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The 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid's all-new three-motor hybrid powertrain combines the power of a conventional V-8 engine with 4-cylinder-like fuel efficiency and the performance-enhancing capabilities of torque-vectoring all-wheel drive.
The RLX Sport Hybrid shares it basic engine architecture with the two-wheel-drive RLX with P-AWS. The 3.5-liter, 310-horsepower, 24-valve direct-injected SOHC V-6 engine with i-VTEC® and VCM™ adds an idle-stop feature to further maximize fuel efficiency, and revised cam timing to smooth engine restart after idle stop. Peak torque to the front wheels is rated at 273 lb.-ft. at 4,700 rpm (versus 272 lb.-ft. at 4,500 rpm in the RLX with P-AWS).
An all-new advanced 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is standard on the Sport Hybrid—a first for Acura. Unlike a conventional automatic transmission, the DCT offers ultra-quick gear changes and eliminates the need for a torque converter, which significantly improves efficiency. It can operate in fully automatic mode, or can be shifted manually via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD uses three electric motors: a single 35-kilowatt (47 hp) motor that is integrated with the 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission supplements the V-6 engine in driving the front wheels, and a rear-mounted Twin Motor Unit (TMU) containing two 27-kilowatt (36 hp) motors that dynamically distribute electric-motor torque to the rear wheels. Both the front and rear motors capture kinetic energy during vehicle deceleration and braking and convert it to electricity to supply the Intelligent Power Unit's 72-cell, 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, located behind the rear seatback. Together, the 310-horsepower V-6 engine and three electric motors produce a total system output of 377 horsepower and 377 lb.-ft. of torque—the most ever in a production Acura.
The front motor is integrated with the 7-speed DCT and is connected to the driveshaft via a clutch. The motor accomplishes three tasks: (1) It supplements the V-6 engine in driving the front wheels when additional power is required, such as in a passing situation; (2) provides regenerative braking to the front wheels; (3) converts engine power to electricity to supplement regenerative braking in recharging the lithium-ion batteries.
Acura's mechanically-based Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) made its debut on the RL luxury sedan in 2005, and has since been used on a range of Acura models in several iterations. In the RLX Sport Hybrid, SH-AWD operates independent of the gasoline engine. Drawing power from the lithium-ion battery pack, the Twin Motor Unit's two electric motors deliver torque directly to the rear wheels, thereby eliminating the weight and energy losses associated with a conventional driveshaft and differential mechanism.
When cornering, the RLX Sport Hybrid delivers more torque to the outside rear wheel, much like mechanical SH-AWD, but with more available torque at low engine speeds. Sport Hybrid SH-AWD can also simultaneously apply brake torque to the inside rear wheel during cornering to further enhance cornering control. In addition, since it doesn't rely on engine torque, electric SH-AWD can create a larger torque difference between the left and right rear wheels, even during small throttle applications, at low engine speeds or even during deceleration (such as when lifting throttle mid-corner). This substantially magnifies the positive handling benefits of SH-AWD across a much wider range of driving conditions.
2014 RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD
Gasoline Engine type
Aluminum-alloy V-6
Aluminum-alloy V-6
Displacement, liters
Fuel injection
Belt drive, SOHC,
i-VTEC® 24-valve with VCM
Belt drive, SOHC,
i-VTEC® 24-valve with VCM and idle stop
Gasoline Engine Horsepower @ rpm (SAE net)
310 @ 6500
310 @ 6500
Gasoline Engine Torque @ rpm (lb-ft) (SAE net)
272 @ 4500
273 @ 4700
Total Combined Hybrid System Horsepower
Compression ratio
6800 rpm
6800 rpm
6-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift paddle shifters, Sport Mode, Grade Logic and Shift Hold Control
7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with Sequential SportShift paddle shifters, automatic Drive Mode, Grade Logic and Shift Hold Control
Drive type
EPA Fuel Economy Rating1 (city / highway/ combined)
Recommended fuel2
Premium unleaded
91 octane
Premium unleaded
91 octane
CARB emissions rating
Tune-up interval3
No scheduled tune-ups required for 100,000 +/- miles
No scheduled tune-ups required for 100,000 +/- miles
Powertrain at a Glance
- 3.5-liter, SOHC, V-6 engine produces 310 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,700 rpm
- i-VTEC® (intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) for intake valves with VCM (Variable Cylinder Management)
- Computer-controlled Direct Injection (DI) with multi-hole fuel injectors
- 11.5:1 compression ratio
- High-strength steel crankshaft
- X-shaped magnesium intake manifold
- Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system
- Direct ignition system
- Detonation/knock control system
- Variable flow exhaust system
- Maintenance Minder™ system optimizes service intervals
- 100,000 +/- miles tune-up interval
Emissions/Fuel Economy Ratings
- High-flow, close-coupled next-generation precious-metal catalytic converters plus under floor catalytic converter
- High capacity 32-bit RISC processor emissions control unit
- LEV III/SULEV30 emissions compliant
- EPA 28/32/301 mpg (city/highway/combined) fuel economy ratings
Noise Vibration (NV)
- 60-degree cylinder V-angle for smooth operation
- Automatically tensioned, maintenance-free serpentine belt accessory drive
- Active Control engine Mount (ACM)
- Active sound control
7-speed dual clutch transmission
- Electronic Gear Selector provides fully electronic push-button shift control with Sport mode button
- Steering wheel mounted racing-inspired paddle shifters
- Sport mode with remapped, more aggressive automatic shift points and more pronounced engine braking during deceleration
- Advanced shift-hold control limits up shifts during spirited driving
- Grade Logic Control System reduces gear "hunting" on steep hills
The RLX Sport Hybrid's key hybrid components are laid out for maximum packaging efficiency. One electric motor is integrated with the 7-speed DCT transmission, while two more electric motors are packaged inside the Twin Motor Unit (TMU) positioned between the rear wheels. The Power Drive Unit (PDU) is located longitudinally, low in the vehicle between the front seats, while the Intelligent Power control Unit (IPU) and its 72-cell lithium-ion battery pack is placed immediately behind the rear seatback.
Engine Architecture
The RLX Sport Hybrid 3.5-liter VTEC® V-6 has a smooth-firing 60-degree V-angle and compact overall dimensions. The V-6 has a die-cast lightweight aluminum alloy block with cast-in-place iron cylinder liners. The first ever application of direct injection in an Acura vehicle combines with i-VTEC and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) to give the RLX a potent blend of power and fuel efficiency.
The aluminum-alloy 24-valve engine produces 310 horsepower at 6,500 and generates 273 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,700 rpm. Torque is markedly improved vs. RL in the lower ranges, where the engine typically operates. Along with the increased horsepower, the updated V-6 also contributes to increased fuel efficiency, due in part to internal friction reduction features, including an oil-ring ion-plating treatment, and plateau honing. A new tumble-type intake port design improves combustion efficiency.
Engine Block and Crankshaft
With its 60-degree V-angle, the V-6 engine is inherently smooth and has compact overall dimensions that allow efficient packaging within the vehicle. The V-6 has a die-cast lightweight aluminum alloy block with cast-in-place iron cylinder liners. Made with a centrifugal spin-casting process, the thin-wall liners are high in strength and low in porosity. The block incorporates a deep-skirt design with four bolts per bearing cap for rigid crankshaft support and minimized noise and vibration. The 3.5L V-6 uses a high-strength steel crankshaft for minimum weight.
A new cooling control spacer positioned in the water jacket surrounding the cylinders helps to maintain consistent operating temperature. Plateau honing of the cylinder lining further lowers the friction level between the pistons and the cylinders by creating an ultra-smooth surface. This two-stage machining process uses two grinding processes instead of the more conventional single honing process. Plateau honing also enhances the long-term wear characteristics of the engine.
Pistons/Connecting Rods
Designed with special "cavity-shaped" crowns, the pistons help maintain stable combustion and contribute to stratified-charge combustion. Ion-plated piston rings help reduce friction for greater operating efficiency. The compression ratio is 11.5:1. Heavy-duty steel connecting rods are forged in one piece and then the crankshaft connecting rods are "crack separated" to create a lighter and stronger rod with an optimally fitted bearing cap.
Cylinder Heads/ Valvetrain
Like other Acura V-6 powerplants, the RLX Sport Hybrid engine's 4-valve cylinder heads are a single-overhead-camshaft design, with the cams driven by the crankshaft via an automatically tensioned toothed belt. Made of low-pressure cast, low-porosity aluminum, each cylinder head incorporates a new "tumble port" design that improves combustion efficiency by creating a more homogeneous fuel-air mixture. An integrated exhaust manifold cast into each cylinder head reduces parts count, saves weight, improves flow and optimizes the location of the close-coupled catalyst.
i-VTEC Valve Control System
The RLX Sport Hybrid V-6 engine combines Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) with Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC), which changes the lift profile, timing and lift duration of the intake valves. A switching mechanism allows each cylinder to operate with low-rpm valve lift and duration or high-rpm lift and duration. The rear cylinder bank's valve gear can also leave all intake and exhaust valves closed to maximize fuel efficiency during cylinder deactivation.
The "intelligent" portion of the system is its ability to vary valve operation based on the driving situation and engine rpm. At low rpm, the VTEC intake valve timing and lift are optimized (low lift, short duration) for increased torque, which allows a wide range of 3-cylinder operation. As engine rpm builds past 5,000 rpm, the VTEC system transitions to a high-lift, long-duration intake cam profile for superior high-rpm engine power.
Variable Cylinder Management ™ (VCM™)
The RLX Sport Hybrid engine employs Acura's Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) cylinder deactivation technology. The VTEC system combines with Active Control engine Mounts (ACM) to allow the VCM system to operate with three cylinders in a wide range of situations to maximize fuel efficiency and lower emissions. When greater power is needed, the system switches seamlessly to 6-cylinder operation. With the strong power output of the Direct Injection RLX engine, a 4-cylinder operating mode (as used on the port fuel injected 2013 RDX) is not needed.
