Let's Do The News! (October 8, 2024)

            

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Former PH President Rodrigo Duterte has withdrawn his certificate of candidacy for mayorship in Davao City, according to reports.

- A magnitude 5 quake with a depth of 10km has hit Caraga, Davao Oriental.

- A Chinese ship waterbombed a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources or BFAR ship stationed at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

- PH Vice-President Sara Duterte will not serve as the caretaker while President Bongbong Marcos is in Laos, attending the latest ASEAN Summits.

- The PBBM administration named Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla as the new DILG secretary.

- Hurricane Milton has intensified into a Category 5 hurricane with 180mph winds, prompting evacuation orders in the US state of Florida following Milton wreaks havoc in Mexico.

- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to keep fighting as Israel remembers the 1st anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Israel held ceremonies to remember the victims, amid further fighting. 

- The FIA World RX Championship 2024 season finale will be held in Turkiye instead of China this next month.

- The NTT IndyCar Series will add an Arlington, TX street race in the 2026 season.

- Former Andretti Global team leader Michael Andretti released an open letter to the team's followers. It comes in the wake of his recent standing down as team principal and the transition of power to Daniel Towriss.

- SM Entertainment briefly comments regarding a new report on Taeil's case.

- Orlando Magic player Wendell Carter Jr. re-signs on a 3-year $59M extension contract.

TTFN.

Leopaul's Column: Don't ask me, ask the AI

The segment that I made "Heaven and Hell" is all about me talking about the world's most interesting topics from my perspective. I made this so I can have a little mindfulness, turning my everyday stress into interesting columns every internet user should put on his or her water supply. Sadly, that segment name wasn't my type anymore so I decided to rename this segment as...

Welcome to my newly titled segment, "Leopaul's Column," where I will transform my daily stress into engaging editorials, just like the Opinion section of your regular newspaper. For my first post in this newly renamed segment, let's talk more about the use of AI in your everyday life.

*This is an AI-generated illustration

Since the so-called twilight of the COVID pandemic, artificial intelligence has become a booming trend. While popular AI assistants such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa became the early adopters of the AI craze, it was the big ones such as ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion that saw a spike in popularity. Call it beneficial, controversial, or horrifying (probably because the AI art you've requested looks more distorted than you wanted it to be), but in the end, artificial intelligence has the upper hand but not always.

People like us starting to rely on AI because we're starting to feel either lazy or we're running out of time. We used AI to create video mashups in half the time (results not typical), create stunning artwork, generate important materials for your next office meeting, find answers to our homework problems, and so on. It has become part of our daily lives since AI became an exploding trend of this decade.

Although AI is proven to be beneficial for normal people, some bad actors abuse AI for malicious purposes. Most people blame AI for spreading malicious deepfake videos and the ever-spreading trend of "fake news" that separates people like us from the real truth. It's so intense, that even fact-checking experts are having a hard time clarifying things. The use of AI in spreading fake news is proven to be deadly for everyone who falls victim to it.

Let's be real, while most use AI for good and bad, others think they're better than AI or they're better off without AI. For instance, translators. AI-generated translators like Google Translate can translate different languages, eliminating the need for a human translator, but human translators think they're better than AI translators because, to them, AI translators are not as native as native speakers. I've seen a lot of videos proving that human native speakers are better than AI translators. They're like the resistance from the Terminator movies. Sadly, in today's reality, as the human translators are fighting, the AI translators are fighting back because of self-adaptability. It never stops evolving.

Another example is the use of AI artwork. Sure, everybody who is running out of time to do artworks rely on AI to create stunning artwork but, like human native speakers, some oppose the use of AI to generate artwork because it sometimes scoops up artwork belonging to someone else. It's like stealing but in an AI kind of way. That's why some don't rely on AI artworks to share with the world because of plagiarism concerns.

Whether it's an ultra-handy instrument for everyday life or a powerful weapon of mass destruction like Skynet from the world of Terminator if fell into the wrong hands, the use of Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. Will it help us or will it hurt us? That is an extremely divisive question when you talk about the use of AI daily.

