News
- Dacia says the thoroughly revised Spring will go on sale next year
- It will be based on the same platform as Renault’s Twingo
- More power, greater range and improved in-car tech all promised
Earlier this year, Chinese EV manufacturer Leapmotor upset the applecart when it dropped the price of its T03 electric city car down to just £12,995, making it officially the cheapest electric car in the UK.
Dacia, the long-time holder of that title, quickly responded and slashed the price of the current-generation Spring to just £11,990 in its cheapest version.
Now, the company says an all-new model is on the horizon, which promises 155 miles of range on the WLTP cycle (up from 140 miles) thanks to a larger 27.5kWh LFP battery, an extra 10 horsepower from the single electric motor and faster charging via 50kW DC outlets.
Perhaps more importantly, the upcoming Spring rides on an all-new platform, shared with the Renault Twingo and forthcoming Nissan Wave EV, which means the body is longer and considerably wider than the outgoing model.
This offers up more interior space for passengers — something the current Spring isn’t particularly good at — as well as an additional 29 liters of space in the trunk, increasing the maximum cargo space by 279 liters to 1,283 liters overall.
Alas, Renault’s RG-EV Small platform and the larger battery mean the new Spring will be considerably heavier, although Dacia says improved efficiencies in both the battery and motor ensure it offers more usable range than the vehicle it will replace.
DaciaDaciaDaciaDaciaDaciaAlongside a generally elevated cabin, complete with more premium fabrics and trims, technology has taken a sizeable leap forward, too.
Every new Spring will get a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, while more expensive Journey models gain Dacia’s Media Nav Live system, built around a much larger 10.1-inch touchscreen.
It brings wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected navigation with real-time traffic and continuously updated European maps, plus connected services that let owners schedule charging and pre-condition the cabin remotely.
There’s also a vehicle-locating function and an app store, although it hasn't been confirmed whether the system will run on the Android Automotive platform like some of its Renault siblings.
Dacia has also added some useful EV-specific tech. The optional Charge Pack brings an 11kW AC charger and 50kW DC rapid charging, while Vehicle-to-Load capability allows the Spring to supply power to external electrical devices.
Analysis: More adventurous, but more expensive(Image credit: Dacia)Dacia has been working hard over the years to position itself as the adventurous brand within the Renault Group, all while pushing its value-for-money messaging.
As a result, the new Spring looks decidedly more capable, with a more commanding road presence and protective cladding making it generally seem more robust than the current generation.
The Renault Twingo EV, which shares most of its structural components with the upcoming Dacia model, is yet to receive its official Euro NCAP safety rating, but we would bet good money it will be a good deal safer than the one-star rating the 2021 Dacia Spring received.
However, there is a big question mark hanging over the price. Dacia has revealed that the new Spring will cost less than £18,000 when it arrives in showrooms next year, although the UK government’s Electric Car Grant scheme could bring that down to around £14,000.
But even with subsidies, it looks like the upcoming Spring will no longer be the UK’s cheapest electric vehicle, leaving Leapmotor to take back the crown.
- Half of UK CIOs say they're being held accountable for AI agent mistakes
- Bigger organizations, governments and public sector blame their CIOs more
- Tech leaders are also being asked to consider digital sovereignty while navigating vendor lock-in
New research has found half of UK CIOs say they're personally accountable when an AI agent makes a mistake - even though they may be little more than a figurehead for an entire department.
Interestingly, the bigger the company, the more personal accountability a CIO may have, despite likely having more workers and managers within the team, the report from 8x8 found.
Among companies with 50-99 workers, 45% of CIOs noted personal accountability for AI agent errors, but this grew to 62% among companies with 500+ employees.
CIOs say they're being held accountable for AI agent errorsGovernment and public administration organizations were found to put the biggest pressure on CIOs, with the figure sitting at 86%.
But more broadly than just facing the blame, CIOs are also struggling with data sovereignty. Two in five (39%) say the location of AI infrastructure has now become the primary factor behind which platforms they use, with questions about where data is stored and processed appearing both at the beginning of the procurement process but also at broad level.
"Sovereignty is the opening question in almost every conversation we're having with customers here," EMEA MD Jamie Snaddon wrote.
Nearly all (91%) UK technology leaders agree digital sovereignty has become a higher priority this year, with vendor lock-in, cost and complexity also influencing decisions.
With all of this added pressure, plus personal accountability, stacking up against the role of the CIO, the job is becoming riskier and less desirable overall. 8x8's research suggests that, with this current approach at least, CIOs may be more cautious adopting AI and could even be less willing to take on the job in the first place.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Switch 2 on November 5
- The first print run is getting 'special textured foil packaging'
- Preorders have opened at the Nintendo Store and other retailers
Nintendo just gave us a closer look at the upcoming Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in a special presentation to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the series, and at the same time, confirmed the release date.
The big news for collectors, though, is that the first run of the physical edition will feature special textured foil packaging, so here's where you can secure your sparkly copy with a preorder ahead of release on November 5.
Looking for console and controller preorders?We've got a dedicated page for all the latest on stock updates for the Nintendo Switch 2 The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition right here, including the latest availability on Amazon US.
The official store has already opened them up in the US and Australia, and it looks like the UK will start soon too. Several other retailers also have preorders available in those regions. I'm keeping an eye on other stores now and will add them as soon as I spot any more availability.