During startup, aggressive acceleration, or when climbing hills – any time high power output is required – the engine operates on all six cylinders. During moderate-speed cruising and at low or moderate engine loads, the system operates just the front bank of three cylinders.
The VCM system can tailor the working displacement of the engine to match the driving requirements from moment to moment. Since the system automatically closes both the intake and exhaust valves of the cylinders that are not used, pumping losses associated with intake and exhaust are eliminated and fuel efficiency gets a further boost. The system combines maximum performance and maximum fuel efficiency – two characteristics that don't typically coexist in conventional engines.
VCM deactivates specific cylinders by using the i-VTEC (intelligent Variable Valve-Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system to close the intake and exhaust valves while the Power Control Module (PCM) simultaneously cuts fuel to those cylinders. The spark plugs continue to fire in inactive cylinders to minimize plug temperature loss and prevent fouling induced from incomplete combustion during cylinder re-activation.
The system is electronically controlled, and uses special integrated spool valves in the cylinder heads. Based on commands from the system's electronic control unit, the spool valves selectively direct oil pressure to the rocker arms for specific cylinders. This oil pressure in turn drives synchronizing pistons that connect and disconnect the rocker arms.
The VCM system monitors throttle position, vehicle speed, engine speed, automatic-transmission gear selection and other factors to determine the correct cylinder activation scheme for the operating conditions. In addition, the system determines whether engine oil pressure is suitable for VCM switching and whether catalytic-converter temperature will remain in the proper range. Importantly, the drive by wire control is able to finely match torques in 6-cylinder and 3-cylinder combustion modes, making the transition between the two virtually unnoticeable.
Direct Injection System
Conventional engines using multi-port fuel injection mix fuel and air before they enter the combustion chamber. With direct injection, fuel is injected directly into each combustion chamber. This allows for better combustion and overall efficiency.
The RLX V-6 engine is the first application of direct injection for an Acura vehicle in the United States. The system features a compact, high-pressure, direct-injection pump that allows both high fuel flow and pulsation suppression, while variable pressure control optimizes injector operation. A multi-hole injector delivers fuel directly into each cylinder (not to the intake port, as in conventional port fuel injection designs).
The multi-hole injectors can create the ideal stoichiometric fuel/air mixture in the cylinders for good emissions control. Theoretically, a stoichiometric mixture has just enough air to completely burn the available fuel.
Based on the operating conditions, the direct-injection system alters its function for best performance. Upon cold engine startup, fuel is injected into the cylinders on the compression stroke. This creates a weak stratified charge effect that improves engine start-up and reduces exhaust emissions before normal operating temperature is reached.
Once the engine is fully warm for maximum power and fuel efficiency, fuel is injected during the intake stroke. This helps create a more homogeneous fuel/air mix in the cylinder that is aided by the high-tumble intake port design. This improves volumetric efficiency, and the cooling effect of the incoming fuel improves anti-knock performance.
Active Control Engine Mounts and Active Sound Control
A new, more powerful 28-volt Active Control Engine Mount system (ACM) is used to minimize the effects of engine vibration as the VCM system switches cylinders on and off. The 28-volt ACM is a key factor in the VCM's broad range of operation in the new RLX. Sensors alert the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to direct ACM actuators positioned at the front and rear of the engine to cancel engine vibration. In the cabin of the RLX, an Active Sound Control system further reduces low frequency sound relating to the function of the VCM system. (See Interior section for more information.)
Vibration Reduction Technology
Since the RLX Sport Hybrid's gasoline engine can be shut down during certain driving conditions (idle stop), it incorporates measures to mitigate engine vibration during restarts. Compared to the two-wheel-drive RLX, the RLX Sport Hybrid has unique intake cam profiles that close the intake valves later, effectively lowering the compression ratio at startup to reduce vibration. To further reduce vibration, the electrically actuated hydraulic Active Control Mounts (see above) are synchronized with engine start-up. A dual-mass flywheel helps further reduce engine vibration when the gasoline engine is in operation.
Drive-by-Wire Throttle System
The RLX doesn't use a conventional throttle cable, but instead has smart electronics that "connect" the throttle pedal to a throttle valve inside the throttle-body. The result is less underhood clutter and lower weight, as well as quicker and more accurate throttle actuation. Plus, specially programmed "gain" between the throttle pedal and engine offers improved drivability and optimized engine response to suit specific driving conditions.
Acura's Drive-by-Wire throttle system establishes the current driving conditions by monitoring throttle pedal position, throttle valve position, engine rpm and road speed. This information is used to define the throttle control sensitivity that gives the RLX's throttle pedal a predictable and responsive feel that meets driver expectations. There are two different throttle profiles available in the RLX. When the transmission is in "D" (Drive) the drive-by-wire system uses the normal profile. When the Sport mode is engaged by pressing the Sport button located near the shift lever, the system changes the throttle map to enhance response feel.
Direct Ignition and Detonation/Knock Control
The RLX's Power Control Module (PCM) monitors engine functions to determine the best ignition spark timing. An engine block-mounted acoustic detonation/knock sensor "listens" to the engine, and based on this input, the PCM can retard the ignition timing to prevent potentially damaging detonation. The 3.5L V-6 has an ignition coil unit for each cylinder that is positioned above each spark plug's access bore.
Close-Coupled Catalysts and Variable Flow Exhaust System
The exhaust manifolds of the 3.5L V-6 are cast directly into the aluminum cylinder heads to reduce weight, decrease parts count, and create more underhood space. The result of this casting design is that the two primary catalytic converters are positioned much closer to the combustion chambers. High-efficiency next-generation precious metal catalytic converters are mounted directly to the exhaust port of each cylinder head to enable extremely rapid converter "light-off" after the engine starts. A significant weight savings is realized by eliminating traditional exhaust manifolds.
Downstream of the close-coupled catalytic converters, a hydroformed 2-into-1 collector pipe carries exhaust gases to a secondary catalytic converter located under the passenger cabin floorboard. This high-flow secondary catalytic converter has a large inlet and outlet to enhance exhaust flow. To balance the engine's need for quiet operation at low rpm and higher flow at high rpm, the RLX's dual exhaust system incorporates a variable flow rate feature. Pressure-operated exhaust valves in each silencer are closed in normal operation, reducing exhaust noise by as much as 8 dB. When the driver demands more performance from the RLX, rising exhaust gas pressure opens both valves. The additional exhaust flow ads five horsepower to the engine's peak output.
Emissions Control
The 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid utilizes a higher amount of precious metals in its under-floor catalyst to meet CARB LEV III SULEV 30 emissions standards.
A number of advanced technologies are factors in the emissions performance. The unique cylinder head-mounted close-coupled catalytic converters light off more quickly after engine start up, and a 32-bit RISC microprocessor within the powertrain control module (PCM) boosts computing power to improve the precision of spark and fuel delivery.
The RLX's V-6 engine features Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) that continually adjusts the fuel delivery to yield the best combination of power, low fuel consumption and low emissions. Multiple sensors constantly monitor critical engine operating parameters such as intake air temperature, ambient air pressure, throttle position, intake airflow volume, intake manifold pressure, coolant temperature, exhaust-to-air ratios, as well as the position of the crankshaft and the camshafts.
To further improve emissions compliance, the 3.5L V-6 makes use of an after-cat design exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system that allows cleaner, cooler EGR gas to be fed back into the intake system. An EGR system, especially one that delivers a cleaner/cooler charge, reduces pumping loss for better fuel efficiency.
One-Touch Start System
To ensure consistent starting, the RLX has a one-touch start system that maintains starter engagement until the engine starts. Should the driver release the Start button before the engine starts, the system will start the vehicle. Simply push the Start button (with the fob in the vehicle) and the engine will automatically start up.
Noise Vibration Control
With its 60-degree V-angle and compact, rigid and lightweight die-cast aluminum cylinder block assembly, the 3.5L V-6 powerplant is exceptionally smooth during operation. Other factors that help reduce engine noise and vibration are a rigid forged-steel crankshaft, die-cast accessory mounts, and a stiff cast-aluminum oil pan that reduces cylinder block flex.
Idle Stop Feature
Idle stop stops cylinder combustion and cylinder activation, eliminating fuel use when the vehicle is stopped, such as at traffic light or in heavy traffic conditions. The engine is restarted by the 35-kilowatt front motor-generator using energy from the lithium ion hybrid battery pack. Unlike some competing systems, the engine restart is extremely smooth and refined, practically undetectable to the vehicle's occupants.
7-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT)
To maximize performance and fuel efficiency, the RLX Sport Hybrid has a standard 7-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT). In the 7-speed DCT, one clutch controls the odd gears while the other clutch controls the even gears. This arrangement allows gear
changes with a much smaller interruption in power to the wheels, resulting in millisecond-quick shifts. Compared to a conventional manual transmission, the operation of the clutches and shifting mechanisms are electronically controlled, eliminating the need for a clutch pedal or shift lever. Compared to a conventional automatic, the torque converter and its mechanical inefficiencies are also eliminated. The DCT transmission in the RLX Sport Hybrid also features a 17-percent wider ratio range than the 6-speed automatic transmission in the RLX with P-AWS.
Electronic Gear Selector
In the RLX Sport Hybrid, a conventional console-mounted shift lever is replaced with an all-new Electronic Gear Selector fully electronic, shift-by-wire gear selector. Park, Neutral and Drive are selected with the push of a button. Reverse is selected by pulling back a dedicated switch. Indicator lights near the buttons indicate the mode selected. As an added safety feature, if the vehicle is brought to a stop in Drive, the system will automatically select Park if the driver's seatbelt is unbuckled and the driver's door is opened.
