Features

First there’s the fact and then there’s what it really means. The fact is that Microsoft finally has bought Nokia’s mobile phones business and all that goes with it: design, manufacturing, sales and technical support. The implications are many. The operation goes well beyond the simple image that the wide public wants to see, especially those who believe that Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android have dominated the smartphone market once and for all.

Though one would be hard pressed to predict what share of the smartphone market the new “union” may grab, nevertheless the deal is very interesting, at least to analyse! What are the assets of Microsoft and Nokia and will the result of the new business exceed the sum of the parts?

Against all odds, and after all these years, Microsoft’s Windows is holding on, and rather well. You can criticise if you want some versions of Windows for desktop computers for being less-than-perfect (Windows Vista for instance), but the system still fuels most computers in the world. The last 10 years have seen competition, mainly from Linux, but Windows is here to stay and remains the main force, by far.

The latest version 8.1 also has received criticism for trying too hard to work on all platforms, without being perfect on any, but the fact is it is a great, reliable system and has slowly but surely won the esteem of the wider public. Therefore having Windows Mobile as the OS on your smartphone makes sense. Granted, this is not news, but the new total control of the Nokia phone business by Microsoft may take things further.

Through thick and thin Nokia has always succeeded in maintaining an excellent quality of manufacturing and is known for coming up with great-looking handsets. Users of competitor Android phones, of Samsung Galaxy S series in particular, though they tend to prefer Android to Windows Mobile operating system, acknowledge that Nokia has an edge over Samsung when it comes to quality of manufacturing.

Besides, with all the “pros” awarded to the two smartphones currently at the top, namely Apple’s iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5, users still give find them a few “cons”: The iPhone is expensive they say and the Galaxy is not perfectly built.

What will happen next and how successful the “alliance” will be, despite all the good omens, will all depend on careful planning and on efficient strategy. What not to do may prove to be as important as what to do. For instance, Nokia should not focus on integrating cameras with unrealistic pixel count in their phones — like the Lumia 1020 that boasts an incredible 41-megapixel sensor! Not only is this out of proportion, when you think that top of the line professional dedicated DSLR cameras feature “only” 20 to 30 megapixels, but also the quality of the image generated will still be less than what a pro DSLR with lower pixel count will deliver in the end, simply because of the lens size. Moreover, a phone is just not a camera and will not sell as such. This is only one example of what not to do.

How friendly and how powerful will Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Mobile operating system will be? To what extent the combination of Microsoft savoir-faire with Nokia’s hardware design be able to steal some of the market share that Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android have already secured?

To say the least, it is important not to have just two contenders in the smartphone market, Apple and Google/Samsung. A third one is always welcome. Nokia was already promoting Windows Mobile on its handsets but the new deal where Microsoft owns everything promises to takes things further. Microsoft-Nokia power is not to take lightly. In this case three is company, not a crowd.

TORONTO – For the visually impaired, navigating through neighbourhoods can be a struggle, but apps aim to shed light on places, people and obstacles that lie in their paths.

There are 285 million visually impaired people worldwide, about 39 million of whom are blind, according to the World Health Organisation.

Guide Dots, a free app for Android, detects a person’s location and uses audio voice-overs to announce nearby attractions, including restaurants, shops — and even friends.

“We let people know what’s around them more than a cane can, broadening their horizon more than a six foot circle around them,” said Deborah Vandeven, global chief creative officer at VML, based in Kansas City, Missouri, which created the app.

With the app, users tap the Nearby button to hear a voiceover of places around them. They can also tag walkway obstructions, restrooms and places with good service, and share this feedback with other users of the app.

If they feel like meeting a friend, they can find out if any Facebook friends are around.

While the app is meant complement a guide dog or cane, Vandeven said it’s about giving more independence to the visually impaired. By leveraging Android’s TalkBack feature, a screen reader, people can hear the different options on the screen read aloud, and double-tap to choose one.

The app gets location data about people and places from Google Maps and Facebook Places. However, because GPS is only accurate to approximately 15 metres, the company plans to use beacon technology, bluetooth sensors that communicate location and other data to a person’s smartphone, to increase accuracy.

