Fiat Chrysler Adds Siri Eyes Free to Equipped 2013-2015 Vehicles

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has released a free software update that enables owners of properly equipped 2013-2015 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles to add Siri Eyes Free capability to the Uconnect 8.4 system.

The new software update is available in nearly 2 million vehicles equipped with a Uconnect 8.4 touchscreen system:

– 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500
– 2013-2015 Dodge Viper
– 2014-2015 Dodge Durango
– 2015 Dodge Challenger and Charger
– 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee
– 2015 Jeep Renegade
– 2015 Chrysler 200 and 300

Siri Eyes Free is also supported on 2016 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat vehicles with properly equipped Uconnect 8.4 or 6.5 systems. FCA previously announced that Uconnect will support CarPlay in compatible 2016 vehicles later this year.

After entering a 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the Uconnect website, owners of the eligible vehicles can download the update to a USB drive and then install it on their Uconnect system, a process that takes about 30-45 minutes.

Siri Eyes Free, compatible with iPhone 4s or later, is designed to help minimize driver distraction by using Siri voice recognition and spoken responses to allow drivers to interact with an iPhone without needing to look at the in-dash screen.

Drivers can activate Siri Eyes Free by pushing and holding the voice recognition button on the steering wheel to, for example, place phone calls, send text messages, play music, set reminders, set calendar entries, access turn-by-turn directions, and more, while keeping their eyes on the road ahead.

Ford also equipped nearly five million 2011 and newer vehicles with Siri Eyes Free with a SYNC software update in December 2015.

Tags: Siri Eyes Free, Fiat Chrysler
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Masquerada: Songs and Shadows Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Witching Hour Studios

Singapore-based developer Witching Hour Studios may be a humble indie studio, but it hopes to make a big splash with Masquerada: Songs and Shadows. And if the newly released Steam demo is anything to go by, it may do just that.

Masquerada is an isometric cell-shaded role playing game that plays like a cross between the action-heavy Diablo and old school roleplaying of Neverwinter Nights. In it, the player controls a party of characters with different skills and explores large semi-open arenas.

It takes place in a world called Ombre, a Venetian-inspired land that has just recovered from a brutal civil war between the Masquerada, people who have access to powerful magical objects known as Mascherines, and the proletariat Contadani.

In the midst of this you play as Cicero Gavar, a disgraced former detective that has been called back for a clandestine mission to uncover the truth behind the kidnapping of an important diplomat. The demo stage takes place somewhere in the middle of the game.

The first thing you notice while playing is just how polished combat is, especially considering this is an indie title. Each of the three characters — warrior-like Cicero, a water-based support paladin and a fire-based fencer — has a distinct and unique combat style.

The game will be available on both PC and PS4. On PC, the mouse and keyboard control style lends itself to a more tactical style of play, where you pause the action and direct your party. However, playing with a PS4 controller makes the game more action-oriented. It’s follows games like Dragon Age: Origins, which offered different control schemes for different platforms to great effect.

Each character has four skills, similar to a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), with the first three being basic skills and the fourth being an ultimate attack that requires a long cooldown. The difficulty curve is initially quite steep, but the game becomes plenty of fun once you find your rhythm.

The game’s visuals are inspired, but it’s audio presentation may be even better. Masquerada has an impressive voice acting cast, including Matthew Mercer (Fallout 4), David Fenoy (Starcraft II) and Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect), who lend their voices to the 15-plus hour campaign.

Singapore’s game development scene is nascent but quickly rising. However, studios in the country focus mainly on casual and mobile games. If Masquerada is a success, it will serve to remind indie game developers and publishers in developing nations that they don’t need sneaky in-app purchasing systems or micro-transactions to succeed.

It’s set to be released in the third quarter of this year on, with Witching Hour launching a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the last leg of development.

2016 Ram 1500 Rebel review – Roadshow

The Good Off-road-minded alterations don’t wreck the fantastic ride quality of this Ram’s air suspension system. Rebel styling changes add a lot of visual attitude. The available Hemi V-8 engine is powerful, and features a seamless cylinder shut-off system to help deliver respectable fuel economy.

