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Ford Puma ST

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We’ve taken a short break from reviewing electrical cars to driving back to petrol/diesel cars, old school! The Ford Puma ST (Available to order from October 2020 and arrives January 2021) will soon be here and it’s Ford’s first ever performance SUV in Europe. Which has been created with the signature fun to drive feel of the ST Range.

It has a turbocharged 1.5L Ford EcoBoost engine and has an impressive 200 PS with 320 Nm of torque. While it can go from 0-62mph in just 6.7 seconds! So, not only does it have practicality of an Urban SUV it also has the sheer power of a Ford Performance vehicle!

Drive Modes

The Ford Puma ST has 4 selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco, Sport and Track), a sports-tuned suspension, an aggressively sculpted aerodynamic design, impressive 19” alloy wheels, and signature ST styling. You can seamlessly change the Puma from a robust SUV around town to an exhilarating all round performer. Easily! The 4 drive modes will fine tune the car performance by modifying the engine mapping, throttle, steering response, as well as traction and stability settings. The chassis has been combined with an optional Mechanical Limited-Slip Differential, this will continuously optimise the traction and stability to ensure a comfortable driving experience. In any driving condition.  You’ll be able to do this via the 12.3″ digital instrument cluster.

Storage

Key information is shown on the 12.3″ digital instrument cluster. While a host of smart assistance technologies work together to enhance your driving experience. Furthermore you get a total of 80L storage space with a Puma MegaBox! With Puma Load you no longer have to rummage around for your keys either! Simply use some foot movement under the rear bumper and the boot will open up! It can also be opened and closed whilst sitting in the car!

There is also an option to choose a full length panoramic roof which will replace the steel roof. Letting in lots of light to create an airy feel to the car. the front half is power operated and can tilt or slide ride back. While the full length retractable sunshade lets’ you open the glass to get some fresh air whilst being protected from the sun.

Intelligent Tweaks

The Ford Puma ST has some intelligent tweaks to the car. They’ve been implemented so that none of the fun to drive aspects of the ST are compromised by the ride height of an SUV. There’s and added torsion bar and stiffer rear twist beam counterbalance the SUV models higher centre of gravity to ensure stability. While uniquely tuned suspension springs increase lateral stiffness for sharper cornering.

The New Puma ST also has a fantastic braking system which has been optimised for performance. As it has larger front and rear disc components than on other Puma models, for impressive breaking performance.

Comfy Seats

Inside the Ford Puma ST there is racing inspired RECARO front sport seats. It has contrasting Metal Grey stitching and an embossed Ford ST Logo. While the seats are ergonomically designed to fit you perfectly. Moulding you to every movement of the road.

Driving

The Ford Puma ST has been designed in such a way to uphold the pure joy of driving, whilst maintaining efficiency. Even if it can go 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds. Whilst it has a 6 speed manual transmission to help you get the most out of the car. Shifts are short, fast and deliver a smooth performance on each gear change.

The Tech Lovers Car

Ford Puma has a FordPass Connect modem built in. It provides a whole range of invaluable benefits. Including 4G LTE Wifi for up to 10 devices and real time traffic updates delivered to the in car satnav.

Local hazard information is displayed as warning symbols in the instrument cluster and will advise you of any obstacles you may be approaching. Furthermore in the event of an accident. FordPass Connect will even place an eCall to the emergency services and provide your vehicles location.

While if you download the FordPass app you’ll gain even more features. Such as locating your vehicle via your phone, lock it and unlock it remotely. Monitor fuel level, mileage and tyre pressure. While you can also get vehicle health alerts direct to your phone!

Ford Sync 3

Ford SYNC 3 is a state-of-the-art system that enables you to stay connected and control your phone, music and navigation system with natural voice commands.

Call up a list of local restaurants by simply saying “I’m Hungry” Ford Sync 3 will also read out text messages! The colour touchscreen can be use pinch/swipe gestures and connects to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. With AppLink you can also access some of your favourite apps!

Music

There is an incredible music system in the Ford Puma ST. It comes with a powerful B&O system. A premium 575W audio system finely tuned and designed by B&O sound engineers. The system is a 10 speaker set up and includes a subwoofer which has been cleverly incorporated into the rear bulkhead.

Driving Assistant

Ford Co-Pilot360 combines a range of tech that will make your drive better. Adaptive Cruise control automatically adjust your cruise control speed based on the vehicle ahead. It will also recognise speed signs and too adjust your cruise control accordingly.

The Blind Spot Information System will use radars to see any vehicles that will be hidden from your sight. They’re located on either side of the Ford Puma ST and will alert you with an orange light. Which is clearly indicated in the side mirrors.

