Paris 2024 Highlights - Day 6

  

July 31, 2024 - DAY 6

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics continues with Triathlon, Diving, Rowing, Cycling BMX Freestyle, Shooting, Judo, Canoe Slalom, Artistic Gymnastics, Fencing, and Swimming the medal matches of the day.

Great Britain's Alex Yee won the Men's Individual Triathlon, Team China won the Women's Synchronised 10m Platform, The Netherlands and Great Britain dominated separate Quadruple Sculls events, China's Deng Yawen and Argentina's Jose Torres Gil won gold in Cycling BMX Freestyle Park Finals, Guatemalan Adriana Ruano Oliva with the Trap Women's Final, Croatian Barbara Matic and Georgian Lasha Bekauri won gold in separate judo matches, Australia's Jessica Fox in the Women's Canoe Single, Shinnosuke Oka from Japan with the Men's All-Around, South Korea with the Men's Sabre Team Fencing, and Sarah Sjoestroem from Sweden, France's Leon Marchand, USA's Katie Ledecky, and China's Pan Zhanle dominated swimming events with the Frenchman won two golds this day.

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics has officially begun, and China is currently leading the medal tally with 9 golds out of 19 medals. France is in second place with 8 golds out of 26 medals, and Japan is in third place with 8 golds out of 15.

There are still plenty of medals to be won, so stay tuned to see how the rankings change!

For full schedule and results: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule

Kia EV3 vs Hyundai Casper Electric

The first-ever Kia EV3 all-electric crossover slots in as the most affordable model in Kia’s lineup of electric crossovers, with prices starting at 39.95 million won (around $33,000). While it is the most affordable of Kia’s electric crossovers, it’s still not cheap. After factoring in additional costs like taxes and registration, the price of an EV3 will likely be closer to $40,000. That’s still a solid value for an all-electric crossover from a reputable automaker.

2025 Kia EV3

A concept turned reality, the EV3 takes over the void left by the Soul when it was gutted off from the lineup three years ago, moments after the new Kia logo's unveiling.

2025 Kia EV3

The EV3 is a concept car turned reality. It fills the gap left by the Soul crossover, which was discontinued three years ago. The EV3 has nearly identical styling to the concept car it was inspired by, and it's sized like the defunct Soul. This compact size makes it easy to live with, though it's obviously also a "mini-me" EV9. The cubic-styled wheel designs add a nice touch and give the vehicle a distinctive and futuristic look. It looks like something straight out of Tetris.

2025 Kia EV3 interior

The Kia EV3 also features a minimalist interior. The materials used to construct the cabin are also recycled. It’s a great look that makes sense for an electric vehicle. Plus, you’ll feel good about reducing waste every time you get behind the wheel. 

While drivers are greeted by its 30-inch screen on the driver's side with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a five-inch air-conditioning touch panel, there's one annoying feature that will ruin someone from his or her sweet spot; the Kia EV-first AI assistant that works just like the Amazon Alexa nonsense.

Of course, being a five-seater crossover, the EV3's rear seats can be folded down for added space. It even comes with a rear hidden compartment to store some more. Having a compact crossover with a 25-litre frunk and a 460-litre boot really means business, especially if it's a Kia.

2025 Kia EV3

Built on the Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP, the EV3's electric powertrain runs on a 400V architecture and an 81.4-kWh NMC battery for the Long Range variant while Standard Range variants run on a 58.3-kWh NMC battery. Both variants run on a front-mounted electric motor that produces 204PS of power and 283Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h. Fair enough.

The Long Range variant is good for up to 501km of driving range in one full charge and it will take around 30 minutes to reach from 10% to 80% while charging at a public charging station.

Being front-wheel-drive only, the EV3 features eDTVC for better traction for moderate reasons. It even comes with the new i-Pedal 3.0 regenerative braking with one-pedal operation just like the Nissan Leaf. As for safety, the EV3 is prepped with notable features such as Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Remote Smart Parking Assist, among others. 

The Kia EV3 crossover is the baby of the Kia EV lineup. There's also the recently facelifted EV6 and the king-sized EV9. The EV3 looks like the concept car it was inspired by, and it's sized like the discontinued Soul crossover. It's a compact size that's easy to handle in the city. I'm not sure how I feel about the AI assistant. It's kind of annoying and might be hard for people to fall asleep in the back seat.

However, if you find the Kia EV3 too expensive or too annoying because of the AI assistant injected inside, there is a cheaper and simpler alternative: the Hyundai Casper Electric.