Transmission Modes
When in Drive mode, the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission can be controlled steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. While traveling up or down hills, Grade Logic Control alters the transmission's shift schedule to reduce shift frequency and improve speed control. A shift map in the transmission computer continually measures throttle position, vehicle speed and acceleration/deceleration, and then determines when the vehicle is on a hill. The shift schedule is then adjusted to hold the transmission in lower gears to boost climbing power or to provide engine braking when traveling downhill.
Shift Hold Control keeps the transmission in its current (lower) gear ratio when aggressive driving is detected, as in the case of decelerating at a corner entry. Shift Hold Control leaves the chassis undisturbed by excess shifting and ensures that power will be immediately available (without a downshift) at the corner exit.
The RLX Sport Hybrid features Sport and Normal modes. A selector button located on the center console allows the driver to toggle between the two operating modes. Normal mode is aimed at overall energy efficiency. Sport mode, by contrast, puts greater emphasis on the driving experience, delivering a more responsive and direct feel. Sport mode offers more aggressive and sporty shift mapping, engine rpm "blips" on downshifts, while VCM and idle stop functions are cancelled. All of the transmission logic systems work together to automatically alter shift timing based on driving conditions.
Temporary Manual Operation in "Drive"
Whether in Drive or Sport mode, special transmission logic programming allows the use of the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. When the driver operates the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters while in Drive, the transmission responds to the driver's shift command and then returns to its normal fully automatic mode if further paddle shift inputs are not made within a given time. This special logic makes it easy for the driver to command a quick downshift without leaving the comfort of Drive mode. When in Sport mode, use of the paddle shifters puts the transmission into full manual mode that remains until another mode of operation is selected.
Manual Mode
By pressing the "Sport" button located near the gear selector button, Sport mode is engaged. This mode offers automatic operation with more aggressive shift mapping. A pull on the racing-inspired paddle shifters (mounted on the steering wheel) places the transmission in fully manual mode. A digital display in the instrument cluster indicates which gear the transmission is in. The system reverts to normal fully automatic mode if further paddle shift inputs are not made within a given time.
Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD)
The RLX Sport Hybrid is the first production vehicle to employ an electric version of Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). Previous mechanical versions of SH-AWD had the ability to vary the amount of power sent to the rear axle, and to also vary rear power distribution between the left and right rear wheels via a longitudinally mounted drive shaft and rear differential with twin electronically controlled clutch packs.
In the RLX Sport Hybrid, the driveshaft and rear differential of a conventional all-wheel drive system is eliminated, replaced by twin 27-kilowatt (36 hp) electric motors that independently drive the left and right rear wheels. Each motor can also capture regenerative braking energy and apply negative (regenerative braking) torque to further enhance cornering capability.
Independent distribution of torque to all four wheels is a key feature of SH-AWD and its ability to enhance both dynamic handling and all-weather traction. When cornering, more positive (drive) torque is applied to the outside rear wheel, while negative (regenerative braking) torque can be applied to the inside rear wheel. This torque differential creates a yaw moment, producing sharper turn-in, more linear cornering, enhanced traceability and improved steering response with reduced understeer tendencies. In addition, since the system doesn't rely on the gasoline engine for torque, electric SH-AWD can create a larger torque difference between the left and right rear wheels, even during small throttle applications, at low engine speeds, or even during deceleration (such as lifting throttle mid-corner). This substantially magnifies the positive handling benefits of SH-AWD across a much wider range of driving conditions.
Power Drive Unit (PDU)
The Power Drive Unit, packaged in the center of the vehicle beneath the center console, dictates the power management strategy of the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system, including motor power and battery recharge.
Intelligent Power Unit (IPU)
The Intelligent Power Unit is positioned above the Twin Motor Unit, behind the rear seatback. The IPU contains the hybrid system's lithium-ion battery, 12-volt DC/DC converter, junction board, and Electronic Control Units (ECU) for the motors and the battery. The IPU is air-cooled via an integrated fan unit that draws air from inside the vehicle cabin via an intake duct located beneath the rear seats.
1.3-kWh Lithium-Ion Battery
The RLX Sport Hybrid's advanced 72-cell lithium-ion battery has 29 percent greater power density and 5 percent greater energy density compared to the lithium-ion battery in the ILX hybrid.
Front Electric Motor
A single 35-kilowatt (47 hp) electric motor is integrated with the 7-speed DCT. The motor's operating temperature is optimized by a temperature-controlled flow of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) through the motor housing. By tightly controlling the motor temperature, the motor's torque output (both drive and regeneration) can be improved up to 100 percent.
Twin Motor Unit (TMU)
The RLX Sport Hybrid's Twin Motor Unit (TMU) is located in between the rear wheels, where a differential on an all-wheel-drive vehicle is typically mounted. Inside its die-cast aluminum housing are two electric motors positioned back-to-back. Each 27-kilowatt (36-horsepower) motor powers a single rear wheel and can also apply negative torque to the same wheel. A clutch allows each motor to be decoupled from its wheel in certain operating situations to improve efficiency.
Electrically Powered Air Conditioning Compressor
Since the RLX Sport Hybrid engine has an idle-stop feature, it is equipped with an electrically powered air conditioning compressor. This allows continuous air conditioning operation even when the gasoline engine is shut off.
Hybrid System Safety
To maximize passenger safety, the hybrid system components are positioned in well-protected areas of the vehicle. In the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, an automatic high-voltage circuit interrupt in the Intelligent Power Unit cuts power to the hybrid system.
100,000 Mile Tune-up Intervals
The RLX's 3.5L V-6 requires no scheduled maintenance for 100,000+/- miles or more, other than periodic inspections and normal fluid and filter replacements. The first tune-up includes water pump inspection, valve adjustment, replacement of the camshaft timing belt, and the installation of new spark plugs.
Maintenance Minder™ System
To eliminate unnecessary service stops while ensuring that the vehicle is properly maintained, the RLX Sport Hybrid has a Maintenance Minder™ system that continually monitors the vehicle's operating condition. When maintenance is required, the driver is alerted via a message on the Multi-Information Display (MID).
The Maintenance Minder™ system monitors operating conditions such as oil and coolant temperature along with engine speed to determine the proper service intervals. Depending on operating conditions, oil change intervals can be extended to a maximum of 10,000 miles, potentially sparing the owner considerable expenditures and inconvenience over the life of the vehicle. The owner-resettable system monitors all normal service parts and systems, including oil and filter, tire rotation, air-cleaner, automatic transmission fluid, spark plugs, timing belt, coolant and more. To avoid driver distraction while the vehicle is being operated, maintenance alerts are presented on the MID when the ignition is first turned on.


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Product Overview
5/16" x 5/16"
Standard Delivery takes about 6-8 weeks for all metal products (badges, coins, lapel pins, etc.) and apparel.
Large orders of over 100 badges will take longer. Some of our products have been impacted by the supply chain issues.
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The Mary Sue Presents: "Victimless Crimes" by Charlie Jane Anders
Submitted For Your Approval
The Mary Sue is pleased to present strange, beautiful new fiction from Apex Magazine each month. This month's story, from Apex Magazine's current issue, is "Victimless Crimes" by Charlie Jane Anders. Take a look…
"Victimless Crimes"
by Charlie Jane Anders
Teri Lewis was obsessing about her sister's bad marriage and the president's latest compromise, so she barely listened to Flo's improvised song about pandas and dandelions, coming from the stroller in front of her. Maybe if she'd known this would be the last time she'd ever hear her baby sing, she'd have stopped to relish the moment: the sun perched between two clouds, her baby in a pink–dragon onesie and the birds and street noises harmonizing with Flo's almost–nonsense chanting.
Teri pushed the stroller into the crosswalk at 18th and Guerrero, and just barely noticed a truck leaping through the intersection, on the memory of a yellow light. She pulled the stroller back towards the curb so fast she missed the ramp. The stroller's wheels thump–thumped back onto the sidewalk, and it nearly tipped over, thanks to a rickety three–wheeled design. Teri leaned over Flo and make sure her fighter–pilot straps were still secure, and Flo gave Teri a Clara Bow smile.
Teri heard a whooshing sound, a tidal wave of white noise, and turned to see a bizarre trio descending from a VTOL jet on ropes. They landed on their feet just behind her, right by the organic grocery store's fruit bins. Teri glanced to see if the traffic would let her cross the street and get away from these lunatics, but they were already advancing towards her. They were looking at her — no, not at her, at the stroller.
"There she is!" one of them shouted. They rushed over and surrounded the stroller before Teri could maneuver away.
"Stay away from my baby!" Teri shouted.
"Stand back, ma'am," said the big lunkhead with the odd nozzles sticking out of his bald scalp. His arms bulged with unnatural muscles and knotted veins, and he had a huge belt that kept changing color. Teri tried to make a break for it, but the big bald man and the other man, the red pirate, grabbed an arm each and restrained her. She kicked and clawed, but they were both many times stronger than her. She started screaming. A crowd was gathering around the four adults and the baby in front of the organic grocery store, and all the people had their phones out. Teri hoped for a moment that the bystanders were phoning the cops, but then realized they were taking pictures and videos. This incident would make people YouTube famous. There was no point in struggling, and that knowledge just made Teri struggle harder. The third attacker, a girl with her head shaved except for a pink swoosh, squatted down in front of the wide–eyed Florence and put her pacifier in her mouth. The pink–haired girl, who had fishnets and giant black boots, looked through an assortment of high–tech hypodermic needles. "It's the orange one, right? We don't want her to remember all of them, just the most recent."
"Don't!" Teri screamed. "She's never hurt you! Why would you —"
The girl injected her baby with the orange syringe, which made a kludgey burbling noise as it emptied into Florence.
