January 26, 2021

Tom Izzo thinks Michigan State basketball can play Thursday at Rutgers

Michigan State basketball is back to practice finally. And Tom Izzo is ready for the games to resume.
The coach said on his weekly radio show Monday night he believes the Spartans will play Thursday at Rutgers, which would be their first game in 20 days.
"We're playing Thursday as far as I know," Izzo said. "That's all I'm focused on. ... On Wednesday, we're taking off. Whoever can play is gonna play, and whoever can coach is gonna coach."
The Spartans (8-4, 2-4 Big Ten) are scheduled to face the Scarlet Knights (8-6, 4-6) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Piscataway, New Jersey.
MAILBAG: Michigan State mailbag: When will Spartans play basketball again? Mel Tucker's biggest need
IZZO ON THE TOURNEYS: Michigan State basketball's Tom Izzo cautious but thinks Big Ten, NCAA tourneys will go on
SHAWN WINDSOR: Why MSU's healing off the court could lead to getting better on it
An MSU team spokesman confirmed team activities resumed Monday with the Spartans' first team practice since Jan. 13. That day, Joshua Langford became the program's third player to test positive for COVID-19, Autel Maxicom MK908p
. forcing postponement of a trip to Iowa for a game the next day. MSU had been working out in small groups and individually since Jan. 16.
Mady Sissoko tested positive Jan. 10, two days after the Spartans' 55-54 home loss to Purdue, and Izzo's son Steven on Jan. 12. A fourth player - walk-on Davis Smith, son of MSU and NBA great Steve Smith - tested positive Jan. 17 and remains in isolation.
Izzo said Sissokko isolated for 10 days and since has returned to practice. But it is unclear if his son or Langford are back or if they have undergone the Big Ten's mandatory heart screening upon exiting isolation. The Hall of Fame coach said Monday night that 10 of the 15 players on MSU's roster participated in the Spartans' practice, which, he added, included some scrimmaging. Izzo did not identify the five missing players - Smith was one - or say if anyone else within the program had tested positive.
Sissoko dropped from 235 pounds to 213 due to the coronavirus, but the freshman forward said he is back up to 225 pounds.
"I was feeling good the whole time," Sissoko said on Izzo's show.
"He was one of the lucky ones. He did not have many symptoms," added Izzo, who battled COVID-19 in November. "He's come back and he's able to workout some."
Sissoko is eligible to return to competition Thursday after going through the Big Ten-required 17-day stoppage and passing mandatory cardiac testing. Steven Izzo's 17-day clock expires Saturday and Langford's is over Sunday, the day the Spartans visit Ohio State for a 1 p.m. tipoff. Smith's 17 days are scheduled to be up in time for the Feb. 3 home game vs. Nebraska.
With the Feb. 6 game at Michigan postponed due to the Wolverines' two-week stoppage, MSU will have at least four conference games to make up. Games at Iowa and at home against Indiana and Illinois were called off because of the Spartans' COVID-19 issues. That will present scheduling challenges and logjams.
However, Izzo is more concerned with the short-term at the moment. And that includes trying to figure out how his team will respond to the nearly three-week layoff - assuming the game at Rutgers goes on as scheduled Thursday.
"That's a good question nobody knows the answer to," Izzo said. "The first week, we got to get a little rest, and that might have been good. Then, by the time of the second week and now the third week, everybody will handle that differently."

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January 25, 2021

Shell agrees to buy ubitricity, a leading provider of on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs)

Shell has signed an agreement to buy 100% of ubitricity, a leading European provider of on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs). The move represents a further step in Shell's efforts to support drivers as they switch to lower-carbon transport. Subject to regulatory clearance, the deal is expected to be completed later this year.
Founded in Berlin, Germany, ubitricity operates in a number of European countries, and is the largest public EV charging network in the UK with over 2,700 charge points (currently over 13% market share1). The company has also established emerging public charging positions in Germany and France and has installed over 1,500 private charge points for fleet customers within Europe2.
ubitricity works with local authorities to integrate EV charging into existing street infrastructure such as lamp posts and bollards. The result is EV charging that is affordable, accessible and convenient for anyone who wants to charge their EV while it is parked on the street. This solution is particularly useful for people who lack a private driveway but want to charge their EV overnight.
This acquisition marks Shell's expansion into the fast-growing on-street EV charging market and will provide critical competencies, See: OBD2 Diagnostic Tool. helping Shell to scale its overall EV charging offer. This already includes over 1,000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at approximately 430 Shell retail sites plus worldwide access to over 185,000 third party EV charging points3 at a range of public locations including forecourts, motorway service stations, and destinations.
Commenting on the acquisition, István Kapitány, Executive Vice President of Shell Global Mobility, said, "Working with local authorities, we want to support the growing number of Shell customers who want to switch to an EV by making it as convenient as possible for them. On-street options such as the lamp post charging offered by ubitricity will be key for those who live and work in cities or have limited access to off-street parking. Whether at home, at work or on-the-go, we want to provide our customers with accessible and affordable EV charging options so they can charge up no matter where they are."
Explaining why Shell was the ideal company to support ubitricity's growth strategy, Lex Hartman, ubitricity's CEO, said, "What excites so many people about ubitricity is that our integration of EV charge points into existing on-street infrastructure makes EV charging easy and accessible for everyone who needs it, where they need it. Particularly in larger cities where there is limited access to off-street parking, this is the solution many people have been waiting for to allow them to transition to EV ownership. Combining this piece of the puzzle with Shell's existing range of EV charging solutions gives EV drivers access to a full range of charging options, making Shell and ubitricity a perfect match."
This is the latest move from Shell as it expands its low-carbon transport options for customers, helping them to reduce their carbon footprint. Shell's own ambition is to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, or sooner, in step with society.
Once the deal is completed, ubitricity is expected to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell.
1 https://www.zap-map.com/statistics/#share, 22/01/2021
2 ubitricity also provides private off-street EV charging solutions for business customers in Germany
3 Shell's Global charging point network: through Shell affiliated brands and partner networks

