 27?

If you’re an esports player, or a gamer who demands the highest framerates no matter the cost, the UltraGear 27 is an excellent OLED monitor. But I think most players would be perfectly fine with a cheaper 240Hz screen. Even if you can easily afford the UltraGear 27, it’s also worth considering larger screens like the Alienware 32-inch 4K QD-OLED. You’ll still get decently high frame rates, but you’ll also get a screen that’s more immersive for ogling the graphics in Clair Obscur.

LG UltraGear 27
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Wrap-up

With Samsung teasing a 500Hz OLED gaming screen, there’s clearly still a demand for insanely high refresh rates. If you absolutely must have that fix, the UltraGear 27 was made for you. It has all of the benefits of OLED, and with the right title, it might help you achieve a new level of gaming transcendence.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lg-27-ultragear-oled-review-i-finally-get-the-480hz-gaming-hype-123042162.html?src=rss

Tier One: Direct Action “Not Technically Dead” As Studio Confirms Funding Struggles Amid Departures

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Tier One: Direct Action, a VR tactical shooter that aimed to be an Onward spiritual successor, has hit financial struggles and departures.

Developed by Niorun Studios, Tier One: Direct Action was first revealed back in August with a focus on teamwork, strategy, and “authentic” military mechanics. After being successfully funded on Kickstarter and securing just under $50K, an early access release followed on Quest back in February. However, it’s not been a particularly smooth journey.

Yesterday, the studio advised that Tier One: Direct Action is currently unavailable on the Horizon Store, with a community manager stating “this is an issue with Meta and should hopefully be resolved soon.” A Niorun Studios representative apologized in a follow-up message, stating this is “due to a policy change we unfortunately missed to provide the admin work for – amidst everything else” and that the team’s “working to restore beta access as soon as possible.”

Seeking to address the growing concerns, Niorun’s representative described the current early access build as a “prototype” with the goal of demonstrating to investors and partners excitement and support from the community. However, the poorly received early access launch in February did not meet the team’s expectations.

Unfortunately, the feedback and engagement from the community did not meet expectations. While many expressed a desire for continued development, the actual support didn’t reflect that—and in a competitive space, that’s always a risk and fair play. As a result, the studio has been unable to secure the funding needed to move forward as planned. We understand this may be disappointing for some—but for the team, it has been even more so.”

Niorun Studios states it’s not giving up yet. Thanking its Kickstarter backers and advising restructuring efforts are now underway, the team’s “actively exploring ways to keep the project alive and move forward.” Niorun also claims the game is “not technically dead,” though this means the game’s development is no longer on track as per its original roadmap.

Signs of trouble had emerged before this. Last month when the game’s X account got deleted and the YouTube channel was removed. On April 24, UploadVR reached out to studio co-founder Angelika Reich, only to learn via an automated email that Reich had left Niorun Studios. A further follow-up via the developer’s website was unsuccessful, and that same website is currently down. We’ve reached out again to Niorun Studios’ co-founder and CEO, Murat Özçelik, to clarify why the social media accounts and the official website have been removed.

The departures don’t stop with Reich, either. Gamertag VR notes Niorun Studios’ headcount has significantly decreased, and the estimated headcount dropped by 69% in six months. Across LinkedIn, numerous former employees have left in that timeframe, while two other staff members on the company page are “open to work.” This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone who’s left was made redundant, though; some former employees started jobs elsewhere immediately after leaving.

Turns out I was right about Tier One. Only took me an hour of playing too. Website is gone, team gone and Kickstarter money gone too. https://t.co/f5Xa412TH1 pic.twitter.com/GWg4EJCAaI

— �������� �� (@GAMERTAGVR) May 17, 2025

We’ll continue monitoring this situation as we learn more, and we’ll update this article if we receive a response.

Samsung’s 2025 OLED TVs are getting NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility

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NVIDIA’s G-Sync will soon work with the latest Samsung OLED TVs for a better gaming experience on the big screen. The S95F series TVs, which the company introduced at CES, will be the first to get the update, and the rest of the 2025 OLED models will follow later this year. G-Sync compatibility is meant to help games run more smoothly on the TVs, making their refresh rates match the GPU’s frame rate. 