"Welcome back, Captain Champion," said the girl.
Teri's baby blinked, confused but not crying. And then her expression changed to a snarl, a look Teri had never seen on Flo's face. She bit down on her pacifier, as if expecting it to be a cigar, then spat it out.
"Zora Aster," Florence said. "What are you doing here? Wait, what am I doing here? And why the hell are you so tall?" Then she glanced at her hands, and her eyes opened wider as something clicked into place. "Oh. I died, right? How long ago?"
"About six months," the girl, Zora Aster, said. "Took us a while to find where you'd reincarnated. Seems like a nice neighborhood."
"Yeah. Charming." Florence looked around, still strapped into her stroller. "So what happened to me?"
"Demonico put a bomb in your Infinity Glider."
"I just had that thing detailed. With flames on the sides. And I had all my DVDs in the back. Bah." The baby spat. "So, I'm touched you guys came and found me… but did you have to come and interrupt my happy childhood so soon?" The baby glared up at her mother. "It was happy, right? I remember bits and pieces."
Teri recovered from her shock long enough to protest. "Yes! Yes, it was happy! I swear. I'm a good mom. I was just taking you to the park. You like — she liked — Florence, my baby — she likes the park." Teri started to cry, because it was becoming obvious this wasn't her baby any more. The two men restraining Teri let her go.
"I bet. You seem like a good mom. And ooh, I like your shoes. Stylish, but good arch support." Florence — or Captain Champion — turned
back to Zora Aster. "So what was so urgent you couldn't let me be?"
"It's Demonico," said the big bald guy with the head implants. "He's traveling back in time and killing all his past lives one by one. He's convinced that something really awful happened to him in a past life, and if he kills the right previous incarnation before it happens, he'll be well–adjusted."
"Huh." Captain Champion, the baby, spat again. "Sounds like good therapy to me. And it's a victimless crime. So what's the problem?"
"One of his past lives is George Washington. And he's killing them as babies, using a rocket launcher."
The baby that had been Florence sighed. "Okay fine. I have to do everything myself. I assume you at least brought an exo? Not that this body isn't lovely and all, but these hands aren't going to be karate–chopping henchmen any time soon."
"Got it right here." The big man snapped his fingers, and a giant exoskeleton came lunging down to the pavement, landing in a crouch. It looked like a headless metal man, with huge shoulder fins and rocket launchers strapped to both wrists. The boots were big jets. As soon as the exo–suit landed, it swung open to reveal a baby–sized compartment in its torso. The members of the super–group — Teri realized this must be the Action Squad — lifted her baby into the suit and snapped her in.
Teri's baby was seven feet tall and built like a metal sumo wrestler, with her head poking out between those huge shoulders. A see–thru reinforced plastic bubble swung over to protect Florence's head.
"Flo, baby." Teri looked into the face that was barely recognizable as her baby's. "I know you're still in there somewhere. Please don't let them do this. You can't let them. You can stay with me and be my little girl. It's not too late."
"Sorry." And Florence did look sorrowful. "History's at stake, ma. Maybe when this is all over, I can come back, and we can talk. I
hate to leave you like this."
"Don't! Don't take my baby!" Teri fell to her knees as the exoskeleton slowly lifted off the ground.
"Think of it as I'm being emancipated early," was the last thing Captain Champion said before roaring into the sky, then banking towards
that VTOL jet.
Teri watched them disappear, then pulled herself back upright. She pushed the stroller for two whole blocks before she realized there was no point, then she pushed the lever that immobilized the wheels and left it on the sidewalk in front of the liquor store. Teri thought about a documentary she'd seen, about people who left their children behind in their SUVs, because they forgot the kids were even there. She went into the liquor store and found a jug of bourbon almost the same size and weight as her baby.
John, her husband, phoned while she was still paying for the bourbon. She picked it up. "It's not your fault," he said, which didn't make Teri feel any better. John had seen the Youtube, which had already started getting picked up by the cable networks.
"Come home," she told him.
Teri hadn't tasted alcohol since she'd known she was pregnant, and the first swig nearly killed her. She sat on the pavement. The paper bag's crushed edges rubbed her hand raw.
John and Teri spent two days asking questions with no good answers. Do you call the cops to report your missing baby, if you actually know where your baby is? Was the superhero thing something that passed down in the same family, and if so, which one of them had marked their daughter for this? Was either of them something weird in a previous life? What were they going to do with Flo's clothes and toys? Do you hold a funeral for a baby who's not actually dead? John stopped shaving, and it only took him a couple days for his look to go from "nerdy stand–up comic" to something closer to the Unabomber. He didn't sleep or bathe. Teri slept for twelve hours, three times as much sleep as she'd gotten in a twenty–four hour period in the past year, and then felt guilty for sleeping when her baby was gone.
"It's really not your fault," John said over and over, until she was sure he was searching for a way to blame her. Teri drank whisky from the bottle until it became an extension of her face and occluded her view of her husband.
Teri tried to take a week off work, and they told her to take a couple. She tried to do errands like any other day. When she bought toilet paper, she thought to herself, "What am I doing at the drug store? They took my baby. I should be doing something." When she went to buy groceries, she felt like everybody was watching the star of "Mom Jacked by Action Squad" picking out the freshest rutabagas for her now–childless family. Every time Teri turned her head, she saw people look away in a hurry.
And then Teri saw Florence again. On television. Racing through the clouds to smash her engorged metal fist into the jaw of a giant koala, which toppled over and landed on its back in the middle of the Potomac. Florence still wore her exoskeleton, her red little face barely visible in its sternum, and she'd added a garish purple cape. Florence and the pink–haired girl — Zora Aster — high–fived each other.
Teri looked at pictures of Captain Champion from before she'd died, trying to see a resemblance to her baby. Captain Champion had been tall and fit (of course) with long wheat–brown hair and lips that looked pouty when they weren't wrapped around that trademark cigar. She'd been imposing and butch, but with firm, half–exposed breasts and touches of femininity, like a big belt and pointy boots.
"Mom Jacked by Action Squad" had a million views, then two. People kept calling Teri to come and tell her story on cable TV or late–night network TV. A few times, someone jumped out of a car and took Teri's photo on the street, then drove away. And a couple of stylishly dressed young people came up to Teri when she was buying painkillers or jugs of whisky to ask her if she wanted to do an interview.
"Maybe we should do it," John said. "I mean, it's terrible what happened, but our little girl is also making a difference. She saved the President! From that army of Teddy Roosevelts. Single–handed. I feel good about that. I wish I could tell her I was proud. She belongs to everybody now, but she's still our girl."
"That wasn't our little girl," Teri said. "That was the thing that's taken over her body. She already died for them once, but they wouldn't let it be enough."
Teri felt ashamed, like she'd gone out of the house naked, like her bereftness was an offensive lifestyle she'd chosen. And then she remembered that none of this was her choice, and the anger came back. Teri couldn't be around people without wanting to apologize and/or scream at them, possibly both in rapid succession.
Teri's private drinking game:
Drink one shot if
A) someone says how sorry they are in a way that implies that you're to be pitied.
B) someone says how proud you must be of your girl, or how terrific she's been.
C) You see a news report about your little girl stopping a plutonium monster that tried to marry a nuclear missile silo.
D) Your husband tries to tell you it's time to move on, look on the bright side, stop beating yourself up, or get some perspective.
Drink two shots if
A) Someone says how sorry they are, and yet how proud of your girl you must be.
B) You see a baby in a "Captain Champion" Halloween costume, with an exosuit made of old bleach bottles.
C) A publisher calls up and says they've already written your autobiography and they just want you to agree to put your name on it.
D) Someone calls you "Captain Mom."
E) You realize your husband has moved out, and you didn't notice.
Florence came home, six months after she disappeared. Teri was half drunk, watching a news report about the Action Squad defeating Klownopolis (a whole evil clown–shaped city, walking on stilts), which had tried to swallow up Sheboygan. She heard a clanking noise from the stairwell outside her apartment, then went to her fish–eye lens and saw Florence, wearing a lion–shaped exoskeleton from which her face just poked out. Her baby was a sphinx. Teri opened the door before Florence could raise a metal paw to ring the bell.
"You can't come in," Teri said.
Teri's apartment, a one–and–a–half bedroom loft that had been tidy and gilded, now had layers of filth on the hardwood floors and garbage everywhere. Teri was ashamed for her baby to see this, plus letting this imposter in would feel like a betrayal to the real Florence.
"Aw, come on," Captain Champion reared up on her back paws a bit. "You gotta let me in. I mean, we can chat out here on your doorstep, but the neighbors'll talk."
"Okay, fine." Teri stepped back to let the lion, almost soundless except for its footfalls, into her home. The lion clambered up on the couch and sat on its back legs, exposing its stainless underbelly.
Florence stared at a baby blanket, which Teri had hugged during one of her recent drunken episodes. Her eyes widened.
"I didn't think I was going to see you again," Teri said. She wondered for a moment if she should offer Florence some refreshment, but she had nothing baby–safe in the house.
"Wow." Florence lifted the blanket to her pink little face, which was still not quite a toddler's. "I remember this blanket. I dream about this blanket, all the freaking time. It's weird, you know. I have super vivid dreams about your hands, too. And your scent." Florence leaned forward and sniffed Teri, who was still standing over her. "Although you don't smell like I remember. Now you smell like cheap whisky."
Teri sat on a pile of crap on the coffee table. "You ruined my life." She looked into Florence's eyes, saw a flinch. "I guess I shouldn't blame you."
"Yeah, it was a dumb break," Captain Champion said, hugging her own metal body. "Those assholes should have figured out a way to cope without me."
Teri shrugged. She felt unstable on her perch.
