Tag Archives: course

Gaming, News

Meta and UFC Partner to Bring MMA Fights to Virtual Reality in Horizon Worlds

If you’re a fan of UFC fights, you might be wondering why you should watch them in virtual reality (VR) instead of on a regular TV or a mobile device. After all, wouldn’t it be more comfortable without a VR headset strapped to your face? Well, the main advantage here is the ability to virtually watch the fights with friends, even if you’re far away from each other.

Meta, the company behind the popular VR device Quest, promises that users will be able to communicate with each other in real-time within the Xtadium. This feature expands on a previous test conducted in 2022, where similar viewing sessions were held. So, you can chat with your friends as if you were sitting together, enhancing the social aspect of watching sports.

According to Sebastian Amengual, co-founder of YBVR (a company involved in the collaboration), watching a fight in VR provides a completely different experience compared to a flat screen. The proximity to the fighters and the intense energy of the matchup becomes more palpable, making the viewing experience more immersive.

Meta also reveals that VR viewers will have a perspective similar to that of the camera operators during the fight. This ensures that viewers see the action up close and personal, just as it is captured for streaming. If this excites you, there’s more good news. Meta hints that their collaboration with YBVR could lead to other exciting VR sports experiences in Horizon Worlds in the future, although specific details have not been disclosed yet.

Lexus

Favorite Drives From Lexus Racing Drivers

In the course of fulfilling regular errands and routine responsibilities, from daily commutes to child-activity runarounds, it can be easy to forget that the Lexus vehicle you’re driving is also designed for pure on-the-road joy.

We could remind you of this fact by delving into the myriad Lexus features that contribute to driving pleasure, such as paddle shifters, sequential-shift transmissions, quick Lexus Hybrid Drive accelerations, Drive Mode Select, and the like.

But we’re not going to do that.

Instead, we’d like to turn your attention to some fellow Lexus drivers who know a lot about Lexus-vehicle enjoyment—the 2023 Lexus Vasser Sullivan Racing team. These are drivers who understand what it is to drive, really drive, a Lexus, which of course they’ve been doing throughout this year’s thrilling Lexus Motorsports season (including a recent double win at Six Hours of the Glen).

Trademarks shown are those of their respective owners

Trademarks shown are those of their respective owners

However, they also know the importance of finding driving pleasure anywhere, in any capacity one finds fun, which is why we asked them to share their own favorite off-track stretches of road. Consider it inspiration to seek out—or revisit—your own favorite Lexus-driving spots:

Aaron Telitz (five years driving a Lexus RC F GT3 for Vasser Sullivan)

“My all-time favorite stretch of road is a little county road outside of my hometown of Birchwood, Wisconsin. The road is called ‘County Road DD.’ It weaves its way from Lake Chetac to Big Birch Lake and eventually the edge of Birchwood. The road is never straight with multiple blind and off-camber corners. I grew up driving on DD almost every day, even though it was the long way to Birchwood! On a drive up north to visit my parents in 2021, I had a beautiful and took the long way home to take it down DD for old times’ sake.”

Ben Barnicoat (two years driving for Lexus Racing)

“My favorite drive off the racetrack had to be recently going down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to do that in April 2022. I had the opportunity to drive an LC 500 convertible, and the sun was shining so I had the roof down. It was just a beautiful drive. I’m a huge fan of the ocean, so it was nice to drive and see the ocean views. The team spends so much time in the racecars driving as fast as we can, pushing our Lexus RC F GT3 vehicles to the limit, so the Pacific drive was obviously a very different experience. It was super relaxing driving the speed limit, and nice and chill because you want to go slow and appreciate the scenery that surrounds you. Quite different to what we do when we’re racing, but an incredible memory of great views and a great road with a lot of tight and twisting lanes.”

Frankie Montecalvo (five years driving a Lexus RC F GT3 for Vasser Sullivan)

“My favorite stretch of road to drive off the track would have to be at a national recreation area at Sandy Hook, which is located near my home in New Jersey. It’s just a beautiful stretch. It feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere, yet you’ve got the beach on one side and the river on the other. It’s just a great drive right along the coast, and it’s an especially nice drive at sunset.”