“This will help move you those last couple feet that for a visually impaired person could be the size of the Grand Canyon, so beacons are definitely a good use case for that,” she added.

BlindSquare for iOS is another app designed for the visually impaired to find places nearby. Users can, for example, ask for the most popular café within a 200 metre radius, or to find a post office. The app, which costs $23.99 and is available in over 15 languages, gets location data from Foursquare. It can also read out intersections while travelling.

John Corneille, director of gift planning at Foundation Fighting Blindness, a nonprofit based in Maryland, is visually impaired as a result of a condition called retinitis pigmentosa. He said that if the apps can deliver on their claims, then they might be the tools he’s been looking for.

“GPS on cars can be set to announce what street you’re approaching, or points of interest as you go, but I haven’t found an app that does those things accurately enough when you’re walking,” he said.

Corneille, who also practises law, said that he uses many apps daily, including the VoiceOver function on his iPhone, which does text-to-speech, and Siri to dictate e-mails and texts.

“My assessment is that there are a lot of apps available and most of them are very good. They really have a practical use and function for the visually impaired, and I’m thrilled that they’re being offered,” he said.

“If you’re visually impaired there’s no better time to be that way,” he added.

Among other apps available for the visually impaired, TapTapSee, free for iOS and Android, allows people to snap a photo of an object to determine what it is. For iOS, LookTel Money Reader, $9.99, speaks out currencies in different denominations, and Colour ID, free, can help them figure out the color of a shirt or pair of socks.

WASHINGTON – The Google Android platform extended its dominance over Apple in the tablet market in early 2014, a research firm said Monday.

Strategy Analytics said Android grabbed 65.8 per cent of global tablet sales in the first quarter, up from 53 per cent a year ago.

Apple meanwhile saw iPad sales slump and its market share tumbled to 28.4 per cent from 40.3 per cent a year earlier, the survey showed.

Global tablet sales in the quarter were up 19 per cent at 57.6 million units, the market research firm said.

“Android continues to make steady progress and now commands two-thirds of the tablet market share,” said Peter King, analyst at Strategy Analytics.

While Apple ignited the tablet market with its first iPads, it has now lost its dominance to Android in the same manner as the iPhone has seen its share eroded in the smartphone market.

The report said iPad sales were down 16 per cent from the same period a year ago.

“We believe that the disappointing performance in the early part of the calendar year is because Apple has changed its product release cycle to the holiday time frame,” King said.

He added that Apple “will likely lose share over the next several months to refreshed Android products, but we believe Apple will win back meaningful high-end market share during the final months of the calendar year”.

Android sales totalled some 38 million in the period to Apple’s 25.6 million, the report said.

The survey also found a steady market share for tablets using Microsoft Windows.

Windows tablet sales rose to 3.4 million from 2.8 million a year earlier, keeping a steady market share of 5.8 per cent, according to Strategy Analytics.

“There may be an uptick in Windows following Microsoft’s decision to offer Windows for free for sub nine-inch devices,” the report noted.

“We may see a new batch of eight-inch Windows-based tablets with reduced prices; they will still not be as inexpensive as Android, but it will enable them to be more competitive and appealing to a wider audience.”

But the researchers said a dearth of apps continues to be a problem for Microsoft, “with seemingly little incentive for developers to work on the platform”.

NEW YORK – Young girls who have been called “too fat” are more likely to be obese as young adults, according to a new research letter. 

The early stigma of being labelled that way may worsen the problem rather than encouraging girls to become healthier, but more research is needed to be sure, the study authors say.

“This study is one step closer to being able to draw that conclusion, but of course we can't definitively say that calling a girl "too fat" will make her obese,” said senior author A. Janet Tomiyama of the University of California, Los Angeles.

“This study recruited girls when they were age 10 and followed them over nine years, so we know it's more than just a one-time connection, which makes me believe that it's an important question to continue researching,” Tomiyama told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

She and her coauthor examined data from an existing study that followed girls through their teen years. At age 10, the girls answered the question, “have any of these people told you that you were too fat: father, mother, brother, sister, best girlfriend, boy you like best, any other girl, any other boy, or teacher?”

