PRODUCTION OF CADILLAC ELR ENDS

News Hour:

Cadillac’s ELR has bowed out of production a little more than two years after reaching showrooms. The last ELR rolled off the line at General Motors Company’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant in February, a Cadillac spokesman confirmed to HybridCars.

It was also in February that Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen said there were no plans for further investment in the ELR, so the news doesn’t come as much of a surprise, reports Motor Authority.

                                   2014 Cadillac ELR interior

Total sales of the model were a little under 2,700 units. Part of the reason for the poor sales was the car’s exorbitant price tag. Cadillac originally asked $75,995 for what was essentially a front-wheel-drive compact with running gear lifted out of a Chevrolet Volt. And being an (extended-range) electric car and a coupe made it a niche within a niche.


Not surprisingly sales didn’t take off so a little more than a year after the ELR’s launch Cadillac dropped the price and offered more power. Unfortunately by then Tesla Motors’ superior Model S was attracting all the well-heeled electric car enthusiasts.











collected by"http://www.newshour.com.bd/2016/05/20/production-cadillac-elr-ends/

Nasa Releases First-Ever Global Topographic Model of Mercury

Nasa's Messenger mission has unveiled the first global digital elevation model (DEM) of Mercury, revealing in stunning detail the topography across the entire innermost planet.

It will also pave the way for scientists to fully characterise Mercury's geologic history.

"The wealth of these data has already enabled and will continue to enable exciting scientific discoveries about Mercury for decades to come," said Susan Ensor, software engineer at The Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).

This new model reveals a variety of interesting topographic features, including the highest and lowest points on the planet.

The highest elevation on Mercury is at 4.48 km above Mercury's average elevation, located just south of the equator in some of Mercury's oldest terrain.



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Nasa Releases First-Ever Global Topographic Model of Mercury Indo-Asian News Service , 9 May 2016
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Nasa Releases First-Ever Global Topographic Model of Mercury
Nasa's Messenger mission has unveiled the first global digital elevation model (DEM) of Mercury, revealing in stunning detail the topography across the entire innermost planet.

It will also pave the way for scientists to fully characterise Mercury's geologic history.

"The wealth of these data has already enabled and will continue to enable exciting scientific discoveries about Mercury for decades to come," said Susan Ensor, software engineer at The Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).

This new model reveals a variety of interesting topographic features, including the highest and lowest points on the planet.

The highest elevation on Mercury is at 4.48 km above Mercury's average elevation, located just south of the equator in some of Mercury's oldest terrain.


The lowest elevation, at 5.38 km below Mercury's average, is found on the floor of Rachmaninoff basin, an intriguing double-ring impact basin suspected to host some of the most recent volcanic deposits on the planet.

More than 100,000 images were used to create the new model.

"This has become one of my favourite maps of Mercury. Now that it is available, I'm looking forward to it being used to investigate this epic volcanic event that shaped Mercury's surface," added Nancy Chabot, instrument scientist for the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) in a Nasa statement.

"During its four years of orbital observations,Messenger  revealed the global characteristics of one of our closest planetary neighbours for the first time.


The data from the mission will continue to be utilised by the planetary science community for years to come.











collected by:http://gadgets.ndtv.com/science/news/nasa-releases-first-ever-global-topographic-model-of-mercury-835404:

'Cheater' car outside Harrods is (probably) a publicity stunt

   The mysterious car appeared outside Harrods department store yesterday morning Klo/Twitter

A car publicly vandalised by a spurned wife or girlfriend outside Harrods in London is likely to be a PR stunt.

The white Range Rover Revere was spotted outside in Knightsbridge and photographs of its unusual paintwork quickly filled social media.

The words ‘CHEATER’, ‘IT’S OVER’ and ‘HOPE SHE WAS WORTH IT’ were daubed in red paint over the body of the vehicle.

The car was seen making its way through Belgravia in the early hours before a man in a white T-shirt parked it outside the department store and walked off.

          Many people claim the car was left there to promote a Bravo TV show (Klo/Twitter)

However, it seems likely that the paint job is actually a publicity 
stunt for a new television show.
Exactly the same stunt was pulled in downtown New York in March last year and the photographs went viral on social media.

The images showed the same white Range Rover with words painted in red being towed through the Big Apple on the back of a truck.

           Eagle-eyed tweeters spotted that a similar stunt was pulled in New York in March 2015 (Imgur)

In December 2014, the TV channel Bravo pulled a very similar trick by towing a selection of graffitied Porche 911 cars around Manhattan to promote their scripted show ‘Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce’. 


















collected by"http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cheater-revenge-car-outside-harrods-revealed-to-be-a-hoax-a7014836.html'"

Australian Entrepreneur Says He Invented Bitcoin

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright claims he's the inventor of the digital currency bitcoin.

Wright told the BBC that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the shadowy creator of the cryptocurrency. In a follow-up blog post on Monday, Wright thanked everyone who helped out in bitcoin's beginnings.

