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AUGUST 2021 $6.50

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GUY NUMBER CRUNCHING MY EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS F#CK

FAST FERRARI’S LATEST V12 LANDING

THE LEAD TIPS FROM A

HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR

Melisa

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CONTENTS 08/21

Bella Thai p12

Sunessis De Brito p62

King of Slashers p20

Ferrari’s Latest V12 p70

Travel Guy p32

On the cover | Melisa Gun p40

Monika Wilson p86

04 TV

32 TRAVEL GUY

76 THE TEXAS BIGFOOT

20 KING OF SLASHERS

50 GAMING’S GRANDMASTER!

78 ORDER UP!

26 TECH

56 DEMENTIA

94 LANDING THE LEAD

28 GET RIPPED!

70 F#CK FAST!

Suicide Squad 2021

Summer gaming sensations!

The Future of Windows

Fitness tips from a celebrity trainer!

Number crunching my extraordinary journeys

The Father of PlayStation

Finding light in the darkness

Hennessey’s Mammoth TRX

6 dishes to drool over

Tips from a Hollywood director

Ferrari’s latest V12

AUGUST 2021

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By master director James Gunn

THE SUICIDE SQUAD When the original Suicide Squad was released in 2016, it was an absolute mess, thanks to studio meddling, numerous reshoots, and various issues on set. On paper, it had everything to be a huge hit for D.C. yet it never truly hit its full potential. Now in 2021, we are seeing a soft reboot of sorts, with a new cast, and one or two familiar faces from the 2016 release, and a brand new director/writer with a strong voice of his own.

Can the 2021 The Suicide Squad capture the unique humor and action that the comic book requires or will it be one comic book movie too far?

ONE GUNN

One of the smartest moves Warner Brothers and D.C. did for their second attempt at the Suicide Squad flick was to enlist the help of writer/director James Gunn, the man behind the hugely successful and critical darling Marvel movies, Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn has always been a director with a strong voice and clear vision for his projects, something desperately missing from the 2016 Suicide Squad. And who better than to write and direct a movie about a bunch of social outcasts than the man who wrote and directed Super and Guardians of the Galaxy. Seen by many as a soft reboot, the 2021 The Suicide Squad does not continue from the 2016 version, instead of going off into its own direction, yet keeping some of the stars from the 2016 movie in places such as Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jai Courtney. The movie starts at Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the USA. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, supershady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment?

Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement.

And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them, all of them.

WACKY, WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

With an all-star cast including Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena and Sylvester Stallone, who does an incredible job of voicing King Shark, The Suicide Squad is everything D.C. fans were hoping for. It’s hilarious, ultra-violent and arguably the best D.C. movie yet. If you’re a fan of Gunn’s previous work then expect a lot of his humor and over-the-top violence in this. It’s the perfect way for D.C. to refresh this beloved series and will be beloved by comic book fans the world over.

A QUICK HISTORY OF COMIC BOOK MOVIES

It’s hard to imagine a time when comic books movies weren’t mega-blockbusters, raking in billions of dollars and dominating cinemas worldwide. Yet the dominance of Marvel and D.C. is still a rather new phenomenon, as there were large periods throughout the time that comic book movies were largely rubbish or frowned upon, even though we can go back the early 1940’s to discover traces of the first comic book serials and tv shows. So let’s look back at the history of comic book movies, from the all-time highs to the lowest of lows.

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THE EARLY DAYS

The first recorded instance of a comic book turned into a movie of sorts was the 12-chapter serial of the Adventures of Captain Marvel.

Although crude compared to the movies of today, the key foundations of what makes a superhero movie was laid down in these serials, from origins story to secret identity to archvillain. Batman would be the next superhero to make his appearance in the 15 chapter Batman serial in 1943, introducing key elements such as the Batcave, Wayne Manor, and of course Alfred the butler. Hot on the caped crusader's heels was the Phantom, Captain America and soon enough the man of steel himself, Superman. Although by the end of the ’40s, the idea of the serial shorts in theatres was on its last legs, and apart from a horrible Batman movie appearing in the mid’60s, the age of superheroes on the silver screen seemed well and dead. That is until a relatively unknown actor called Christopher Reeve donned the red cape and blue tights nearly three decades laters.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SUPERHERO.

In the mid-’70s rumors began floating around Hollywood that there is a big-budget Superman movie in production, with many scoffing at the idea of a movie based on Superman. The current trend in Hollywood at the time was that of gritty stories like The Godfather, Rocky and Apocalypse Now. No one wanted to see a tightswearing superhero. Yet when Richard Donner’s

Superman was released in 1978, it exploded at the box office. It was something audiences around the world have never seen before, with groundbreaking effects and a wonderful turn from Reeve as the mild-mannered Clarke Kent.

Using New York City as a barely disguised standin for Metropolis gave the movie a contemporary feel that the comics and TV show had lacked, while Christopher Reeve’s embodiment of the Man of Steel was earnest, charismatic and just self-aware enough to make him a truly heroic figure without being overly saintly. It was the start of a new age of filmmaking in Hollywood. With Superman’s success and the release of Star Wars: A New Hope around the corner, it was time for the big-budget effects-laden blockbuster. Three years later, Superman II was released to much fanfare and record-breaking numbers. The future of superhero movies was looking unstoppable.

Yet in a matter of 5 years, people grew tired and frustrated as the two following Superman sequels were dreadful, with low budget effects and terrible storylines. It flopped badly at the box office and many predicted the end of comic books films, less than 8 years after the success of the original Superman release. Fortunately for comic books, fans, another D.C. big hitter was around the corner to swoop in and save the day.

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS AND GOES AWAY

For many years, people associated Batman with the campy presentation from the classic 60’s

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Adam West Batman TV series. It was a huge success of the course and has left a lasting legacy, yet the ’80s was a different time and people were not interested in a campy Batman battling his arch-nemesis The Joker on a surfboard while go-go dancers were dancing in the background. Fortunately, director Tim Burton felt the same and decided to draw inspiration from the comic books rather, which featured a far darker and grittier Batman and Gotham City. After years of false starts, Tim Burton’s take on Batman, starring Michael Keaton as the cape crusader and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, was released in 1989 and quickly became a massive hit worldwide. Following the lead of groundbreaking comics of the time like Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, the blockbuster portrayed the Caped Crusader’s mythology in a much grimmer, grittier manner and virtually erased memories of the candy-colored TV show overnight. The fact that a mass audience accepted

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its tortured, morally conflicted protagonist had not gone unnoticed. Sadly the good faith Tim Burton’s Batman put back into superhero movies was again quickly destroyed with a follow up of poorly received Batman sequels, culminating in one of the worst movies in Batman & Robin in 1997. Even the star power of George Clooney could not save this train wreck of a movie, that leaned heavily towards kid-friendly gags and campiness of the original 60’s Adam West Batman tv show. Once again the height of superhero movies was fleeting and destroyed by people not understanding what makes a good superhero movie. It would be a long eight years before we would see the Dark Knight return to the silver screen.

MARVEL’S CHANGE OF FORTUNE

During the 80’s and ’90s, the juggernaut we know today was in shambles. Marvel had cheaply sold most of its trademarks to various companies and individuals during the years, in a desperate need to stay afloat. Their first venture into movie adaptations came with the 1998 Blade, a third-tier Marvel character played by Wesley Snipes that went on to become an unexpected hit. Marvel then created a film division called Marvel Studios and began licensing out their characters to various Hollywood studios. Next up was the 20th Century Fox film adaptation of a beloved fan-favorite X-Men. Although filmed on a modest budget and not really holding up today, the first X-Men film became a big hit and turned young Australian actor Hugh Jackson into an overnight superstar. The film would go on to make over $150 million at the box office, proving that their MArvel characters definitely had mainstream appeal. It would be two years later when another big Marvel character would grace the silver screen as Evil Dead director Sam Raimi, took the helm of the first big-budget Spider-Man film. Starring Tobey Maguire as the friendly neighborhood Spidey, the movie went on to gross over $400 million at the box office. Another slam dunk for Marvel Studios. Hollywood, sensing the popularity of Marvel characters, jumped at the chance to create as many MArvel licensed movies as possible, with varying degrees of quality. Meanwhile, competitors D.C. was about to reboot one of their biggest characters, handing the Batmobile keys to Christopher Nolan, who decided to go with a more gritty and realistic look at the Dark Knight in Batman Begins. It was a massive box office hit, the time for superhero movies was truly going through a golden renaissance. But little did we know what was truly in store for superhero blockbusters, as

Marvel decided to take a half a billion-dollar gamble.

WELCOME TO THE CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

Marvel Studios, tired of seeing other production companies release their creations to various successes, decided to make a move and start producing their own films. With a $500 million line of credit with Merrill Lynch, Marvel Studios took the big risk in holding the future of their creations in their own hands. At this stage, however, Marvel did not own the rights to some of their biggest characters, namely Spider-Man and the X-Men. President of Production, Kevin Feige however had much larger, long-term plans for the various Marvel properties, a challenge to take their lesser-known characters and build them into prime-time players.

When the initial Iron Man movie was announced, many felt it was dead in water already. No one really knew or cared about Iron Man as a character, plus they hired an actor many felt was beyond his prime due to various personal issues and challenges in Robert Downey Jr. However, Feige had a much larger plan, and Iron Man was simply the first step in the massive puzzle that would eventually become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, it launched an interconnected series of films in which characters starred in standalone stories linked to a grander overall narrative. Plot threads planted in one film were picked up and expanded in the next — in other words, exactly what comics had been doing for decades. It was a stroke of genius, what followed would be another two Iron Man films, a Thor movie as well as Captain America. These key movies were simply laying the groundwork for the first Avengers movie. Together these films made over $1.5 billion dollars, proving that, unlike decades before, the age of superhero movies was here to stay. Yet D.C. would not be outdone themselves, the hugely successful Nolan Batman trilogy was lauded both critically and financially, they would also see great box office success with Batman Vs Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the Justice League film. 13 Years later, with multiple MArvel and D.C. releases, all being massive box office hits, there is no ending in sight for the superhero movie box office behemoth. Will superhero fatigue eventually set in for audiences or will the golden age of superheroes keep on rolling for decades to come?

Either way, looking back at the rocky road these comic book heroes have traveled over the last 70 years, and looking forward to the future, one cannot help but think the age of the superhero is going to be around for a very long time.

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bella thai Model | @bellathaimodel | bellathaimodelvip.com Photographer Sebastian Klingk | @sebastianklingk | sebastian-klingk.de Location Phuket/Thailand at Chinoserie Collection Resort & Spa

Bio Photographer:

Sebastian Klingk Professional photographer Born in 1986 in Nuertingen, Germany, Sebastian only discovered his passion for photography when he was at school. After successfully completing his training as a photographer, he started his own business in 2011. To this day he is mainly active in people photography and also runs a photo studio in his hometown of VillingenSchwenningen, which is located in the Black Forest. In addition to private and business customers, he has also worked for various well-known magazines - most recent for Playboy - and is regularly booked abroad.