Out of just over 2,000 girls, a total of 1,188 answered “yes” to any of the choices.

Those girls were more likely to have a body mass index (BMI) — a measure of weight relative to height — in the obese range ten years later than girls who answered “no”, according to the results in JAMA Paediatrics.

“We know from considerable evidence that youths who feel stigmatised or shamed about their weight are vulnerable to a range of negative psychological and physical health consequences,” said Rebecca Puhl, deputy director of the Rudd Centre for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

“This study suggests that negative weight labels may contribute to these experiences and have a lasting and potentially damaging impact for girls,” said Puhl, who was not part of the study.

Girls who had been labeled “fat” were still at higher risk of obesity even when researchers accounted for their BMIs at age 10, household income, race and parental education level.

The effect seemed to be strongest when the labels came from family members, which increased the risk of obesity later by 60 per cent, compared to 40 per cent when the comments came from friends or teachers. But it’s not wise to make too much out of the difference between those numbers, since this was only an exploratory study, Tomiyama said.

She was not at all surprised that over half of girls had been labelled “fat”.

“The pressure to be thin in our society is intense, and other research shows that people label both themselves and others as 'overweight' even if their objective body mass index is in the 'normal weight' range,” she said.

Females are exposed to weight stigma more often, but the connection may be present for boys as well, she noted.

There are ways for parents to address weight and health issues with their children that don’t involve labelling, Tomiyama said.

“There's no need to say the ‘f’ word at all if you want to improve your child's health,” she said. 

Parents could instead focus on the health of the family as a whole, said Angelina Sutin, who was not involved in the new study.

Sutin studies psychological well-being and health disparities at Florida State University College Of Medicine in Tallahassee.

“The best approach would be to start kids early on a path toward healthy living by eating healthy food and being physically active,” Sutin told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

“This applies equally to parents as it does to kids — children model their parents’ behaviour, so if kids see their parents making healthy choices, they are more likely to also make healthy choices,” she said.

Parents could identify activities the child enjoys and work on ways to do more of them, she added.

LONDON – Scientists have found natural human antibodies to the newly emerging Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus and say their discovery marks a step towards developing treatments for the often fatal disease.

MERS, a SARS-like viral disease first detected in 2012 that has caused outbreaks in the Middle East and sporadic cases around the world, has raised international alarm in recent weeks with a surge in infections and deaths in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials confirmed 26 more MERS cases and 10 deaths at the weekend, bringing the toll in the kingdom alone to 339 confirmed cases, of which 102 have been fatal.

There is currently no cure or vaccine for MERS — a severe respiratory disease which causes cough, fever, shortness of breath, and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure.

But in studies published in two leading scientific journals on Monday, scientists from the United States, China and Hong Kong said they had found several so-called neutralising antibodies that were able to prevent a key part of the virus from attaching to receptors that allow it to infect human cells.

Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system that recognise foreign viruses and bacteria. A neutralising antibody is one that not only recognises a specific virus but also prevents it from infecting host cells, eventually meaning the infection is cleared from the person or animal.

In one study in the Science Translational Medicine journal, a Chinese-led team found that two antibodies, called MERS-4 and MERS-27, were able to block cells in a lab dish from becoming infected with the MERS virus.

“While early, the results hint that these antibodies, especially ... used in combination, could be promising candidates for interventions against MERS,” the scientists wrote.

In a second study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, a team from the United States said their discovery of a panel of seven neutralising antibodies offered the long-term possibility that either a vaccine or treatments could be developed to fight MERS.

The vast majority of MERS cases have been in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East, but the discovery of sporadic cases in Britain, Greece, France, Italy, Malaysia and other countries have raised concerns about the potential global spread of the disease by infected airline passengers.

Although the disease has not yet been seen in North America, “the chance of someone infected with MERS landing on US shores is possible,” said Wayne Marasco, an infectious disease expert at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who led the PNAS study.

