Off-road Racing
08.03.12

Motoring Editor Hayley Blake takes a look at Off-Road Racing and gives a run-down exclusively for Pie Magazine UK.



The History of Off-road Racing


Off-road racing, or desert racing, firstly came to light in the 20th century by the National Off-Road Racing Association, otherwise known as NORRA. This association was formed by Ed Pearlman in 1967.


The first ever event, named the Mexican 1000, took place in the Mexican Desert, which was later renamed Baja 1000. These events would consist of various classes for the specially modified vehicles, set up to challenge different engine sizes and suspension systems. The competitors would race against one another in several laps of the course in order to get the best time. The distance of the race could total between 25 to 50 miles after all of the laps were completed.


As the years have passed, off-road racing has changed a little. The event is now sanctioned by SCORE International. The vehicles that are used in these thrilling races are modified to endure the harsh lands and deep waters, as well as produce enough power to get a fast lap time.


Vehicles used for Off-road Racing


Any vehicle being used for off-road racing needs to have a flexible suspension and large tires with deep open treads. These vehicles need to be modified for several different reasons; mainly they need to have a low ground pressure. This will allow them to cross soft and wet ground without getting bogged down.


Any off-road vehicles, but especially racers, need to have a high ground clearance, which will prevent them from getting caught on ruts in the ground, rocks and any large pieces of log that are lying around. It is important that the vehicles wheels are kept on the ground to prevent them from losing traction, possibly causing them to slip or roll the vehicle. This is accomplished by fitting a suitable balance of large or additional tires, combined with a tall and flexible suspension.


These vehicles need to cope with bumpy, uneven ground, deep water that could in fact reach levels as high as the bottom of the windscreen, and travel at high speeds without being affected too much by the terrain.


If you could imagine driving down an exceptionally bumpy road, to protect your suspension components, you would slow down; reducing the shock on the vehicle, and increasing the amount of traction you have on the road.


These modified off-road vehicles take this course at high speeds, so the components fitted need to deal with the shock and traction issues. Some of the teams overcome this by fitting twin shock absorbers, and some tackle the problem with high performance shockies. However, no matter how prepared you are, a mechanical failure could occur on the vehicle at any moment during the course, costing time and points. For this reason, the vehicles are always highly maintained, reducing the amount of breakages on the track.


Off-road racers are commonly fitted with V8 petrol engines, but every now and again, a diesel will be heard chugging around the track. They may not be as quick as the V8, but they deal with the water holes a lot better!


Diesel engines will happily slam into the water, be submerged as the vehicle passes through, and rise up the other side and push on for the track ahead. V8 engines however, are less forgiving! They take a dislike to being submerged for a length of time and will persistently cut out until they are released from the water hole. This can be overcome to an extent by fitting a snorkel to the air intake to provide the engine with enough air/fuel mixture to tick over until they are high and dry.


The Experience


I think off-road racing events offer an amazing experience for those who are into sport, vehicles, and who are competitive – or simply looking for a great day out! They offer a fantastic opportunity to capture great memories and pictures of the modified vehicles. I have been to two of these events in the last year, and each one has been just as intriguing. There’s nothing quite like seeing firsthand how they deal with the terrain, and hearing the high powered engines growling around the track!


If you decide to visit one of the events, I am sure you will have a brilliant time, and you may even be persuaded to have a go.

What is SOPA and how does it affect me?

Ryan Thickett, GAMES Editor - 18/1/12
 

If you have been wondering why there has been such a massive uproar all across the world today then look no further, it is because of a little piece of legislation that Lamar S. Smith introduced into the United States House of Representatives called SOPA, which stands for Stop Online Piracy Act; this seems reasonable at least so far, I mean who doesn’t want to stop piracy? But if you delve further into this legislation then you start to uncover the true purpose of the act, which if I’m being totally honest is horrifying.