Jack Hawksworth (seven years driving for Lexus Racing)

“My favorite road is a winding road behind the town of Bingley, near my hometown of Bradford, England, where I grew up. The road runs past a pub called Dick Hudsons, so we always used to refer to that stretch as ‘Dick Hudsons’.’ Back in the day, my mates and I used to drive our little hatchbacks over that road every evening. I had a little yellow one at the time that used to break down every other week. It had a huge stereo and a Sparco gear lever in it! Good times!”

By the way, if you’re not already, make sure to follow the team throughout the 2023 Lexus Racing season at @LexusRacingUSA on Instagram or Facebook and follow the team all year at Lexus.com/motorsports.

Motorsport

Koenigsegg Jesko In-Car Video From Goodwood Looks Amazing And Terrifying

Watching the Goodwood Festival of Speed from a third-person perspective is one thing. The course may be narrow in certain spots, but there’s still enough room to maneuver, right? However, switching to a first-person view changes the perspective entirely. And when you add speed to the mix, you gain a newfound appreciation for the bravery required to achieve a quick time over the tight 1.1-mile ascent.

Fortunately, Koenigsegg decided to install a camera inside the blue Jesko that tackled the hill at the recent Goodwood event. Factory development driver Markus Lundh was behind the wheel while YouTuber Mr. JWW (James William Walker) occupied the passenger seat. Throughout the first half of the run, Mr. JWW can be seen laughing and clearly enjoying the Jesko’s power. As they zoom down the open straight past the spectator area, the digital speedometer shows a glimpse of 213 kph, which translates to just over 130 mph. This is an incredibly impressive speed for such a short stretch of road.


Motorsport

Ride Shotgun In The Mercedes-AMG One During Wet Goodwood Hill Climb

At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, a stealthy AMG One took to the course on a wet surface. Behind the wheel was Bernd Schneider, a five-time DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador. Riding shotgun was a Youtuber known as Rana, who is an avid collector of high-end cars and is set to receive the F1-engined hypercar when it is released.

The AMG One was joined by a Lamborghini Revuelto and a 2024 AMG GT Coupe that had a minor incident. Despite its small 1.6-liter V6 engine, the matte black electrified supercar sounded incredible, especially in race mode. This engine, adapted from Formula 1, has an 11,000 rpm redline and remains loud even at idle speed.


Gaming, Technology

Using Bluetooth Earbuds with the PS5: A Guide

When it comes to smart TVs, compatibility and connectivity are key. Fortunately, linking your Bluetooth headset or earbuds to your smart TV is a fairly simple process. Just like the PS4, the PS5 offers a similar method. Here’s how:

Make sure your audio device is in pairing mode, which means it’s visible to other Bluetooth-enabled systems. Then, access the Bluetooth menu in your TV’s settings. Your TV should be able to detect the device you want to connect and pair them together.

Once paired, go to your TV’s audio settings and ensure that the sound output is set to your earbuds or headset instead of the TV’s speakers or any other audio device you may use. This way, the audio will directly play through your chosen device. The great thing is that you can still join party chat with your friends using the microphone on the DualSense controller.

While this method is a convenient option for using Bluetooth audio with the PS5, there is another alternative for those who don’t have a compatible smart TV.

Gaming

Understanding How Nintendo Switch’s Controllers Track Movement

The Joy-Cons, the controllers for the Nintendo Switch, come with a range of features that enable them to track movement. One of these features is motion controls, which should ring a bell if you remember the success of the motion-sensing Wii Remote from the Nintendo Wii era. The Joy-Cons possess similar technology but in a more advanced form.

The motion control setup of the Joy-Cons consists of two primary components: the gyro sensor and the accelerometer. The gyro sensor measures the orientation of the controller, such as whether it is being held vertically, horizontally, or upside-down. On the other hand, the accelerometer detects physical movement. It captures the speed and intensity of your movements as you wiggle, swing, or sway the controller. By combining the data from the gyro sensor and the accelerometer, a Joy-Con can determine when it is being swung, the direction of the swing, and the force applied. Each Joy-Con has its own set of these systems, allowing them to detect motion independently of each other.

In addition to motion input, it’s worth mentioning the Joy-Cons’ HD rumble feature. This technology enables the controllers to provide subtle and customized haptic feedback based on the events happening in a game. Alongside the movement-detection systems, this means that if you were to swing a Joy-Con like a sword, the HD rumble would make it feel as though it were actually colliding with a hard surface.