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  • I tested six of the best electric bike pumps – and this is the one you should buy

    I tested six of the best electric bike pumps – and this is the one you should buy

    Best electric bike pumps in depth

    Prestacycle Prestaflator Go

    The Prestacycle Prestaflator Go has a bigger battery than any pump we’ve tested. Warren Rossiter / Our Media
    • £99 / $129.95 / €99.95 as tested
    • Pros: Secure fit; fast; relatively quiet; large battery; spares and accessories available
    • Cons: Larger size and Presta valve only
    • Verdict: Workshop-quality head; powerful and rapid inflator, but a bit larger than most

    The Prestaflator Go has the largest-capacity battery of my half a dozen test pumps and comes with a colour LED screen that shows current battery level and pressure in psi or BAR.

    Switching between the two is a simple matter of pressing the + and – buttons simultaneously.

    Instead of a proprietary head, it uses a standard Presta head that’s compatible with floor pumps from the likes of Silca.

    Unlike a classic track pump head, it’s made from lightweight 6061-T6 alloy rather than traditional brass. Prestacycle claims it weighs around a third as much as a brass head.

    The Prestaflator is TPU inner tube safe, because the large urethane grommet inside the head serves to isolate heat build-up from the pump from transferring to the valves. That’s something its rivals here can only achieve via the use of an accessory hose.

    Rated to 120psi, the Prestaflator Go is good for a wide variety of tyres, both clincher and tubeless.

    The push-on head is remarkably secure, and its extra width and deep engagement keep it stably engaged.

    The Prestaflator inflated my 35mm tubeless tyre to 51psi on its gauge in 52.01 seconds, and once settled and the valve tightened, the tyre measured 52psi on my AXS app.

    The noise level of 86.8dBA means this is one of the quieter units, which is impressive considering it’s one of the quicker inflators. In context, the sound level is around the same as a coffee grinder or small blender.

    After four consecutive inflations, the unit was too hot to handle; it cooled after 10 minutes, and when I resumed testing, it inflated my tyre another seven times, managing 12psi on the 12th inflation.

    Charge time was measured at just over an hour (60 minutes 54 seconds).

    The Prestaflator is an impressive inflator at a good price. It’s low on included accessories, however, and is Presta valve only as standard.

    Prestacycle offers plenty of accessories and spares, and because of its standard threaded valve interface, it’s compatible with all of Prestacycle’s head options.

    Specifications

    Weight: 157g | Dimensions: 78x51x31.5mm | Max pressure: 120psi/8 BAR | Battery: 750mAh | Valve: Presta | Extras: Zip-lock waterproof bag, USB-C charge cable, needle valve (football)

    Flextail Tiny Bike Pump Pro

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    Flextail Tiny Bike Pump Pro
    Flextail’s Tiny Bike Pump Pro is a pocket-sized pump at a great price. Warren Rossiter / Our Media
    • £58 / $75.99 as tested
    • Pros: Cheap; accurate; quick charge time; good run time
    • Cons: Noisy
    • Verdict: Great-value mini pump for clinchers and tubeless

    I’ve been using Flextail’s original Tiny bike pump for more than a year now, and that small pocket rocket has got me out of plenty of jams.

    It does have limitations, though. Having no gauge, it’s hard to get tyre pressures just right after road or trailside repairs.

    This new Pro model brings increased battery capacity, along with a gauge that can be pre-set to your preferred pressure.

    The smooth, compact design is great for stowing in a jersey pocket, using the included ziplock bag, or stowing in a saddle pack, down tube or tool can.

    Although the valve head is flush-fitting with the unit, it can be a little awkward to use, especially on small-wheeled bikes.

    Thankfully, Flextail includes an extension hose, also useful for TPU tube users because they often come with plastic-bodied valves, which don’t like the heat a mini electric pump generates.

    In our test, the Flextail hit 51psi on its built-in gauge in a swift 42.5 seconds. On the AXS app, this equated to 52psi; the Flextail is quite accurate.

    It is, however, quite noisy, topping out at 91dBA: that’s about the same as a blender.

    Like most inflators, the Flextail gets warm. After five successive inflations, it was hot.

    After being left to cool, it inflated my tyre a further five times, although on the final inflation, it could only manage 32psi.

    The Flextail charges via a USB-C cable (included), and I timed the recharge from flat at 31 minutes.

