#imagine being the only company making handhelds and then when your competitors come out with a 20x better handheld you bitch and moan

[wizard-mp4]

Nintendo is a bad company, hands down. Not even a question.

[privateplates4u]

2018 Nissan Leaf First Drive Review

“You know what I’d do if I were you guys?” The jet lag from the 11-hour flight to Japan had me talking in a stream of consciousness. “I’d build a NISMO version of the Leaf. Make it all crazylike, you know what I mean?” The young Nissan engineer sitting across from me stared back blankly. I tried a different angle. “The Leaf’s image needs a big shakeup. I mean, Elon Musk has had the press in the palm of his hand with his Insane- and Ludicrous-mode stuff, right? How about you do something like that!” Without a muscle twitch of expression, he replied, “Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll pass your views along to our team.” Then he gave me a polite, Japanese nod of the head. Well, that went badly. Was it too obvious that I think the Nissan Leaf is a car in need of a pulse? If done right, though, this redesigned 2018 version of the car has the makings of a NISMO EV heart-pounder. About 30 minutes earlier, maybe 50 of us were seated around the Leaf for its styling explainer at the Nissan Technical Center. But the whole time, I’d been staring at its profile, thinking that it reminds me of another car. Light bulb: the Faraday Future 91 I rode in a few months ago. I Googled its profile. The 91 is longer, but yes, there are some very similar ideas here. And what’s important about that statement is this: Whether that Faraday sinks or (miraculously) swims, it’s a seriously cutting-edge design. And here I am, comparing it to the descendant of one of this century’s most notorious oddballs. If Leaf 1 (my name for it) looked like a four-wheel amphibian, this Leaf 2 before us has not only flash-evolved into a svelte automotive shape, but it’s also learned to speak in the visual language of the rest of Nissan’s edgy designs. I must say, I’m not a fan of every word in its vocabulary—particularly Nissan’s Vmotion grilles. But for Leaf duty the rabbit-grin frames an interesting 3-Dish blue finish, which does pull you closer in to study it. And did you know that Leaf 1’s surprised-eyes headlights had an aerodynamic purpose? They did—to twirl air sideways and around the side mirrors. Now the twirling’s done by more elegant ribs on the hood, a trick Nissan’s aerodynamicists later demonstrated in a full-size wind tunnel where we watched smoke from the tip of a handheld wand magically bend sideways off the cowl. EVs are quiet, amplifying your awareness of side-mirror wind hiss; the ribs specifically hush that. There are additional noise defeaters, too, including greater rigidity of the inverter, a noise-blocking top for the integrated charger and DC-to-DC power inverter, and even a quieter motor. I looked back at the profile. There’s a lot going on here. But I’d characterize it as complex rather than busy. Although the Bolt shares many of these same EV-identifying cues, it’s a jigsaw jumble of pieces—some of them are a bit too forced into place. The Nissan’s elements are all aware of each other. Fit together like the neat rectangles in a Piet Mondrian painting. (Ironically, the Model 3 entirely dispenses with all these noisy little EV cues, being finished with starkly pure surfacing. To equate it to another painter, I’d pick my favorite one, Mark Rothko.) While we’re staring at the new Leaf’s profile, let’s use it to do a little automotive detective work. Imagine overlaying the current Leaf’s profile on it. See the match? The front and rear wheels exactly align—a giveaway that Leaf 2’s platform is fundamentally carryover bones not only in wheelbase but also in front track (its rear one is 0.8 inch wider), its essential suspension components, and the positioning of all the basic building blocks needed to assemble a modern EV. Consequently, its interior specs are a close match, too (it’s luggage space is more useful from ironing out small intrusions); externally, it’s 1.4 inches longer, 0.8 inch wider, and 0.4 inch taller. But don’t dis Leaf 2 as just some sort of overblown reskin. Nissan’s techs took the time to sprawl it out on their engineering operating table for a marathon multiple-organ transplant; the motor is all-new, spinning out a chunky 147 hp instead of 107 and 236 lb-ft of torque, up from 187 lb-ft. The electric power steering is more refined. Nissan is anxious to note that although companies are ballyhooing the births of their first EVs, Yokohama was there/did that back in 2010 and now has 270,000 customers, 2.1 billion miles of user experience, and programs such as 6,000 Leaf-to-home installations in Japan, where bidirectional charging/discharging coupled with solar roofs is slashing power bills. This ain’t Nissan’s first rodeo. It’s their second. And the show could be on the brink of going big time—the cost of battery storage has dropped from $300/kW-hr in 2015 to a projected $150 by 2020/23 and below $100 by 2025/26, according to a Morgan-Stanley analysis. (Nissan’s says they’re beating this.) And by the mid-2020s, battery-electric cars will be cheaper than internal combustion ones (in part due to the ramping complexity of internal combustion engines). So. Nissan should have anticipated the Bolt and base Model 3’s 238- and 225-mile ranges, right? Cue the drumroll. How big is the new Leaf’s battery pack (still underfloor and cooled with recirculated air, by the way)? Forty kW-hrs for 150 miles of range (S and SV trims). Eyes narrowed. Chins rubbed. True, that doubles the original Leaf’s 73-mile capability (from 24 kW-hrs) and is a 40 percent jump from its current 107 miles (from 30 kW-hrs). In a world without the Chevrolet Bolt, 150 miles would be a bold type headline. Now it’s a number in a math problem: How much less is it than 238? There’s going to be a lot of data thrown at you arguing that 150 miles more than matches most people’s real-world lifestyles most of the time. Let me ask you: How many gasoline-powered, five-passenger sedans could be sold with a 150-mile range? Maybe anticipating criticism, the Leaf will offer an even-better-chemistry 60-kW-hr pack next year (SL trim), likely extending its leash to about 225 miles (a two-tier strategy akin to the Model 3’s estimated 50 and 75 kW-hrs). Thus, the Bolt’s singular battery size will be bookended by its competitors, with the Nissan’s upgraded pack matching it and the Tesla’s smaller pack offering Bolt-competitive range due to better sedan aerodynamics. (One of the reasons, by the way, why I think Tesla controversially went with a mass-produced sedan first: A crossover’s worse aero would require a bigger, more expensive battery—something that’ll be more affordable by the time the Model Y makes its debut.) If carrying over the Leaf 1’s platform has painted Nissan into a corner, it’s these subsequently locked in battery dimensions that require expensive chemistry to keep it apace with the Bolt and base Model 3. (A plus for us is that it offers an insight into the march of ever-rising energy density; those additional 16 kW-hrs crammed in there mean 67 percent greater energy density in seven years, or 9.5 percent per year.) Another questionable call: clinging to the CHAdeMO standard for fast charging. Maybe it’s stubbornness, maybe Nissan’s got a giant investment in this thing, but CHAdeMO is a dead plug walking in the U.S., and Nissan would do the EV cause a big, fat favor by finally adopting SAE (or everybody going to Tesla’s standard). Time to drive. During their presentations, Nissan repeatedly emphasized twin messages: One, the Leaf is about making driving less stressful, and two, it’s about making driving fun. Not knowing what stress-free, fun driving exactly means, we headed out onto the test track to find out. The new Leaf’s most potent driving relaxers? ProPilot Assist is sort of a Tesla Autopilot light (at a fraction of the price). Relying on just a single forward-facing radar and a monocular video camera, ProPilot Assist provides single-lane, feet-off-the-pedals driving (what’s called adaptive cruise control). Alone, this is nothing unusual. Its dexterity in responding to slinkying traffic (including right down to 0 mph) is, though. Yet what elevates it to the same conversation as AutoPilot is how accurately it also threads down the center of the road. Like with other Level 2 semiautonomous systems, you need to keep your hands on the wheel, but here, there’s no need to give it periodic tugs. The electric power steering’s frequent and small corrections automatically sense their presence. I later tried the system in Detroit, driving for several miles on an expressway with my hands relaxed on the rim. No scoldings to put my hands back ever appeared (which, if persistently ignored, would ultimately result in the car stopping in its lane). Available later this year, ProPilot Assist is ordinary sensors doing an extraordinary job due to great software. Within two years, the system is expected to be even greater (perhaps with added sensors) by expanding to automated lane changing, and by 2020 it should have the skill to negotiate city scenarios, too. Next year it will joined by ProPilot Park, which highly automates parking, including selecting an empty spot not already bordered by a parked car (reading lane stripping). Remember this system as the tipping point when semiautonomous driving finally met the masses. (It’s had a 60 percent take rate in markets where it’s already available on other Nissan models.) The Leaf’s other driving simplification is its one-pedal EV-driving feature—what they call e-Pedal. Tesla has long offered a similar heavy-regen effect when you release the accelerator. But completing a stop requires a brake pedal dab at the bitter end. In its transmission’s Low mode, the Bolt will come to a one-pedal stop without touching the friction brakes, but the deceleration rate isn’t always enough. E-Pedal leapfrogs both with a deceleration rate of 0.2 g’s (covering 90 percent of real-driver stopping, Nissan says) and comes to a complete stop (including automatic friction braking, if necessary). If that stop is on a hill, the Leaf’s motor will just hold it motionless (after pausing, you can lift your feet from both pedals; no need to hold the brake). The new Leaf could quickly become the most popular car in San Francisco. E-Pedal and the availability of ProPilot Assist spotlight the intention to make the Leaf the tech standard-barer for the Nissan Intelligent Mobility Initiative, Yokohama’s campaign to destress driving. The notable destresser, though, is the car’s lowered MSRP of $29,990 ($30,875 including destination)—a $690 drop. Standard with that is a noticeable upgrade in interior materials, and when you option a nav system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, too. After incentives, this is a heck of a deal. But what about that driving fun factor? I can answer about 65 percent of that question. Without a doubt, its extra power and torque renders the new Leaf satisfyingly quicker and more responsive. Test-track recordings are yet to come, but given the Bolt’s and Model 3’s better power (and power-to-weight ratios) it’ll probably lag in a three-EV drag race. Interior noise is phenomenally hush—a nice complement to its supple yet controlled ride quality (absent of the bounding I’ve sometimes noticed in the Bolt). Indeed, it’s downright limousinelike compared to the Model 3’s German sport sedan tautness. However, the Tesla’s payoff is razorlike steering response, which is tough to compare to the Leaf’s because the suspensions of these Japanese prototypes were not yet tuned for Nissan’s intentions for the American market. Intentions? Sportier ones. Which circles me back to that styling walkaround earlier in the day. As it concluded, the chief designer had an impish look on his face. The one you have when there’s something you want to semaphore with minimal words. As he neared his seat, it finally came out: “Oh,” he paused, “and eventually, um, the letter N will be associated with the Leaf, too.” He had said too much, so out it came. “Not now, but eventually … there will be a NISMO version.” OMG! A NISMO Leaf. The last time I predicted something this correctly was in 1987 when I knew I’d regret selling my Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite. But here’s the deal, Nissan: Don’t screw it up. It’s your chance to permanently flip the Leaf’s librarian identity right on its peroxided head. With wings and flairs, there’s room between the rear wheels for a second motor, too. (I looked.) Ludicrous Leaf sounds like a villain in a Batman movie. Holy anticipation.   Chevrolet Bolt EV Nissan Leaf Tesla Model 3 BASE PRICE $38,370* $30,875* $36,200* VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-motor, FWD, 4-door hatchback Front-motor, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback Rear-motor, RWD, 4-door, sedan MOTOR permanent magnet, 200-hp/266-ft-lb rear (MT est) AC induction, 147-hp/236-ft-lb permanent magnet, 258-hp/317-ft-lb (MT est) TRANSMISSION 1-sp Auto 1-sp Auto 1-sp Auto BATTERY 60 kWhr, Li-ion 40 kWhr, Li-ion 50/75 kWhr, Li-ion (MT est) CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3580 lb 3433-3508 lb (mfr) 3,550-3,800 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 102.4 in 106.3 in 113.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 164.0 x 69.5 x 62.8 in 176.4 x 70.5 x 61.4 in 184.8 x 72.8 x 56.8 in TRACK, F/R 59.0/59.1 in 60.6/61.2 in 62.2/62.2 in CARGO ROOM, BEHIND 2ND ROW 16.9 cu ft 23.6 cu ft 15.0 cu ft DRAG COEFFICIENT 0.31 0.28 0.23 0-60 MPH 6.3 sec 8.0 sec (MT est) 5.6 sec (mfr est) LEVEL 2 CHARGE TIME 9 hrs 16 hrs, 3.6 kW/8 hrs, 6.6 kW na FAST CHARGE TYPE SAE COMBO, 50-kW CHAdeMO, 50-kW Tesla, 145-kW RANGE 238 miles 150 miles 220/310 miles *Before potential federal and state incentives The post 2018 Nissan Leaf First Drive Review appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/nissan/leaf/2018/2018-nissan-leaf-first-drive-review/

