Unno is a brand whose reputation precedes them. As a mountain biker, I seem to know a lot about the brand, whether it’s their inception under the leadership of designer Cesar Rojo, their initial forays into domestic carbon fiber production or their boutique bikes that seem to have little regard for convention.
Quite honestly, it was an exciting prospect to ride one of these sought-after machines. Unno says they “started again from zero” to update their enduro platform, and the Burn is nothing if not out there. To look at it, there seems to be elegance mixed with brutish features, pragmatism mixed with absurdity.
The Burn features its own novel suspension layout and it’s not just radical in its looks – Unno suggests running this at around 30 to 40% sag. They can do this because the bike has a very progressive kinematic curve.
This level of progressivity will ensure that there are no harsh bottom-outs. Although much of the progression happens in the beginning portion of the stroke (one of the reasons for the Burn’s sensitive initial travel), a kinematic like this can make it difficult to use full travel other than during very large impacts. This might not be a bad thing if you demand lots of initial activity and want to save the rest of the travel for a rainy day, but there is a reason why most bikes don’t offer this level of change throughout the stroke.
Our test bike, which was a size S2, was the Race model and retails for just less than $9,000 USD. There are frame-only options, plus an entry point Elite and Factory model to sit on either side of the Race in their pricing. Our bike featured an SRAM GX AXS drivetrain, Formula Cura 4 brakes, Fox Factory suspension, alloy Crankbrothers Synthesis e-bike wheels, and a Duex enduro one-piece bar. The bar itself is an interesting prospect. Despite it looking quite wild, dimensionally it’s nothing too out-there. Its flat shape obscured its actual rise, which is achieved by the sleeve of the stem extending quite a long way down the steerer. The bike features in-frame storage, a universal derailleur hanger, and through-the-headset cable routing.
The geometry of the S2 impressed us with its sheer balance. Its high stack, middling-to-short 470mm reach, and 445mm stays all played their role in this. Although the reach might not be in the same vein as other bikes meant for those around 175 to 185cm in height, which might typically have 480-485 mm of reach, it proved a hit with us. There was one significant outlier though – the seatpost and seat tube.
At 460mm the seat tube is very long. This in itself isn’t the end of the world, and you can get it low enough to give enough clearance. The plot thickens, though, because the seat tube sits directly above the shock – it’s not only very high but also with a short insertion depth. This means that while the post is high, you also can’t fit in a long dropper (our test bike had a 150mm post when something over 200mm would have been preferred). With the saddle dropped it was too high, and if you lowered the seat post itself to an appropriate length for a descent it would then be too low for pedaling when at full extension. It’s further exacerbated by the fact that it doesn’t use a seat tube collar but rather a wedge to clamp against the post.
Climbing
The Unno offers a great platform for climbing. Due to the fact that it’s so happy to get into its stroke its tracking is very good, and, even with anti-squat values of around 120 to 90% depending on where in the sag range of 30 to 40% you are, the grip is good and there is a great degree of composure in terms of how the rear wheel handles the terrain. It’s very happy to follow the contours of the ground and also give a decent degree of efficiency. It’s also the joint lightest bike on test.
However, as we’ll get into more in the descending, it’s not without its foibles. The suspension might take tech-climbing in its stride but there are some geometry and component outliers that make climbing the Unno more complex than perhaps it should be. One issue is the slacker 76.5-degree seat tube angle, which brings the rider’s weight more rearward. This in itself wouldn’t be an issue, but the actual seat tube angle is slacker still and, when combined with the high stack and stubby stem does mean that sometimes the bike feels very light on the front.
The suspension does offer a lot, but I again wonder if that seat tube angle is trying to negate the inherent problems caused by the frame’s layout.
Descending
Descending the Unno should be an enticing proposition but for some test riders the initial excitement soon blurred into confusion and then deflation. The squat links that connect the front triangle to the swing arm are neat and provide a taut, stiff platform to really drive the bike. The geometry plays in that too, It made for a bike that had lots of the rider’s weight going through their feet, and it meant that you could focus on applying weight with your hands when you want to initiate a turn or pump the bike, rather than ever being pulled forward or having large amounts of weight in your hands by default.
The geometry cuts a sensible balance, and one that feels like it’s been honed in on during real-world riding and years of reflection. It’s interesting to see something so balanced with a suspension system so extreme. There are other examples of both virtues and vices juxtaposing one another. For instance, the frame storage sits beneath a panel that holds the water bottle. It works well and is both simple and effective. Yet, it leaves the bottle rattling on the underside of the top tube. The suspension gives a feeling that thrives on sleep-slow tech, but then the seat tube is so long, with such short insertion depth, that it means you’ll struggle to get the saddle out of the way for the very trails the bike was meant for.
It’s a fascinating bike and they’ve clearly compromised some elements or dimensions to grant the real estate to make their own suspension platform, and it poses a question right at the heart of the issue – is any suspension platform good enough for these compromises? Probably not. Is this suspension system a game-changingly wonderful take? I wouldn’t say so.
It’s okay in certain situations, such as the steeper technical trails, but it also struggles because while you may never hit bottom out, you do often hit that wall of support. At times, it felt like this bike was reduced to a frame with a lot less travel than it actually had. During my testing, I experimented between 140-210 psi, which is a huge swing and didn’t get bottom out in either. In fact, the 210 psi felt better if only because it gave more initial support, and I just learned to accept that I would largely be using far less than full travel.
All these problems, and the intense ramp-up, mean that on flat-out fast trails, this bike can be very fatiguing. You’re not bouncing off the bottom out, but you may as well be. It can also lead to a hanging-up sensation in some instances that will not only punish mistakes but also your wheels. After our test period, the rear was in a sorry state.
Technical Report
Two Too Many Wedges: Both the Duex bar and the seat post were cinched via wedges that would be driven with 4mm Allen keys. This seems unwarranted and unnecessary, and I think would prove unpopular with mountain bikers at large, much in the same way it did with our test team.
Finishing Kit: The bike isn’t cheap, so it’s frustrating that you’d want to immediately explore options in terms of low-stack seat posts. Plus, if it were my bike, I would take the bars and grips off too. They’re just a kook too far for me. That’s not even to mention the E13 cassette and YBN chain in a combination that didn’t offer as good a shift as I have come to expect from a full complement of SRAM parts.
Formula Brakes: The Foruma Cura 4 Brakes offered good power, even if the feel didn’t give as much bite as I would personally like. That said, there was plenty of modulation and adjustment on offer, although sadly the latter wasn’t tool-free.
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.
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
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.
