Going back to its oh-so seductive roots
The latest Mercedes-AMG SL goes back to its roadster roots. This time it’s a sophisticated 2+2 soft-top road runner that takes just 15 seconds to get topless, and it can do this at speeds of up to 60 kilometres an hour. It also retains its classic roadster proportions — the hood seems to stretch out ahead of the driver for a time zone!
When it’s launched in Canada this year, the SL will be offered with just one engine — a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. This hand-built unit generates 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque anywhere between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. The fury is then fired though a nine-speed automatic transmission with a wet multiplate start-off clutch in place of the usual torque converter and, for the first time, all four wheels.
The 4Matic+ AWD system is fully variable and changes the manner in which it splits the power based on the drive mode selected. In Slippery mode it adopts a more even power split to prevent unwanted wheelspin when pulling away on a wet road; in Sport and Sport+ it shifts to a rear-drive bias, but still has power flowing forward so it hauls out of a corner in fine style.
This combination proved to be very fast. It runs to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, although this is not where it truly impresses. Keep the hammer down and the SL pulls hard and fast as it races towards its 315 km/h top speed. It is a true test of the driver’s nerve!
Partway into the drive, it dawned on me that this could be the SL’s last hurrah. With the electric vehicle push at full chat, I wondered if a twin-turbo V8 would survive beyond the end of this decade. I sincerely hope so!
While AMG’s all-electric EQS 4Matic+ is a road warrior in its own right, it will never make the owner want to hammer the accelerator to listen to its “crickle-crack” on overrun. The SL is simply sublime in this regard — it made this driver actively seek out tunnels just to hear the exhaust’s glorious symphony echo!
Key to SL’s sophisticated driving feel is the fact the composite aluminum structure beneath the brightwork is 18 per cent stiffer torsionally than the out-going GT Roadster. It is rock solid and so there’s no cowl shake, a side-effect caused when the strength of the roof panel is removed. On the drive route, there were some pretty rough sections of road. In spite of this, there was no shake or shimmy — the SL just hunkered down and drove on as through the road were pristine.
Next up is a trick suspension. The SL is one of the very few cars that does not have anti-roll bars. AMG’s Active Ride Control suspension marries steel springs with adaptive dampers. The active setup not only controls the compression and rebound aspects of the ride and handling, the hydraulics double as the roll control system. It works a treat, as the SL stays flatter than gravy on a plate when pushed to the max through a corner.
This and the aforementioned lack of cowl-shake eliminated the jittery sensation exhibited by many soft-tops when the wheels encounter broken pavement mid-corner. With the SL wearing P275/35ZR21 front tires and P305/30ZR21 rears this could have been an issue. Not here — the SL’s composure under these conditions is confidence-inspiring to say the least!
Another advantage is the standard four-wheel-steering set up. At speed, it turns the rear wheels is the same direction as the front wheels, which brings a much crisper response to driver input. In spite of its imposing size the SL feels like a much smaller car such is the manner in which it whips through a corner.
At slow speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the fronts, which cuts the turning circle to 12.8-metres. The other parking environment plus is another AMG first — a front-axle lift system that can raise the front-end by 30-mm when needed. Now, there’s nothing new here, however, in this case the driver can store the locations where it has been deployed — from now on whenever the car returns to a stored location the front-end automatically lifts, which prevents a bruised chin!
Slip inside and that mess of buttons and knobs has gone in favour of a digital future. The SL’s cabin is dominated by an 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. It looks after all the usual vehicle and infotainment functions, including the sweet-sounding Burmester audio system, as well as the climate controls. However, it goes one further by adding a twist. In most convertibles, when the top is down the screen washes out the instant the sun strikes it. This is true here, too. However, the driver can change the screen’s angle over a 20-degree range. It runs from its laid-back start position to a more upright position that cuts the glare and washout. A small touch, but one that makes a big difference.
Then there are the front seats. Not only are they perfectly sculpted and deliver superior support, they include M-B’s Airscarf. Here, warm air flows from the headrest vents, which keeps the rider’s neck and shoulders toasty. In Canada, this extends the top-down season.
Now AMG says the SL is a 2+2. Up front, there’s no question it’s a delight. The +2 back seat is said to accommodate people up to 1.5-metres tall. Good luck with that one — the reality is this is where you put your briefcase or purse because the is precious little storage space up front.
The 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL a truly delightful machine. It’s very fast, equally agile and it’s truly luxurious, at least for the front seat riders. Find a twisty road, drop the top and let it rip, and you’re off to have about as much fun as you can have while wearing loafers!
The 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 4MATIC+ will hit Canadian roads late spring or early summer. Pricing and full specifications will be announced closer to the launch.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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