[fallout76infomp-blog]

6 Online Communities About Fallout 76 You Should Join

The video clip recreation industry is becoming a stronghold, not even a crippling financial system can convey down. At $64 billion in revenue a yr You will need to go else where by to find an impact of the overall economy now. Video clip online games have advanced from the trend to a beast which includes manufactured war with other hobbies and leisure to become a requirement in everyday life. Politics as well as other systems have built war, but none has slain this dragon. Considering that the shaky unpredictable starting of the primary industrial residence system to this mammoth reworking engineering; numerous merchandise have occur and absent around the span of 40 many years. But what's the fascination?

Spawning from your missile defense methods of the 1940's the main interactive online video game was manufactured in 1952 known as OXO. Employing a gentle pen it absolutely was much like Tic-Tac-Toe. University mainframes were being getting used to start with and many games ended up invented by persons for a pastime which intended that creation was minimum as well as the games ended up overlooked. Just about concurrently the arcade technique and residential console had been introduced and they released using joysticks. In 1971 the Galaxy Activity was set up in a pupil union at Stanford College and expanded to 8 arcade games in 1972. Then eventually color arcade programs were being released in 1979 and these games became commercialized. 1972 The Magnavox Odyssey property process was unveiled from the US, which employed cartridges (later on gets programmable) that utilised jumpers which enabled/disabled various switches inside the device, altering the circuit logic so various games could be performed on a similar program. 1976 game titles were being programmed on chips and inserted in plastic cartridges. Now in place of having video games programmed in systems there may be a library of online games.

Thriving for essentially the most innovated technology Fallout and possessing the most well-liked game titles all even though however producing a profit was an act that may confirm to get tough to juggle. In 1977 Atari 2600 (which began what is called the next generation consoles) was introduced by Atari And through the vacation period the company introduced nine games which served fuel the techniques attractiveness. By 1980 Mattel launched Intellivision with It truly is superior graphics this began the cutthroat company of online video online games. 1982 ColecoVision was brought into this boiling pot of Levels of competition of this new development. Whilst retail outlet shelves wherever full of these possibilities the business experienced It really is next crash in 1983 due to deficiency of purchaser know-how and a lot of selections. Quite a few consoles would arrive and go.

In Japan a comeback was on the rise by online video match organizations. 1985 Nintendo Enjoyment Technique(NES) was launched bundled with Tremendous Mario Brothers. Using a redesigned controller that employed a D-Pad and a few buttons NES was the muse for long term consoles. NES experienced a ten 12 months reign but video games demanding additional processing ability for graphics, video game Participate in, and conserving Room the battle for supremacy raged on. In the reign of NES numerous aspects and innovations gave hope and nervousness to gamers and developers. Although the net gave technique to multiplayer on line video games the home consoles organizations were being studying the most recent elements for his or her techniques. During the early 1990's Sega Genesis was introduced and slowly and gradually took maintain of markets, but sooner or later produced an effect. The rise of categorizing online games as genres, because of greater libraries of game titles and 3D graphics, created courts stage in and contend the material becoming distributed by these organizations. Their grievance "game titles were being far too violent and looked as well genuine". Very little did the courts know their final remark is what have been creating gamers hungrier For each and every launch. New guidelines by putting an age Restrict on who could purchase violent video games defused that struggle, but that wasn't the last war the online video video game sector would experience. 1991 Nintendo produced the Super NES and Sega's argument in opposition to it, Regardless that they each were 16-bit systems, was that Tremendous NES was way too slow. So, the formula for consoles turned terrific graphics, processing, and video game Enjoy.

Being moveable was An additional dilemma lifted through the industry which gave start to handheld units. In 1980 handheld LCD's came out, although not right up until 1989 when Nintendo released Sport Boy then moveable handhelds took maintain. When Sega and Nintendo had been in a battle of energy PlayStation made It can be debut inside the console market place in 1995. PlayStation launched with using cd's as an alternative to cartridges which became Yet another milestone and essential for your marketplace, but PlayStation continue to did not have assistance in certain markets and match organizations until finally they realised cd's held much more data and were being less costly to generate. This is able to result in counter act with their particular cd consoles. Nintendo sixty four was a success, but nonetheless working with cartridges the cost pushed video game corporations absent, and Nintendo started out losing recreation titles. Nintendo came up with GameCube a cd centered procedure, but deficiency of Grownup oriented online games and smaller library it was not as well-liked as PlayStation. Sega introduced Dreamcast in 1998 which has a created-in modem for on the net Engage in which pioneered online gaming with consoles, but failed.