The best way to explain this is that the act is trying to prevent any copyrighted material outside of the US from being accessible to people within the US, this means that search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and many more would then have to sever all ties to any sites that are deemed illegal by the US or have copyrighted material on them. This means that first of all search engines which are essentially our way of navigating the internet will either go down completely or just be very limited in what they link to - either way it does not bode well for people that use the internet regularly.


The next set of business that would lose out from this would be advertisement companies, because a lot of the time advertisements are spread out across the internet by ad companies. The companies get paid to spread the ads and then in turn pay websites to host the advertisements; however if they are forced to stop advertising on certain websites then they will lose money, and this is more business lost for the US economy.


Other sites that would be hit hard would be almost any site that has its own Blog because people can’t post anything that could be potentially copyrighted, which could be something like Tumblr (this is where all Tumblr addicts panic), or if it shares images or links, i.e. Facebook, or even if it is only sharing videos, such as Youtube, Vimeo and Dailymotion - it can also be payment sites, such as PayPal. The list goes on, but for now just imagine if those sites weren’t accessible for you? I know that I myself spend hours each day on those websites alone. 


Another way to look at this is if you own or want to own a small online business; imagine you are currently selling things online, you might be receiving money through a payment company like PayPal, and let’s just assume that SOPA passes and suddenly you have no access to PayPal, you can’t contact your customers through Facebook, you can’t advertise over Youtube and you can’t even have a blog where customers can talk about your products. How do you then continue running your business? Simple really, you don’t. If SOPA passes, it could affect millions and millions of small business that are generating income from the internet.


It can’t be all that bad though surely? Well actually it is. The only people that would possibly benefit from SOPA are companies that distribute easily pirateable products such as Hollywood film-makers, games design companies, music labels and a few others. But the amount of extra revenue they would actually gain probably won’t be as big as they think, people have been pirating movies and music for years now and if they suddenly had no way at all to pirate anything they wouldn’t just turn around and start buying things, they would most likely go without it.


To summarise, all of the people backing SOPA at the moment and everyone else in the world really should consider is: “Is it really worth it?” Is it really worth passing a bill that could potentially destroy the internet and leave millions jobless and without freedom of speech just to get a few more dollars in the rich people’s pockets?

Skitch: A Review

Colin J. Kautz, 08/11/11 - 14:45

Skitch is an unusual app; a combined free tool and online service that can help you capture, edit and share screenshots from your computer.


You don't have to sign up for a free user account to use the app, which is a nice feature. The screen-capture tools, accessed through the app or its menu bar icon, work much like the built-in screen-capture tools in OS X, and can likewise be mapped to hot keys. You can snap a pic using crosshairs, capture a whole window or use a timer. Once an image is captured is when Skitch gets more interesting: the app pulls up a tool-filled frame around the image, with easy buttons for annotating it with text, arrows and shapes.


You can quickly resize and crop the image too, by dragging a corner or side, respectively. The options for sharing the image are even better, as you can upload to the Web (to your own Skitch account by default, or to Flickr, MobileMe, WebDAV, FTP, or SFTP) or use the Drag Me tab to drop the image right into another app or window (including right into a chat window or Web form) - a great feature that can keep your desktop from getting cluttered with screencaps. The ingenious Drag Me tab also lets you quickly select the image format, with more options for paying subscribers.


If you upload to your Skitch account, you can go there to create a link, control privacy, and even quickly generate HTML for different image sizes.


According to the Mac App Store, you can use Skitch to give feedback to a colleague on their work, screen grab your online life; share images to Facebook and Twitter, draw an image from scratch and easily edit photos.


With all these handy drag-and-drop tools, a clean interface and support for several popular image-sharing sites; Skitch is the perfect tool for those who need to grab quick screens and add annotations. If you have a Mac or an Android phone, you can get Skitch for free.


 

 iOS 5, More Than an Update

Colin J. Kautz, 18/10/11 - 12:53 GMT
 

September 12th saw Apple release iOS 5.0 for the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone. According to MacRumors.com, iOS 5 is compatible with the iPad 2, original iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.


