Daily Archives: June 27, 2017

Medical Q&A: So-called smart drugs can turn out to be a dumb idea – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Posted: June 27, 2017 at 7:24 am

Q: What are nootropic drugs, and do they really boost brainpower?

A: Cognition-enhancing drugs known as nootropics some prescription, some over-the-counter, others available on a worldwide gray market of private sellers are said to improve memory, attention, creativity and motivation.

The word "nootropic" was coined in 1972 by a Romanian scientist, Corneliu Giurgea, who combined the Greek words for "mind" and "bending." Caffeine and nicotine can be considered mild nootropics, while prescription Ritalin, Adderall and Provigil (modafinil, a drug for treating narcolepsy) lie at the far end of the spectrum when prescribed off-label as cognitive enhancers. Even microdosing of LSD is increasingly viewed as a means to greater productivity.

But when aficionados talk about nootropics, they usually refer to substances that have supposedly few side effects and low toxicity. Most often they mean piracetam, which Giurgea first synthesized in 1964 and which is approved for therapeutic use in dozens of countries for use in adults and the elderly. Not so in the United States, however, where officially it can be sold only for research purposes.

Piracetam is well studied and is credited by its users with boosting their memory, sharpening their focus, heightening their immune system, even bettering their personalities. But it's only one of many formulations in the racetam drug family. Newer ones include aniracetam, phenylpiracetam and oxiracetam. All are available online, where their efficacy and safety are debated and reviewed on message boards and in podcasts.

A number of companies now market nootropic "stacks," or formulas, some of which include piracetam, herbal remedies, amino acids and citicoline, a naturally occurring brain chemical that can be taken orally as a supplement, intravenously or as a shot.

Because they are sold as nutritional supplements and natural products that refrain from making health claims, they avoid close government scrutiny.

"Who doesn't want to maximize their cognitive ability?" asks Murali Doraiswamy, who has led several trials of cognitive enhancers at Duke University Health System and has been an adviser to pharmaceutical and supplement manufacturers as well as the Food and Drug Administration. He attributes the demand to an increasingly knowledge-based society that values mental quickness and agility above all else.

But while some studies have found short-term benefits, Doraiswamy says there is no evidence that what are commonly known as smart drugs of any type improve thinking or productivity over the long run.

"There's a sizable demand, but the hype around efficacy far exceeds available evidence," notes Doraiswamy, adding that, for healthy young people such as Silicon Valley go-getters, "it's a zero-sum game. That's because when you up one circuit in the brain, you're probably impairing another system."

Although piracetam has a history of "relatively few side effects," it has fallen far short of its initial promise for treating any of the illnesses associated with cognitive decline, according to Lon Schneider, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. "We don't use it at all and never have."

As for newer nootropic drugs, there are unknown risks.

"Piracetam has been studied for decades," says cognitive neuroscientist Andrew Hill, the founder of a neurofeedback company in Los Angeles called Peak Brain Institute. But some of the newer compounds "are things that some random editor found in a scientific article, copied the formula down and sent it to China and had a bulk powder developed three months later that they're selling. Please don't take it, people!"

Sara Solovitch, The Washington Post

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Medical Q&A: So-called smart drugs can turn out to be a dumb idea - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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Don’t Fall for the ‘Memory’ Pills Targeting Baby Boomers – WIRED

Posted: at 7:24 am

A lot of people made the same bad joke on Twitter when Senator John McCain seemed confused during former FBI Director James Comeys senate testimony last week. Get John McCain some Prevagen! The joke makes no sense unless you know what Prevagen iswhich you probably don't, unless you frequently watch one of the major news networks. It's a nootropic dietary supplement, aka a smart drug, mostly marketed to baby boomers on TV as a memory enhancer . "Prevagen is a dietary supplement that has been clinically shown to help with mild memory problems associated with aging," its marketing materials say.

The thing is, though, theres no evidence the drug works.

In January of this year, the New York State Attorney General sued the makers of Prevagen for false advertising claims, since theres no evidence its jellyfish-based formula can help improve memory as it claims. We sent letters to at least five major networks who were airing these ads," says Bonnie Patton, director of the consumer watchdog group Truth in Advertising. "And guess what? Prevagen ads are still airing.

