Well wishes for the Rio Olympics

This time next week the world will already be focused on Rio de Janeiro, host city of the 2016 Olympic Games, an event described as the Greatest Show On Earth and which many people regard as the most compelling search for excellence in sport.

More than 6,000 volunteers, we are told, have been rehearsing for almost three months to ensure that the Brazil Government’s promise of a well-organised, orderly and enjoyable Games will be realised from the August 5 opening ceremony in Rio’s Maracana Stadium at 8:00 pm (6:00 pm Jamaica time) through to August 21 when the event ends.

Like all Olympic host cities before, Rio is getting a lot of flak on a range of pre-Games issues, such as not being fully prepared, to filthy water that, it is claimed, will affect competitors in the aquatic events, to uncomfortable accommodation for athletes.

In fact, a report in USA Today on Thursday pointed to these and other issues and stated that “given all the issues reported with wiring, plumbing and flooding, organisers will be lucky if all the buildings are ready before the Games open”.

This week, though, Jamaica received comforting information from athletics team leader Mr Ludlow Watts that our team is settling in nicely at the Olympic Athletes’ Village and is not encountering any of the reported problems being experienced by others.

“Everything is going well so far at both the training base and the hotel,” Mr Watts told the Jamaica Observer during a training session on Wednesday. “The facilities are excellent, and I don’t see why anybody should complain.”

We take Mr Watts at his word and hope that there will be no hiccups affecting Jamaica’s 63-member team as they will compete better without discomfort and distractions.

All Jamaicans, we are sure, are hoping that the team will increase its medal haul from the 12 – four gold, four silver and four bronze – mined at the 2012 London Games, compared to the 11 – six gold, three silver and two bronze – earned in Beijing in 2008.

On that score, we wish the team well and we are especially looking forward to the feats of the incomparable Mr Usain Bolt, who is seeking to create history as the first man ever to win gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4 x 100m at three consecutive Olympics.

Of course, the cost of hosting the Games of the XXXI Olympiad has been a burning topic in Brazil which is now in its second year of economic recession. An Oxford university study projected that the Games will run US$1.6 billion over budget. However, even with that massive overspend, the total cost of US$4.6 billion was still modest, compared with what was spent by previous host cities, such as London and Barcelona.

In fact, news reports this week have told us that on average, since 1960, host cities have spent US$5.2 billion in inflation-adjusted terms on the Olympics and, in the last decade, the cost has shot up, with each game averaging US$8.9 billion.

Those facts, though, will not soothe the anger felt by some Brazilians who believe that the money spent on the Games could have been put to better use on improving social services.

It’s usually a tough call for governments. However, we hope that the investment in infrastructure in Rio will pay dividends to the city’s residents, and to Brazil on a whole, for future decades.

Now it's time for the iPhone 7 Plus (or iPhone 7 Pro) to star in a video leak

Just a few short hours ago we brought yet another leaked video of the iPhone 7 to your attention, and now it's time for something similar. Yet this is also somewhat of a special occasion, since it's the first time we're able to glance at the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus or iPhone 7 Pro on video.

It's a short recording, for sure, but it's thankfully much higher-res than the aforementioned outing of the iPhone 7 from earlier. The video shows the bigger model's back in three different color versions - grey, silver, and rose gold. On top of all of those (literally) sits an iPhone 7 for good measure. The much-rumored dual-camera arrangement for Apple's bigger iPhone coming this year can be clearly seen.

Unfortunately there's no shot of the lower part of the back of the phone, where the Smart Connector pins ought to be if Apple makes that one of this handset's features. We also have to mention that recently there's been some controversy regarding how many iPhone models Apple will launch this year.

At the beginning we thought it would be two (like in the past couple of years), but then some rumors out of China claimed there would actually be a trio - the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and the even more expensive iPhone 7 Pro. The Pro is said to sport the Smart Connector and the dual-camera might be exclusive to it too, but it should come with the same 5.5-inch display as the iPhone 7 Plus.

On the other hand, a highly regarded leakster has mentioned that there are in fact only two iPhone models coming this year. This means the one bigger iteration will come with all of those features rumored for just the Pro model in the 'three model' mumblings. It's all a bit confusing right now, but we'll surely be more confident about which way things are headed once we get closer to Apple's September unveiling event.