In the announcement, Kevin Lee, Executive VP of Samsung’s Visual Display Customer Experience Team, said it’ll bring “elite-level performance for even the most competitive players.” Samsung started shipping its flagship S95F TVs in April alongside its other new OLED models, the S90F and S85F. Each comes in a handful of sizes, going up to 83 inches. The OLED lineup also offers AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support, Auto Low Latency Mode and AI Auto Game Mode, which is designed to tweak the picture and sound to best fit whatever game you’re playing.

The announcement comes as Computex 2025 gets underway in Taiwan. The expo runs from May 20-23, and will focus heavily on AI this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/samsungs-2025-oled-tvs-are-getting-nvidia-g-sync-compatibility-120033237.html?src=rss

The Best Deals on Fitness Equipment During Amazon’s Memorial Day Sale

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If you’re looking to upgrade your home gym or fitness gear without breaking the bank, look toward Amazon’s Fitness Memorial Day sale. I know Memorial Day isn’t for another week, but naturally, the retail giant is kicking off the festivities early.

Especially with summer right around the corner, now is the time to buy all the equipment you need to keep you motivated through the dog days. I know I’ve personally got my eye on massage guns and foam rollers to help me survive my upcoming marathon training. So, with Amazon’s Memorial Day Sale is in full swing, I’ve done all the leg work for you using price-checking tools to bring you the best fitness deals you can find right now.

Cardio equipment

At-home cardio equipment feels like a major investment—not just in terms of space and money, but your lifestyle. I usually hate the treadmill, but when I’m training in peak summer heat, it’s necessary. And if you’re going to buy a treadmill, it’s worth spending the money to get one that feels sturdy and safe. Right now the NordicTrack Commercial Treadmill is 20% off, bringing a true gym-quality machine (with interactive training features) into a far more affordable range.

For apartment dwellers like me, the classic Original Peloton Bike also marked down 20%, offering studio-quality cycling without sacrificing space. Pelotons are the most popular indoor exercise bike, but they’re notoriously expensive and don’t go on sale often. While they’re still expensive, the discounts are historically good, down to $1,145 (originally $1,445).

Strength training essentials

I’m a huge advocate for adjustable dumbbells; a good set eliminates the need for 30-some individual dumbbell pairs. Right now the adjustable Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells are seeing one of their deepest discounts of the year. After testing the Nüobells and REP adjustable dumbbells, the Bowflex are next on my list; their reputation is pretty much the gold standard in the adjustable dumbbell world.

The TRX All-in-One Suspension Training System is 25% off, perfect for bodyweight exercises that engage your entire core. Or if you’re just looking for one addition to your home gym at just $20, this Vinsguir ab roller wheel is 40% off.

Massage guns and foam rollers

Don’t neglect recovery in your fitness journey. The Bob and Brad D5 Pro Massage Gun is marked down by 30%, bringing you professional-grade percussion therapy at home. I’m personally a fan of this brand, if you’re looking for alternatives to the (understandably) popular Theragun or Hypervolt at half the price.

The highly-rated Lifepro vibrating foam roller is 15% off, helping you roll out those post-workout kinks with added vibration technology for deeper muscle relief.

Fitness trackers

If you’ve been holding out on a new watch, now is a great time to finally snag some discounted wearable tech. Your classic Fitbit Charge 6 is available at 25% off.

And anytime you’re looking for a good smartwatch, Garmin’s name is bound to come up. Right now the Garmin Instinct 2 is discounted by 33%, and the Solar version is down 44%. What’s extra cool about the solar version is its potentially unlimited battery life, and it comes with Garmin Pay and plenty of customizable watch faces.

Headphones and speakers

Finally, it’s worth mentioning there are solid deals on earphones and speakers, which are always a must-have in some way when you’re working out. The Beats Studio Pro are a whopping 50% off, down to $169.95. For anyone who wants spatial audio, Apple-first integrations, and a good-looking pair of over-ears that feel comfortable over long sessions, this is a good deal.

