Porsche Debuts 2017 Panamera Sports Car With CarPlay Support

Porsche has announced that its new 2017 Panamera luxury sedan will be equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen that supports CarPlay. The next-generation Porsche Communication Management system also features online navigation, Porsche Connect, and a new voice control system that responds to natural language input.

The all-new 2017 Porsche Panamera will arrive at U.S. dealerships in January 2017, with other markets to follow in early 2017. Pricing for the Panamera 4S starts at $99,900, while the Panamera Turbo starts at $146,900. An additional $1,050 fee applies for delivery, processing, and handling.

Other CarPlay-enabled Porsche models include the 2016 911, 2017 718 Boxster, 2017 Macan, 2017 718 Cayman, and 2017 718 Cayman S.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Porsche
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Tetris Blitz: 2016 Edition falls onto the Play Store for some beastly combos

EA has announced the company has released Tetris Blitz: 2016 Edition to the Play Store. This latest update brings a bunch of improvements and new features. Should you be a fan of the classic title, you’ll really dig EA’s take on the formula with Blitz. The developer has packed in a bunch of extras that bring something new to the table and spice up gameplay.

Here’s what is available in Tetris Blitz: 2016 Edition:

• Unlock exciting Power-Ups and Finishers as you level up
• Play every day to be rewarded with new Daily Challenges
• Make it rain with fresh Golden Minos – the more you clear, the more you earn
• Be showered with Golden Minos in the Gold Rush bonus round after every level up

Grab Tetris Blitz: 2016 from the Play Store for free.

ZTE’s beastly Axon 7 is now up for pre-order in Europe

Unveiled in May, ZTE’s beastly Axon 7 is up for pre-order from third-party sellers on Amazon in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The phone is priced at £359 in the U.K., and €449.99 in other European markets.

ZTE collaborated with BMW Group’s Designworks on the design of the phone, resulting in an all-metal chassis with a 5.5-inch QHD display and dual front speakers. The handset is powered by a 2.15GHz Snapdragon 820, and offers 6GB of RAM, 128GB storage, 20MP camera, 8MP front camera, NFC, LTE, Wi-Fi ac, AKM HiFi audio chipset, Force Touch, and a 3250mAh battery. The version that’s up for pre-order comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage, and at this stage it doesn’t look like global markets will receive the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal memory.

Interested in what the phone has to offer? Check out our hands-on.

As noted by GSM Arena, the phone is slated to be available online at GrosBill and offline at Media Markt and Phone House in the coming months.

• See at Amazon UK
• See at Amazon Spain
• See at Amazon Germany
• See at Amazon France
• See at Amazon Italy

Where to buy the Wileyfox Spark

Wileyfox’s latest Cyanogen-powered budget phone sells for less than £90, and it’s available to pre-order now.

British firm Wileyfox made a splash recently with the announcement of three new phones in its “Spark” range, and now the first handset in the series is available to pre-order. Right now UK buyers can reserve the base model Wileyfox Spark — which costs just £89.99 SIM-free and unlocked — from Amazon, Clove or Wileyfox itself.

Amazon

Amazon UK has Wileyfox’s new phone up for pre-order in white and black, for the standard price of £89.99. Delivery is free for Amazon Prime members, and the release date is listed as July 12.

See at Amazon

Wileyfox

Wileyfox is selling its own phone directly to consumers, and it’s currently taking pre-orders of the Spark in black and white for £89.99. The firm offers next-day delivery on orders placed before 3 p.m.

See at Wileyfox

Clove

Independent retailer Clove has both colors up for pre-order for £89.99, with the release date listed as July 15.

See at Clove

MORE: Wileyfox Spark series specs

What about Spark+ and Spark X?

The release of Wileyfox’s three new handsets will be staggered, with the regular Spark going on sale first in mid-July. Based on the timings given by Wileyfox at its press conference, that should be followed by the Spark+ in late July/early August, and the Spark X later in August.

MORE: Wileyfox Spark, Spark+ and Spark X hands-on

These awesome charging accessories are up to 70% off right now!

Right now you can save up to 70% on a variety of chargers and charging accessories from RavPower at Amazon. From desktop charging stations to wireless chargers and portable power banks, these deals will help you keep your phone and tablet charged in just about any situation.