2025 Hyundai Casper Electric

2025 Hyundai Casper Electric interior

Priced at 31,493,670 Korean Won plus additional costs, the simple-looking Casper Electric brings everything Koreans loved about the Casper, now with the all-electric powertrain to back it up.

Although it looks and feels just like its petrol-powered equivalent, the Casper Electric features specifically-made front lamps, tail lights, and a new interior featuring a new digital instrumental cluster and touchscreen that are longer than the one from the normal Casper. Asked about the boot space, it's good for up to 351 liters with the rear seats folded down. It's offered only in one variant with five seats.

Bolted to a front-mounted electric motor and a 49 kWh battery, the Casper Electric produces 115PS of power and 147Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 150kph. As for driving range, it's good for up to 315km on one full charge.

The Casper Electric features a wide array of safety techs such as lane keeping assist, lane following assist, blind spot collision avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist 1.5, and parking collision avoidance assist rear. It even comes with rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, safety exit warning, smart cruise control with stop-and-go, highway driving assist 1.5 (HDA 1.5), intelligent speed limit assist, driver attention warning, high beam assist, leading vehicle departure alert, and rear occupant alert.

To sum things up, the Kia EV3 is the more expensive and feature-rich of the two, and it's also a larger car. The Hyundai Casper Electric, on the other hand, is more affordable and simpler. Both are fun to drive, but I would recommend the Casper Electric to people who are on a budget or who don't need all the bells and whistles.

The more you know...

Photo: Kia, Hyundai

Let's Do The News! (July 31, 2024)

 

Your daily round-up of today's news...

-  Senators are hoping to fulfill the decrease in PhilHealth contribution rates. The PBBM administration recommended a reduction in the contribution.

- Drug and smuggling charges against Congressman Pulong Duterte and others have been made public by former senator Sonny Trillanes. Trillanes said he will file again the plunder case against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go in "times to come".

- Eight places of Cavite are placed under the State of Calamity due to the Bataan oil spill triggered by Typhoon Carina.

- America's support for the Philippines is assured, regardless of the results of the November 2024 presidential elections. The US also welcomed the agreement between the Philippines and China on the Ayungin Shoal row.

- Israel confirmed the death of a Hezbollah commander during a strike in Beirut. The Israeli military said Fuad Shukr was "eliminated" but local security sources deny this.

- The new boss of the US Secret Service apologizes for its failure to save Donald Trump from the would-be assassination attempt.

- Protests occurred in parts of Turkiye as its parliament legislates to round up the country's 4M stray dogs.

- Radical preacher Anjem Choudary was sentenced to life imprisonment for directing the banned group al-Muhajiroun.

- An arrest warrant has been issued for Katie Price after she failed to attend a court hearing relating to her bankruptcy.

- A strong geomagnetic storm is on track to interact with the Earth's magnetic field through the early morning hours of August 1st, triggering an aurora borealis similar to the one last May. The storm is classified G3 by the NOAA.

- The Pagani Utopia received a new Roadster variant.

2025 Pagani Utopia Roadster

- Tesla recalls over 1.8M vehicles across the US due to a software failure to detect an unlatched bonnet.

- Recaro Automotive files for bankruptcy. The famed car seat maker filed for insolvency at the Esslingen District Court as a result of significant financial difficulties due to extreme price hikes and the loss of a major contract.

- Wheel manufacturer BBS filed for bankruptcy for the fifth time since last year. The company reportedly stopped paying salaries in May.

TTFN.

Paris 2024 Highlights - Day 5

 

July 30, 2024 - DAY 5

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics continues with Table Tennis, Shooting, Judo, Artistic Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens, and Swimming the medal matches of the day.

China defeated North Korea at the Mixed Doubles Table Tennis. At the same time, Britain's Nathan Hales won the Trap Men's Shooting finals, Japan's Takanori Nagase won the Men's -81kg judo match, Slovenia's Andreja Leski at the Women's -63kg judo finals, Team USA at the Women's Team Artistic Gymnastics, New Zealand with the Women's Rugby Sevens, Australian Kaylee McKeown at the Women's 100m Backstroke, and Irishman Daniel Wiffen at the Men's 800m Freestyle.

Japan leads the medal tally with seven golds out of 13 medals total, followed closely by China with six golds out of 14 medals, and Australia with six golds out of 11 medals. There’s still a lot of time left in the games, so anything could happen!

For full schedule and results: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule

My FH5 Log: Koenig Specials - The Aggressor

2024 marks Koenigsegg's 30th anniversary and what better way to celebrate 30 years of Spirit of Performance by driving the best of Koenigsegg in Forza Horizon 5. Let's continue our FH5 history lesson on Koenigsegg with the Agera era.