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Such an absolute honour to have you on feature FHM! What has your journey as a certified bombshell been like so far? It is my honor to be in FHM! I have been incredibly lucky to have been featured in various international magazines over the last 3 years. I have been able to work with great photographers at fantastic locations. It is an indescribable feeling and I am very grateful for all these great experiences. I never thought of myself as a model and honestly still don’t. I look at all the great models in magazines and on the internet and I still can’t believe that I am actually published in magazines.

would that entail? Dinner with a view over the Swiss Alps or a coffee in one of the small cafes in St. Tropez when the lilacs are in bloom.

We are blown away by your drive and professionalism, can you tell us what some of the things that motivate you to stay on top of your game are? I hope my answer is not disappointing, but I am just being myself. I don’t pretend in front of the camera. I don’t pose in ways I don’t like and I smile in most pictures. Rather unusual if you compare it to classic photo shoots where posing and stern looks are the norm.

You have one last chance to do something you have always wanted to do, with no limits on anything, what are you doing? A cruise in the Caribbean

Top 3 best moments of your career?

• FHM USA Feature!!!

• Playboy Shooting in Pisa/Italy • MAXIM FINEST Shooting in a German Studio What is your favourite chill time activity?

I love baking and always trying new things.

We are taking you out on your ultimate date and we really want to knock this one out the ballpark, what

What are, hands down, your absolute favourite things to do? New places to explore. I’m more the adventure type.

Hiking, rafting, exploring caves...

3 ultimate deal breakers when it comes to men?

Macho men, men who only identify themselves by their possessions and drama queens.

Where would you say is your favourite place to be in the world and why? Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. I feel like I’m in a fairytale there. It is so unbelievably beautiful, I am lost in the many small places around the lake, the view of the Alps from the lake and the lake.

Where can our readers catch up with you and stay updated with your work? I run a Instagram Page: @bellathaimodel We are so happy to have gotten to know you a little bit! Any last words out there for our readers? I feel incredibly happy that there are people who enjoy my photos and I would like to thank them for that.

SLASHERS Summer gaming sensations!

Hades Initially released in 2018 as an early access game, Supergiant Games’ Hades made an immediate impression on both fans and critics, but being an early access title many withheld their judgment until the full release. And in 2020 when Hades was properly released on PC and Nintendo Switch, the potential

The Rise of Roguelike In recent years there has been an explosion in roguelike games, a subgenre of role-playing video games characterized by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turnbased gameplay, grid-based movement, and permanent death of the player character. And although there are tons of games out there that are incredible roguelikes, Hades is the one that perfectly captures the essence of these games. Hades combines the best aspects of Supergiant's critically acclaimed titles, including the fast-paced action of Bastion, the rich atmosphere and depth of Transistor, and the character-driven storytelling of Pyre. As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you'll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape

people saw in the early access version was fully justified. Hades was and is brilliant. Now a year later, this celebrated game makes its debut on Xbox and PS5, with the former version being a day one Gamepass title. So why are we featuring a year-old title?

Because it might just be the game released on console this year.

attempt. Along the way, you’ll meet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and many more, with each Greek God offering powerful Boons that will enhance your abilities. This allows for each playthrough to be unique and allows for tons of different character builds.

Hades also features a fully-voiced cast of colorful, larger-thanlife characters, with top-notch performances that adds to an already engrossing story. As you grow your relationships with the Gods, you’ll experience thousands of unique story events as you learn about what's really at stake for this big, dysfunctional family. New surprises await each time you delve into the evershifting Underworld, whose guardian bosses will remember you.

Use the powerful Mirror of Night to grow permanently stronger, and give yourself a leg up the next time you run away from home. Permanent upgrades mean you don't have to be a god yourself to experience the exciting combat and gripping story.

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God of War

Hades is a wonderful game with a rich, atmospheric presentation and unique melding of gameplay and narrative elements. The hand-painted graphics along with the superb combat makes for an immense game. If you’ve never experienced the magic of a roguelike, or you’re a seasoned pro, then Hades is a must-play.

Best Roguelikes You Can Play Right Now

With Roguelikes becoming a more popular genre than ever and with big releases like Hades and Returnal doing big sales, more and more gamers are experiencing the magic a roguelike game can offer. Of course, the genre has been around for decades now and any newcomers to the genre will be itching to play more games like these. Fortunately we have a list of some of the best roguelike games you can play right now.

Rogue Legacy

What sets Rogue Legacy apart from other roguelikes is the genealogical nature of the game. Each time you die, your child will succeed you and every child is unique with their own buffs or disadvantages. One child might be colorblind, another might have vertigo and one could even be super small in stature. This makes each run-through of the game unique and challenging in its own right. Fortunately, every time you die all the gold you've collected can be used to upgrade your manor, giving your next child a step up in life and another chance at vanquishing evil. There are eight classes to choose from with each class having its own unique abilities that will change the way you play. Coupled with over sixty different enemies and a surprisingly expandable skill tree, Rogue Legacy is the perfect game to get stuck in if you’re new to the roguelike genre.

Spelunky

Seen by many as the perfect roguelike, Spelunky has grown into one of the best games since its initial 2008 release. With constant updates and tweaking to the formula, Spelunky is still a masterpiece in 2021. A unique platformer with randomized levels that offer a challenging new experience each time you play. Journey deep underground and explore fantastic places filled with all manner of monsters, traps, and treasure.

You'll have complete freedom while you navigate the fully destructible environments and master their many secrets.

To stay or flee, to kill or rescue, to shop or steal, in Spelunky, the choice is yours and so are the consequences. You will be dying a lot in this game in all kinds of painful, hilarious, and surprising ways. But with each mistake, you'll learn more about how Spelunky works and get that much closer to solving its deepest mysteries.

FTL: Faster than Light

In FTL you are in charge of running a spaceship trying to save the galaxy. It's a dangerous mission, with every encounter presenting a unique challenge with multiple solutions.

What will you do if a heavy missile barrage shuts down your shields? Reroute all power to the engines in an attempt to escape, power up additional weapons to blow your enemy out of the sky, or take the fight to them with a boarding party?

This roguelike allows you to take your ship and crew on an adventure through a randomly generated galaxy filled with glory and bitter defeat. But unlike other roguelikes, when you die that is it, so be careful and make your decisions wisely as one wrong move can end your entire run in an instant.

Dead Cells Dead Cells is a fascinating blend of roguelike gameplay, mixed with Metroidvania exploration with an added dash of Dark Souls type combat. And it’s a blend that works wonderfully and sets Dead Cells apart from the other games on this list.

Interconnected levels and progressive unlocking of access to the island provides you with a real incentive to explore your surroundings. Add in a degree of evolution for your character and permanent weapon upgrades and you can see where Dead Cells borrows from the long line of MetroidVanias that precede it. At the end of the day though, it’s your skills as a player that matter most. It’s all about constantly getting better, until what was an insurmountable obstacle becomes a walk in the park. There’s something very cyclical about the combat system; learning how weapons work and how to slowly upgrade them for subsequent runs gives a clear sense of progression that feels not only rewarding but earned and every single moment in Dead Cells is earned.

Enter The Gungeon Enter the Gungeon is a bullet hell dungeon crawler following a band of misfits seeking to shoot, loot, dodge roll and table-flip their way to personal absolution by reaching the legendary Gungeon’s ultimate treasure: the gun that can kill the past.

Select a hero or team up in co-op and battle your way to the bottom of the Gungeon by surviving a challenging and evolving series of floors filled with the dangerously adorable Gundead and fearsome Gungeon bosses armed to the teeth.

Gather precious loot, discover hidden secrets, and chat with opportunistic merchants and shopkeepers to purchase powerful items to gain an edge. Enter the Gungeon is a constantly evolving bullet hell fortress that elegantly blends meticulously hand-designed rooms within a procedurally generated labyrinth bent on destroying all that enter its walls.

It’s a tough-as-nails bullet hell shooter with a fantastic sense of humor and some truly outrageous guns to collect.

The Binding of Isaac From the guys that brought you Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac is a dark and twisted world centered around a young boy locked in a basement. When Isaac’s mother starts hearing the voice of God demanding a sacrifice be made to prove her faith, Isaac escapes into the basement facing droves of deranged enemies, lost brothers and sisters, his fears, and eventually his mother. The Binding of Isaac is a randomly generated action RPG shooter with heavy Roguelike elements. Following Isaac on his journey players will find bizarre treasures that change Isaac’s form giving him superhuman abilities and enabling him to fight off droves of mysterious creatures, discover secrets and fight his way to safety. IT’s weird as hell, tough as nails and just a wonderful gaming experience.

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F1 2021 With the official F1 season already underway and the competition between Verstappen and Hamilton reaching fever pitch, Codemasters couldn’t have picked a better time to release their yearly F1 game. But has the newly EA acquired studio given fans enough of a reason to upgrade to F1 2021 or will the latest offering be a Mazepin-like spin-off the tracks?

Braking Point

The biggest addition to this year’s game is the all-new story mode, a wonderful introduction to the drama and intrigue of the world of F1. Although never quite living up to the real-life drama seen in Netflix Drive to Survive series, the new story mode does a great job of adding in extra flavor to the racing series. You play as Aiden Jackson, a recently promoted F2 driver, making his debut in the cutthroat business of F!. As Aiken, you sign to one of the lower-end teams and join Casper Akkerman, a seasoned driver, and you guide them both through two dramatic seasons.

During the season you will be tasked with completely unique objectives, like not letting someone overtake you, or finishing the race with a faulty gearbox, act as a sort of tutorial, getting you up to speed with how to drive, and what to do in certain situations. The story is not exactly groundbreaking, but it’s a nice addition for newcomers to the sport and anyone that likes their driving with a bit of a drama.

So What’s Changed?

Like most yearly sports iterations, the changes might be hard

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to spot for series regulars, but F1 2021 did make vital changes to the most important aspect of the game, the actual racing. On the track, the sense of speed and danger is immense and they were able to translate that perfectly to the game. Previous F games felt slow and didn’t quite highlight the intense speeds these cars can reach. Fortunately, F1 2021 rectifies it and brings you even close to the danger these drivers face. The handling model is brilliantly flexible; whether you're new to F1 or are prepared for full simulation, you can fine-tune the game to suit you, more so here than in any previous iteration. It’s also finely tuned to suit any experience level, from casual gamers to the most extreme F1 fanatics out there, so it’s rare to find a racing simulator that caters so well to both markets. The excellent My Team game mode returns from F1 2020, adding the team management aspect back to the game. It's an impressively in-depth career that has you not only racing for the driver's championship, but optimizing your facilities, finances, and teammate to compete for the constructor's championship too. This is the meat and potatoes of F1 2021 and many will sink hours upon hours building up their own racing team, to lift them from last place into fighting alongside Mercedes and Red Bull.