Scientists are not yet clear precisely how the MERS virus is transmitted to people, but it has been found in bats and camels, and many experts say camels are the most likely animal reservoir from which humans are becoming infected.

The virus is similar to the one that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which emerged in China in 2002/2003 and killed some 800 people — around a tenth of those it infected.

The World Health Organisation has said it is “concerned” about the rising number of MERS infections in Saudi Arabia. The United Nations health agency said it plans to send a team of international experts to the kingdom this week to help investigate the outbreak.

LONDON – The value of the online fine art market is expected to more than double to $3.76 billion in the next five years as it increasingly attracts younger and first-time buyers, British insurer Hiscox said on Monday.

Online art sites do not threaten galleries and auction houses in the same way Internet availability has undermined the traditional movie, book and music businesses, Hiscox said.

But the willingness of younger buyers to make their first purchases over the Internet along with the rapid growth of online sites pointed to the future of the sector, it said in a statement.

"Young collectors are looking for artwork which is easy to buy and available at a wide range of prices," Robert Read, Hiscox's head of fine art, was quoted as saying.

"Online art platforms cater for all tastes and budgets, but are particularly effective for those just starting to collect — opening up the art market in a way that is hard to replicate in the real world."

London-listed Hiscox, which underwrites cover for oil rigs, kidnappings, fine art and vintage cars, estimated the value of global online art sales at $1.57 billion in 2013.

In its second annual report on the online art market, in conjunction with market research company ArtTactic, Hiscox projects this figure will grow to $3.76 billion in 2018.

The report's findings are based on a survey of 506 international art buyers on ArtTactic's client mailing list, Twitter and Facebook, Hiscox said.

"Based on these figures, online art buying accounts for 2.4 per cent of the estimated value of the global art market, which in 2013 was $65 billion," Hiscox said.

Internet retail giant Amazon had launched its Art portal in the past year and online auction house eBay was reportedly planning a rival platform, it said.

"Significant increased investment into platforms like Paddle8, Artsy and Artspace indicates continued confidence from investors and belief in the long-term potential of these businesses," Hiscox said.

Online-only sales would not replace galleries, auctions and other traditional sales channels, it said, but provide an alternative buying opportunity and additional revenue stream.

"The findings indicate that online art e-commerce will not exist as a separate entity — it will augment and co-exist with what is happening in the real, physical art world," Hiscox said.

The report did find, however, that future generations of collectors were likely to make their first art purchases online, with almost 25 per cent of 20- to 30-year-olds surveyed for the report saying they first bought art online without seeing the physical piece.

Although 39 per cent of respondents said buying art online was less intimidating than at a gallery or auction, having a bricks-and-mortar presence instilled confidence, with 90 per cent of online buyers purchasing from a physical space before turning to websites.

Limited edition prints were a popular entry point for online buyers, the report said, with 55 per cent of those surveyed having bought a print online in the last 12 months.

The report found that 44 per cent of buyers said they had spent more than £10,000 ($16,800) purchasing art and collectibles online so far, with 21 per cent of this group saying they had spent in excess of £50,000.

LOS ANGELES — Google says its self-driving cars are motoring along: They can navigate freeways comfortably, albeit with a driver ready to take control. But city driving — with its obstacle course of stray walkers, bicyclists and blind corners — has been a far greater challenge for the cars' computers.

In a blog entry posted Monday, the project's leader said test cars now can handle thousands of urban situations that would have stumped them a year or two ago.

"We're growing more optimistic that we're heading toward an achievable goal — a vehicle that operates fully without human intervention," project director Chris Urmson wrote.

Urmson's post was the company's first official update since 2012 on progress toward a driverless car, a project within the company's secretive Google X lab.

The company has said its goal is to get the technology to the public by 2017. In initial iterations, human drivers would be expected to take control if the computer fails. The promise is that, eventually, there would be no need for a driver. Passengers could read, daydream, even sleep — or work — while the car drives.

Google maintains that computers will one day drive far more safely than humans, and part of the company's pitch is that robot cars can substantially reduce traffic fatalities.

The basics already are in place. The task for Google — and traditional carmakers, which also are testing driverless cars — is perfecting technology strapped onto its fleet of about two dozen Lexus RX450H SUVs.