"I have been staring at my screen for hours, but I cannot summon the words to express the depth of my gratitude to those that have supported the bitcoin project from its inception — too many names to list," Wright wrote. "You have dedicated vast swathes of your time, committed your gifts, sacrificed relationships and REM sleep for years to an open source project that could have come to nothing. And yet still you fought."



To back up his claim, Wright digitally signed a message using the cryptographic keys that were associated with the creator.

"These are the blocks used to send 10 bitcoins to Hal Finney in January [2009] as the first bitcoin transaction," Wright told the BBC.

Wright said Finney helped turn his vision of bitcoin into reality.

Almost immediately, Wright's claims came under suspicion, with some saying the real person or ground behind Satoshi Nakamoto has yet to be revealed. And the evidence Wright put forward has left some experts unconvinced.


For years, news organizations have been investigating who the real founder of bitcoin is, with several names being mentioned. Someone or a group of people called "Satoshi Nakamoto" was always associated with the invention of the cryptocurrency, but nobody knew who was behind the name.

In 2014, Newsweek said that the bitcoin creator was a 64-year-old Japanese-American living in California named Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto.










collected by"http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/bitcoin-inventor-satoshi-nakamoto-finally-revealed-n565756:

Facelifted BMW i8 Will Drop Next Year: Report

   2011 BMW i8 Concept

A facelifted and subtly tweaked BMW i8 coupe is reportedly set to go on sale late next year. If you’re a movie studio hoping to remake Back To The Future, start planning now.


BMW i8: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide

The BMW i8 is a unique car from the future designed to work perfectly in the present. It might not…



According to a report by Autocar, BMW plans to put the revised futuristic coupe on the market in the fourth quarter of 2017. The car will apparently get a 60 horsepower boost from a revised 1.5 liter 3-cylinder turbo and upgraded battery pack to total around 420 hp on combined power.

The upgraded battery is also expected to extend the electric range of the i8, and a revision of the 6-speed automatic transmission is expected to improve the coupe’s current near-4 second 0 to 60 time.

Autocar suggests that BMW may go with a 10 kWh battery pack over the current 7.1 kWh pack based on an upgrade to the company’s Formula E safety car. It’s also expected that similar chassis modifications seen on the safety car will make their way to the next production i8 as well.

It’s also suggested that wireless charging will be available on the car through technology developed by Qualcomm, which is partnered with BMW.

The launch of the i8 roadster may team up with the new coupe next year, both featuring a soft redesign of the current i8 language. Here’s hoping it stays crazy.













collected by"http://jalopnik.com/facelifted-bmw-i8-will-drop-next-year-report-1774569847"

Volkswagen unveils the T-Prime Concept GLE

Volkswagen has unveiled the T-Prime Concept GLE SUV at the Beijing Motor Show 2016. Based on the modular longitudinal platform (MLB), the car will lead Volkswagen’s SUV line-up, which is currently dominated by the Touareg

Aesthetically the car looks appealing with large front grille extending till the end of the headlamps. The “C” shaped day-time running lights further enhance its appeal. The German carmaker has done away with most of the knobs and buttons in the car’s interiors and introduced a multi-functional steering wheel with touch pads. The 15-inch touchscreen display placed at the center, enables the driver to control most of the features in the vehicle. The interiors of the T-Prime truly demonstrate the company’s plan to go more digital

The SUV measures 5,069mm x 2,000mm x 1,708mm (L x B x H) and is a tad bit bigger than the Touareg. The car is powered by a mechanical engine and an electric drive with a combined output of 375 bhp (248 bhp for mechanical and 134 bhp for electric drive). This apparatus comes mated with an eight speed automatic gearbox.

The car is driveable in three modes namely E-mode, Hybrid and GTE. In E-mode, the SUV completely depends on the electric drive, while the hybrid mode combines the output of the electric motor and the combustion engine. In GTE, the electric motor complements the performance of the petrol mill.

The carmaker came with all guns blazing at the Auto Expo 2016 and displayed models such as the Tiguan and the Passat GTE. As a matter of fact, the Passat GTE and the T-Prime share the same electric motor. The automaker is likely to introduce the production version of the T-Prime, which will also be the next-gen Touareg, in India only after the launch of the Tiguan. The Tiguan is expected to hit the Indian roads by early 2017.








cradit by:http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cd/volkswagen-unveils-the-t-prime-concept-gle-116042701070_1.html"

2016 Beijing Motor Show: Long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E-Class debuted

Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps of the long-wheelbase (LWB) E-Class at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show. Measuring 4923mm, the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E-Class’ length and wheelbase have gone up by 140mm over the standard car. This translates to an additional 134mm of legroom for rear passengers. The rear passengers also have access to a new centre armrest which can be optioned with a touchscreen tablet and wireless chargers.

