Baic B40 Plus Honour Edition: Brawn, brains and a burst tyre:
There are some test vehicles you will always remember – some for the right reasons and others for the wrong ones.
It might not be down to the car being good or bad but sometimes an experience will shape how you remember it.
The Baic B40 Plus Honour Edition was a mixed bag.
Let’s start with the good.
It gives off a pleasant Jeep Wrangler vibe from the outside and inside but doesn’t compromise on comfort, space or drive quality.
It’s one of those cars whose looks you will either love or hate. I leaned more towards the former.
The design screams adventure. The front of the B40 PLUS is striking, with a five-slot grille design that is inspired by the Great Wall of China. The chrome and black accents on the exterior contrast the vehicle’s body colour.
It has an imposing exterior that feels big and bulky, just the way you would like an off-roader.
When it comes to the interior, Baic hasn’t sat back either. Comfortable leather seats and soft-touch materials yet an element of ruggedness, like a passenger handle bar to keep the rugged theme constant from outside to inside.
The vehicle also has a removable roof to allow off-roading beach buggy style or travel on the road as if you’re in a convertible. However, it is a mission to get the roof on and off and the rain didn’t even allow me to really test it out.
The Baic B40 Plus does not come with built-in Apple Car Play and Android Auto but that didn’t put me off the vehicle.
Probably the best part about the Baic B40 Plus Honour Edition is the 2 litre turbocharged petrol engine that is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission delivering 165kW of power and 380Nm of torque.
I say this because while the car has the all-terrain tyres, 210mm ground clearance, 37° approach, 31° departure angles, a full four-wheel drive with electronic rear diff, the on-road experience is nothing short of exceptional.
Baic gave us the best of both worlds.
But now, I have to go to the bad stuff.
First, the speakers were not cooperating. There were times the music was loud and clear and suddenly, it started sounding like the speaker had blown. This happened to me multiple times.
From a user perspective, that’s probably the only bad thing I can say about the vehicle.
From an experience perspective, it was an entirely different story.
I enjoyed the vehicle but on the last day of testing, I was cruising down Marlboro Drive when I heard an odd sound. No bump, no pothole yet one of the tyres were flat.
Changing a tyre is not difficult but changing it when a storm is on the horizon can be a problem. Not to mention that Marlboro Drive has become a hotspot for theft and hijacking, so I first waited for a friend to come so that I was not alone.
Once the storm came, the tyre came off too but the car was parked too close to the curb, meaning that the new tyre would not fit onto the vehicle.
We then had to put the flat tyre back on and move the car away from the curb. Surely nothing else could go wrong?
Queue the music … the jack was stripped so we could not get the car back up.
We were drenched, cold and now waiting for someone else to bring us a jack. When help arrived, it took us 10 minutes to change the tyre. Overall, the entire process took us close to three hours.
That is why it is an experience I will never forget.
Like I said earlier, while that experience was terrible, it had nothing to do with the car.
The Baic B40 is all brawn and all brains. It has everything. I don’t understand why the brand doesn’t push it as hard as it pushes the Beijing X55 and the B30.
Sure, it is more tailored to those who want to do some hardcore off-roading, but it could easily become a favourite here in South Africa, just like how the Suzuki Jimny and GWM Tank have become.
At R699 500, it is incredible value for money.
How online casinos protect against RNG hacking:
Random number generators (RNGs) are the lifeline of all independently-played casino games. The reels on a slot machine, virtual cards in blackjack, and pockets in roulette all display random results because of RNG-based algorithms. Casinos are responsible for safeguarding these RNG systems to prevent hacking.
Hackers attempt to unlock firewalls and security encryptions to compromise RNG algorithms to display more winning paylines to increase their potential payout. This horrid practice causes an unfair gaming environment for all players while also placing the casino’s revenue at risk.
You can log on to an online casino to explore different titles with RNGs. Spin a slot machine and see where the reels land from its RNG-guided results. These algorithms virtually shuffle blackjack card decks to keep players on their toes. They are also the reason why the ball could land on the same few numbers or all around the board during a roulette gaming session.
How Hackers Attempt To Attack A Casino’s RNG Systems
A hacker may try to attempt a seed compromise that reduces the algorithm’s internal state for outcomes to become more predictable. This helps cheaters to formulate betting strategies that align with these predictable patterns to capitalize on the compromised RNG system. Insufficient RNGs weaken entropy sources to make a game’s outputs more guessable.
Insider tampering could alter the RNG code or overall seed generation to manipulate it to their liking. Gaming developers and operators monitor their computers, security systems, and computer history to ensure that corrupt workers aren’t compromising the casino games. Hackers can attempt to enter the server or network to change RNG outputs or the codes that generate the random results.