Also noteworthy: You can snag the AirPods Pro 2 at 24% off, and the JBL Go 4 portable (and waterproof!) speaker at 20% off.

Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or looking to fill gaps in your existing setup, now is a great time to take advantage of significant markdowns through the holiday weekend.

XP Farming on Zwift’s Climb Portal – the Ultimate Guide

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Keen Zwifters have been using Zwift’s Climb Portal to earn extra XP since the feature was first released in the summer of 2023.

Since then, Zwift has made some tweaks and additions to the Portals – some that made it harder to earn XP, some that made it easier.

But as you’ll soon see, the Portal is still the most effective way to earn XP on Zwift, provided you follow a few simple rules. Let’s dive in!

Gaming the Portal: the Basics

Climb Portals can be “gamed” to earn XP at a higher-than-normal rate because each climb is broken up into 10 equidistant sections with a powerup arch at the end of each section. That means you can receive 10 powerups during the course of completing each Portal climb.

Powerups are given in a “randomized” fashion, but that randomness is weighted:

  • Feather: 25%
  • Small Bonus (+10XP): 65%
  • Large Bonus: 10%

To maximize your XP earn rate, you need to maximize the rate at which you receive powerups, which means riding through as many powerup arches as possible in a given amount of time. How do you maximize your “arch count”?

  • Ride the shortest climbs
  • Ride the least steep climbs
  • Pedal harder
  • Use a fast bike

Perhaps the simplest way to maximize your XP earn rate is to think of it terms of four basic rules…

Gaming the Portal: the Rules

Rule #1: Ride a Fast Bike (and Not a TT Frame)

If you ride a TT frame, you’ll always get the small bonus powerup at every arch (+10XP). This may seem like a good thing, but it’s not, if you’re playing the numbers!

You’ll want to ride a standard road frame so you have the possibility of getting the large bonus (+250XP). Additionally, road frames climb faster than heavy TT frames, and also draft others, so you’ll be able to ride through more arches in less time. Read Fastest Climbing Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level to learn which frame and wheels to use.

If you’re riding a very slack climb (or perhaps riding the 50% versions of climbs), riding a more aero bike may prove a bit faster than riding

Rule #2: Choose the Shortest, Flattest Climbs

Zwift places 10 powerup arches on every Portal climb, whether the climb is very short or very long. So a 20km climb will have an arch every 2km, while a 2km climb will have an arch every 200 meters. Which climb will award the most XP? The shorter one, of course!

As of today, here are the 5 shortest Portals on Zwift (you can see the full list of climbs here):

Climb Title Length Elev Gradient
Cauberg 0.8km 57m 7.1%
Côte de La Redoute 1.5km 153m 10.2%
Oude Kwaremont 1.5km 64m 4.3%
Mûr de Bretagne 1.96km 129m 6.6%
Cote de Pike 2.17km 215m 9%

You’re at the mercy of Zwift’s Climb Portal schedule, though – you can’t just choose to ride these short climbs whenever you’d like. So you have to check out that schedule and plan your XP farming days.

To make a climb as flat as possible, choose the 50% scaling option when you select your climb, which trims off even more time! For example, Oude Kwaremont takes about 5:50 per round trip (up and down) at 4 w/kg at the default 100% scaling. But a round trip at 50% scaling is a minute faster, meaning you’ll earn ~20% more XP on average at 50%!

(One gotcha, though: your scaled-down climbing won’t be visible on Strava leaderboards. In fact, your entire ride is flagged as “gamified” and not matched against Strava segments, because doing so would break the leaderboards entirely.)

Rule #3: Burn the Feathers

The game gives you a powerup as you ride through each arch, but if you’re holding a powerup through the arch, you won’t get a fresh one.

So if you enter the portal with a powerup, or you get a Feather powerup during your climb, be sure to use it before the next arch so you can get a fresh powerup when you pass through.

(This can actually be a little tricky on super-short climbs, since the Feather lasts for 30 seconds and the powerup arches come very quickly on shorter climbs. In some cases, you may want to simply trash your Feathers instead of activating them.)