Like the standard Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the LWB version is loaded with features which include touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel, Multibeam LED headlamps and a host of driver assistance systems. Although the brand hasn’t disclosed any specifications on the powertrain, the E 200 L badging indicates that it could be powered by the same 2.0-litre petrol engine from the standard E 200. This four cylinder engine puts out 184PS of power and 300Nm of torque.

Langversion der neuen E-Klasse LimousineLong-wheelbase version

Langversion der neuen E-Klasse Limousine Long-wheelbase version


Initially, the LWB Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be built in China for China. However, there could be plans to launch this version in other parts of the world. India will get the standard variant of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class only in 2017. However, it’s too soon to tell if the LWB version will be offered as well.








collected by"http://overdrive.in/news/2016-beijing-motor-show-long-wheelbase-mercedes-benz-e-class-debuted/:

2017 Honda Accord Hybrid on sale this spring with 48 mpg

Honda is looking to double its 2014 sales of the Accord Hybrid with the 2017 model.

Honda says it has doubled production capacity for the car, and is targeting annual sales of more than double the 14,000 Accord Hybrids that were sold during 2014.

Limited availability of the earlier model years, which were well reviewed by many outlets, frustrated potential buyers, who reported waits of up to several months for dealers to get Accord Hybrids onto their lots.

Those shortages persisted for more than a year, and Honda ultimately chose to move hybrid production to the Accord's Japanese assembly plant.

Recommended: Are you a smart car buyer? Take the quiz.
The second generation of Honda's two-motor hybrid system is paired to a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that uses the lean Atkinson Cycle combustion sequence for the highest output on the least fuel.


TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE Are you a smart car buyer? Take the quiz.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY NEPAL QUAKE ANNIVERSARY
Combined output ratings between the engine and the two electric motors is 212 horsepower, an increase of 16 hp over the previous model.

Honda says it's the highest power in the segment, which includes the Volt-derived Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Kia Optima Hybrid, and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

As before, the Accord Hybrid will offer three drive modes, including EV Drive, which gives all-electric propulsion through the front wheels with the engine off as long as there is sufficient charge in the battery.

Hybrid Drive blends electric-only running from the propulsion motor with the gasoline engine recharging the battery using the second motor as a generator.

Finally, Engine Drive locks the engine and propulsion motor together, combining gasoline-electric power for higher loads and road speeds.

The Accord Hybrid shifts automatically and continually among these three drive modes, depending on which is the most energy-efficient at any moment.

Honda has also made the lithium-ion battery pack slightly more compact in the 2017 hybrid sedan, giving it a trunk capacity of 13.5 cubic feet.

The company says that's the largest volume in the segment.

Unique features of the hybrid Accord include LED headlights and taillights with blue accents, an aluminum hood, aluminum alloy wheels, and various badges and "Hybrid" identifiers.

As well as the upgraded powertrain, the 2017 Accord Hybrid incorporates all the updates made to conventional Accords for their mid-cycle update going into the current 2016 model year, including an array of standard and optional electronic active-safety systems.

Standard safety features include a rear-view camera with a wide-angle display, and the Honda Sensing suite of forward collision warning, automatic crash braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and road-departure mitigation.

The company expects the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid to receive the highest safety ratings: an overall five-star rating from the NHTSA, along with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation as well.

The hybrid sedan will be offered in three trim levels for 2017: Hybrid, Hybrid EX-L, and Hybrid Touring. The latter two roughly correspond to the highest trim levels on the conventional Accord sedan.

Options (which vary by trim level) will include a 7-inch touchscreen audio system that incorporates Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, front and rear parking sensors, and heated rear seats.

Prices for the 2017 Accord Hybrid will be released closer to the car's on-sale date, which Honda said would be "this spring."  














cradit by:http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2016/0423/2017-Honda-Accord-Hybrid-on-sale-this-spring-with-48-mpg:

Apple Watch Hermès collection now available at Mall of the Emirates

Apple on Tuesday announced that its Apple Watch Hermès collection is now available at the Apple Store in Mall of the Emirates.

The line, launched in October 2015, offers new colours and a continuation of customer favourites. The three styles introduced last autumn - Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff - will continue and complete systems (case and band) will be offered in Fauve Barenia only. Existing colours of bands - including Fauve, Noir, Capucine and Etain - will now be sold, for the first time, separately and will be joined by a whole new collection of Single Tour and Double Tour bands, which will be offered in Hermès colours including Bleu Paon (green), Bleu Saphir, Blanc (white) and the iconic Hermes colour, Feu (orange). 

The Apple Watch Hermès Single Tour Band will be priced at Dh4,400 for 38mm and Dh4,600 for 42mm. The Double Tour Band will sell for Dh5,000, while the Cuff in Fauve Barenia will go for Dh6,000 (42mm).







collected by"http://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/technology/apple-watch-herms-collection-now-available-at-mall-of-the-emirates"

Popular Firefox Add-Ons Vulnerable to Cross-Extension Exploit

APRIL 9, 2016 01:02PM EST
Firefox is working to secure up its browser so one extension can't tell another to do malicious things.

