2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition will be sold in the US
2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition will be sold in the US
Once upon a time, the Honda Civic Type R was the fastest front-wheel-drive car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife, laying down a 7-minute, 43.8-second lap of Germany's infamous track in 2017. But then Renault came along and broke the Civic's record by four whole seconds with the Megane RS Trophy-R. Whether or not the goal is to try and regain 'Ring bragging rights, Honda knew it had to eke more performance out of the Type R.
Making its debut in Milan, Italy on Wednesday, the unimaginatively named Civic Type R Limited Edition ups the hatchback's ante. Honda will sell this car around the world, with 600 examples earmarked for the US, 200 for Japan, 100 for Europe and 100 for Canada (1,000 total). All of them will be painted Phoenix Yellow and will have a serialized plaque on the center console.
Based on the updated 2020 Civic Type R, the Limited Edition doesn't get increased engine output; its 2.0-liter turbo-four produces the same 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque as the standard model. Instead, Honda is offering this car with specially tuned dampers, recalibrated steering and -- most importantly -- higher-performance tires. The car you see here rolls on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, which are some of the finest track-ready rubbers available today.
The European-spec Limited Edition won't have a radio or air conditioning, but all of the US-spec cars will.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow
The 2021 Limited Edition further improves performance by reducing weight. Thanks to things like lightweight, 20-inch BBS wheels, fewer sound-deadening materials and the removal of the hatch wiper, tonneau cover and rear heater ducts, the US-spec Limited Edition is roughly 46 pounds lighter than a stock Type R.
We have to make the "US-spec" distinction because the European version will actually be even lighter. These cars will have their audio systems and air conditioning stripped out, which will result in an additional 30-pound weight loss. Honda won't be offering this super-bare-bones example in the US; a spokesperson tells us there simply isn't any customer demand. For what it's worth, Honda offered an audio/HVAC-delete option for the S2000 CR in the late 2000s, and only a small percentage of buyers went this route.
Honda is planning to take the Civic Type R Limited Edition to the Nürburgring, but not necessarily with the intent of trying to set a new record.
The 2021 Civic Type R Limited Edition will go on sale in the US this summer, and Honda will release official pricing information closer to that time. The 2020 Type R costs $37,950, including $955 for destination, and we fully expect this limited-run variant to command quite a bit more coin than that.
We Really Need to Stop Using These 8 Health Buzzwords
We Really Need to Stop Using These 8 Health Buzzwords
Superfood. Detox. All-natural. These are some of the health buzzwords you come across on social media or while chatting with friends. They might seem like a harmless quirk of our vernacular, but the truth is they can be misleading and even harmful.
Many of these terms are marketing tactics with no science to back up their claims. Research has proven how easily people believe they're eating healthier because they follow buzzwords on food packaging ("fat-free" and "all-natural," for example). The terminology makes you think you're eating something that's better or safer for you without any actual evidence.
Those ultra-common health buzzwords are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many others that are frequently used or misused. Keep reading to learn which ones you should drop for good.
Read more:10 Popular Fitness Myths Debunked
Clean eating
The term "clean eating" is often used in reference to a diet that has minimally processed foods and instead focuses on foods closest to their natural state. It sounds harmless, because aren't we constantly being told to eat more fruits and vegetables?
The problem with this term is that it places foods in "good" and "bad" categories (after all, the opposite of clean is dirty) and indicates that there is a right and wrong way to eat. It also disregards those who don't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables because of where they live and their income level.
Not to mention the vague term is completely made up since there isn't an actual scientific definition for clean eating. It can also lead to an obsession with healthy eating and put vulnerable populations (such as young adults) at risk for disordered eating. So let's reserve the term clean eating to refer to foods that have been thoroughly washed and cleaned before consumption.