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January 24, 2021

2021 is the first year of the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar spec that's eligible to race in its top class, and reigning overall 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Toyota Gazoo Racing unveiled their new Hypercar today. This is the 2021 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, and it's a rad 670-horsepower beast.
Toyota says it used technology it developed in its outgoing TS050 Hybrid Le Mans racer to go into this brand-new Hypercar, which in turn will be the basis for a road-going hypercar. Series regulations prevent the racing version from making as much power as its street-legal counterpart, limiting the GR010 Hybrid to just 500 kW (or 671 horsepower/680 PS).
How the four-wheel-drive GR010 Hybrid limits things to 671 hp is pretty clever. Its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 internal combustion engine is capable of making all 671 hp to the rear wheels, but the car also has a 268-hp electric motor generator unit on the front axle. To keep it under the 671 hp cap, the GR101 Hybrid's electronics system reduces engine power as the amount of hybrid power increases. So, if the hybrid system pulls a Nissan and quits, they've at least still got the full 671 hp from the V6.
Developing the new car was an 18-month joint effort between Toyota's WEC team headquarters in Cologne, See: Car Battery Tester. Germany, and Toyota's hybrid experts in Higashi-Fuji, Japan.
Toyota has been dominating the WEC's top class in the past few years, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the past three races in a row and winning the WEC LMP1-class championship for the past two seasons. Problem is, they haven't had much competition after Porsche and Audi withdrew their hybrid LMP1 cars, and everyone's hoping that the introduction of the Hypercar class will change that.
The Hypercar spec is a bit of a step back from the pricey engineering wonderland that was the outgoing LMP1 spec, with a big focus on cost-cutting in order to attract more participants and even the playing field.
While many of those are waiting to enter when the also-Hypercar-eligible and importantly, also-IMSA-eligible LMDh spec starts up, that across-the-board cost-cutting seems to have worked, even if the first season will have a smaller field. Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and ByKolles are competing in the first season with their own Hypercars, plus Alpine running a grandfathered-in LMP1 in the same class with some performance changes to keep things competitive. Toyota isn't too happy about that grandfathered-in car, but it isn't the first time WEC allowed a grandfathered-in but modified spec when there's a major rules change, as Sportscar365 notes. WEC plans to use a balance-of-performance system to try and keep all of the cars somewhat competitive with each other.
That also means that the GR010 Hybrid has some significant changes that will result in it being an estimated 10 seconds slower around Le Mans' Circuit de la Sarthe than the TS050 Hybrid. (Hey, if that means closer racing, I'm for it.) The GR010 Hybrid also has 32% less power and is 357 pounds heavier than the TS050 Hybrid, and is bigger all around, too: 10 inches longer, 4 inches wider and 4 inches taller.
This is also the first year Toyota won't have a motor generator unit on its rear axle, as only the front-axle MGU is allowed. Thus, the car has a starter motor just like a regular internal-combustion road car, plus fully hydraulic rear brakes.
Hypercars are also only allowed one set of homologated bodywork in the new technical regulations, with only one adjustable aerodynamic device, meaning that there won't be different bodywork for high- and low-downforce tracks as there was in the recent past.
This is Toyota's ninth season in WEC, and they're keeping their full driver line-up from the 2019-2020 season. Season champs Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López will share the No. 7 car, while Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley will drive the No. 8 car. Nyck de Vries is also continuing as the team's test and reserve driver.
For now, this season is scheduled to kick off with the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 19, although as The Week In Sports Cars notes, c...

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January 23, 2021

Michigan reports 2,157 new COVID-19 cases, 17 deaths Friday

The Michigan health department reported 2,157 new cases of COVID-19 and 17 new deaths Friday.
Michigan now has a total of 546,468 confirmed cases and 14,070 deaths since March.
As of Thursday, the state has shipped 1,096,225 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and has administered 642,111 doses - 58.5% of those shipped.
Michigan had a positivity rate of 5.07% Thursday, reporting that 2,208 of 43,532 diagnostic test results returned were positive.
More: Fast-spreading UK coronavirus variant means Michigan must vaccinate 90% of population
More: Michigan restaurants can reopen indoor dining with limited capacity, curfew on Feb. 1
The state has a fatality rate of 2.6% among known cases, according to data from the state health department.
Michigan now reports 48,452 probable COVID-19 cases and 881 probable deaths. The probable cases combined with the confirmed cases make up a cumulative total of 594,920 cases and 14,951 deaths.
Contact Slone Terranella
and follow her on Twitter @SloneTerranella.

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Volkswagen AG announces preliminary figures for the business year 2020

Despite the ongoing unprecedented Covid 19 situation, the Volkswagen AG has proved to be quite robust in the second half of 2020. The deliveries to customers of the Volkswagen Group continued to recover strongly in the fourth quarter and even exceeded the deliveries of the third quarter 2020, leading to strong Group turnover. Also the reported Automotive net cash position showed a very positive development.
Based on preliminary figures, the Volkswagen Group expects the following for the full year 2020:
As usual, the key financial figures for the full year 2020, as well as the official guidance for the Group will be disclosed at the end of February. Further details will be discussed during our Annual Press Conference on March 16th.