With the lessons learned from the CC-era cars, Christian von Koenigsegg begins his next chapter by creating the most technologically advanced hypercar bound to rewrite the rules of speed and power; the Koenigsegg Agera.

The Koenigsegg Agera is a spiritual successor of the CCX, a supercar that continued the Swedish supercar maker’s tradition of pushing beyond the limits of speed. The Agera was unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and was powered by a 5.0L twin-turbo engine, a huge departure from its supercharged predecessors. It produced 960HP of power and 1100Nm of torque and was named Top Gear’s Hypercar of the Year in 2010.

The Koenigsegg One:1 is a true engineering marvel. With a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1 (1360 horsepower to 1360 kilograms), this hypercar is capable of astonishing acceleration and a theoretical top speed of 440 kilometers per hour. It also handles exceptionally well thanks to advanced aerodynamics that include an air scoop on the roof. Koenigsegg only built six of these cars, and they all sold out before they were even completed. This makes the One:1 one of the most exclusive and desirable cars in the world.

The Koenigsegg Agera RS, unveiled in 2015, is the final product of the Agera era. It takes all the components of different Agera models and combines them into one hypercar to end them all. The Agera RS uses the same twin-turbo V8 from the S, but it’s been optimized to produce 1160hp on regular gasoline or 1300hp on E85 biofuel. It’s also lighter than the R and the S, thanks to advanced composites and layup techniques from the One:1 program. 

The Agera RS is also a record breaker. In 2017, it set five records that put the Bugatti Veyron to shame. These records include the highest top speed for a production vehicle at 447.19 km/h (277.87 mph), the quickest 0-400-0kph time of 33.29 seconds, the highest average speed for a flying kilometer on a public road at 445.63 km/h (276.9 mph), and the highest speed achieved on a public road at 457.94 km/h (284.55 mph). 

Only 25 units of the Agera RS were made and sold. This makes it one of the most exclusive and desirable cars in the world.

Let's bring the Koenigsegg Agera cars to the Horizon Mexico festival venue and find out which one is the best. Roll the tape.

And here are the results...

Agera - 1m07.117s

One:1 - 1m00.327s

Agera RS - 1m01.078s

Although the Agera RS is the ultimate Agera, it still barely wasn't enough to beat the world's first megacar, the One:1. Still, regardless of what happened, the Agera rewrote the rules of what a hypercar should be and the Agera RS is Ground Zero for its successor; the Jesko.

Next time, our FH5 Koenigsegg history lesson continues with the Regera. Stay tuned.

A quick 45-year history of Eat Bulaga

The Philippines' longest-running variety TV show, Eat Bulaga, is officially 45 years old today. For four-and-a-half decades, the longest-running noontime variety TV show in Philippine history, Eat Bulaga, has become the staple of every Filipino household with its rousing and engrossing segments with engaging hosts, including the so-called Holy Trinity of Eat Bulaga; Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.

In honor of the show's 45th anniversary, it's time for a quick history lesson about the Philippines' longest-running variety TV show.

TVJ and the Dabarkads
Moving Forward to TV5
Image: TV5

Eat Bulaga first aired on July 30th, 1979, with Broadcast City as their first home studio with RPN-9 (now RPTV) as their home network. Then, they moved to the Celebrity Sports Plaza in 1987 until they switched to ABS-CBN's Studio 1 (now Dolphy Theater) in 1989. The show re-used the Celebrity Sports Plaza in 1994 to say farewell to ABS-CBN as they moved to GMA-7 and their fourth home studio of the show, Broadway Centrum, in 1995. 

After 23 years of delivering rousing and engrossing segments in the heart of Broadway Centrum, not to mention spawning an Indonesian version of the said show, the country's longest-running noontime show has moved to its fifth home location, the APT Studios, marking a brand new beginning in Eat Bulaga's four-decade history.

The TVJ and the Dabarkads enjoyed the spoils of the success of their show for over four decades until the Dark Age of Eat Bulaga came. No, it's not because of the COVID pandemic, it's because of the Jalosjos family in charge of TAPE that spurred a feud between TVJ and TAPE, Inc. That feud between them because of the show's proposed changes prompted the TVJ trio to leave TAPE for good at the end of May 2023 along with the other Dabarkads. Their farewell speech wasn't televised and instead streamed on the official Eat Bulaga Facebook page.