Hey you. I've seen a lot of "questions" flooding the search query records from my Google Search Console. Haven't I told you already? "The search engine is made for searching keywords. Never put a question such as what, where, will there be, when, how, why, or any form of questions." You still turned a humble search engine like Google into a chatbox. Next time, post a comment on my blog for questions, or better yet, ChatGPT your silly questions. I don't care but I've warned you a million times; Please, don't use questions as search queries. I am asking for your cooperation because I don't want to see another "silly question" bombing my Google Search Console review.

THANK YOU.

Renault Scenic E-Tech v Symbioz v Rafale

Known as the Espace's little brother when it was a humble MPV, the all-new Renault Scenic has morphed into an all-electric crossover because we live in the new normal where crossovers dominate new car sales like superhero movies.

2024 Renault Scenic

Here it is, the all-new, all-electric, fifth-generation Renault Scenic. It's no longer the Scenic the world knows because it's now officially a crossover SUV that uses the same E-TECH all-electric powertrain from the Megane. It starts at 35,990 Euros plus additional costs, cheaper than its main rival, the Peugeot e-2008.

2024 Renault Scenic

Beginning with the styling, the all-new Scenic mimics the design from the Scenic Vision Concept two years ago, giving sharpness to this crossover people carrier. Its dimensions are 4.47m long, 1.86m wide, and 1.57m high, which promises to be more spacious than its predecessor despite being smaller in width and height.

2024 Renault Scenic interior

The all-new Scenic dons the familiar Renault dashboard that today's models have, meaning you will be greeted by the all-familiar 12.3-inch horizontal screen joined by the L-shaped 12-inch vertical touchscreen that controls the infotainment, climate control, and the MULTI-SENSE. It's powered by Google Android Auto just so you know. Concerning sustainability, the Scenic's interior is crafted from 90% of recyclable materials.

As a five-seater, the all-new Scenic allows passengers to turn the middle seat from the second row into an armrest with two cup holders. Ideal for VIP work if you're into that. Regarding boot space, the Scenic V can carry up to 545 liters, with the rear seats present up to 1,670 liters of boot space and the passenger seats folded.

2024 Renault Scenic

The all-electric E-TECH powertrain features a 60kWH standard range or an 87kWh high-range battery pack. The latter produces a high-performance 220PS of power and 300Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in less than eight seconds and is about ten kph slower than a standard Japanese car or a present-day Volvo. As for driving range, it's good for up to 625km on one full charge.

Asked about the driving experience, even with the MULTI-SENSE set to Sport Mode, the all-new Scenic feels regular to drive. Not an exciting experience as expected on an electric crossover but thanks to its CMF-EV platform and its electric drivetrain, it's about as comfortable as sleeping in a bed in a three-star hotel. Of course, being a new normal crossover, the Scenic features Safety Coach which assesses driving behavior and habits to provide tailored advice on driving style and ADAS use. Bossy, eh?

There you have it. The all-new Renault Scenic E-TECH made us forget about the Scenics of yesteryears because from now on, this is one we should stick to our heads. Sadly, it's not going to be easy because as today's customers are showing lukewarm interest in electric cars, they are better off with a crossover that looks just like it, except for every single detail.

2025 Renault Symbioz

2025 Renault Symbioz

This is the first-ever Renault Symbioz and don't let its name fool you. It may bear the name of a funky 2017 concept car but, in reality, it's just another hybrid crossover made to tackle the likes of the Peugeot 2008. Priced at 33,400 Euros plus additional costs, it's slightly more expensive than the 2008.

2025 Renault Symbioz interior

Although the Symbioz bears the same front face as today's Scenic, the rear and side view look like it came from today's Kia Sportage. Same Renault gadgetry aside, the spacing of the Symbioz is smaller than the Scenic because it's capable of carrying up to 1455 liters of boot space. Still, it can carry up to five people. No problem.

2025 Renault Symbioz

Front-wheel-drive only as expected, just like the Scenic, the Symbioz is powered by the same 1.6L E-TECH 145 hybrid powertrain as the Arkana. Mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, it has a 0-100kph time of 10.6 seconds, slower than the Scenic, and it has the same top speed as the Scenic E-Tech. 170kph to be exact.