Sensors including radar and lasers create 3D maps of a self-driving car's surroundings in real time, while Google's software sorts objects into four categories: moving vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and static things such as signs, curbs and parked cars.

Initially, those plots were fairly crude. A gaggle of pedestrians on a street corner registered as a single person. Now, the technology can distinguish individuals, according to Google spokeswoman Courtney Hohne, as well as solve other riddles such as construction zones and the likely movements of people riding bicycles.

To deal with cyclists, engineers initially programmed the software to look for hand gestures that indicate an upcoming turn. Then they realized that most cyclists don't use standard gestures — and still others weave down a road the wrong way.

So engineers have taught the software to predict the behaviour of cyclists based on thousands of encounters during the 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometres) or so the cars have driven autonomously on city streets, Hohne said. The software projects a cyclist's likely movements and plots the car's path accordingly — then reacts if something unexpected happens.

"A mile of city driving is much more complex than a mile of freeway driving, with hundreds of different objects moving according to different rules of the road in a small area," Urmson wrote.

Before recent breakthroughs, Google had contemplated mapping all the world's stop signs. 

Now the technology can read stop signs, including those held in the hands of school crossing guards, Hohne said.

While the car knows to stop, just when to start again is still a challenge, partly because the cars are programmed to drive defensively. At a four-way stop, Google's cars have been known to wait in place as people driving in other directions edge out into the intersection — or roll through.

The cars still need work on other predictably common tasks. Among them, understanding the gestures that drivers give one another to signal it's OK to merge or change lanes, turning right on red and driving in rain or fog (which requires more sophisticated sensors).

To date, Google's cars have gone about 700,000 miles (1.1 million kilometres) in self-driving mode, the vast majority on freeways, the company said.

California's Department of Motor Vehicles is in the process of writing regulations to implement that law. 

Nevada, Florida, Michigan and Washington, DC, also have written driverless car laws.

Google has not said how it plans to market the technology. Options include collaborating with major carmakers or giving away the software, as the company did with its Android operating system. 

While Google has the balance sheet to invest in making cars, that likelihood is remote.
Traditional automakers also are developing driverless cars. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said he hopes to deliver a model to the public by 2020.

Larger and more comfortable, luxurious and advanced, the latest generation Mercedes C-Class however boasts significant weight, fuel consumption and emissions reductions. Successor to the 1980s 190 ‘baby Benz’ saloon, the C-Class has long ceased being the smallest Mercedes but is now a junior executive saloon with luxury car refinement and equipment. Launched internationally just late last month in Marseille, France, the W205-series C-Class’ high tech kit, flowing style and optional air suspension has led some to label it a ‘baby S-Class’ in reference to Mercedes’ flagship luxury liner. One however found it to be a very well-sorted, smooth, elegant and balanced car.

Stylishly subtle

Understated but refined, with elegant curves, sporty proportions, and subtly toned surfacing and athletic tension, the new C-Class has a distinct air of confidence yet discrete luxury and none of the overt size, presence and detail of some sister models. Conveying much in a seemingly minimalist way and in such a small package, the new C-Class is one of Mercedes best designs in recent years. Offered with Sporty Avantgarde and AMG bodykits with a large grille-fitted tri-star, the featured Exclusive line however uses a more traditional and formal presentation, with a multi-slat grille and small hood-mounted emblem, and a less-is-more attitude to body kit.

With cabin set well back and big distance between A-pillar and front wheel-arch creating a distinct sense of luxury, the C-Class gently arced roof and subtly muscular shoulders converge to a tapered in boot with a discreetly sculpted spoiler. A wide grille is reflected by raised bonnet centre, while an under-grille curve flows through a line of headlight LEDs and smoothly continues to a descending upper side crease line — mirrored by an ascending lower line. Built from lightweight aluminium bodywork, the C-Class’ smooth lines and the Exclusive model’s automatically closing and opening grille vanes generate just CD0.27 aerodynamic drag, and contribute significantly to its improved efficiency.