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January 21, 2021

Michigan online sports betting, gambling: What to know, how to bet

Sports betting has been legal in Michigan since last March. But to do that, you had to go to an actual casino that offered a sportsbook.
But a new era of sports gambling dawns for casual and hard-core bettors alike as online gambling and sports betting officially kicks off Friday in the state. Nine sites will go live at noon, meaning you'll be able to bet from the comfort of your own home - either on your desktop or phone.
Their apps will be available to download quickly and you'll be able to legally bet on anything from this weekend's NFL playoffs to Bulgarian soccer, rugby, cricket, darts, drone racing and much more.
Veteran gamblers have already been doing this for years, whether using offshore sites, such as Bovada or BetOnline, or going old school and having a bookie. But legalized mobile betting means Michiganders won't have to pay pesky international fees to their bank or an additional fee to the website for each deposit. Or drive to Indiana or Illinois to use legal betting mobile apps.
If you've decided it's time to dip your toes into world of sports betting, You may also like: scan tool. here's an idea of what you're getting into.
Yes. You must be 21 years old to participate in sports betting in Michigan.
No. Much like a trip to Las Vegas or Atlantic City casinos, if you are within the state borders you can use the online sites/apps to place bets. So if you live in Ohio or Wisconsin, you can simply drive to Michigan and bet on your phone.
"What's great about our app is that it travels with you from state-to-state," said Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook at DraftKings. "There are probably people adjacent to Michigan who are going to want to participate and don't have sports wagering, who will drive to Michigan and sign up and make their wager, go home and continue to do that when they want to make a wager."
The sportsbooks will vary in the number of bets they offer for each sport, so if your interest lies in tennis or auto racing, or even more obscure sports such as drone racing or gaming, be sure to find the sportsbook that best fits your interests. You can download those apps before signing up and see what's offered, plus you can get a feel for each app's functionality and see what you like.
A uniquely qualified expert in the sports betting world is Dan Kilbridge, an East Lansing and Michigan State graduate - and former Lansing State Journal staffer - who now works as a betting writer and handicapper for Bookies.com.
"Definitely look at multiple options before you make a deposit," Kilbridge said. "If you're really into tennis and you see that the book you're looking at doesn't have a lot of tennis lines, go find something else because there will be a book with every tennis bet that you can imagine."
If you're looking specifically for ease-of-use when it comes to apps, Kilbridge recommends DraftKings or FanDuel.
"Those are both really easy to use and geared toward user-friendly experiences," Kilbridge said.
While all these sportsbooks are paired with what Avello calls "brick-and-mortar" casinos, he expects 99 percent of all bets placed in Michigan to take place online once it goes live Friday.
Every book will offer you a sign-up promo, and you should take advantage. Although read the fine print first - some sites won't let new users withdraw their winnings right away.
For example, DraftKings will have two "double-your-money" promos for new users:
Those are $25 maximum bets, so when you bet and win both (which you will), you're basically getting a free $50 when you sign up.
"All these sportsbooks have first-time sign-up bonuses and incentives, and often they'll match your deposits. You essentially double your money right from the start," Kilbridge said. "If you can spread (your money) around, you can basically take advantage of those offers at every sportsbook."
FanDuel's sign-up offer is $100 in free bets ($50 on sports, $50 on casino).
PointsBet's sign-up offer is also unique. If you place a bet of $25 or more on the Pistons to win Friday vs. Houston, you'll receive $1 in Free Bets for every point the Pistons score. So i...

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January 20, 2021

Canada's Automobile Parts Manufacturers' Association, otherwise known as APMA, is calling for for suppliers at CES 2021 after picking the design for a national EV concept. In other words, it is looking to build an all-Canadian electric vehicle-currently dubbed Project Arrow-to showcase the Canadian automotive sector.
The winning design concept from Carleton University's School of Industrial Design in Ottawa, Ontario, You may also like: obd2. will be built this year following an open call for suppliers that can help take this vehicle from concept to reality.
The Project Arrow car design selected from a national design & engineering competition
The project is now in the second phase of its four-phase roll out, where, because this was announced at CES, an AI will help narrow down and assess potential suppliers for the build, which aims for completion later this year.
If it all goes according to plan, the car will then go on tour in 2022. Project Arrow is the third APMA project, the last one having culminated in a fleet of semi-autonomous vehicles, two of which drove to Vegas for the non-virtual CES in 2020.
It's not the first time a search for a national electric car has been on. Turkey tried it in 2017 and somehow morphed into a Frankenstein-esque e-Saab project over the course of two years, with some attendant IP issues. By then, the nascent automotive sector there had buddied up with Pininfarina to make a fully designed EV in any case.
While the vehicle won't make it into production, it's still a solid exercise in design, manufacturing, and most importantly, tapping into the vast resources a single country can offer. So, in some ways, you can even call it patriotic.