    Compared to the competition, the Flextail is excellent value; it inflates quickly, has good battery life, and all the accessories you need are included.

    I think I may have found my new best-value ride essential.

    Specifications

    Weight: 130g | Dimensions: 77x53x32mm | Max pressure: 120psi/8.27 BAR / 827.4 kpa | Battery: 450mAh | Valve: Presta and Schrader | Extras: Ziplock bag, extension hose, USB-C cable, needle (football) adaptor

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  • Sabrina Carpenter Is Leading Pop Out of a Depressing Era – The Wall Street Journal

    1. Sabrina Carpenter Is Leading Pop Out of a Depressing Era  The Wall Street Journal
    2. What The Dance: Man’s Best Party – Sabrina Carpenter Night  Lodinews.com
    3. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” sets new 2025 UK record  The Lagos Review
    4. Sabrina Carpenter Doesn’t Need to Be Clean in the Spotify Age  Mint
    5. Sabrina Carpenter proves why she is ‘Man’s Best Friend’ in seventh studio album  North Texas Daily

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  • Porsche’s insanely clever hybrid engine comes to the 911 Turbo S

    Porsche’s insanely clever hybrid engine comes to the 911 Turbo S

    Today, Porsche debuted a new 911 variant at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, Germany. It’s the most powerful 911 to date, excluding some limited-run models, and may well be the quickest to 60 mph from a standing start, dispatching that dash in just 2.4 seconds. And it’s all thanks to one of the most interesting hybrid powertrains on sale today.

    Rather than just bolting an electric motor to an existing 911, Porsche designed an entirely new 3.6 L flat-six engine, taking the opportunity to ditch the belt drive and move some of the ancillaries, which can instead be powered by the car’s 400 V traction battery.

    The system debuted in the 911 GTS T-Hybrid, which Ars recently reviewed. For that car, Porsche added a single electric turbocharger, which works like the MGU-H in a Formula 1 car. It spins up almost instantly to 120,000 rpm to eliminate throttle lag, but also recaptures excess energy from the spinning turbine and sends that to the 1.9 kWh battery pack.

    The result is a turbocharged engine that has a remarkable throttle response that’s more like an EV, with no perceptible lag between initial tip-in and power being delivered to the wheels.

    For the 2026 911 Turbo S, there are a pair of these electric turbochargers. And like the GTS, you’ll find a 53 hp (40 kW), 110 lb-ft (150 Nm) permanent synchronous motor inside the eight-speed dual clutch transmission. Total output is a heady 701 hp (523 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm), which is sufficient to cut the 0–60 mph (0–98 km/h) time to 2.4 seconds. 124 mph (200 km/h) takes just 8.4 seconds, half a second less than the 2025 Turbo S.

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  • Howard Stern’s future at Sirius XM in doubt as copycat podcasts poach his audience | Television & radio

    Howard Stern’s future at Sirius XM in doubt as copycat podcasts poach his audience | Television & radio

    Howard Stern was once one of the most powerful figures in American media: a controversial “shock jock” who thrived on controversy proclaimed himself the “King of All Media” and once commanded a contract worth half a billion dollars.

    But now Stern’s career could be winding down from its heyday in the 1990s and 2000s when he revolutionized American listening habits and wielded huge cultural power.

    Stern’s run on US airwaves is facing a declining audience after decades on top. While some of Stern’s critics attribute the trend to him becoming softer and more liberal, he also faces increased competition and changes in people’s listening habits, according to industry observers.

    Stern’s reported $500m contract with Sirius XM satellite radio expires at the end of the year, and some have claimed that the two parties will not sign a new deal. The show had announced that Stern would address his future with the company on 2 September but then pushed it back until 8 September.

    The radio host, who became famous for his controversial content, played a pivotal role in Sirius’s growth after switching from commercial to satellite radio in 2006. But that was before the modern explosion of podcasts, which have taken listeners away from both Stern’s former medium and satellite radio.

    As such, Stern’s show is not as singular as it was decades ago, when 20 million people tuned in to hear him say outrageous things, make sex jokes and interview topless guests. Critics slammed him as a sexist and sometimes racist talkshow host who courted extreme controversy for the sake of it. But there was little doubt his huge audience loved him.

    “It used to be that satellite radio gave you a very unique platform because the alternative was over-the-air radio, where there were limits,” said Matthew Dolgin, a senior equity analyst covering media companies at Morningstar, a financial services company. “That is no longer the case for audio entertainment.”