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Superfoods
Growing up in a Latinx household, I was exposed to traditional foods that I didn't think much of until I was older. I later learned that some foods I was eating, such as quinoa and chia seeds, were suddenly being labeled "superfoods." Superfood is another term that has no real scientific basis, but is used to describe foods that are thought to have powerful healing properties, like preventing disease or aging.
You may have seen this term splashed across magazine covers, health segments on TV or in your social media timelines. While these foods may provide some health benefits linked to their nutritional content, there isn't enough research to back the claim that a single food can perform miracles like curing someone's illness.
Calling something the next "superfood" has become a popular marketing gimmick in a wellness industry that knows how to target people to make a quick buck. A better option is to make sure your diet includes a wide array of nutritional foods instead of focusing on the latest fad ingredient.
Detox and cleanse
People usually turn to detoxes and cleanses for a quick weight loss fix under the guise of flushing so-called "toxins" out of the body. These can come in the form of detox teas, meal replacement shakes, green juice fasting and other methods that require you to eliminate large food groups and consume very few calories. They may not use the word "diet," but that's exactly what they are, and not a healthy or effective one either.
There is no scientific evidence to prove that cleanses and detoxes work. Instead they're an unsustainable (and even dangerous) method to lose weight or "reset" your body. Isabel Vasquez, a licensed dietitian and nutritionist at Nutritiously Yours and Your Latina Nutritionist, says that most of these cleanses may make you feel good initially, but the feeling is short-lived. "These are not sustainable and when we consume excess amounts of certain vitamins, we just excrete them in our urine," she explains.
Instead of going on an extreme cleanse or diet, Vasquez suggests hydrating adequately and adding fruits and vegetables into your diet for digestion and your overall health.
Your body also doesn't need a detox, because your kidneys, liver and other organs help with cleansing on a regular basis. But if you think your organs aren't doing their cleansing duties correctly, it's best to see a doctor who can run tests and give you a proper diagnosis.
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Processed foods
Processed foods are products that have been changed (e.g. washed, cut, milled, frozen) or infused with additives to preserve freshness and improve taste. These foods can include a range of items you'd find in your local supermarket, such as cereal, canned beans, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil and your favorite cookies.
The issue with the term "processed foods" is that it's generally used as an umbrella term implying everything you eat that's processed is bad for you. Most people, when they think of processed foods, think about fast foods that are higher in calories, fat, sugar and additives.
While it's true that these foods are processed and should be consumed mindfully, some foods need to be processed to preserve their freshness, boost their nutritional value and make them easily accessible. Some processed foods, like frozen fruit or oatmeal, are perfectly safe and healthy to eat in abundance. Being processed isn't inherently bad or good. Therefore you can ease your fears about processed foods and instead enjoy them all in a well-balanced diet.
Cheat day or cheat meal
The terms "cheat day" or "cheat meal" basically mean you're planning on breaking your diet by eating a highly caloric meal or meals that you normally wouldn't have. They sound like harmless terms, but they can ultimately affect your relationship with food. Gabriela Barreto, a registered sports dietitian, says, "This can set people up for a binge-restricted cycle where they restrict certain foods to only be eaten at a certain time and in a large amount."
Even more concerning is if an individual already has a history of food addiction since it can exacerbate those issues for them. Barreto adds, "This kind of restriction we know doesn't work and by setting unhealthy relationships with foods we are more likely to weight cycle when we can no longer uphold those restrictions."
Instead she recommends eating a balanced diet that includes foods that you enjoy as well as foods that promote health without restriction, learning to listen to your body's needs intuitively, and working on your relationship with food.
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
'Good' and 'bad' foods
Putting foods into categories such as "good" or "bad" further contributes to diet culture and causes people to tie the way they eat to their self worth. These terms are also interchangeably used to describe an individual's eating behavior as being bad or good based on what they ate. "Assigning moral value to food only creates more guilt and shame around certain food choices," says Miriam Fried, a NYC-based personal trainer and founder of MF Strong. She elaborates, "Guilt leads to restriction and restriction often leads to unhealthy behaviors around eating and a negative relationship with food."