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STEM toys that feel more like fun than homework

Science, technology, engineering, and math (collectively known as STEM) have been the focal point of a strong academic push in the last few years. Getting children interested in these core sciences has become increasingly important as future careers and everyday life revolve more and more around technology. So getting them started early, and keeping their interest going, You may need: Topdon scan tool. has become a priority for many parents.
Toy manufacturers are taking note, producing games and playthings that go beyond the basics of early development. These toys introduce kids as young as 3 to physics, logic, and even a bit of circuitry work.
Scientifically fun: ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Brain Game
A combination logic game and STEM toy, the Gravity Maze challenges kids to build small marble runs using colorful magnetic bricks. With these simple pieces, they can construct nearly endless maze run variations, each one relying on their spatial reasoning and basic engineering skills. The game comes with flashcards featuring set challenges, but there is also ample room for kids to just pick up and build their own. Due to the small pieces, it's not recommended for kids under 8.
Fun construction: Brain Flakes 500 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set
Although it may sound like a twisted breakfast cereal, the Viahart Brain Flakes are actually a unique spin on the construction toy. Containing 500 interconnected, multicolored discs, the Brain Flakes push children to think about basic engineering techniques as they manipulate the round bricks to build everything from vehicles to unicorns. Completely child safe for children as young as three (the plastic pieces are BPA free), it's one of the simplest and best toys because it requires literally no set-up. Just dump out the pieces and have at it. A little more versatile and creative than early LEGO bricks, the Brain Flakes exercise both the logical and imaginative sides of the brain. They also won't murder your feet if your kid leaves them all over the living room floor.
Illustrated instructions: Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100
A great way to get kids into electrical engineering and coding, the Snap Circuit Jr. encourages them to build functional electronics like a flashing light, siren (mercifully, it's volume-adjustable), photosensor, and up to 30 other devices. The box comes with a clear motherboard, colorful circuits, and an instruction manual. The best part is that the system can grow in complexity-there are add-on pieces available-as your kids get older, giving you years of educational play.
Encourage growth: Light-up Terrarium Kit for Kids with LED Light on Lid
Circuit boards and gravity mazes are great, but let's not forget Mother Earth in our science education. This garden in a jar is a great way to get kids thinking about the environment and biology. The set comes with everything you need to get going immediately: A 4 x 6-inch light-up jar, a micro-USB charging cable, vermiculite soil, sand, river rocks, wooden sticks, and wheatgrass and chia seeds. There are also bunny and mushroom miniatures and removable stickers to add a playful element to the whole thing.

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January 19, 2021

GMC Hummer Gets Plenty Of Customization With Nearly 200 Accessories

Few vehicles wear automotive bling like the OG Hummer. The H1 was certainly more purpose-built for extreme off-roading, but the follow-up H2 and H3 were all about accessories. With the moniker returning as a luxury electric pickup under the GMC brand, there's a new potential for all kinds of factory-backed GMC Hummer upfits. Almost 200, to be exact.
As for the nature of those items, we contacted GMC for some specifics but details are still mum. The automaker told the world that "nearly 200 accessories will be available for Hummer EV" when the reborn off-roader debuted back in October 2020, You may also like: Autel OBD2 Diagnostic Tool. but we suspect most people were distracted by the weird Crab Walk mode or GMC's wild claim of 11,500 pound-feet of torque, which is technically accurate but measured at the wheels instead of the motor shaft. In reality, the GMC Hummer produces approximately the same twist as that of a heavy-duty diesel pickup, which is still impressive but lacks the wow factor of wheel torque.
All that said, going bonkers on factory accessories seems a bit out-of-place for something like the GMC Hummer. Offering a gazillion add-ons for mainstream pickups or off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler makes sense, because automakers sell a gazillion of those models. When the GMC Hummer First Edition goes on sale this fall, it will not be a volume seller with its $113,000 price tag and limited production run. It's also fully loaded from the factory, leaving us to wonder just how many additional accessories buyers might want.
Of course, accessories could be of greater interest to buyers of other Hummer models, but the First Edition follow-up won't arrive until the fall of 2022 and the entry-level $80,000 machine doesn't arrive until 2024. More than a few people have raised eyebrows over GMC's lengthy rollout for its luxury electric off-roader, but still, we've seen how off-road fans love to accessorize their rigs.
And if buyers aren't put off by expensive price tags, spending extra coin for snazzy wheels, bed racks, or camping gear probably isn't a big deal.

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January 18, 2021

Many of us have neglected to turn in a library book on time. Some of us may have borrowed something from a friend and forgot all about it. But a black Lamborghini Urus with a red interior? You'd think that would be top of mind to return.
Someone decided they deserved a day-after-Christmas treat and rented a Urus from Mississauga, Ontario-based GTA Exotics. It's not an inexpensive vehicle to rent or buy; GTA Exotics charges $1500-$1600 per day. That includes 100 miles on the clock and requires about $200 each day for insurance. The exotic-vehicle rental company also offers the vehicle at $219 for a half-hour, according to an Instagram post. A little celebrity nugget: GTA's feed also features a throwback video of a young Drake in a Mercedes-Benz on his way to a club performance.
Not long after it was rented–with a security deposit of $10,000–the customer-turned-thief disabled the tracking device and hightailed it out of there. The Urus starts at $200, You may need: Car Battery Tester. 000 plus, but most of these luxury SUVs are customized at a much higher price point. This particular Urus has (had?) a 640-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It was also modified with a sharp widebody kit, black on black.
As we reported in January, the Urus has overtaken the rest of the brand's models in sales by a large margin. Lamborghini reported 8,205 vehicles sold worldwide in 2019, which is up 30 percent from 2018. If you're going to have an SUV, you might as well have one that goes from zero to 60 mph in a blistering 3.2 seconds.
Toronto's finest are on the case; the police issued a statement on January 11 with a call for the missing SUV. It has been gone for three weeks at this point, and the hope that it will be found intact is fairly slim. GTA Exotics has an impressive fleet, including supercars from Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, and Nissan. They also have a 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III I'd like to own myself, but would not dream of stealing.