PlayStation released PS2 in 1998 while with the sensation of not having a substantial competitor a remark was produced that might modify and propel the evolution from the video clip match technologies. "Video clip video game methods are the next computer systems" assisted merge the computer and video clip recreation consoles but retain them individual. Emotion threatened Microsoft's CEO Bill Gates, who is without doubt one of the richest Adult men on this planet, would department out from his Windows software to create Xbox in late 2001. His purpose was being the top gaming method and wouldn't end at any suggests. He had the finances to study and create. Bill applied his Computer system know-how for example Intel Processors and tough drives, and place it to make use of while in the Xbox While it had been a reduction for Microsoft, but that would secure his Windows model. With Xbox's graphics, hit activity titles, and on line gaming with the console having much income invested in them the opposite providers did not have the resources threatening computers any longer. Experience dominated in the home methods Nintendo and PlayStation focused on there handhelds. Each and every experienced their very own unique technology to keep them floating and evenly matched. Nintendo DS prospered with there touch display while PSP offered on multi use. PSP experienced these types of higher graphics that you may check out videos and play video games. Despite the fact that handhelds did not rise above consoles there remain markets exactly where they prosper thanks to there portability. Microsoft unveiled Xbox 360 in November 2005 although PS3 strike the selves before long soon after. The two environment the know-how typical for systems, the two featured superior-definition graphics, substantial disk drive-based secondary storage, integrated networking, plus a companion on-line gameplay and profits System. PS3 debuted greater in Price tag as a result of Blu-ray and Wi-Fi technological innovation.

Nintendo came again with drive by introducing the Wii late 2006 because of the motion controller's even though critics thought it could fail. It also was reduced in specifications, but Yet another progressive invention held Nintendo in the sport. The car and mobile phone marketplace was invaded with the video video games growth. Cars went from owning techniques personalized in-built to standard away from manufacturing unit. Cell phone went from having pre loaded game titles to with the ability to obtain from on-line which took a bit of guidance from the handheld organization. Even with these new toys the general public was still left in shock as a consequence of Nintendo Wii's participant conversation, but Xbox and PS 3's online multiplayer motion even now experienced a terrific keep. While PlayStation tried to reinvent the wheel with their very own movement controller PlayStation Transfer in 2010. Microsoft went by using a knock out blow by releasing Kinect for Xbox 360. Kinect is actually a motion sensor technology that makes use of no controllers. These movement units have unfold the fascination from teens and youthful Grown ups towards the aged who will't bodily participate in athletics, The genres now include sport Health and fitness for people who can not manage fitness center membership, senior centers and community centers. It looks far too early to inform how efficient Microsoft and PlayStation could be versus Nintendo seeing we have been only inside the 3rd round in a very twelve round 3 way struggle. January 2011 will show who reigns supreme when the revenue from the holidays are calculated.

It appears as this field evolves that science-fiction novels our grandparents browse are coming to daily life. Just like how human cloning and Room travel was imagined but wasn't understood right until many years later on, I ponder if and when warp zones or molecular separation are launched who will find it. Can be a worm gap going to transport players in the future when they're challenged to a virtual actuality battle? Another thing is for certain and that is individuals comprehend the solutions in existence along with the games which they assistance. It wont be a purchaser difficulty producing the subsequent movie sport industry scare. The technology that's frequently modifying has peeked the curiosity of thousands and thousands.

[robertkstone]

2018 Nissan Leaf First Drive Review

“You know what I’d do if I were you guys?” The jet lag from the 11-hour flight to Japan had me talking in a stream of consciousness. “I’d build a NISMO version of the Leaf. Make it all crazylike, you know what I mean?” The young Nissan engineer sitting across from me stared back blankly. I tried a different angle. “The Leaf’s image needs a big shakeup. I mean, Elon Musk has had the press in the palm of his hand with his Insane- and Ludicrous-mode stuff, right? How about you do something like that!” Without a muscle twitch of expression, he replied, “Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll pass your views along to our team.” Then he gave me a polite, Japanese nod of the head.

Well, that went badly. Was it too obvious that I think the Nissan Leaf is a car in need of a pulse?

If done right, though, this redesigned 2018 version of the car has the makings of a NISMO EV heart-pounder. About 30 minutes earlier, maybe 50 of us were seated around the Leaf for its styling explainer at the Nissan Technical Center. But the whole time, I’d been staring at its profile, thinking that it reminds me of another car. Light bulb: the Faraday Future 91 I rode in a few months ago. I Googled its profile. The 91 is longer, but yes, there are some very similar ideas here.

And what’s important about that statement is this: Whether that Faraday sinks or (miraculously) swims, it’s a seriously cutting-edge design. And here I am, comparing it to the descendant of one of this century’s most notorious oddballs.

If Leaf 1 (my name for it) looked like a four-wheel amphibian, this Leaf 2 before us has not only flash-evolved into a svelte automotive shape, but it’s also learned to speak in the visual language of the rest of Nissan’s edgy designs. I must say, I’m not a fan of every word in its vocabulary—particularly Nissan’s Vmotion grilles. But for Leaf duty the rabbit-grin frames an interesting 3-Dish blue finish, which does pull you closer in to study it. And did you know that Leaf 1’s surprised-eyes headlights had an aerodynamic purpose? They did—to twirl air sideways and around the side mirrors. Now the twirling’s done by more elegant ribs on the hood, a trick Nissan’s aerodynamicists later demonstrated in a full-size wind tunnel where we watched smoke from the tip of a handheld wand magically bend sideways off the cowl. EVs are quiet, amplifying your awareness of side-mirror wind hiss; the ribs specifically hush that. There are additional noise defeaters, too, including greater rigidity of the inverter, a noise-blocking top for the integrated charger and DC-to-DC power inverter, and even a quieter motor.

I looked back at the profile. There’s a lot going on here. But I’d characterize it as complex rather than busy. Although the Bolt shares many of these same EV-identifying cues, it’s a jigsaw jumble of pieces—some of them are a bit too forced into place. The Nissan’s elements are all aware of each other. Fit together like the neat rectangles in a Piet Mondrian painting. (Ironically, the Model 3 entirely dispenses with all these noisy little EV cues, being finished with starkly pure surfacing. To equate it to another painter, I’d pick my favorite one, Mark Rothko.)

While we’re staring at the new Leaf’s profile, let’s use it to do a little automotive detective work. Imagine overlaying the current Leaf’s profile on it. See the match? The front and rear wheels exactly align—a giveaway that Leaf 2’s platform is fundamentally carryover bones not only in wheelbase but also in front track (its rear one is 0.8 inch wider), its essential suspension components, and the positioning of all the basic building blocks needed to assemble a modern EV. Consequently, its interior specs are a close match, too (it’s luggage space is more useful from ironing out small intrusions); externally, it’s 1.4 inches longer, 0.8 inch wider, and 0.4 inch taller.

But don’t dis Leaf 2 as just some sort of overblown reskin. Nissan’s techs took the time to sprawl it out on their engineering operating table for a marathon multiple-organ transplant; the motor is all-new, spinning out a chunky 147 hp instead of 107 and 236 lb-ft of torque, up from 187 lb-ft. The electric power steering is more refined. Nissan is anxious to note that although companies are ballyhooing the births of their first EVs, Yokohama was there/did that back in 2010 and now has 270,000 customers, 2.1 billion miles of user experience, and programs such as 6,000 Leaf-to-home installations in Japan, where bidirectional charging/discharging coupled with solar roofs is slashing power bills. This ain’t Nissan’s first rodeo. It’s their second. And the show could be on the brink of going big time—the cost of battery storage has dropped from $300/kW-hr in 2015 to a projected $150 by 2020/23 and below $100 by 2025/26, according to a Morgan-Stanley analysis. (Nissan’s says they’re beating this.) And by the mid-2020s, battery-electric cars will be cheaper than internal combustion ones (in part due to the ramping complexity of internal combustion engines).

So.

Nissan should have anticipated the Bolt and base Model 3’s 238- and 225-mile ranges, right? Cue the drumroll. How big is the new Leaf’s battery pack (still underfloor and cooled with recirculated air, by the way)?

Forty kW-hrs for 150 miles of range (S and SV trims). Eyes narrowed. Chins rubbed. True, that doubles the original Leaf’s 73-mile capability (from 24 kW-hrs) and is a 40 percent jump from its current 107 miles (from 30 kW-hrs).

In a world without the Chevrolet Bolt, 150 miles would be a bold type headline. Now it’s a number in a math problem: How much less is it than 238? There’s going to be a lot of data thrown at you arguing that 150 miles more than matches most people’s real-world lifestyles most of the time. Let me ask you: How many gasoline-powered, five-passenger sedans could be sold with a 150-mile range?