Although foods are made up of different caloric content, nutritional and flavor profiles, the body uses it all for energy. Some foods do have more nutritional value than others, but it doesn't mean you have to restrict yourself to just those foods. "Can we acknowledge that a piece of broccoli might have more nutrients than a cookie without making the cookie "bad"? Food isn't good or bad, it simply is," Fried points out. The more you understand that all of these foods can fit into your diet, the easier it will be to stop labeling them as good or bad.
All-natural
When the term "all-natural" is used, it suggests that the food you're eating has been minimally processed and is therefore safer. The truth is this word doesn't determine if a food is safer for us to eat (as we saw above, processing can be a good thing). In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration doesn't even regulate this term.
To date, the organization hasn't established a formal definition for all-natural or natural, though the basic understanding is that it means that nothing artificial or synthetic has been added to a food that normally would not be expected to be in that food, such as dye. The other issue with this term is that it doesn't account for the complex food production and manufacturing process. Importantly, "natural" doesn't equal "organic," which is a term regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. Foods with the USDA organic label must meet strict requirements surrounding the use of antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers and pesticides during the production process; natural foods do not.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, natural products aren't automatically better or safer for you. In some cases, such as in medicine, it might cause greater risk or side effects to take a natural, unregulated product than a federally regulated medication. Therefore, take this buzzword with a grain of salt or get rid of it altogether.
Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
Chemical-free
"Chemical-free" is a buzzword that's commonly tied to the saying, "If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it." When the average person uses it regarding food (or other items), they're saying that all chemicals are synonymous with being toxic and unsafe. This is easily debunked because a basic science lesson will teach you that everything that exists around you, including the foods you eat are made up of chemicals.
That doesn't negate the fact that there are toxic chemicals that should be avoided, or that you might want to steer clear from out of caution, a food sensitivity or just personal preference. If you are concerned about ingesting pesticides, for example, you can stick to certified organic produce., But it's impossible to completely avoid chemicals in any food. Blueberries, for example, are made up of chemicals known as anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, pterostilbene and flavonids.
Without context, these chemicals look like something the average person should fear. The truth is marketing plays a big role in fear-mongering when it comes to our food and it's helpful to have reputable resources at our fingertips to debunk these myths.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Apple's MacBook Pro Models With M1 Pro Hit New All-Time Low Prices With $400 Off
Apple's MacBook Pro Models With M1 Pro Hit New All-Time Low Prices With $400 Off
The M1 Pro-powered MacBook Pro models are among the best MacBooks Apple offers but the blend of power and portability they provide doesn't come cheap. Though Apple tends not to offer any MacBook deals directly, there are plenty of places to buy its laptops that do. And right now, Amazon and Best Buy are offering some of the best prices to date on both the 14-inch and 16-inch variants, with discounts as steep as $400.
If you're in the market for a big-screen laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the largest Apple makes. It features a gorgeous 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion and 1,600 nits of peak brightness. The machines seeing the steep $400 discount at both retailers are powered by Apple's M1 Pro chip with a 10‑core CPU, 16‑core GPU and 16GB of RAM. Both 512GB and 1TB models have prices slashed right now. If you particularly need the extra power afforded by Apple's M1 Max chip, higher-spec configurations are available with the same $400 markdown but only via Best Buy.
On the smaller side, the more portable 14-inch MacBook Pro is available for as little as $1,599 at both retailers, which is also $400 off the regular price for the 512GB model. Go for the 1TB version and you'll save $400 as well. Both machines are running Apple's M1 Pro chip with 16GB of RAM.
There's no telling how long these deals will last, so it's best to place your order as soon as possible if you want to get in on the current savings.