Some of the deals include:

• 6 Port USB Desktop Charging Station – $14.99
• Quick Charge 2.0 20100mAh power bank – $41.99
• 6700mAh power bank – $12.74
• Quick Charge 2.0 Wall Charger – $11.99
• Dual USB Car Charger – $6.99
• Wireless Charging Pad – $19.59

These deals are only good for today, June 29, so don’t wait too long before placing your order. Many of them are Prime eligible as well, so you can have them as early as tomorrow if you place your order soon.

See at Amazon

SanDisk announces new super-fast 256GB Extreme UHS-I microSD card

Western Digital-owned SanDisk has announced new 256GB microSD cards, including the super-fast Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card. The new family of high-capacity microSD cards offer something for everyone, whether you wish to add storage to your smartphone or require new medium to store your RAW camera roll.

The 256GB of storage (should your device support said amounts being plugged in) will allow for saving of not only high-quality photos, but also 4K video, high-fidelity music, and more. The Extreme 256GB card from SanDisk delivers transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s, as well as write speeds of up to 90MB/s. The Ultra variant is perfect for smartphones and other portable devices.

As an added bonus, the new cards are both waterproof and shock proof. The Ultra 256GB card will be available in August for $149.99, while the super-fast Extreme will hit stores in Q4 2016 for $199.99.

Press Release

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS SHANGHAI, China – June 29, 2016 – Western Digital® Corporation
(NASDAQ: WDC), a global storage technology and solutions leader, today introduced a new suite of 256 gigabyte (GB) microSD™ cards, which includes the new 256GB SanDisk Extreme® microSDXC™ UHS-I card – the fastest microSD card in its class. The new suite of cards also includes 256GB SanDisk Ultra® microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, the first 256GB card optimized for mainstream consumers. The new additions deliver leading speed and capacity in a fingernail-sized card, giving smartphone, drone and action camera users the performance and capacity they need to capture professional-grade videos and photos without worrying about running out of space on their device.

“Our microSD cards are now at the center of many consumer devices, and we’re excited to not only raise the bar with the launch of the world’s fastest microSD card, but to also offer a family of 256GB microSD cards that give consumers the flexibility they need to capture life at its fullest,” said Dinesh Bahal, vice president of SanDisk product marketing, Western Digital. “As a leading global storage provider with one of the most trusted flash brands, we take pride in transforming the way consumers capture, store and share their content.”

Whether taking pictures, shooting 4K UHD or Full HD video, or storing high-fidelity music, the new 256GB cards give consumers the freedom to capture and carry a massive amount of content on their devices without concern about storage limitations.

“At DJI we focus on creating easy-to-use drone technology for consumers to capture everyday exploration and photography, and our customers need quick and reliable access to their high quality aerial footage,” said Eli Morgan Harris, strategic partnerships, DJI. “With the new 256GB SanDisk microSD UHS-I cards, they now have greater flexibility to capture their content on high-performance storage and the peace of mind knowing they can continue shooting when it matters most.”

The Ultimate Combination of Capacity and Performance

The 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card delivers unmatched transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s**, allowing users to save time transferring large files, as well as write speeds of up to 90MB/s** for rapid capture of photos. Users can record an estimated 14 hours of 4K UHD video1 on the 256GB card, making it ideal for high-performance drones, action cameras, and 4K-capable smartphones, among other devices.

The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, is ideal for Android-based smartphone and tablet users who don’t want to worry about running out of space on their devices. The new card is capable of storing more than 24 hours of Full HD video1, and also features premium transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s**. At this speed people can move files quickly – up to 1,200 photos in just one minute2.

Built to perform in harsh conditions, the new cards3 are also waterproof, temperature-proof, shock proof, and X-ray proof. Additionally, the SanDisk microSD card line up is compatible with the SanDisk® Memory Zone app for Android™, giving users an easy way to manage and back up content on their device. The app is available for free through the Google Play™ Store4.

Heritage of Memory Card Innovation

The new suite of cards is the latest breakthrough offering to join the cutting-edge SanDisk portfolio of mobile memory solutions. The first to introduce 128GB and 200GB microSDXC, and 512GB SDXC™ high-capacity cards, SanDisk continues to pioneer technology that keeps up with consumers’ evolving storage needs.