Maybe anticipating criticism, the Leaf will offer an even-better-chemistry 60-kW-hr pack next year (SL trim), likely extending its leash to about 225 miles (a two-tier strategy akin to the Model 3’s estimated 50 and 75 kW-hrs). Thus, the Bolt’s singular battery size will be bookended by its competitors, with the Nissan’s upgraded pack matching it and the Tesla’s smaller pack offering Bolt-competitive range due to better sedan aerodynamics. (One of the reasons, by the way, why I think Tesla controversially went with a mass-produced sedan first: A crossover’s worse aero would require a bigger, more expensive battery—something that’ll be more affordable by the time the Model Y makes its debut.) If carrying over the Leaf 1’s platform has painted Nissan into a corner, it’s these subsequently locked in battery dimensions that require expensive chemistry to keep it apace with the Bolt and base Model 3. (A plus for us is that it offers an insight into the march of ever-rising energy density; those additional 16 kW-hrs crammed in there mean 67 percent greater energy density in seven years, or 9.5 percent per year.) Another questionable call: clinging to the CHAdeMO standard for fast charging. Maybe it’s stubbornness, maybe Nissan’s got a giant investment in this thing, but CHAdeMO is a dead plug walking in the U.S., and Nissan would do the EV cause a big, fat favor by finally adopting SAE (or everybody going to Tesla’s standard).

Time to drive. During their presentations, Nissan repeatedly emphasized twin messages: One, the Leaf is about making driving less stressful, and two, it’s about making driving fun. Not knowing what stress-free, fun driving exactly means, we headed out onto the test track to find out.

The new Leaf’s most potent driving relaxers?

ProPilot Assist is sort of a Tesla Autopilot light (at a fraction of the price). Relying on just a single forward-facing radar and a monocular video camera, ProPilot Assist provides single-lane, feet-off-the-pedals driving (what’s called adaptive cruise control). Alone, this is nothing unusual. Its dexterity in responding to slinkying traffic (including right down to 0 mph) is, though. Yet what elevates it to the same conversation as AutoPilot is how accurately it also threads down the center of the road. Like with other Level 2 semiautonomous systems, you need to keep your hands on the wheel, but here, there’s no need to give it periodic tugs. The electric power steering’s frequent and small corrections automatically sense their presence. I later tried the system in Detroit, driving for several miles on an expressway with my hands relaxed on the rim. No scoldings to put my hands back ever appeared (which, if persistently ignored, would ultimately result in the car stopping in its lane). Available later this year, ProPilot Assist is ordinary sensors doing an extraordinary job due to great software. Within two years, the system is expected to be even greater (perhaps with added sensors) by expanding to automated lane changing, and by 2020 it should have the skill to negotiate city scenarios, too. Next year it will joined by ProPilot Park, which highly automates parking, including selecting an empty spot not already bordered by a parked car (reading lane stripping). Remember this system as the tipping point when semiautonomous driving finally met the masses. (It’s had a 60 percent take rate in markets where it’s already available on other Nissan models.)

The Leaf’s other driving simplification is its one-pedal EV-driving feature—what they call e-Pedal. Tesla has long offered a similar heavy-regen effect when you release the accelerator. But completing a stop requires a brake pedal dab at the bitter end. In its transmission’s Low mode, the Bolt will come to a one-pedal stop without touching the friction brakes, but the deceleration rate isn’t always enough. E-Pedal leapfrogs both with a deceleration rate of 0.2 g’s (covering 90 percent of real-driver stopping, Nissan says) and comes to a complete stop (including automatic friction braking, if necessary). If that stop is on a hill, the Leaf’s motor will just hold it motionless (after pausing, you can lift your feet from both pedals; no need to hold the brake). The new Leaf could quickly become the most popular car in San Francisco.

E-Pedal and the availability of ProPilot Assist spotlight the intention to make the Leaf the tech standard-barer for the Nissan Intelligent Mobility Initiative, Yokohama’s campaign to destress driving.

The notable destresser, though, is the car’s lowered MSRP of $29,990 ($30,875 including destination)—a $690 drop. Standard with that is a noticeable upgrade in interior materials, and when you option a nav system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, too. After incentives, this is a heck of a deal.

But what about that driving fun factor? I can answer about 65 percent of that question. Without a doubt, its extra power and torque renders the new Leaf satisfyingly quicker and more responsive. Test-track recordings are yet to come, but given the Bolt’s and Model 3’s better power (and power-to-weight ratios) it’ll probably lag in a three-EV drag race. Interior n

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[jesusvasser]

2018 Nissan Leaf First Drive Review

“You know what I’d do if I were you guys?” The jet lag from the 11-hour flight to Japan had me talking in a stream of consciousness. “I’d build a NISMO version of the Leaf. Make it all crazylike, you know what I mean?” The young Nissan engineer sitting across from me stared back blankly. I tried a different angle. “The Leaf’s image needs a big shakeup. I mean, Elon Musk has had the press in the palm of his hand with his Insane- and Ludicrous-mode stuff, right? How about you do something like that!” Without a muscle twitch of expression, he replied, “Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll pass your views along to our team.” Then he gave me a polite, Japanese nod of the head.

Well, that went badly. Was it too obvious that I think the Nissan Leaf is a car in need of a pulse?

If done right, though, this redesigned 2018 version of the car has the makings of a NISMO EV heart-pounder. About 30 minutes earlier, maybe 50 of us were seated around the Leaf for its styling explainer at the Nissan Technical Center. But the whole time, I’d been staring at its profile, thinking that it reminds me of another car. Light bulb: the Faraday Future 91 I rode in a few months ago. I Googled its profile. The 91 is longer, but yes, there are some very similar ideas here.

And what’s important about that statement is this: Whether that Faraday sinks or (miraculously) swims, it’s a seriously cutting-edge design. And here I am, comparing it to the descendant of one of this century’s most notorious oddballs.

If Leaf 1 (my name for it) looked like a four-wheel amphibian, this Leaf 2 before us has not only flash-evolved into a svelte automotive shape, but it’s also learned to speak in the visual language of the rest of Nissan’s edgy designs. I must say, I’m not a fan of every word in its vocabulary—particularly Nissan’s Vmotion grilles. But for Leaf duty the rabbit-grin frames an interesting 3-Dish blue finish, which does pull you closer in to study it. And did you know that Leaf 1’s surprised-eyes headlights had an aerodynamic purpose? They did—to twirl air sideways and around the side mirrors. Now the twirling’s done by more elegant ribs on the hood, a trick Nissan’s aerodynamicists later demonstrated in a full-size wind tunnel where we watched smoke from the tip of a handheld wand magically bend sideways off the cowl. EVs are quiet, amplifying your awareness of side-mirror wind hiss; the ribs specifically hush that. There are additional noise defeaters, too, including greater rigidity of the inverter, a noise-blocking top for the integrated charger and DC-to-DC power inverter, and even a quieter motor.

I looked back at the profile. There’s a lot going on here. But I’d characterize it as complex rather than busy. Although the Bolt shares many of these same EV-identifying cues, it’s a jigsaw jumble of pieces—some of them are a bit too forced into place. The Nissan’s elements are all aware of each other. Fit together like the neat rectangles in a Piet Mondrian painting. (Ironically, the Model 3 entirely dispenses with all these noisy little EV cues, being finished with starkly pure surfacing. To equate it to another painter, I’d pick my favorite one, Mark Rothko.)

While we’re staring at the new Leaf’s profile, let’s use it to do a little automotive detective work. Imagine overlaying the current Leaf’s profile on it. See the match? The front and rear wheels exactly align—a giveaway that Leaf 2’s platform is fundamentally carryover bones not only in wheelbase but also in front track (its rear one is 0.8 inch wider), its essential suspension components, and the positioning of all the basic building blocks needed to assemble a modern EV. Consequently, its interior specs are a close match, too (it’s luggage space is more useful from ironing out small intrusions); externally, it’s 1.4 inches longer, 0.8 inch wider, and 0.4 inch taller.

But don’t dis Leaf 2 as just some sort of overblown reskin. Nissan’s techs took the time to sprawl it out on their engineering operating table for a marathon multiple-organ transplant; the motor is all-new, spinning out a chunky 147 hp instead of 107 and 236 lb-ft of torque, up from 187 lb-ft. The electric power steering is more refined. Nissan is anxious to note that although companies are ballyhooing the births of their first EVs, Yokohama was there/did that back in 2010 and now has 270,000 customers, 2.1 billion miles of user experience, and programs such as 6,000 Leaf-to-home installations in Japan, where bidirectional charging/discharging coupled with solar roofs is slashing power bills. This ain’t Nissan’s first rodeo. It’s their second. And the show could be on the brink of going big time—the cost of battery storage has dropped from $300/kW-hr in 2015 to a projected $150 by 2020/23 and below $100 by 2025/26, according to a Morgan-Stanley analysis. (Nissan’s says they’re beating this.) And by the mid-2020s, battery-electric cars will be cheaper than internal combustion ones (in part due to the ramping complexity of internal combustion engines).