Efficient engineering

Built using extensive aluminium construction accounting for 50 per cent of content, compared to its’ predecessor’s 10 per cent, the new C-Class benefits in terms of weight reduction and body rigidity. With a 70kg body weight loss and up to 100kg overall weight loss depending on the model, the trimmer new C-Class reaps fuel efficiency, performance and handling benefits, the latter of which was evident through back-road switchbacks, where it felt more agile, nimble and better controlled through corners. Meanwhile, body rigidity translates into ride refinement, crash safety and handling benefits, with noise and vibrations reductions, while a stiff body allows for more precise steering and suspension.

The W205 C-Class’ lower weight, improved aerodynamics and other factors are said to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent, while a model-to-model comparison between the driven C250 BlueTec and its direct C250 CDI BlueEfficiency predecessor reveal an 0.5l/100km reduction in combined cycle fuel consumption, 18g/km less CO2 emissions, 0.5-second faster 0-100km acceleration and 7km/h higher top speed. With its lighter weight allowing for a bigger size, the new C-Class is 40mm wider and 95mm longer, 80mm longer of which is accounted for with a longer wheelbase, which provides improved cabin space, front and rear, while boot capacity increases to 480-litres.

Composure and control

The first car in its segment to feature optional air suspension — usually reserved for flagship luxury cars — the tested C250 Bluetec model rode smoothly  and with air suspension providing a self-leveling function, remained composed through corners, with cornering body lean, acceleration squat and brake dive well-suppressed. Refined and stable on highways the C250 BlueTec took most lumps and bumps smoothly in its stride, remaining comfortable and composed throughout. In fact, even with stiff optional low profile 245/40R18 rear sports tires fitted rather than supple standard tires, only one particularly jagged, jarring and sudden low speed pothole disrupted the C250’s silky ride.

The optional sports alloy wheels and tires however look great filled out the C250’s wheel-arches well, and through brisk switchbacks provided lots of grip and handling composure, while the actively variable air suspension damping features four progressively firmer settings to suit different situations. The C-class’ direct and efficient electro-mechanical steering features active variable assistance and speed, and is firmly for brisk roads and light for urban maneuverability. With extensive high tech safety and driver assistance systems the C-Class features a standard collision prevention system, which to prevent 40km/h collisions and can reduce severity up to 200km/h, while lane keeping and semi-autonomous driving systems are optional.

Refined ride

Driven at launch in Exclusive trim package with C250 Bluetec drive-train, one was surprised that the highly efficient and powerful 2-litre 4-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel matches the turbo petrol C250’s 6.6-second 0-100km/h acceleration and at 247km/h, nearly matches its 250km/h top speed. Spooling up quickly past low-end lag, the C250 BlueTec develops massive 369lb/ft torque throughout 1600-1800rpm, which allows for effortlessly confident uphill driving, overtaking or towing. With Diesel engines having come a long way in recent years, the C250 BlueTec 201BHP at 3800rpm power output is nearly on par with its petrol sister’s 208BHP, while only consuming 4.3l/100km and emitting just 109g/km CO2 on the combined cycle.

With good cabin noise, vibration and harshness isolation, very little of the diesel clatter that was synonymous with diesel cars is audible in the cabin, while automatic gear shifts are smooth and drive-train refinement high. With seven speeds, the C250 BlueTec’s gearbox utilises the relatively narrow turbo-diesel torque band for performance and efficiency, while the gear selector is now mounted on the steering column to free up more centre console space. Refined and well-space inside, the C-Class’s ergonomic and versatile seat, and steering adjustments provided ideal driving positions for extremes of driver sizes, as was required by this writer and my co-driver during test drive in Marseille.