Pricing and Availability

The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, will be available worldwide in August 2016 with a U.S. MSRP of $149.99. The 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card will be available worldwide in calendar Q4 2016 with a U.S. MSRP of $199.99.

The complete line of SanDisk microSD cards can be purchased at more than 300,000 retailers worldwide.

What is the Now TV Combo, how much does it cost and when can I get it?

Not only has Sky released a new Now TV Smart Box, but it also offers a new contract-free home connectivity package.

The Now TV Combo from Sky encompasses a streaming service pass, unlimited broadband and a phone line.

Releasing such an all inclusive package without the need for a contract is a big move for Sky. It should help it up against Freeview offerings and cheap internet providers. Here’s everything you need to know.

Now TV Combo: What do you get?

Primarily the Now TV Combo package is a way of getting Sky’s latest Now TV Smart Box. That means access to its many shows and movies plus live TV all via an internet connection or via its TV tuner – something the original box didn’t feature. Either way that means no need for a dish or major installation.

The box itself not only offers Sky content via streamed video, it also plays live TV over an aerial connection. Plus the box features over 50 apps like BBC iPlayer for catch-up TV, YouTube, Spotify and more on any TV it’s connected to.

The box also means you can pause and rewind live TV, up to 30 minutes. There are over 60 free channels, 15 HD channels and up to 35 pay TV channels.

Beyond the box this package will also offer a phone line and the unlimited broadband needed to stream the content through the box.

Lots of broadband services now have caps on data in order to offer low prices – something which would almost certainly be an issue when streaming high quality video over Now TV.

This comes in varying levels: Broadband up to 17MB, Fibre up to 38MB and Super Fibre with speeds of up to 76MB.

Sky

Now TV Combo: How much is it?

The reason Sky is able to offer all this without a contract is because of how it’s broken down. Owners of a Now TV box are able to subscribe to certain Sky packages monthly, much like a pay as you go phone works.

There’s Sky Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports and Sky Kids – all available as separate packages you can pick up one month but leave the next.

Depending on what connection and packages you go for, prices vary. They start at just £10 per month, says Sky. There is also a setup fee of £40 for Broadband or £50 for Fibre on pay as you go offerings.

In reality you are required to pay line rental of £18. So that means the lowest package is going to cost you nearly £28 per month for basic broadband and an Entertainment Month Pass.

It tops out at almost £70 for the top end Sky Sports package alone with Super Fibre internet connection.

If you go for all the packages (Cinema, Sports, Kids and Entertainment) and lowest broadband it’ll total about £75. Or with the top end Super Fibre connection and all packages you’ll pay around £90.

There will also be a super saver package which requires a 12-month contract.

The Sky Now TV Smart Box can be bought separately for £40.

Now TV Combo: When can I get it?

The new box and package deals will be available from early July, says Sky.

There is still no word on 4K support or content. 

Now TV Smart Box preview: Live TV and Sky in one device for a handsome price

After months of speculation, Sky finally revealed its latest Now TV set-top-box, the Now TV Smart Box, and Pocket-lint was at the launch event in London to have a play ahead of its early July release.

The headline feature is that it has a digital tuner, as well as offer the same streaming services as the current puck-shaped device, but sadly, there’s no sign of the 4K output many were expecting.

Although it is shaped like the Roku 4, which does offer Ultra HD content in the States, the new Now TV box is more a minor upgrade to the existing model. Although its additions make it more attractive to a range of consumers.

Pocket-lint

The TV tuner presents all of the UK’s digital channel line-up – which currently stands at more than 60 different stations, including HD variants. Live TV is thus presented as one of the tiles on the main home page, alongside catch up and on demand content, mainly through the different Now TV monthly passes.

If you click on the Live TV tile, it expands to fill the screen and a full electronic programme guide is available. When minimised, it gives you a constant preview of what is currently on, based on the the last channel you visited.

READ: Now TV Smart Box: Release date, price, specs and everything you need to know

There’s only one tuner, so while you can pause and rewind TV broadcasts, you cannot record them. But then, considering the box has a vast amount of catch-up content too, from the major broadcasters and Sky’s own channels if you have the respective monthly pass, you probably don’t need to record anything anyway.