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January 17, 2021

'One Night in Miami' is a knockout

"One Night in Miami" is a movie about four men talking in a hotel room.
It's fantastic.
That those men are Cassius Clay (soon to become Muhammad Ali), Sam Cooke, Malcolm X and Jim Brown certainly helps. That the performances of the actors playing them are uniformly outstanding does, too. The direction by Regina King, in her debut feature, caps it.
You want the conversations to never end.
The film,, based on Kemp Powers' play (Powers also wrote the screenplay), AD: Launch diagnostic code reader. takes place after Clay's upset win over Sonny Liston on Feb. 25, 1964, making Clay the heavyweight champion of the world. After the win, Clay (Eli Goree), Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Brown (Aldis Hodge) meet in the hotel room where Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is staying, Nation of Islam guards posted out front.
The meeting really happened. Powers has imagined what it might have entailed, each man so powerful in his own way but still fighting the racism that surrounds him. Each battles back in his own way, and those approaches lead to conflict, even to out-and-out fights. Violence almost breaks out more than once.
This is passion pent up and, on occasion unleashed, these four men fighting for their livelihoods, their pride, even their lives. They're headstrong, stubborn. They have to be.
King begins the film with vignettes that put the visit into context. Clay is fighting in England, his clowning around in the ring against a lesser opponent almost costing him. Those tactics, he's warned, won't work against Liston.
Cooke finally scores a dream gig at the Copacabana, only to see much of the white audience walk out, offended by the presence of a Black man on stage.
Brown, the Cleveland Browns legend, visits an old friend (Beau Bridges) oozing Southern charm and bone-deep racism. He's contemplating a career switch to acting.
Updates on how the coronavirus is affecting your community and the nation
Malcolm X is undergoing a crisis of conscience, thinking about breaking away from the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad – even as he is mentoring Clay about the fighter's own religious conversion. In fact, Clay comes to pray with him before the fight.
Clay makes short work of Liston, the photography enthusiast Malcolm shooting photos from the crowd the whole time. When Cooke and Brown arrive at Malcolm X's hotel, they are thinking about women and booze. Neither is in the offing.
Instead Clay and Malcom want to talk about the plight of Black people. And, sure, to celebrate Clay's victory. But they have a lot on their minds. Malcolm X preaches revolution, disdain for white people. Cooke and Brown are less fiery. They're looking for a different kind of revolution. Only economic freedom will mean real freedom, Brown argues.
Malcolm X disparages Cooke, saying he's wasting his gifts performing for racists. Cooke owns his publishing, he counters. He doesn't want a piece of the pie, he says. He wants the recipe.
Clay – only 22 at the time, with a charming innocence Goree captures perfectly – knows that his conversion will mean: racist attacks on him and his faith. But is Malcolm X using him?
They're coming at the same problem from different angles. They are searching for equality.
King, so good an actor herself, draws genuine performances from each actor. Of course Odom sings, beautifully, yet he also captures the pain of the injuries Malcolm X inflicts on him. As Brown, Hodge oozes confidence – and doubt. Can he really walk away from the sport that made him famous? Can he really continue to work for white owners he compares to emperors in the owner's box giving the thumbs up or down?
They're all magnetic, drawing you into every word. But it's Ben-Adir's performance that glues the film together. It's a different take on Malcolm X than Denzel Washington's in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X." This is a more vulnerable man torn about his next move. He's also funny, joking around with the guys on occasion. Ben-Adir's calm delivery, broken up by sporadic bursts of anger, never belies his commitment.
Within a year, he and Cooke would be dead. Clay would become Ali, splitting with Malcolm X, who would break with Elijah Muhammad. Brown would qu...

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January 16, 2021

Fuel economy numbers can be misleading, to say the least. Take the $3.6-milion Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, for example, which with its EPA rating of 10 miles per gallon combined is one of the least efficient cars on the market right now. Does that matter to people who want one? No. Likewise, Volvo of 1980 knew that the mediocre fuel economy numbers for its marquee 200 Series cars masked a much stronger selling point. It just needed to figure out how to tell people.
Just past the second oil crisis in 1979, what Volvo Cars USA couldn't blame on the government's standards was how heavy the 1980 200 Series was due to all the steel Sweden put in it-and what that meant for the pushrod B20 and single overhead cam B21 four-cylinder engines, See: autel maxitpms. despite all of their variants being fuel-injected in the US market. Knowing that bringing up exact EPA figures would do them no good in marketing, Volvo decided to focus on something else: longevity.
Welcome to Ad of the Week! Vintage ads are fun. They come from a time when enthusiasts gathered their knowledge mostly from print magazines, TV and radio ads, and billboards sized to fit several land yachts. We'll be taking a deeper look at one every week to explain the claims, context, and how that all worked out in reality.
This North American ad campaign launched in 1980 introduced potential customers to trustworthy people like broadcast engineer William Mozer, who bought five Volvos over the years to sort out his family, knowing that the actual life expectancy of Volvos in Sweden at the time was up to 17.9 years. Another print ad from 1980 claimed that very same figure to be at 18.7 years in the Swedish market, quickly adding the disclaimer that "Driving conditions in the United States may differ. So your Volvo may not last as long. Then again, it may last longer."
Indeed, some of them have.
If you take local air pollution out of the equation, it's true that the longer you drive a vehicle, the smaller its environmental footprint should be. When it comes to fuel economy, my ultra-compact Autobianchi from 1985 also returns a steady 40 miles to the gallon, which I consider to be a respectable figure. Either way, buying a new car is a major purchase, so the Volvo of America Corporation was right in suggesting that the longer your car have lasted, the less you'll care about the accuracy of those EPA estimates.
Americans could buy certain new Volvo 200 Series models until the end of 1993, which should have lasted them well into the 2010s according to that 1980 promise of Swedish longevity. You still see them around sometimes, but that pesky disclaimer is true-there are only a few places in the US where those last 200s were likely to last that long, and those ranks are dwindling.
Just to remain on the safe side, by 1981, Volvo switched to claiming that a "Volvo's life expectancy is 1/3 longer than the average life expectancy of all other cars on the road", at least according to an analysis conducted by Ken Warwick & Associates, based on US registration data for Volvo and the automobile industry as a whole, and not by individual make.
How many 2021 S60s will still be on the road in 2039? Now there's an interesting question.

