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4 Apr 2025

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Aston Martin’s new home racing simulator is peak luxury for gamers
Aston Martin and Curv Racing Simulators have unveiled the AMR-C01-R, an exclusive carbon fiber racing simulator rig that combines motorsport technology with advanced graphics and stylish design. Only 50 will be made and the price starts at—wait for it—about $75,000. The new model builds on the first AMR-C01 that launched in 2020, but has been upgraded with a new seating design inspired by the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar. Improved ergonomics allow taller drivers to sit comfortably, while a repositioned button panel and improved grille provide better usability and cooling. As for the gaming hardware, here’s what you’ll find inside: 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G95C curved display (with 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and HDR10+) Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card Intel 14th-generation processor 32GB of DDR5 RAM 2TB of M.2 SSD storage All of this is built into a carbon fiber monocoque with Aston Martin’s iconic front grille. The steering motor feels like a real racing car with its precision feedback and high torque response, and the steering wheel itself has 9 rotary dials, 12 push buttons, an LCD display, dual-clutch paddles, and carbon fiber gear shifter paddles. This is as close as it gets to hopping in a Formula car and driving it around without actually hopping into one. Former F1 driver Darren Turner describes it as “the ultimate racing simulator for those who demand the very best.” I reckon so.

Motor racing: 'Fire burns strong' as Scott Dixon enters 25th season
Two New Zealand drivers at opposite ends of the motor racing spectrum will meet up this weekend as the new IndyCars Series gets underway.