Love Hulu? Try These Tips To Make Your Streaming Experience Even Better
Love Hulu? Try These Tips To Make Your Streaming Experience Even Better
Hulu is home to a remarkable selection of originals, films, weekly episode drops from major TV networks and even a live TV option. With over 45 million subscribers, the service has held its spot as one of the major streaming giants alongside Netflix, HBO Max and Disney Plus.
Now, we know Netflix has a stack of obscure settings, but did you know Hulu comes with a few perks, too? Stream live news channels on any plan. Host a remote watch party with their built-in platform. Or take your subscription to the next level: In addition to Hulu's basic $7 tier, you can pay more to remove ads or step up to Hulu Plus Live TV, which comes with an unlimited DVR and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Read more:The Best Movies to Watch on Hulu Now
But what about Hulu's features? Though the platform isn't as intuitive to use as I'd like, I found plenty of ways to enhance the viewing experience. I'm sorry to say that Hulu lacks secret codes that unlock genre menus and other categories of content like Netflix, but with these tricks, you can still add a little razzle dazzle to your streaming flow.
One thing before we dive in: I learned the hard way that Hulu's functions don't work the same across all devices. That inconsistency may be frustrating, but you can check which supported devices work best with these tips by visiting Hulu's help center.
Use widgets for your mobile phone
Are you accustomed to watching the Hulu app on your phone? Android and iPhone users can switch to a customized Hulu widget that offers a one-click ride to content you were already watching or suggestions for new titles.
iOS users can tap and hold an empty space on their screens and when the add sign pops up, type in Hulu. You'll be prompted to choose one of two widgets: "Jump Back In" or "Discover."
If you have an Android phone, tap an empty spot on your screen and then click the widgets icon. Search for Hulu in the search bar and then click which widget you want to use. You'll have the option to pick from "Keep Watching" or new content.
Add and remove channels in your lineup
This tip applies to live TV and Hulu basic subscribers. You know how you select your favorite networks when you first set up your Hulu profile? Well, that doesn't have to be set in stone. If you want to add a channel to your viewing lineup, you'll need to store your preferred networks in the "My Stuff" tab in Hulu.
From the main screen, find the TV tab and scroll down to find the "All TV Networks" row. Click on the channel that has a constant stream of content you want to watch. For example, if you like ABC's shows, select its icon and in the upper corner, click "Add to My Stuff." You'll now see ABC content in your Hulu main page rotation. Repeat the process for other networks. When you navigate to the My Stuff tab, and hit Networks, you'll see a list of all the channels you've added. Fast-track yourself to your favorite shows or movies by clicking on the channel's icon.
Add specific channels to your main Hulu lineup.
Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET
Live TV subscribers follow a different set of steps. Open up the Hulu app and click on Hubs. Scroll down to the A-Z section to select the network channels you want, and then tap Add to My Stuff, or choose them from one of the other rows for entertainment, sports, etc. To verify that they're part of your channel lineup, hit the Live tab and click on My Channels.
To remove any of these networks from your main Hulu page, simply find the network icon in My Stuff and click remove.
Customize your subtitles
Like Netflix, Hulu gives you the ability to tailor subtitles on the screen. You can alter the font, background and window appearance for your programming. Open the app on your TV and navigate to your profile icon. Click Settings and open the Subtitles and Captions menu. You can change the font color, opacity and shadowing, and make the same adjustments to your background and window.
This formatting process will only work on supported devices that run the latest version of Hulu. Certain models for Roku, Android TV, Samsung TVs and Apple TV (pre-fourth generation) may not have this function.
However, if you're watching from a web browser, you can toggle the subtitle font settings. While a video is streaming, click the gear icon. Choose Subtitles. In the subtitles menu, tap Settings, and a box will open that allows you to choose font type, color, size and opacity. Click Done after you've made your selections.
Save your eyes with Night Mode
For those who watch Hulu late at night on a laptop, there's a feature that will make your ophthalmologist happy: Night Mode. It changes your screen from a light, white background to a dark one to reduce blue light strain on the eyes.