"After I died," Captain Champion said, "The Megagyrus Energizer flew away, probably back to the Mountain of Perfection. I can feel it and all, but it won't respond to my commands until I'm well into puberty. I probably have another dozen, maybe fifteen, years of being a weakling unless I wear the suit."
"So…" Teri thought for a moment. "So you would have turned into Captain Champion anyway? Even if they hadn't, uh, woken you up?"
"Well, yeah. Although I might have come up with a different name this time. Like Mega–Maid. Who knows. Hey, do you mind if I smoke? These baby lungs, they're so pink. It freaks me out. I have to do something to dirty them up."
Teri couldn't think of a way to say no fast enough to stop Florence gripping a cigar in her metal paw. Soon cigar smoke was masking all the other stenches in her apartment. It felt warm and friendly and evil.
"Are you taking care of yourself?" Teri said after watching Florence puff for a while. "I mean, is someone changing your diapers and stuff?"
Florence laughed so hard she nearly coughed up a lung. "Diapers. Heh heh. Well, you know, the robots give me a bath every now and then. I stay in the exo as much as I can, because this body is so inept. It's floppy. I don't think I'm technically potty trained or anything, but the exo has waste disposal, so it doesn't really come up."
"Huh." Teri wanted a drink so bad, it was like cockroaches were crawling up her nose. "So I guess you should go fight some supervillains or something. I mean, it's nice to see you and all."
"I just got here."
"Yeah. Huh." Teri shoved all the magazines and papers and wrappers off the table onto the floor, so she could feel the sag of the pasteboard table directly beneath her. "So why are you here? I mean, this is freaking me out all over again."
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry. About everything. It's just… I don't have any friends." Florence looked down at her paws and the cigar slowly flaking away in one of them. "You know? Not real friends. It's this life. Even before I died, I just… You know, the Action Squad, they're my crew. We hang out, you know. But I don't really like any of those guys. And since they brought me back, it's been… weird."
"Wow. Well, thanks for sharing." Teri couldn't hold out any longer. She went and poured herself a half mug of no–name bourbon, gulping half of it before she even got back to her seat. "I guess everybody has their own problems. It's funny how that is."
"You're the closest thing to a friend I have in this world." Florence — Captain Champion — had tears in her eyes. Her face had gotten redder. She was sweating in her lion suit.
"You are really freaking me out." Teri took another monumental swig.
"I love you," Florence said.
"You… what?" Teri shrank away.
"I love you. I don't know if it's some atavistic oxytocin thing, or just because my only tender memories are of you, or what. I just know, all these months when I've been getting tossed out of spaceships in low orbit and chained to dirty implosion bombs, I thought about you. I imagined your hands touching me, and… you know, it saved my life a few times."
The cigar was a dark nub. The lion suit carefully tucked the butt into a little compartment, and even vacuumed up all the ash, as if a little more crud would have made a difference in this dirty hole.
"You'd think…" The lion lurched off the sofa and stood up clumsily on its back legs. "You'd think after dying once, that I can remember anyway, it would be no big deal. But you just cling harder. Anyway, I guess I dumped on you enough. Just, you know, I wanted to say. I'd like to live with you again."
"You what?"
"I know it can't be like before." Florence swung back onto all fours and spoke over her round, chrome shoulder as she padded towards the door. "But it could be cool. Be a family again. At least think about it."
"I don't think I could…" Teri couldn't breathe, she took another slug.
"I'm rich," her baby said. "Like, rich rich. Long story, but the Action Squad basically found some asteroids full of stuff. We could live in a mansion, and have robots and servants. Think it over."
"Couldn't you quit being super instead? We could go into hiding, like witness protection, pretending to be a mom and her baby. After all, neither of us has any super–powers." She almost added, unless you count knowing too many agonizing secrets, or indulging in unpleasant vices.
The lion shook its whole metal head. "We'd never get away with it. People would find us. A lot of people want me dead. Again. Anyway, I guess it's a dumb idea for us to try and be a family, after everything. I'll see you around."
Teri knew living with Captain Champion would be a travesty of motherhood. She also had a growing sense that she'd wind up agreeing to it anyway, either today or the next time her baby stopped by. She had no choice. She could never be the person she'd been before, any more than Florence could grow into the person she would have been.
The lion had almost reached her front door.
"How rich?" Teri said.
The lion turned, shuffling its whole body around, and her baby scrutinized her. "Does it matter? Rich."
"Of course it matters," Teri said, standing up and swaying slightly. "If I'm going to be a celebrity mom, especially to a freaky celebrity like you — no offense — I'm going to need a hell of a lot of cosmetic surgery. And nice clothes. It's like your exo–suit. I need a layer of protection."
The baby seemed about to say she liked Teri the way she was. Then she shrugged, which involved a slow lift of those front arm joints, a roll deep in the sockets, and then a slow lowering. "Yah, that's no problem. We can make you a cyborg too, if you want."
"No," Teri said. "That's okay." But she knew she probably would want to be a cyborg, in a year or two. She was on the slippery slope now.
"Great. I'll make the arrangements and let you know." The lion with the face of her only child swiveled again and tromped out into the hallway, then down the gunmetal stairs. Teri watched it go, and even looked out her front window to see it emerge onto the street. For a couple hours after the lion went away, she waited for some monster or evil genius to show up and disintegrate her into atoms, scattered across the city's smog layer. When that didn't happen, she poured herself some more bourbon and read up on liposuction and brow lifts. She was going to look like Angelina Jolie.
Please visit Apex Magazine (www.apex-magazine.com) to read more great science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
This story is from issue 51 (August, 2013). The issue also features fiction by Brian Trent ("A Matter of Shapespace") and Christopher Barzak ("Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster"), an interview with Christopher Barzak, and nonfiction by Tansy Rayner Roberts ("Fantasy Art, Fishnets, and Red Sonja's Chainmail Bikini").
Each issue is free on our website, but Apex sells nicely formatted eBook editions for $2.99.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]


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For the second straight Blackhawks game, a Chicago-native celebrity tried his hand at the "Shoot the Puck" intermission contest. But while Monday brought a rambling, possibly drunk Jim Belushi, last night saw a no-nonsense Mr. T show the puck and the United Center who's still the boss.
Resist the urge to fast-forward to the shots; this entire video is gold. From the broadcasters getting legitimately excited as they watch Mr. T eat luxury box food, to the on-ice interview turning into a rant against the necessity of practice, to Mr. T growling and calling the reporter "Savannah." (If we've learned anything in the last two days, it's that Susannah Collins, new to CSN this season, is a pro.)
And then, the shots. It's been 26 years since The A-Team went off the air, but Mr. T remains genuinely loved, and the crowd was so into this. As the first two tries go just left, the disappointment is audible—and echoes exactly what you're probably feeling as you watch the video. And then, the third shot. Collins gasps. The crowd roars. The puck slides nearly through the slot. Pandemonium. Mr. T is a bad man, and the image of him, arms raised in triumph, is sure to replace Bobby Orr against the Blues as the moment that defines the NHL.
The final score was Mr. T 1, Calgary 0.


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U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, today announced that seven regional competitions will take place this spring and summer to offer increased competitive sport opportunities for disabled veterans and disabled members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Competitions are also open to non-military athletes including youth and adults with physical disabilities or visual impairments.
The seven regional competitions, which are partially funded through support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will take place across the country spanning from April through June. Each competition features a mix of sports including archery, cycling, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, triathlon and track & field.
Competition registration is completed through each local organizing committee.
Below is a listing of the regional competitions.
April 12-14, 2013
Texas Regional Games
San Antonio, Texas
May 3-5, 2013
Gateway Games
St. Louis, Mo.
May 3-5, 2013
Great Lake Games
Lake Forrest, Ill.
May 9-12, 2013
Dixie Games
Atlanta, Ga.
May 17-19, 2013
Desert Challenge
Mesa, Ariz.
May 31-June 3, 2013
Thunder in the Valley
Saginaw, Mich.
June 7-9, 2013
Endeavor Games
Edmond, Okla.
In addition to the seven regional competitions, U.S. Paralympics is partnering with Veterans Affairs to expand the Valor Games, an introductory sport competition for veterans and service members with disabilities, to four regions for 2013. The Valor Games were previously only held in Chicago.
Below is a listing of the four Valor Games competitions.
May 21-23, 2013
Valor Games Southeast
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, N.C.
June 11-13, 2013
Valor Games Far West
San Francisco Bay area, Calif.
Aug. 12-14, 2013
Valor Games Midwest
Chicago, Ill.
Sept. 23-25, 2013
Valor Games Southwest
San Antonio, Texas
Valor Games registration is completed through each local organizing committee.
For more information, please contact Jamie Blanchard, U.S. Paralympics, at 719-866-2068 or email@example.com.
Related Organizations
- Sports Texas
- Sports Illinois
- Georgia Sports
- Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau
- West Michigan Sports Commission
- Michigan's Great Lakes Bay Region
- Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Central Oklahoma Frontier Country
- Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance
- Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
- Visit Chicago Southland
- Coach USA - Chicago
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The Steam Summer Sale 2017 has officially started, and we couldn't get more excited! And with that in mind, we decided to list down seven of the best games on sale that you should grab now and install on your gaming PC.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor – 80% off
Play the critically-acclaimed action RPG game based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The game focuses on the story of Talion, a ranger who seeks revenge on the forces of Sauron after his family was killed. With the help of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, together they set out to fight the evil forces.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Game of the Year Edition – 80% off
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition brings the story of Deus EX which is set in the year 2052 where the world has turned into a dangerous and chaotic place. With terrorists operating openly and killing thousands of people, you must fight your way to save the world and emerge from the shadows.