Seamlessly combining sporty and classy design elements, and in its well-appointed and finished interior, the new C-Class lakes a leaf from Mercedes’ sports models with the use of an upright dashboard metal-ringed circular air vents, while its chunky steering and coned dials are similarly sporty. Light and airy, the C-Class features plenty of soft touch textures and leathers, while its classy wood grain centre console has a touch of the traditional and is juxtaposed by an internet-enabled and smart phone compatible tablet-style infotainment touchscreen. One can also access the numerous infotainment and vehicle menus through a centre console rotary selector and touchpad.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.15-litre, turbo-diesel, in-line 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 83 x 99mm

Compression ratio: 16.2:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, common rail direct injection

Gearbox: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive

Ratios: 1st 4.38:1 2nd 2.86:1 3rd 1.92:1 4th 1.37:1 5th 1:1 6th 0.82:1 7th 0.73:1

Reverse: 1st 3.42:1 / 2nd 2.23:1

Final drive ratio: 2.47:1

0-100 km/h: 6.6-seconds

Maximum speed: 247km/h

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 201 (204) [150] @3800rpm

Specific power: 93.8BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 126BHP/ton

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 369 (500) @ 1600-1800rpm

Specific torque: 233.3Nm/litre

Fuel consumption, combined: 4.3-litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 109g/km

Fuel tank capacity: 41-litres

Length: 4686mm

Width: 1810mm

Height: 1442mm

Wheelbase: 2840mm

Track, F/R: 1548 / 1573mm

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.27

Boot capacity: 480-litres

Payload: 565kg

Kerb weight: 1595kg

Steering: Power-assisted, rack and pinion

Turning circle: 11.22-meters

Suspension: Multi-link, adaptive air suspension, anti-roll bars

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs / discs

Tires, F/R: 225/45R18 / 245/40R18 (optional, as tested)

LOVE WINS

Photography by Afzal Huda

Conceived by Waleed Abu Ghazaleh

US: Olive Branch Press/Interlink, 2014, 224 pp., $22.

This photo journal takes its title from the slogan — LOVE WINS — written large in English and Arabic amidst a wealth of other graffiti on a section of the Apartheid Wall in Palestine, as can be seen on the cover image. The book itself is a labour of love — love of Palestine, of humanity, of life. It is obviously the result of a collective effort, but the main credit goes to Waleed Abu Ghazaleh, who conceived the idea and design, and Afzal Huda, who took the outstanding photos that give LOVE WINS its substance and impact.

When he set out with his camera in 2011, Huda, an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and photographer, had a negatively defined mission –– to show the ugly face of the Wall and the hardships it inflicts on the Palestinians. Yet, a close look at the images captured by his lens also revealed the subtle, but potentially more powerful, fact of the Palestinians’ compassion, perseverance and hope in the face of the overwhelming obstacles to their daily life and future aspirations presented by the Wall. Thus, the focus of the book shifted slightly to become not only a documentary protest of the oppressive reality imposed by the Israeli occupation, but also “a celebration of Palestinians’ will to persevere and the hope they share of realizing their freedom”. (p. 160) The very first photo exemplifies the contrast that prevails throughout the book between hope and oppression: A smiling woman, probably an international volunteer, walks alongside a dignified, elderly Palestinian man, as Israeli soldiers, one pointing his automatic rifle, peer across the top of the Wall. 

In the foreword, Phyllis Bennis, Middle East expert and long-time advocate of Palestinian rights, sums up the most important facts, such as that “only 15 percent of the Wall is built on the Green Line; a full 85 per cent snakes through the West Bank, plunging deep into Palestinian land,” whereby the major settlements and water resources “end up on the Israeli side”. (p. 4) Like the overall thrust of the book, Bennis also highlights the positive aspect: “For the Palestinians, the Wall has created whole new strategies of resistance to the occupation,” flowing “into a wide river of resistance.” (p. 5)

The pictures are divided into four parts, each introduced by a brief text on the impact of occupation policies in five languages (English, Spanish, German, French and Chinese). Pictures in the first part, titled “Faces of Walls,” show the maze of huge concrete structures, watchtowers, barbed-wire fences, gates and terminals (more like holding pens) that stretch across agricultural land, into towns and sometimes into people’s backyards. But here also, there is hope as we see the amazing graffiti in which the LOVE WINS slogan is embedded, as well as other positive phrases painted on the Wall, such as “Bridges not walls” and “Love will set us free.”