With this update, there are over 200 new features. One of the biggest new features is the Notification Centre; easy-to-use, just swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Centre. New notifications will appear briefly at the top of the screen and even allows you to can notifications from lock screen; you can also slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app.


Another big feature added to iOS 5 is iMessage. With this, you can send and receive unlimited texts, photos and video messages with other iOS 5 users and track messages with delivery and read receipts. iMessage also has group messaging and secure encryption, working over mobile networks and Wi-Fi.


There are so many updates to iOS 5 that I cannot even begin to explain them. If you have an iPad 2, original iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch, I suggest downloading it and giving it a try and, fortunately, this update is free. What are you waiting for?! Get it today!

Steve Jobs: The Pioneer 1955 - 2011

Tribute Article by Ben Franks, 06/10/11 - 19:44 GMT
Watch this

 Whatever you think of Apple you cannot deny its success and continual ingenuity. Steve Jobs, the driving force and figurehead behind the multi-billion dollar company, had achieved in his life huge goals, ambitions and creativity; he wasn’t just a successful businessman but a Western inspiration.


Jobs could be described as the “ultimate nerd” or the “misfit who saw things differently”, but let’s be honest he is a genius. A genius who changed the world. Jobs gave us the ability to change things at our finger tips. Jobs knew when to hold back or pioneer in technology. Jobs knew how to alter image and personality of product to provide what are demand was begging for at the time.


Apple has become more than just a company under Jobs. Apple is a following; a company with a consumer-base so loyal they will continue and continue to buy their products for years to come – letting them get away with releasing new generation gismos every five minutes.


Jobs’ most successful product of them all was the iPod; so successful we’d be lucky to see anyone using any other form of MP3 player, let alone MP4. It revolutionised the way we listen to music, created whole new markets and pushed the human race forward.


Jobs wasn’t just a man of great success, nor was he a mere genius. Jobs was a pioneer, a hero in his field and it will be of great loss to his following, to Apple and to the rest of the world that he has passed on.


Tribute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFW1n25WQRU

Under Review
ALFRED: The App

Colin J. Kautz, 25th September 2011 - 17:10 GMT

Alfred isn’t the only productivity app on Mac OS X, but I think it’s the most delightful one by a long shot. Maybe it’s the playful color scheme that catches my eye or maybe it’s because it strikes that rare balance of being simultaneously very, very pretty and very, very useful. Whatever it is, I’ve found Alfred so awesome during the several months I’ve had it on my Mac.


The free version of Alfred, available from www.alfredapp.com or the Mac App Store, allows you to launch apps, find and open files on your computer, and conduct web searches from one single, stylish window. Alfred is also smarter than you are and can act as a calculator or dictionary at the drop of a hat (Alfred will then pick up said hat, dust it off, and hand it back to you).


If you decide to get the PowerPack, which costs £12, it allows Alfred to use extensions/custom controls, system navigation, an iTunes Mini Player, colour themes and much more.


Alfred isn’t a music player, but it does do a great job of controlling iTunes. You can summon the controller with a designated hotkey, or by simply typing “iTunes” into Alfred.


You can use the arrow keys to navigate between genres, artists, albums and playlists, but, as always, the keyboard is really where it’s at. Searching within the iTunes controller is just like searching within iTunes, except it tends to be faster and less cluttered. There are also dedicated keys (and keyboard shortcuts) for pausing, playing and skipping or rewinding tracks.


If you’re simply not sure of what to play, you can tell Alfred to choose a random album from your library and play it. As a nice extra touch, Alfred even cycles through random thumbnails of album art as you hover over the “random album” option, as if to remind you of albums you may not have heard in a while.


I wouldn’t say that Alfred makes a great replacement for Finder, but it does make an excellent companion to Apple’s default file browser. Granted, this is one of the more technical areas of the app, since it really works best when you know exactly how your files and folders are structured, but once you get into the swing of things with Alfred, it’s easier than ever to fling files all over the place. You know, just for funsies.