How Casinos Prevent RNG Hacking
Casinos implement multiple safeguards and procedures to stop RNG hacking from occurring. The platforms have their games tested for RNG competency at least once a year from outside tech labs such as GLI or eCOGRA. The technicians ensure true randomness in results outputs, statistical distribution, and overall tight-knit security to safeguard against hacking attempts. The organizations issue certification stickers for the casino platform to display in the games’ information sections.
A casino’s IT department implements high-quality entropy sources and hybrid systems. There must be secure deterministic random bit generators (DRBG) with strong entropy for properly seeding game results. Some casinos prefer a hybrid system that involves TRNG integrating entropy into a DRBG to ensure a stronger unpredictability with every round’s output.
Hardware security modules (HSMs) store seeding, key storage, and overall RNG state for proper operations. Even if a hacker successfully breaches a server, they still can’t access these key components because of a strong HSM. The tamper-evident hardware has strict security controls to reduce external hacking and insider tampering.
Random code auditing and third-party component vetting stop vulnerabilities from entering the overall system. Secure software development lifecycles (S-SDLC) are also important for safeguarding RNG systems to maintain their authenticity and transparency. Casinos regularly monitor the RNG algorithms to ensure there are no deviations in the designated operating principles. Cryptographic audit trails and tamper-evident virtual logs track a game’s every result to evaluate whether a hacker or corrupt insider has compromised the system.
What Good RNG Protection Looks Like for Operators And Players
Operators should only use certified RNGs for all their casino games. They should always re-certify if an RNG code ever changes suddenly to safeguard security and authenticity for players’ gaming experience. Quality OS entropy should be combined with DRBGs for enhanced security. All sensitive RNG states and keys should be stored inside HSMs.
Players should choose online casino platforms with valid RNG certifications from reputable organizations. Bettors should look for the best transparency features including published RTPs, audit certificates, and provably fair proofs.
The generator broke, leaving Eastern Cape village without water — 17 years ago:
Hundreds of residents from six villages in Sicwenza outside Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape have been without running water for 17 years.
Villagers say the problems started in 2009 when a generator for a borehole that supplied the area was removed by municipal officials after it broke down. It was never returned. They complain that their pleas for the generator to be returned have been ignored for years.
When we visited the borehole site, it was filled with water but the generator storeroom was empty and badly vandalised. Doors had been stolen and pipes were broken.
Villages affected include Sicwenza, Mangquzu, Khimbili, Ngqwabeni, Mission and KwaNdayeni. Residents there now rely on collecting water from a nearby river shared with cattle and other animals. Those who can afford to, spend about R1 500 for 2 500 litres of water.
“We have gone back and forth to the municipality seeking an intervention but nothing has been resolved,” resident Yandisa Mtshoqolwana said.
“They are all aware of what’s happening here. Our ward councillor is never available when we need him. We are sharing dirty water with animals.”
The lack of water has made daily life extremely difficult, forcing residents to stop planting their own maize and vegetables, farmer Mphuthani Miya said.
“We used to farm on our amasimi (fields) to feed our families, but now we spend our small social grants buying vegetables,” he said. “I’m old and crippled. I cannot carry containers from the river, so I depend on my grandchildren to fetch me water.”
The community’s water supply was meant to come from the Ludiwane Water Treatment Works under the Mzintlava River Scheme, which began in 2024, said ward councillor Bongani Nokhele. But delays with construction had halted the efforts.
He added that water would be provided to residents on request, particularly for funerals.
OR Tambo district municipality spokesperson Ncebakazi Kolwane acknowledged that there were “long-standing water supply challenges” in the area. The broader challenge stemmed from historical bulk water infrastructure backlogs, she said.
Kolwane said the villages were previously supplied through a spring water scheme from a reservoir that flowed into communal taps. She said the system had been repeatedly vandalised over several years, which ultimately rendered it inoperable.
Kolwane said the generator was later installed and used to pump water but it was stolen while the municipality was in the process of replacing parts damaged by vandalism. However, residents dispute the municipality’s account, insisting that the generator was removed by municipal officials driving a municipal truck.
The bulk water project was supplying about 40% of villages in the Ingquza Hill local municipality and had the capacity to supply more than 60% once complete, Kolwane said.
Sicwenza has been connected to the Ludiwane Water Treatment Works system but there was outstanding work needed to pump water into reservoirs and taps. She said that at times, construction was disrupted by community protests and vandalism, requiring sections of the project to be restarted.
“The municipality notes the frustrations of the Sicwenza community and reiterates its commitment to addressing water service challenges through temporary relief measures and long-term infrastructure development,” Kolwane said.
This story was first published by GroundUp
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