Overall F1 2021 is a fantastic racing game for any F1 fan, with a fantastic handling model and some truly tense races. The visual might still be on par with the previous year's game, but the tense racing and added story mode makes F1 2021 an essential purchase for any racing fan.

THE FUTURE of

It’s been six long years that PC users have been using Windows 10, arguably one of Microsoft’s better Operating system releases since Windows 7. Yet as with most things in life, needs change, users require more functionality and to be honest Windows 10 has become a bit long in the tooth. Fortunately, Microsoft recently announced the next big upgrade for its Windows operating system, with a rather uninspiring new name, Windows 11. Fortunately for PC users, there is nothing uninspiring about the actual features packed into the new OS. So let’s take a look at why people are so excited for the brand new Windows 11.

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Focus on Productivity and Creativity Windows 11 was redesigned with productivity and creativity in mind. With a simplified design that is both modern and clean, with the biggest change being the Start button moved to the center of the taskbar. It is the first time in the operating system’s history that the start button is not on the left bottom corner, yet a small change like that has surprisingly large and welcome implications. Start utilizes the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you your recent files no matter what platform or device you were viewing them on earlier, even if it was on an Android or iOS device. Another new feature is Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops to provide an even more powerful way to multitask and stay on top of what you need to get done. These are new features designed to help you organize your windows and optimize your screen real estate so you can see what you need just the way you want in a layout that’s visually clean. You can also create separate Desktops for each part of your life and customize them to your liking, it’s like having a desktop for every aspect of your life, from gaming to work.

Connecting with People Over the last 18 months, the way we communicate with each other has dramatically changed and Windows 11 has made virtual communication easier than ever before. New to Windows 11 is Chat from Microsoft Teams now conveniently integrated into the taskbar. Now you can instantly connect through text, chat, voice, or video with all of your personal contacts, anywhere, no matter the platform or device they’re on, across Windows, Android, or iOS. If the person you’re connecting to on the other end hasn’t downloaded the Teams app, you can still connect with them via two-way SMS. Windows 11 also gives you a more natural way to connect with friends and family through Teams, allowing you to instantly mute and unmute, or start presenting directly from the taskbar.

Best PC Gaming Experience Ever Since Phil Spencer became Executive Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft, the focus on PC gaming has returned for Microsoft, aiming to bridge the gap between PC gaming and Xbox. A big focus has been on acquiring PC gaming studios to develop exclusive games for PC and Xbox, and with Windows 11 that PC gaming experience is looking to be smoother than ever. Windows 11 unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware, putting some of the latest gaming technology to work for you. DirectX 12 Ultimate, which can enable breathtaking, immersive graphics at high frame rates; DirectStorage for faster load times and more detailed game worlds; and Auto HDR for a wider, more vivid range of colors for a truly captivating visual experience. Thankfully Windows 11 will still support your favorite PC gaming accessories and peripherals, so no need to purchase a new controller or racing steering wheel. With Xbox Game Pass for PC or Ultimate, gamers get access to over 100 high-quality PC games with new games added all the time, and it’s still just as easy to find people to play with, no matter if they’re playing on a PC or console. Windows might not have always been gaming-friendly, but with the OS it seems Microsoft is following through on their promise to focus on the large PC gaming community.

A Better Microsoft Store?

One of the biggest criticisms Windows 10 faced was the clunky Microsoft store, which failed to live up to the usability and user-friendliness of rival Apple’s App Store. Thankfully Microsoft addressed this concern and promises a better experience with the new Microsoft store. It’s been rebuilt for speed and with an all-new design that is beautiful and simple to use. The new storefront will also be welcoming leading first and third-party apps like Microsoft Teams, Visual Studio, Disney+, Adobe Creative Cloud, Zoom, and Canva to the Microsoft Store, all offering incredible experiences to entertain, inspire and connect you. When you download an app from the Store you have the peace of mind of knowing it’s been tested for security and family safety. Starting later this year, people will be able to discover Android apps in the Microsoft Store and download them through the Amazon Appstore, thanks to a massive partnership with fellow conglomerate giant Amazon. We are very curious as to how the Android app implementation will work and if it can enhance the experience on Windows 11. For now, information on this is scarce, but Microsoft has promised more info later this year.

Worth The Upgrade Much like Windows 10, this brand new operating system will be a free upgrade to eligible Windows 10 PCs, but is it worthwhile making the upgrade just yet? It’s tough to say, the new innovations and features are impressive and the new look and feel does feel like a substantial upgrade from the aging Windows 10 UI. However as we have experienced in the past, early adopters of a new OS also have teething problems that get fixed through various patches and updates. However, if you are tired of Windows 10 and feel like injecting a breath of fresh air into your PC then we highly recommend the upgrade. The free upgrade will begin to roll out to eligible Windows 10 PCs this holiday and continuing into 2022. Windows is more than just an operating system; it’s a fabric woven into our lives and in our work. It’s where we connect with people, it’s where we learn, work and play. Over time it’s remained familiar and adapted to us. We hope you’re as pumped as we are for Windows 11.

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Rippe !

Fitness tips from a celebrity trainer!

It's almost beach time and that means everyone is going to be showing off their post-pandemic bodies for the first time! From England to Hollywood, celebrity fitness trainer and body expert Rebecca Louise who has helped countless people around the world on her travels get fit & healthy spoke to FHM exclusively on some quick tips to get your body ready for the heat and feeling more confident... plus she dishes to us on the worst pick-up lines guys have tried on her!

----The weather is heating up... tell us the top five tips everyone can

do to get their bodies "summerready”? - Be around people who want to live a healthy lifestyle with you... it's much easier to get and stay in shape when your friends are doing the same!

- Hotter weather means more alcohol consumed, double up on your water intake to keep your body functioning in the heat - Get your workout done in the morning. The last thing you want to do is a workout when you are enjoying your time on the beach with friends!

- Plan physical activities in nature. Go for a hike, swim in the sea and take an adventure. Burning calories and having fun!

- Get your protein in! This will keep you feeling fuller for longer, build your lean muscles and you won't grab that

extra cookie!

What do you find is the number one thing holding most people back from achieving their goals? Quitting before they got there!

Most people want to see results after a week of being consistent and on a plan yet it takes as long as it takes for your body to get there. Remember you can't fail unless you quit!

Having traveled to over 40 countries, what were the biggest lessons you learned on how people elsewhere live their daily lives? Traveling opens your mind, vision and exposes you to other cultures. The biggest lesson I have learned is that there are so many ways

to live your life and the variety from all over the world is a beautiful thing to witness. The thing that brings us all in common is that deep down no matter where you are from we all want to feel enough and be loved.

Where was your favorite place to travel and why? Wow, this is such a hard question because I have so many favorites for different things.

The Maldives is such a peaceful and stunning place, the colors and the atmosphere makes you feel calm and centered. I absolutely loved Italy, Florence has so much great energy, and sipping wines in the vineyards in Tuscany was surreal. For adventure, I loved Norway and Iceland, incredible scenery, variety, and hikes to do that will get your heart going. I have to also add in South

Africa, Cape Town was beautiful and I had the opportunity to go to Lions Rock with Four Paws, a charity that rescues animals from human captivity and gives them a new life!

Being from England and now living in the United States, what major culture 'shocks' did you encounter at first?

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Haha, there are many! First up, saying the word ‘water bottle’ in a British accent was never understood

by Americans so I quickly had to add my ‘r’s into the words. British people are also very sarcastic and I’ve had a few blank stares at people not getting my jokes!

the photos of our girls are never touched up. We brighten the colors and that’s about it! Social media as a whole has definitely made more of us self-conscious because it's not easy not to compare yourself to pictures of people online and think ‘why do I not look like that?'

With fitness, it's also all about how you eat too. What do your daily meals consist of? Yes absolutely 80% is nutrition and 20% is fitness. I start my day every morning with a healthy meal shake, I have lunch and dinner which are meal prepped that include lean protein (I am also pescatarian), veggies, and some complex carbs. In between my main meal I get some small proteinbased snacks in. Always use a pre, during and post-workout shake and

Having gone through an eating disorder at a young age, what advice can you give others who may be going through the same? Everyone gets to go through their own journey and for me, it was that I wanted to feel energized, back in control of my life, and realized that your body is the only place you have to live so look after it. Mentally I was broken at the time, I let my body and mind feel all the feels and at the same time activity wanted to

add in daily vitamins and minerals!

make a change. If you are struggling right now with anything the first thing to ask yourself is are you ready to change and are you willing to do the work?

With social media these days, do you find people are more conscious than ever about how they look? It really depends on who you follow. There are great examples out there of real bodies, unedited photos, and no photoshop.

When we do our monthly challenges,

As a mega fitness star, how has that impacted your dating life? So funny you ask this! I have dated people that did not want to

be in the public eye before and for what I do it is important with my community you have to want all of me, which includes being online and interacting with my audience. Going forward this is what I am looking for in a life partner. Someone who wants to be involved in all aspects of me!

What is the worst pick-up line a guy has ever said to you?

Omg, where do we start?! Once I got a video of a guy on a wakeboard and the caption said ‘are you ready for

tonight?’ Before our date. He looked confident and hot in the video, when he arrived his personality was nothing like what I expected. Don't let a video fool you ladies, get on FaceTime first!

see how much I work, my constant desire to get better, how important my community is to me, my high standards, and then they realize I am not exactly what they were looking for in a relationship!

Is it easier or harder to date when you are in the public spotlight like you are? We all have our insecurities and setbacks when it comes to dating, no matter who we are. I think for me people like the idea of being with me then

Anything else fun you'd like to add or include for our readers? Whatever you have been thinking about recently just go for it, say yes, and figure out the 'how' later... You got this!

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Guy

Number crunching my extraordinary journeys – Part 1

By Ian Kirke | Twitter @ianjkirke

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I love figures. Calculations. Percentages and ratios. My Dad taught me long division, vulgar fractions, and the joy of averages when I was a kid. All great for working out the statistics related to my obsession with speedway and football. He once told me that one of his proudest moments was me winning the School mathematics prize. I got my face in the local paper too along with about ten other swots, but I have learned to never knock a little fame!

Returning to my opening sentence I acknowledge that love is perhaps a tricky concept to place within the context of simple number crunching. On one hand, I could determine the number of lovers I have had, but could I accurately calculate the affect each person has had on me? I have two children. What nonsense would be served by trying to calculate who I loved more? Of course, I love them equally but on occasions, they both vie for being the most annoying and which is far easier to compute.

Quantitative outcomes have a wonder of certainty, yet qualitative results have the warmth of emotion. Not to be daunted by the conflict between fact and ambiguity I decided to apply my love of mathematics to my other love: travel. The trigger to write this piece is, not surprisingly, the coronavirus pandemic which has effectively, for the time being at least, snuffed out the ability to indulge in this passion.

