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San Diego-based electric bicycle company Juiced Bikes unveiled today a new e-bike model with a smaller format than the company’s other popular e-bikes. The Juiced RipRacer also sets a new low price for the brand.

The RipRacer, which starts at just $1,399, is something of a little brother to the larger Juiced RipCurrent e-bike.

While it retains fat tires that help the bike perform well on- and off-road, it shrinks those tires down to a 20-inch format.

Combined with the smaller frame, the RipCurrent turns into a compact runabout that still packs in the power and range that Juiced’s riders have come to expect.

It also adds new tech, such as the first-ever Apple AirTag-integrated battery that stands a chance of being located if it’s ever lost (or more likely stolen).

The RipRacer will be offered in two options, a Class 2 and Class 3 version. Both are rated for riders up to 275 lb (120 kg).

The Class 2 RipRacer will have a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) and a range of “35+ miles” (56 km) from a 52V and 10.4Ah battery.

The Class 3 RipRacer will hit higher speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h). It will also be able to travel farther thanks to a larger 52V 15.6Ah battery. Juiced claims it should have a range of 55 miles (88 km).

Both of those ranges are based on pedal-assist operation, meaning the rider’s pedaling power is boosted by motor assistance. When ridden using only the throttle (i.e. no pedaling necessary), the range is reduced due to the increased power demand.

The Class 2 version includes a 20A controller that will pull around 1,040 peak watts, while the Class 3 version’s 25A controller will be good for a slightly higher 1,300 peak watts.

One other difference between the two models is the display, with the Class 2 version featuring a more simplified display than the full-featured Class 3 version’s display.

Left: Display on Class 2 version of RipRacer; Right: Class 3 version’s display

Both versions of the Juiced RipRacer feature 750W continuous-rated geared hub motors and include some impressive tech such as hydraulic disc brakes and Apple AirTag-integrated batteries (though it appears to be a bring-your-own-AirTag situation with a specially designed compartment in the battery case). The batteries feature a redesigned case that includes a carry handle, improved water resistance and can be mated with a charging dock accessory that will debut late next year. The dock will also allow other electronics to be powered from the battery, functioning similar to a generator or portable backup battery. The batteries are backwards compatible with all of Juiced’s previous 52V e-bike models.

While the bikes include some impressive new tech, the much-loved torque sensor found on most of Juiced’s electric bikes is swapped for a lower-spec cadence sensor, which means the pedal assist isn’t quite as responsive as true torque sensor-enabled e-bikes like Juiced’s Scorpion electric moped.

Skipping a few of the higher-end parts like torque sensors and front suspension (note the BMX-style fork in its place) helped bring the bikes’ prices down. The Class 2 model will be priced at $1,399 while the Class 3 model will fetch a slightly higher price of $1,599. Both are considerably lower than most of Juiced’s other e-bikes. The Class 2 version is one of the lowest prices on the market for a 750W e-bike with hydraulic disc brakes.

That puts the RipRacer in an interesting niche in the market. Other low-cost fat tire e-bikes like the $999 Lectric XP 2.0 may undercut it on price, but the RipRacer offers higher-quality components and over 50% more battery capacity, not to mention interesting additions like the charging dock and Apple AirTag integration.

Other “fun-sized” fat tire e-bikes like the Pedego Element match the RipRacer on price but don’t come close to matching its power, speed, or components.

The smaller format of the RipRacer should make it more appealing to riders on the shorter end of the spectrum. The company says it should fit riders from 5’0″ to 6’3″ (152 to 190 cm).

As Juiced Bikes founder and CEO Tora Harris explained, the bike is largely designed to target a new generation of riders.

With a younger generation becoming more and more interested in electric bikes, we saw the opportunity to launch a smaller model at an entry-level price point, an e-bike that appeals to a wider audience, but of course with the signature performance features the Juiced brand is so well known for.

By offering a new frame style that’s a lot lighter and more nimble, and adding a range of colors, both new and experienced e-bike riders get a thrilling riding experience that’s also extremely functional and safe. And, like all of our e-bikes, It’s a great way to replace expensive and energy inefficient car miles.

The 66 lb (30 kg) RipRacer will be available in four color options of Baja Blue, Noir, Hi-Viz Yellow, and Mystic Green. It will go on sale on Thursday, November 26, though it won’t begin shipping until March of next year.


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The Magic Circle’s first female member fooled them into believing she was a man – how did she do it?

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The Magic Circle's first female member fooled them into believing she was a man - how did she do it?

How did one woman fool the most famous magic society on the planet?

Back in 1991, Sophie Lloyd pulled off the ultimate illusion, tricking the Magic Circle into thinking she was a man.

But over 30 years after being unceremoniously kicked out, the Circle has tracked down the former actress to apologise and reinstate her membership.

She told Sky News how returning feels like the society has “made good on something that was wrong”.

Sophie Lloyd, who tricked the Magic Circle into believing she was a man
Image:
Sophie Lloyd, who tricked the Magic Circle into believing she was a man

How did she infiltrate that exclusive group that nowadays counts the likes of David Copperfield and Dynamo as members?

In March of that year, she took her entry exam posing as a teenage boy, creating an alter-ego called Raymond Lloyd.

“I’d played a boy before,” she explained, but “it took months of preparation” to secretly infiltrate the Circle’s ranks half a year before it would officially vote to let women in.

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“Really, going back 30 years, men’s clubs were like, you know, just something you accepted.”

The men-only rule had been in place since the Circle was formed in 1905. The thinking behind it being that women just couldn’t keep secrets.