    With podcasts, “you have freedom to do what you want”, Dolgin added.

    Stern gained a large following in the 1980s and 90s because of segments that often crossed the line of what had been acceptable on radio. In 1982, after a plane crashed into a bridge, he called the airline and asked, “What’s the price of a one-way ticket from National to the Fourteenth Street bridge? Is that going to be a regular stop?”

    In 1992, he did another prank in which one of his staff members, known as Stuttering John, attended a press conference with Gennifer Flowers, who had an affair with Bill Clinton, and asked if he wore a condom and if she would be sleeping with any other presidential candidates. Flowers and others in the room laughed.

    Stern eventually got a TV show and joined Sirius for $100m a year for five years.

    Stern said he was moving because traditional radio “doesn’t allow me to be myself”, and he was “tired of the censorship” from the Federal Communications Commission.

    When Stern signed the deal, Sirius had 600,000 subscribers; by the end of 2006, it had 6 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.

    Stern and Sirius renewed the agreement in 2010, 2015 and 2020, when Sirius had 35 million subscribers.

    “Howard Stern has arguably been the most influential figure in Sirius XM’s growth during its formative years,” said Kutgun Maral, an equity research analyst covering media, cable, satellite and telecommunication services at the investment bank Evercore. “Beyond helping to drive subscriber growth, Stern’s presence validated the platform for other talent and creators.”

    But recently, Sirius has lost customers. In 2023, it lost 445,000 subscribers, and last year it lost 296,000, according to financial disclosures.

    It’s unclear how many people listen to Stern on satellite radio, as Sirius does not publish audience numbers for specific shows. But the number of unique viewers to Stern’s YouTube page decreased from 4.5 million in June 2024 to 3.1 million this June, according to data from Tubular Labs.

    Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported in May that the podcast industry generated $7.3bn in sales last year, more than double previous estimates. Many podcasters now stream video too.

    Stern also now faces competition from popular podcast hosts like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper who wield the sort of cultural – and sometimes political – influence that Stern used to.

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    “He has had so many imitators,” said John Cassillo, lead analyst at the Measure, a business analytics company. Rogan “is probably a spiritual successor in some ways” because he “just kind of throws questions out there and sees what happens”.

    Stern has also adjusted his approach, becoming known for sometimes in-depth, thoughtful interviews with celebrities.

    “I had interviewed every porn star about every orifice,” Stern told the New York Times in 2019. “Don’t get me wrong, I was fascinated, but I couldn’t be that guy anymore.”

    Jim McBride, founder of MrSkin.com, which features Hollywood nude scenes, started appearing on Stern’s show in 2000. The appearance generated so much traffic to his website that it crashed, McBride said.

    He estimates that he appeared on the show more than 15 times.

    “It’s been incredible for my business,” McBride said. “I’m forever grateful for that show.”

    But he has not appeared on the program since 2018, though Stern still talks about the website on air, McBride said.

    He also thinks that potential decline in listenership has more to do with the crowded media landscape than Stern’s new approach.

    “I love his two-hour-long interviews with A-list celebrities that open up and say things that you normally wouldn’t hear in these short little TV interviews,” McBride said. “There are so many places to get entertainment now; it’s only natural that his show would not have the same amount of listeners.”

    Stern has also bashed Donald Trump, who used to appear on his show.

    “I don’t agree with Trump politically,” Stern said on his show before the 2024 election, according to the Daily Beast. “I don’t think he should be anywhere near the White House. I don’t hate the guy. I hate the people who vote for him. I think they’re stupid. I do. I’ll be honest with you, I have no respect for you.”

    Trump responded on Fox News, claiming that Stern’s ratings had “gone down the tubes” because he went “woke”.

    Cassillo, of the Measure, doesn’t buy that argument. Instead, he sees Stern’s potential lost market share to the “hundreds, if not thousands of successful copycat-type programs across podcasts and YouTube”.

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  • Japan’s Arc Hopes Boosted By Byzantine Dream In the Prix Foy

    Japan’s Arc Hopes Boosted By Byzantine Dream In the Prix Foy

    Arc clues were in abundance at ParisLongchamp on Sunday and the first piece of the puzzle was put in place by Japan as Byzantine Dream (Epiphaneia) upstaged the Euro contingent in the G2 Qatar Prix Foy. Earning the special voyage with a win in Riyadh’s G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap and a second in the G1 Tenno Sho Spring, Kazumi Yoshida’s four-year-old was sprung from his cover by Oisin Murphy to overwhelm the 8-5 favourite Sosie (Sea The Stars) in the final yards and record a half-length success.