Like the standard version, the box has access to non-Sky apps, including YouTube and Spotify, plus Sky’s own storefront, to rent and purchase digital movies and box sets. These too are represented on the home page and easily accessible.

Pocket-lint

The box can connect to the net through Ethernet or Wi-Fi, with a dual-band receiver pretty much ensuring that it doesn’t matter which you choose. It can also play your own video, audio and image files through a USB port on the side. Most of the modern file formats are supported, including MP4 and MKV.

We didn’t get to see that in action at the launch, but will give you an idea of how that works when we review a sample in early July.

We also didn’t get to hear the audio output, which is capable of up to 7.1 surround sound through the HDMI port. It outputs video at 1080p, which suggests that the HDMI port is not 4K capable now or in the future. We suspect it is HDMI 1.4 after being told it was unlikely to be HDMI 2.0 or HDCP 2.2 compliant. We’ll know for sure when we get our hands on the review unit.

First Impressions

So no 4K Ultra HD but still an interesting proposition. We do wonder who will need the digital TV tuner considering most TVs out there have Freeview tuners in them already, but it does complete the package.

It could even be a fuss-free alternative to general paid TV – Sky included.

It’s available without a monthly contract for £40 when bought on its own, just rolling payments for any of the Entertainment, Sky Movies, Kids or Sky Sports Passes Now TV carries.

Also, considering it was launched alongside Now TV Combo, which provides a pass, broadband connection and landline phone from £9.99 a month (and a £17.99 line rental fee) with no contract, that could make it worthwhile for many, especially as it is included in the price.

READ: What is the Now TV Combo, how much does it cost and when can I get it?

There will be plenty that won’t see it as a valid upgrade to their existing Now TV box or other device that already accesses Now TV (such as a PS4 or Xbox One), but new customers could be snagged.

Sky’s Now TV Combo unites live TV, streaming, phone and broadband

It’s been a busy six months for Sky. Between launching a new powerful set-top TV box, sinking billions of pounds into original shows and exclusive sporting rights, the company has quietly been developing a new Now TV product for consumers who like to dip in and out of its ecosystem without having to commit to a fixed-term contract. It’s called the Now TV Combo and it pulls together Sky’s TV, broadband and phone services into one simple package.

The Now TV Combo is what Sky calls the UK’s first commitment-free triple-play bundle. It offers a Now TV streaming pass (whether it’s movies, entertainment or sport), broadband, calls, a Now TV Hub router and the all-important streaming box. Packages are flexible, but Sky says an Entertainment Pass, “Brilliant” broadband and “pay as you use” calls will set you back £9.99 a month. Cinema passes start at £12.99 and expand up to £27.99, while Sky Sports bundles range from £36.99 up to £51.99.

Prices rise if you add faster broadband packages (including 17Mbps, 38Mbps or 76Mbps options) and you’ll also need to factor in the £17.99 monthly line rental charge. You can cancel at any time, unless you choose to take out a 12-month contact — it’s optional and means you won’t have to pay any installation fees.

At the centre of all this is the new Now TV Smart Box, developed by Roku, which combines 35 paid TV channels and over 60 live TV channels via Freeview. Like the Sky Q box, curated channels are key to the viewing experience, matching content to your tastes instead of delivering the standard TV guide. The 1080p streamer (no 4K, sadly) comes complete with a Live Pause feature, allowing you to come back to your content, whether it’s normal TV or streaming, whenever you feel like.

“We want people to watch what they want, when they want and on their terms.” says Director of Now TV Gidon Katz. “We’re taking the very best technology and packaging it with the best content.”

With its rivals often beating it on price, Sky has decided that Now TV customers will benefit from the bundling of its content and services. TalkTalk has already combined its traditional YouView service with the Blinkbox TV platform it bought from Tesco, solidifying its position as a quad-play provider, and Virgin Media is expected to unveil its answer to Sky Q in the coming months, giving the TV part of its own quad-play package a much needed boost.

Sky says that when the Now TV Combo will launch in July, customers can choose to pay a £40 set-up fee for broadband and £50 charge for fibre options that lets them abandon broadband and call contracts and upgrade or downgrade packages at will. The Smart Box can also be purchased for £40 if you’ve already got landline and broadband sorted but want an easy way to switch between live TV and paid content.

Source: Now TV Combo