So.

Nissan should have anticipated the Bolt and base Model 3’s 238- and 225-mile ranges, right? Cue the drumroll. How big is the new Leaf’s battery pack (still underfloor and cooled with recirculated air, by the way)?

Forty kW-hrs for 150 miles of range (S and SV trims). Eyes narrowed. Chins rubbed. True, that doubles the original Leaf’s 73-mile capability (from 24 kW-hrs) and is a 40 percent jump from its current 107 miles (from 30 kW-hrs).

In a world without the Chevrolet Bolt, 150 miles would be a bold type headline. Now it’s a number in a math problem: How much less is it than 238? There’s going to be a lot of data thrown at you arguing that 150 miles more than matches most people’s real-world lifestyles most of the time. Let me ask you: How many gasoline-powered, five-passenger sedans could be sold with a 150-mile range?

Maybe anticipating criticism, the Leaf will offer an even-better-chemistry 60-kW-hr pack next year (SL trim), likely extending its leash to about 225 miles (a two-tier strategy akin to the Model 3’s estimated 50 and 75 kW-hrs). Thus, the Bolt’s singular battery size will be bookended by its competitors, with the Nissan’s upgraded pack matching it and the Tesla’s smaller pack offering Bolt-competitive range due to better sedan aerodynamics. (One of the reasons, by the way, why I think Tesla controversially went with a mass-produced sedan first: A crossover’s worse aero would require a bigger, more expensive battery—something that’ll be more affordable by the time the Model Y makes its debut.) If carrying over the Leaf 1’s platform has painted Nissan into a corner, it’s these subsequently locked in battery dimensions that require expensive chemistry to keep it apace with the Bolt and base Model 3. (A plus for us is that it offers an insight into the march of ever-rising energy density; those additional 16 kW-hrs crammed in there mean 67 percent greater energy density in seven years, or 9.5 percent per year.) Another questionable call: clinging to the CHAdeMO standard for fast charging. Maybe it’s stubbornness, maybe Nissan’s got a giant investment in this thing, but CHAdeMO is a dead plug walking in the U.S., and Nissan would do the EV cause a big, fat favor by finally adopting SAE (or everybody going to Tesla’s standard).

Time to drive. During their presentations, Nissan repeatedly emphasized twin messages: One, the Leaf is about making driving less stressful, and two, it’s about making driving fun. Not knowing what stress-free, fun driving exactly means, we headed out onto the test track to find out.

The new Leaf’s most potent driving relaxers?

ProPilot Assist is sort of a Tesla Autopilot light (at a fraction of the price). Relying on just a single forward-facing radar and a monocular video camera, ProPilot Assist provides single-lane, feet-off-the-pedals driving (what’s called adaptive cruise control). Alone, this is nothing unusual. Its dexterity in responding to slinkying traffic (including right down to 0 mph) is, though. Yet what elevates it to the same conversation as AutoPilot is how accurately it also threads down the center of the road. Like with other Level 2 semiautonomous systems, you need to keep your hands on the wheel, but here, there’s no need to give it periodic tugs. The electric power steering’s frequent and small corrections automatically sense their presence. I later tried the system in Detroit, driving for several miles on an expressway with my hands relaxed on the rim. No scoldings to put my hands back ever appeared (which, if persistently ignored, would ultimately result in the car stopping in its lane). Available later this year, ProPilot Assist is ordinary sensors doing an extraordinary job due to great software. Within two years, the system is expected to be even greater (perhaps with added sensors) by expanding to automated lane changing, and by 2020 it should have the skill to negotiate city scenarios, too. Next year it will joined by ProPilot Park, which highly automates parking, including selecting an empty spot not already bordered by a parked car (reading lane stripping). Remember this system as the tipping point when semiautonomous driving finally met the masses. (It’s had a 60 percent take rate in markets where it’s already available on other Nissan models.)

The Leaf’s other driving simplification is its one-pedal EV-driving feature—what they call e-Pedal. Tesla has long offered a similar heavy-regen effect when you release the accelerator. But completing a stop requires a brake pedal dab at the bitter end. In its transmission’s Low mode, the Bolt will come to a one-pedal stop without touching the friction brakes, but the deceleration rate isn’t always enough. E-Pedal leapfrogs both with a deceleration rate of 0.2 g’s (covering 90 percent of real-driver stopping, Nissan says) and comes to a complete stop (including automatic friction braking, if necessary). If that stop is on a hill, the Leaf’s motor will just hold it motionless (after pausing, you can lift your feet from both pedals; no need to hold the brake). The new Leaf could quickly become the most popular car in San Francisco.

E-Pedal and the availability of ProPilot Assist spotlight the intention to make the Leaf the tech standard-barer for the Nissan Intelligent Mobility Initiative, Yokohama’s campaign to destress driving.

The notable destresser, though, is the car’s lowered MSRP of $29,990 ($30,875 including destination)—a $690 drop. Standard with that is a noticeable upgrade in interior materials, and when you option a nav system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, too. After incentives, this is a heck of a deal.

But what about that driving fun factor? I can answer about 65 percent of that question. Without a doubt, its extra power and torque renders the new Leaf satisfyingly quicker and more responsive. Test-track recordings are yet to come, but given the Bolt’s and Model 3’s better power (and power-to-weight ratios) it’ll probably lag in a three-EV drag race. Interior n

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[coldsorescured]

Light Devices for Cold Sores Comparison: Virulite Machine vs. LipZor

See Light Devices for Cold Sores Comparison: Virulite Machine vs. LipZor on http://ift.tt/2rr3kGX or read the entire post below:

Cold sores are a tough problem to treat, no matter how you approach the situation. You can try FDA-approved gels and creams, or you can try dietary supplements and dietary changes. You can try anything you like at all, so long as it works!

The latest revolution in treating cold sores, though, is the handheld light treatment device. They are remarkable devices, all the more remarkable for the fact that they’re so simple. All they do is shine a light at a specific frequency at your cold sores, and they disappear days earlier than normal.

Rather than wasting money on tube after tube of gel, light devices are reusable. They can either take batteries or recharge through being plugged into the wall. So, all told, they’re probably one of the best treatments for getting rid of cold sores.

Naturally, there are a few different options when it comes to choosing a light device to buy. The two market leaders right now are LipZor and Virulite, both of which work the same way. They even look pretty similar, but are those similarities only skin deep?

This guide is intended for anybody trying to choose between the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Cold Sore Machine[/easyazon_link] and the LipZor light device for cold sores. So which device is the best, and which should you spend your hard earned money on? Let’s find out!

What Is a Light Device Cold Sore Treatment?

First things first, we think it’s important to define what light devices for cold sores are. They aren’t as easy to get your head around as a simple gel or cream.  In fact, the way that it works isn’t immediately obvious, but the devices are clinically proven- so how do they work?

The websites of the various devices are a pretty good place to start to find some information. The Virulite website links to a couple of studies published in the Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology. These studies, published at two different times, shed light on where the idea for light devices came from and how they work.

Virulite’s devices were double blind tested to determine whether they work or not. And, not to put too fine a point on it yet, but they do! But what’s relevant right now is the science behind what makes them tick.

Before infrared light devices were used for treating cold sores, they were already used elsewhere. For instance, infrared light is recognized as a treatment for musculoskeletal disorders and certain kinds of wounds. Documentary evidence and trials are increasingly suggesting that it is effective in this regard.

In 1999, it was first demonstrated to be an effective treatment for recurrent herpes simplex infection. Studies have unequivocally shown that infrared light has a ‘nonthermal photobiological effect,' at least according to the Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology. And naturally, since it worked for Virulite, copycat companies popped up making the same devices.

But light devices are just one among many treatments for cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus. So how do they stand up to the competition?

How Do Light Devices Compare to Other Cold Sore Treatments?

Light devices are a top of the range, latest-technology treatment for cold sores. We firmly believe that they’re far better than the other options available at a pharmacy. And if you don’t agree, stick with us: here are our reasons why.

First of all, light devices can only run out of charge: so you can use them as much as you like. Some, you can recharge through a socket, and others require batteries. But you can easily find some rechargeable batteries, and you’ve got yourself a permanent cold sore remedy!

They’re also exceptionally cost effective if you have frequent breakouts, which is common with cold sores. While they might cost more initially, as we’ll find out later, the amount that you use them can make up the cost. The gel is cheaper, of course, but you might get through one tube just trying to beat a terrible breakout.

Overall, we firmly think that light devices compare favorably to other kinds of treatment. That’s why we think it’s important to choose between the options on offer: starting with the Virulite light device, which we’re looking at first.

What Is the Virulite Machine?