Rule #4: U-turn at the Top

If you’re doing hill repeats to earn lots of extra XP, flip a quick u-turn at the top after the last arch instead of riding the roundabout to get onto the descent. This will knock another ~30 seconds off of your round-trip time, which, on a short climb like Oude Kwaremont increases your earn rate by ~10%. #marginalgains

How much XP can you earn?

Given the breakdown of Portal powerup probabilities (Feather 25%, Small Bonus 65%, Large Bonus 10%), how much XP could you earn per hour if you follow the rules above and ride the shortest possible climb (Cauberg) at 50% scaling?

Riding at 4 W/kg and following the rules above, you’ll finish a round trip in just under 3 minutes, meaning you could do 20 repeats in an hour. Your expected XP earnings would be:

  • Round trip time at 4 W/kg: 3 minutes
  • Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
  • Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 20 repeats = 200 sections
  • Bonus XP per hour: 200 sections * 31.5XP per section=6300XP
  • Distance-Based XP per hour: (0.8km*2)*(20 repeats)*20XP=640XP
  • Total XP per hour: 6940XP

This, of course, seems crazy. Most XP farming approaches on Zwift earn 1200-1600XP per hour, including Shane Miller’s Alpe du Zwift workout approach.

But keep in mind this is the most extreme example: it’s using the Cauberg, which is a super-short climb that is rarely on the schedule. The next-shortest climbs are approximately twice as long, which greatly reduces your earning rate. Oude Kwaremont‘s numbers, for example, would look like this:

  • Round trip time at 4 W/kg: 4 minutes, 50 seconds
  • Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
  • Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 12.4 repeats = 124 sections
  • Bonus XP per hour: 124 sections * 31.5XP per section=3906XP
  • Distance-Based XP per hour: (1.5km*2)*(12.4 repeats)*20XP=744XP
  • Total XP per hour: 4650XP

Of course, these numbers are also assuming you’re riding at 4 W/kg, which most Zwifters can’t maintain. What about a more reasonable 3 W/kg? Here’s what you would earn on Oude Kwaremont:

  • Round trip time at 4 W/kg: 5 minutes, 50 seconds
  • Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
  • Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 10.3 repeats = 103 sections
  • Bonus XP per hour: 103 sections * 31.5XP per section=3244XP
  • Distance-Based XP per hour: (1.5km*2)*(10.3 repeats)*20XP=618XP
  • Total XP per hour: 3862XP

What’s the cutoff?

This logically leads to an interesting question: at what point does it become “worth it” to farm XP in the Climb Portal vs other methods? That is, if you look at the scheduled Portals of the day, and you know the power you want to hold for your ride, how do you know if you’ll earn more XP in the Portal vs, say, riding a new route and earning the badge and XP bonus?

The math here is admittedly imprecise, because there are lots of variables in play. But if we assume you’re following the rules above, I would say it only makes sense to farm XP in the Portal if you can earn more than 1600XP per hour. That means you would need to complete each Portal ascent in ~12 minutes at your target power. Here’s how that math works:

  • Round trip time: 18 minutes (2:1 ratio of climbing to descending is roughly accurate)
  • Average XP per section: (250*.1) + (10*.65)=31.5XP
  • Total sections completed in an hour: 10 sections per ascent * 3.3 repeats = 33 sections
  • Bonus XP per hour: 33 sections * 31.5XP per section=1039XP
  • Distance-Based XP per hour: estimated at 600XP
  • Total XP per hour: 1639XP

That 12-minute climb target means that around half of Zwift’s Portal climbs are worth farming, if you’re riding the climbs at 50% scaling.

Wrapping Up

The Climb Portal feature has evolved since it originally launched, but one thing hasn’t changed: Zwifters can still earn a lot of XP if they follow the simple rules above. In fact, there isn’t a more effective way to earn XP in Zwift today! Here’s a comparison:

  • Riding with Coco RoboPacer: 820XP/hour
  • Shane Miller’s Alpe du Zwift XP Farming Workout: 1406XP/hour
  • Doing a group ride on a new route (assuming 40kph speed on a 40km route): 1600XP/hour
  • Riding Oude Kwaremont at 3 W/kg (see math above): 3862XP/hour

Questions or Comments?