Finally, let's address another elephant in the room. All of the iPhone 7 leaks we've seen so far (including those for the Pro and Plus variations) seem to show dummy units or simply rear casings for the devices, and not actual working smartphones. This means there's a high possibility for all of these to have just been built by some Chinese makers according to purported schematics that have been leaked long ago. So there's a slight chance that something's off about those, hence the final design of the phones may be a bit different.

Perodua Bezza starts at RM37,300, targets 7,600 units monthly sales

PERODUA officially opened bookings for its first saloon, the Bezza, yesterday with prices ranging from RM37,300 for its 1.0L standard G (manual transmission) to RM50,800 for its 1.3L Advanced variant (automatic transmission).

“We expect the Perodua Bezza to be one of our best volume sellers with a sales target of 7,600 per month this year,” said Perodua president and CEO, Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh. He added that the Bezza was targeted for replacement car buyers, specifically newlyweds and young families, who need a larger boot space in line with the new stage in their lives.

“Based on the feedback from our customers, we learned that after reaching a certain stage in life, they needed a vehicle that could accommodate their travelling needs, we believe that the Perodua Bezza would meet those needs,” Aminar said.

“The public can visit any of Perodua’s 181 sales showrooms nationwide to know more about the Bezza and those interested, a booking fee of RM300 is required," he added.

The “A” segment compact saloon is the first Perodua vehicle which upper body was fully designed by Malaysians, which began in 2014.

“The Bezza took RM300 million to develop and has 95% local content,” Aminar said.

The Perodua Bezza is produced at it's EEV-certified plant, the Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, which is a highly modern facility with over 75% automation rate (the same plant which produces the Perodua Axia).

“The sedan name takes inspiration from the word ‘Beza’ in Bahasa Malaysia, which means "different". And that is exactly what Perodua’s first EEV saloon is – distinctly different,” Aminar said.

The carmaker states that the Bezza "breaks all conventions when it comes to what you expect from a compact saloon". The double ‘Z’ in the name, which somewhat resembles the number "22", also subtly alludes to the fact that Perodua has been in the market for 22 years. The ‘Beyond Compact’ tagline also communicates that the Perodua Bezza "goes beyond drivers’ expectations of what a Malaysian saloon offers. The advanced technology, amazing usability and affordability are built upon Perodua’s trademark of quality, reliability, value and care.

The saloon comes in 5 variants, the 1.0L Manual Transmission and Automatic Transmission; the 1.3L “Premium X” Manual and Automatic Transmission; and the 1.3L “Advanced Version” Automatic Transmission.

The Perodua Bezza 1.3L Advance variant comes equipped with a Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) which is a safety function that detect and reduce skidding hence allows the driver to maintain stability while driving. This variant also comes with Brake Assist (BA) and Traction Control (TRC) which allows the driver to maintain traction on a slippery road. It also has the Hill Start Assist (HSA) that prevents the car from rolling back on slopes when the brakes is released, giving the driver time to switch to the accelerator pedal.

In addition to these safety features, the Perodua Bezza variants come equipped with ABS, EBD and also intermittent operated windshield wiper which changes speed in-line with the vehicle’s acceleration (speed sensing wiper). This will further improve the car’s safety features as it improves visibility when driving in the rain.

Following Perodua’s signature design, the saloon is made with quality, comfort, spaciousness, reliability, affordability and looks in mind. The car is based on customer feedback and preference. The respondents were from both urban and rural areas nationwide.

“The result is that potential buyers were looking for a sedan which has global features but at the consumers’ price,” Aminar said, adding that the saloon has one of the biggest boot spaces in the market with 508 litres available in its class.

“It is also versatile enough with the foldable rear seats configuration (60:40) which result to 8 +1 seating configurations to allow for maximum flexibility to address a variety of situations for the customer. It does not compromise the interior which has plenty of leg room for a compact saloon,” he said.

The Perodua EEV saloon is a first of its kind for the compact car company as the car comes in a new 1.0 litre 1KR-VE engine with VVT-i and a 1.3 litre 1NR-VE engine with Dual VVT-i. The manual transmission has 5 speeds while the electronic automatic transmission (E-AT) has 4 speeds.

The Perodua Bezza 1.0 litre engine may reach up to 22.8km per litre for its manual transmission, while the automatic transmission can potentially travel 21.3 kilometres per litre with eco driving.