Here's the bad news: There's a new kind of browser attack that can take advantage of the normally helpful things that some of your extensions can do. It's actually a rather ingenious attack. Rather than trying to infiltrate your browser and having it do something it shouldn't, a malicious extension attempts to get your other extensions—which aren't isolated from one another—to do things on its behalf.

The end result? It's trickier to find the original attacker, since it's basically hiding in plain sight. And this isn't just an issue that affects lesser-known extensions. As researchers from Boston's Northeastern University found, nine of the ten most popular Firefox extensions could be exploited by another extension—one that appears to be totally benign and normal on its face, but is piggybacking off of other extensions to steal a user's personal data or redirect them to malware-filled websites (for example).

"These vulnerabilities allow a seemingly innocuous extension to reuse security-critical functionality provided by other legitimate, benign extensions to stealthily launch confused deputy-style attacks. Malicious extensions that utilize this technique would be significantly more difficult to detect by current static or dynamic analysis techniques, or extension vetting procedures," reads a paper from said researchers, presented at Singapore's recent Black Hat Asia security conference.

Just to show how easy it is for an attacker to exploit these vulnerabilities, The Register reports that the researchers were able to upload a blatantly malicious—but harmless—extension to Firefox's big gallery. The extension, dubbed "ValidateThisWebsite," didn't conceal its ambitions in its code whatsoever. And, yet, the extension still managed to make it through Mozilla's security checks, even a more extensive "fully reviewed" analysis, without issue. (That's likely because it's not making any malicious calls to Firefox itself; it's making other extensions do it once it's installed in a user's browser.)

Said researchers provided Firefox with an explanation of the process as well as a new Crossfire application that can assist with finding these sneaky extensions. Firefox vice president of product, Nick Nguyen, also issued a statement that indicates Mozilla is actively working to secure up extensions and eliminate these cross-extension vulnerabilities.

"The way add-ons are implemented in Firefox today allows for the scenario hypothesized and presented at Black Hat Asia. The method described relies on a popular add-on that is vulnerable to be installed, and then for the add-on that takes advantage of that vulnerability to also be installed," it reads.

"Because risks such as this one exist, we are evolving both our core product and our extensions platform to build in greater security. The new set of browser extension APIs that make up WebExtensions, which are available in Firefox today, are inherently more secure than traditional add-ons, and are not vulnerable to the particular attack outlined in the presentation at Black Hat Asia. As part of our electrolysis initiative—our project to introduce multi-process architecture to Firefox later this year—we will start to sandbox Firefox extensions so that they cannot share code."









collected by:
http://www.pcmag.com/news/343605/popular-firefox-add-ons-vulnerable-to-cross-extension-exploi'

2 Top Intel Executives to Depart

     APRIL 5, 2016 09:31AM EST

In a Monday email to employees, CEO Brian Krzanich announced the resignations of Kirk Skaugen, head of the Client Computing Group (CCG) and Internet of Things Group leader Doug Davis.

According to Intel, Skaugen, whose last day is Friday, is moving on to pursue "his next career opportunity," while Davis "would like to devote more of his time to family, friends, and other interests."

Since joining the company in 1992, Skaugen has led the Data Center and Connected Systems Group, PC Client Group, and most recently, the Client Computing Group (CCG).

"We are incredibly appreciative of Kirk's drive, the innovation he's brought to the PC and Data Center, and his customer orientation," Krzanich and Venkata "Murthy" Renduchintala, president of the Client and Internet of Things Businesses and Systems Architecture Group, wrote in the email.

"His strategy of segmentation and innovation in our core businesses has been a strong asset to Intel," they said of Skagen.

Following his abrupt exit, Navin Shenoy, current corporate vice president of CCG and general manager of mobility client platforms, will step in. Shenoy will also join Intel's management committee.

Davis, meanwhile, is ending a 32-year career at the California-based company at the end of 2016; he will continue his role as the Internet of Things chief until a successor is named.

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"Doug's deep acumen, strong customer relationships, and leadership in the IoT sector has been instrumental to our growth in this space, and the emergence of Intel as one of the most important end-to-end players in the Internet of Things," Krzanich and Renduchintala wrote.


As the Wall Street Journal notes, Krzanich—who became CEO in 2013—has taken to hiring top talent from outside rather than promoting from within, including Renduchintala, who came from Qualcomm and held a position above Skaugen and Davis. "His arrival at Intel blindsided some top executives, who had previously reported directly to Mr. Krzanich," the Journal says.



collected by'http://www.pcmag.com/news/343447/2-top-intel-executives-to-depart

Acer Chromebase is an all-in-one video conference system

It can track meetings and support a 25-person Hangouts session.