Prevagen is hardly alone. Though it's targeting the 59-and-older set who watch cable news, Prevagen is just one of many nootropics on the market, each aimed at a different kind of audience. There's Brain Dust, made by spiritual hippie foodie guru Amanda Chantal Bacon , which targets the Gwyneth Paltrow-admiring Goop set. There's Qualia, made by a group called Neurohacker Collective, that appears targeted at professionals and emphasizes its scientific approach, and Nootrobox, which offers a whole cocktail of different brain enhancers and a complete guide to biohackingto name just three. As baby boomers hit the age that memory normally starts to fade, and as Silicon Valley pours money into the biohacking fad, the market for chemical cognitive enhancers like these is booming.

And while demand for such miracle pills is high, the laws about supplement advertising are incredibly lax. If I were looking for opportunities to make a lot of money while deceiving people, I think going into the brain supplement business would be real high on my list, says Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School, a leading expert in the efficacy and risks of dietary supplements. You can make a lot of money, do something entirely legal, and youre good to go.

Like sports or dietary supplements, these brain supplements are not regulated by the FDA. Almost no research has been done into their exact formulations. And theres no real oversight of how much of any given ingredient they contain. The potential for deception plagues the supplement industry as a whole, thanks to a 1994 law that classified supplements as food rather than medication. According to a study from 2015, dietary supplements lead to at least 23,000 emergency room visits a year in the US.

The regulatory framework is all set up for this. You can advertise pills as if they support or improve brain function even if you dont have one bit of research in humans to demonstrate thats true, Cohen says. The law is pretty much clear: You can say pretty much anything short of saying this is a cure for Alzheimer's .

None of this is to say that users don't think these drugs help them out. The chemicals in these formulations may not have proven cognitive effects, but their presentation clearly is doing something to customers' brains.

As demand for cognitive enhancers increases, VC money is flooding the market. The supplement industry as a whole brings in $30 million a year, according to Cohen, and Silicon Valley appears to want to get in on itVC firm Andreesen Horrowitz, for instance, invested $2 million in Nootrobox. All that money could fund researchbut more immediately, it buys a slick website, which can do a lot to sell the promise of a brain boost.

Go to Qualias website, and youll see a neatly organized list of its ingredients, which range from neuro-vitamins to adaptogenic compounds to amino acids. This medicalese lends the pills an air of credibility, as do the links to scientific studies about each ingredient. Really, though, its an over-the-counter supplement that theyve thrown everything in the kitchen sink at, says Kimberly Urban, a scientist at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, who has studied brain-enhancing medicines.

Also on the list of ingredients in most of these? Caffeine. Part of the reason caffeine is so often found in dietary supplementsweight loss, cognitive, or otherwiseis because you feel it. And when you feel it, you think its working. The same reason that caffeine in weight loss drugs makes you feel that its doing something: It wires you up, says Urban. Many supplements dont contain enough of any of their given molecules to actually produce an effect, so they rely entirely on the placebo effect to work.

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The overlap with diet pills is what most worries Cohen about the trend of memory supplements. He and his research team have long studied the illegal inclusion of amphetamines or methamphetamines in diet pills. (You thought caffeine made you feel sped up?) Though he hasn't tested nootropics, he sees no reason to believe companies wont try to sneak the same tweaked amphetamines into them, compounds which are both incredibly addictive and very hard to test and find.

But even without illegal drugs snuck into the formulations, supplements can be dangerous on their own. Though they are ostensibly made with only natural ingredients, lots of natural things are deadlyand without oversight, you'll never know exactly how much of each compound you're getting. You should be especially careful if you are sensitive to caffeine or take other medications, since many of the natural ingredients found in supplements can interact with prescription medications. (Did you know that St. Johns Wort can render oral contraceptives less effective? Me neither! But if you are taking the pill, thats something youd want to bear in mind before taking Qualia.)

Most of these nootropics also contain amino acids and plant extracts. Some of these things may be beneficial to the brain, say Cohen and Urban. Urban points to one nootropic listed in Qualia, phosphatidylserine, as something preliminary research has shown interesting results on. On Qualias website, under a section of the FAQ headlined Is Qualia a scam or snake oil? the company writes this:

Qualia is not a scam. We have a non-proprietary formulationwe publish exactly whats in our product, with the exact amounts. We publish links to the research that support their safety and efficacy, which includes Phase II & III university and clinical trials, strong quantified self research data, and over 40+ years international research on nootropic stack formulation.

But most of those studies are basic research into individual compounds done in animals or with animal cells in petri dishes. The leap from there to this specific formulation is helpful to the human brain is huge. (WIRED reached out to Neurohacker Collective for comment but didn't hear back before publication.) Neuroscientists are only beginning to understand how memory even functions in the human brain, let alone how a specific compound might affect it. This is not about science," says NYU professor of nutrition Marion Nestle. "Its about wishful thinking."

