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BMW hints at the future of electric motorcycles with the Vision DC Roadster

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Unveiled at BMW’s NextGen event in Munich, Germany the Vision DC Roadster concept takes the iconic design of the company’s two-cylinder boxer engine and puts a battery inside. The result is a naked bike that while very much a concept design, still looks the part of a BMW bike.

BMW has taken the protruding elements of its engine and used that design as a cooling feature on the Vision DC Roadster concept. The elements actually flare in and out if the bike is moving or stationary to cool the batteries. The bike itself is built using aluminum and carbon fiber to reduce weight while the LED lighting system echoes the light design on current BMW motorcycles.

BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster battery cooling

In addition to the bike, BMW also unveiled protective companion riding gear with integrated lighting and connectivity aspects. Hopefully, this bike (or one based on this design) makes its way into showrooms in the near future. A BMW motorcycle with electric torque is an intriguing proposition that we’ve far too long for.

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Bacteria from your gut may be the key to running farther

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The researchers found the bacteria after examining the poop of 10 Boston Marathon runners. To generate energy for itself, Veillonella breaks down lactic acid, which is produced at a higher level when athletes perform particularly strenuous activities. To determine if the bacteria was making a difference, the researchers isolated a strain of it and inserted it into 16 mice, then placed them on a treadmill. The mice with the bacteria in their stomachs were able to run for 13 percent longer than mice who didn’t get the benefit of Veillonella — a small difference, but one that could make a huge difference in an athletic competition in which every little advantage counts.

While Veillonella shows promise as a potential performance enhancer, it’s still early on in the stages of research. The test shows a possible positive feedback loop between the bacteria and a host, but it’s not clear if it will translate to humans in the same way or if it will prove safe for consumption. Plus, there are plenty of questions that still need answers, including why the bacteria appears to be more prevalent in some people if using it would count as a performance enhancer, which could be considered cheating.

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Google Drive tests a full offline storage mode in Chrome

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Google is currently accepting applications for a new beta that will allow testers to mark the non-Google files they want for offline access. Unfortunately, only G Suite organizations can apply to be part of the testing period, and those who do get the chance to use it early can only take advantage of the feature if they’re using the Chrome browser. They have to enable offline mode from within the Drive or Docs settings first and then sign into the account associated with the approved G Suite organization before they see the option to save files offline.

Google

Google says the current version of the feature doesn’t work with Chrome OS, but it’s working to bring it to the platform in the future. No word yet on whether it’s also coming to other browsers other than Chrome — let’s just keep our fingers crossed for wider compatibility when it’s ready for rollout.

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Apple’s Seattle workforce will quintuple by 2024

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In order to accommodate the new workforce, Apple is leasing two 12-story buildings in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The building’s location will be at 333 Dexter, only one block west of Amazon’s main campus. Apple and Amazon will be far from the only tech players in the neighborhood; both Google and Facebook have plans to expand in the vicinity.

Tech giants commonly set up shop close to each other in order to keep an eye on the competition, and Apple’s wider expansion plans don’t veer away from this trend. Apple is reportedly eyeing a building near chip manufacturer Qualcomm for its new San Diego site. The LA neighborhood of Culver City, where Apple is planning on adding 1,000 new jobs by 2022, is also the home of Sony Pictures and Amazon Video. Along with the more than 5,000 jobs it will be bringing to its new Austin site, Apple appears to be in good shape to reach its goal of 20,000 domestic jobs by 2023.

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Watch SpaceX attempt a ‘most challenging’ Falcon Heavy launch at 2:30 AM ET

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The launch window was scheduled to open at 11:30 PM ET, but NASA and SpaceX are now targeting takeoff for 2:30 AM ET. The launch window extends until 3:30 AM, and a backup window will open tomorrow night between 11:30 PM ET and 2:30 AM ET.

This flight is also important because of its payload, which includes things like NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock and the Green Propellant Infusion Mission. After launch, we’re in for another triple landing attempt, with the two side boosters coming down at Cape Canaveral and SpaceX attempting another sea landing for the center core and, hopefully, bring it all the way home this time.



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New York City is the first new 'Hitman 2' location

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Hitman 2 has had the same locations since launch — you could take on new targets, of course, but the missions always had to take place in the same environments. You'll have some variety very shortly, though. IO is giving Expansion Pass holders "Th…

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Leica’s new ‘entry’ M rangefinder camera costs $3,995

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While the Typ 240 now has a healthy 2GB buffer that allows shooting three frames per second, the sensor only shoots at a max ISO of 6,400. It won’t be a low-light champ, even if the full-frame sensor helps overall performance. You’ll also have to settle for 1080p video recording, which may feel out of place when many phones can capture 4K.

The camera reaches stores on July 25th. It may be a tough sell if you’re looking for image quality above all else, especially when Panasonic (Leica’s usual hardware partner) offers the Lumix S1 for considerably less. This is more for people who crave Leica’s particular combination of design and lens choices and can’t quite justify paying the usual premium.

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KitchenAid’s $3,199 SmartOven+ connects to Google Home and Alexa

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As we learned this winter, the SmartOven+ has a 4.5-inch LCD display and an app that lets you control the oven and its attachments. You’ll be able to adjust the steamer via the oven’s display, and you can enable alerts to let you know when your baked goods are perfectly crisped. In the US, the SmartOven+ is compatible with Google Home and Alexa, and users can receive alerts from their Nest thermostat app if they leave the oven on unintentionally. While the smart kitchen revolution has been a slow one, KitchenAid and its parent company Whirlpool are at the forefront. Next, we’ll see if KitchenAid follows Whirlpool’s lead and adds smart watch compatibility or augmented reality features.

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Outage in Netherlands knocks out emergency services for hours

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The Dutch were given a frightening lesson about society’s reliance on technology. A major telecommunications outage knocked Netherland’s version of 911 offline for a few hours on Monday, reported Reuters. The outage originated on Royal KPN’s network and impacted both landlines and mobile phones. It’s unclear what caused the event, though KPN has ruled out a security breach. The network went offline at around 3:45 pm in the Netherlands, and was restored roughly four hours later.

Public officials immediately flocked to social media to warn Dutch residents of the outage. In case an emergency hit, people were instructed to go to the nearest hospital or fire station directly rather than call a dispatch operator. Temporary mobile phone numbers were soon given out for emergency services. Police could even be reached by email or Whatsapp. Other emergency services in the country asked residents to reach out to them on Twitter or Facebook.

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Tesla granted tariff exemption on Japanese aluminum for battery cells

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Tesla said in its request the battery cells are used to power the Model 3 as well as in its energy storage systems, such as the Powerwall and Powerpack. “Tesla is the only US manufacturer of these battery types and planned production of these batteries will increase exponentially over the next few years,” it wrote, according to Reuters.

In its response, the department agreed the aluminum Tesla needs is “not produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or of a satisfactory quality.” The waiver is good for a year.

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