The Virulite cold sore treatment device was the very first light device. It’s only small, weighing in at around a hundred grams and a few inches tall. If you can’t imagine what it looks like, you might mistake it for a stick of deodorant!

Like other cold sore light treatments, it uses a very specific, invisible frequency of light: specifically 1072nm (nanometers). Because it’s infrared, it’s invisible to the naked eye, so you won’t see it working. It’s like the light that TV remotes use, which you normally can’t see either.

Virulite themselves say that it should be used when cold sores are in the ‘tingling stage.' It can completely prevent eruption if the cold sores are caught in time. But even after cold sores erupt, it can be useful in preventing further breakouts and dramatically reducing the time that they take to disappear.

Because the Virulite device was a part of the studies mentioned above, it is clinically proven. The infrared light, it seems, enhances the local immune response in and around the cold sores. It’s the only device of its kind which is FDA cleared to treat cold sores and has a replaceable battery.

What Do the Good Reviews Say?

There are a number of testimonials on Virulite’s website which are, of course, the best they could find! Virulite has accrued them from across the internet, including from proprietary stores and online marketplaces. But they sum up the reasons why some people think Virulite’s device is the best on the market.

Of course, the main theme of the positive reviews is this: it works wonders, just like Virulite say. First, it stops breakouts from forming before they begin. And second, it can cut down on the time it takes breakouts to go away, which is great news.

Some reviews express surprise at just how quickly it started to help get rid of cold sores. Others point out that it’s a completely painless treatment, and has no side effects. In fact, the vast majority of reviews say pretty much the same thing!

What Do the Bad Reviews Say?

First off, it’s important to say that there are far, far more good reviews out there for Virulite. But there’s one sticking point for most people who leave negative reviews for it. And it’s the price: some people think that it’s far too expensive compared to other forms of treatment.

Leaving aside whether it represents value for money in the long run, it is a lot to spend on any product of this kind. But even aside from price, there are a couple more sticking points to the Virulite device.

Another complaint that seems relatively common is that the Virulite can experience reliability issues. Some people complain that after it arrives, it doesn’t work and needs to be repaired. In fairness to Virulite, this is more of an issue with those who sell and deliver the product themselves.

That being said, the vast majority of customers who do decide to buy the device are happy with it.

What’s Our Verdict?

We think that credit’s due where credit’s due, and Virulite is an effective healing solution. It might seem a little outlandish at first: how can light cure a cold sore? But while we’re still figuring out exactly how it works, it definitely works.

The only drawback, of course, is that it can cost so much as an initial purchase.

But if you suffer from frequent breakouts, then it will pay for itself in no time. Gel runs out quickly, especially as it has to be reapplied so often. Virulite doesn’t run into that same problem as if you have to apply it again, and it doesn’t cost you more.

Overall, we were pleased with the results of Virulite, but because of the initial cost- even though it’s easy to justify if you have frequent breakouts.

Check the Price of the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Device[/easyazon_link] on Amazon.com!

What Is LipZor?

LipZor is yet another light device for cold sore treatment, just like Virulite. It uses the same frequency of light, at 1072nm, and even looks remarkably similar. All in all, we can see why you would need a guide to choose between them!

Again, LipZor is a small, white device which could easily be mistaken for deodorant or a TV remote. The LipZor runs on battery power, but it’s still small and light, at the same weight and height as the Virulite. Because it runs on batteries, it’s a long term reusable device, just like its competitors.

The LipZor device is nice and simple to use, which is a point we’ll return to later. All you have to do is press the start button, place the LEDs over the affected area, and keep the device there until you hear it beep. It is as simple as that!

LipZor’s cold sore device works fast because all it needs is two treatments a day for three or four days. This should be enough to dramatically speed up the time it takes your sores to heal.  At least, this is according to the product description… What do the reviews themselves say?

What Do the Good Reviews Say?

The good reviews are about what you would expect: the LipZor light device for cold sores works. It does precisely what it says it will: it reduces the time that cold sores last. It can also stop cold sores from even forming in the first place, which is almost like not having any at all.

One common theme in the reviews is that the LipZor light device for cold sores is more affordable. So, compared to $10 to $20 for gel, it doesn’t come across as a very expensive purchase.

Considering the price, most reviewers think that LipZor is excellent value for money. This is based on the fact that it’s more effective than gels and can be more cost effective in the long term.

So, a combination of the fact that it does what it says on the tin, and that it is a cheap but still effective option, means that LipZor has proved popular in most of the reviews we’ve found.

What Do the Bad Reviews Say?

The LipZor light device have a few more negative reviews than does the Virulite. Roughly the same number of customers are disappointed with the price, which is roughly the same. But there are far more people complaining about faulty units than for other products.

Some reviews complain that when the device arrived, it didn’t work straight out of the box. And then, some even say that the replacement they were sent didn’t work either. This could be a fault of the seller, as we talked about above- but it’s not an encouraging sign.

Other reviewers were disappointed that the battery life didn’t seem to be long enough. Because it’s necessary to use the device several times a day, it can drain quickly, and run out while you’re using it. This compromises treatment and makes it difficult to know how long to use it the second time around.

But in fairness to LipZor, it has to be said that the vast majority of reviews are positive. After all, it is based on the same technology as other similar devices. So it would be surprising if, for some reason, it didn’t work at all!

What’s Our Verdict?

Our verdict is this: the LipZor cold sore treatment works, just like the Virulite device. It is based on the same technology; it’s just made by a different manufacturer. The reviews reflect this, because they are broadly positive, and confirm that it works.

The price point for the LipZor device seems to be a little more reasonable than for Virulite. It can be found through online pharmacies at a decent price. So, regarding price, LipZor is pretty much spot on- full marks for them there.

The only problem that we can come back to are those negative reviews. Reviewers complained that the devices were faulty, and even the replacements didn’t work. This could be a reflection of the fact that they are a cheaper product: perhaps they cost less to manufacture than the competition’s version.

Overall, LipZor is a great choice if you’re nervous about shelling out a hefty amount of cash. And, if you do buy one, you’re likely to have gotten your hands on an excellent cold sore remedy. But you might have to be prepared to send it back, because of the reliability issues.

LipZor vs. Virulite: Which One Wins?

Alright, it’s time to give a rundown of which product we think is the best. We’re going to start by directly comparing the products over cost, efficacy, design, and reliability.

Cost

The first thing most people will notice is that the LipZor is far cheaper than the Virulite. It’s a significant saving, so much so that the LipZor definitely comes out on top here.

Efficacy

Both products work in the exact same way. They use the same wavelength of light, they both have an on/off switch, and they both use LEDs. Customers report that both work very well, so there’s nothing to split the two here.

Design and Aesthetics

Regarding design, yet again, both products are roughly the same. They’re both white, and they’re both about three inches tall and 1 ½ wide. You could put them next to each other, cover up the brand and not necessarily be able to tell them apart. No winner here.

Reliability

This is where the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Cold Sore Machine[/easyazon_link] shines. It seems a lot better made than the LipZor, which has many reviews complaining of poor reliability. So the winner is definitely the Virulite, here.

The Virulite Machine vs. LipZor: Which Is the Best Cold Sore Treatment?

Alright, it’s crunch time. We’ve looked at each device, but it’s finally time to choose between them. This is what you came here for, after all!

We would like to say, before we move on, that we think that both devices are an excellent choice. They work using advanced technology, and they’re far easier to apply than gels and creams. And if you have frequent breakouts, they’re by far the most cost effective solution apart from doing nothing at all.

But if we did have to choose between the two products, we would recommend the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Cold Sore Machine[/easyazon_link]. And there’s one crucial reason why: they’ve been around a long time, and seem to be the more reliable devices.

If you’re planning on treating your cold sores long term with one of these devices, that’s a good choice. But that will only be a good plan for as long as your device is in good working order: as soon as it breaks down, what do you do?  You can’t have them repaired in a high street shop like having a new sole put on your shoe.

That’s why, even though they both work in the exact same way, we recommend [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Device[/easyazon_link]. LipZor is a great option if you can’t afford a Virulite at all, but it’s something of a false economy. The money you save, you might have to spend on a replacement at some point down the line.

Which Model Should I Buy?

The choice of which product to buy is one that only you can make, because only you know what’s most important to you. We recommend that you buy the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Cold Sore Machine[/easyazon_link], solely because of the reliability issues of the LipZor. But you might want the LipZor because it’s on sale, or you might want another product entirely!

Perhaps you think that the cost of the Virulite is just a little too much for you to pay. But on the other hand, there’s a good chance that you’d prefer a reliable product. If only you could have both, it would be the perfect solution- but the world doesn’t work like that.