The Bad The Rebel’s tailgate doesn’t have a soft-opening feature. Its otherwise solid Uconnect infotainment system isn’t Apple CarPlay- or Android Auto-compatible.

The Bottom Line The Ram 1500 Rebel delivers better off-road capability without sacrificing on-road comfort, while offering aggressive looks to boot.

I’m not particularly a truck guy, but every now and then, saddling up in one is a lot of fun. In particular, special higher-performance pickups like the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor are undeniably entertaining, and I can now add the Ram 1500 Rebel to my personal list of cool trucks.

Rebel yell

Why is the Rebel one of my favorite trucks? No, it’s not because its name gets a certain Billy Idol song stuck in my head (and now yours; sorry about that). It’s not even the flashback images of then-long-haired tennis star Andre Agassi from ’90s Canon camera commercials. It’s because it checks all the boxes necessary for being a really good all-around truck. Oh, and the fact that it looks badass doesn’t hurt, either.

The Rebel’s meaner look is most apparent up front, with the Ram having ditched its traditional crosshair grille, replacing it with a blacked-out grille with a large badge. Additional styling elements visually popping against my test truck’s arresting Flame Red paint job including black powder-coated bumpers, silver front skid plate, black wheel-arch moldings and billboard-sized “RAM” letters stamped into the tailgate. The 17-inch aluminum wheels with matte-black insets and twin-snorkel hood also add to the Rebel’s more aggressive appearance.

The blacked-out grille gives the Rebel a meaner, more aggressive appearance.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

Before you dismiss the Rebel as just a cosmetic package for the Ram 1500, think again. While this isn’t a full menu of modifications, there’s been some purposeful tinkering to make this truck more off-road worthy. These changes start with a recalibrated air suspension that gives the truck a 1-inch increase in ride height over other similarly suspended 1500 models. Other changes include unique Bilstein shocks, a unique steering calibration and meaty, 33-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires. No, the changes aren’t as extensive as Ford’s Raptor, but they give the Rebel better approach and departure angles to up its mud-plugging credibility a smidge.

Capable everywhere

The standard Ram 1500 with the air suspension system is without question the best riding half-ton pickup truck on the market. The fact that the Ram has an independent rear suspension also helps, while competitors like the class-ruling Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan all work with traditional solid rear axles.

Does the Rebel’s higher ride height and large, knobby tires change the Ram’s ride behavior? Surprisingly, no. This Big Red Machine still gets around town and hurtles down expressways in impressive comfort. What’s more, the tires don’t make a huge racket, nor do they squeal when thrown quickly around a turn — something that can’t always be said about the Raptor.

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Instead, the Rebel takes corners with composure similar to a normal Ram 1500. There’s no excessive body roll, and it’s easy to navigate surface streets with responsive steering that features a satisfying amount of heft tuned into it. Brake performance is stout and easily slows the Rebel down in a confident manner.

On washboard dirt roads, the Ram’s suspension takes all the dips and ruts in stride, letting the truck continue down the road in a brisk manner without rattling the living daylights out of those in the cabin. A trip to an off-road park to tackle some trails is on the docket in the future to better assess the Rebel’s off-road chops. Simply put, a regular dirt road isn’t going to truly test this truck’s four-wheel-drive system, nor its optional anti-spin rear differential, both of which are undoubtedly capable of so much more.

Hemi or Pentastar power

Power isn’t a problem on pavement or dirt roads with the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, as it brings 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque to the party. From a standstill, the Rebel gets moving without breaking a sweat, and mid-range pull is strong, for easy expressway merging and passing. Through it all, the eight-speed automatic transmission cracks off crisp and quick shifts, and it also helps the big V-8 return respectable fuel economy. Aided by the Hemi’s seamlessly undetectable cylinder shut-off system, the Ram nets reasonable EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 miles per gallon in the city and 21 mpg highway.