Wishing to be smarter, better, more productive is natural. Unfortunately, even as most things in 2017 are available at the click of a button, maintaining brain health is still complicated. Doctors recommend you get a good night's sleep, limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption, exercise regularly, and keep your brain stimulated. None of that's as easy as popping a pill, but hey, at least it works.

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Don't Fall for the 'Memory' Pills Targeting Baby Boomers - WIRED

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Layers of Fear devs on psychological rape in their cyberpunk … – PCGamesN

Posted: at 7:22 am

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Observer is a new non-combat horror game from the developers of Layers of Fear, set in a cyberpunk future in Krakow, 2084. To explain the concept, the team's just released a developer diary to talk potential players through what they can expect.

Related: here are the upcoming PC games.

As developer diaries go its got a very strange tone. You can tell the developer narrating is enthusiastic about their game, but it sits strangely alongside some of the topics discussed.

At one point, he enthusiastically talks about the specific style of horror they create, saying one player described it best: So thats what it feels like to be insane! Obviously that comment refers to Layers of Fear, but apparently Observer will show you what it feels like to be an Observer.

What is an Observer? Well, theyre future detectives who hack cybernetically-enhanced humans to see their memories, thus helping them piece together crimes. One could argue its a new form of psychological rape, and thats certainly how the Class-C citizens of Krakow feel, here in the year 2084, he explains.

The metaphor seems to continue after that, too, the tone jumping all over the place. Hopefully the finished game is a bit more self-aware.

Have a watch above. Observer is due out this summer.

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The Devil Wears Prada Release Cyberpunk ‘Worldwide’ Video – Loudwire

Posted: at 7:22 am

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Last year, The Devil Wears Prada released possibly the best album of their career inTransit Blues. In eleven tracks, the band took their finely crafted metalcore to new heights by incorporating elements of sludge and doom metal, creating a wholly new sound and life for the group.Today they released a new video for one of the albums singles,Worldwide.

As the third video off the album following Daughter and To the Key of Evergreen, Worldwide continues their streak of striking visuals that tell thought-provoking stories. The visuals include different people being hooked up to a variety of different machines. The band themselves are also hooked up to luminescent wires while they play.

Song-wise, it shows off the bands ability to make a straight up rock song with a great hook. Clean singer/guitarist Jeremy DePoyster takes center stage on the song, offering up a verse that paints a map of the bands travels, a desire to get lost in the lush destinations theyve had the fortune to visit. Screamer Mike Hranica gives a sharp dichotomy to DePoysters voice, adding a sharp edge to the song.

The song matter correlates with the bands intent on the album, in wanting to be able to sing about more ordinary matters than a typical metal song would allow for. In an interview we conducted with the band, Hranica said, I wanted to be able to talk about more ordinary topics, and for the most part thats just what really has gripped me in my own musical taste, and I wanted to find a way to have these aggressive songs but be able to talk about more mundane matters, and I think thats also very much born from literature. Alot of reading is not going to be these highly intense sort of moments all the time, as compared to, you know, if you look at the substance behind a metal record, where its all so dire and dramatic.

Its too soon to tell whatll come next for the band, but hopefully well be treated to more visual components that match up with the bands music.

Watch the video for Worldwide above!

The Devil Wears Prada Play Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?

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The Devil Wears Prada Talk Space EP

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The Devil Wears Pradas Mike Hranica Talks Transit Blues Album

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Panasonic launches ‘business-rugged’ Toughbook CF-XZ6 hybrid – ZDNet

Posted: at 7:20 am

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ6

Panasonic has unveiled the latest member of its Toughbook range of business laptops. The model name, Toughbook CF-XZ6, gives little away, but this is a 12-inch 2-in-1 detachable laptop/tablet hybrid that slots into the lowest 'business rugged' rung of Panasonic's ruggedness ladder (next up is 'semi-rugged', followed by 'fully rugged'). This means that while it's considerably slimmer, lighter and more elegant than Panasonic's military-grade 12-inch detachable, the Toughbook CF-33, it's not rated to withstand anything like the same levels of abuse.

Designed for mobile professionals requiring a flexible laptop/tablet hybrid that can handle "the knocks and drops of business life", the Toughbook CF-XZ6 has neither a MIL-STD certification nor an IP (ingress protection) rating. However, Panasonic says that it passes 76cm (desk height) free-fall and 100-kilogram-force pressurised vibration tests.

