Chevrolet Bolt EV earns top safety ratings from IIHS

Electric Cars and hybrid vehicles are rewriting the way automobiles are built, not just in terms of powerplants, technology and carbon footprints but also in terms of construction and materials. The Chevrolet Bolt EV has has added top safety ratings from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) to its list of accolades.

“The Bolt earns good ratings in all five of the Institute’s crashworthiness tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. It also has an optional front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating. The car avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the system has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria," the IIHS said in a report.

Earlier this year, I was invited by GM Canada to check out all facets of the Chevy Bolt EV, this included talking to engineers about construction and powertrains. The Chevy Bolt EV uses various types of materials to ensure rigidity and strength during collisions, but also maintains lightweight materials.

Source: Elektrek.co

Motorola Moto Z2 Play and JBL SoundBoost2 coming to Canada in July for $800

Motorola's Moto Z2 Play, which is their current Canadian flagship that can take the Moto Mods accessories, will be available in early July for $800  together with the JBL SoundBoost2 in-box (normally priced as $114.99 CAD option), and will be at Freedom Mobile, Bell Mobility, SaskTel Mobility and BellMTS. Moto TurboPower Pack will also be available in early July for $99.99 at Bell Mobility and Staples. Moto GamePad, a Moto Mod that turns the smartphone into a will be available later this summer. 

Some specs on the Moto Z2 Play, it is sized between last year's wafer-thin Moto Z and the larger Moto Z Play. It has a headphone jack, a redesigned and multifunctional fingerprint reader, which doubles as a trackpad. It is powered by SnapDragon 626 octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, has a 5.5-inch HD display, 12-megapixel camera with f/1.7 aperture and dual autofocus pixels. Stay tuned for a full review right here.

GarageBand for macOS gets new features, TouchBar support

Apple released an update to GarageBand for macOS, the most popular music creation and editing applications for consumers. GarageBand 10.2 is a significant update that comes with a modern design, new features and content, and usability improvements, including:

-- Expanded support for the MacBook Pro Touch Bar:

-- Navigation view lets users quickly move around their project by dragging across a visual overview of the arrangement

-- Performance view turns the Touch Bar into a simple one-octave musical keyboard or drum pads for playing and recording software instruments

-- Addition of 3 new Drummers that play percussion in the styles of Pop, Songwriter, and Latin

-- New Drummer loops, a new type of Apple Loop, which can be added to your song and then customized with performance controls

-- The ability to remotely add new tracks to your project using GarageBand on your iPhone or iPad

--  A new modern design that improves legibility in brighter working conditions and has a flatter overall look, consistent with the latest macOS designs.

The GarageBand 10.2 update is available to existing users for free.

Sony Pictures Television heads Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg move to Apple

In case it wasn't clear enought that Apple is serious about creating its own original programming for Apple Music, the company has redoubled its efforts to hire top-tier industry talent.

Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two of television’s most notable and influential executives, are joining Apple in newly created positions overseeing all aspects of video programming.

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