Sure, it still packs the nagging Safety Coach that tells your driving style as well as ADAS recommendations but because it uses the same platform as today's Clio, it's less bulky to drive than the Scenic. Mind you, this is straightforward compared to this...

2025 Renault Rafale

The 45,000 Euro Renault Rafale. Named after a multirole jet used by the French Navy, it's the exact opposite of its namesake. Despite the irony, this is the Top Gun of the Renault SUV lineup.

2025 Renault Rafale

2025 Renault Rafale interior

Despite being a coupe crossover just like its main rival, the Peugeot 408, the Rafale is the most spacious of the Renault crossovers with up to 1910 liters of boot space with the rear seats folded down. It still packs the usual Renault tech such as the OpenR Link, Safety Coach, and others, but because it has AI-powered capabilities, the Rafale is another one of the production cars that plunged into the dark side of AI connectivity.

In addition to the 1.2L Turbo E-TECH Hybrid powertrain with 200PS of power output mated to a 6-speed AT with 4.7L/100km of fuel economy, the Rafale features the 300PS 1.2L Turbo PHEV powertrain where the combination of the petrol engine and the electric motor powering all four wheels, making it the only 4WD in the Renault SUV lineup. Armed with the 6-speed AT, it does 0-100kph in 6.4 seconds and has the top speed of a standard Japanese car or a present-day Volvo. Fuel economy is around 0.5L/100km and running on electricity only, it can go up to 105km.

Coupled with MULTI-SENSE and the Megane-derived 4CONTROL system, the Rafale is about as close as enjoyable as the now-defunct Renaultsport Megane. Close but no baguette. The same goes for the 4x4 PHEV variant but good while feeling under the weather.

Three Renault crossovers of 2024 bear such ironies. The Scenic of today has nothing to do with the Scenics of the past, the Symbioz has nothing to do with the concept car namesake, and the Rafale is not as cool as its fighter jet namesake. Differences aside, these crossovers made such a statement and in the end, it's the Rafale that stands out not because...well, you get the idea. Case closed.

Photo: Renault

Let's Do The News! (October 7, 2024)

           

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Acting Bamban, Tarlac mayor Eraño Timbang filed his candidacy for mayorship in his own territory with Joseph Gomez as his running mate.

- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in the Philippines for his bilateral meeting with Philippine President Bongbong Marcos.

- Senate Committee on Migrant Workers Chairperson Raffy Tulfo has called on all Filipinos in Lebanon to evacuate and return home to the Philippines.

- Philippine bishop Pablo David was named by Pope Francis as its new cardinal.

- Sue Gray resigns as UK prime minister's chief of staff and will take up a new role as PM's envoy for nations and regions.

- Israel is on a state of high alert on the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks. Several rockets were fired into southern Israel from Gaza. The Israeli offensive continues against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Huge explosions have again struck southern Beirut.

- ICYMI: The Nissan Serena C28 e-POWER received a 4WD e4ORCE variant.

- The McLaren W1 was unveiled. It is the most powerful McLaren road car ever made because of its 1,258bhp 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo hybrid powertrain mated to an all-new 8-speed AT. All 399 units have been sold.

2025 McLaren W1

- Renault showcased its Embleme Concept ahead of its Paris Motor Show premiere.

Renault Embleme Concept

- Future Halo games will be using Unreal Engine 5, according to reports, as multiple projects are in development. 343 Industries was renamed as Halo Studios.

- T-ara member Jiyeon and Hwang Jae Gyun filed for divorce.

- New York Liberty advanced to the WNBA Finals.

TTFN.

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - YellaWood 500

The fight for the final 8 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs heads to Talladega for the YellaWood 500.

As the green flag waved, the action in Dega began. Stage 1 saw Daniel Suarez spinning on Lap 13. As Chris Buescher won Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Alex Bowman making contact with Ryan Blaney as Austin Cindric won this stage. In the finale, here comes The Big One on Lap 185 as Brad Keselowski sent Austin Cindric spinning, triggering a multi-car disaster that triggered the red flag. After several moments of clearing up debris from the 25-car disaster, overtime kicks in and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is in the lead.