To enable it, hover the cursor over your profile until you see the dropdown menu. Toggle Night Mode to the on or off position. Though this option is only available on computers, you can use the cast feature to stream Hulu from your laptop to Chromecast or your smart TV.
Lower blue light exposure with Hulu's night mode.
Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET
Pause your subscription
Heading out on a trip? Need a break from one of your monthly bills? You can temporarily put Hulu on ice for up to 12 weeks. Go to your account page and find your subscription column. Click Pause on the Pause Your Subscription bar and choose how long you want to stop Hulu.
You won't be billed during this time but note that the freeze kicks in on the first day of your next billing cycle. Additionally, know that if you've bundled Disney Plus and/or ESPN Plus with your Hulu subscription, access to those apps will be on pause, too.
Unless you restart your subscription manually, your account will automatically be reactivated on the date your pause expires. That will become your new billing date.
Disable autoplay
If you use Netflix regularly, then you're probably accustomed to its autoplay feature that rolls into the next episode or preview. Hulu does the same thing, and you're able to turn it on or off.
For TV and mobile devices, click on your profile icon and then select Settings. Toggle Autoplay to off for videos or previews. If you're streaming Hulu on a web browser, click the gear icon during playback to open up Settings. Toggle Autoplay to off.
Clean up your watch history
Did you finish binge-watching your way through every season of a few shows? What about that horror movie spree from last Halloween? If you want to rewatch a piece of content from the beginning or have the urge to declutter your watch history, there's a way to remove what you've already seen.
On your TV, go to a series or movie's details page. Click the gear icon that says Manage Series. You'll be asked to confirm whether you want to remove the title from your watch history. Choosing Remove will not only delete it from your history and Keep Watching list, but it will also erase your viewing progress for an entire series or movie. This is handy if you want to watch something all over again.
Mobile and web users should start on the home page and find the Keep Watching section on Hulu. Locate the title's thumbnail to open up menu options. Click X or Remove from Watch History and verify your selection.
Lost remote? Let your phone guide you
If a gremlin hid your TV's remote control, fear not, you can still watch Hulu on your big screen by using your phone. How? If you have Chromecast or Airplay on your TV, install the Hulu app on your phone (or other mobile device) cast it.
Be sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi, and then open the app on your phone. Choose the content you want to watch and tap either the Airplay or Cast icon. Select Chromecast or your smart TV from the menu and enjoy streaming. You can control playback functions with your phone.
For more, check out CNET's review of Hulu and Hulu Plus Live TV. You can also take a look at our list of the best streaming services for 2022. Plus, here's how Netflix and Hulu compare.
Sony's mini air conditioner can fit in your pocket
Sony's mini air conditioner can fit in your pocket
If it's always been your dream to have air conditioning with you wherever you go, Sony might have the solution. The Reon Pocket, from the company's startup acceleration program, is a small device that fits in a shirt pocket and can keep you cool or warm at the touch of a smartphone app.
The device slides into the back of a specially designed shirt, sitting at the neck. Temperature is adjusted through the app, which connects to the Reon Pocket via Bluetooth. Sony is crowdfunding the gadget.
A basic package with the Reon Pocket and one shirt costs around $130. The shirts come in a men's small, medium or large. The device's battery lasts for 90 minutes after two hours of charging, according to the South China Morning Post, and Sony plans to launch the Reon Pocket only in Japan for the time being. The target demographic is business people who have to wear suits in the sweltering heat.
If all goes well, the device could become available next year, said Yoichi Ito, a project lead on Reon Pocket, in a blog post.
Originally published July 25. Update, July 26: Adds more information.
NASA's Next Artemis I Lunar Launch Attempt: How to Watch Live
NASA's Next Artemis I Lunar Launch Attempt: How to Watch Live
On Saturday, NASA's ambitious, expensive and intricate Artemis program is poised to commence. Fifty years after the agency wrapped up the Apollo missions, Artemis I could be heading to lunar orbit, at last.