Nier Automata – 30% off
Nier Automata brings you the riveting story of androids 2B, 9S and A2, and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia which is overrun by powerful machines. It is filled with action-packed battles, a beautiful desolate open-world, and a masterfully crafted story and characters.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year Edition – 40% off
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year Edition is a great deal, it brings together the best game and all the additional content that was released to date including weapons, armor, side quests, and game modes. This includes the Hearts of Stone as well as Blood & Wine expansions. It also features all the technical and visual updates as well as a new user interface.
Fallout: New Vegas – 75% off
Fallout: New Vegas brings you to the look of the new town after the nuclear fallout. Explore the vast expanses of the now deserted wasteland from its small towns to the bright lights of the New Vegas strip. It features new feuding factions, colorful characters, and a host of hostiles you must fight.
XCOM 2 – 67% off
XCOM 2 is the critically-acclaimed sequel to the award-winning strategy game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The humanity has lost its war against the alien invaders, and now a new world order exists on Earth. After years of hiding in the shadows, XCOM forces must now rise and fight their way to eliminate the aliens.
Transistor – 85% off
Transistor brings you to a sci-fi themed action RPG that lets you wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin to fight your way through a stunning futuristic city. The game allows you to seamlessly integrate thoughtful strategic planning into its fast-paced action gameplay and rich atmospheric storytelling.


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The bosses in the enclosure
Rhino skin feels like concrete, say the keepers. Only behind the ears is the skin really soft. The keepers are allowed to tickle them there.
The approach artist
The wheel loader's long reach means that it can cater to the sensitive giants' needs without having to get too close to their armour.
The quick coupler
Liebherr supplies the vehicle with a quick-coupling system as standard, to make it easier for the driver to switch between the various attachments.


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PC Gamer UK's recent trip to Valvejust keeps delivering bigger and better slices of mystery. According to Gabe Newell, Valve has "three pretty big surprises in the next 12 months." More surprises? Is the cancelled E3 surprise one of them? Is it Half-Life 3? Tell us Gabe!
Newell revealed,"I'm just laughing because... people will be shocked again." Dammit Gabe.
Newell also discussed something Valve has been experimenting with (other than toying with our emotions): biometrics. He also admitted that Valve and its games only exist to distract law enforcement from the true existence of Aperture Science. Okay, no he didn't, and Valve's new interest in physical monitoring is actually awesome:
"When you look at our games, more and more we have this representation of player state, where we think we know how you feel, essentially," NewelltoldPC Gamer.
"With biometrics, rather than guessing, we can actually use a variety of things like gaze tracking, skin galvanic response, pulse rate and so on. Through combining those pieces of information, we can get a much more accurate indication of player state, so that's something we're super interested in."
Above: Fictional?
Newell says that Valve's experiments have yielded "surprising side-effects," and that they may be able to implement the technology in "non-clunky, non-stupid ways" in the near future. Why would your skin galvanic response be important data for a game to have? Lots of reasons! Newell explained:
"If you're in a competitive situation and you see someone's heart rate go up, it's way more rewarding than we would have thought. And if you see somebody in a co-op game sweating, people tend to respond to that way more than we would have thought."
The idea that you could sense your friend's anxiety level as he's being crushed under a zombie dog pile is kind of awesome. We imaginethat severalsensors could be directly built into controllers, where your palm grips them. Is biometric sensing the new rumble? The new motion control?
There's more inthe latest issue of PC Gamer UK,so you should probably buy that, or so the chip Valve implanted in my spine tells me.
Sep 1, 2010


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Japanese airlines ground Boeing 787s after emergency landing
Japan's two leading airlines grounded their fleets of Boeing 787s on Wednesday after one of the Dreamliner passenger jets made an emergency landing, heightening safety concerns over a plane many see as the future of commercial aviation.
All Nippon Airways Co said it was grounding all 17 of its 787s and Japan Airlines Co said it suspended all 787 flights scheduled for Wednesday. ANA said its planes could be back in the air as soon as Thursday once checks were completed. The two carriers operate around half of the 50 Dreamliners delivered by Boeing to date.
Wednesday's incident follows a series of mishaps for the new Dreamliner. The sophisticated plane, the world's first mainly carbon-composite airliner, has suffered fuel leaks, a battery fire, wiring problem, brake computer glitch and cracked cockpit window in recent days.
"I think you're nearing the tipping point where they need to regard this as a serious crisis," said Richard Aboulafia, a senior analyst with the Teal Group in Fairfax, Virginia. "This is going to change people's perception of the aircraft if they don't act quickly."
The 787 represented a leap in the way planes are designed and built, but the project was plagued by cost overruns and years of delays. Some have suggested Boeing's rush to get planes built after those delays resulted in the recent problems, a charge the company strenuously denies.
Both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they were monitoring the latest Dreamliner incident as part of a comprehensive review of the aircraft announced late last week.
ANA flight 692 left Yamaguchi Airport in western Japan shortly after 8 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Tuesday) bound for Haneda Airport near Tokyo, a 65-minute flight. About 18 minutes into the flight, at 30,000 feet, the plane began a descent. It descended to 20,000 feet in about four minutes and made an emergency landing 16 minutes later, according to flight-tracking website Flightaware.com.
A spokesman for Osaka airport authority said the plane landed in Takamatsu at 8:45 a.m. All 129 passengers and eight crew evacuated safely via the plane's inflatable chutes. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said 5 people were slightly injured.
At a news conference - where ANA's vice-president Osamu Shinobe bowed deeply in apology - the carrier said instruments on the flight indicated a battery error, triggering emergency warnings to the pilots. It said the battery in the forward cargo hold was the same type as one involved in a fire on another Dreamliner at a U.S. airport last week.
"There was a battery alert in the cockpit and there was an odd smell detected in the cockpit and cabin, and (the pilot) decided to make an emergency landing," Shinobe said.
Marc Birtel, a Boeing spokesman, told Reuters: "We've seen the reports, we're aware of the events and are working with our customer."
The Teal Group's Aboulafi said regulators could ground all 50 of the 787 planes now in service, while airlines may make the decision themselves. "They may want to protect their own brand images," he said.
Australia's Qantas Airways said its order for 15 Dreamliners remained on track, and its Jetstar subsidiary was due to take delivery of the first of the aircraft in the second half of this year. Qantas declined to comment further on the issues that have plagued the new lightweight, fuel-efficient aircraft.
India's aviation regulator said it was reviewing the Dreamliner's safety and would talk to parts makers, but had no plans to ground the planes. State-owned Air India has six of the aircraft in service and more on order.
"We are not having any problem with our Dreamliners. The problems we had earlier were fixed," Arun Mishra, Director General of Civil Aviation, told Reuters. "We are reviewing the situation now."
United Airlines, the only U.S. carrier currently flying the 787, said it was not taking any immediate action in response to the latest incident. "We are looking at what is happening with ANA and we will have more information tomorrow," a spokeswoman said.
Shares of Dreamliner suppliers in Japan came under pressure.
GS Yuasa Corp - which makes the plane's batteries - fell 4.5 percent, as did Toray Industries Inc, which supplies carbon fibre used in the plane's composites. Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI slid 2.5-3 percent on a benchmark Nikkei that was 2 percent lower. ANA shares slipped 1 percent.
Japan's transport minister on Tuesday acknowledged that passenger confidence in the Dreamliner was at stake, as both Japan and the United States have opened broad and open-ended investigations into the plane after the recent incidents.
The 787 is Boeing's first new jet in more than a decade, and the company's financial fortunes are largely tied to its success. The plane offers airlines unprecedented fuel economy, but the huge investment to develop it coupled with years of delay in delivery has caused headaches for customers, hurt Boeing financially and created a delivery bottleneck.
Boeing has said it will at least break even on the cost of building the 1,100 new 787s it expects to deliver over the next decade. Some analysts, however, say Boeing may never make money from the plane, given its enormous development cost.
Any additional cost from fixing problems discovered by the string of recent incidents would affect those forecasts, and could hit Boeing's bottom line more quickly if it has to stop delivering planes, analysts said.
To date it has sold close to 850 of the planes to airlines around the world.
(Addtional reporting by Olivier Fabre, Kentaro Sugiyama, Mari Saito, Deborah Charles and Alwyn Scott; Writing by Ian Geoghegan; Editing by Paul Tait and Alex Richardson)


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Te'o blames slow 40 time on Combine stress
Former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o has refused to blame his poor performance during the BCS national title game on the stress resulting from the knowledge that, inevitably, the story of his fake dead girlfriend would be exposed.
On Monday, Te'o blamed his poor performance during the 40-yard dash on the overall stress of the Scouting Combine.
"I was running near a 4.6, a 4.5," Te'o told NFL Network after officially clocking a 4.82-second 40-yard dash. "Today was just a long, long day."
Te'o called the Combine a "very exhausting process," explaining that he got to bed late and got up early, with roughly four hours of sleep per night.
Of course, Te'o experienced plenty of mental stress, too. He met with 20 teams individually, and he endured a packed-house press conference on Saturday.
He promises to have an improved showing at the Notre Dame Pro Day workout. "[People can expect] better numbers," Te'o said. "[I will be] rested. One day you hit it hard and then you are done."
Rested or not, Te'o will have even more pressure on him when it's time to run again.


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In the prologue, Annie (Cameron Diaz) blogs incessantly about the spicy sex life she enjoyed with her husband Jay (Jason Segel) when they met in college, when they first copulated, the second time they copulated and right on up to the time they married and had children (Sebastian Hedges Thomas, Giselle Eisenberg). Then suburban life – and exhaustion – robbed them of carnal pleasure. So she comes up with the idea sending the kids to Grandma (Nancy Lenehan) overnight, during which time they make a three-hour sex tape, depicting all the anatomical positions in "The Joy of Sex." Read on…
After that set-up, it's all downhill. Predictably, the next morning, Jay forgets to erase their vigorous frolic and inadvertently uploads it to the elusive iCloud, where it's distributed via gifted iPads to friends and family. Joined by their voyeuristic pals (Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper), they try to retrieve the iPads and then, toting their sleepy children along, they break into the San Fernando Valley headquarters of a sex-video website and are caught by the porn broker (Jack Black).