Screengrab from NASCAR

At a rate of .006 seconds, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who is not in the playoffs, wins the YellaWood 500 of the NASCAR Cup Series. Following the recent results in Dega, William Byron earned his right to be in the Final 8.

Who will be eliminated? Find out as the fight for the Final 8 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will continue in Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 this Sunday, October 13, 2024.

My FH5 Log: The last 2-door Audi

The Audi RS5 Coupe is the last two-door high-performance Audi you can buy because Audi is no longer building two-door coupes after this. Here in Forza Horizon 5, it's time to pay a little tribute to the last-ever 2-door high-performance Audi from how it started to how it ended.

From the 8T model to the F5 model, the RS5 Coupe can be harshly called a two-door equivalent of the RS4 Avant judging by the fact that both share the same backbones. Anyway, let's get to know how it started and how it ended.

Let's begin with the first RS5 Coupe. Launched at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, the Audi RS5 is the powerful version of the Audi A5 coupe. It is powered by a 4.2 FSi V8 engine that produces 450PS of power.

Now, let's move on to the last-ever RS5 Coupe, a DLC car in the game. This model is now powered by a 2.9 TFSi V6 BiTurbo engine that produces 450PS of power and 600Nm of torque. The 8-speed Tiptronic transmission allows the RS5 to sprint from 0-100kph in 3.9 seconds with top speed normally limited to 250kph or with a little extra service that will raise the limit to 280kph.

The second-generation RS5 is the last DTM Touring Car to win the championship with Rene Rast behind the wheel. After that, the DTM as we know it is gone. Today's DTM became the equivalent of the GT300 class of the Super GT series with GT3-class machines ruling the pack.

To observe the advancements made by the RS5 from its initial V8-powered model to its final V6-powered iteration, I went to the Horizon Mexico main site to conduct this experiment. Let us proceed with the footage.

Here are the results...

RS5 (8T) - 1m18.195s

RS5 (F5) - 1m16.777s

Despite a two-cylinder gap between them, it took nearly two seconds for evolution. Progress is an Attitude, as Audi says in the commercials.

With the R8 and TT reached their end-of-life status, the RS5 Coupe is the next to be euthanized. Audi has been involved in making race-prepped coupes since the legendary Quattro and with the last two-door Audi heading to the crusher, Audi has nothing to race for as it only focuses on its Formula E involvement and its imminent F1 involvement with Sauber. It's a sad day for speedo boys who have been loyal to the Audi brand since the quattro. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

EPILOGUE

The F5-spec Audi RS5 Coupe completed its mission in this unstable world but I decided to give the last-ever two-door Audi one last hurrah. But first...

Bananice, as one stage girl said. Bananice indeed.

With the "bananice" stage girl's name written all over it, my RS5 Coupe's final salvo takes place in an EventLab re-enactment of a certain racetrack I know. Let's roll the tape.

BANANICE, NANA-CHAN!

Thank you for everything, Audi RS5 Coupe. You may not be as good as the competition but you emerged as the last DTM Touring Car to be crowned as the champion and now that you've served your purpose, all that is left is for me to say...

ABSCHIED, RS5 COUPE. Abschied von der Audi-Zweitürer-Coupé-Familie.

Joker: Folie à Deux

The origin story of one of the deadliest criminals in the Batman universe continues in what was known to be the long-awaited sequel to the 2019 blockbuster movie.

Joker: Folie à Deux

Joaquin Phoenix returns to reprise the role of Joker in the next chapter of Joker's origin story, directed by Todd Phillips, who was responsible for the award-winning 2019 movie.

Set moments after the first film, as Arthur "Joker" Fleck, played by Phoenix, is institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes, he makes a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman, played by singer Lady Gaga, who will break his heart and, ultimately, break him out to freedom.

Gaga's performance as the mysterious woman in the sequel sparked speculations that this is the origin story of Harley Quinn, a femme fatale who is Joker's right-hander but it's extremely complicated to answer.

Despite complicating questions and answers overshadowing the sequel, it's still a credible artisan pick. It might be a worthy contender for next year's Oscars because it still delivers powerful emotions like the previous Joker movie. 

This sequel sure knows how to "face the music" spectacularly and this bigger and bolder sequel is one of the must-watch of the autumn movie season.