It suddenly dawned on me that I could measure key aspects of my global footprint whilst simultaneously applying a less convincing, although more explicit, measure of how these locations have shaped me. So, join me on my guide to the globe. Not an amateur version of a Lonely Planet, Time Out or Marco Polo travel guide but a recognition, including percentage terms, of how my homage to Phileas Fogg (the nineteenth-century international traveler created by the author Jules Verne) has changed me by reference to those precious moments of personal awe and fascination.

But before I move on to cover the terrain let me establish some important figures.

As I write this piece the World population is approximately eight billion people. The ratio of constituents of each of those human beings is exactly the same. There are eleven primary ingredients and a handful of trace elements. The headline figure is that nearly ninety-nine percent of our body mass is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus.

On average sixty percent of a human being is water. The water content of a banana is a tad over twenty-three percent more. If only we all looked like bananas! But we don’t look identical and to add to the inequality across the globe us humans like to position imaginary borders all over the place along with other unnatural obstacles. Often this leads to conflict, chaos, and partition. On the plus side this has created culture, a most vital counterbalance which for those wishing to embrace it, can have the most incredible and tangible effects. My concluding analysis will determine a percentage positive change to me (displayed by the mathematical symbol for change) and how much I love the place, denoted by a simple heart.

I have visited thirty-five countries. Since there are one hundred and ninety-five sovereign states I have set foot in, as near as damn it, eighteen percent of them. Of the seven continents, I have done five. And it all started when I was born in Nottingham, England, the center of the universe. Perhaps not entirely accurate since the spoilsports at Google maps have calculated the geographical coordinates of the center of the World as 40°52′N 34°34′E (Beyoğlan, in Northern Turkey) but certainly figuratively. England along with three other countries forms the United Kingdom so please forgive an opening local bias.

England Where I grew up, formed my roots, and Fathered Lucy and Adam.

A country that is steeped in tradition, transformation and, more latterly, turbulence. I love the contrast of England. The beautiful coastline: rugged, resistant, and regal with my favorite example being Cornwall.

The magnificence that is London, loud, ludicrous, and alluring.

The new and the old fused together with a symmetry that can take you from the twenty-first to the nineteenth century in a matter of steps, best evidenced by the frequent Jack the Ripper Tours that I have undertaken in and around East London. Puma Court in Spitalfields still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!

The Midlands, and in particular my favorite bit on the East side: Nottingham. My heart is embodied in the stands at Notts County Football Club, Meadow Lane NG2 3HJ. To counter my, some may say, rose-colored spectacled view of this great City, some ancient graffiti of dubious origin and reproduced in the museum at Nottingham Castle claimed that it was ‘the worst slum in the British Empire outside India’. A completely false claim since I have stayed in the slums of Mumbai.

Up to the North West and the great family holiday destinations. Southport is so posh that, according to the comedian Ken Dodd, the tide wipes its feet before it comes in and the Las Vegas of England, Blackpool. My travels across the country have been heavily influenced by my twin sporting passions, which has ultimately led to the decision to name my final resting place: Eastbourne on the South East coast. Having followed my childhood hero Gordon Kennett’s speedway career from Oxford to White City (London) and a return to the mighty Eastbourne Eagles, the second bend at the Arlington Stadium is where you will find me, as that is where I desire my ashes to be scattered. The thought of being propelled into the air during the first heat and landing on someone’s anorak would be my final act of lunacy and defiance.

The place of my birth and the country I still call home after nearly six decades shaped my formative years and is therefore my benchmark of change. As for my love this has been reluctantly chastened as the seat of Governance threatens the unity of another treasured part of my national identity. The United Kingdom. Δ (change) 100% (Love) 90%

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Scotland The northernmost part of the United Kingdom and a country I have visited numerous times. From Ayr on the west coast, north of the eighteenth-century childhood home of the bard Robert Burns, via bustling Glasgow to the east and the beautiful city of Edinburgh. The first time I stayed there I booked into the Glasshouse, a hotel where the staff would probably breath for you if you asked. And the most bizarre of all, an honesty bar! The compulsion to pour a double and only pay for a single or take a freebie was immense. No one was watching! Oh, the risk!

But were there CCTV cameras? Those reallife dilemmas swamped me in an instant! I needed a drink or two to fathom this out! On the safe side, I paid a little bit more. A clever piece of business!

The Royal Mile which connects the mighty Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, passing the majestic Scottish Parliament is a walk of

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wonderment. Although to be fair I was less impressed with the centerpiece of the Toy Museum. A Raleigh chopper bike. I am not ancient!

For all of its outward elegance, there lurks below a horrible history. The Edinburgh vaults, completed in 1788 were originally used for business, taverns, and storage.

Thirty-odd years later the badly maintained structures leached commercial use allowing the poor to move in. A trip around these cold, damp and spooky chambers is a must if only to recognize that the sheer gulf in the haves and have nots was only a few slabs.

Inequality has never sat comfortably with me. Δ (change) 65% (Love) 80% Northern Ireland The most western part of the United Kingdom and one of the most incredible places on Earth. Belfast was my main site. As

a child growing up, a city synonymous with violence. A civil war that the good people of this province called ‘the troubles’. As I sipped my pint in one of the ornate booths in the Crown Liquor Saloon owned by the National Trust, I was conscious that across the road was the Europa Hotel, the most bombed resort in Europe. Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998 the capital had celebrated significant change with an air of optimism that was evident, especially within the ranks for the numerous and engaging local cab drivers.

Checking into the Titanic Hotel, Belfast, my connection to one of the most prosperous times for this remarkable city was palpable. This building was originally the drawing offices of Harland and Wolff, the architects of the Royal Mail Ship Titanic.

As I stood close by on the edge of the now decommissioned dock where the thenlargest movable structure ever built was launched one-hundred and nine years earlier

I was totally overwhelmed by the wonder of human endeavor and ingenuity. The scale of achievement was herculean. Yet the flaws of human arrogance and the strata of class were obvious. Although never claimed to be unsinkable by the shipbuilders, media articles of the day nonetheless gave rise to the legend. The opulence of first-class passengers contrasted the struggles of the third-class ticket holders. Titanic was a microcosm of Great Britain at the turn of the twentieth century and I was sick to my stomach. The ultimate tragedy only added to this depression yet the striking Titanic visitor center, synthesizing the shape of four hulls and eerily, to me at least, an iceberg, represents how this fabulous place had the intrinsic ability to deal with heartache and bounce back.

Passing the proud powerful yellow cranes still resplendent in their ‘H & W’ livery on my way to the Giants Causeway, a natural formation of thousands of interconnecting

basalt columns, in County Antrim I felt the passion of the people of this often-maligned part of the United Kingdom. Δ (change) 90% (Love) 89% Wales The closest to my current residence, Wales completes the formidable United Kingdom.

The Severn Bridge is my favorite route in. I must have crossed here hundreds of times, yet this elegant structure with suspension cables taught like musical cords held aloft by the gigantic twin towers still takes my breath away.

Cardiff never ceases to excite me. As an avid speedway fan, the manner in which the locals welcome the fifty-odd thousand noisy crowd from all corners of the European scene reflects the very core of the Welsh heart: welcoming, inclusive, and loyal. The Principality Stadium is part of the cityscape and the flow into the heart of the bustling metropolis is exquisite. And the biggest

late-night treat has to be the slow train back to Swansea, my favorite place to overdose on delicious welsh cakes and maybe a little lava bread (seaweed) with breakfast. I am usually filled up with beer thus the journey seems to call at hundreds of tongue-twistingly named stations with my favorite ‘P-Talbut’ which locals appear to stop short at spitting out.

The English would have you call it by its traditional name of Port Talbot.

Wales has a big heart that never stops beating. I like Wales a lot. Δ (change) 70% (Love) 92% China On exiting The Radisson Hotel Shanghai New World topped by the revolving spaceship sculpted restaurant a left turn takes you downtown where there is a more or less westernized feel. On turning right, I entered another dimension. Street food, including insects and every conceivable

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part of a chicken. Children eating the feet of chickens in the same manner as kids at home would devour a packet of crisps. It’s true what they say that in China the only part of a chicken they don’t eat is the cluck.

I will never forget the moment I clapped my eyes on The Great Wall of China during a taxi ride out of Beijing.

Snaking across the landscape, reflecting every contour it stretched beyond the horizon. Standing on the structure itself I realized the brilliance of human engineering yet simultaneously the folly of mankind. Even I realized that to successfully protect this barrier would take a colossal army to patrol it and human ingenuity would always work in opposing

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ways. Resourcefulness was mustered to build it and creativity would be used to breach it. Motionless, five hundred and thirty-two years after the last brick was laid, I took in the awe of this Wonder of the World that as a kid I had been told could be seen clearly from space. Nothing could ever top this. Or so I thought.

Xi'an was my next stop, the home of the Terracotta Army. The short walk to the viewing area, shaped like an aircraft hangar was pretty uneventful. The food outlets were doing a roaring trade and I felt no more than a little curious since I had seen many pictures of the warriors and was familiar with the general narrative.

As I gripped the metal rail of the viewing

area I was changed forever. I had never considered myself to be religious although my hitherto inert spiritualism erupted as I drank in the scene. Facsimiles of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s elite army. Row upon row.

Each one unique, poised to protect their ruler in the afterlife. Archers, the cavalry with their trusty steeds and the swathes of infantry. How terrified of death had the Emperor been to have mandated that eight thousand soldiers were in need of eternal mobilization? What dark deeds had he committed in his lifetime that needed such protection? Was there indeed some truth in the notion of heaven and hell?

The fact that only a section of the whole army had been excavated only added to

this feeling of complete disorientation posing a litany of questions that I am never likely to secure satisfactory explanations to. Δ (change) 90% (Love) 80% ---Dear reader, we are about a third of the way around the World according to Kirke. Next time the moments that stopped me in my tracks in, amongst other places, Poland, Indonesia, the United States of America, and Holland. Until the next time stay safe. © Ian Kirke 2021

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Melisa

gun Model | @drmelisagunn Photographer Olga Novikova | @olga_novikova_work MUA Miko Harutyunya | @makeupbumiko7 Fashion Stylist Guvanch Agajumayev | @guvajan Styling Assistant Michelle Tenant | @mjchellej

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Such an absolute honour to have you feature on FHM! What has your journey as a certified bombshell been like so far? The path was long as it is a constant endeavour at self-improvement.

I’ve learned a lot during this time. I don’t like to go traipsing looking for a way to success and I always take every chance my fate presents me.

We are blown away by your drive and professionalism, can you tell us what some of the things that motivate you to stay on top of your game are? My achievements motivate me. I enjoy the process itself, when you’re striving for something and you can do it as a result.

This is that wonderful feeling (emotion) I call motivation.

Top 3 best moments of your career?

There will be more than three of them.

Perhaps the main points are shooting for Playboy magazine, participation in a beauty contest and you’re interviewing me now this will also remain forever in my career memories.

What is your favourite chill time activity? Often I have an active rest. These can be interesting excursions, tasting/ enjoying national dishes of the country or parties. But at the same time I don’t mind lying on the beach and sunbathing, with a book in my hands.