If a Hemi under the hood isn’t necessary, or if spending the additional $1,650 on top of the model’s $45,200 base price isn’t in the cards, the Rebel comes standard with the Fiat Chrysler’s Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 workhorse, tuned for 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The smaller engine yields slightly better fuel economy ratings of 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

Of course, if you’re looking for the most affordable way to get into a Rebel, seek out the 4×2 model wearing a base price that’s nearly $2,000 less than the 4×4 V-6. The two-wheel-drive Rebel starts at $43,270, but the kicker is that it’s only available with the Hemi V-8 engine. So, the cheapest Rebel gets the bigger engine as standard equipment…sounds good to me!

You can pre-order Will.i.am’s standalone smartwatch at Three UK

If you’re sick and tired of carrying your smartphone with you when out and about, Will.i.am’s standalone smartwatch, called the Dial, is now ready for pre-order and could well be the answer to your cries. Here in the UK, Three has revealed that the Dial is available on a two-year contract from £24 a month with an upfront fee of £49 for the wearable itself. You’re provided with 500MB of data and 100 minutes of talk time per month for your new phone-watch-combo-thing.

So what’s included inside this apparent smartphone replacer? The Dial has 32GB of internal storage, is powered by Android 5.0.2, has a 1.63-inch touch screen, 800mAh battery, 2MP front-facing shooter, as well as a free music streaming service from the get go, powered by 7Digital. There aren’t any adverts, no subscription fees and listening to tunes on the go won’t eat into your data allowance. There are also some Bluetooth earphones included.

As noted by The Verge, there’s also a handy built-in digital assistant called AneedA. This helpful assistant can send messages, play music, call contacts and even set alarms.

See at Three

Galaxy S7 is available in silver titanium at Carphone Warehouse

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are available at the Carphone Warehouse in silver titanium, an exclusive option with the UK retailer. If black and gold do not represent you as an individual and you prefer a lighter smartphone, silver titanium should be right up your alley. Available with 32GB of internal storage, the Galaxy S7 will set you back £39 a month, or £36 for the S7 edge with an upfront fee of £129.

If you’d rather not be locked down into a contract, the retailer will happily sell you either smartphone for £549 and £639, respectively. Interestingly, EE is also offering an exclusive variant in pearl white. Be sure to read through our in-depth review of the Galaxy S7 for our thoughts on Samsung’s latest flagships.

See at CPW

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Learn about the Galaxy S7’s SD card slot
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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HTC 10 pre-orders kick off at Verizon

Should you be eagerly awaiting for Verizon HTC 10 pre-orders to kick off, you’ll be pleased to learn that the switch has been flipped and you’re now able to place an order. What makes HTC’s latest flagship stand out are the 5.2-inch QHD Super LCD display, 3000mAh battery, USB-C connector, Android 6.0.1 out of the box, and Snapdragon 820 processor paired with 4GB of RAM.

You can either purchase the handset outright or on contract. Opting for the former will set you back $648, while going for the two-year contract will cost you $548 for the phone, spread across 24 months at $22.83. This is also a discounted offering, saving you $100 or just under $6 a month. See our full review of the HTC 10 for more details. Verizon states deliveries will hit customers by May 5.

See at Verizon

Fido customers can now roam worry free in the U.S. and other international destinations

Fido has introduced Fido Roam to its Pulse plans, which allows customers to roam in the U.S. and other international destinations without worrying about the cost. For the U.S. it is a flat $5 per day, and other destinations are $10 per day. Previously, when you were roaming you were charged for whatever you used, and things could get really pricey when using your phone outside of Canada.

With this new plan, you know exactly how much the roaming will cost you, and you can stay relaxed knowing you won’t be hit with a huge surprise bill at the end of the month.

Press release:

Fido Pulse Plan Customers Can Now Roam Worry Free

Fido changes the game for customers by adding Fido RoamTM to Fido Pulse plans – $5 / per day in the U.S. and $10 / per day in tons of international destinations

TORONTO (April 29, 2016) Fido Roam is coming soon to Fido Pulse plans so customers can stay connected while travelling without sweating the bill. Launching in mid-May, new and existing Fido Pulse plan customers will be able to use the data, text and talk from their Fido Pulse plan while globetrotting outside of Canada for $5 / day in the U.S. and $10 / day internationally in tons of destinations. So whether they’re planning on sightseeing or soul-searching, Fido keeps its customers connected, hassle free.