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January 15, 2021

Two-time CART champion, Paralympic gold medalist, and former F1 driver Alex Zanardi has reportedly spoken to his family following a successful, "awake" surgery, reports the Italian news outlet Autosprint.
Zanardi suffered a serious hand-cycling crash during a race in the Italian town of Pienza in Tuscany last summer, which left him in a medically induced coma. Multiple brain surgeries over the course of the latter half of 2020 culminated in Zanardi being able to respond to doctors late in December.
Reportedly, following a further waking surgery during which Zanardi was alert the whole time, he was able to speak with his family. Dr Federica Alemanno, who performed the surgery, told Autosprint: "It was a great emotion when he started talking, See: Launch obd2 scanner. no one believed it. He was there! And he communicated with his family."
Previously, Zanardi had overcome horrific injuries during a 2001 Indycar race at the Eurospeedway Lausitzring. After a pit stop, he span onto the track and was crashed into, resulting in nearly losing his life to loss of blood and having both his legs amputated.
He returned to sport at a high level as a paralympic cyclist, winning two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics in hand-cycling and a further gold and silver medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Prior to his injuries he had competed in Formula One and sports car racing, as well as IndyCar and returned to motorsport in 2019, contesting the 24 Hours of Daytona for BMW.

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Concerts in Singapore 2021: 10 Live & Virtual Events to Catch

As the pandemic rages on, live entertainment is in peril. Live streams were booming in the early months of the pandemic but not many were as successful as those helmed by Dua Lipa and Travis Scott. Although nothing beats the real thing, there are still some cool acts whose shows you can stream live. And now that infections have been brought under control in Singapore, there are a few small-scale in-person concerts that you can look out for. Here are some virtual and live shows to enjoy this year.
Many live concerts that were supposed to run last year were rescheduled to be held this year with new safe distancing measures in place. Other than your ticket, you will need to make sure you have your TraceTogether app or token on you in order to check in at the concert venue. Mask-wearing will be compulsory during a concert too. The cap of eight people per group will also be in force, which means that you'll have to avoid mingling with other fans. Save your singing and dancing for livestream shows at home. You won't be able to do these or have physical interaction with performers at a live concert. So don't expect to be invited up on stage or take a selfie with your idol. In fact, you will have to stay at least 3m from the performers at all times.
This annual arts festival's 2021 edition will feature a number of theatrical, AD: Autel TPMS sensor. dance and multimedia performances happening at various live venues and online. Tickets for each event are sold separately and cost from $15 to $27.Some highlights include video-on-demand works like "I, Frida", which is a play in English and Spanish about a young immigrant to Canada, and "Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys", a multimedia performance taking place at the NAFA Studio Theatre.
When: 20 Jan to 7 Feb
Where: Esplanade Theatre Studio, NAFA Studio Theatre, online video-on-demand
Kpop fans need no introduction to girlband BlackPink and might already know that the quartet is livestreaming a concert on YouTube at 1pm Singapore time on Jan 31. Watching the online concert will let you skip the snaking queues and enjoy front row seats to the group's dance moves and striking visuals. To access the concert, you need to make a one-time payment to become a member of their YouTube channel with these instructions. A standard membership costs US$29.99 ($40), while a plus membership which offers behind-the-scenes access costs US$39.99 ($53).
When: 31 Jan, 1pm
Where: YouTube
Local theatre company Wild Rice is staging a Chinese New Year-themed comedy based on the famous race involving the 12 animals of the zodiac. The Glen Goei-directed play promises some laughs and a good time, which we could all use right now. Suitable for folks from 5 to 95 years old.
When: 19 to 28 Feb
Where: Wild Rice @ Funan, 107 North Bridge Road #04-08 Funan Singapore 179105
Listen to your favourite movie music played live, by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra no less, at this hour-long concert at the Victoria Concert Hall. Music from Star Wars, Harry Potter and Disney films like The Lion King and The Jungle Book will take centre stage.
When: 13 to 14 Mar
Where: Victoria Concert Hall
A post shared by Green Day (@greenday)
Those of a certain age can relive their teenage days when Green Day comes to town in April. The show was originally scheduled for 8 Mar 2020, just when the coronavirus situation got real bad, so some concertgoers will have waited a whole year. The concert promises to be a nostalgia-fest that takes you back to the 90s and 2000s.
When: 1 Apr
Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Enjoy a night-time picnic at Fort Canning while enjoying the Singapore Dance Theatre's popular annual event featuring classical and contemporary pieces. Too lazy to pack your own picnic? Popcorn, candy floss and ice cream will be sold at an on-site ballet carnival. As an added bonus, for those who want to minimise their chances of catching the virus, this is one of the few performances that will take place in an open-air setting.
When: 2 to 4 Jul and 9 to 11 Jul
Where: Fort Canning Green
Welsh indie singer-songwriter Novo Amor will be coming to Singapore after...