    “He has a hot temperament, but he relaxed very well and was very strong in the finish, although he doesn’t do a whole lot in front,” Murphy said of the Tomoyasu Sakaguchi-trained 11-1 shot. “If the ground is nice, he will have a chance in the most important race in the world. He has a very good turn of foot, but does want fast ground. He was much heavier today than in January and I’d hope he can be even better on Arc weekend–it’s good ground today and that was a true-run race.”

    In one of the strongest renewals of this course-and-distance prep for the older horses, Almaqam (Lope De Vega) and Los Angeles (Camelot) were third and fourth, two lengths and a head further behind. With the ground riding good-to-soft in likely contrast to what will be expected on the first Sunday in October, the winning time off an honest, pacemaker-led tempo was 2:28.32 to help with comparisons with the upcoming Vermeille and Niel.



     

     

     

    Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
    QATAR PRIX FOY-G2, €119,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-7, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:28.32, g/s.
    1–BYZANTINE DREAM (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Epiphaneia (Jpn)
    1st Dam: Japoni Chara (Jpn), by Jungle Pocket (Jpn)
    2nd Dam: Glitter Chara (Jpn), by French Deputy
    3rd Dam: Fusaichi Airedale (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
    O-Mme Kazumi Yoshida; B-Northern Racing; T-Tomoyasu Sakaguchi; J-Oisin Murphy. €67,830. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Jpn, 10-4-1-0, €2,697,727. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
    2–Sosie (Ire), 128, c, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Sosia (Ger), by Shamardal. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere; T-Andre Fabre. €26,180.
    3–Almaqam (GB), 128, c, 4, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Talmada, by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin; T-Ed Walker. €12,495.
    Margins: HF, 2, HD. Odds: 11.00, 1.60, 5.10.
    Also Ran: Los Angeles (Ire), Iresine (Fr), Arrow Eagle (Fr), Map Of Stars (GB), Cheeky Boy (Fr), Mont St Michel (Ire).


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  • Volkswagen unveils compact electric SUV ahead of Munich car show – Reuters

    1. Volkswagen unveils compact electric SUV ahead of Munich car show  Reuters
    2. Angry? Just disappointed? No, it’s the VW ID. Cross Concept  Top Gear
    3. IAA MOBILITY 2025 – The Volkswagen News  Volkswagen Newsroom
    4. Volkswagen’s Naming Change For Electric Cars Is A Huge Deal  CleanTechnica
    5. World premieres, tech highlights, and iconic products: Volkswagen Group unleashes its full potential as a global technology driver at IAA Mobility  MarketScreener

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  • Japan beat Spain with second-half surge

    Japan beat Spain with second-half surge

    YORK – Japan claimed the win at Rugby World Cup 2025 their performances have deserved, coming from behind to beat Spain 29-21 in Pool C at York Community Stadium on Sunday.

    Story of the match

    Japan made the most of their early pressure, moving the ball left from a scrum to send Sora Nishimura diving over in the corner.

    Spain hit back, producing a series of impressive offloads after taking a quick tap penalty before Cristina Blanco Herrera scored under the posts.

    Despite Japan dominating possession and territory for the majority of the first half, Spain struck again just before the break, Monica Castelo diving over the line from close range to extend their lead to 14-5.

    But that was as it good as it got for Spain, though, as Japan came out for the second half with renewed intent. They scored three tries in 16 minutes before Spain lost Anne Fernandez de Corres to a yellow card.

    Japan scored again through Jennifer Nduka before Spain had the final say with Victoria Rosell Martinez’s try after Claudia Pena’s stunning burst and offload.

     

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  • Women Are Now Getting Limb-Shortening Surgery in the Name of Love

    Women Are Now Getting Limb-Shortening Surgery in the Name of Love

    We’ve written about men getting leg-lengthening surgery before. They’re spending thousands of dollars and months of recovery to inch closer to six feet. But now, women are heading in the opposite direction. Not to correct deformities or injury. Just to be…shorter. In the hope that it will help them in the love department.