Alfred can index all of the folders on your computer for quick navigation (ex. typing “down” takes me to Users/Rag/Downloads), and tapping the right arrow while within a folder or file will display a list of options to act upon.


Take, for example, “Rollerskating Kitty.jpg”, which has been sitting in the downloads folder for months. The default Mac interface makes it easy for me to drag and drop this file into another folder for safe keeping or drop it onto the Mail.app icon to start a new e-mail with the jpeg as an attachment, but Alfred can allow me to do all of that without ever having to move my fingers from the home row of my keyboard.


Not only does Alfred allow me to specify that I want to “move” a file as opposed to copying (an option that’s strangely missing from Finder), but I can actually tell Alfred to e-mail a file and fill in both the To: and Subject: fields for me.


Overall, Alfred has done wonders for me. It has made productivity on my Mac easier. I would recommend anyone who has a Mac should get Alfred and the PowerPack for £12 (~$18).
 
 

Motors Under Scrutiny:
The New Range Rover Evoque

Hayley Blake, 11th Sept 2011 - 19:40 GMT

This year Land Rover has released a new model of Range Rover with a twist! 


    This £27,955 motor is a completely new shape – looking nothing like the Classic Range Rover – and is the smallest they have ever produced. It has been designed to take on BMW's X1 and Audi's Q3, appealing to younger customers as well as more women. However, this is not a 4x4 you would want to use as a 'work horse'. The Evoque has been built for comfort and to turn heads, not to perform well under a significant load. 


   Inside, the front seats are wonderfully upholstered and, with the adjustable steering column, give an easy, supportive and comfortable driving experience. There is also a higher grade model which stylishly features a split-screen centre console display; allowing the passengers to watch TV or DVDs, while the driver can only see satnav.


    The Evoque wields a Freelander’s suspension, aluminium bonnet, roof and suspension components and a composite-plastics one-piece tailgate – this reduces the top weight and unsprung mass, which in turn reduces swaying due to a tall ride height. Thanks to this, Land Rover has been able to create a Range Rover weighing in at 1.64 tones, making the Evoque 220lbs less than a Freelander! Pretty impressive.


    Many people have different opinions about this new motor. It is a lot of money, and doesn’t play true to Land Rover's usual stance of 4x4. However, it is a decent looking car and anyone looking for a family car with a difference needn't look any further! Personally, I think it will be a smashing success!

 

Steve Jobs Resigns

Colin J. Kautz, 5th September 2011 - 22:44 GMT


Steve Jobs, the man who co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne back in 1976, purchased Pixar from George Lucas and created a series of popular personal computers and other electronic devices has stepped down from his position of Chief Executive Officer on August 24th. With Jobs stepping down from CEO, Tim Cook will take his place.


Steve Jobs wrote a short letter commentating on his resignation:


“To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:


I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.


I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.


As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.


I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.


I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.


Steve”


According to MacRumors, “The board has approved these requests, effective immediately. Jobs will still be "active" at Apple and is expected to continue to be involved with company strategy.”


Jobs has been on medical leave due to cancer for seven months and the resignation was not a sign of his health getting worse. In his article about the resignation, Adam Satariano writes for Bloomberg about Jobs' recent health and his activities today. Most importantly, he notes that the resignation was not in response to a sudden change in Jobs' health:


“The day of the announcement, Jobs was in Apple’s Cupertino, California, office for the entire work day, and he attended a regularly scheduled board meeting, according to a person close to Jobs, who was not authorized to speak about the executive’s health. While Jobs has been housebound for the past few weeks and his condition is weak, the resignation was not indicative of a sudden worsening, this person said.”


Now that Tim Cook is CEO, Apple will be a little bit different. We shall see in due time how Apple will be run, either differently or the same.
 

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The 'Android' Phone

Hardware article by Ben Franks (05/04/11, 21:00 GMT)

I could be described as being quite behind in the technology circuit when it comes to the world of mobile phones. However, having recently gone from a touch-screen LG Cookie - which I was told numerous times was apparently a "girl's phone" - to the modern day android phone, a Samsung Mini Galaxy, I must say that I have to agree. I am behind.