We are taking you out on your ultimate date and we really want to knock this one out of the ballpark, what would that entail? There won’t be particular day or event for me to say: “Yes, I’ve got all I had dreamed about”. It’s a long-lived process. I want to succeed in each branch - in my family, in my career and in sports. If all the fields/spheres are in harmony with each other then I feel I am really successful

and realized that In fact I am already getting close to it.

What are, hands down, your absolute favourite things to do? I talk about my crazy love for equestrian sports with almost every journalist and in every interview. As far as I can remember I have always loved these animals. They help a person to know himself better, teach him to be patient and the most important thing in this life - to love. Sports ranks second but it doesn’t inferior to all my favourite activities. Any physical exercise tempers a person and teaches him to be restrained.

3 ultimate deal breakers when it comes to men? There are three qualities that turn me away from men - when they are uneducated, greedy and self-centered.

You have one last chance to do something you have always wanted to do, with no limits on anything, what are you doing? I’d like to visit Antarctica and swim with whales.Why not?(smiling) Where would you say is your favourite place to be in the world and why? I like to travel to different countries and learn unusual cultures and customs. I do not like the routine at all. Sometimes i’d like to stay bу the sea with a regular beach and sometimes to explore the world of the Buddhist beach.

What is currently playing on loop in your playlist? I can’t say I have favourite singers and I listen to something regularly.

My playlist content changes depending on my mood. It can be jazz, pop-music or rap.

Where can our readers catch up with you and stay updated with your work?

I try to be active on my Instagram. I write posts on various topics, share travel and

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shoot photos and videos.

Perhaps it’s the main platform which tells where I am and what I’m doing at the moment.

We are so happy to have gotten to know you a little bit! Any last words for our readers? Enjoy life in its various forms. Work at your favorite job, travel more often, try something new, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, let the whole thing go and don’t think what others think of you. There are no barriers and limits in life. Only we ourselves can create it. If you want to achieve something - achieve it.

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Of

Playstation The man behind the rise of PlayStation

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It’s hard to think of a time when Sony wasn’t a major player in the video games scene, but back in the early ’90s, the Japanese electronics manufacturer was seen as the leader in Televisions and portable music players. The main players in the gaming scene then were Nintendo and Sega and no one would’ve even considered Sony entering that space.

Yet in 1994, the PlayStation entered a crowded market and went on to change the gaming landscape to what it is today. The birth of one of the strongest gaming legacies can be traced back to the determination of one man, Ken Kutaragi, a promising young engineer that refused to give up on the dream of Sony’s very first console. This is the story of the man famously known as “The Father of PlayStation”.

The Printer’s Son Born in Tokyo in 1950, Kutaragi is the son of a businessman from the Japanese island of Kyushu who came to Japan's capital to start his own printing company.

Although not seen as wealthy by Japanese standards, his parents still managed to run a successful printing company and

provide a proper education for their son.

As Kutaragi grew up, his parents actively encouraged the young boy to explore his mechanical abilities as he worked at their printing plant after school. It was here that Kutaragi discovered his love for tinkering, instead of playing with toys, he would disassemble them to understand how they worked. Kutaragi learned about the printing business, playing to eventually take over the family business, but it was his father, ill with cancer, that dissuaded him and told him not to take over the family business but to rather strike out on his own. The straight A’s student took his father’s wise words to heart and after school decided to follow his passion for electronics and enrolled at the University of Electro-Communications. He would eventually graduate with an Electronics degree in the 1970s. Kutaragi would soon join Sony’s digital research department, a dream job for the young man.

Sony was seen as one of the leading electronics manufacturers in the world and one of the best in terms of encouraging creativity and offering their researchers a freedom seldom seen in companies the size of Sony. He very quickly established himself as an excellent problem solver

and a forward-thinking engineer, working on many successful projects including early liquid crystal displays and digital cameras. During the 80’s Kutaragi was watching his young daughter play Nintendo’s exciting Famicom system and his natural electronics curiosity kicked in and the forward-thinking engineer saw the potential of the gaming landscape.

However, Sony’s executives at the time had zero interest in video games, seeing it as a fad that would not last and was not worth pursuing. However, the printer’s son was not someone to take no for an answer.

An offer from Nintendo soon arose and Kutaragi took the biggest gamble of his professional life.

Nintendo Regrets Another Japanese company, Nintendo was at the time, the frontrunners of the video game scene, releasing the incredibly popular Famicom system, a gaming console that re-invigorated gaming and took the world by storm. During the late ’80s, Nintendo was looking at a followup to the successful Famicom system.

They were looking at taking everything to the next level, including a need for a new sound chip for the upcoming system.

Kutaragi got wind of this and offered to

build the chip for Nintendo, behind the backs of the disinterested Sony executives.

Kutaragi worked in secret to design the SPC700 chip for Nintendo, a gamechanger for video game audio. However, when the executives eventually found out, they were furious and were on the verge of firing the celebrated engineer on the spot.

It would take the intervention of Sony CEO, Norio Ohga, to save Kutaragi his job.

Ohga also gave him the go-ahead to finish the chip as Sony took its first small step into the gaming environment. Nintendo would release the Super NES console in 1990 to worldwide adoration, many lauding the amazing sound the system provided. The console proved to be a massive success, selling over 49 million units worldwide.

Kutaragi was hopeful that the success of

the Super NES would convince the Sony executives that there was a big future for gaming, yet they still saw gaming as a fad and one that would not last. At the time, Sony and Phillps co-developed the Compact Disc, a revolutionary audio storage disc that played back incredibly high-quality audio, and was taking over the world, virtually killing the need for vinyl records and tape cassettes. Yet the CD storage could be used for so much more, and it is at this point that Sony would however partner up with Nintendo, with Sony developing a CDROM add-on for the Super NES. Kutargii was in his element, finally, he could pursue his dreams of creating something unique and technologically advanced for the gaming landscape. The device was codenamed “Play Station”.

Yet there would be another twist in the tail, as due to licensing issues, Nintendo to everyone’s surprise ended their partnership with Sony to rather team up with Phillips, a decision that would come back to haunt the Kyoto-based manufacturer. This was a massive blow for Kutaragi. The higherups at Sony saw this as a sign to withdraw from the gaming market, yet Kutaragi refused to give up. Firmly believing that Sony should develop their own console system, he questioned his seniors, a big no-no in Japanese corporate culture, even threatening to resign iif Sony did not back his vision. It would once again be the backing of Sony CEO, Norio Ohga that would save his dream. In 1991, Kutaragi was named project manager of a group that would build Sony’s first-ever console,

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named the PlayStation. Many industry insiders scoffed at the idea of Sony trying to take on the gaming big hitters, Nintendo and Sega, seeing it as the single thing that will sink the massive electronic company. However, Kutaragi was not concerned about “experts” opinions and continued to push his vision into the console. The PlayStation would eventually be released in Japan in December of 1994 to much fanfare. It was a console that blew everyone out of the water thanks to its use of 3D graphics and superior audio quality.

The PlayStation would become so popular that by the end of the 1990s, it was generating 40 percent of Sony’s total profits. The

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console went on to sell over 100 million units worldwide, a recording-breaking number at the time. Their big competitors Nintendo and Sega’s console sales paled in comparison, with the Nintendo 64 selling a total of 32 million and Sega Saturn only 9 million. The PlayStation had arrived, but it was not done yet.

Sony and Kutaragi Dominance The success of the PlayStation took everyone by surprise, none more so than Kutaragi himself. The new kid on the block blew the experienced competitors out of the water.

Thanks to the immense success of the

console, Kutaragi’s influence grew at Sony and in 1999 he was named president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the subsidiary responsible for PlayStation. Yet Kutaragi was not one to rest on his laurels, he had big plans for the next console generation.

Once again heading up the development of the PlayStation 2, Kutaragi wanted to take the next console further, expanding on what made the original console so successful and making the PS2 the greatest console ever created. He would succeed. Sony released the PlayStation 2 in Japan on March 4 2000.

The sleek black box presented graphics never seen before, plus the inclusion of a DVD

player in the console was a masterstroke. The PlayStation 2 went on to become the best-selling console of all time, with sales over 155 million worldwide, a record that still stands today.

Through the years Kutaragi would have massive influence over Sony’s console development, often pushing back against his superiors, and more often than not getting his way. He took massive risks with each console developed and succeeded in the majority of them. The word most often used to describe Kutaragi was "brash." Kelly Flock, the CEO of Sony Online Entertainment, called him "the most animated and passionate person I've ever known" (Li, September 1, 2000).

Sony was long considered unusually liberal and entrepreneurial by the conservative standards of corporate Japan, and Ken Kutaragi in particular was far more outspoken and open to innovation than traditional Japanese executives. And it was this outspokenness of the printer’s son that created the PlayStation and changed gaming as we

know it. Many believe that if it was not for the PlayStation, we would not have the Xbox today and that Sony as a company might not have survived the onslaught from Korean competitor Samsung. Described as “Sony’s Indispensable Samurai” by BusinessWeek, Ken Kutaragi had created a legacy that has become synonymous with gaming culture today. Sony has released various consoles over the decades, each one selling incredibly well and dominating the market, even the PlayStation 3 which was seen as a failure by many, sold over 87 million units in its lifespan. As of 2021, with the PlayStation 5 currently top of the market, Sony has managed to sell over 460 million consoles to consumers since that fateful launch back in 1994. And it is all down to the vision and determination of a man that went against his superiors' “better” judgment and pursued his dream. The gaming world owes a massive thank you and appreciation for the Father of the PlayStation.

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Dementia Finding light in the darkness, we can still remember the good old days together

By Ian Kirke | Twitter @ianjkirke

I hadn’t seen Aunty Joyce for what seemed like an eternity. We had never been that close.

I only ever saw her at the big-ticket family events – births, weddings, and funerals. I became aware that her health was failing when my mum updated me on a series of phone calls with Uncle Ronnie, informing me that her prognosis wasn’t good. With a certain degree of detachment and pragmatism, I offered to drive mum on the eight-hour round trip to Preston to visit her prior to the inevitable last rites. My mum also told me that Aunty Joyce had dementia and, according to Ronnie, the deterioration in her mental state had been significant. Lapping up the praise of being number one son for chauffeuring her up north (I have a sister, so this position isn’t too difficult to achieve), I recall my mum managing my expectations upon arrival. In terms of her mental cognition, Joyce was lost, although Ronnie would be with her continuously during our visit.

British at all! Anyway, as the kettle boiled my mum took up some polite conversation with Joyce while I sat on a small settee in a tastefully furnished, and quintessentially dated, lounge.

I scanned the pictures, both free-standing and on the wall, and saw a photograph of Joyce as a young child with my mum, a mere toddler.