We first met Acer's Chromebase at CES 2016, but that one wasn't loaded with Google's enterprise software like this version is. The company's new Chromebase for meetings is a dedicated video conference system that tracks schedules and supports 25-person Hangouts sessions, even with people with no Google accounts. 

Unlike Chromebox for meetings, which the big G launched back in 2014, this is an all-in-one device that already comes with a display. Google says getting the computer up and running is as easy as plugging it in and connecting it to a network.

Chromebase has a 24-inch, 720p touchscreen display, an adjustable camera, two speakers and a four-mic array for use during conferences. It has several ports at the back, including three for USB 3.0, one for USB 2.0, another one for headphones, as well as an SD card reader. The device also comes with remote management tools an office's IT team can use to troubleshoot video or audio quality, among other issues. Businesses in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia can now call their suppliers to get one for $799, which includes management and support fees for one year.


Just take note that this is a device meant for use in smaller spaces and by two people in one room. Those who need a more powerful system for bigger meeting areas may want to get a Chromebox with better specs instead.



collected by http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/01/acer-chromebase-for-meetings/;

How Google Maps got its groove back for April 1

Google Maps becomes Groovy Maps and Pegman transforms into your own personal tiny dancer. Welcome to April Fools' Day.

It's April 1 and, as usual, Google has arranged something a little special.

If you jump on to Google Maps you'll see that Pegman, the normally featureless figure you drag and drop around Maps, has been "discofied" with a natty beard, low-fro and purple '70s suit.

In fact, the Google Maps Twitter account has changed its name to Groovy Maps, complete with a lot of Funky Town references. But at the moment that seems to be it... and we normally expect a little more from Google for its April Fools' games.


Two years ago Google went above and beyond, turning Google Maps into a Pokemon game, letting you find and, yes, catch them all. Those people who persevered and located all 151 original Pokemon were rewarded with Pokemon Master business cards, which definitely made up for the waste of an entire working day.


collected by;http://www.cnet.com/au/news/google-maps-groovy-maps-funky-pegman-april-fools/

Google Car CEO Predicts Increased Need for Dealerships in All-Autonomous Future

     Image: TomoNews US via Youtube


Surprisingly, in a world filled with autonomous cars, the CEO of Google’s Self-Driving Car Project has suggested that dealerships could become way more important than they are right now. At the J.D. Power and NADA Automotive Forum ahead of the New York Auto Show, CEO John Krafcik discussed the implications of a fully-autonomous future, and the one that would lead to increased dealership importance is that, with everyone in autonomous cars, car usage could skyrocket.

Getting More: Mazda is packing the features into the 2016 CX-5

Normal cars spend the majority of their time parked and off, but according to Krafcik, “Self-driving cars are going to be more expensive physical assets, so we’re going to find a way to use them more.” Krafcik meant that we may start using our cars more due to the amount of money we spent, and also that we may place our cars in ride-sharing services, possibly without us even being in the car.

As a result, Krafcik could see annual car usage rising to anywhere between 100,000 to 150,000 miles each year. “I think there are going to be positive implications for a lot of dealers, and for the OEMs, thinking about that duty cycle is going to be very different,” said Krafcik.

No kidding—think of how often you need to go have your car serviced now, when the average miles driven each year is somewhere around 15,000 miles.

Or Maybe More? At  least, with one of these Consumer Reports Best Buys

However, I have to wonder if that estimate will be the least bit accurate. To break 100,000 miles per year, your autonomous car would need to drive a minimum of 274 miles each day, and to reach 150,000 miles the car would need to drive 411 miles every day. At highway speeds, that means the car would be moving between almost 4.5 hours and almost 7 hours each day. Honestly, I would imagine that most people would use an autonomous car the same way they use their manually-driven car today—as a way for you to get from place to place—and not in the quasi-robotic-employee manner that Krafcik described (even if the government agrees the car is technically the driver).

Still, that brings up a point that I think dealers are unnecessarily wringing their hands over—even safely-driven cars need to be repaired from time to time, and so long as parts wear out, service departments will not lack for business


Sources By;http://thenewswheel.com/google-car-ceo-predicts-increased-need-for-dealerships-in-all-autonomous-future/;

HTC 10 Flagship Smartphone Tipped to Launch in 3 Variants

Although HTC is yet to launch the flagship HTC 10 handset on April 12, rumours for the device's variants have already started brewing on the Web. It is now being said that the HTC 10 will arrive in three variants, all of which will be launched at the same event.

The 'One' variant of the HTC 10 is supposed to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, clubbed with 3GB RAM, reports My Drivers. It will house 16GB inbuilt storage and will be priced around $584 (roughly Rs. 38,800). Another model is said to feature the Snapdragon 820 processor, along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage. It is expected to come with a price tag equivalent to $768 (roughly Rs. 51,100). The third version of the HTC 10 will be powered by the same flagship mobile processor but will house 4GB of RAM, along with 128GB of inbuilt storage. This model is said to be the flagship HTC 10 itself and will come with a hefty price tag of $905 (roughly Rs. 60,200).