"I think, in Panasonic terms, the product itself is -- dare I say it -- sexy," said Jon Tucker, Head of Product Marketing for Panasonic Computer Product Solutions (CPS), at the UK launch of the Toughbook CF-XZ6 in Cardiff, Wales. "We're used to doing fully rugged, industrial-looking types of products," Tucker added, "and design-wise this is the sexiest product we've ever brought to market."

In laptop mode the CF-XZ6 weighs 1.18kg and is 22mm thick. The tablet section weighs 640g and is just 9mm thick. The device has two webcams: 2 megapixels (with IR for Windows Hello) at the front, and 8 megapixels at the rear.

The Toughbook CF-XZ6 measures 288.5mm wide by 223.7mm deep by 22mm thick (11.36in. 8.81in. 0.87in.) and weighs 1.18kg (2.6lbs), or 640g (22.6oz) just for the tablet section. It's powered by a latest (7th) generation Intel Core i5-7300U vPro processor and comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. The screen is a 12-inch 10-point IPS touchscreen with a quad-HD resolution of 2,160 by 1,440 pixels (216ppi). The anti-reflective 'dual-touch' capacitive touchscreen works with finger input or with an optional Active stylus pen. Other 'project-based' options are available with 4GB or 16GB of RAM and 128GB or 512GB SSDs. The OS is Windows 10 Pro.

For wireless connectivity there's dual-band (2.4/5GHz) 802.11ac wi-fi and Bluetooth 4.1, with 4G LTE broadband available as an option. Panasonic offers plenty of physical connections too: USB-C and 3.5mm audio on the tablet section, plus three USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet (RJ-45) and an SD card slot on the keyboard section.

Unusually, Panasonic includes both legacy VGA and HDMI ports on the CF-XZ6, along with a full-size RJ-45 Ethernet port.

There are 4-cell batteries in both the tablet and keyboard sections, with claimed lives of around 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours respectively, making a total of 14 hours. As usual with detachables, the (removable, hot-swappable) keyboard battery drains first when the device is in laptop mode, leaving maximum charge for use in tablet mode. There's also a dedicated switch that allows you to toggle keyboard-to-tablet charging on and off.

"Any executive would be proud to use this business laptop in front of a customer or prospect," said Jan Kaempfer, General Manager for Marketing at Panasonic CPS in a statement. "Its stylish good looks and super slim design, alongside its powerful business capabilities and durability bring together all the manufacturing excellence of the Panasonic Toughbook range in one device."

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ6 comes with a three-year warranty and will be available in July 2017 at 1,539 (ex. VAT).

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Why am I expected to have children just because I’m a woman? – Irish Times

Posted: at 7:20 am

The endless stereotypes about women include the myths that we all dream of nurturing a child; although this stereotype is accurate for some women, it is not for all

Im sitting at a table with a bunch of women and a couple of men. The conversation is about children: how many we hope to have, baby names, would we rather a boy or a girl?

It goes around in a circle and everyone is excited to answer these questions. When its my turn to answer, Im not excited. Im a 20 year old journalism student in my second year of college. My whole life is ahead of me. So how many children do you want? I respond None.

The whole room goes quiet and awkward, until someone chimes in, You are young though, you will want them in the future. The next person is asked the same question, he is a man, he also says he does not want children, but this time there is no awkward silence, they accept his answer and move on.

Perhaps most women do dream of having children and of becoming a mother, but the fact is I dont. I want a career and I want that career to be my child, I dont see anything wrong with that.

Throughout my life, I have never wanted a child or fantasised about motherhood. Its not what I want out of life. I salute to the women who dream of becoming a mother and giving birth, for having the strength to deal with breastfeeding and the constant care of another, more vulnerable being.

I empathise with women who want to be a mothers and cant, but just because I dont desire children does not make me selfish. Many female celebrities get pitied for having a child-free life by choice. Successful women who have chosen a child-free life that they have been shamed for and it has only made them stronger in their decision.

Jennifer Aniston lives a child-free life and refuses to be pitied for it. I have worked too hard in this life and this career to be whittled down to a sad childless human, she told Marie Claire magazine.

Oprah Winfrey also chose not to have children, saying, If I had kids, my kids would hate me, because something in my life would have had to suffer, and it would probably have been them.