It's been a bit of a bumpy road so far.
Initially, Artemis I's launch was planned for Monday, but due to an engine issue, NASA had to scrub the attempt. Then, after some deliberation, the team decided to schedule the next attempt for Saturday. Only time will tell how this weekend goes, but no matter what happens, you'll want to follow along live to see how the story unfolds. CNET will have all the details (and will host a livestream!) right here.
To be clear, this liftoff won't have astronauts onboard -- but there's a lot riding on its success, including the prospect of landing people on the moon sometime in the near future. (That's planned for 2025). Come launch day, Artemis I's 32-story, tangerine-colored rocket will blast off from Earth and propel a pointy, relatively small, white spacecraft named Orion into lunar orbit.
Orion is filled to the brim with things like Amazon Alexa, TV character Shaun the Sheep, mannequins, miniature satellites and most importantly, tons of navigation and data collection equipment. These special instruments within Orion will track vital information about the spacecraft's trajectory, safety, radiation absorption (and much more) that'll essentially map out the routes of future missions -- missions with a human crew like Artemis II and 2025's Artemis III. Think of Artemis I as a crucial flight test and proof-of-principle mission.
A flawless launch could mark the beginning of NASA's modern moon exploration years. It's going to be a tense day with a nail-biting countdown, especially considering the first failed launch attempt, but one also shrouded in an air of wonder and excitement. In other words, it's going to be huge.
The "We Are Going" banner, seen near the Artemis I rocket on the launchpad, is signed by NASA workers involved in the moon mission.
NASA/Joel Kowsky
How to watch the Artemis I launch
On Saturday, NASA plans to host a live broadcast of the Artemis I event and you'll be able to watch on the NASA app, NASA website or NASA TV directly.
The launch window itself opens at 11:17 a.m. PT / 2:17 p.m. ET, and it'll stay open for two hours. Somewhere within that range, the mega moon rocket, which NASA calls the "most powerful rocket in the world," will head toward the stars.
Here's that window start time around the world. Get your snacks ready.
USA: 11:17 a.m. PT / 2:17 p.m. ET
Brazil: 3:17 p.m. (Federal District)
UK: 7:17 p.m.
South Africa: 8:17 p.m.
Russia: 9:17 p.m. (Moscow)
UAE: 10:17 p.m.
India: 11:47 p.m.
China: Sunday, 2:17 a.m.
Japan: Sunday, 3:17 a.m.
Australia: Sunday, 4:17 a.m. (AEST)
You'll also find all the action live on CNET Highlights, our YouTube channel, by simply clicking play just below. It's that easy.
The road to launching Artemis I
Already, NASA has started to heighten anticipation for Artemis I's journey to space -- evident by the incredible turnout for Monday morning's attempt. Briefings were held daily until Monday's liftoff attempt, for instance, about things like the role of industry in advancing human exploration, lunar mission management, the way Artemis is poised to lead to Mars excursions and just general road-to-the-stars commentary.
A full schedule of those meetings, streamed on NASA TV, can be found here.
A full Moon is in view from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 14, 2022.
NASA/Cory Huston
You might also want to prepare yourself for celebrity appearances by Jack Black, Chris Evans and Keke Palmer as well as performances of The Star-Spangled Banner by Josh Groban and Herbie Hancock and America the Beautiful by The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. What. A. Party.
Artemis I's launch sequence
If you're into the technical details, here's the game plan for Artemis I.
In a way, liftoff is the easiest part. And I'm not exaggerating.
Team SLS is up first.
After countdown, the SLS will ascend through Earth's atmosphere. In two minutes, all its solid propellant, located in the rocket's boosters, will be consumed and those boosters will be jettisoned. After 8 minutes, all its liquid fuel, located in the core stage, will be used and that stage will be jettisoned. Then, for about the next 18 minutes, Orion and the rocket's upper stage will take a lap around our planet all alone. Once that's complete, Orion will take about 12 minutes to deploy its solar arrays and get off battery power.