She was a bonny kid and every inch the big sister. Although my mum’s conversation with her sibling was pretty much framed around the usual British fascination with the weather, I did pick up on the often-slight hesitations in Joyce’s responses. This was the dementia I concluded, as I sipped my tea quietly from the ornate china cup, while wondering what to do with the saucer. The chit-chat flowed effortlessly into the wonderment of gardening, another British convention. Ronnie is a keen gardener and unlike me, and contrary to the hit Sex Pistols track, could survive anarchy in the UK, since he was seemingly self-sufficient with his mini arboretum also housing an allotment.

I knew of the term dementia. It was, unfortunately, a condition that affected really old folk robbing them of memories, promoting forgetfulness and confusion. Wasn’t it? I was in for a rude awakening, and my pompous presumptions got the punch to the guts they so richly deserved. My expectations of reacquainting myself with a relative who would probably not even register who I was and would, more than likely, look aimlessly out of the window, were not immediately challenged upon arrival. In hushed tones, Ronnie welcomed us in and said that Joyce was in the lounge.

Sure, she looked old, and she certainly was. But there was no immediate indication of remoteness or helplessness. In her broad Lancashire accent, she didn’t have any inclination for airs and graces, and bellowed, “Which way did you come up?” The M6 I replied. Was there a better route? Blimey, maybe Sat Nav wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It was me who was the more confused at this point. Ronnie disappeared to make the tea, a requirement of being British and especially more so when there may be an inkling of discomfort on the horizon. What better way to calm the nerves than by destroying an ancient Chinese infusion with a dollop of milk? I had dropped the requirement to mask its taste even further by the addition of two scoops of sugar, so by definition, I probably wasn’t

The trigger word was tomatoes. An invite to mum by Ronnie to inspect his Garden of Eden was met with the sudden exodus of both. I suddenly felt very alone, even though Joyce was only a few feet away. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Returning to her blunt opening salvo I muttered, “We passed some of the old dock buildings as we drove through Preston. You must have seen some changes?”

The hitherto labored oratory of my elderly Aunt became almost laser-sharp in its delivery.

In an instant, I was transported back nearly eighty years, to the midst of WWII. Living in Mawdesley, a small village, twelve miles south of Preston she described the German Heinkel bombers that regularly flew overhead after punishing the Preston docks. With clarity and conviction, she smiled when she described an errant bomb exploding in a nearby field dropped by a component of the Luftwaffe no doubt seeking to lighten its payload as the crew headed for home, detailing its exact location and who the unlucky landowner was. I was gripped and utterly gobsmacked. Her shortterm recollections may have been diminished by the devastation of dementia, but this elegant lady was not lost to the world. Indeed, it suddenly occurred to me that probably the onus was on the rest of the world to find that person who had been dealt the dementia card.

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Following her death, a short time after our visit,

I concluded that I needed to find out more about dementia especially as, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, the chances of developing dementia rise significantly as we get older.

Above the age of sixty-five, a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia doubles roughly every five years.

It is estimated that dementia affects one in fourteen people aged over sixty-five and one in six over eighty. I know it is hard to comprehend dear reader that yours truly, with my chiseled good looks and debonaire attitude, is fast approaching the entry-level of concern, but the cold reality is that dementia could rob me of myself. Having some rudimentary grasp of what it actually is and how to stay connected should I get lost was the only motivation I needed. Yet I didn’t want to simply regurgitate the science widely available, and from what I have gleaned, so incredibly valuable. I was keener to discover how someone else came to terms with their own Aunty Joyce experience and how those who became lost could be found again.

Paula’s account commenced with a poignant statement of fact, “It’s taken a little while to formulate a response to this, not because I didn’t want to, but because I knew it would bring home how much my dad has changed in the last twenty or so years. Working for the company he retired from into his early seventies, he is now eighty-six, and the man I grew up with has gone. The man who wore a suit and tie every day of his working life can no longer tie his tie.”

Visually, save the advancement of the aging process, her dad was outwardly unchanged, and I was curious to determine if there had been any early signs that he was undergoing a change in personality. There was a slight pause before Paula outlined, on reflection, some of the tell-tale signs, “It’s difficult to pinpoint because I don’t see him on a daily, or even weekly, basis and haven’t for many years. Looking back, I think we initially put the minor lapses down to his loss of hearing. For a long while he refused to have hearing aids, and when he did eventually concede that they were probably necessary he “forgot” to wear them because they were uncomfortable and enhanced the ambient sound but not the conversation around him which he struggled with. And so, he began to withdraw but we put his lack of engagement down to him being an obstinate bugger who refused to wear the hearing aids and who had

only himself to blame for not being able to keep up with the conversation! Sad but true.”

I wondered if there had been any form of denial, not necessarily from her dad but those around him. Not so much a coverup, but a rejection of what was happening especially as his outward appearance remained consistent. “I think mum covered for him to some extent for as long as she could and so my sister and I continued to blame his hearing loss for a while.” Paula went on to describe some functional changes in his behavior. “I noticed changes more than she did because I saw him less often. He used to be an avid photographer and would go on long walks with his camera, until the day he simply toppled against the car and fractured his hip. It mended but he’d lost his confidence and so spent far more time in the house.” On the face of it, everyday chores, the change in regular habits, became more telling. “It was the little things I noticed – mum paying when we went out for a meal (it’s a joint account but he always paid), not being able to work out how much the tip should be, not remembering where I live and in more recent years having no idea what I do for a job.”

I gently nudged Paula back to my original question and asked her to focus on her dad.

I’m glad I did since he had clearly maintained a

sense of humor. “Was he in denial? I’m not sure.

I think he knew his memory was starting to fail him and he was frightened by it. He’s never shared. Now, if we ask how he is the answer is always ‘nothing that a new brain wouldn’t fix”.

I was curious to discover if there were any discernible phases. After a short pause, she contended there weren’t. Although the tragedy of a living loss was palpable. “The man who used to work on circuit boards and tiny electronic components became unable to change a lightbulb or insert batteries into a remote control.” Changes to his hitherto compassionate nature were summed up in warm reminiscence. “I saw and heard him snap and swear at mum, something I never heard throughout the whole time I lived at home. He was always a gentleman, at least when we were around! I’ve always remembered a journey to Port Talbot where his parents lived. He used to deposit us there for two weeks in the summer holiday while he continued to work. As we passed by a shipyard, I said something looked clapped out. I was probably around 11 at the time. Did I get a roasting for that! Unladylike apparently!”

The suspicion of change within her dad reached a new tempo when his eating habits were checked. “Strange as it may seem, one of the main things charting his deterioration for me

has been his ability to choose and eat food from a menu. His table manners were impeccable throughout our childhood and most of our adult life. I noticed though, when we went out for meals as a family, that he started to make strange choices, odd combinations, and as it progressed, he would order huge meals that he rarely ate and absolutely smother them in ketchup.”

I had lost my dad to illness. He was, up until he died, as sharp as an arrow. Completing The Times crossword shortly before he died perhaps typified this notion more explicitly than anything else. But what was it like to lose a part of your dad whilst he was still alive, and to the outside world at least, the same person?

“It makes me sad that the man I grew up with has gone. Fortunately, he still knows who we all are, but he struggles to find words. He fought our corner as girls. He made us believe we could do anything we wanted to.” Paula went on to add, “He spent hours helping me with homework (my sister hated school, so not so much with her), even subjects he’d never studied he did his best with. He was the reason I studied aeronautics and physics. I wasn’t particularly good at either, but I wanted to make him proud. Now I can’t discuss anything new and current with him. His grasp on what’s happening in the world has gone.”

Then Paula steered me back to my own

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experience with Auntie Joyce and I felt, at least, one reason to be cheerful. “What I can do is take him back to the past and he remembers that as clearly as if it were yesterday. He will tell me stories about his national service in the RAF, learning to play the cornet, being in the RAF band, and working in the watercress beds.

Only recently he told me that mum dumped him once!

That was news to me! He will talk for hours about working on the development of the Harrier Jump Jet, and ejector seats.” He is an incredibly talented man who still has a story to tell. With such an extraordinarily vivid connection with dementia I wondered what advice she would give to others about living with the condition?

“My advice would be to reach out early on. It doesn’t need to be for anything huge. Go to a coffee morning, get in touch with organizations such as Age Concern.

The biggest thing I would say, is the fight for a diagnosis.

I understand how distressing it can be but there is so much help out there if you’re willing to ask.” The unfairness of the process was summed up by a heartwrenching anecdote – “My criticism is of the system which allows a dementia test to define the diagnosis.

The people around the individual concerned know what’s happening, as does the frightened individual at the heart of the matter. Listen to them. And don’t believe, as has been said to me, that the person with dementia is ok because they don’t know what’s happening. Not true.”

I concluded my intimate time with Paula with a question that had been bugging me for a while - do you fear suffering from dementia? She smiled and put me straight! “No. There are so many things that could happen before dementia strikes, if it does. Mum is almost eighty-nine and doesn’t have dementia. I don’t intend to spend the next thirty (hopefully) years or so stressing about what might happen to me. My plan is to enjoy and do as much as I can now!”

I was keen to listen to a dementia care practitioner to ascertain, if possible, if there were any uncomplicated approaches that would better support communication with a sufferer. Chloe Woodcock, an auxiliary nurse with five years’ experience on a dementia ward provided a wonderfully positive, empathetic, and truly remarkable

narrative which immediately chimed with my own limited exposure to dementia. Although only twentythree, she had the wisdom of many elders since she had seen her grandad suffer, and later die, because of dementia. “We see an array of patients, often entering the care system with associated conditions such as pneumonia, urinary infections or as a result of a fall.

Because of their obvious confusion, should gentle encouragement fail I have to be, on occasions, stern. It is sad but often I will have to take over decision-making for them.” I was curious to know how she would respond to a patient who may have forgotten something significant, such as the death of their spouse. Chloe explained that this was commonplace, and a supportive tactic was to simply respond by graceful diversion, adding “If a patient is insistent on making John, their deceased husband, a cup of tea then help them, since this action alone will usually drift them back to another less painful focus. Playing along can be appropriate.” As I listened intently it was clear that Chloe and her colleagues were not only professionally bonded to those in their care, but emotionally too. “Deep down they are the same person, even if they don’t remember the recent stuff.” Her concluding comment brought my recent memories of Aunty Joyce to the fore, “Remember the good times.”

As my journey was nearing a suitable pause, I picked up on a news item heralding a medical breakthrough - United States regulators approving the first new Alzheimer's drug in twenty years. The US Food and Drug Administration announced that there was substantial evidence that the drug Aducanumab reduces amyloid-beta plaque in the brain, predicting important benefits to patients since it targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, rather than its symptoms.

This may have arrived too late for some, but perhaps for my age group, this may eliminate some of the tragedy that can so significantly impact upon those loved ones around us. In the meantime, I will leave you with the sage words of Jamie Calandriello, who observed, “The disease might hide the person underneath but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” © Ian Kirke 2021

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Sunessis

De Brito Model @sunessis Photographer Arthur St. John | @arthurstjohn HMUA Taylor Jazz | @taylor_jazz

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Welcome to the official FHM, we are delighted to have you! How do you feel right now? I feel happy and grateful for being featured on FHM Magazine!

