The McLaren 570GT’s weird trunk makes it an unusually usable supercar

See that bizarre rear window that's hinged on its side? The window you'd expect would peer into a 562-horsepower twin-turbo V-8? Yeah, things are a little different here.

What you're looking at is the McLaren 570GT, a (slightly) softer version of the 570Scoupe that debuted last year. As McLaren describes it, the 570GT is the most "road-biased" car they've made yet — meaning it's designed to be more usable and lovable at the sacrifice of some track performance. Though the GT and S share the same engine, you lose 0.3 seconds in the 0-60 mph run — 3.4 seconds, as opposed to 3.1 in the 570S.

But in exchange, you get a car that you can actually take on a road trip, because your back is less likely to kill you and you've actually got room for stuff. A gentler suspension helps smooth out rough patches of road, a modified steering system makes it less jittery at highway speeds, and most importantly, you've got that crazy flip-top lid in back. A cover over the engine — McLaren calls this the "touring deck" — leaves you with 7.8 cubic feet of space, bringing total cargo volume to 12.4 cubic feet. You're not going to be moving furniture cross-country in this, but it's enough for a weekend in the Hamptons. McLaren will even provide a custom set of luggage to slot into cubby.

The 570GT is the second of three promised models in McLaren's lower-end Sports Series, which rests below the 650S and the 675LT and hyper cars like the P1. A P1, this certainly isn't — but considering that you could almost justify driving a car like the 570GT every single day, the trade-off in performance might all be worth it.

Shipments start late this year.

 

New study shows eating chocolate 'improves brain function'

When you think of brain food, healthy snacks like blueberries or walnuts probably come to mind.
But it turns out that chocolate is great for your noggin too.

Researchers found that regular chocolate consumption improve our brains' cognitive ability to function.

Beyond the usual enjoyment we get from chocolate, scientists have found that eating it helps improve working memory, abstract reasoning and visual-spacial memory.

Well, there goes my method of "forgetting" that I already ate a piece. Or two. Or five.

And there's a method to this "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" brand of science too: the darker the chocolate, the better it is for you.

The study also found that the sweet treat has been used to reduce fevers, treat childhood diarrhoea, increase breast milk production, encourage sleep and clean teeth.

Just don't go crazy: your dentist still probably wouldn't recommend brushing twice daily with chocolate syrup.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition PC System Requirements Revealed in Windows Store Listing

The PC version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition briefly appeared on the Windows 10 Store, revealing some key details about the upcoming re-release. According to the listing it will support 4K resolution with an unlocked refresh rate, have the five extra campaign missions added when the original made its PC debut, and include remastered 7.1 audio.
Although the listing has since been deleted, Windows Central noted down all the details and new features, as well as the recommended system requirements mentioned in it. Take a look below.

General

• Every aspect of the original Gears of War has been beautifully remastered and modernised, including lighting, environments, characters, and cinematic scenes. This is the first at its best!
• Play in stunning 4K with an unlocked refresh rate.
• Includes five additional, exhilarating campaign missions that follow Delta Squad as they battle their way to Timgad Station not included in the Xbox 360 original.
• Go deeper into Gears fiction with five Gears of War comic books, which can be unlocked and read within the game.
• Remastered for Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound.

Multi player

• The most visceral on-line shooter returns with multi player matches running on fast and fair dedicated servers with unlocked refresh rates.
• Includes all original Xbox 360 DLC multi player maps and three multi player maps from the original Gears of War PC version for an incredible 19 total multi player maps.
• Newly added multi player modes include Team Death Match, King of the Hill, Blitz and a special 2v2 mode designed by the Gears of War community.
• Returning multi player modes include War zone, Assassination, Execution and Annex.

More

• All new Xbox Live Achievements and 1,250 new Gamer score.
• Hand picked game play improvements, alternate controls and a new difficulty level for players new to the franchise.
• Support for keyboard or game pad controls.
• The Windows 10 version includes the Deluxe Weapon Skin Pack and 11 bonus multi player characters.
• This game requires a Direct X 12 capable graphics card. Please refer to your graphics card vendors' website for more information.