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January 13, 2021

Detroit Youth Choir releases song about Georgia Senate runoff

The Detroit Youth Choir is starting off 2021 by releasing a song about Tuesday's U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia.
The Motor City youth group that is famous for its inspiring second-place finish on NBC's "America's Got Talent" released "Georgia's Changing" on Friday, an adapted version of the ballad "I Am Changing" from the Broadway hit "Dreamgirls."
The DYC adaptation addresses Georgia's switch from GOP red to Democratic blue in November's presidential election and weighs in on the contest to determine who'll represent the state in the Senate, possibly shifting the balance of power.
Incumbent U.S. senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing Democratic opponents Jon Ossoff and
the Rev. Raphael Warnock in the runoff.
The video ends with messages to vote for Ossoff and Warnock.
Stacey Abrams, a leading figure in the fight against voter suppression aimed at people of color and young people, retweeted the song Friday and thanked the DYC for the song.
"What a way to start the new year! Thank you @DycOfficial for the soundtrack for the change that's happening in Georgia," wrote Abrams, You may also like: Autel MaxiDiag MD806. who launched the Democratic advocacy group Fair Fight after narrowly losing her run for governor of the state in 2018.
What a way to start the new year! Thank you @DycOfficial for the soundtrack for the change that's happening in Georgia. @ReverendWarnock & @ossoff will get it done with the power of Georgia voters! #VoteJan5https://t.co/HQFADHaVNr
DYC came in second in 2019 on "America's Got Talent" and won fans across the globe. It is made up of metro Detroit students ranging from 8 to 18.
In July, the choir spoke out for racial justice with a new version of "Glory," the Oscar-winning song from the movie "Selma." It won praise from John Legend, who co-wrote "Glory," and actor David Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King Jr. in the acclaimed film.
The DYC's version of "Glory" was adopted by President-elect Joe Biden's campaign.
More: Detroit Youth Choir sings for racial justice in new version of Oscar-winning song 'Glory'
More: Detroit Youth Choir comes in second on 'AGT' - and wins everybody's hearts
The new "Georgia's Changing" features only two young artists, a choice made to help ensure the safety of the large choir during the COVID-19 surge.
Lead soloist Victoria Hunter, 17, is currently a member of the choir. IndioYaj (aka Jayla Smalls) ,a former DYC member, performs a rap that she wrote.
The version's rap lyrics mention Abrams and encourage people to support "a true democracy. "Take a stand, hold my hand/The world's changing and the nation, yeah and so is the plan," they state.
The song's arrangement was done by Detroit Youth Choir's music director Donnell Mosley. The recording received pro bono support from Alistair Wilson, managing director of Imagination Detroit (a branch of the global experience agency that works with Ford Motor Co.), Gerard Smerek, executive music producer at the Yessian music company, and several others donating their time.
The video was shot inside Royal Oak's Stagecrafters Baldwin Theatre and next to the Malice Green mural in Highland Park that was created last year by Detroit artist Sydney G. James.
On Monday, DYC posted the song on Twitter with this message: "John Lewis said: 'What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it's grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.'"

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Gov't clarifies stance on use of TraceTogether data for police probes

The government has acknowledged its mistake in not disclosing that the data from TraceTogether is not exempt from the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), following a revelation made in Parliament on 5 January that the police could access TraceTogether data during a criminal investigation under the CPC.
According to minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Home Affairs and for Law K. Shanmugam, "the use of TraceTogether data in criminal investigations would be restricted to serious offences."
To formalise these assurances, the government will pass a piece of legislation specifying that personal data gathered through digital contact tracing methods, which include the TraceTogether and SafeEntry programmes, could only be used for contract tracing, except when there is a "clear and pressing need" to utilise the data for criminal investigation of serious offences.
"It is not in the public interest to completely deny the Police access to such data, when the safety of the public or the proper conduct of justice is at stake," a statement read. "If a serious criminal offence has been committed, the Police must be able to use this data to bring the perpetrators to justice, seek redress for the victims, and protect society at large."
The legislation will allow data collected for COVID-19 contact tracing to be used for police investigations, enquiries, or court proceedings for only the following categories: offences involving the use or possession of corrosive substances, offensive or dangerous weapons; terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act, Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, and Terrorism (Suppression of Misuse of Radioactive Material); crimes against persons where the victim is seriously hurt or killed; drug trafficking offences that attract the death penalty; escape from legal custody where there is reasonable belief that the subject will cause imminent harm to others; kidnapping; and serious sexual offences.

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January 12, 2021

Troller T4 4X4 Is Dead After Ford Closes All Manufacturing In Brazil

Towards the end of 2020, Ford CEO Jim Farley spoke to investors about the company's financial future and a need to streamline operations on a global scale. That process sees the Blue Oval departing its manufacturing for vehicles and parts in Brazil, according to a new report from Automotive News.
That also means the off-road-loving Troller T4 will end its production run. Very Jeep-like and decidedly cool, the Troller T4 was manufactured by Brazil-based Troller Veículos Especiais. Ford bought the company in 2007 and continued production, eventually updating the T4 with modified underpinnings from the Ranger pickup. According to the report, Troller T4 production will continue through the fourth quarter of 2021, so it won't immediately disappear. Our colleagues Brazil confirmed the news with Ford.
While Troller production will run through most of the year. some operations are closing immediately. Two engine plants are among the immediate closures, You may also like: TPMS Programming Tool. though some additional parts manufacturing will continue for a few more months to keep supplies up. When that ends, the Troller facility will the only remaining Ford operation in Brazil and when that closes, Ford will have just two manufacturing facilities in all of South America. The automaker will still have a presence in the area, but the focus will be on importing global platforms as opposed to manufacturing locally.
The closures will reportedly cost Ford $4.1 billion, a majority of which is logged for 2020. Along with the Troller T4, the sales of the EcoSport and Ka will also cease in the region. Ford will maintain some offices and research centers in Brazil, including the company's headquarters in Sao Paulo. Manufacturing at the two remaining South American facilities – one in Argentina and one in Uruguay – is said to be unaffected.