I saw Alexa+ in action. Here are my 8 biggest takeaways
After more than a year out of sight, Alexa+–the new Alexa with its AI-powered revamp–took center stage at a crowded coming-out party in New York City on Wednesday, and I got a first-hand look at what this turbocharged voice assistant can do. Following the big unveiling, we were all led to a demonstration hall with about a half-dozen break-out rooms, where we were able to see and hear—but not participate in—Alexa’s new conversational tricks, from controlling smart home devices and researching sports tickets to suggesting recipes and dialing up tunes on Amazon Prime Video. If all that sounds like old hat, consider this: While the old Alexa requires falling back into what Amazon devices head Panos Panay rightfully described as “Alexa-speak,” the new Alexa is a far more flexible and understanding companion, capable of sussing out your intentions from the vaguest of queries, and—at least, from what I saw on Wednesday—getting it right more than it failed. While the demonstrations we saw appeared carefully choreographed, we were frequently assured that what we were seeing and hearing was the “live” Alexa+, rather than a canned demo—and from someone who’s spent a fair amount of time with ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, the exchanges sounded genuine. Here are my biggest takeaways after sitting through Amazon’s Alexa+ show-and-tell, starting with… Alexa+ didn’t make many mistakes Naturally, everyone’s waiting for the new AI-powered Alexa to bungle a command or start hallucinating, but the demos I saw on Wednesday went surprisingly smoothly. Granted, the Amazon presenters on hand were likely sticking to a pre-arranged script, asking the same questions and issuing the same commands over and over. Still, the questions and queries were open-ended enough to invite mistakes. Yet I witnessed only one genuine screw-up on Alexa+’s part: When asked to move a music selection to a speaker in “the office,” it instead began playing an episode of The Office on Peacock. Oops! On a few other occasions, Alexa+ appeared to freeze when asked a question, but those pauses could be chalked up to the din of the demonstration hall (I myself had a difficult time hearing) and/or an overloaded Wi-Fi network. Alexa+ could make controlling the smart home much easier One of the biggest pain points when using voice assistants to control smart home devices is the dreaded, “Sorry, I don’t know which light bulb you mean,” or “I can’t help with that.” It’s gotten so bad lately that I almost never use my smart speakers for smart home control anymore, relying instead on apps, routines, or old-fashioned buttons and switches. Alexa+ promises to get us using our smart speakers again, thanks mainly to its ability to ponder what we’re saying and then deducing what our intentions are. For example, in one demo, Alexa+ was asked to turn on the light in the “sitting room,” an area (we were told) that hadn’t been previously defined within the smart home setup. The new Alexa turned on a lamp positioned near a sofa, correctly guessing that the light was located in a sitting area. Of course, a home might have several different potential “sitting areas” with multiple lamps next to sofas, but the demonstration does show how Alexa+ can get creative (hopefully not too creative) when it comes to understanding smart home commands. We also saw how Alexa+ can pull up videos from your Ring history, plucking out selections based on queries like, “Show me when the kids were playing in the snow,” as well as (in a separate demo) how Alexa+ could make it way easier to move music from one smart speaker to another, cutting down on those irksome “Sorry, I don’t see a dining room speaker” flubs. Just ask, and Alexa+ can call up clips from your Ring video history. Ben Patterson/Foundry Finally, there’s the promise of Alexa+ creating routines based on natural-language voice prompts. For example, this query: “The family is having a hard time getting ready for bed at night, can you help create a routine to solve that,” yielded this automation: “Every night at 9 p.m., Alexa will announce ‘it’s time to get ready for bed’ on all devices, then all the lights will dim to 50 percent brightness before turning off completely.” Not bad, and you can always follow up with tweaks to perfect the routine. Alexa+ can create routines based on natural-launguage queries. Ben Patterson/Foundry It could be a game-changer in the kitchen I’ve recently been fascinated by how generative AI can make an excellent cook’s companion, crafting recipes on the fly and making suggestions on ingredient substitutions, but Alexa+ could take those abilities to the next level. Besides the fact that the new Alexa can operate from a kitchen smart display–a far easier setup than juggling a phone with