“Fido Roam is another great value add for our Fido Pulse plan customers. It’s affordable and easy to use so that our customers can worry less about finding a Wi-Fi connection and focus more on doing the things they love while travelling,” said Nancy Audette, Vice President, Fido. “We heard from our customers that they want to roam worry free, and that’s why we’re offering the ultimate roaming solution.”

With 10.6 million Canadians planning on travelling abroad this year and 91% of travelers saying that they bring their smartphone with them when they travel, affordable roaming options are important to Fido customers. Keeping in touch with friends and family, taking photos/videos and sending emails are the top reasons Canadians bring their smartphones abroad, however, only 16% say that they use their phone like they do in Canada, due to high roaming rates*.

Now, Fido Roam will make it easy for Fido Pulse plan jetsetters to keep their social feeds up to date – they just need to turn roaming on and go. For customers that plan on taking an extended soul-searching trip, Fido will only charge them for a max of 10 days per monthly bill, per zone. This means up to 21 days of Fido Roam with no extra roaming charges in that month. Customers will receive a text message as soon as they connect to a partner network, but will only pay for Fido Roam on days when they use their phone in the U.S. or internationally. Customers will only be charged a maximum of $50 (in the U.S.) and $100 (internationally) for roaming on any given monthly bill.

Fido Pulse plan customers will now be able to hit some of the coolest travel locations across the globe from the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) to lots of awesome destinations in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America, Asia, South Africa, Oceania and the Middle East.

Already offering great value, in-market Fido Pulse plans all include call display, voicemail and unlimited text, picture and video messages from Canada to anywhere in the world, as well as Spotify Premium free for 2 years. Plus, customers can choose between a variety of data buckets – up to 10GB and local or Canada-wide calls. Now with the addition of Fido Roam, there’s another great reason to love Fido Pulse plans.

HTC 10 now available from Bell in Canada

The HTC 10 is now available in Canada. The Taiwanese company’s latest flagship was announced earlier this month for the Canadian market, where we learned Bell would be an exclusive carrier partner until the end of June.

As we reported earlier this week, Bell is selling the HTC 10 for an eye-watering $349.99 on a 2-year contract, and $899.99 outright, which comes in slightly lower than HTC’s own price of $999.99 for the unlocked version (which won’t be available until early next month).

As reported in our preview, the HTC 10 is not without its issues, but it’s one of the best Android devices currently available.

See HTC 10 at Bell

HTC 10

• HTC 10 review
• HTC 10 specs
• These are the HTC 10 colors
• Our first photo and video samples
• Meet the Ice View case
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Sprint will begin selling the HTC 10 on Friday, May 13

Sprint has confirmed it will begin selling the HTC 10 phone starting on Friday, May 13. The phone will be priced at $0 down and $26 a month for 24 months.

Sprint’s press release did not mention any pricing for buying the HTC 10 without a contract or payment plan, but it did state the phone would be on sale both online and in its retail stores on May 13. You can check out our full review of the HTC 10 right now for more details.

Where to buy the HTC in the United States

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• HTC 10 review
• HTC 10 specs
• These are the HTC 10 colors
• Our first photo and video samples
• Meet the Ice View case
• Join our HTC 10 forums

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HTC offers big savings on the One A9 and One M9 during its Mother’s Day celebration

HTC is celebrating Mother’s Day this year by offering discounts on the HTC One A9 and One M9. For a limited time, you can get an HTC One A9 in the garnet color, either unlocked or for Sprint, for $389 without a contract. That’s a savings of $110.

The company is also offering a discount on an unlocked HTC One M9. You can grab the phone in pink for $399, down $250 from its normal price of $649.

HTC is offering free ground shipping for all orders placed with this offer. You can grab these discounted phones from now until Mother’s Day, May 8.

HTC One A9

• Current OS version: Android 6.0
• Current security: Nov. 2015 (More info)
• HTC One A9 review
• HTC One A9 specs
• HTC One A9 photos
• Join our A9 forums

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