I may be seventeen and 'hip' but I only recently found out the glory of having things such as Facebook and social networking on my phone. I've found myself sitting down to some rubbish television and putting up with it by scrolling down my profile page or posting film tweets on Twitter. It's incredible.


Not to mention the reason why I think I'm so far behind - the android genuinely confuses me. It is full of different displays and windows, jam-packed with interactive 'apps'. For example, I can now play games such as 'Angry Birds', which I know if it were on a console I'd think it an awful game but on a phone? It's genius. Not to mention a cracking time killer when waiting for your meal to be served in a restaurant on that night out with the family or what have you.


Now, don't get me wrong, the android isn't a step forward from my old conventional touch-screen entirely. The battery power, for example, has taken a hit. I find myself having to turn off and charge the thing on a daily basis, which with my LG, I rarely ever had to do on a weekly basis, despite using it for a good few hours a day.


The android also makes simple activities more complicated. Like making a phone call, importing contacts from your sim or trying to work out how to edit one of your window displays. In all fairness, had I not been a late comer to this new genre of tech I'd probably not be having the problem but as it is - it was unneccessarily complicated.


What makes all these confusing aspects so worthwhile is the goodies on an android. Such as speedy swipe-texting, free wifi, YouTube and FM Radio on your phone, GPS, maps, restaurant suggestions, music, social networking, voice search and news n' weather updates - especially helpful for an editor such as myself!


You see, the android has taken something onboard. In this day and age, people want their little electronics to do everything. Being able to listen to music, make a phone call, do a text, browse the web all on one pocket-sized device? That, my friends, is progress. The android is a step forward but like all steps forward, it needs a touch of perfecting for people to truly understand just how amazing this tiny bit of tech truly is.


 

Virtual DJ

Software review by Ashley Blackman (26/2/11, 18:00)

This program I have used for a number of years now, and it can really help an amateur DJ or someone just wanting to make a mix or mess around with music! It is a simple program but if you really want to make a difference you do need to know a few things! But its main use is for live performing DJ’s!

I heard about it a few years back from a banner on a website, I was intrigued by the ad so I decided to take a look to find a new kind of program that you could use to do so much with music! I decided to download it and found that it cost quite a lot of money! But I noticed you could download a trial version that lasted 30 days so, of course, that’s what I did!


Then only recently the developers have released a free “home version”. I have of course downloaded it to both my laptop and desktop PC! I highly recommend this program to all musicians who want to experiment in the art of music! And if you want more from the program you can buy it!


Thanks for reading. http://www.virtualdj.com/





 

Jaguar XJ VS. Ferrari 360

Article by Hayley Blake. [17/2/2011, 18:06 GMT Time]

We all know that when it comes to producing cars with staggering speed and a sleek look, Jaguar and Ferrari can both be trusted to produce an impressive motor. But which manufacturer is more successful?



Jaguar has produced some amazing models that look fantastic just about wherever they go. They simply add class to the road. I think that the XJ is one of the most beautiful cars out there today. It has a great shape, and looks very expensive. Jaguar has always been known for producing motors with long ‘noses’ and this creation is no exception and, with a reputation for being a ‘rich mans car’, Jaguar where built to cruise.


Ferraris are recognised for their bright red body work. This also makes them look classy and fast. Being one of the most expensive cars on the market today, you would expect them to have a lot going for them, and if you do, you wouldn’t be wrong. Ferrari has manufactured so many motors to impress the public that just their name has built up a reputation for being the best. The 360 is a magnificent car, one that will take a lot to beat.


But which one is the best? It depends entirely on what performance you expect from a car. Are you looking to impress with speed or cruise along with good looks?


Both Jaguar and Ferrari are excellent manufacturers, and I think it mainly comes down to preference. But it is worth thinking about. Your taste in cars shows a lot about your personality. Whether it is right or not, people sometimes form an opinion about you based on the wheels you have or the motors you like.
 

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