And while it's extremely unlikely that this will sell out ahead of launch, given that the special cover is limited to this initial print run, it's best to be safe if you want to add a copy to your collection.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time preorders — US quick links- Nintendo Store: preorder for $69.99
- Amazon: preorder for $69.99
- Walmart: preorder for $59.98
- Best Buy: preorder for $69.99
- GameStop: preorder for $69.99
- Target: preorder for $69.99
- Nintendo Store: preorder for £58.99
- Game: preorder for £54.99
- ShopTo: preorder for £54.85
- Smyths Toys: preorder for £54.99
- Very: preorder for £59.99
- Amazon UK: check stock
- Currys: check stock
- Argos: check stock
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: preorder now for $109.95
- Nintendo Switch 2 — The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition: preorder at the Nintendo Store
- Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller — The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition: preorder at the Nintendo Store
As for the limited-edition Nintendo Switch 2 console and Pro Controller that were announced during the livestream, preorders for both of those have now started in some regions as well, ahead of the launch on October 29. Stick with our coverage through the link above for live updates on availability.
- RPCS3 has been updated to play PS3 discs on almost any PC
- Windows was supported previously, but macOS, Linux and FreeBSD are now too
- You'll just need a compatible disc drive and some confidence
Just as Sony begins the somber funeral procession for physical games media, some modders aren’t taking it lying down. This includes the team behind the RPCS3 PlayStation 3 emulator, who just made it possible to play PS3 discs on a much wider range of computing hardware — provided you hit a few technical requirements.
This feature was previously available to Windows RPCS3 gamers, but thanks to the work of developers digant73 and Megamouse, the emulator can now support physical games media on macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD.
What’s more, this change unlocks the option to play discs on modded consoles, with replies to the announcement discussing the options to boot up PS3 discs on Linux-powered PS4 and PS5 hardware.
The change was announced on social media with the team celebrating that games launched as far back as 2006 should now be playable with the hardware in your home. Though the 'plug and play' promise isn’t quite as simple in reality.
A few stepsOf course you’ll need a decent PC for this to work, though you could get away with a pretty ancient model if you need to. The minimum settings require an Nvidia GTX 400 series or newer GPU (released all the way back in 2010), so any modern desktop or laptop released in the last 15 years should be fine.
You’ll also need a disc drive. For advice I’d suggest checking out the RPCS3 Quickstart guide for the models the team recommend and know work.
Lastly there’s some software stuff you’ll need to organize like getting the emulator installed, downloading PS3 system software to your PC, and a decryption key to be able to read the disc on the fly rather than needing to dump it onto your PC first. For that last one, you’ll need to use a community-made database.
The process is fairly simple with the RPCS3 guide. If you do hit any snags, there are forums and Reddit threads full of people who have likely had your issue before and found a solution already.
(Image credit: Future)At a time when companies like Sony are doubling down on anti-physical gaming measures, while clarifying that digital games aren’t owned — merely licensed — efforts like this are a reminder that access to games still matters, and can be maintained if you’re dedicated enough.
This will make it much easier for people to play the classic PS3 collection they still hold dear, and make it easier for this era of gaming history to be catalogued, preserved and played for years to come.
- Apple code reveals four-speaker home theater setup using HomePod 2
- Could be a serious rival to Sony's Bravia Theater Quad or similar rival setups
- Perhaps we'll hear more at the September Apple Event
If you've gone all-in on Apple for your home theater setup you'll know the joys of using HomePods as speakers — and the frustration that you can't add a second pair into the mix to add rear surround channels. It looks like that's about to change.
MacRumors reports that code in the latest beta of Apple's audioOS 27 refers to four-speaker surround sound, with front-left, front-right, rear-left and rear-right speakers.
The code makes references to automatic room calibration, speaker position mapping, timing adjustments, bass management, EQ, dialog enhancement and separate processing modes for movies and music.
Apple could do incredible things with four speakers: my iPad Pro's four-speaker setup regularly astounds me with its ability to make sound come from nowhere, and when we tested HomePod 2 as TV speakers, we were seriously impressed with their scale and spatial positioning.
I'm excited by the possibilities here, not least because cabling up a wired surround system for my TV setup was an enormous pain in the backside.
Could Apple's surround be superior to Sony?The most obvious rival to a four-speaker HomePod setup is the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, which is also a quad-speaker setup. We've heard that in action and it's really impressive, but it's also really expensive with a launch price of $2,499 / £2,499 (roughly AU$3,883), and a street price that's still around $2,000 / £2,000.
By comparison, four second-generation HomePods will set you back $1,396 / £1,396 / AU$2,196) — though you'll also need the $199 / £199 / AU$299 Apple TV 4K (2022) of course.
In addition to the new four-speaker setup, the code also reveals that you'll be able to spatialize stereo content if you wish, and that there's an unspecified piece of hardware that can be used in the new "forklift" tuning system. That's likely to be a rumored next-gen HomePod, though this may not be close to launch.
What we don't know yet is when this new software will become available: it's still in beta, and may not arrive until Apple unveils the next generation of the Apple TV 4K and possibly new HomePods or the long-rumored Home Hub too. We'll be watching the slides during this week's Apple iPhone event to see if Apple drop any hints about future audio and home entertainment hardware.
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