Yet more poignant than slogans are the people seen in the next section, “Faces of Life”, featuring pictures of Palestinians persistently carrying on with their lives in the shadow of the Wall — working, playing, protesting, waiting to cross over, showing themselves to be “Stronger than the Wall”, as is scrawled across the side of a house. The third part, “Faces of Support,” highlights the role of international activists, and includes some of the most colourful wall paintings and graffiti in different languages. Emblazoned on the Wall are large paintings of Palestinian icons from Marwan Barghouti to Mahmoud Darwish,  powerful slogans like “Free Palestine — Boycott Apartheid” and “This wall will fall,” remakes of Naji Al Ali’s caricatures, and quotes from international figures like Martin Luther King.

The photos in the final part, “Faces of Hope” present a panorama of Palestinians at home and school, in streets and marketplaces, sporting traditional or modern dress; in short, all sorts of people. We see the endearing smiles and irrepressible laughter of children, the exuberance of youth, proud parents and the dignity of the older generation. Most amazing is a series of shots of people in a bare-bones tent camp, presumably after their homes were demolished. Small boys play soccer and tetherball, while a mother helps her daughter stay on one end of a makeshift seesaw fashioned from the rubble of what was probably once their home. That’s resilience!

As with any good photography book, words fall short of conveying the full impact, but the quite reasonable price of this book makes it possible for many to see for themselves. LOVE WINS is a great tribute to the resilience of the Palestinians, and a source of much-needed encouragement at a time when mainstream media paint only dismal or distorted pictures.

Sally Bland

NEW YORK – Older Americans who regularly spent time online were about a third less likely to suffer from depression in a new study that compared them to peers who did not use the Internet.

“The largest impacts on depression were actually for those people who lived alone, so it’s really suggesting that it’s about connecting with others, eliminating isolation and loneliness,” lead study author Shelia Cotten said.

Depression affects nearly 8 per cent of Americans over the age of 50, or between 5 and 10 million people, say the authors in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B.

Older adults are much more likely to experience depression, loneliness and social isolation than younger people, Cotten told Reuters Health.

A researcher in telecommunication, information studies and media at Michigan State University in East Lansing, she wanted to see if getting older people online might lower that risk.

Cotten and her colleagues analysed responses gathered over six years by the US Health and Retirement Survey, a large population study that focuses on the transitions Americans go through as they retire. The data covered 3,075 retired men and women who didn’t live in nursing homes.

The researchers identified depression through answers to an eight-item questionnaire, and participants in the survey were asked directly about their use of the Internet for e-mail or any other purposes.

About 30 per cent of the participants were Internet users. When the researchers compared depression scores, they found the people who were going online had a 33 per cent lower probability of depression compared to those who were not.

The study didn’t examine how much people used the Internet or analyse the effects of specific types of Internet use, Cotten pointed out. But in previous studies, the results suggested that older adults are mostly interested in communicating with their family and friends, usually by e-mail, Cotten said.

She explained that a lot of older adults have mobility and health issues that keep them from being able to travel and visit with family. But being able to use e-mail to see pictures of their kids, grandkids or even great grandkids can help them stay in contact.

“So I would really encourage people to help their older loved ones to get online and not to assume that it’s beyond them, because it’s not,” she said.

Cotten added that it may not come as easily to older people as it does to kids, but her research shows that individuals in their 80s, 90s and even in their 100s can still learn to use computers and the Internet.

Adult children who are thinking of getting their parents online should think about the interface, Cotten advises. Older adults may prefer tablets rather than regular laptop or desktop computers because the tablets are easier to use and much more portable.

“Start very simply and let them know that they’re not going to break the technology, and that if something happens, you can help them fix it or somebody can help them fix it,” Cotten said.

“You really have to go a little bit slower than you would with somebody who’s younger and really emphasise repetition — have them practise sending e-mails to family members or to friends or going online to search for different types of things,” she said. “Practice is key.”

Once older adults begin to see how useful the Internet can be in their lives, you’ve got them hooked, Cotten added.

“It’s really about how they can see it integrated into their lives and being useful for them that will help them to stay online,” she said.