The Virulite, and light devices for cold sores more generally, are an excellent replacement for other treatments. Gels like Orajel don’t do anything that these nifty handheld devices don’t, so there’s little point combining them. Although if you want to have the most comprehensive possible treatment for cold sores, we recommend:

A light device such as the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Cold Sore Machine[/easyazon_link], which can attack breakouts before they happen

Gels like Orajel, which can be a secondary treatment for existing breakouts

Mouthwash and dental hygiene products that can tackle ulcers inside the mouth

Natural remedies that work like Orajel, but contain no harmful chemicals

If you keep your bathroom cabinet well stocked with products like the [easyazon_link identifier="B003HUP4TM" locale="US" tag="coldsorescured-20"]Virulite Cold Sore Device[/easyazon_link], you’ll be fine.

[johnstibal]

Software + Hardware, a Good Strategy for Software Firms?

Software firms often reach a point where maintaining early growth becomes a challenge. Reaching a point where their applications have been lost in the IOS / Google Play store among 'me too' competitors, struggling to reach profitability given the 30% transaction cost of the app stores, many firms are increasingly looking at alternative routes to market.

B2B?   B2B2C?   Hardware?   Strategic partners?   Wearables?   Software-defined objects?   In other words, atoms + bits + cloud?

Yes, all of these can be very good options to explore when searching for an alternative go to market strategy, provided a few potential traps and misconceptions should be avoided before launching down each route.

Myth #1:    Hardware is hard... Yes, correct, hardware can be hard, if your team lacks the right expertise and strategic partners to help you achieve your vision. This is solvable.

Myth #2:    Spending $ millions to create hardware design molding, and endless testing and certifications could never be a good choice for your small startup company... No. A typical hardware project does not need to spend millions or even hundreds of thousands in most cases, even if high quality product development work is not free. By adopting the right development approach from the start, usually development cost, for other than highly miniaturized wearables, are typically well below $100 K. This amount includes all of the nonrecurring engineering and project development costs. As you will find, development costs tend not to be more than the comparable efforts and costs to create great software.

Bear in mind these key principles from the start.

Build upon and customize existing hardware and boards, if at all possible

Any aspiring 'Steve Jobs' protégé (and we love them all) always wants to build everything new from scratch. Sexy new technology is brilliant, no doubt, and we understand the temptation. This is great - - but, if at all possible, try to be pragmatic and focused at the start of developing your first generation product. Save your best groundbreaking approaches for your second generation product. Invariably, there will be massive learning, relationships, and investor confidence built by shipping a good first gen. product on time. This will lead to far stronger and more robust products in the future.

Nearly any electronic device imaginable exists is various forms. You just need to find it!

Perhaps your dream product was already developed for a different industry, or another part of the world? Maybe it exists as two separate devices, just needing to be combined? Possibly, a near perfect device is already sitting on the R&D shelf of a major manufacturer in China having 80% of your target functionality. You simply would need to upgrade the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and Processor, add a few new sensors, with some nano-tech waterproofing, and combine it with your great software. As is the example in this case, finding a close 'baseline' device which meets most of your device requirements will save hundreds of thousands of dollars, and cut development / product times down to literally three to six months.

Incorporate components using a building blocks approach which are already produced in mass quantities (before your competitors does).

Billions and billions of mobile phones and tablets devices have been built over time. Year on year the raw CPU power withinthese devices gets cheaper and more powerful (and will continue for the foreseeable future).  Android and Ubuntu Linux O/S running on mobile devices are solid and stable, and free to use. GPS and sensors give context, making other data vastly more valuable. Wifi / 3G / 4G unlocks unlimited cloud-based storage and processing power. Using the availability of these components to your advantage.

Myth #3:    Electronic devices, such as highly customized phones, tablets, and state-of-the-art specialized sensors, require in initial minimum order of > 100,000 or more units...  No, not true. This was true in the past, but its no longer required now. The manufacturing world has evolved to be far more flexible and competitive. Price competitive devices can be created with a unit volume of as low as a few thousand devices, and sometimes less depending what modifications are required.

As with any challenging project worth doing, nothing is free. This is not like ordering from Amazon either. However, if you have a budget of about $ 80 K and up devoted towards development of your dream product (i.e. going from slideware concept, user testing (FCC & CE, Google certifications - GTT, GMS, for mobile devices) to a golden pre-production sample), you can very realistically achieve your vision in most circumstances.

Myth #4:    Its impossible to decommoditize a commodity... Wrong, this is a big myth, top companies do it all the time. Not only is it possible, doing so unlocks substantial hidden value for those who do it well in an authentic transformative way. But, always keep in mind the power of your overall solution, not just the hardware itself. Products and bundles of functionality matter. Take Amazon's Kindle e-reader device as an example. This is a very nice product. Yet in nearly all of world, e-readers are viewed as a low cost commodity item - - except for Amazon. The Kindle product line serves as an important leg of its business. Why? For Amazon, the Kindle is one of its major store fronts, acting as a digital goods delivery vehicle for its most loyal customers. Its rumored Amazon sells the Kindle line of products at a 5% gross margin. This is far below typical margin levels seen for hardware at retail. Yet, this 'lost' margin is recovered, via the sale of everything else on top of the device unique to Amazon, demonstrating the power which the solution brings.

Another good example comes from those companies who build their product package around customized 7” to 15” inch Android or Ubuntu powered tablets. By combining great software, with a credit card swiper, wireless handheld bar code scanner, printer, and a durable stand, this off-the-shelf bundle makes an excellent Point of Sale (POS) terminal (at a fraction of the cost of older POSs and particularly those now relying on Apple's iPads). This same approach can easily evolve to be an excellent advertising kiosk, with a few minor changes. Moreover, add some specialized high-end audio headphones or wireless speakers, with a few large television screens, and now this bundle is suitable for many other uses. The combinations are endless.

Having worked closely with some of the leading factories and ODM's (an Original Design Manufacturer is a company which designs and manufactures a product which is specified and eventually branded by another company for sale) in China, they clearly are the workshop to the world. I am continually surprised by the types and breadth of baseline products just 'sitting on the shelf' available for quick use. This said, do not be fooled by this untapped and unfocused capability. Just because you can create a product quickly, this does not mean you should. Before launching a hardware project, always ensure whatever you do is authentic for your business. Does combining atoms + bits + cloud create a new pillar of your business? If you are a software firm, does your dream hardware product unleash 3x or more functionality from your software? Does it massively delight the user?

My most important guidance: be authentic with your software and your company. Only launch a hardware project if it unlocks true value add, creating a multiple of what an off-the-shelf consumer device can do running your software.

Myth #5:    My product does not need to be 'smart'... Maybe, maybe not. Always ask yourself what is your dream product and does its technology push the bounds of what is possible for the cost?Instead of being just 5% better than a competing product and costing a bit less, is it possible to be 10x better for half the cost? Could your product double its speed of use allowing the users to be twice as efficient? If yes, this becomings a transformative product, not just incremental, leveling up its potential.

Suppose you lead a product development team for a startup medical device maker. Instead of following traditional approaches to develop you next generation of lab test equipment, what if you design a new product which combines new many features and adopts new approaches. For example, new software (with learning algorithms), cloud-based processing, a printed circuit board and touch screen (repurposed from a phone or tablet device), added an array of newest silicon-based chemical sensors and a super high resolution camera to photograph each of the test samples. All of this would be designed to fit within an upgradable modular case allowing for easy adaptation to many different uses within a customer's lab. As described, all of this 'dream' hardware is very feasible to develop. Yet, by adopting this new approach, instead of it costing $25 K per unit (as under the old approach), your new medial testing device might now only cost$300. Moreover, it now comes with the added advantage of being able to track and connect wirelessly to everything else, fundamentally changing the workflow of a medical testing lab saving substantial personnel costs.

Check out brainstem.co.

[robertkstone]

2018 Nissan Leaf First Drive Review

“You know what I’d do if I were you guys?” The jet lag from the 11-hour flight to Japan had me talking in a stream of consciousness. “I’d build a NISMO version of the Leaf. Make it all crazylike, you know what I mean?” The young Nissan engineer sitting across from me stared back blankly. I tried a different angle. “The Leaf’s image needs a big shakeup. I mean, Elon Musk has had the press in the palm of his hand with his Insane- and Ludicrous-mode stuff, right? How about you do something like that!” Without a muscle twitch of expression, he replied, “Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll pass your views along to our team.” Then he gave me a polite, Japanese nod of the head.

Well, that went badly. Was it too obvious that I think the Nissan Leaf is a car in need of a pulse?

If done right, though, this redesigned 2018 version of the car has the makings of a NISMO EV heart-pounder. About 30 minutes earlier, maybe 50 of us were seated around the Leaf for its styling explainer at the Nissan Technical Center. But the whole time, I’d been staring at its profile, thinking that it reminds me of another car. Light bulb: the Faraday Future 91 I rode in a few months ago. I Googled its profile. The 91 is longer, but yes, there are some very similar ideas here.