Helen Mirren waited to have kids and it never happened: It was not my destiny. I didnt care what people thought. It was only boring old men who would ask me. And whenever they went, What, no children? Well you better get on with it, old girl, Id say No! F**koff!. Nice one, Helen.

When they detect reluctance, parents say things like you have no idea what you are missing but that doesnt make sense. I see mothers everywhere and while I know its not the whole picture I get a clear sense of what it entails. Why would their lives change our minds? If we dont want what we see on the outside, why would we want what we see on the inside?

The endless stereotypes about women include the myths that we all dream of nurturing a child; although this stereotype is accurate for some women, it is not for all. In fact, there are many men who also suit this stereotype.

From a very young age, I have never seen a child in my future. I dont have a maternal bone in my body. I am going to college to get a degree to find a stimulating career path, one I do not want to give up or compromise on for a child. I shouldnt be expected to want a child because I have a uterus.

There are many reasons I dont want to be a parent. I never fully had a childhood myself having spent many of my early years looking after my autistic sister. To some degree, I have already experienced what being a mother is like and I can safely say its not for me.

I also worry that my child might have special needs and that as a result I would not be able to live the life I imagine for myself. My ambition in life is to have a full-time career not to be a full-time carer.

Seeing a woman who is resolutely childfree seems to seems to give people licence to call women selfish, self-absorbed, and shallow. There are many reasons these women do not want children. Pregnancy itself takes a serious toll on a persons life and it consumes the person. Fertility issues are often a reason as when faced with them, people can question the necessity of having kids.

There are a lot of expectations with having children: to be a perfect mother and to make perfect choices. Not everyone wants the pressure (I dont). And not all women are programmed with maternal instinct. Career ambitions can take priority and children do not fit into every lifestyle.

I have my reasons, but reasons should not be necessary. I shouldnt have to explain. Our choices about what we do with our bodies are deeply personal. We should stop pitying or putting down people who chose to have a child-free life.

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Why am I expected to have children just because I'm a woman? - Irish Times

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LETTER: Consider Planned Parenthood’s origin – Galesburg Register-Mail

Posted: at 7:18 am

Editor, Register-Mail: Many conservative Republicans believe that the lives of viable babies in the womb are precious and have a right to life. Planned Parenthood, as some may not know, was founded by Margaret Sanger, an advocate of the eugenics movement. The eugenics movement promoted the reduction of sexual reproduction and sterilization of people with undesireable traits such as the very poor and non-whites. Sanger was deemed a white supremacist by many. She opened the first birth control clinic in New York in 1916, which eventually became Planned Parenthood. Margaret Sanger began the Negro Project, allegedly to reduce that population in the guise of a concern for womens health issues. This was reportedly her cover and solution to reduce the unfit in society.

Her legacy continues through Planned Parenthood resulting in large numbers of black abortions disproportionate to their population. About 40 percent of all Planned Parenthood abortions are performed on black women. Planned Parenthood is an ally of a culture of death in America. Those who claim that the effort to defund Planned Parenthood is a part of the war on women disregard that the original intent was to decimate poor communities. The horrors of abortion are apparent to those who care to understand how the procedures are performed. The goal of abortion is not womens health, but the snuffing out of the lives of the innocent unwanted unborn.

All life is the handiwork of our creator and should fill us with awe. Preserving innocent life should be a major concern of those who participated in The March for Truth. Under recent pro-abortion amendments to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, pro-life medical personnel who exercise their conscience and refuse to participate in abortions must refer patients seeking abortions to doctors who will perform them. What is next on the liberals agenda? Will medical personnel who refuse be charged with discrimination for impeding a womans right to choose? Conservative Republicans are facing a growing criticism from leftist ideologues who are openly hostile to sensible Christian moral values. Deuteronomy 30:19 (Choose life!) Thomas E. Mosher, Victoria

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LETTER: Consider Planned Parenthood's origin - Galesburg Register-Mail

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This powerful new tool for cloning genes could speed up drug discovery – Boston Business Journal

Posted: at 7:18 am


Boston Business Journal
This powerful new tool for cloning genes could speed up drug discovery
Boston Business Journal
The technology "makes a 20,000-piece puzzle look like a 1,000-piece puzzle, said one of the researchers, Biju Parekkadan, a faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital. Subscribe to get the full story. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Subscribe to ...

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This powerful new tool for cloning genes could speed up drug discovery - Boston Business Journal

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Evolution Edge Products

Posted: at 7:17 am

A LEAP IN EVOLUTION OF PERFORMANCE

Innovation and quality are part of Edges DNA. The Evolution has no peer in the marketplace and is designed for WOW! As an in-cabin controller and programmer, the Evolution is the ultimate package!