Traffic Sign Recognition can help the driver recognise speed limits and no taking over signs for example, of which will be displayed on the instrument cluster and will help the driver if they missed a sign.

Parking is made easier by the rear view camera, the view of which will be shown on the centre console. Virtual lines will help you park in even the smallest of places.

Pre-Collision detection and pedestrian detection helps keep you safe on the road. If a collision risk is detected with either a pedestrian or another vehicle, you will be warned. If you don’t respond in time the system can provide full breaking force, to help reduce the severity or in some cases eliminate frontal collisions.

Launch Control

Developed for use on the track (& available on the optional Ford Performance Pack), Launch Control will allow you to maximise acceleration off the line for fast standing starts. Simply set the maximum RPM for the engine and the system will ensure you won’t over rev when pressing the throttle.

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Tips To Help Improve Broadband Speed!

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USwitch want to help with solving the UK’s Top Broadband Issue – Slow Speed! USwitch’s own broadband expert Nick Baker decided to share his top tips on how to solve this very issue.  

Thinking ” where are the best Internet providers in my area?”, well we are too.

Tips to Help Improve Broadband Speed

There’s a number of reasons as to why your broadband connection may be slow. One of the reasons could by multiple devices using the same network in your area. Or a large number of devices on your home connection.

See below USwitch’s best tips!

1. Carry out a broadband speed test so you can see just what speeds you’re getting. Also, try doing this at different times during the day and take a screenshot or a note of the result.

2. Check and see if your browser software is up to date. Having the latest version of your browser can really help speed up the way web pages load.

3. Is your router next to any other wireless devices? Anything from a wireless doorbell to fairy lights can have an impact on the speeds you’re getting. So, my tip would be to place your router on a small side table away from any other devices (rather than on the floor) and keep it switched on at all times.

4. Ensure you have a strong password protecting your Wi-Fi network to make sure nobody else is using it. As this is particularly important if you live in a flat or apartment.

5. Is your router firmware up to date? So, your router should update automatically, but you can force a reset (check the back of the device for instructions) and this can help with broadband speed.

Even more tips!

6. Have you tried using a cable? Routers usually have an Ethernet cable socket in the back of the device so you can connect directly to them. Try using this and running the speed test again to see if you get faster results. Again, keep a note of these speeds.

7. Have you checked for interference on your phone line? Purchase some microfilters or get them from your provider. Plug them into every phone socket in your house as they split the broadband and phone signals so they don’t interfere with one another.

8. Are you using a phone line extension cable? These (especially if they are long) can impact the speed of your broadband. If you need to use one, make sure it’s high quality and as short as possible and not tangled up.

9. Plug your router directly into the main phone socket. These sockets usually have a line running across the front of them. Also, make sure your router is connected to this socket then try running the speed test again.

10. Contact your broadband provider.  So, if all else fails and you’re still struggling, then it’s worth getting in touch with your broadband provider. You can share your speed test results and they will work through a series of diagnostic tests to isolate the issue and get you back up to speed in no time.

(USwitch)

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Britain’s Biggest Bandwidth Hogs

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So how has the UK spent lockdown? It seems as though Britain has hit the sofa to stream more content than ever before! Official figures from the ONS highlight how much bandwidth Britain has used in comparison to 2015.

The ONS Study found that the most popular activity was to stream video content. The survey determined that it took up 2 hours and 53 minutes each day. USwitch also discovered that the UK Broadband usage had increased by almost a third overall (29%). That’s A LOT of bandwidth usage!

However, a recent poll by YouGov discovered that 35% of broadband users in the UK have slower than normal speeds during lockdown! So the question is, how much bandwidth is the UK using and how is it affecting the quality of our connections?

Revealing the UK’s Top Broadband Issues

During the lockdown there has been an increase in the usage of UK broadband connections. Which will in effect take up a lot of bandwidth. 1 in 5 households (21%) have suffered with dropped connections. Including buffering or slow connections.

So therefore our friends over at USwitch took to Reddit to research:

  • What the most common complaints were when it comes to broadband connections

  • How often the UK searches Google for a solution to these issues

  • Where in the country suffers the most with internet problems

Technical complaints toppled the list of broadband issues that people had. While Broadband speed was the top issue affecting those in Norwich. Googling for a speedy solution more than anywhere else in the UK. Improving latency was the top issue in Cambridge. As they were fed up with having to wait for their connections to respond.

USwitch discovered a number of customer service related complaints such as Switch Broadband Provider and Cancel Broadband was the most prevalent in Glasgow!

Top 10 Bandwidth Hungry Apps Revealed

Bandwidth is a hot commodity and a lot of your apps take up a lot of it! Netflix even applied restrictions on streaming quality to reduce the amount of bandwidth used in order to help video run smoothly. USwitch discovered that Netflix used around 1GB of bandwidth data at standard definition, per hour!