Recommended System Requirements For 1920x1080

• OS: 64 bit Windows 10 - version 1511
• Processor: Intel Core i5 3.5GHz+ or AMD FX 8-core
• Memory: 16 GB RAM (4 GB V RAM)
• Graphics: Ge Force GTX 970 or Radeon R9 290X
• Hard Drive: 60 GB available space
• Direct X 12

RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR 4K

• OS: 64 bit Windows 10 - version 1511
• Processor: Intel Core i7 @ 4Ghz or AMD FX 8-core
• Memory: 16 GB RAM (6+ GB V RAM)
• Graphics: Ge force GTX 980 Ti or Radeon R9 390X
• Hard Drive: SSD + 60 GB available space
• Direct X 12

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• OS: 64 bit Windows 10 – version 1511
• Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 2.7Ghz or AMD FX 6-core
• Memory: 8 GB RAM (2 GB VRAM)
• Graphics: Ge force GTX 650 Ti or Radeon R7 260x
• Hard Drive: 60 GB available space
• Direct X 12

Microsoft is making a concerted effort to bring key Xbox One titles to the PC. On February 11, it announced Quantum Break, the next game from Max Payne and Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment, will be released simultaneously on Xbox One and PC.

Huawei Honor 5X The Hottest phone

The next big smartphone might be from little-known Chinese brands such as TCL and OPPO.

Along with other Chinese phone makers such as Huawei and Xiaomi, Chinese brands have surpassed Samsung in China and are encroaching on Apple's turf. In the coming years, analysts forecast that these cheap Android phones with not-so-cheap features will likely attract more budget-conscious customers in Europe and even in Samsung's and Apple's home markets, South Korea and the United States.

Chinese phone makers made their global ambitions known at this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei and TCL vied to steal the spotlight from Samsung and LG, both of which announced new high-end phones at the show. Xiaomi, which typically launches phones in China, will preview the Mi 5 phone in Barcelona on Wednesday.

"The Chinese smartphone vendors have a very unique feature — it is the price," said Shu On Kwok, editor of AndroidPIT, a website that tracks Android developments. "You get the same features as an LG or a Samsung smartphone has hardware-wise, but for a lower price."

Samsung saw its market share decline in 2015, while Apple forecast its first revenue decline in over 13 years. Both will have to do more to prove the value of the extra dollars their customers pay.

Along with premium hardware, Apple has tried to position its products as unique by offering software, services and apps that work only on Apple devices — although in many cases comparable services are available for Android devices.

At Samsung's product event Sunday, mobile chief D.J. Koh said "we have other ideas" beyond core smartphone features. Samsung, for instance, is promoting its Galaxy phones' compatibility with a Samsung virtual-reality headset and an upcoming 360-degree camera. But VR is still in its early days, of interest largely to gamers and tech pioneers.

The Chinese brands have already taken their toll on Samsung. Although it's still the largest smartphone maker in the world, Samsung is no longer among the top five phone makers in China, according to market research firms IDC and Counterpoint Technology. Profits from the mobile business have plunged to less than half of what it was in its heyday. Apple's sales in China rose in the fourth quarter, but its growth was outshines by Huawei.

But bad news for manufacturers is good news for consumers.

Many of these Chinese companies sell decent phones for less than $200, compared with about $650 for an iPhone or high-end Samsung Galaxy phone. In other words, for the same price, customers can buy three or four smartphones with decent cameras and screens.

Chinese makers can keep prices low by reducing the profit margin and turning to cheaper components that are a year or two old. That means high-end phones still take better pictures and have sleeker, thinner designs. But phone innovation has slowed, and the advances appear marginal to many consumers. A Huawei photo taken in good light often looks just as good as an iPhone or Samsung shot when displayed on a small phone screen.