Idiotically scripted by Kate Angelo, Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller and sluggishly directed by Jake Kasdan ("Bad Teacher"), it's a tame, tepid and terminally dull, never achieving its farcical potential. Its only redemption comes with the pivotal appearance of Rob Lowe who, back in 1988, starred in his own, real-life celebrity sex tape scandal. Here, he plays Hank Rosenbaum, Annie's prospective boss, a narcissistic, coke-snorting toy-company CEO whose posh home is filled with paintings of his face superimposed on depictions of Disney cartoons.
As for visual nudity, forget it. Cameron Diaz plays peekaboo, revealing little, while Jason Segel, who went full frontal in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," also goes coy. While Diaz's trim body is enviable, her face looks so Botox'd that it's become a waxy mask, and Segel needs to spend some time toning his torso at the gym.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Sex Tape" is a flaccid 3, frantically trying to combine family-friendly fun with a shallow sexcapade. It's a total turn-off.


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Attendees to National Prayer Breakfast Call Event 'Inspiring'
WASHINGTON – Hundreds of people from all 50 states and over 160 nations came to the nation's capital for the 61st Annual National Prayer Breakfast. Guests crowded the International Ballroom of the Washington Hilton off of Connecticut Avenue for the Thursday morning event, which featured politicians, musicians, an Olympic gold medalist, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Attendees of the breakfast described the event as having an aura of inspiration and being a beneficial practice for federal government officials who frequently attack each other in uncivil political debates.
Kathleen O'Connell of Media Fellowship International, a Christian organization that ministers to entertainers and media professionals, told The Christian Post that she found it "inspiring."
"I think it's always inspiring and I come up because it's one of the two times a year that Democrats and Republicans are very civil to each other," said O'Connell.
"But I did wonder the same thing as President Obama afterwards. What happens? So I thought it was great. Andrea Bocelli was amazing."
While being the fourth National Prayer Breakfast that she had attended, O'Connell told CP that she refused to rank them as to which was the best.
"I wouldn't want to compare it like on the basis of an entertainment show because I think there's always something or some moments that are inspiring and it gives you a little bit of a barometer for the pulse of the nation," said O'Connell.
Helen Scott, member of the Healing Hands Health Center, told CP that this was the first National Prayer Breakfast she had attended.
"I thought it was incredible. I was very impressed. This was my first time to attend. I especially liked Dr. Carson's message. I thought he was incredible," said Scott, referring to the message delivered by Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., author and director of pediatric neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
Scott also told CP that she felt, as with O'Connell, that events like the breakfast were "extremely important" regarding their effort to bring the two parties together.
"I think it's extremely important. It brings everybody together under one roof with the same common goals. It brings everybody together, unifies us," said Scott.
In addition to the 19-minute speech delivered by President Obama, other political figures also were present in the agenda for the breakfast.
National Prayer Breakfast Co-Chairs Senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) did the greeting and welcome, as well as introducing the other speakers.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) read from the Book of Isaiah and former North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole read from the Book of Hebrews.
Besides politicians, other notable figures participated in the breakfast. Italian singer Andrea Bocelli performed two songs and U.S. Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas gave the closing prayer.


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Associated Press//April 17, 2012
//April 17, 2012
WASHINGTON — With big postal cuts looming, the Senate is deciding whether to stabilize the ailing U.S. Postal Service with a short-term cash infusion while delaying most decisions on closing post offices and ending Saturday mail delivery by requiring further review.
The mail agency, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, says it needs to begin closing thousands of low-revenue post offices and mail processing centers this year as part of a billion-dollar cost-cutting effort to become profitable again by 2015. But local communities are fretting about the economic impact and tens of thousands of layoffs, drawing the concerns of lawmakers in an election year.
Late last year, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe agreed to delay closings until May 15 so that Congress would have time to pass legislation to shore up the agency's finances.
The bill being debated on the Senate floor this week was recently modified to take into account the concerns of mostly rural states. For instance, it would:
—Cut in half the number of mail processing centers the Postal Services currently wants to close — from 252 to 125 — allowing more U.S. areas to maintain overnight first-class mail delivery for at least three more years. Currently there are roughly 500 mail processing centers.
—Slow if not stop many post office closings by forcing the agency to consider the special needs of rural communities and undergo additional layers of regulatory approval. For instance, the Postal Service might have to downsize rather than close facilities, or factor in whether rural residents might have poor Internet service or have to travel longer road distances should a post office close.
—Require the Postal Service to wait at least two years before it could reduce mail delivery to five days a week, a cut that is being urged by the Obama administration and that could save between $2 billion and $3 billion a year.
In the meantime, the Postal Service would get a cash infusion of roughly $11 billion, basically a refund of overpayments it made in previous years to a federal retirement fund; the agency could use the money to pay down debt and offer buyouts to 100,000 postal employees. It would be allowed to make smaller annual payments into a future retiree health benefits account, which currently amounts to more than $5 billion a year; get more flexibility to cut worker compensation benefits; and be required to establish a chief innovation officer to find new ways to bring in postal revenue.
Five-cent stamp increase not proposed
Left out of the bill was a proposal to raise the price of a first-class postage stamp by 5 cents, to 50 cents, to help pay for the added cost of keeping low-performing post offices and mail processing centers open. Estimated to bring in $1 billion, the rate increase was omitted due to concerns that a price increase would be counterproductive by pushing more consumers to cheaper alternatives of delivery, such as the Internet.
The Senate measure "does not rule out some cutbacks in services or post offices, but it would require USPS to exhaust all other options beforehand and ensure that its decisions are based on sound planning," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., a bill co-sponsor.
"We believe this approach offers the best hope for stabilizing the Postal Service and putting it on solid footing long-term, without dramatic and perhaps self-defeating cutbacks in service," he said.
The Senate planned to debate the measure for the next several days. The House has yet to begin consideration of a different version of a postal bill, which seeks in part to create a national commission that would make major decisions on postal cuts.
The measure comes as the mail agency has been rocked by steadily declining mail volume as people and businesses switch to the Internet in place of letters and paper bills.
Already $12 billion in debt, the mail agency says it could run out of money for day-to-day operations as soon as this fall, forcing it to shut down some of its services. The mail agency forecasts a record $14.1 billion loss by the end of this year; without changes, it says annual losses will rise to over $21 billion by 2016.
At stake are more than 100,000 jobs, part of a postal cost-cutting plan to save some $6.5 billion a year by closing up to 252 mail-processing centers and 3,700 post offices. In a report released last week, federal auditors stressed that "dramatic changes" were needed to stem the Postal Service's mounting debt and that the agency's proposal to close mail processing centers was an important part of accomplishing that goal.
The report by the Government Accountability Office also noted the challenges of making postal cuts due to community opposition. Hundreds of postal employees in cities around the nation in recent weeks have rallied to draw attention to the proposed cuts and urge lawmakers to oppose them.
Donahoe has said communities on the final closure list will be notified in July.
"The Postal Service is at a crossroads. Our business model is broken," Donahoe recently told a House hearing. He has previously criticized the Senate measure as offering only a short-term revenue fix. "We have insufficient revenue to cover our costs … If the Postal Service were a private company, we would be engaged in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings."
The Postal Service, an independent agency of government, is subject to congressional control on major aspects of its operations.T


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Pee-wee Herman Show: Paul Reubens hits Broadway
Paul Reubens, bringing "The Pee-wee Herman Show" to Broadway, reflects on his career and what his Pee-wee Herman character means to him.
| New York
The red bow tie is back. The white chunky loafers are, too. So is that too-tight gray suit.
The Secret Word today is: Comeback. Pee-wee has returned from exile.
Paul Reubens, who virtually abandoned the cult character he created nearly two decades ago following scandal, is making his Broadway debut with a reworking of the same theatrical show that started Pee-wee's career in the late 1980s.
IN PICTURES: Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee Herman
"I think it's full circle. I view it even a little fuller, I guess. I feel that it's full circle in that I can come back around to a really good place where I was. As opposed to having my career end on this really sour note," says Reubens during an interview before a recent rehearsal. "I absolutely feel like I want to redeem myself to a degree and this seemed like a really pure way to do it."
Reubens, now 58, has been soaking up the attention this time around. He has donned his Pee-wee suit and popped up all over New York to drum up attention for "The Pee-wee Herman Show," which officially opens Nov. 11. Everywhere he goes, people say: "Welcome back!" and "Glad you're back."
"I really just never got any of this the first time around," he says, getting a little teary. "I feel really lucky and really blessed right now. I just feel like it's my time right now. The stars are aligning for me."
Reubens, who is as quiet and thoughtful in real life as Pee-wee is zany and high-pitched, is still slim and boyish. He's dressed for California on this chilly New York day — jacket-less in jeans, a plaid shirt and a clunky digital watch. He's pressed for time — so much of it has been lost.
"I wasn't feeling it for a long time. And then all of a sudden it became a long time. All of a sudden I was like, 'Wow. How do you come back now out of this?' And you know what the answer was? You just do it," he says. "I didn't feel like I needed anyone's permission to come back. And what do I have to lose? Nothing really."
Much of Pee-wee's exile has been self-imposed since Reubens' July 1991 arrest for indecent exposure in an adult-movie house in Sarasota, Florida. He was handed a small fine but the damage to the character was incalculable.
