Nissan reinvents London’s black cab again, will launch all-electric model in 2015
When Nissan introduced us to its modern interpretation of London’s black cab more than a year ago, the compact diesel was all but ready to hit the city’s streets. However, the Japanese automaker decided it wasn’t quite finished with its final design, so it headed back to its London studios with feedback from the London Mayor’s office to make it little more, well, iconic. Earlier today, Nissan unveiled the updated version of its NV200 Taxi for London, highlighting its new round headlights and a re-modelled grille in an attempt to mirror the black cabs of old. The new model also ditches diesel for a cleaner 1.6-liter petrol engine and uses LED lights to improve visibility of its orange-lit taxi sign. Nissan says the petrol-engine NV200 will go on sale in December, serving as a key “stepping stone” for zero emission electric version, which could become the capital’s first all-electric taxi in 2015.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Nissan
Sharp Aquos lineup for 2014 bears 1080p and 4K TVs, a revamped SmartCentral platform and the new Quattron+ Series
We knew an army of TVs would be making an appearance at CES 2014. Accordingly, Sharp has just announced what we can expect out of the Aquos portfolio this year, with new hardware being introduced as part of its HD, Quattron and 4K Series — there’s also the debut of Quattron+, but we’ll talk more about that a little later. As expected, Sharp is placing emphasis on big LED screens: Each model begins at 60 inches, ranging all the way up to 90 inches in the case of the HD Series. Speaking of which, the entry-level Aquos HD will be priced starting at $1,300, offering 1080p at 120Hz, 2D/3D options and Smart TV features. Meanwhile, the Quattron Series, which starts at $1,700, also does 1080p, but at 240Hz, plus it’s equipped with Quattron technology and Sharp’s completely overhauled SmartCentral platform, something the HD line doesn’t have access to.
Those looking to spend a little more will be able to choose from the newly minted Quattron+ or 4K Series, both of which are running the company’s revamped Smart TV software, SmartCentral 3. TVs with Quattron+ (seen above) are sort of a step between 1080p and Ultra HD; Sharp describes them as the “highest-resolution full HD” sets available, noting that the technology “divides each pixel, creating two pixels from one, to deliver 16 million subpixels.” Prices on these are expected to be from $2,300 to $6,000 — this gets you things like 3D, THX-approved sound, Bluetooth and, on the higher-end models, an AquoMotion 960, 240Hz screen. Lastly, the 4K Series, which is likely the most interesting of the bunch and ranges from $5,000 to $6,000, gets you an Ultra HD TV with an AquoMotion 240, 120Hz display, THX 4K, 3D, a duo bass subwoofer and four HDMI 2.0 ports. All in all, Sharp is going to be kicking off the year with a total of 19 different Aquos TVs; the HD, Quattron and Quattron+ are expected to ship in the spring, though there’s no word yet on when the 4K Series is due to arrive.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Sharp
Grocery stores use Apple’s iBeacon to remind you what you’re shopping for
Many of us will occasionally forget to pick up important ingredients when visiting the grocery store, but that absent-mindedness may not be a problem for much longer. A handful of Giant Eagle and Safeway locations are now using a new marketing service, InMarket’s Mobile to Mortar, that relies on Apple’s iBeacon to send proximity-based notifications while you’re wandering the aisles. In addition to offering on-the-spot coupons and rewards, the system can remind you what’s on your shopping list at just the right moment. It can also send an alert when someone adds to the list; if the family runs out of juice while you’re in the store, you’ll know to buy another jug before you reach the checkout line. Only certain Giant Eagle and Safeway outlets in Cleveland, San Francisco and Seattle are using Mobile to Mortar at launch, but InMarket promises more news in the months ahead.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: InMarket
Sharp’s new Blu-ray wireless player is WiSA-certified, ships this spring for $4,000
Sharp isn’t only introducing an array of televisions at this year’s CES. Today, the company also took the time to reveal a new Universal Player, its first to support the WiSA open standard. The SD-WH1000U, as it will be known by model name, can play CDs, SACDs, DVDs and Blu-rays wirelessly, with the accessibility side of things being complemented by two HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports — yes, it can connect to the internet as well. Most important, however, is the fact that the Sharp Universal Player meets WiSA requirements, allowing you to seamlessly push out high-quality video and audio content (1080p resolution, 24-bit/96kHz uncompressed sound at 5.2-5.8 GHz range) without the need for any cords. Just don’t expect this potential addition to your WiSA-friendly setup to be a cheap one, as it’s set to be priced at a cool $4,000 once it begins shipping later this year.
Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Sharp
LG’s curved G Flex phone comes to AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile later this quarter
There’s no doubt that the LG G Flex is one of the more unique Android devices we’ve played with recently, thanks to its curved display, self-healing back and uncanny ability to change its shape. Until now, you’ve only been able to get it in a couple Asian countries or through an online importer, but it’s obviously wowed execs in the US wireless industry — AT&T has formally announced its intent to carry the G Flex as part of its lineup. In addition, LG just revealed at its live CES 2014 event that the handset will come to Sprint and T-Mobile in the same time frame. The specs will largely be the same as the Korean version, although LTE compatibility in the US is something that we weren’t able to enjoy in our initial review. None of the carriers are ready to talk specifics about price or availability yet, but AT&T and LG told us that we could expect it sometime in the first quarter of this year; T-Mobile will have more details to share in the coming weeks. As for how much it’ll cost you, we wouldn’t count on it being cheap at first: After all, the Korean version goes for more than $900 (unsubsidized) right now.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T, LG
Sharp is teasing a 3D-ready, 85-inch 8K display at CES, no glasses required
Sharp loves to show off the 8K technology it hopes to see in your living room in the future. It’s no surprise, then, that the outfit is yet again using CES as a platform to tease another super, super high-res 85-inch screen. Unlike the gorgeous panel we saw last year (pictured above), though, this time Sharp’s rolled into the desert with a glasses-free 3D flavor of its 7,680 x 4,320 display. The company isn’t sharing many more details at the moment, but, for what it’s worth, it did mention that its latest 8K creation was done in collaboration with Philips and Dolby. While we haven’t seen this thing ourselves, we know it’s here, somewhere in Las Vegas, so we’ll be sure to update this post as soon as our eyes meet all those pixels.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Sharp
Our 2014 CES stage schedule is here and it’s awesome!
Sure, there’s a certain amount of creeping dread in the lead up to CES each year. It’s a sleep-deprived week spent elbowing our way through the packed halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The food is bad, the facilities few and far between and the hygiene practices of the tech-blogging community questionable, at best. But there are also plenty of things that make it one of the most exciting weeks of the year, not the least of which is our stage. As with the last couple of years, we’ve got a prime spot in the convention center lobby, where we’ll be speaking to some of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world of consumer electronics.
The list includes Sony, Ford, Pebble, Nokia, Leap Motion, Oculus, MakerBot, Lenovo, Samsung, AT&T and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to name a few. You can check out the full schedule here and stay glued to our CES event hub for updates. See you on stage!
Filed under: Announcements, Cellphones, Desktops, Cameras, Displays, Misc, Gaming, GPS, Home Entertainment, Household, Laptops, Meta, Peripherals, Robots, Tablets, Transportation, Wearables, Wireless, Internet, Software, HD, Mobile, Samsung, Sony, Nokia, AT&T, AMD, Lenovo, NVIDIA
Source: CES 2014
Xbox One sales in 2013 top 3 million units across 13 territories
There are approximately 3 million Xbox One owners worldwide as of the end of 2013, according to the latest numbers from Microsoft. That’s up another million since mid-December, and accounts for sales in 13 countries. Not too bad, eh?
Xbox marketing head Yusuf Mehdi announced the new sales number on Microsoft’s Xbox news site, where he wrote, “Since our launch, demand for Xbox One has been strong, selling out throughout the holidays at most retailers worldwide. We are continuing to work hard to deliver additional consoles to retailers as fast as possible.”
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
AT&T Sponsored Data lets businesses foot the bill for consumers’ wireless data use
At AT&T’s Developer Summit today, the wireless operator introduced what it calls Sponsored Data, something it likens to a 1-800 number for wireless data. Sounds strange, but this new wireless data model is pretty straightforward. The service, which is mostly geared towards businesses, allows users to test out or view applications, games, upcoming movie trailers and even websites without impacting their monthly data plans.
Sponsored Data is, of course, all about consumer engagement. With unlimited data fast becoming a rarity, consumers need to monitor their data consumption to avoid blowing past caps. It’s easy to see how that cautious behavior doesn’t translate well for businesses looking to hock their virtual wares. Sponsored Data then removes that concern, offering users a way to browse the web or test drive new apps freely on their phones with the same 4G speeds they’d normally enjoy on their personal data plans. Though consumers won’t be charged for taking advantage of Sponsored Data, they will see it appear within their monthly billing statement. The fees, however, are entirely the province of business partners backing that “toll-free data.”
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Digital Storm’s Bolt 2 is a Steam Machine, dual-boots Windows and SteamOS
Digital Storm’s latest Bolt is more than the standard tower we’ve seen from the PC boutique company in the past– it’s a Steam Machine! Well, sort of. It’s also a regular PC, with the ability to dual-boot into both Windows and SteamOS. The biggest difference is that it ships with Valve’s Steam Controller — something you’ll need if you’re interested in playing any cursor-based games in your living room.
Confusingly, the Bolt 2 was previously teased with a starting price of just under $1,500; the latest update from Digital Storm puts it at a starting price of $1,899. No specs are available, but we previously heard you could outfit the box with a GPU as serious as NVIDIA’s GTX Titan. We’ve reached out to Digital Storm for more, and expect we’ll have all the details by later today when Valve holds its CES 2014 press conference.
Source: Digital Storm
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