Furthermore Google Stadia and NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW used LOADS of bandwidth! With Google Stadia raking in 4.5gb of bandwidth per hour!

What is cloud gaming and why does it use so much bandwidth?

Cloud gaming requires gamers to play games which are streamed via the cloud. This is done via a data centre which provides the computing power. Every single thing a gamer does is communicated between them and the data center. Therefore this is why so much bandwidth is required and used during play.

Where do the UK’s Biggest Bandwidth Users Live?

The study by USwitch discovered that Southampton was the location that saw the biggest surge in broadband usage. Jumping 49% to 44 hours 36mins a week during lockdown. While which area in the UK uses the most bandwidth hungry apps?

Our study named Southampton as the UK location experiencing the biggest surge in broadband use – jumping 49% to 44 hours and 36 minutes a week during lockdown, but which area in the UK is using the most bandwidth-hungry apps?

The UK’s Most Used Apps During Lockdown

The average household has 8 devices which connect to the internet. USwitch discovered how much bandwidth do our most used apps eat up per hour?

Revealed: The Winners and Losers of Lockdown Entertainment

Video Calls Winner — Zoom

Video calling has a had a HUGE surge in popularity. 2/3’s of consumers 68% have said that they used the tech since the lockdown began. With Zoom being the biggest app with the highest search increase in the UK.

Plus it only uses 0.54gb’s per hour. Making it one of the least bandwidth hungry video calling apps. With Google Hangouts using the most at 0.70gb’s

Films and Box Sets Winner — Hulu

Suprisingly Hulu is the most popular video streaming service. 49% of searches for it since the lockdown. While Hulu isn’t available in the UK yet, it seems many could still access the content. Apple TV was a close second with 44% of people tuning in. Suprisingly Disney+ and Netflix were much further down the list! As they only had a third more searches than usual.

Amazon Prime hits bottom spot with 0.1% increase in searches. Maybe this is because many of us have those services anyway? Or maybe we’ve watched everything and are looking for new sources.

Catch-up TV Winner — My5

My5 tops the list when it comes to streaming catch up tv! With 100% more people searching for the service than before lockdown. Coming in 2nd was All4 with 46% more searches and BBC iPlayer had 19% more.

Music Streaming Winner — Apple Music

Apple Music had a 40% more increase in searches. The streaming quality could have knocked Spotify off the top spot. Streaming Spotify has 0.04gbs of data per hour of usage. With Apple Music uses 1gb of data as it’s a higher standard.

(USwitch)

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Number Plated Bikes

Number Plated Bikes

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So, it looks like Number Plated Bikes may become a thing. We mean bicycles not motor bikes if anyone was wondering. Thats what one South London school is implementing to curb bad cycling by their students

Stanley Park High in Carshalton has banned students from cycling to and from school unless they have number plates. Yes Number Plated Bikes. The reason? So people can snitch on bad cycling behaviour from their students. They can report irresponsible cycling that “endangers themselves and others”.

The school’s official statment says that the move is to ensure student safety. Number Plated Bikes will come into effect on October 1st. However, Duncan Dollimore from Cycling UK has asked why the school are making cycling more difficult. Stating that it could have a negative impact on the number of children who ride their bikes to school.

“They should be looking to make active journeys easier and more attractive. Worryingly, this behaviour seems to be part of a trend of head teachers trespassing on parental responsibilities.”

Cycling UK have called on schools to work with their local councils to implement a 20mph speed around schools. As well as traffic calming measures.

(Gizmodo)

Number Plated Bikes: Have a point?

While this does sound silly, do the school have a point? I mean there has always been that thought could a bike set off a speed camera. Yet, if they do, they won’t get fined as there is no plate. However, if a car does it, it gets fined. So why should cyclists get different treatment to other road users. Bikes could be dangerous and can cause serious harm, so could the school have a point? Or are they over stepping the mark, as it’s outside of school?

Why not listen to us chatting about this please, by simply clicking here!

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Hyperloop Hype!

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Credit: Ted.com

Credit: Ted.com

Want to get sucked into oblivion?!

Well remember those vacuum tube networks that businesses used to use to send papers across large buildings? Hyperloop is basically that, but big enough to shoot people cross-country at amazing speeds.

First, the tube is six feet wide, and is maintained as a low-pressure environment, to prevent the passenger pod from touching the tube, it’ll float slightly above it, either on a cushion of air or using magnetic levitation.

Because it doesn’t have to deal with as much air resistance, Hyperloop is expected to hit 750MPH, more than twice as fast as the Central Japan Railway’s record-breaking 366MPH speed run.