Come June 5, 2023, nearly a week after TVJ and the Dabarkads left Eat Bulaga, the noontime show welcomed the new batch of hosts consisting of Paolo Contis, Buboy Villar, Betong Sumaya, Cassy and Mavy Legaspi, and Alexa Miro. The new batch of EB hosts was later expanded with former Manila city mayor Isko Moreno and Kimpoy Feliciano. Their welcoming arrival in Eat Bulaga is mired with criticisms with some saying this is not the Eat Bulaga Filipinos loved.

Moments later, the TVJ and their Dabarkads pals got themselves a new home; TV5. The problem is, that they're still figuring out what will the name of their TV5 show will be due to a legal battle over who has the right to use the Eat Bulaga title, between the TVJ trio and TAPE. They did say they would say the title on July 1st, adding days of speculation for the observers who follow the ongoing Eat Bulaga war that caused a seismic shift in Philippine noontime viewing.

Then, on that fateful day of July 1, 2023, the same day IT'S SHOWTIME made its GTV simulcast debut, it's the comeback of TVJ and the Dabarkads in their new home channel, TV5. From an emotional welcome to the climax of their world premiere, they've unveiled the official name of their new noontime show, It's titled EAT... That's it, they called the show EAT..., but the TVJ trio said this title is temporary because they're still in a legal battle over the Eat Bulaga trademark.

The 5th of January, 2024 saw the TVJ trio of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey De Leon, win the copyright infringement and unfair competition cases against TAPE, Inc. and TV network GMA over the rights of the Eat Bulaga! trademark, meaning neither TAPE nor GMA Network has the right to use the Eat Bulaga or EB trademark.

As a result of the ruling, the January 6, 2024 episodes of both noontime shows saw drastic changes. The old Eat Bulaga! that Filipinos know, under the thumb of TAPE Inc., has been rebranded as "Tahanang Pinakamasaya!" while the TV5 EAT... variety show has been renamed as "EAT...BULAGA!", a seismic shift in Philippine television nearly four-and-a-half decades in the making.

Two months later, after nearly two decades on the air since moving to GMA-7, TAPE Inc.'s variety show formerly known as Eat Bulaga, renamed Tahanang Pinakamasaya, has officially ended its broadcast run. The presenters of Tahanang Pinakamasaya bid their final farewell to the viewers and audiences last Saturday, March 2, 2024, before TAPE pulled the plug on its official livestream, raising speculations that this is the end of the era. It really is.

As a result, the episodes aired on the final broadcast week were usually reruns of select episodes. A week after Tahanang Pinakamasaya was axed, GMA temporarily aired movies to fill the void left by the show's closure until IT'S SHOWTIME made its GMA-7 simulcast debut beginning April 6th.

The rest is history. Long story short but you get the point.

45 years, four TV networks, six venues, one Eat Bulaga. Over the years, Eat Bulaga has featured countless celebrity guests, musical performances, and comedy sketches. It has also been a platform for social commentary and advocacy. The show has won numerous awards.

Eat Bulaga is more than just a TV show. It's a cultural phenomenon that has touched the lives of generations of Filipinos. Happy 45th anniversary, Eat Bulaga!

Let's Do The News! (July 30, 2024)

 

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- PH Vice-President Sara Duterte expresses gratitude to Senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go as well as her supporters concerning the dismissal of her police escorts.

- Several progressive groups gathered at the AFP HQ at Camp Aguinaldo opposing the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin III.

- Six towns and one city in Cavite have been reached by the oil spill from Limay, Bataan. About 29K fishermen are feared to be affected.

- Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, according to police.

- Two children were killed and nine were hurt in a stabbing incident in Southport, UK where the 17-year-old male suspect was apprehended by police.

- Venezuelans protested against the recent election result, which saw President Nicolas Madura handing him his third term in power. The demonstrators in Caracas say Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's re-election was fraudulent. He has accused his opponents of trying to stage a coup.

- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is jeered by crowds on a visit to the scene of a deadly rocket strike in the Golan Heights. Recently, Israeli forces unleashed retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

- ICYMI: Donald Trump, who spoke at a conservative group rally in Florida last weekend, says he's plotting to remove presidential term limits when he wins the November 2024 elections, according to sources. Spoke in front of his Christian supporters at the Turning Point Believer's Summit, Trump says he'll "fix" it so they "don't need" to vote anymore. Trump criticizes Democrats' opposition to the controversial Voter ID system.

- Audi will unveil the A6 e-tron lineup tomorrow.

- Carlos Sainz will race for Williams in the F1 '25 season. He will race alongside Alex Albon.

- Niconico services will resume operation this August 6 following the Kadokawa hack. Dwango also addressed compensation for its premium users.

- Roll20 introduces integration with Discord and it will support Dungeons & Dragons, Dune, CD Projekt RED, and others.

TTFN