Author: quannd

Ferrari has made a ton of excellent-sounding cars over the years. A couple immediately come to mind, namely the company’s 412 Formula 1 car of the 1980s and the F355 road car. But neither hold the title of greatest-sounding Ferrari. That award goes to something far more modern, neither a street car or a real race car: The track-only Ferrari F99XX. The 599XX is a highly modified, track-only version of the 599 street car, optimized for circuit work by Ferrari’s Formula 1 team. There’s more aero, more braking, and a totally reworked suspension. The cabin is, of course, totally stripped…

EMBARGOED TO 1AM SG MON JAN 6 / 9AM PST SUN JAN 5 2025Beijing-based robot vacuum maker Roborock revealed a new model in January 2025 with an artificial intelligence-powered folding arm for removing obstacles.CNBC | Evelyn ChengBEIJING — Chinese robot vacuum cleaner company Roborock revealed a new model on Monday that comes with a folding arm for removing socks and other obstacles — a feature powered by artificial intelligence.It’s the latest step toward what Roborock President Quan Gang expects will be the inevitable: that robot vacuum cleaners become as essential as washing machines.That’s something that could happen in as soon…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailA deal that would see Elon Musk’s SpaceX take over secure communications for the Italian government is reportedly back on track and nearing final approval after Italy’s prime minister met with Donald Trump this weekend.Bloomberg reports that the burgeoning agreement “appeared to move forward” after right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni met with Donald Trump on Saturday at Mar-a-Lago, where the incoming president continues to hold court ahead of his inauguration.It wasn’t immediately clear…

Chris Froome has weighed in on the discussion surrounding safety and rising speeds in the peloton, suggesting that it might reach a point which requires a “discussion about limiting the progression of technology” to accommodate for the increased risks to rider safety.Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview about the probable final year as a professional as well as the dominance of Tadej Pogačar, the Israel-Premier Tech rider laid out one possible suggestion which could alleviate the safety problem – the limitation of gears. As one of the oldest riders in the peloton at 39, Froome has experienced a…

President Biden on Sunday signed legislation expanding Social Security benefits for millions of retired Americans, including firefighters, police officers and teachers.The Social Security Fairness Act eliminates two federal policies that barred employees with a public pension from collecting their full benefits under the federal retirement program and that reduced benefits for those workers’ surviving spouses and family members.”Biden is the first president in more than 20 years to expand Social Security benefits,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement. “The bill he is signing today will expand benefits by hundreds of dollars per month for more than 2.5 million Americans.”The new…

A soccer-loving nun from Brazil is believed to have become the world’s oldest living person at nearly 117 following the recent death of a woman from Japan.Sister Inah Canabarro was so skinny growing up that many didn’t think she would survive childhood, Cleber Canabarro, her 84-year-old nephew, told The Associated Press.LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the globe, released a statement on Saturday declaring the wheelchair-bound nun the world’s oldest person validated by early life records.In a video shot by the organization last February, the smiling Canabarro can be seen cracking jokes, sharing miniature paintings she used to make of…

Michaela Thompson may only be 22 years of age, but she’s lightyears ahead of many aspiring off-road racing talents so far. In 2025, the Colorado native will make her second appearance in the Life Time Grand Prix, the youngest woman among the 22 invitation-only field by four years.From a podium at Leadville Trail 100 MTB and top 10 at Big Sugar Gravel, Thompson finished in 10th-place overall in the Grand Prix for elite women. Her debut was significant as she earned a paycheck, only the top 10 women and top 10 men sharing in the rich $300,000 purse. She also…

Lucinda Brand is yet to finish off the podium of a cyclocross race this season – a run of 24 top-three finishes on the bounce. With two more victories in consecutive days this weekend, the 35-year-old cemented her title as the most consistent rider in the elite women’s field.Brand’s run of consecutive podiums extends even beyond this season having finished in the top three of her final eight races last season, making it 32 podiums in a row. Only Puck Pieterse (35 races) and Marianne Vos (51 races) have had longer podium streaks among active women’s riders in cyclocross.The Baloise…

In 2018, the late great Ken Block introduced one of the most unique and badass Ford F-150 trucks ever built, ahead of Hoonigan’s GymkhanaTEN. Based on the 1977 F-150 as a tribute to his late father’s truck, the custom drift truck was affectionately called “Hoonitruck” – and it’s ready for a new home via Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction, happening by the end of this month. 2024 Ford F-150 Base MSRP $36,875 Engine 2.7L V6, 3.5L V6, 5.0L V8 Gas Horsepower 325-720 hp Torque 400-640 lb-ft “Ken took me for a wild ride in one of his all-wheel-drive vehicles in Scottsdale a…

Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack in the western border region of Kursk, warning that Russia was “getting what it deserves.”Though it was not immediately clear how much Ukraine had advanced in the region, the assault comes at a critical juncture in the nearly three-year conflict with both sides seeking to boost their negotiating hand ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Jan. 20.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he will again call on allies to boost his country’s air defenses at a meeting of the Ramstein group in Germany this week.He said the…