The Evolution reprograms your vehicles stock computer. It resides in the cab with one simple cable connection to the OBDII (diagnostic) port. The Evolution is used to save the stock files from the vehicles computer and then upload the Edge calibrations into the vehicles computer. This amazing product is available for both gas and diesel pickups and SUVs. This product comes with multiple power levels custom tuned by a whole team of engineers, and can be installed in minutes without ever popping the hood. The Evolution greatly increases horsepower and torque. Not only does it re-tune your vehicle, it stays mounted in the cab and features real-time, monitoring of vital engine data for a complete gauge package.

If youre looking for a product to improve throttle response, that extra power when towing, race down the track, increase fuel economy, or to just improve the overall driveability of your truck then the Evolution is a great options. Not only do you get these increase performance features but you get a monitor that offers a clean simple solution for gauges like EGT (exhaust gas temperature), Boost readings, transmission temp, load percent, percentage of fuel left, and more with the expandability to even add more with our EAS (expandable accessory system). We didnt stop there. Get the CTS2 version and add our backup camera or control your 12 volt power accessories with our Power Switch connector. Want to learn more for your truck then configure your vehicle and view all the parameters available to monitor, horsepower and torque gains, and all the custom options like tire size calibration.

Evolution Features:

GAUGES* The EvolutionCSs or CTSs monitor the unit is a comprehensive gauge package that stays mounted in the cab of the truck and displays dozens of available parameters at a time. Monitor vital engine data, such as EGTs*, engine coolant temperature, transmission fluid temperature, engine oil temperature, and RPM, to name a few.

SAFETY FEATURES User-Adjustable Audible Alert Settings

PERFORMANCE TESTING, ALERTS AND RECORDSview video Performs and records 0-60 and quarter-mile times; quarter-mile MPH; peak engine temperature, RPM, speed and transmission temperature values. Sounds audible alerts when user-defined values are reached and automatically records the highest value of key parameters.

0-60 MPH Performance Test Quarter-Mile Performance Test Restore Defaults Option

INTERNET UPDATEABLE A USB cable is included with the unit so that the EvolutionCS2 and CTS2 units can be updated via the Internet to include the latest calibration files.

EXPANDABLE (items sold separately) Compatible with optional ExpandableAccessory System (EAS) to allow users to connect multiple, additional accessories Compatible with optional EGT pyrometer for engine protection

BACK-UP CAMERA (sold separately) TheEvolutionCTS2 features a built-in video port that allows users to connect the state-of-the-art Edge back-up camera directly to the CTS2 unit.

MYSTYLETM SOFTWARE (included)view video MyStyleTM software that allows users to choose from a variety of Edge custom backgrounds or simply upload an image of your choice, size, crop and save to your CS2 or CTS2 unit for the ultimate in customizability.

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The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII Is The Kind Of Crazy No One … – Jalopnik

Posted: at 7:17 am

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a car that drove straight from Japan, through our TV screens, punched the Subaru WRX STI in the face, and quickly disappeared into oblivion.

The Lancer Evo X Final Edition is old news down to everything, save for the silly badges that

When it finally arrived in the U.S. in 2003 after the American people begged on their knees for yearsand after the Subaru WRX proved a business case could be made for such a movethe cars popularity was already through the roof thanks to Gran Turismo, Paul Walker and rallying.

But by the time the car sadly left us last year, the story turned into a tragedy. Mitsubishis rally car for the road hadnt received a facelift in almost a decade, its drivetrain was outgunned by newer, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive machines like the Volkswagen Golf R and Ford Focus RS, and the entire Mitsubishi brand was collapsing from lack of new car development.

And now the Evo is dead.

I paid respects to its legacy by going back to where the Evo started in Americawith the Evo VIII, the first one sold on our shores. And Im here to tell you why the cars demise still causes an unfilled void in todays automotive landscape.

(Full disclosure: The opportunity to drive a Lancer Evo VIII GSR came from an old high-school friend, and Canadian Jalopnik reader who had one imported from Ohio.)

Introduced in Japan in 1992 as a homologation special designed for Group A racing, the first Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was a humble, compact sedan that inherited the larger, 2.0-liter, turbocharged four and all-wheel-drive system from the Galant VR-4 rally car. Think of it as the Japanese approach to the muscle car: small car gets big engine and some go-fast goodies.