slimy food hands—Alexa+ can remember what ingredients you have (you will need to tell it or show it what’s in your cupboard or fridge), and it can also take note of who in the family likes what, then order the proper ingredients on Amazon Fresh or another supported online grocery store (“supported” is the key word; more on that in a moment). I also like the fact that Alexa+ sources thousands of recipes from partner publications—meaning it’s not just scraping recipes off the web and then concocting its own versions (with sometimes questionable results). It can be a little too chatty Similar to the classic Alexa, the new AI Alexa can be something of a motor mouth, nattering on excitedly about how it “loves” that song you picked, praising you for “hitting the nail on the head,” opining that a certain TV show is the “perfect antidote to the Sunday blues,” and so on. Such verbal flourishes will be familiar to anyone who’s chatted with ChatGPT in Advanced Voice Mode, and the sycophantic buttering-up gets tiresome after awhile. I can certainly imagine times when I’d want Alexa+ to simply tee up a playlist without the asides. Luckily, I was told that it will be possible to tone down Alexa+’s responses with a prompt like, “Simpler please.” Alexa+ works the best with Amazon partners The amount of tasks that Alexa+ can actually do, from teeing up music tracks to booking dinner reservations, scheduling events and service appointments is impressive, and stands in contrast to how ChatGPT and Google Gemini are still fairly isolated within their respective chatboxes. (Gemini is taking its first steps in the smart home via extensions in the Gemini app.) But many of Alexa+’s abilities are tied to service providers that have already partnered with Amazon. So, you can book a carpet cleaning appointment thanks to Alexa’s integration with Thumbtack, you can’t book an annual checkup through ZocDoc, which hasn’t teamed up with Amazon–at least not yet. And while Alexa+ will be able to order groceries from Amazon services like Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, it probably won’t be much help for a FreshDirect customer like me (or at least not until FreshDirect forges an alliance with Amazon). Many of Alexa+’s coolest abilities are tied to those services that have partnered with Amazon.Ben Patterson/Foundry You’ll need to trust Alexa+ with an awful lot of personal info Some of the most impressive demos during Wednesday’s unveiling involved Alexa+’s abilities to absorb lengthy documents—including personal ones—which it can then summarize and answer questions about. In one example, the new Alexa poured over a complex homeowners association agreement, explaining the various rules and plucking out key details. Alexa+ can also remember personal preferences, such as favorite restaurants, who your best friends are, what music genres you favor, and so on. The more Alexa+ knows about you, the more powerful it gets as a personal assistant. But as with the “classic” Alexa, privacy will surely be a thorny issue with Alexa+, and one should probably think twice before allowing the AI to scour sensitive documents like health or financial records. For its part, Amazon says the new Alexa is designed to “protect [the] privacy and security” of its customers, while providing “transparency and control.” Amazon also notes that it will “centralize” privacy controls, while promising “world-class privacy and security protection” through the “secure infrastructure” of Amazon Web Services. Echo display owners will get first dibs on Alexa+ The new Alexa will work on “almost all” existing Echo devices, including the diminutive Echo Dot, I’m told. (Some of the “earliest” Amazon smart speakers won’t work with Alexa+, including the first-generations of the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus.) That said, you’ll need to be the owner of an Echo Show display to get first dibs on the new Alexa. Amazon is rolling out Alexa+ in phases (starting in the “coming weeks”), and owners of Echo devices with displays—including the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21—will get access first. If you do become an early Alexa+ user, the new assistant will work across all your compatible Echo devices, including speaker-only products like the Echo Dot. [Further reading: These are the best smart speakers and displays] Alexa+ will be a great Prime perk Once the free early access period is up, Amazon will charge $19.99 a month for Alexa+. “Ouch,” I initially thought, but that wasn’t the full story. As it turns out, Alexa+ will be free for Prime members, making the new Alexa the latest Prime benefit. That’s terrific news for those (many) of us already shelling out for Prime, and thus making it far more likely that a lapsed Alexa user like me will give the new AI-enhanced version a go.