“This feature is part of the model’s fuel saving technology adapted to Malaysian weather - another first for Perodua and a first for a national carmaker,” Aminar said.

Meanwhile, the eco driving 1.3 litre’s manual transmission variant can potentially travel 21.7 kilometres per litre, while the automatic transmission can travel 22 kilometres per litre with ‘Eco Idle’ System which available in the Advance variant only. The full tank can potentially travel up to 792km driving.

The ‘Eco Idle’ system will automatically stops the engine when the car is idle and restarts upon release of the brake, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Drivers can deactivate this feature if they wish.

“The Perodua Bezza improvements to the exterior design also result in the best drag coefficient (CD) in Perodua history,” Aminar said.

Another first for Perodua is the push start/stop button and smart entry with smart key which available in the 1.3L variants only.

As for multimedia, the Perodua Bezza 1.3L Advance variant is equipped with a multimedia-mobile link device where a user can access social media and entertainment features of their Android gadget when the vehicle is static. Users can also interface navigation applications such as Waze and Google Maps through this “Smart Link” feature. On top of these features, back passengers can also charge their devices at a USB port located at the rear centre console.

“We believe that convergence between mobile technology and the car is inevitable. With that in mind we want our customers to use this technology as safe as possible when travelling,” Aminar said.

The Perodua Bezza variants is packed with amazing features such as shark fin antenna, remote boot release, one-touch power window with jam protection, front and front corner sensors, reverse camera, reverse sensors and many more.

“With features available in luxury vehicles incorporated into the Perodua Bezza plus its attractive design, smooth ride, quality at affordable pricing, increasing our export footprint will become a reality,” Aminar said.

The car comes in six different colours, which include Sugar Brown and Ocean Blue for 1.3L variants, which are new metallic colours for Perodua, as well as existing colours of Lava Red, Ebony Black, Glittering Silver and Solid Ivory White. Perodua uses eco-friendly water based paint which also provides a better finish.

Nuance Dragon Drive Is Coming To The BMW 7 Series

Nuance has announced that their Dragon Drive connected car voice technology is coming to the BMW 7 Series in the UK.

The company revealed that their voice technology is powering the in car infotainment systems in the new BMW 7 Series.

The BMW Group is the first manufacturer to include Nuance’s latest automotive voice recognition and NLU technology built on Deep Neural Networks, offering faster, more accurate results for a better user experience. The fully integrated, automotive-grade solution enables quick and easy access to a whole range of apps and services such as navigation, music, message dictation, calendars, weather, social media and more. This occurs through a conversational voice interface, activated by voice from the top menu, and unleashing a level of user experience unmatched by aftermarket third-party mobile phone solutions.

The solution allows drivers to make commands in just one phrase, such as “Send a text message to John, I am stuck in traffic on the M6 and will be 15 minutes late,” or “Get me directions to Highland’s Bar & Grill in Birmingham.” Drivers can also speak over or interrupt the system to complete tasks faster.

You can find out more details about the BMW 7 Series over at BMW and more information about the technology over at Nuance at the link below.

FIRST DRIVE: 2017 AUDI S5 COUPE

The Audi S5 is the executive coupe for those who look to strike a balance between youthful sportiness and mature sophistication, and nails both with deft precision.

Spend any time in a country with a storied history like Portugal, and you’ll notice that many of the towns are built on solid, ancient foundations, with modernity layered on top. Regardless of what’s on the surface, the character of the underpinnings remains intact.

Such is the case with Audi’s latest iteration of the S5 executive coupe: You get proven sophistication and sportiness from the ground up, wrapped in a modern package.

The 2017 Audi S5 is the sportier trim of the automaker’s latest edition A5 coupe. A 3.0-liter TFSI V6 sits under the hood, spooling up 354 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. All power finds its way to all four wheels via an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission.

Dress for success

The S5 has an understated, quiet-cool look that carries enough elegance for all sorts of situations. Like robust wine, the design of the car has a host of subtle notes you might not notice at first, starting with the 3D wave line across the car’s profile. Audi took the power line that cuts from head to tail and gave it a twist, literally. It’s now a sharp crease that flows from head to tail of the vehicle that’s even incorporated in the gas cap.

The S5’s hood gets a similar treatment, with a dome sculpted with clean, subtle air channels that make the coupe look speedy at a standstill. Flared wheel arches give the car a wider, more ground-hugging appearance that further emphasizes its sporty credentials.