Because the Lancer was smaller and lighter than the Galant, it proved to be the more logical choice for racing, which is why it was chosen over the Galant as Mitsubishis competition car.

Throughout its 14-year run, the Lancer Evo went through a total of 10 generations, incrementally evolving at each variant, coming out stronger and more competent each time.

The cars core specifications stayed pretty much intact for each generation; it was always powered by a 2.0-liter turbo engine, was always all-wheel-drive, and was always around 300 horsepower. Or a lot more, in certain special cases.

The one you see here, sold from 2003 to 2005, had a total power output, of 271 HP and 273 lb-ft of torque. All of it was sent to the ground using a torque-splitting all-wheel-drive system via a five-speed manual transmission.

The Evo distinguished itself from a normal Lancer by having a more aggressive front bumper, which housed a protruding front-mounted intercooler, a set of xenon HID headlights, an aluminium vented hood and roof, bulging fender flares, optional Bilstein shocks, Brembo brakes, a massive carbon fiber rear wing, Recaro racing seats and a set of 17-inch Enkei wheels.

Massively fortified from the base of its windshield all the way to its suspension attachment points using extra spot welds and intensive steel bracing, the Evo VIII was an all-weather, hyper-solid, supercar-slaying grocery-getter that could rocket out of the hole and onto 60 mph in a claimed 5.1 seconds.

The Evo was the forbidden fruit Americans had drooled over for more than a decade. This generation, the VIII, was the one they could finally feast on for themselves.

It also appeared during a sport compact car boom that was dominated by the Subaru WRX, the Dodge SRT4 and a few othersfew of which were as capableat the time. Plus, both of those cars were selling like crazy, so Mitsubishi wanted a piece of that pie too.

Finally, right after the Evos launch, Subaru announced that it would drop a 300-horsepower STI bombshell. America was suddenly introduced to a new generation of performance cars, and hadnt witnessed a rivalry this close since Camaro vs. Mustang.

It was a rad time to be alive.

Our Canadian friend Sbastien wanted an Evo VIII so badly that when he found out the car was only available to Americans (Canada only got the Evo in 2008), he did what any good Jalop would, and imported one himself from Ohio via Ebay. Since the base Lancer was already sold in Canada, he figured registering an Evo would be a piece of cake.

Turns out he was right.

Except for a requirement to fit daylight running lights onto the car, Sb could finally legally drive his unicorn in the land of the Timbit alongside the more common WRX STI.

His example is clean and has never seen winter, which may seem odd for an all-wheel-drive, turbocharged weather-conquering tool that lives in Canada, but thats actually why the car still looks mint after all these years.

Its also entirely stock, which is rare, all the way down to the period-correct Enkei wheels. His wheels. Theyre period-correct.

Except for a beefier, aftermarket intercooler, you know, for better cooling, all mechanical components on this Evo were left intact.

Spotting a 24-year-old sport compact car after your eye has gotten accustomed to the more modern offerings reveals how much that segment has changed over the years.

Todays factory tuned small cars like say, a Focus RS or a Civic Type R look like they were engineered from the ground up as true performance machines, with their performance baked into their original design.

The Evo VIII, on the other hand, looks like an average Lancer shitbox with a full battalion of branded performance parts glued on. It isnt really a pretty car.

Also: tiny button to spray water onto the intercooler.

But you have to admire the cars athleticism. It has a nice, purposeful demeanor thanks to a wide track, aggressive stance, gigantic rear wing and the fact that its mechanical components seem to want to escape the car through all available orifices.

Like a bodybuilder eating a bowl of cereal filled with creatine in the morning, the Evo is all muscle, even at rest.

Oh my god, this interior looks and feels cheap. Its funny, because Mitsubishi actually tried to spice up the cabin to justify the high sales price with softer materials to make the car feel more upscale.

They totally failed. Theres also absolutely no styling in there whatsoever. And those added gauges are a joke. I was sure they were aftermarket until I saw the tiny Mitsubishi logo inside them.

Otherwise, the Evo has a boring and ugly Lancer dashboard. Even more so than the slightly more premium Evos that followed, this car is thoroughly a shitty economy sedan inside.

Theres also a large, horizontal slab of carbon fiber that occupies all the space in the rearview mirror.

Oh wait, thats the wing.

And theres bonkers turbo lag. I thought the Volkswagen Golf R was bad, but it turns out the torque curve in that car is a magic carpet next to the Evo VIIIs. Floor it andnothingnothingthen swwwwooooosh!there she goes.