All three HTC 10 variants will reportedly sport a 5.15-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) resolution Super LCD 5 display, 12-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, OIS and a laser autofocus mechanism, and a 3000mAh battery. All will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with the Sense 8.0 skin on top.

Although the information has not been confirmed by the Taiwanese tech giant, it should be taken with a grain of salt. In addition, the different variants if at all true, might be limited to different regions.

HTC will be launching the device on April 12 and is expected to bring the device to markets by April 15. The rumoured release date however, is only for Taiwan.

Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.



Sources By:http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/htc-10-flagship-smartphone-tipped-to-launch-in-3-variants-818859:

Cloud wars: Google, Amazon and Microsoft battle to own the future of computing

Google is known in almost every country as the world’s dominant search engine, Amazon as the world’s biggest online retailer, and Microsoft as the computer software powerhouse behind Windows.

But the three companies are also locked in a battle to define the next revolution in computing, a gold rush that could become even more lucrative than the hundred-billion dollar operations they run today: the cloud.

Cloud computing lets companies or people essentially rent on-demand processing power, storage and software over the internet. Instead of buying expensive computer servers, memory and programs, companies can now hire them, tapping into the vast enormous data centres run by the likes of Google, Amazon and Microsoft. The cloud is the difference between being able to listen only to the music you have stored on your computer and finding any song on an on-demand internet service like Spotify, and the difference between losing a crucial document and having it accessible from any computer with an online file locker.

    Huge data centres host data and software in the cloud CREDIT: REX FEATURES

However, for many companies, it is more than that. While businesses would traditionally store their data and run complex processes such as programs that analyse customer shopping habits on an expensive computer server in the office that required hiring dedicated engineers, cloud computing means they can use somebody else’s hardware thousands of miles away, doing away with upfront costs and letting them add capacity whenever they need it.

The internet video service Netflix, for example, runs almost entirely on Amazon’s cloud platform. During peak hours, Netflix can take up more than a third of all the internet traffic in America, a level of demand it wouldn’t be able to keep up with by building its own servers. The messaging app Snapchat, launched just five years ago, now shows its users 7bn videos a day, a strain on computing resources that would have meant constant service outages before cloud computing; the company runs on Google’s cloud.

A decade ago, Amazon kickstarted the cloud revolution by launching Amazon Web Services (AWS). Originally designed as a way of meeting the company’s own huge demand for resources as its retail empire grew, it began making its online infrastructure available to outside developers. The move blindsided many of the IT world’s establishes players, and Amazon’s first-mover advantage has now made it the world’s dominant cloud provider: it commands almost a third of the market, against single-digit shares for both Microsoft and Google.

AWS made $7.9bn (£5.6bn) in revenue last year and is expected to grow by as much as 50pc this year, making it the fastest-growing enterprise software company of all time. When Amazon first revealed the division’s financials last year, they were well beyond what any investors had expected and the company’s share price soared. It could well become more profitable than Amazon’s colossal retail operation this year. “Everyone else is playing catch up against Amazon,” says David Richards, the chief executive of WANDisco, a British company that helps businesses move complicated data to the cloud. “They have a seven to 10 year lead on some of their rivals.”

But if Amazon has built up a sizeable headstart, Microsoft and Google are both fighting back hard. Two years ago, Microsoft appointed Satya Nadella, the head of its cloud business, as chief executive (the company’s cloud competitors were apparently praying that rumours ex-Ford boss Alan Mulally, who might have taken Microsoft in a very different direction, would get the job were true). Microsoft has a long history of selling software to corporate IT departments, giving it a springboard to offer its Azure cloud service, and the division grew by 140pc last year.

Google, meanwhile, is seen as a distant third. In its earlier days, the company essentially invented cloud computing by building the huge data centres required to run its search engine and letting its developers build programs on top of it, resulting in programs including Gmail and Google Maps. It has tremendous expertise in both computing infrastructure and security – the top priority for most companies using the cloud. But Google arrived late to offering other companies cloud services, and it doesn’t have the same history of selling products to enterprises, having focused on consumer technology. Google does not reveal its cloud revenues, but they were estimated to be around $500m last year, less than 10pc of Amazon’s.

     Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt at this week's Google Next conference CREDIT: GOOGLE

But that is beginning to change and Google is going on the offensive, betting heavily on its ability to catch up to Microsoft and Amazon. In November, it hired Diane Greene, a legend in Silicon Valley who founded the software company VMware, to run its enterprise operation, in what was seen as a major statement of intent. In recent weeks, Google has signed up Spotify and Apple as customers, despite being rivals to both, as well as corporations such as Disney.