Five teens arrested after cars stolen, driver crashes into house
Teens arrested after cars stolen, driver crashes into house

Five teens arrested after aggravated robbery and attempted burglary at Whangarei petrol stations
The five suspects, aged 15 and 16, are set to appear in Whangarei Youth Court, facing charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, attempted burglary, and aggravated robbery.

Google’s new robot AI can fold delicate origami, close zipper bags without damage
Google Gemini Robotics AI model gives robots fine motor skills and adaptability for general world use.

I test TV antennas. Follow these steps to pick the right one for you
TV antennas are having something of a renaissance in the U.S. Buoyed by the ever-increasing costs of cable and streaming subscriptions, and additional channels enabled by the advent of digital TV, roughly one in five U.S. homes now rely on an antenna for their television. Beyond the cost of the antenna, all the channels are free, and you might even get a better picture than through a pay TV service. When it comes to choosing an antenna, the selection is almost as wide as the programming you can receive, but if you do a little homework, you should be able to buy with confidence and ensure a good picture. We’ll walk through the steps required to figure out what kind of antenna you need and what you might receive, then you can use PCWorld’s buyer’s guide to help narrow down your choices when you’re ready to shop. The first step is figuring out what TV programming is available where your live. What can I tune in with a TV antenna? The quantity and selection of TV channels depends on where you live. In general, the closer you are to a large metro area, where the broadcasters’ towers are generally located, the more channels will be broadcast. In rural areas, the opposite is typically the case. If you live near the Canadian or Mexican borders, you might be able to receive additional channels from those countries. Most parts of the U.S. have access to the four major commercial networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) and a local PBS station. Many of these stations broadcast additional digital networks dedicated to a particular theme, such as children’s shows on PBS Kids and classic TV on MeTV, Cozi, and Antenna TV. If you find yourself limited to an indoor antenna, you’d be best served by one that includes a signal amplifier. These draw electrical power from a USB adapter or an open USB port on your TV.Winegard To figure out what’s available, we recommend navigating to Rabbit Ears. This website models TV reception based on the location of the antenna and TV transmitter data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Signal Search Map page is where you need to be. Enter your address (street, city, and state) When the map updates to show your house, click “Move pushpin to center of Map View” in the panel below the map Set the approximate height your antenna is above ground level Click “Go” The site will display its best prediction of the TV channels available in your location, along with an estimate of the strength of their signal levels (higher numbers are better). Take a look at the channels and networks and figure out what you want to receive; make a note of the predicted signal level. Use the website RabbitEars to discover the TV broadcast tower locations in the vicinity of your home address. The signal strength it reports will help you determine whether an indoor antenna will be strong enough to pull in the channels you want to see, or if you’ll need to buy an attic or roof-mount model.Michael Brown/Foundry As a rule of thumb, an indoor antenna will be sufficient for channels with a good signal level, an attic or outdoor antenna will likely be required for stations marked fair, and a larger outdoor antenna with an amplifier will be required for those marked poor. Stations marked as bad will likely be difficult to receive without extreme measures. Finally, take a look at the direction of the transmitters from your location. If they are all in roughly the same direction, a single antenna should be fine. If they are wide apart, an antenna on a rotator—a motor that can turn the mast the antenna is mounted to to change the antenna’s orientation—might be required, especially if the signals strengths are poor. Choose an antenna Now you’re armed with everything you need to make an informed decision. PCWorld’s antenna picks are divided into several categories, from cheap indoor antennas to substantial roof-mounted ones. In general, an outdoor antenna will always deliver the best performance, no matter the signal level. They’ll provide much more reliable reception than indoor antennas, which are always a compromise. If an indoor antenna will fit your needs, this transpartent Ultra-Vizion model virtually disappears when attached to a window.Martyn Williams/Foundry That said, not everyone can install an outdoor antenna, so we have several indoor antennas, from basic, thin antennas that can be put in a window so better amplified antennas that should provide a step up in reception. A further level up are smaller outdoor antennas, many of which can easily be installed on the side of a house, on a balcony, or inside an attic space. Many of these are also amplified. Finally, we have tested a number of roof-mounted antennas that are the gold standard in TV reception. A roof-mounted antenna will provide the most reliable reception and should pull in the greatest number of channels. If you are planning to install one yourself, please use safety precautions when on a roof and ensure the system meets local building code requirements, especially for grounding. Warning! Don’t believe the claims If you browse online shopping sites or look at the advertising for antennas, you’ll see lots of dubious claims. The first rule is to ignore anything about antenna range claims. Reception depends on a multitude of factors, including the transmitter frequency and power, the location of the transmitter, the immediate environment around your house, and more. There is simply no way an antenna can guarantee its claimed number of miles. Use the method outlined above, that takes all these factors into account. Don’t fall for the specious claims some TV antenna manufacturers make for their products. It’s highly unlikely that any indoor antenna will be capable of pulling in signals from a broadcast tower 130 miles away. Nor will one be capable of streaming ESPN.Jared Newman / Foundry The second thing to remember is that there’s no such thing as an HD, 4K, or NextGen TV antenna. An antenna simply receives signals and isn’t dependent on the format being broadcast, so ignore those claims as well. PCWorld’s antenna reviews are conducted under real-world conditions with the same equipment and at the same location, so we can give an honest and measured comparison of every antenna we test. Attention renters, HOA residents, and apartment dwellers If you rent a house or apartment or live under the terms of an HOA (Homeowners Association), don’t let anyone tell you you cannot install a TV antenna. In the U.S. federal law gives you the right to do so under the FCC’s “OTARD” regulations. In short, you have the right to install a TV antenna for reception of local broadcast signals in an area you rent or have exclusive access to. If you’re facing resistance, read the FCC page, linked above, and quote the OTARD rule. Connecting the antenna to your TV A length of coaxial cable cut and ready for a connector to be attached. Martyn Williams/Foundry Most indoor antennas come with a small cord attached that can be connected directly to a TV or amplifier, if one is supplied; other antennas might come with a cable or require you to supply your own. TV antenna cable is called coaxial cable, or coax for short. It has a center wire that carries the signal, a plastic insulator, an outer braid that shields the center cable from interference, and an outer sheath protects the cable from the elements. The standard for TV antennas is called RG-6. It’s important to use a good quality coax because cables result in signal loss. You can minimize this by using a good cable and keeping the length as short as possible. If you need to run a very long cable, consider an amplifier, ideally at the antenna end of the connection. And that’s how to choose a TV antenna That should be everything you need to choose and install a TV antenna. TV reception is mostly a science but can be a little bit of an art; so, if you don’t get satisfactory reception, go over the steps again. Try moving the location of the antenna to see if that improves picture quality. If you get a lot of interference, consider adding an amplifier. Most of all, don’t give up! A good antenna will provide thousands of hours of free entertainment for many years, so invest a bit of time and money into getting it right. Still unsure which one to buy? Check out PCWorld’s most highly recommended TV antennas.