At that point, as Sarafin puts it, the rocket has done its job. Orion is en route.
A diagram showing what Artemis I's ascent will look like.
Screenshot by Monisha Ravisetti/NASA
Team Orion steps up to the plate.
"There's really no time to catch our breath," Rick LaBrode, lead Artemis I flight director, said during an Aug. 5 press conference. Orion's trajectory pretty much relies of a multitude of precise maneuvering that'll take it along the complex path outlined below.
Orion's trajectory around the moon and back is outlined here. Along the way, 10 cubesats will be deployed.
Screenshot by Monisha Ravisetti/NASA
Eventually, the craft will approach the lunar surface, getting as close as just 60 miles above ground, and conduct a bunch of science experiments to test things like lunar gravity, radiation danger, and maybe even snap a few pics like a re-creation of 1968's Earthrise. The satellites inside Orion will deploy along the way, capture some physics data, and once all is said and done, the brave little spacecraft will return to our planet and splashdown off the coast of San Diego.
Pick up Orion, extract the data and Artemis I is complete. The whole thing is expected to take six weeks.
If NASA manages to avoid any blips along the way, it won't be long before we find ourselves scouring the internet for info on how to watch the launch of Artemis II. And far into the future, perhaps we'll reflect on Monday as we sit back and watch a rocket barrel toward not just the moon, but Mars.
OK, I'm getting ahead of myself.
For now, you can admire the Artemis I SLS rocket topped with Orion chilling on the launchpad. Here's a constant livestream of it during its final moments on Earth.
DJI's Ronin returns as the RS 2, RSC 2 to stabilize cameras big and small
DJI's Ronin returns as the RS 2, RSC 2 to stabilize cameras big and small
As it does with its camera drones, DJI updated its Ronin-S and Ronin-SC three-axis camera gimbals based on feedback from professionals. The new models, the $849 RS 2 and $499 RSC 2, are lighter and more flexible in design while bulking up on features and without sacrificing battery life. In Australia and the UK, the prices for the RS 2 are AU$1,299 and £699, respectively, while for the RSC 2 they're AU$699 and £389.
The RS 2, made to hold a payload of 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds), weighs only 1.3kg (2.9 pounds) due in part to a switch to a structure of carbon fiber. However, it still has a battery large enough to get it through 12 hours of use, and it can now be quick-charged in 15 minutes for an additional 2 hours of use.
The stabilizer's algorithm has been optimized to actually learn how you use it and adjust the gimbal's tilt and angle accordingly. A SuperSmooth mode was also added that increases stability to accommodate longer lenses of up to 100mm.
The RSC 2 has a Briefcase mode so it can be slung forward for lower shots.
DJI
Other additions include axis locks that make it easier to balance and transport, an Arca-Swiss and Manfrotto-compatible mounting plate, a built-in 1.4-inch touchscreen for settings and camera framing, and a dial for focus adjustments.
The RSC 2 is designed for smaller mirrorless cameras but with stronger motors can handle a dynamic payload of 3kg (6.6 lbs.). This means, like the RS 2, it can support more weight but performance might take a hit. Still, that's a lot of weight for a stabilizer that weighs only 1.2kg (2.7 lbs.). The RSC 2 also has up to 12 hours of battery life and a quick-charge option as well as axis locks and dual-layer camera mounting plate found on the RS 2. Instead of touchscreen, though, the RSC 2 has a 1-inch built-in OLED display.
Both models were designed to do more with help from a growing list of accessories. Those include things like a cheese plate, a focus wheel, a dual-handle grip and DJI's RavenEye Image Transmission System for remote operation from up to 200 meters away.
Both gimbals are available today from DJI and at retail. They can be purchased alone or as part of a Pro Combo with a phone holder, focus motor, RavenEye, a carrying case and more for $999 for the RS 2 and $739 for the RSC 2.