    Clinics in Istanbul are offering a new kind of cosmetic service: limb-shortening surgery for women who believe their height is working against them romantically. And while it might sound like the setup to a dystopian rom-com, it’s very real and very painful.

    Surgeons cut the femur or tibia, remove bone, then secure what’s left with a metal rod. The upper leg can be reduced by up to 5.5 centimeters (2.2 inches), the lower leg by 3 centimeters (1.2 inches). One woman reportedly went from 172 to 167.9 centimeters (5’7¾” to 5’6″).

    Most clinics promote the surgery as part of a complete “package,” including hospitalization, city tours, restaurant dinners, and even boat rides. But the post-op reality isn’t glamorous. Patients spend months recovering, often in wheelchairs, with intensive physical therapy four to five times a week.

    Risks include nerve damage, bone infections, muscle weakness, and nonunion fractures that may never heal properly. Metal rods have weight limits, too, so you need to be under 75 kg (165 lbs) to even qualify.

    Women Are Undergoing Limb-Shortening Surgery Just for Love

    According to the Daily Mail, one Istanbul clinic has done at least 10 cosmetic limb-shortening surgeries since 2023. And while no global registry tracks these procedures yet, forums and Reddit threads have started filling up with stories from tall women who say they’ve struggled to date.

    One reason? Height politics. Studies show that most men prefer women shorter than themselves, and women tend to prefer taller partners. That leaves some taller women caught in between, and apparently willing to sacrifice inches to close the gap.

    Despite the absurdity of breaking your legs to be shorter, height has been directly connected to health. Researchers have linked tall stature in women to conditions like endometriosis and increased cancer risk. But that’s not what’s driving this particular trend. For many, it circles back to dating and the belief that being smaller may make them more “approachable.”

    It’s a complicated equation. Shrinking yourself to feel seen by someone else seems a bit over the top. 


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  • Insider tip: Great Tablet for students with paper-like panel and pen on a shoestring budget

    Insider tip: Great Tablet for students with paper-like panel and pen on a shoestring budget

    The Lenovo Idea Tab’s 5G option for mobile internet is practical for flexible learning and working outside the Wi-Fi network. The GPS function, which worked well in the outdoor test, also enables location-based applications and precise orientation, for example on the university campus.

    Despite the low price, the Android tablet offers a certain degree of future security thanks to a long update supply of up to four years, or even seven years according to the EU directive. The software also supports a PC mode with multi-window support and AI-supported apps, which should make everyday life at university or school easier. Translations are possible without having to switch between different apps, notes can be digitized and equations solved in real time or the most important information can be filtered out of a text and prepared in a structured way if required.

    The support of an active stylus with 4,096 pressure levels for handwritten notes, which should feel very natural in combination with the matt paper-like display, also offers advantages for students. The panel also comes with a high resolution and good color accuracy and is easy on the eyes even during prolonged use. We could not detect any PWM for the Lenovo Idea Tab in the measurements.

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  • This open world simulation game with over 20,000 positive reviews is 54% off on Steam

    This open world simulation game with over 20,000 positive reviews is 54% off on Steam

    Image of the game Contraband Police on Steam. (Image source: Steam)

    This game, which has over 20,000 positive reviews on Steam, is currently 54% off on the platform. But this offer won’t last forever, and you only have a few days left to take advantage of it.

    Good deals continue on Steam and this allows many people to buy games at attractive prices. And currently, Contraband Police, a highly rated open world simulation game, is 54% off on the platform.

    In this game, the player will embody a young officer in training assigned to a checkpoint at the border of the Karikatka region. But it will not be easy, because all his actions and gestures will be monitored by his supervisors. 

    During his service, the player will have to control the documents of people who want to cross the frontier. For this, it is necessary to check various information while avoiding errors, whether it is on the family names or on the birth dates. 

    Motorists will also hide contraband in their vehicles, and it will be essential to find it with the help of a UV flashlight and several tools. Improvements to the control station are also available, offering a range of benefits. In addition, the player will always have to stay on the lookout, as Oberankov’s gang will regularly launch attacks.

    Finally, special missions are also available, allowing to solve criminal investigations, support comrades in various situations, and limit the harmful actions of the Blood Fist rebels.  

    So, if you’re interested in this adventure, Contraband Police is available on Steam for $13.79. But be warned, because this offer ends on September 20, and after that date the price will increase to $29.99.

    Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.

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