"When I was arrested in 1991, offers poured in," he says. "All kinds. I mean, some of those offers weren't things that I wanted to do and were taking advantage of the luridness of my situation, but I haven't really had trouble working or existing or having a career. It just changed. Everything changed."
For a performer who had spent a long time and a lot of energy tying to make people think Pee-wee was real, Reubens watched as the public unmasking (he also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge in 2004) put a cloud over his best-known alter ego.
"It was one thing to say, 'Paul Reubens, he's this or that.' Or yuck or ick or whatever you wanted to say. But to move that into this work that I loved and that I thought was special, and that I thought was important — that was extreme to me. That was something that the second it happened, I went, 'Wow, that is so sad.' And I can't do anything about it."
Reubens continued to act, playing characters other than Pee-wee and scoring successes in "Batman Returns" in 1992 and a 1995 Emmy nomination for a recurring guest role on "Murphy Brown." He has also been on "30 Rock" and had prominent roles in the films "Nailed" and "Life During Wartime."
In the years since the arrest, some could argue that Reubens got a raw deal, at least in comparison to other public figures who have almost instantly jumped back from controversy. Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, brought down in a prostitution scandal in 2008, is on CNN. Don Imus, accused of racism in 2007, was back on the radio within a few months. Reubens' crime hurt no one but himself.
"I've become wise and mature. Not Pee-wee, but me. I'm absolutely a different person," he says. "All those cliches about what doesn't kill you makes you stronger? Somehow, I wound up being this evolved, wise person."
Even in exile, he and Pee-wee had unfinished business. Reubens, who says he has several TV and movie scripts in his head starring his quirky nerd, wanted to bring him back. "I didn't see any reason to put Pee-wee away," he says.
So he went back to the beginning: a live show based on the "The Pee-wee Herman Show" that debuted in Los Angeles in 1981 and was a success with both kids during matinees and adults at a midnight show. It inspired Tim Burton's feature "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" in 1985 and another film, "Big Top Pee-wee," three years later. His television series, "Pee-wee's Playhouse," ran for five seasons, earned 22 Emmys and attracted not only children but adults to Saturday-morning TV.
Both silly and subversive and championing nonconformity, the Pee-wee universe is a trippy place, populated by things such as a talking armchair and a friendly pterodactyl. The host, who is fond of secret words and loves fruit salad so much he once married it, is prone to lines like, "I know you are, but what am I?" and "Why don't you take a picture; it'll last longer?" The act was a hit because it worked on multiple levels, even though Reubens insists that wasn't the plan.
"It's for kids," says Reubens. "People have tried to get me for years to go, 'It wasn't really for kids, right?' Even the original show was for kids. I always censored myself to have it be kid-friendly.
"The whole thing has been just a gut feeling from the beginning. That's all it ever is and I think always ever be. Much as people want me to dissect it and explain it, I can't. One, I don't know, and two, I don't want to know, and three, I feel like I'll hex myself if I know."
The new 11-actor show brings back many of the favorite characters in a plot centered on Pee-wee's desire to fly. Reubens is the star, producer and co-writer, with renowned puppetry artist Basil Twist and director Alex Timbers also aboard.
"He's terrific," says Timbers of Reubens. "He's very collaborative, he's really funny, he's a terrific actor. You'd think in a way that after doing a character for 30 years that he wouldn't have a light hand, but he's very collaborative and open to new ideas."
Reubens checks his watch. He knows it's time to get back on stage and do a million things to tune up his show before opening night. This second bite of the apple seems that much more sweeter.
"The future seems very bright and full of positivity, and I'm excited," he says.


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What Are You Doing About This? – July 6, 2011
Note: With citizens wondering whether Arcata might still have any chance of hosting Cypress Grove Chevre's goat dairy, we asked Mayor Susan Ornelas and Third District Supervisor Mark Lovelace if, in the weeks since the project was canceled, they had contacted the company to try and salvage it for Arcata. Below are their responses. – Ed.
Mayor Susan Ornelas
I wrote Bob McCall and expressed dismay at how people conducted themselves at the meeting and showed shock at CG's response to pull out. I wished the company the best of luck in finding a suitable dairy site, hopefully in the region.
I have publically [sic] stated that if anyone could develop a different model for a dairy system, I believe CG are the folks to do it.
Quote from me three weeks ago (the part you left out when using my quote):
"I spoke with Bob McCall of Cypress Grove today, and he said they intend to start with around 3-400 goats – which will be enough for us all to see if the system really is as modern as it is proposed. They understand people will complain if it isn't managed well. And as Bob said, 'We work right next to the dairy. We want clean, healthy milk.'
"The intent is to take a few years to develop the full dairy system. I think it will be interesting. Could be that they are bringing a modern concept to this region in intense, but healthy, dairy goat management. The proof will be in the management.
"I believe that Cypress Grove has been a good neighbor, and good manager, so far – so I want to believe, if anyone can pull of this type of system – I reasonably trust Cypress Grove to show us something new. Could be they will prove to be leaders in a boon to the local dairy industry."
I think the County should have required a conditional use permit, based on the proposed density of the operation, and then maybe CG would have worked out more of the particular concerns of the neighbors, and been able to address the concerns more clearly.
I extended my sincere wishes from the City to CG and said we would assist them if we can.
Supervisor Mark Lovelace
I have spoken with Bob McCall about their decision and about their search for an alternate location. I am hopeful that they will be able to find another site in the Arcata area, and have pledged to assist them with that search.
I have also offered to help them work with the community when they have another site in mind. Bob has told me that I will be one of the first people he'll call when they are ready to start moving forward again.
I have heard some people call for a "do-over," and I would support that idea. While I appreciate Cypress Grove's quick response to the neighborhood's concerns, I believe their decision came before most people were able to get any accurate information about what was being proposed.
The pending close of escrow created a sense of urgency among some of the neighbors who felt the project would be a "done deal" once the sale closed. Without that deadline, perhaps it might be possible to have a more constructive dialogue about the project to see if some of the neighborhood's concerns can be addressed in advance.


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When Apple announced iTunes Match in June as a part of a raft of announcements related to iCloud, I was a little skeptical. I had just been released from my annual $99 payment to Apple for MobileMe, thanks to iCloud—I wasn't excited about a new annual subscription taking its place.
Instead, I ended up figuring I'd pay $25 for iTunes Match, upgrade my tracks to higher-quality versions, and then never pay again. I heard a lot of other people saying the same thing.
Perhaps back then the details of iTunes Match weren't quite clear enough, or perhaps I just wasn't prepared to understand them. But after having used iTunes Match for a few weeks now, I've come to appreciate the service quite a bit… and have accepted that I'll probably keep paying for it for years to come.
For me, it starts with keeping the integrity of my iTunes library across many different devices. I have an iMac on my desk at work, a Mac mini with all my music on it at home, and a MacBook Air with me just about everywhere I go. Plus an iPad and an iPhone. A lot of the features of iTunes were originally designed for the idea of a single jukebox on a single computer, and it showed. Syncing with iPods and iPhones was okay, but if you had a second Mac somewhere else, things started to fragment quickly. (Take the concept of play counts. I love personal statistics, and the idea of finding out exactly how many times I've played a song is great! But listening on a few different Macs—or losing the play count when you delete a song from your iTunes library for some reason—meant that the play count was never meaningful to me.)
With iTunes Match, that stuff—most notably playlists and song metadata—goes everywhere and stays in sync. You could completely delete your iTunes music library on your main computer and then reconstitute it from the cloud, playlists included. As someone who has had to build and re-build playlists over the years, that's pretty cool.
Having my entire music library with me, wherever I go, is more compelling than I thought it would be. A few weeks ago I was stuck at an airport with free Wi-Fi for a few hours, working on my MacBook Air. Sure, I had my iPhone there with a small subset of songs loaded on it. But my laptop's copy of iTunes included links to my entire music library, including all my playlists. I double-clicked a song, and it just played, streaming the file from Apple's servers. I pressed the Genius button and it assembled a Genius Playlist from my own library. It was seamless, just as if I'd had my entire many-gigabyte library with me on my MacBook Air's drive.
Though my time in the airport made me realize iTunes Match's worth, I do have some questions about its future direction. I'm not sure that the iTunes Match experience on iOS devices is good enough yet. Users should be able to sync with a local copy of iTunes and still have access to iTunes Match without exploiting features that feel like bugs. Songs you download will sometimes disappear. I still feel confused when I use my iPhone's music app about what I'll find on there, what's available to play, and what will require a download over a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. It makes me uneasy, and that suggests to me that Apple hasn't quite cracked iTunes Match in the iOS Music app.
But while there are still details that need to be refined, I have to admit that the more I use iTunes Match, the more its benefits unfold before me. Just the other day I realized that I no longer need to keep two copies of all my music on my computer at home, since iCloud can serve as my music backup. And now those play counts actually seem to have meaning!
So yes, upgrading all my old iTunes purchases has been great. Getting high-quality versions of my CD rips without having to dig out my entire CD collection from the garage and re-rip them manually? Awesome. But I'm starting to appreciate the benefits of a long-term relationship with iTunes Match, too. I can see myself in a year from now finding it impossible to cancel the service and give up all these other features. Looks like Apple might have my annual payment back, after all.


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|The natural evolution of Mad Scientists
|Flipping Hades Terwilliger
|Princess Maker 2 People
|I remember when it was me who made you want to take over the world and enslave humanity
|thermoptic camouflage
|Science Über Alles!
|imaginary science
|Nikola Tesla
|Don't touch your brain
|Cargo Cult Science
|The Brain That Wouldn't Die
|If you took away the floor, we'd be floating
|Node of Experience Draining
|Rogue scholar
|The Phantom Empire
|The mad scientist ties you to the examination table and makes love to you with his chilly instruments.
|Mister Blank
|blank space
|Mr. and Mrs. J. Evil Scientist