Melissa Chau, senior research manager at IDC, said Chinese companies are catching up on phone design and quality even more quickly than Samsung did a few years ago.

"Samsung was a fast follower in terms of innovation," Chau said. "These Chinese players, they are even faster."

And while these phone companies are pushing cheap phones, they are starting to succeed in getting customers to pay more — though still not as much as an iPhone or a high-end Galaxy. For instance, the average price for Huawei smartphones in China was $213 last year, up 21 percent from 2014, according to IDC.

Having succeeded in China, these phone makers are looking elsewhere to grow. OPPO, China's fourth-largest smartphone maker according to IDC, is marketing aggressively in south-east Asia. Xiaomi already sells phones in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

At the Barcelona show, Huawei executive Adam Joshua said that while the company's focus has been on emerging markets, it also has eyes on "the European market, Australia, and obviously the last big one, the U.S."

Analysts said Huawei and Xiaomi will likely steal customers from Apple and Samsung in their strongholds as some budget-conscious consumers seek to upgrade their phones without financial pressure.

When South Koreans were just starting to buy smartphones, many upgraded frequently to get longer-lasting batteries, sharper cameras and larger screens.

Now fewer consumers care whether they have the latest technologies, said Oh Bong Yeon, a 38-year-old South Korean. They may even wait several months until the price drops. Although Oh has the iPhone 6, he said he would buy Huawei's flagship smartphone if the company starts selling it in South Korea.

Raphael Rashid, 28, a British citizen living in Seoul, loves his Xiaomi Redmi Note 2, which his friend bought for him in China for about $120. Before Xiaomi, Rashid used a $150 Huawei smartphone for about a year.

"For a thousand dollars, I can get five new phones in the space of two years," he said. "I'll always have the latest phone."

Much of the growth comes from consumers who feel comfortable buying phones directly from manufacturers online, rather than from the wireless carrier. In the U.S., consumers are just starting to warm up to direct online sales, especially as carriers stop offering discounts in exchange for two-year contracts.

Huawei is now the third-largest smartphone maker in the world. Its market share exceeded 7 percent last year, compared with less than 6 percent in 2014, according to IDC. That's still far behind Samsung's 23 percent and Apple's 16 percent, but success doesn't necessarily mean being No. 1 everywhere.

In fact, ZTE mobile chief Adam Zeng said the Chinese phone maker wants to be in the top three in selected markets — read that as No. 3 — and not necessarily worldwide.

And Xiaomi might have trouble expanding to established markets — particularly the U.S. — because of accusations it has copied or closely imitated designs from Apple and other companies. Phone manufacturers routinely sue each other in these markets, and Xiaomi will need to build up a portfolio of its own patents to defend itself.

Even if gaps remain in market share, IDC's Chau said Chinese companies can at least close the gap in brand reputation in about three years. That's partly because Apple and Samsung are struggling to stay cool.

She said that while Apple is still the premium brand in China, "it's been around for a while and people are familiar with it. It lost the extra shine of being the new."

With its new S7 phone, Samsung looks even more like Apple

Apple and Samsung phones, which have been looking more and more alike over the past few years, are much closer to virtual twins with Samsung's latest Galaxy S7.

The convergence began two years ago when iPhones got larger, mimicking Samsung's once-innovative, plus-sized "phablets." Last spring, Samsung started emphasizing higher quality materials and sophisticated design, just as Apple had for years. And last fall, Apple boosted the resolution on the iPhone camera, narrowing one of the major gaps it had with Samsung.

With the S7, Samsung is lowering its camera's resolution — you read that right — to match the iPhone's 12 mega pixels.

To be sure, there are key differences. Only the latest iPhones have special features you activate by pressing harder on an icon or link, while Samsung is among the biggest boosters of virtual reality.

It's too early to say which phone is better. Though Samsung announced the S7 on Sunday at a wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, the phone isn't coming out until March 11. My hands-on time has been limited to controlled settings.

