fbpx

Mercedes-Benz to phase out manual transmission by 2023

Mercedes-Benz to phase out manual transmission by 2023
Jun 1 2022 Share

A spokesperson for automaker Mercedes-Benz revealed that they will be officially phasing out the manual transmission from its vehicles as of next year. According to a report from German publication Automobilwoche, Mercedes-Benz will make the automatic transmissions the only option as of 2023 as new models are introduced. 

The manufacturer had already previously announced it would be dropping manual back in 2020, but this is the first time a date has been confirmed. 

‘With increasing electrification, we see that customer demand is shifting towards electric mobility components, batteries and (partially) electric drive systems’ said a spokesperson. 

The move away from manual transmission is reflected in the wider car community, as increasingly commonplace active safety systems work best with automatic. Along with the overall decline in demand for the manual gearbox, the global market for cars with manual transmission dropped to 17.1% as of 2021. 

#MaltaDaily

Piles of trash cleaned from St Paul’s Bay by divers

Piles of trash cleaned from St Paul’s Bay by divers
Jun 1 2022 Share

As divers carried out an underwater clean-up at Veċċja Point in St Paul’s Bay on Monday, a large tangled fishing line which had been once abandoned at the bottom of the sea was pulled up onto the boat.

Leading the team of divers was local environmentalist and scuba diver Raniero Borg. With the help of volunteers from GO, the group spent a morning pulling out litter from the bottom of Maltese waters.

The tangled line was just one of the many items which littered the area’s sea floor. Heavy ropes, car batteries, bottles, marker buoys and other items were pulled out of the water. 

Times of Malta reported that volunteers even tried to save fauna that made their home in the discarded litter. Crabs, sea urchins and an octopus were among the sea critters were all rescued. 

The clean-up activity was organised with the GO Cares Committee and the GO Academy, which funds initiatives that help people, animals and the environment. 

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Raniero’s Adventures

New cereal turns milk red to help people talk about periods

New cereal turns milk red to help people talk about periods
Jun 1 2022 Share

A brand new cereal known as ‘Period Crunch’ turns milk red to start conversations around women’s health and menstruation and finally break taboos. 

But the colour transformation of the milk is not the only period-related aspect of the morning snack. Launched by Swedish company INTIMINA, the cereal comes in uterus shapes which are raspberry flavoured. 

INTIMINA is a brand which offers a range of products which are all designed to help women and their health whilst also addressing the many stigmas surrounding the topic. 

The cereal was inspired by a survey wherein 2,000 adults were interviewed, revealing that almost 48% of participants were too embarrassed to talk about periods. 

It also found that 77% of the surveyed people said that they never mention periods in their everyday life. Another 88% wrongly located the uterus on the body. 

Aiming to educate women to better support them through all stages of life, from their first menstruation to beyond menopause, one of the gynaecologists working with the brand expressed the delight at the work the group is doing for women. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by INTIMINA (@intimina)

“It’s deeply concerning to hear that so many people remain uncomfortable discussing (periods) when they are just another part of our health. I look forward to Period Crunch kick-starting conversations.”

#MaltaDaily

Study finds women burn more fat in the morning, men in the evening

Study finds women burn more fat in the morning, men in the evening
Jun 1 2022 Share

A new study has found that, despite exercise being good for a person whenever it is done, the time of day to achieve the summer body goals may impact the speed for different sexes. 

According to a new US study, women were found to burn more body fat during morning exercise, whereas evening workouts benefitted men more.

Researchers suggested that differences in hormones, in biological clocks as well as sleep-wake cycles between the sexes could play a role in losing body fat. The study involved 30 men and 26 women and ran for 12 weeks. 

The candidates were all active, healthy and ranging between 25 to 55 years old. They were subjected to sprints, resistance and endurance training, and stretching. Groups exercised for an hour before 8:30, whilst other groups did the same between 18:00 and 20:00. 

With all their body fat, blood pressure, flexibility and other factors kept under track, all of them improved their overall health no matter the time. However, something else was at play as the results suggested that the time impacted sexes differently. 

Women were urged to exercise in the morning if they want to reduce fat around their middle and blood pressure. However, for muscle strength in the upper body, women were urged to take evening exercises. 

Men in the trial were less sensitive to the time of day, but evening exercise was found to be overall ideal to improve heart and metabolic health, as well as emotional wellbeing. The study was published in Frontiers in Physiology. 

#MaltaDaily