Dont get me wrong, when that boost kicks in, the car is fast and immensely fun. But you sense that the car would be useless without that turbo.

Its a Lancer, so its small, somewhat spacious and easy to park. Theres also a decent-sized bench back there, so you can fit a baby or a few bros. And theres a useful trunk. Sure, its a little less cavernous than in a normal Lancer because of that all-wheel-drive system under there, but itll swallow a full grocery order no sweat. Or a couple of golf bags.

Because of course, every Evo owner plays golf.

The Recaros are kind of hard to live with and not all that comfortable for long rides. They also take up a lot of space, as if they were an afterthought. Unless youve got the hands of a hobbit, good luck grabbing your phone or some pocket change if they fall between the seat and the door.

Finally: tiny little gas tank. This is a notorious problem with the Evo VIII, which is why many owners opt for a larger reservoir. Sb is lucky to get 200 miles with a full tank.

Other than those minor gripes, Id daily an Evo VIII.

Oh yes. All the fast. All the loud. All the legend.

The clutch is heavy and bites hard. Release it and youll hear a light thunk emitted from the drivetrain. You hear the driveshaft quietly doing its thing from underneath you as youre pushing the car hard. The engine whines, growls, and chirps along the way. The massive performance brakes squeak. You can actually hear the wastegate evacuating unused exhaust gases. Whoooshhhh.

Did you add a blow-off valve, Sb? I asked as we rocketed through the countryside in the rally-bred econobox.

Nope. Thats all stock, he replied.

What a glorious, addictive, Group A-appropriate sound. The Evo, even in road-legal form, feels every bit like a rally car. Its loud, obnoxious, running around with its middle finger in the air all the time. What an admirable thing this car.

While hooning, the Recaros suddenly make sense. They hold you firmly in place as the car generates massive cornering gs.

The tall manual shifter is kind of notchy. Lets just say it gets the job done. But the power. Oh my lord, the power. Once all 18 psi of boost kick in at around 3,500 RPM, the Evo is fast as hell, pulls strong and revs freely all the way to the limiter.

The shocks, which are not the optional Bilstein, are basically made out of rock. Stiff as hell. This isnt a compliant car, but one that focuses on getting around that bend with utmost efficiency.

Theres some understeer, normal, being a front-biased all-wheel-drive car. But play with the brakes and the gas a bit and the car transitions smoothly into light oversteer.

Hit that brake pedal and those massive Brembos will rip your face off and splatter it all over the windshield. And that tiny Momo steering wheel feels light, turns quickly and gives you plenty of confidence during heavy cornering loads.

As I was plowing through a sinuous, bumpy, pothole-filled Qubec road, sitting upright in what is essentially a little box with large windows, ripping through the gears, pretending to be a pro rally driver, I exclaimed a large - Ha! - incapable of keeping a straight face from the Evos cartoonish execution of performance.

What an adorable, fast, unrefined and totally bonkers little machine.

Sb paid $18,000 USD for his three years ago. Thats not bad for a car that sold for $30,000 in 2003. And considering that the Evo VIII could still brawl with a Golf R or a current STI on a track, I say paying $18 grand makes the car a fabulous value.

The Evo retains a better resale value than an STI, so a good bargain is hard to find. Good luck finding one in good shape and without mods of some kind. Plus, theres something about a 14-year-old turbocharged Mitsubishi that should give all but the mist hardcore mechanic some pause.

And now that the car is gone, expect its value to increase considerably in the years to come. Its kind of an automotive investment now, and the Evo VIII will be especially sought after for being the first example to have been sold in America.

Some will argue that with the presence of better turbo all-wheel-drive machines aroundthe Focus RS, for examplethe Lancer Evolution wont be missed.

I beg to differ.

Unlike some of todays sport compacts, the Evo was much more than a marketing exercise. It was the fruit of an entire carmakers racing development and research encapsulated inside a dorky economy car body. It came from a relatively small company that didnt have a massive budget to develop a performance car, and that shows inside.

What it had instead was a talented group of engineers who managed to put together one of the most iconic purpose-built performance machines of all time.

The Evo was the underdog that kicked everyones ass. It was another one of those cool cars that we love because it never apologized for what it was. There simply cannot be a substitute for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

William Clavey is an automotive journalist from Montral, Qubec, Canada. He runs claveyscorner.com.

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The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII Is The Kind Of Crazy No One ... - Jalopnik

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