The company has been on a publicity offensive. Even in the tech-centric San Francisco, where the billboards flog apps and website design software, rather than Coca-Cola or the latest blockbuster, the adverts for Google Cloud Platform are unmissable. And this week it held a summit on the edge of the San Francisco bay, bringing out Google’s biggest guns including its chief executive Sundar Pichai and Eric Schmidt, the chairman of parent company Alphabet, as a statement of intent. Google unveiled a series of new features for its cloud service, including the ability for cloud users to access its expert artificial intelligence technology, letting companies use the same “machine learning” tools that Google uses to understand images and translate text.

“We believe that in the future, almost everything will be done in the cloud, because it’s a better way of doing business,” Pichai said. “We are at the beginning of what’s possible; businesses are just starting to adopt the concept and we are set up with the right people at the right time. We’re seeing a real acceleration in customers choosing us.”

     Diane Greene has been hired to run Google's enterprise business CREDIT: GOOGLE

Analysts were largely impressed, if cautious about the company’s ability to claw back the lead its rivals have. We still view Google as a very distant third place player behind AWS and [Microsoft] Azure, but we see Google drawing on its scale and automation advantages,” said RBC’s Mark Mahaney.

Google itself is yet more ambitious: its cloud division is the fastest-growing part of the company, and some executives believe it could one day be bigger than the huge internet advertising operation that currently pays the bills.

“IT is a trillion-dollar industry and everybody is going to run in the cloud, but it’s [currently] well under 10pc” says Greene. She adds that many companies have got over fears about putting confidential data on somebody else’s servers, claiming that the cloud is in fact more secure: “Google's been in the crosshairs of every major hacker from the beginning we really hardened our systems more than anyone else.”

The cloud has begun a revolution in computing, and heightened the rivalries between the already ultra-competitive technology giants on America’s west coast. But, says Greene, “this is really early”.

Sources By"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/25/cloud-wars-google-amazon-and-microsoft-battle-to-own-the-future/;

Ferrari-Like Flavor For Mazda MX-5 Retractable Hardtop

Photo courtesy of Mazda

Taking a leaf out of Ferrari and Porsche’s book, Mazda’s MX-5 Miata RF takes the targa route to open top fun.

With a complex and sophisticated folding hardtop, the Miata RF is due to go on sale in late summer. “It’s the same car now dressed in a more comfortable suit,” says Masa Moro, Mazda’s new North American CEO. “Mazda continues to punch well above its weight in the US and globally.”

Photo courtesy of Mazda

Though the extra weight of the hardtop may blunt performance slightly, it will likely be a quieter ride with the top up than in the convertible version. Sound insulation has been added to the roof panels and the rear wheel housings.

The RF model has the same powertrain as the convertible, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 155-hp.

Photo courtesy of Mazda






Credit By"http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmccormick/2016/03/23/ferrari-like-flavor-for-mazda-mx-5-retractable-hardtop/#3d49ee16462f

More Leaked Photos Of Nintendo NX's Alleged Controllers Raise More Concerns

We’ve yet to hear any official word on the Nintendo NX, but the leaks and rumors are starting to come in. There must be devkits out in the wild, after all, and you can only keep so tight a seal on that sort of thing. A few more photos of what people are claiming to be the controller just showed up on reddit, echoing some of

image credit: perkele37, reddit

The big caveat: we have no way of knowing if these are real or not. They look very similar to ones we’ve seen recently, which in turn lined up pretty well with some patent filings, but there are a lot of moving parts here. Even if it is a devkit, it might be far from the final design, or it might be the portable version of the NX. There are a whole lot of question marks and unconfirmed, but the multiple photos, as well as the patent filings, would seem to ring true to me. Multiple photos are a slight — if not complete — indication against photoshop, as well.

If these are legit, however, they raise some concerns. On a basic level, a controller like this is doubling down on the promise of the Wii U: a touch enabled second screen controller, this time with far fewer buttons. And we all know what happened with the Wii U. It’s possible, even likely, that Nintendo would also release a traditional handset like the Wii U’s “pro” controller, but then we’d be in the same situation we’re in now — a console with a range of control options that can’t seem to commit to any and confuses the hell out of consumers in the process. Nintendo likes to push the envelope and play around, and sometimes those gambles don’t pay off. Sometimes, as we all know, they do.

What I want, mostly, is to be able to play Nintendo exclusives on a functional console without too many frills. I want to play the next Zelda game with a controller, and I’m willing to pay a fair chunk of change to do so. I don’t think I’m alone in this. At this point, the most unexpected thing Nintendo could do would be to just release a straightforward, effective console at a competitive price point.


Cradit By"http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2016/03/23/more-leaked-photos-of-nintendo-nxs-strange-controllers-raise-more-concerns/#21b097ade8cf

How Apple Could Deliver a Chinese New Year's Surprise

by  Philip Elmer-DeWitt  @philiped  MARCH 21, 2016, 7:41 AM EDT

Apple CEO Tim Cook celebrates the launch of Apple's iPhone on China Mobile's network in January 2014.
Photograph by Kim Kyung Hoon — Reuters

China Mobile had a huge February.