And for most users it may end up being a draw — Samsung leads the pack among Android phones, while Apple has its own self-contained ecosystem, iOS. For many, a choice between the two could come down to preference for one system or another — and the apps available for each.

For now, here's how Apple and Samsung phones stack up:

CAMERA

For both, the rear cameras are now at 12 mega pixels — up from 8 for iPhones and down from 18 for Samsung. That doesn't mean Samsung photos are getting worse, though.

In making the change, Samsung adopted the iPhone's 4-by-3 dimension, ditching the widescreen format it had long used. Widescreen produces vertical shots that are awkwardly tall, such that I've had to crop them to 4-by-3 anyway. The 6 mega pixel reduction is equivalent to chopping off the excess.

The front cameras are both at 5 megapixels, after Apple boosted its resolution in the iPhone last fall. Apple also turned the screen into a flash for selfies. Samsung, ever the fast follower, is now doing the same with the S7.

Samsung is promising improvements in low-light shots, borrowing techniques from full-bodied, SLR cameras, though it'll require extensive tests to see how well the camera performs. Even with last year's models, Samsung cameras tend to produce brighter night shots than the iPhone. But I've also seen more distortion when those shots are blown up. We'll see if that's been fixed with the S7.

SIZE

Samsung's 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 is slightly larger and heavier than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s, but not much so. There's a premium version of the S7 called the S7 Edge; both sides curve like a waterfall, such that the screen flows over the side to the back of the phone. The Edge screen is 5.5 inches, but much of that comes from the curvature. The phone itself is taller, but just a tad wider and heavier.

Compared with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus, though, the S7 Edge is smaller.

EXTRAS

Neither the iPhone nor the S7 phone lets you replace the battery with a spare. But the S7 does let you add storage. And the base model is 32 gigabytes, double what the iPhone offers for starters.

Unlike the iPhone, the S7 is waterproof. There's no need to keep USB and other ports sealed, as past waterproof phones did. The S7 also offers wireless charging; you simply lay the phone flat on a charging base. However, wireless charging is typically slower than plugging in a USB charger.

Apple and Samsung both let you unlock phones with your fingerprint rather than a passcode. And both let you make payments with a tap at some retail stores. The Samsung Pay service works with a greater range of merchants, but with credit cards from fewer banks and in fewer countries for now than Apple Pay.

SHORT CUTS

The latest iPhones and the S7 Edge have short cuts to common tasks, such as taking selfies. With the iPhone, you hard press on an app icon. With the Edge, you swipe from the right edge. That swipe also gets you headlines, frequent contacts and favourite apps.

Apple lets third-party app makers create their own short cuts, while Samsung does not.

VIRTUAL REALITY

Samsung is ahead of Apple, though it faces competition from other Android manufacturers, including LG.

Samsung already has its own VR headset, while LG is coming out with one. They won't work with each other's phones or any other Android phone. Both companies will soon sell 360-degree cameras for taking VR video. Apps on the phone will ease sharing with friends and viewing on the VR devices.

AVAILABILITY

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have been available since September. There has been speculation that Apple is coming out with a smaller model soon, but it's not expected to have all of the advanced features found in the 6S phones.

Advance orders for the S7 phones started this week. March 11 is the release date in the U.S. and several other markets.

New ‘Batman V Superman’ Posters Give Lois Lane, Alfred And Lex Luthor Their Time In The Spotlight

Obviously Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to mainly focus on its two superhero headliners, but the movie can’t be all Batman and Superman punching each other, especially given its ass-deadening length. The movie will also feature non-costumed types like Lois Lane (Amy Adams), Alfred (Jeremy Irons) and Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), and the latest Batman v Supermanposters put them front and center.

I like the superhero-esque logos they’ve created for these characters – the Daily Planet and Wayne Enterprises logos are particularly cool. The big X they gave Lex is kind of lame, but then “kind of lame” seems to be what they’re going for with Jesse Eisenberg’s Luthor. You can check the three new p

osters out below.