Where were you born? Where do you live now? I was born in Santos, it’s a beach city in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I live in Los Angeles.

Besides English, do you speak any other languages?

Portuguese and Spanish.

If you can live in any one place in the world, where would it be? London.

Are you romantic?

Yes, i love romantic dinners.

Favorite food?

Lasagna bolognese.

Favorite cocktail?

Espresso Martini.

What is your best asset?

I guess my butt, i won an International contest for that.

Do you like to work out? Tell us about your fitness routine...

I love to workout. I workout 5 day a week, cycling, stairs, machines, dance class and hiking.

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Can you tell us 1 secret about you?

I watch what i eat, i like to cook clean Which animal best describes you and why?

Leo, which is my star sign. Strong personality and loyal.

Biggest turn on in a man? Biggest turn off?

Turn on: if he is a gentleman.Turn off: if he smokes Do you prefer making money or spending it?

Both. Spending is good but getting paid for your work is very rewarding.

What are some of your goals in life you wish to accomplish?

Shoot a blockbuster movie made by a big studio and directed by one of the directors i admire. I want to travel to some places that i’ve never been.

I want to help others and the planet someway.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

In the U.S. living a happy personal and professional life.

Where can our readers find you? (social media) IG: sunessis They can see me as well in the TV Series “My American Family” streaming on Amazon Prime, i play Esperanza.

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PICCOLO

V12 70

AUGUST 2021

Ferrari’s latest mid-mounted V6 claims to sing like a baby V12 while reducing weight and giving designers more compact proportions to work with

"CONTEMPORARY MID-ENGINE 2+2 IS REALLY THE MAGIC INGREDIENT HERE AND THE 296 GTB."

Isn’t it a bit demeaning about the human mind that the first thing many people want to know about the recently-launched Ferrari 296 GTB is how good it sounds? This is not only because of the hybridized powertrain – we’ve already seen that on the SF90 already – but rather because it is a petite – by Ferrari’s standards – V6. A hybrid V6 at that! That doesn’t automatically make the hairs on the back of the neck tingle.

Of course, this is not the first V6 that Ferrari has ever produced. That accolade went to the Dino 156GT F2 which had half the capacity of this. That was followed by the 246 F1 which clinched a Formula One Championship in 1958 and became the first V6 to win a Formula One race. Then there were cars like the Dino 246GT which ceased production in 1976 – a long time before hybrid was even a mainstream term.

And we can’t simply ignore these modern Ferrari Formula One cars which currently run 1.5-liter V6 engines with hybrid assisted power.

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Needless to point out that Ferrari is rather successful with a pantheon of V6 engines is a severe understatement.

Even so, history aside, a lot of the car’s appeal will translate around the noise and Ferrari is fully aware of this. Apparently, during the development phase, this engine earned the nickname Piccolo V12 – translated as little V12.

“Sound-wise, the 296 GTB rewrites the rulebook by harmoniously combining two characteristics that are normally diametrically opposed: the force of the turbos and the harmony of the high-frequency notes of a naturally-aspirated V12,” to quote a Ferrari statement. “Even at low revs, inside the cabin, the soundtrack features the pure V12 orders of harmonics which then, at higher revs, guarantee that typical high-frequency treble.

This Ferrari’s soundtrack matches its performance, creating a sense of unprecedented involvement, and marking the turning of a new page in Maranello’s Berlinetta history.”

With those reassuring words rattling throughout the inside of our skull, let’s look at the rest of Maranello’s new child and then circle back to the engine after a quick lesson in aerodynamics.

Contemporary mid-engine 2+2 is really the magic ingredient here and the 296 GTB is the most compact Berlinetta to come out of Maranello in the last decade. The design is clean and unfussy; you take it all in one breath… a quick inhale that hits all the right dopamine receptors all at once. It’s a look that instantly works and feels entirely true to Ferrari.

However it has evolved too; you can’t discuss the styling without referencing the visor-style windscreen which curves onto the A-pillars and helps to shrink wrap the overall appearance – it’s an effect that Ferrari has done before with its special editions but this is the first of a new breed of prancing horses to incorporate it.

The cockpit, likewise, is influenced by the shape of the windscreen. It envelopes you and almost

gives you the impression of a central driving

which have their own separate funnel via a

position thanks to a new sense of peripheral vision. By Ferrari’s own admission, the

small opening in the headlight, just below the daylight running lights. There’s plenty more

Formula One Team with a similar inventory that includes a M-GUK (Motor Generator Unit,

dashboard is more subtle than the SF90’s bold digital interface which was intentionally

aerodynamic jargon and buzzwords like tea-trays, air curtains, and vortexes and Ferrari

Kinetic) system bundled into the V6.

designed to highlight a new chapter and a clean break from the past. The 296 GTB still has all

is obviously very proud of their work from the wind tunnel but to us mere drivers and

However, unlike a Formula One car, the 296 GTD can be driven under electric power alone

the digital hardware including a separate screen

enthusiasts the fact that it manages to blend

with the electric motor on the rear axle

for the passenger but Ferrari making less of a point around the hybrid powertrain.

science with art is probably its highest praise.

The 296 GTB packs something called

supplying 164hp for an approximate range of 15 miles. The electric motor and ICE communicate

Driving dynamics go down two routes of development. Aerodynamics make the most use

Transition Manager Actuator and a 6-way Chassis Dynamic Sensor which can be credited

via the Transition Manager Actuator (TMA) which allows them to be used together to

of the car’s compact design while the plethora of electronics aren’t merely recalibrated, but

with what Ferrari calls the "fun to drive factor".

Ferrari’s Slide Slip Control is still sandwiched in

produce a combined power output of 818hp and 740Nm. Alternatively the TMA decouples them

instead have been built and tested specifically for the 296 GTB.

there too, again using signals sent from lateral and longitudinal loads to estimate the grip of

to allow the electric motor to run solo. With all systems working in perfect harmony, the

On the 296 GTB, for the first time, an active device is being used not to manage drag but to

the tires at any time. The system is said to be 35% faster than previous iterations. These systems, like brake by wire and the new electric

0-60mph time is 2.9 seconds, 0-120mphh in 7.3 seconds and a top speed of over 205mph.

All of this (powertrain, aerodynamics, styling,

generate extra downforce. In previous

power steering, all have a secondary purpose to

and weight) can then be sharpened even more

applications, flaps on the diffuser allowed a transition from a high-downforce (HD)

try and harvest energy which is then used to replenish the batteries.

in the Assetto Fiorano package, designed for those owners who aim for the very apex of

configuration to a low-drag (LD) one that allowed maximum speed to be reached on the

The powertrain comprises several elements and

Ferrari’s catalog.

Ferrari claims the new Assetto Fiorano is

straight. However, on the 296 GTB, when the active aero device is deployed it increases the downforce. The LaFerrari-inspired active spoiler integrated into the rear bumper allows the 296 GTB to generate a high level of rear downforce when required: the equivalent of a maximum of 793lbs at 155mph in high-downforce configuration with the Assetto Fiorano package.

On the 296 GTB, for the first time, an active

another several modes on top of that but let’s begin dissecting the V6 and step further, into the relative unknown, with the hybrid system.

The engine might seem like a snipped and cropped version of the 4.0-liter V8 in Ferraris like the 488 and then again shares DNA with a host of Maseratis and the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

However, Ferrari insists this has its own identity and one of the main differentiating features is the placement of the turbochargers

much more than replacing simple elements and the list of upgrades seems to support that. New adjustable shock absorbers are swapped in and a further 20 pounds of downforce is applied over the front axle thanks to new carbon fiber details that wouldn’t look out of place on a Formula One grid. Around fifteen kilograms of weight has been saved compared to the regular 296 GTB, achieved by replacing the rear screen with Lexan and drenching parts of the cabin in more

device is being used not to manage drag but to generate extra downforce. In previous applications, flaps on the diffuser allowed a transition from a high-downforce (HD) configuration to a low-drag (LD) one that allowed maximum speed to be reached on the straight. However, on the 296 GTB, when the active aero device is deployed it increases downforce.

between the two banks of cylinders - a tidy packaging idea that AMG pioneered a couple of years ago. That has meant that the signature appearance of a Ferrari’s engine – when viewed from the top - has changed; the iconic red plenums that are normally in the middle of the engine’s vee are now on the side of the cylinder heads...

carbon fiber, Even the door innards are different, yet surprisingly none of the functionality or technology has been sacrificed in the process – it seems Ferrari knows what their customers want. The Assetto Fiorano can be ordered in this exclusive livery – pictured here - which was inspired by the 250 Le Mans racer and one would presume this is going to be the preferred choice so as not to ever be confused and lumped with the same crowd as the standard 296 GTB. So while it’s initially alarming that your everyday performance SUV might have a bigger engine than the current Ferrari, the level of precision that has gone into the 296 GTB should quell any fears of downsizing. Ferrari is working on multiple fronts at the moment and the 296 brings past, present and future together.

Traditionally the styling on a hybrid car is dictated by cooling required for additional high-voltage batteries but the 296 GTB employs the same channels that direct air to the radiators as those to the batteries. All the hot air, produced predominantly from the engine, is swept through the car’s underbody so that it doesn’t interfere with the incoming cold air.

There’s more cleverness to the way air is delivered to vital components such as the brakes

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The engineers then turned their attention to maximizing the pressure inside the combustion chamber. For this to reach the peak levels, Ferrari needed to build an aluminum head and block that’s bespoke to this V6 while the IHI turbochargers have been completely redesigned using higher-performance alloys. This allowed the maximum revs of the turbos to be increased to 180,000rpm, with a consequent improvement in performance and boost efficiency by around 24%.

Matters then start to converge with Ferrari’s

Pawan Dhingara

THE TEXAS BIGFOOT The theory goes like this; if you can build a car to chase 300mph, as Hennessey has done with cars like the Venom F5, it should be easy to shoehorn bits and pieces of that powertrain into a truck, right? And who wouldn’t want to have the most powerful truck on sale?

Hennessey is a bit of a cowboy brand; something of a loud-mouthed VIP in the Guinness World Record Hall of Fame… if you’re looking for subtle, vehicles like the infamous 6x6 VelociRaptor are probably not top of your list. Hennessey is unique in that their business works day and night shifts between getting revenge on Bugatti’s Chiron for its 300mph record run and building these insane trucks with similar brute force.

Based in Texas, you immediately get the

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Supercars or Supertrucks.

Hennessey does both.

type of ‘go big, or go home attitude’ that flows through the workshop and the Mammoth 1000 TRX truck claims to be the world’s fastest production truck. They claim so for now because production has just begun.

“The new MAMMOTH 1000 TRX is the most powerful pickup truck that Hennessey Performance has ever offered. The Ram TRX already boasts the highest horsepower of any vehicle manufacturer’s pickup, so our performance, styling and off-road enhancements make this the most formidable new truck you can buy. We’ve already sold more than 100 trucks, with each answering one big question – why have a 1,000-horsepower pickup truck? Because we can!”