China Mobile reported last week that it added a whopping 24.8 million new 4G subscriptions in February, a Chinese New Year bump whose biggest beneficiary is likely to be Apple.

China Mobile is China’s—and the world’s—largest mobile phone operator, with 830 million subscribers. For the past year, it has been rapidly converting its 3G customer base to the 4G speeds needed to take full advantage of modern smartphones. At the end of February, it had 360 million 4G subs, up from 123 million a year earlier. (See chart below.)

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Apple is China’s most popular smartphone brand, with a 25% market share at the end of January, according to Kantar. If it maintains that share, and if China Mobile’s 4G growth continues unabated, Apple  AAPL -0.30%  could finish the March quarter, by one estimate, with iPhone sales up 38% year over year.

That would be considerably better than expected. Wall Street is looking for worldwide iPhone sales this quarter to decline 10% to 20% year over year, no matter what happens in China.


Collected By"http://fortune.com/2016/03/21/how-apple-could-deliver-a-chinese-new-years-surprise/

You Can Now Get Comcast TV and Internet Service Through Amazon

by  Robert Hackett  @rhhackett  MARCH 22, 2016, 8:59 AM EDT

A view of the Comcast offices on August 18, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Cindy Ord—Getty Images

With the promise of better customer service.

Comcast has struck a big online retail partnership.

The media conglomerate has begun selling its Xfinity TV, phone, and Internet services through Amazon  AMZN 0.34% . Comcast’s  CMCSA 0.12%  service bundles are available through Amazon.com’s recently debuted Amazon Cable Store, a web page whose existence was first reported on Sunday by the television news outlets TV Predictions.

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Comcast customers have long complained about the company’s shoddy customer service. “We’re improving dramatically, but we can always do better,” said Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, at Fortune’s Global Forum conference this year. Now the company is tapping Amazon’s expertise to make its online sales and support interactions smoother.

Collected By'http://fortune.com/2016/03/22/amazon-sells-comcast-tv-internet/

How to Watch Today's Apple Event

It’s that time again. Apple wants to sell you about something. It’s probably a new, smaller phone and another, smaller iPad Pro. Also something about the Apple Watch maybe? Here’s how to watch it all unfold, starting at 1pm ET/10am PT.

Since this is an Apple event, your best bet to watch live will be to click on this link right here while in a fully updated Safari browser. It’s also going to be helpful (and necessary) if you’re at least on iOS 7 or Mac OS X 10.8.5, and if you’re a real Apple fan, the new fourth generation Apple TV just got its own “Apple Events” app for this very occasion.

If you’re on a Windows PC, you’ve got one option: run Windows 10 with the Edge browser. You can probably find a strange song and dance with VLC on Android, but in my experience, that can be unreliable. If also else fails, we’ll be liveblogging the event and covering all the news as it happens.

Cradite By "http://www.gizmodo.com"

Apple bucks big phone trend with smaller iPhone

Since Apple introduced the first iPhone model back in 2007, mobile handsets have only gotten bigger.

Chief executive officer Tim Cook will buck that trend today when he presents a smaller iPhone, seeking to entice holdouts to upgrade to a new smartphone even if they don't want a larger device.

Unlike previous new iterations of the device, the 4-inch iPhone won't be packed full of technological innovations intended to send hordes of Apple fans queuing around the block ahead of today's launch.

Instead, it's meant to woo those still clinging to the more than two-year-old 5S or 5C, the last models with the more compact screen. The company is introducing the new, smaller iPhone at a time when customers are holding onto their handsets longer.

Apple sold more than 231 million iPhones in 2015, with sales dipping between April and September, as has been the case in previous years.

Mr Cook will wield a new iPad at today's event as well, details about which are scant. The tablet has endured its own revenue drop - unit sales fell by a quarter in the three months through December - as users have been happy to retain older models as their phones perform more of the same functions.

Releasing the new 4-inch iPhone - which will be manufactured in smaller volumes - now also provides an opportunity for Apple to try out new component suppliers ahead of the next generation of the larger, flagship phone that will be revealed later this year.

Although the event is focused on the new products, Apple followers may pay more attention to anything Cook says about the company's legal fight with the US government over an order that it help the FBI unlock a terrorist's iPhone.

After more than a month of sparring, in court filings, Congressional hearings and on national television, the two sides will present their cases tomorrow, before a magistrate judge in Riverside, California.

Cook may use the stage today at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, to reiterate Apple's argument that creating software to degrade the phone's security features would inevitably endanger the privacy of hundreds of millions of users.

Elsewhere this week, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble will speak tomorrow on the future of Europe's financial architecture at the Centre for Financial Studies in Frankfurt.

He will also address a panel discussion following a book presentation.

(Bloomberg)

Irish Independend

cradit by   http://www.independent.ie/http://www.independent.ie/