And what’s important about that statement is this: Whether that Faraday sinks or (miraculously) swims, it’s a seriously cutting-edge design. And here I am, comparing it to the descendant of one of this century’s most notorious oddballs.

If Leaf 1 (my name for it) looked like a four-wheel amphibian, this Leaf 2 before us has not only flash-evolved into a svelte automotive shape, but it’s also learned to speak in the visual language of the rest of Nissan’s edgy designs. I must say, I’m not a fan of every word in its vocabulary—particularly Nissan’s Vmotion grilles. But for Leaf duty the rabbit-grin frames an interesting 3-Dish blue finish, which does pull you closer in to study it. And did you know that Leaf 1’s surprised-eyes headlights had an aerodynamic purpose? They did—to twirl air sideways and around the side mirrors. Now the twirling’s done by more elegant ribs on the hood, a trick Nissan’s aerodynamicists later demonstrated in a full-size wind tunnel where we watched smoke from the tip of a handheld wand magically bend sideways off the cowl. EVs are quiet, amplifying your awareness of side-mirror wind hiss; the ribs specifically hush that. There are additional noise defeaters, too, including greater rigidity of the inverter, a noise-blocking top for the integrated charger and DC-to-DC power inverter, and even a quieter motor.

I looked back at the profile. There’s a lot going on here. But I’d characterize it as complex rather than busy. Although the Bolt shares many of these same EV-identifying cues, it’s a jigsaw jumble of pieces—some of them are a bit too forced into place. The Nissan’s elements are all aware of each other. Fit together like the neat rectangles in a Piet Mondrian painting. (Ironically, the Model 3 entirely dispenses with all these noisy little EV cues, being finished with starkly pure surfacing. To equate it to another painter, I’d pick my favorite one, Mark Rothko.)

While we’re staring at the new Leaf’s profile, let’s use it to do a little automotive detective work. Imagine overlaying the current Leaf’s profile on it. See the match? The front and rear wheels exactly align—a giveaway that Leaf 2’s platform is fundamentally carryover bones not only in wheelbase but also in front track (its rear one is 0.8 inch wider), its essential suspension components, and the positioning of all the basic building blocks needed to assemble a modern EV. Consequently, its interior specs are a close match, too (it’s luggage space is more useful from ironing out small intrusions); externally, it’s 1.4 inches longer, 0.8 inch wider, and 0.4 inch taller.

But don’t dis Leaf 2 as just some sort of overblown reskin. Nissan’s techs took the time to sprawl it out on their engineering operating table for a marathon multiple-organ transplant; the motor is all-new, spinning out a chunky 147 hp instead of 107 and 236 lb-ft of torque, up from 187 lb-ft. The electric power steering is more refined. Nissan is anxious to note that although companies are ballyhooing the births of their first EVs, Yokohama was there/did that back in 2010 and now has 270,000 customers, 2.1 billion miles of user experience, and programs such as 6,000 Leaf-to-home installations in Japan, where bidirectional charging/discharging coupled with solar roofs is slashing power bills. This ain’t Nissan’s first rodeo. It’s their second. And the show could be on the brink of going big time—the cost of battery storage has dropped from $300/kW-hr in 2015 to a projected $150 by 2020/23 and below $100 by 2025/26, according to a Morgan-Stanley analysis. (Nissan’s says they’re beating this.) And by the mid-2020s, battery-electric cars will be cheaper than internal combustion ones (in part due to the ramping complexity of internal combustion engines).

So.

Nissan should have anticipated the Bolt and base Model 3’s 238- and 225-mile ranges, right? Cue the drumroll. How big is the new Leaf’s battery pack (still underfloor and cooled with recirculated air, by the way)?

Forty kW-hrs for 150 miles of range (S and SV trims). Eyes narrowed. Chins rubbed. True, that doubles the original Leaf’s 73-mile capability (from 24 kW-hrs) and is a 40 percent jump from its current 107 miles (from 30 kW-hrs).

In a world without the Chevrolet Bolt, 150 miles would be a bold type headline. Now it’s a number in a math problem: How much less is it than 238? There’s going to be a lot of data thrown at you arguing that 150 miles more than matches most people’s real-world lifestyles most of the time. Let me ask you: How many gasoline-powered, five-passenger sedans could be sold with a 150-mile range?

Maybe anticipating criticism, the Leaf will offer an even-better-chemistry 60-kW-hr pack next year (SL trim), likely extending its leash to about 225 miles (a two-tier strategy akin to the Model 3’s estimated 50 and 75 kW-hrs). Thus, the Bolt’s singular battery size will be bookended by its competitors, with the Nissan’s upgraded pack matching it and the Tesla’s smaller pack offering Bolt-competitive range due to better sedan aerodynamics. (One of the reasons, by the way, why I think Tesla controversially went with a mass-produced sedan first: A crossover’s worse aero would require a bigger, more expensive battery—something that’ll be more affordable by the time the Model Y makes its debut.) If carrying over the Leaf 1’s platform has painted Nissan into a corner, it’s these subsequently locked in battery dimensions that require expensive chemistry to keep it apace with the Bolt and base Model 3. (A plus for us is that it offers an insight into the march of ever-rising energy density; those additional 16 kW-hrs crammed in there mean 67 percent greater energy density in seven years, or 9.5 percent per year.) Another questionable call: clinging to the CHAdeMO standard for fast charging. Maybe it’s stubbornness, maybe Nissan’s got a giant investment in this thing, but CHAdeMO is a dead plug walking in the U.S., and Nissan would do the EV cause a big, fat favor by finally adopting SAE (or everybody going to Tesla’s standard).

Time to drive. During their presentations, Nissan repeatedly emphasized twin messages: One, the Leaf is about making driving less stressful, and two, it’s about making driving fun. Not knowing what stress-free, fun driving exactly means, we headed out onto the test track to find out.

The new Leaf’s most potent driving relaxers?

ProPilot Assist is sort of a Tesla Autopilot light (at a fraction of the price). Relying on just a single forward-facing radar and a monocular video camera, ProPilot Assist provides single-lane, feet-off-the-pedals driving (what’s called adaptive cruise control). Alone, this is nothing unusual. Its dexterity in responding to slinkying traffic (including right down to 0 mph) is, though. Yet what elevates it to the same conversation as AutoPilot is how accurately it also threads down the center of the road. Like with other Level 2 semiautonomous systems, you need to keep your hands on the wheel, but here, there’s no need to give it periodic tugs. The electric power steering’s frequent and small corrections automatically sense their presence. I later tried the system in Detroit, driving for several miles on an expressway with my hands relaxed on the rim. No scoldings to put my hands back ever appeared (which, if persistently ignored, would ultimately result in the car stopping in its lane). Available later this year, ProPilot Assist is ordinary sensors doing an extraordinary job due to great software. Within two years, the system is expected to be even greater (perhaps with added sensors) by expanding to automated lane changing, and by 2020 it should have the skill to negotiate city scenarios, too. Next year it will joined by ProPilot Park, which highly automates parking, including selecting an empty spot not already bordered by a parked car (reading lane stripping). Remember this system as the tipping point when semiautonomous driving finally met the masses. (It’s had a 60 percent take rate in markets where it’s already available on other Nissan models.)

The Leaf’s other driving simplification is its one-pedal EV-driving feature—what they call e-Pedal. Tesla has long offered a similar heavy-regen effect when you release the accelerator. But completing a stop requires a brake pedal dab at the bitter end. In its transmission’s Low mode, the Bolt will come to a one-pedal stop without touching the friction brakes, but the deceleration rate isn’t always enough. E-Pedal leapfrogs both with a deceleration rate of 0.2 g’s (covering 90 percent of real-driver stopping, Nissan says) and comes to a complete stop (including automatic friction braking, if necessary). If that stop is on a hill, the Leaf’s motor will just hold it motionless (after pausing, you can lift your feet from both pedals; no need to hold the brake). The new Leaf could quickly become the most popular car in San Francisco.

E-Pedal and the availability of ProPilot Assist spotlight the intention to make the Leaf the tech standard-barer for the Nissan Intelligent Mobility Initiative, Yokohama’s campaign to destress driving.

The notable destresser, though, is the car’s lowered MSRP of $29,990 ($30,875 including destination)—a $690 drop. Standard with that is a noticeable upgrade in interior materials, and when you option a nav system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, too. After incentives, this is a heck of a deal.

But what about that driving fun factor? I can answer about 65 percent of that question. Without a doubt, its extra power and torque renders the new Leaf satisfyingly quicker and more responsive. Test-track recordings are yet to come, but given the Bolt’s and Model 3’s better power (and power-to-weight ratios) it’ll probably lag in a three-EV drag race. Interior n from PerformanceJunk WP Feed 3 http://ift.tt/2f1rrrG via IFTTT