Tech
Sticky e*thirteen rubber, a 7200-lumen Lupine light, Look's made-in-France flat pedals and DMT enduro shoes – BikeRadar
All the latest kit to hit BikeRadar’s desks this week
Published: September 2, 2022 at 6:00 am
Since the last edition of First Look Friday was published a little event called the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships happened in Les Gets, France.
The once-yearly event spans the mountain bike disciplines, with title chases in everything from downhill to cross country.
Riders put it all on the line vying for the coveted rainbow stripes, only awarded to the winners of each discipline. Of course, the riders who become champions are on some of the industry’s top-tier and super-secret tech, some of which I spotted at the event.
First, and probably most importantly, is SRAM’s BlackBox prototype rear derailleur and drivetrain that was fitted to XCO gold medallist Nino Schurter’s Scott Spark. The derailleur appears to not need a derailleur hanger, instead bolting directly to the bike’s frame or axle. As soon as we know more, we’ll be sure to bring you updates.
We also checked out the outgoing men’s DH world champ Greg Minnaar’s Santa Cruz V10, which appeared to be running an all-new Shimano Saint rear derailleur.
Finally, we managed to look at Vali Höll’s Trek Session, also sporting some unreleased tech.
Up front, the 2022 women’s downhill world champion appears to be running a beefier-looking RockShox Boxxer fork, possibly with 38mm stanchions, upsized from the 35mm versions on the current fork. This would be bring the Boxxer closer to RockShox’s ZEB fork, which also uses 38mm upper tubes.
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Of course the MTB World Championships has been in the limelight, but it’s not the only event we’ve reported on.
The Malverns Classic, a long-running event hosted in the UK, and one that BikeRadar’s sister title Mountain Biking UK sponsors, also happened last weekend. We trawled the festival to find new and unreleased tech highlights, and also brought you a rather spectacular retro mountain bike gallery.
If you were into fat tyres from the 1970s onwards, that gallery should bring back some fond memories.
Anyway, onto this week’s First Look Friday product picks. Keep reading to check out the latest tech to hit BikeRadar’s desks this week.
Lupine Alpha mountain bike light
Boasting a whopping 7,200-lumen output, the Lupine Alpha has enough power to match its rather fantastic €1,080 price tag.
Of course, at that price it’s not short of tech, with its features stretching beyond the magical maximum output figure and 480m claimed beam throw.
Lupine claims the Alpha’s optics have been tuned to deliver impressive illumination on the trail thanks to 22-degree and 18-degree lenses to control the LED’s output.
Although the sleek head unit is minimalist-looking, it hides Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, meaning a dedicated app can be used to tune the light’s output levels. It also takes advantage of that wireless connection to link to the included remote, ‘Peppi’, that is the primary control for the Alpha.
The head unit has a sleek battery life and mode LED indicator on the rear, while the separate battery pack also has a traffic-light style LED and audible charge indicator.
Combined, the Lupine weighed 735g on my scales (230g head unit, 468g battery, 20g clamp and 17g remote).
I included Lupine’s Alpha in this year’s mountain bike lights group test, so keep tuned for a full review on BikeRadar soon.
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e*thirteen Grappler tyres
The Grappler tyre from e*thirteen is the brand’s latest model, and is aimed at the hardcore, gnarly enduro and downhill markets.
In order to meet the demands of the more extreme ends of mountain biking, e*thirteen has specced the Grappler with super-tough casings, and what it claims is an “exceptionally high grip tread”.
There are two compounds available, with the stickier MOPO version registering as a 42a on the durometer across the tyre’s entire tread for maximum traction.
The Endurance compound has 50a shoulder treads and 56a centre knobs to balance traction and rolling speed.
The tread pattern is reminiscent of the tyre that has become a stalwart on the cycling scene, the Maxxis Assegai. As well as imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it’s also a great move by e*thirteen because the Assegai’s all-round grip is virtually unrivalled.
Along with the compound options, there are two casing types.
The dual-ply enduro casing has a higher 120 TPI weave (so less rubber can penetrate into the tyre carcass threads, resulting in a lighter construction) and an Aramid bead. The tread section is reinforced with an Apex EN insert.
The 29×2.5in Grappler Enduro MOPO compound tyre weighed 1,300g on my scales, while the Endurance compound in the same width and carcass dimensions came in at 1,321g.
The DH-casing tyre also has a dual-ply construction, but uses a thicker 72 TPI weave. An Aramid bead is present, but the Apex inserts are DH-rated. The 29in MOPO compound version weighed 1,440g, while the Endurance compound tipped the scales at 1,466g.
Keep tuned for full reviews of all four tyres on BikeRadar soon.
- From €64.99
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DMT FK1 Enduro shoes
DMT’s FK1 Enduro shoe is a super-lightweight (659g, pair of EU42) knitted-construction flat pedal shoe with a Michelin OCX rubber sole.
The upper’s unusual knitted construction, DMT claims, is designed to create a fit that “adapts to your foot shape”. It’s also claimed to be highly breathable and wick moisture away from your feet.
A lack of seams cements the FK1’s comfort credentials.
Their toe cap and certain areas of the shoe’s upper, such as the heel, have increased protection to reduce wear and help prevent injury. The ankle collar is made from a soft microfibre material, and it’s elasticated to ensure a tight fit around your ankle.
Lightweight shoes – such as Five Ten’s Trailcross range – are certainly popular for the less extreme mountain bikers out there, but the lack of protection could be problematic for some enduro or downhill riders.
Keep tuned for a review of the FK1 to see whether they’ve hit the mark.
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Look Trail Fusion flat pedals
These aren’t Look’s first foray into flat pedal territory, but are arguably a more dedicated effort focused on the MTB market.
The made-in-France composite platform measures 103x103mm at its widest points and is 18mm thick at its deepest, central point. This gives the pedal a convex shape, where the leading and trailing edges are 13mm thick.
They have eight rear-loading, replaceable pins, seven positioned around the pedal’s perimeter and one in the centre.
Spinning on a Chromoly axle, they use three bearings in total. These are sealed with a ‘premium seal system’.
Available in five lively colours (lime pictured) and weighing just 333g a pair, Look hopes the modest asking price will be enough to entice people to buy them.
- £44.90 / $55 / €49.90
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Health
Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die
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.
Tech
Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation
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.
News
Kuwait bans ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
Kuwait has not publicly acknowledged banning the game, which is a tentpole product for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is set to be released on Friday worldwide. However, it comes as Kuwait still wrestles with the aftermath of the invasion and as video game makers more broadly deal with addressing historical and cultural issues in their work.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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