
The new 593bhp BMW i4 M60 xDrive will do 0-62mph in 3.7s
Plus, it'll get a minor e-range boost for the entry-level cars thanks to a smarter battery
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As part of a flurry of updates to its model lineup, BMW is rolling out changes to the i4 - basically an electric 4 Series Gran Coupe - introducing an even faster top-spec and a more efficient battery for the entry-level cars.
Said top-spec is now dubbed the M60 xDrive. It replaces the old M50 and, in accordance with the bigger number, gets a 56bhp boost to make for a Gran total of 593bhp. 0-62mph is sorted in 3.7s - two-tenths off the pace of the equivalent combustion-powered M4 Competition.

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The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Abba singer Björn Ulvaeus teases fans in London with AI-assisted musical
After bringing a blockbuster hologram version of Abba to a purpose-built venue in east London, Björn Ulvaeus's next technological exploration is a musical that he's written with the help of artificial intelligence. Ulvaeus told an audience at SXSW London that he was 'three-quarters' of the way through writing a new musical which he has created with assistance from AI songwriting tools. He did admit the technology had limitations when it comes to songwriting, saying it was 'lousy at [writing a whole song]' and 'very bad at lyrics' but was helpful whenever the 80-year-old songwriter reached a creative impasse. 'You can prompt a lyric you have written about something, and you're stuck maybe, and you want this song to be in a certain style,' Ulvaeus said. 'You can ask it, how would you extend? Where would you go from here? It usually comes out with garbage, but sometimes there is something in it that gives you another idea.' The use of AI is a hugely contentious issue in the music industry. This year, Dua Lipa and Paul McCartney were among hundreds of artists who signed an open letter urging the prime minister to protect artists' copyright and not 'give our work away' to big tech. Ulvaeus said AI isn't the creative threat but rather a collaborator. 'It's fantastic. It is such a great tool,' he added. 'It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame. It is really an extension of your mind. You have access to things that you didn't think of before.' The musical is far from Ulvaeus's first flirtation with technology. Abba Voyage, the concert which launched three years ago in a purpose-built arena that featured digital avatars of the band, has been a huge success and was described as a 'dazzling retro-futurist extravaganza' by the Guardian. It was a risky venture as Pophouse Entertainment, the company behind the project needed to bring in £140m in order to break even. He told the audience at SXSW London that he embraced experimental approaches to songwriting and studio technology much earlier in his career. This experimental approach is characteristic of Ulvaeus's career-long fascination with technological innovation. During his time in Abba, he along with bandmate Benny Andersson 'always wanted the latest thing', and were among the first to use the Mini Moog synthesizer and use digital recording machines in their studio. 'We were always on the lookout for, you know, you would hear a sound on the record. How was that done? And then you get that stuff,' said. The Abba songwriter told the audience that he sees AI as the latest evolution in his career rather than a threat which is how it is perceived by many. 'I actually wake up curious every morning,' Ulvaeus said, explaining the drive that has kept him creating decades after Abba's peak. 'Everything's really after our wanting to try new things.'


Telegraph
31 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Criminals access HMRC records of 100,000 taxpayers
The records of up to 100,000 taxpayers have been accessed by organised criminals following an attack on HMRC. The tax authority is thought to have lost £47 million as a result of the breach last year, with officials telling MPs that 0.2 per cent of PAYE taxpayers with personal accounts were affected – representing about 100,000 people, according to Business and Accountancy Daily. The raid comes after HMRC pushed millions of workers to file their tax returns online as part of its Making Tax Digital scheme. Officials told the Treasury committee that the incident was 'not a cyber attack' but instead took the form of multiple phishing attacks 'designed to extract money' from the tax authority, carried out by several organised crime gangs over an extended period last year. However, on its website, the taxman confirmed it had only just started writing to affected taxpayers, with letters set to arrive between now and June 25. The news came to light on the same day that HMRC's phone lines were hit by a system outage, which meant only those using the specific phone number in the letters to phishing victims were able to call the organisation. Those affected have been told they do not need to take any action and HMRC has said it has locked down any accounts impacted by the breach and deleted log-in credentials. HMRC had told public to beware phishing Phishing attacks occur when a criminal tricks a victim into disclosing personal details, often by pretending to be a trusted figure such as a police officer or HMRC worker. HMRC warned the public as recently as January, ahead of the tax return deadline, to be on alert for phishing texts which often included phrases such as 'you have an outstanding tax refund' along with a link to 'claim' it. HMRC has been repeatedly criticised for rushing to shift customers online. In January this year, MPs on the public accounts committee said the organisation had 'willingly allowed its phone services to fail' to force taxpayers to use the internet. Average wait times for taxpayers using the telephone helpline jumped to 23 minutes in the first 11 months of 2023-24, according to a National Audit Office report, up from five minutes in 2018-19. HMRC announced last month that it would no longer process requests for self-assessment refunds over the phone or via webchat due to a rise in suspected fraud. In the past, the tax authority has formally disciplined staff for failing to protect taxpayer data. HMRC sacked 40 members of staff for breaches of data security and issued written warnings to 95 in 2020-21, according to figures obtained by The Telegraph in 2021. An HMRC spokesman said on Wednesday: 'We've acted to protect customers after identifying attempts to access a very small minority of tax accounts, and we're working with other law enforcement agencies both in the UK and overseas to bring those responsible to justice. 'This was not a cyber-attack – it involved criminals using personal information from phishing activity or data obtained elsewhere to try to claim money from HMRC. 'We're writing to those customers affected to reassure them we've secured their accounts and that they haven't lost any money.'


BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
What could Rangers fans expect if Martin takes charge?
Russell Martin is, according to some, on the brink of becoming the next Rangers manager. Others say a deal is still some way off. Some would have you believe other candidates are still very much in the wonder Rangers fans don't know what to believe but a section among them don't seem overly enthused by the prospect of former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton boss Martin taking are presumably unconvinced by his English Premier League experience last term, which led to his sacking and Southampton's eventual that view does ignore the work done in getting into England's top flight and the increasing evidence to support the idea that the transition from the Championship to the top tier is an ever-expanding bridge to what could Rangers expect on the pitch if Martin takes charge and are there parallels with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou? What's his style of play? Martin himself told the BBC's Match of the Day last month that a key element of taking on any job would be "how the style of play will fit" and "how convinced the ownership and people in charge are with how we do things."That seems to suggest he retains faith in his coach and analyst John Walker has undertaken extensive analysis of Martin's managerial career and believes many people misunderstand his style."I think there's a misconception of it being very passive in possession for possessions sake," he told BBC Scotland."To me, anytime I've watched MK Dons, Swansea or Southampton - more the latter in the Championship - it was actually really forward attacking play. "It was very fast forward. It wasn't too dissimilar, though not the exact same in patterns, to Postecoglou's Celtic. "That's probably why I'm such a champion for him taking over Rangers because I believe it's a style of football, with aggression, that can work in Scotland."Ironically, it was in the aftermath of a 5-0 drubbing by Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur that Martin was sacked by Southampton. His next game in the dugout could come with Rangers. Is Martin too reliant on one approach? A reluctance to adapt is an accusation Postecoglou and Martin both share. But the latter's former Norwich City team-mate, Angus Gunn, would dispute came up against Martin's Southampton team in the English Championship en route to, what turned into, their unsuccessful return to the Premier League."They were a tough team," the Scotland goalkeeper said. "We had a couple of good games against them. One was 4-4, one was 1-1, so quite contrasting."When we first played them they were quite open. Then when we played them again, they were a little bit pragmatic and I think that shows a coach that can adapt and change the way his team plays. "Watching his teams over the few years that he was there, I thought he did that even though some people probably said that he was reluctant to change a lot. "I thought he did that quite well, especially in the Championship."The narrative around the former Scotland defender, particularly with Southampton in the Premier League, was that he was too stubborn and needed to adapt. The former Rangers defender's response was firm. "There is a difference between being stubborn and having conviction," he told BBC Sport. "If you really believe in something as a coach, manager, leader, then the logic for me is that you stick with it and try to be better at it."It suggests the principles of Martin's approach won't deviate, if he gets the Ibrox job. Squad overhaul required to suit style? It seems there will be a significant, if not seismic, change in squad personnel at Rangers, with fresh funds available after the takeover led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises. But just how big would that need to be to allow Martin to implement his ideas?Walker believes wholesale change is required at Rangers, but insists Martin would be unfazed by such a task."I don't think many of the players that are currently there will survive," Walker said. "When he went into Swansea, I think they had 18 players leave over the summer so they had to make 17 signings."When he went into Southampton there were 20 people wanting to leave. "So he's got experience of building a squad and almost instantly implementing the style of play. I would expect a massive squad overhaul if he comes in."I think with the style of play, you're going to also experience teething problems, a lot of goals conceded to start with. "I think the exciting part will be there'll be lots of goals for Rangers."