Plenty up my sleeve

Inside, the cockpit of the S5 gets packed with features without adding tons of clutter. One clean, unbroken panel of brushed aluminum (or carbon fiber, if you like) runs across the dashboard, and another runs up the center console. The latter looks particularly impressive, yet seems like it would be prone to scuffs and scrapes after a while.

If it seems like a minor point to note, it’s because there’s very little to complain about beyond that. Both driver and passenger seats are as comfortable and supportive as you could ask for, and even the rear seats are capable of harboring full-grown adults with satisfaction. The layout of the center console is unobtrusive when it comes to hosting car controls and multimedia functions.

With the Plus option, the in-dash computer comes with the permanently installed Audi connect SIM card that gives occupants Wi-Fi hotspot access on the road. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available from the get-go, and an Audi app can put some car functions on your phone, smartwatch, or even Apple TV.

Along with the 8.3-inch navigation and infotainment screen, the S5 now sports the Audi Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch TFT digital display cluster that shares many of the MMI functions and puts them right in front of the driver.

Business time

Heading through any part of Porto, Portugal by car is a terrifying experience because the majority of the journey is either up or downhill, through narrow cobbled roads that are tyrannical to spines, regardless of your current suspension. Nevertheless, the sport suspension of the S5 did what it could to mitigate the jaw-breaking vibrations as I ventured out of town. There, on the roads leading away from blue-tiled buildings and riverboats, the S5 could unbutton its collar, so to speak.

Related: First drive: 2017 Audi R8

The S5’s suspension can manage both because it constantly calculates the conditions and making corrections in tune with the chosen drive mode. Opt for softness, and the dampers absorb all the roads irregularities, but choose sport, and the S5 hunkers down and puts the five-link front and rear suspension to work through the corners.

Three-hundred-and-fifty-four horsepower on tap is more than plenty to have fun with, and the S5 delivers it dutifully. It’s less of a punch to the gut, and more like a hearty shove that pins you in place. From the S5’s excellent driving position, the sophisticated sports car is free to show off a few of its moves, wrapping around corners with control and just enough roll to cushion the ride through bends.

Conclusion

What you end up with is a livable, mature ride that’s got enough fun built in to keep drivers engaged, while being sharp enough to be taken seriously when need be. It sits at a unique crossroad: To the left is the world of wild, boy racer, Hot-Wheel fantasies that are fun, but have little room for practicality. To the right is the world of demure, business-oriented sedans which carry authority, luxury, and comfort.

The Audi S5 finds its own path down the middle. It’s not the only car in this segment that’s capable of this — the BMW 4-Series comes to mind — but it does traverse the razor’s edge between the two worlds with exceptional balance. Quiet cool. No clowning around.

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but Audi hints that the 2017 S5 will see a slight increase over the current MSRP of $53,100. It will go on to chart many European roads this fall and is expected to hop the pond shortly thereafter.

Highs

• Sharp, updated styling
• 
  
• Commanding driving position
• 
  
• Tech-filled cockpit without the clutter
• 
  
• Functional space for passengers
• 
  

Lows

• Powerful but not punchy

2016 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S Recalled for Powertrain Problem

WASHINGTON — Mercedes-Benz USA is recalling 136 2016 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S coupes because of a powertrain problem, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A stop-sale order has been issued on the affected cars.

"The adhesive bond between the carbon-fiber driveshaft and the rear flange may fail, and as a result, there may be a loss of torque to the rear wheels," NHTSA said in its recall summary. "The vehicle operator may be unable to move the vehicle, or may experience deceleration if the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash."

A Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman did not respond immediately to a query from Edmunds asking if there are any injuries, crashes or fatalities linked to the recall.

"In the event of a transmission malfunction or loss of traction between the engine and transmission, a warning signal in the instrument cluster will alert the driver," Mercedes-Benz told federal safety regulators.

The company became aware of a single field case in the U.S. in October 2015 where an AMG GT S customer noted "noticeable noises beneath his vehicle," the company said in a document filed with NHTSA.

Two other field cases were reported later in Saudi Arabia and Japan.

Mercedes-Benz dealers will replace the carbon-fiber driveshaft. The recall is expected to begin by the end of June. Owners can contact Mercedes-Benz customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Edmunds says: If you own one of these vehicles, it's time to make a service appointment with your Mercedes-Benz dealer.