Do you farm XP on the Climb Portal? Does your experience line up with what I’ve written above? Any other tips to share? Comment below!

Zwift Jersey Hunting Updates and Tips, Part 3

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This is my third article on Jersey hunting, following those from about two and four years ago.  It is an overview of what is currently available, a few tips, and a section about my personal motivations.

The Basics

Zwift has four types of jerseys that can be earned during a ride:

  1. Route (always orange, but different than the Standard Orange Zwift jersey)
  2. Sprint (bright green, although some sprints in France are a darker green)
  3. King/Queen of the Mountain (KQOM – red polka dot, except for Special KQOM jerseys)
  4. Special (various other jerseys that are associated with Leaderboards, like France’s Ven-Top and Watopia’s Fuego Flats)
  5. In most worlds, the Route, Sprint, and KQOM jerseys can combine to make more variations (more on that later)

What’s Possible

There are now 121 individual Leaderboard jerseys up for grabs (an increase from 95 from just two years ago). The current tally is:

  • Watopia = 34 (Specials for Epic KQOM, Jungle, Alp du Zwift, Fuego Flats, Volcano, and Titan’s Grove)
  • Makuri = 23
  • France = 18 (Special KQOM for Ven-Top, the same design as Watopia’s Epic KQOM)
  • Scotland = 9
  • London = 8 (Special KQOM for Keith and Leith Hills)
  • Innsbruck = 7
  • Yorkshire = 6
  • Richmond = 6
  • NYC = 6
  • Paris = 4 (no KQOM)

TdF KQOM Jersey (L) vs regular KQOM Jersey (R)

The Details

Watopia:

  • 10 Special jerseys that are mentioned above (Alp du Zwift and Volcano have only forward segments)
  • 4 Route jerseys: Hilly Loop and Jarvis Island, with forward and reverse segments for both
  • 12 Sprint jerseys: 2 on Hilly Loop, 8 along the Coast, 2 on Jarvis (again, those include both forward and reverse segments)
  • 8 KQOM jerseys: 2 on Hilly Loop, 2 on Jarvis, 3 associated with the Coast (The Grade, Itza, Mayan Mountain), and 1 for the Radio Tower
  • The Hilly Loop (and most world’s) jerseys can be combined four ways – meaning, earning a Sprint-Route, will result in a split green/orange jersey; the Sprint-KQOM will be a green with a mountain border; Route-KQOM, orange with mountain border; and all three will be split orange/green with the mountain border.  Again, both forward and reverse combined jerseys are possible.
  • Jarvis Island Route, Sprint, and KQOM do not combine

France:

  • A few things changed with the Tour de France jerseys that appeared in conjunction with the 2023 race:
    • The Marina Sprint jersey, along with the Balloon and Pavé jerseys, turned to a darker green with the TdF sponsorships.
    • The Marina Sprint orange jersey was retired, although the Leaderboard ranking still shows it as orange.  It was the same as the Route jersey in other worlds.
    • The Aqueduc and Petit KOMs turned to smaller polka dots with the TdF sponsorships
  • With the latest France update adding new roads, the old (non-TdF) Sprint and KOM jerseys reappeared – but only for the new Leaderboards (eg, Sprinteur, Ventoux Half)
  • Combined jerseys are not possible
  • No Route or orange jersey
  • 6 dark green (TdF) Sprint jerseys; 6 bright green Sprint jerseys
  • 3 small polka dot (TdF) KOM jerseys; 2 KQOM jerseys (Mostly Ventoux and Ventoux Half)
  • 1 Special jersey for the full Ven-Top segment

TdF Sprint Jersey (L) vs regular Sprint Jersey (R) in France.  Note the Leaderboard still shows the Marina Sprint as an orange jersey, even though it’s been retired.

All of the other worlds remain unchanged.