Aware of the frustration of female magicians at the time, Lloyd felt she was up for the challenge of proving women could be as good at magic as the men.

The idea was, in fact, born out of a double act, thought up by a successful magician called Jenny Winstanley who’d wanted to join herself but wasn’t allowed.

She recognised the hoax would probably only work with a much younger woman posing as a teenage boy, and met Lloyd through an acting class.

Sophie Lloyd as teenage magician Raymond Lloyd. Pic: Sophie Lloyd
Image:
Sophie Lloyd as teenage magician Raymond Lloyd. Pic: Sophie Lloyd

Lloyd said: “We had to have a wig made… the main thing was my face, I had plumpers made on a brace to bring his jawline down.”

To hide her feminine hands, she did the magic in gloves, which she says “was so hard to do, especially sleight of hand.”

The biggest test came when she was invited for a drink with her examiner, where she had to fake having laryngitis.

“After the exam, which was 20 minutes, he invited Jenny and I – she played my manager – and I sat there for one hour and three quarters and had to say ‘sorry, I’ve got a bad voice’.”

Raymond Lloyd passed the test, and his membership certificate was sent through to Sophie.

Then, in October of the same year, when whispers started circulating that the society was going to open its membership to both sexes, she and Jenny decided to reveal all. It didn’t go down well.

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Rather than praise her performance, members were incandescent about the deception and, somewhat ironically, Raymond Lloyd was kicked out just before women members were let in.

Lloyd said: “We got a letter… Jenny was hurt… she was snubbed by people she actually knew, that was hurtful. However, things have really changed now…”

Three decades later the Magic Circle put out a nationwide appeal stating they wanted to apologise and Lloyd was recently tracked down in Spain.

While Jenny Winstanley died 20 years ago in a car crash, as well as Sophie receiving her certificate on Thursday, her mentor’s contribution to magic is being recognised at the special show that’s being held in both their honour at the Magic Circle.

Lloyd says: “Jenny was a wonderful, passionate person. She would have loved to be here. It’s for her really.”

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Counter terror police assessing Kneecap concert video

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Counter terror police assessing Kneecap concert video

Counter terror police are assessing a video reported to be from a concert by Irish rappers Kneecap.

A social media clip of the hip hop trio on stage appeared to show one member of the group shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

The footage was posted online by Danny Morris from the Jewish security charity, the Community Security Trust.

He said it was from a gig last November at London’s Kentish Town Forum.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of the video and it has been referred to the counter terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.”

Hamas and Hezbollah are both proscribed as terrorist groups in the UK. Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it is an offence to express “an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation”.

Sky News has contacted Kneecap’s management for comment.

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It comes after TV personality Sharon Osbourne called for Kneecap’s US work visas to be revoked after accusing them of making “aggressive political statements” including “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” at Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

In November last year, Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government after former business secretary Kemi Badenoch refused them funding.

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Harvey Weinstein retrial: ‘He had all the power,’ prosecutor tells court as opening statements begin

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Harvey Weinstein retrial: 'He had all the power,' prosecutor tells court as opening statements begin

The retrial of Harvey Weinstein has begun in New York – with a prosecutor telling the court the former Hollywood mogul used “dream opportunities as weapons” to prey on the three women accusing him of sexual abuse.

The case is being retried five years after the landmark #MeToo case against the producer, who was once one of the industry’s most powerful figures, after the appeals court last year overturned his conviction.

Weinstein, who is now 73, is charged with raping one woman and forcing oral sex on two others. He has strenuously denied the allegations.

Following a lengthy jury selection process due to the high-profile nature of the retrial, the prosecution has now opened its case at the same courthouse in Manhattan.

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Why is Weinstein getting a retrial?

Attorney Shannon Lucey told the court the Oscar-winning producer and studio boss used “dream opportunities as weapons” against the female accusers.

“The defendant wanted their bodies, and the more they resisted, the more forceful he got,” she said.

Weinstein had “enormous control over those working in TV and film because he decided who was in and who was out,” the court heard. “He had all the power. They had none.”

Dressed in a dark suit and navy tie, Weinstein listened to the prosecution’s statement after arriving in court in a wheelchair, as he has done for his recent appearances.

His lawyers are expected to outline their case later on Wednesday.

Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan in his retrial on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in New York. (Steven Hirsch /New York Post via AP, Pool)
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Steven Hirsch/ New York Post via AP/ pool

The opening statements got under way after the last jurors were finally picked on Tuesday, more than a week after the selection process began.

Prospective jurors were questioned about their backgrounds, life experiences and various other points that could potentially impact their ability to be fair and impartial about a case that has been so highly publicised. They have also been asked privately about their knowledge of the case and opinions on Weinstein.

Seven men and five women have been chosen to hear the trial.

Why is there a retrial?

In 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after being found guilty of charges of sexual assault in 2006 and rape in 2013, relating to two women.

But in April 2024, New York’s highest court overturned the convictions due to concerns of prejudicial testimony and that the judge in the original trial had made improper rulings.

Prosecutors announced a retrial last year and a separate charge concerning a third woman, who was not part of the original trial, has since been added to the case. She alleges the producer forced oral sex on her at a hotel in 2006.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone.

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At a preliminary court hearing in January, he begged for the retrial to be held as quickly as possible due to his deteriorating health, telling the judge: “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

Weinstein was also sentenced in February 2023 after being convicted of rape during a separate trial in LA – which means that even if the retrial ends in not guilty verdicts on all three counts, he will remain behind bars.

His lawyers are also appealing this sentence.

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