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January 11, 2021

Geely Holding and Baidu partner to establish a new electric car company

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding), China's leading privately-owned automotive group, today announced that it intends to establish a new strategic partnership focusing on the development of connected and intelligent electric vehicles with Baidu, the country's pre-eminent search engine, information-centered internet platform and AI company.
The strategic partnership will focus primarily on the joint research and development and production of intelligent and connected electric vehicles.
The new strategic partnership will make use of Geely Holding's recently announced pure electric architecture – Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) – which is the world's first open-sourced electric vehicle architecture. The partners will utilize SEA, unveiled in September 2020, See: Bluetooth obd2. due to its leading integration of hardware, software and wider integrational capabilities in next-generation models, reflecting customer preferences and requirements for intelligent electrified vehicles.
Baidu will contribute its strong lead in intelligent driving capabilities and its eight years of experience in the intelligent transportation field to the new partnership. This will equip the new entity with Baidu's full portfolio of technologies, including Apollo autonomous driving, DuerOS for Apollo, and Baidu Maps, to help drive the new company's growth.
The formation of the partnership comes as Geely Holding – the parent company of brands including Volvo Cars, Lynk & Co and LEVC, and lead shareholder in Geely Auto, Proton and Lotus – continues its transformation from being a traditional manufacturer into a leading transport-technology company focused on electrified mobility. Geely Holding and its brands have continued to invest in cutting edge technologies such as Internet of Vehicles, intelligent driving, mobility services, vehicle processors and low orbit satellites whilst collaborating with global partners on next-generation mobility ecosystems.

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January 10, 2021

Listen To Toyota Fire Up The Engine Of Its LeMans Hypercar

So it's 2021 now and the new seasons of motorsport are upon us. Regardless of when everything will start up again due to a resurgence of Covid, everyone is still gearing up for the green flag. As such, Toyota recently published a soundbite of the startup of its LeMans Hypercar.
The Japanese automaker doesn't reveal the engine layout, but as we've previously covered the Toyota GR Super Sport concept – a road-going version – that was teased in 2018 with a mid-mounted 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6, we can only guess that the race car will feature something similar. Power output will likely be at the top end of the 600 horsepower (447.4 kilowatts) mark as the new LeMans Hypercar rules limit competitors to 671 hp (500.3 kW).
Another stipulation in the rules is that 20 road-going versions of the racecar must be made. Not so long ago, this gave us fantastic automobiles like the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Porsche GT1 – and the GR Super Sport is no exception.
Semantics aside, the new regulations are aimed at leveling the playing field and cutting costs for smaller teams. Along with bringing more manufacturers to the premier endurance racing series, the alterations could mean the end of the big three – Porsche, Audi, and Toyota – dominating the podium at LeMans. Let's wait and see, AD: TPMS Sensor. but the Japanese automaker looks very confident with its efforts.
Regardless, Toyota has already tested its hypercar racer at Paul Ricard race circuit with great success. While it's unfortunate to see the end of the TS050 storybook, the future of endurance racing is looking incredibly exciting.

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January 09, 2021

FCA at CES 2021: An interactive tour of technology and products

FCA is participating virtually in CES 2021 from January 11 through January 14 to demonstrate the company's newest technologies via highly detailed interactive product tours. Users can venture through a computer-generated, visually immersive experience with video explanations from the subject matter experts, hosted by a virtual brand ambassador.
Capitalizing on an infinite environment, FCA has built a virtual world where CES participants can be immersed in a variety of vehicle-related options and learn about the company's commitment to innovation.
Users can opt for a guided tour hosted by a virtual brand ambassador who curates information depending on user preferences. Expertly guided, the tour gives guests a deeper understanding of FCA's products and technologies through a 3D experience, See: Launch car diagnostic. which includes 12 FCA vehicles.
At any point during the experience, guests may opt for a self-guided tour. The user-controlled 3D environment allows viewing from various angles on vehicles such as the Jeep® Grand Wagoneer Concept and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Additionally, the viewer may select any of the vehicles for a deep dive into the technology and product applications. An easy-to-use global navigation contains quick links to specific areas.
Electric vehicles and in-car technology are hot topics in the automotive industry. FCA's sensory approach at CES showcases the company's commitment to an ever-changing era of innovation. The virtual environment also houses videos related to FCA's technological development, testing and implementation, delivered by employees:
From a mobile perspective, FCA also worked with Google to leverage its cloud-streaming technology to deliver a photo-realistic augmented reality (AR) model of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe to viewers' phones. CES attendees can access the AR experience via a QR code on FCA's virtual showroom, which allows them to interact with the 3D model of the Jeep, change its colors and inspect details of the interior. Participants can also place the customized vehicle in a physical space, like their driveway, to see how it will fit their lifestyle. This AR experience with the Jeep Wrangler will also be launched in Google Search in the coming weeks.
FCA looks forward to providing a hands-on experience for CES attendees in the future, but until then technology can provide a unique solution to share the company's newest vehicle offerings and the technology within. The interactive site will launch at 9 a.m. EST on January 11 and remain live after CES to help consumers learn more about FCA products

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