More Info

Some Combined jerseys can be earned on a single route, meaning no manual turns are required.  Just ride the route.  These are: Watopia’s Hilly Loop, Paris, Richmond, Innsbruck, and Yorkshire.

Earning the Combined jersey in NYC with all three requires manually going to the KQOMs on the skyline.  I’ve found it best to complete the Sprint which is on the Route, then head to the skyline for the KQOM.  In practice, getting the longest segment out of the way gives more time to make attempt(s) on the outlier.

Combined London is similar.  Doing the London Loop route includes the KQOM (Box/Fox).  Then head to the Sprint (Classique) to attempt the triple Combined jersey.

Combined Scotland requires the most turning, since neither the Sprint nor the required KQOM are along the Loch Loop route.  My recommendation for Scotland forward is to do the Route, head down to knock off the Champion Sprint, then U-turn and head up Sgurr North.  For Scotland reverse, after doing the route, U-turn and head right up Sgurr South, then down to the Champion Sprint.  There’s only one direction for the Sprint, but it combines with either of the other segment directions.

Route, Sprint, and KQOM Combined Jersey in Scotland

Again, neither France nor Makuri have Combined jerseys.

I had a fellow Zwifter ask about getting the unique London Special pink polka dot jersey (Keith/Leith), as her favorite color is pink, and she had never been able to snag one.  I’ve found the easiest way to earn it is to select the London Loop.  After earning the powerup at the start (hopefully the Feather), do a U-turn.  Then as you’re approaching the Box/Keith split, turn left to go up Keith to make the attempt.  My experience is that fewer people ride Keith than Leith, so there’s less competition.  BTW, it worked for her on the first try!

The Special Keith (and Leith) KQOM Jersey in London

Speaking of powerups, having the right one for the right segment is key – ie, the Aero or Van for most Sprints, or Feather for a KQOM.  If you possess the “wrong” powerup, you can try to score the needed one by trashing (or using) it, then going across a finish line.  But there’s a catch.  You can’t get a new one until you ride at least a kilometer (0.6 mile) after you claimed your previous one.

Personal Note

As a few Zwifters know, I keep myself motivated by, surprise, trying to earn Leaderboard jerseys.  And to motivate myself even further, I’m trying to see how many consecutive free rides I can do, earning one.  I just recently exceeded 250 in a row (and counting – knock on wood), which is over a 3+ year span.

For those who are interested, here are my unofficial rules to make the ride count:

  1. Free rides only.  Events don’t count for or against the streak.  That includes after the event is finished, when continuing to free ride is possible.
  2. Only once per day.  Meaning, I can’t ride several times a day, and then count each ride towards the streak.
  3. But… if I do ride more than once in a day, and fail to get a jersey, then the streak would end.
  4. Coffee Stops not allowed during a segment.
  5. Rogue worlds not allowed – no using a hack to ride a world that is not offered on Zwift that day.
  6. Not required, but I try to get “photo” evidence of the jersey.  I do this because in the post-ride summary, some segments don’t show the jersey being earned when it’s due to someone timing out or ending their session.
  7. Only Leaderboard jerseys count towards the streak.  There are some segments where a jersey is not awarded for being on top of the Leaderboard.  For instance, Watopia’s Volcano lap and Richmond’s 23rd St.
  8. I try to rotate among the worlds.  But I’ll admit, I don’t find NYC, Richmond, Paris, or Innsbruck very fun.  I sprinkle them in only occasionally.

I’m also trying to earn every jersey out there, and am currently at 112 of the possible 121 individual jerseys.  It seems like every time I get close to earning them all, Zwift adds some more. Ugh.

Happy Zwifting!

Autorize: Burp Suite Extension for Automatic Authorization Enforcement Detection

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Autorize is an open-source Burp Suite extension that checks if users can access things they shouldn’t. It runs automatic tests to help security testers find authorization problems. To use Autorize, you’ll need Burp Suite and Jython.

The post Autorize: Burp Suite Extension for Automatic Authorization Enforcement Detection appeared first on Linux Today.