Johnson & Johnson hit with $72m damages in talc-cancer case

A jury in the US state of Missouri has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $72m (£51m) to the family of a woman who claimed her death was linked to use of the company's Baby Powder talc.

Jackie Fox from Birmingham, Alabama died of ovarian cancer last year, aged 62, having used the talc for decades.

Her family argued that the firm knew of talc risks and failed to warn users.

J&J denied the claim and is said to be considering an appeal. Researchers say links with ovarian cancer are unproven.

A company spokeswoman said: "We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial.

"We sympathise with the plaintiff's family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence."

Other cases pending

The verdict at the end of the three-week trial was the first time damages have been awarded by a US jury over talc claims.

More than 1,000 similar cases are pending nationwide and lawyers said thousands more could now be filed.

The jury in Ms Fox's case deliberated for five hours before finding Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy.

The award constituted $10m in damages and $62m in punitive damages.

"This case clearly was a bellwether and clearly the jury has seen the evidence and found it compelling," said Stanford University law professor Nora Freeman Engstrom. "The jury was distressed by the company's conduct."

However, she said the size of the award was unlikely to survive.

"Big jury verdicts do tend to be reined in during the course of the appellate process and I expect that to be the case here," she said.

'Small risk'

Cancer Research UK says evidence for a link between talc use and ovarian cancer is "still uncertain".

"Even if there is a risk it is likely to be fairly small," the charity says.

Ovarian cancer charity Ovacome says causes of the disease are still unknown but are likely to be "a combination of many different inherited and environmental factors, rather than one cause such as talc".

It says that in 2003, results of 16 studies involving 12,000 women showed that using talc increased the risk of ovarian cancer by around a third, and that a 2013 review of US studies involving 18,000 women had similar results for genital, but not general, talcum powder use.

However, it warns that studies of this type "can suffer from bias" and there were "uncertainties" around the results.

"A large well-designed American study in 2000 involving nearly 80,000 women found no link between using talc and the risk of ovarian cancer," it says.

The charity says that even if using talc does raise the ovarian cancer risk by a third, "to put it into context, smoking and drinking increases the risk of oesophageal cancer by 30 times".

"Ovarian cancer is a rare disease, and increasing a small risk by a third still gives a small risk."

We all rode Samsung's VR roller coaster and loved how real it felt

A piece of technology making us feel physically unwell is usually cause for concern, but in the case of Samsung's VR roller coaster, it was a sure sign of success.

Samsung set up its roller coaster simulator slap bang in the middle of its giant stand at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. In the name of journalism (but mostly because it was fun), the whole of CNET's crack MWC team strapped themselves into the chairs and donned Samsung's Gear VR headsets.

Here's how it works:

We piled into chairs set out in rows, just like in a cinema, and put on the headsets. After a momentary calibration, footage of a sunny theme park began to play, and we quickly "boarded" the virtual roller coaster. The 360-degree video means that when you turn your head, you can look all around at the track above you and the gleeful faces of virtual people next to you (not the person actually sitting next to you, which is weird).

Using hydraulics, the seats physically moved around, tipping us from side to side and forwards and backwards, mimicking the movements that we'd be feeling if we were on a real ride.

The result?

While my brain was aware I was sat in a conference centre in Catalonia, my body -- specifically, my stomach -- was thoroughly taken in by the experience. Lurching and churning, I quite honestly started to feel really rather nauseous. The movements of the chair, synced with VR footage, was enough to give the impression of g-force as we "hurtled" around the corners.

Once it came to a halt, I unclipped and slightly gingerly walked away.

The effect on my digestive system perhaps wasn't as extreme as it would have been had I been on the actual ride, but I was genuinely taken aback by how thoroughly my senses were tricked. I doubt it'll be replacing real theme parks any time soon, but I'm looking forward to seeing how this sort of immersive experience enhances movies and gaming in my own home.