Conversions like this one work best from a

strong base and the 702hp Dodge Ram 1500 TRX pick-up truck ticks that box. In its own right, it was a credible rival to Ford’s F150 Raptor thanks to a version of the infamous Hellcat V8 engine. Needless to say, the seed was planted for a 1000hp upgrade…

The 6.2 liter engine has been through the Hennessey performance training camp, including a high-flow 2.65L supercharger, fuel injectors and high-flow induction system alongside performance-boosting calibration.

Relatively simple but that’s the beauty of the Hellcat engine, it starts life as a massively detuned engine with a glass ceiling. Power now rests at 1012hp which by Hennessey’s standards is still mild – the Venom F5 has a reported horsepower figure of 1800hp.

That said the Mammoth’s 0-60mph time of 3,0 seconds flat is the type of number we’re used to quoting about lightweight, sharpened supercars, versus this with its 37-inch off-road tires.

As is the projected quarter-mile time of 11.4 seconds! If there’s ever going to be a Fast and Furious 10 movie, we’d like to nominate this as the leading car role.

Hennessey say their order books are already at 50% full based on customers just hearing the specifications and Hennessey will be keeping it exclusive by limiting the total production to just over 200 units. The upgrade costs about $150,000, excluding the cost of the Dodge TRX, and then probably quite a lot on top of that just to keep the fuel in it.

Pawan Dhingara

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y r a n i l u c u o y

s U i n Ge k o o c o t e m i t It's

A new year means a new opportunity to improve your culinary skills and up your kitchen game! We’ve taken the liberty to provide you with some of our freshest yet easy to prepare dishes that impress friends, family, and that special someone in your life. So go on, try it!

By Izelle Hoffman

10MIINME PREP T 40-45MIN E

BAKING

TIM

4-6 GS

SERVIN

InGre die Nt s • 2 whole medium butternuts cut into rings • olive oil • 2 tbsp raw honey • 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp paprika • 1/2 tsp salt • 1-2 heaped tbsp almond flour • A handful of pumpkin seeds (we prefer the toasted and salted ones) • A handful of almond flakes or shavings • 1 tsp dried rosemary

• • • • • •

Preheat oven to 309F (200C).

Prepare a baking tray with nonstick spray.

Place the butternut rings on the tray.

Spray with olive oil and drizzle with honey.

Season with cumin, paprika, and salt.

Sprinkle with almond flour, pumpkin seeds, and almond flakes.

• Round off with dried rosemary.

• Place in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until butternut is cooked and crisp to your preference.

• Garnish with fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme before serving.

10MIINME

PREP T

30MINTIME NG COOKI Z 20 X 2O S

G SERVIN

10MIN

PREP T

IME

15-20M

BAKING

12

IN

SERVIN

TIME

GS

c . u s

• Pre-cook the rice by adding the salt, turmeric, thyme, and ground black pepper to the water.

• Make use of a medium-large frying pan.

• Preheat the pan with olive oil and fry the onion till brown.

• Add the salt and honey and allow it to caramelize.

• Add the rice to the pan and stirfry for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the protein of your choice, and stirfry for around 5 minutes so that all the flavors can mix well.

• Finish off by adding the peppers and freshly chopped parsley and stirring it through.

• It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

t

•

i

. .

-

"Rice is great i f really hungry you're to eat two th and want ousand of something."

Mitch Hedberg

r e

IGHT OVERNTIME PREP 25MINTIME BAKING 10 S G SERVIN

r i l

z .

c

tss

• s eee •

s

s r

i s

t •

l

i t n

• Preheat oven on 355F (180C).

• Prepare an oven tray with foil and nonstick spray.

• Arrange the chicken breast on the tray.

• Start by drizzling with olive oil, and then with raw honey.

• Sprinkle with paprika, sweet basil and onion flakes.

• Finish off with ground black pepper, sesame seeds, and diced red onion.

• Place in the oven for 25 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and drain the water (if you would like to make a sauce, pour it into a pan and allow to simmer till desired texture, add some of the ingredients used in the recipe for extra flavor) • Season with salt.

• Allow to cool off properly before placing it in an airtight container and in the fridge to use when needed.

•2 s ch r • .o

1 s

pe

i o

se e es e r fs

• l t t e

r ce

• Preheat oven to 355F (180C) on thermo-fan.

• Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor.

• Blend till smooth.

• Add all the other ingredients except the eggs and process on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides as needed, until mixture is smooth and well blended.

• If you don’t have a food processor you can pulp the chickpeas with a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and beat with an electric beater for 2 minutes on high speed.

• Beat the eggs in a separate bowl till light and fluffy.

• Add to the chickpea mix and beat for another 30 seconds to mix well.

• Scoop mix evenly into 12 muffin cups.

• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

• (The edges will be crispy and firm to the touch while the center will remain moist and soft.)

• Finish off with almond flour to taste.

10

PREP MIN 15-20TIME BAKI NG TMIN IME 1 2 SERV INGS

Monika Wilson Model @m_w_model Photography by Raymond Lakshol | @rayofnorway

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Such an absolute honour to have you feature on FHM! What has your journey as a certified bombshell been like so far? Thank you FHM for featuring me. Have not been published in the States yet so a real honor!

relaxation with spa /massage. I have recently been on jetski combined with a dinner at a good restaurant, helicopter date, 3 courses without eating dessert or training date ( hiking/boxing/ gym) ideally with some spa session afterwards.

We are blown away by your drive and professionalism, can you tell us what some of the things that motivate you to stay on top of your game are? “If you want to become number one, you have to train like you are number two.” Determination, hard work and optimism and continuous improvement allow me to stay on the top of the game.

What are, hands down, your absolute favourite things to do? Workout, dining and wining, travelling, socializing.

Top 3 best moments of your career? I was a cover model of FHM Sweden last month and there I have already mentioned three crucial moments of my career. Now I can relate to more recent events such as starting my training journey with my personal trainer Inga Vollert from fitness chain Sats in Norway where I train. She impacted my training routines and lifestyle. Today I workout a lot and my life focus is on training, health and bodybuilding.

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3 ultimate deal breakers when it comes to men? I have recently realized that I fall for highly performing men with high drive, ethics, skills, and empathy, who are not afraid to take initiative and impress me. I know what I am talking about as I have already met good candidates for me.

You have one last chance to do something you have always wanted to do, with no limits on anything, what are you doing? I have a daughter of 7 so no matter what I choose to do and how crazy or innovative it will be I have to include her in my plans.

I can also mention that an active lifestyle boosted my performance at work as I feel more energetic, motivated and happy as a human being. Last but not least, I will be doing a catwalk in the finals of national norwegian model competition “Brun og Blid” on 14th of August so I’m excited about how this one will end up for a photo model.

Where would you say is your favourite place to be in the world and why? Anywhere as long as the right people are around me.

What is your favourite chill time activity? Spa and beauty sessions, hiking, cottage in the woods and writing or reading, driving car and listening to music

Where can our readers catch up with you and stay updated with your work? @m_w_model on instagram

We are taking you out on your ultimate date and we really want to knock this one out the ballpark, what would that entail? I think I prefer to combine activities with high tempo with relaxing ones. So first intensive workout or high adrenaline and reward afterward such as dining and wining or

We are so happy to have gotten to know you a little bit! Any last words out there for our readers? Thank you all for spending time reading this interview with me. Wish you a great summer.

Make beautiful memories and strive for excellence and happiness as it is worth it!

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What is currently playing on loop on your playlist? The Weeknd- in your eyes and Survivedon diablo.

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Landing Tips from a Hollywood director on getting a role post-pandemic!

Are you a struggling actor or have a desire to be in films and/ or on TV? Well, the pandemic really put things in Hollywood and other entertainment markets on hold for a while. But now as we slowly come out of it, studios are looking for fresh faces and actors for their projects. FHM caught up with Victor Migalchan, the CEO of Movieverse Entertainment which creates movies and shows around the world that you all know and love; He is also a famed producer and director.

Hollywood is back! What are you most excited about now that things are opening

Produce. Go ahead and promote your projects.

Send it out to the film festivals and work with

cannot neglect social media.

back up? Honestly to me, things had never closed. Being a person that combines creative

PR in order to build your name. Your name is like the stock: people want to invest in Apple

What is a big "no-no" when trying to network in the entertainment business?

and business sides there is always a lot of things

for some reason, or Tesla. Your name has to

Big "no-no's" I'd say are: lack of discipline; lack

to do. When one door closes, another 3 are opening. I managed to prepare for a few new

become valuable. Develop your own platforms and social media. I would never advise taking

of respect; ego and knowing when to stay quiet and listen.

projects, was writing a book, and finishing work on post-production of My American Family TV Series. With Hollywood actually opening up I'm excited to see the feedback in regards to my projects, to bring more projects and investment. On another hand, comparing the pandemic to a storm, I'm excited to see how the renewed Hollywood will look.

the old path of writing a script and trying to pitch it to the network. It was the way to do it in the 90s or 2000. Right now, unless Ari Emanuel is your relative, it is a very slow and irrational path.

What trends in the Hollywood/ entertainment industry do you see happening going forward? Except for me bringing new trends, I do not foresee different trends in Hollywood soon. Studios will keep working on their money-making projects with new difficulties and restrictions. I believe small and mobile productions will hopefully make more content and get more opportunities. I believe it is a bit early to tell, time will show how Hollywood changed, however, it is too big to fall. I personally will be focused on my own projects, as well as bringing more investment to LA and the industry.

Since you have created a lot of movies and shows, what advice can you give to others wanting to get into the entertainment business? Do what you think is right. It is doable. Prepare a solid base, educate yourself. Now you can find good education online for free. Write. Team up.

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What 5 tips can you give to actors trying to land a role?

1. Make yourself valuable/hot on the market; 2. Find your "est" (best, hottest, smartest...).

Having your "est" will distinguish you from the other candidates.

3. Practical experience VS classes. The more practical experience and life experience you get - the better you are. Not vice versa. Instead of investing tons of money in acting classes, invest in your own content.

4. Build solid teams. Avoid employees.

5. Believe in God. How important is social media these days when it comes to promoting films? Social media is very important. Right now no matter what you do people will check your social media: your employer, casting director, media person, investor, film production, distribution, etc. It gives a lot of opportunities to people.

Now everyone can create and showcase their project and content, which wasn't the case in the past. Of course, it brought some negative aspects as well, however business-wise you

Anything else fun you'd like to add or include for our readers? I believe it is very important to feel the necessity and good time to transition from the romanticism of the passion of filmmaking to the reality of the business. The sooner you can do it (or if you can't - team up with those who can do that for you), the sooner you will start getting results.

It is a constant journey as a long-term investment. Vision, patience, hard work, discipline, enduring hardships, perseverance, being strong - these characteristics will help you to achieve your goals.