Xiaomi’s gargantuan Mi Max now up for general sale in India
After offering the first flash sale for the 6.44-inch Mi Max last week, Xiaomi is now making the phablet available for general sale in India. The phone is available from Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, and Paytm, with the base model offering 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage along with the Snapdragon 650 for ₹14,999.
There’s a variant offering 4GB of RAM, 128GB flash storage and Snapdragon 652 SoC that will retail for ₹19,999. However, it looks like today’s sale will focus on the 32GB model. The phone is up for sale from several retailers, but as is often the case with Xiaomi products, it’s more than likely that the Mi Max will be sold out sooner rather than later.
If you’re interested in the Mi Max, head to Tata’s CLiQ storefront to get your hands on the phone.
See at Tata CLiQ
Grab the Honor 5X for only £139 at Amazon now!
The Honor 5X is currently on sale over at Amazon. As spotted by folk over on Hot UK Deals, you can pick up the smartphone for just £139.99. Sporting a 5.5-inch display, Snapdragon 616 processor, fingerprint sensor, 2GB of RAM and more, it’s an enticing price for what’s available.
The price covers three variants — silver, grey, and gold. All three are SIM-free too so you can use them on any compatible network. We’re not sure how long this promotional offer will remain active, so be sure to act hastily if you’re interested.
See at Amazon
Carphone Warehouse Goji VR headset is much cheaper than Gear VR, iPhone compatible too
Carphone Warehouse is ranging its own universal virtual reality headset to give mobile phone owners interested in the Gear VR a budget option.
The Goji Universal VR Headset costs £39.99 and as well as Android, it can be used with iPhones. That includes the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus and 6s Plus.
It is lightweight and has a cushioned visor. Like most mobile VR devices, including Google Cardboard and Samsung’s Gear VR, you slot your phone in the front, which then acts as the screens for each eye.
The Goji works with the large array of VR apps available on iOS and Android app stores. It has a headphones port to connect easily for audio, plus there are magnetic controls to paude and resume playback on 360-degree videos.
- Best VR headsets to buy in 2016, whatever your budget
“Everyone should have the opportunity to try the latest VR technology, so we’re bringing a universal headset to our stores for our customers to experience,” said Dean Kramer, accessories director at CPW.
The headset with be available in Carphone Warehouse stores from Saturday 16 July.
Carphone Warehouse
Here’s a full list of phones confirmed to be compatible with the headset:
- Apple: iPhone 4s/iPhone 5/iPhone 5s/iPhone 6/6 Plus/iPhone SE/iPhone 6s/6s Plus
- Samsung: Note3/Note4/Note5/S5/S6/S7/A7/A8/A9
- Huawei: Honor 3C/Honor X1/Honor 3X/Mate 7/Mate 8/P8/P9
- Sony：Z2/Z3/Z5/Z6/C6/E5/A4
- LG: G5 SE/G5/G4/V10
- Google: Galaxy Nexus/Nexus 4/Nexus 5
Federal judge throws out evidence obtained by ‘stingray’ trackers
A federal judge has taken a stand against the use of “stingray” — cell phone baiting surveillance devices used by the police and other government agencies. District Judge William Pauley decided to suppress evidence obtained by the stingray setup, ruling earlier this week that the defendant Raymond Lambis, charged in connection to a drug trafficking probe, had his rights violated when surveillance equipment was used without a warrant. The Drug Enforcement Administration used the tracker to find Lambis’ apartment by pinging the defendant’s cell phone, revealing his location down to the apartment number. “Absent a search warrant, the government may not turn a citizen’s cell phone into a tracking device,” Pauley wrote in the ruling.
The trackers work by mimicking cell phone towers, forcing phones in the area to ping them. Law enforcers can use this data to track and pinpoint a specific phone’s locations. The Stingray can even flash firmware to a suspect’s phone with a little more effort, turning the device into an audio bug.
This ruling marks the first time a federal judge has suppressed evidence found thanks to the use of stingrays. In a statement to Reuters, American Civil Liberties Union attorney Nathan Freed Wessler said: “This opinion strongly reinforces the strength of our constitutional privacy rights in the digital age.”
The Justice Department changed its internal policies last September, with agents needing to obtain a warrant before using the Stingray. Lambis’ lawyer noted that occurred a week after his client was charged, adding that it was unclear if the drug case against Lambis would now be dismissed.
UK takes first steps toward laws for autonomous cars
The UK is proving to be quite the testbed for autonomous vehicles, thanks in no small part to government support. Tens of millions in funding is being funneled into various driverless car projects, and we already have rules of the road encouraging trials on public streets. With research and development simmering away nicely, the government is starting on the next course: Making sure laws, rules and regulations are updated for the autonomous age.
The government briefly set out its plan to ready the UK for driverless cars in the Queen’s Speech a couple of months ago. And this week, it has launched an open consultation looking at how we can tweak regulations to make them compatible with driverless vehicles (ahead of their inclusion in the Modern Transport Bill). We’re aways from being able to take a door-to-door trip without touching the wheel at this point, of course, but naturally the government has volunteered a few early proposals.
Insurance and liability
Amending insurance law is one of the government’s top priorities, because people won’t be able to buy driverless cars without appropriate insurance. Arguably, it’s the most complex issue too. Some insurers are already experimenting with suitable policies, but it’s all a question of liability — a word on the tip of everyone’s tongue following the recent, fatal Tesla crash involving Autopilot. In a scenario where all vehicles are fully autonomous, for example, it’s easy to blame manufacturers for any issues that result in a collision.
But autonomy is a gradient. There are already assistive technologies out in the wild, like self-parking features or Tesla’s Autopilot mode, where the driver isn’t necessarily in direct control. As we transition from regular cars all the way through to fully autonomous vehicles, the roads will be home to a mishmash of technologies that could make liability even harder to deduce. Also, when the driver is “out-of-the-loop,” as the government phrases it, and tech is at fault, the driver could be considered one of the “victims” of a claim. That’s another thing policies don’t take into account currently.
The government has put forward a fairly common-sense framework to steer the discussion. Where the driver is at fault, either directly or through inappropriate use of assistive/autonomous tech, they are liable. Where the technology is at fault, the manufacturer is on the hook, though the government expects insurers and the makers of cars to cook up agreements that share the risk. Other situations, such as an accident caused by vehicle hacking, makes things altogether more complicated. As it stands, though, the idea is manufacturers will assume liability for the tech.
Highway Code and other regulations
In the longer-term, the powers that be are also suggesting several amendments to the Highway Code and other regulations that are at odds with driverless tech. Highway Code Rule 60, for example, states that you should have both hands on the wheel where possible, and maintain full control of your vehicle at all times. See the problem there? Similarly, minimum distance requirements between vehicles could be relaxed for autonomous “platooning,” which would make for more efficient journeys.
Some regulations effectively prohibit self-parking features, too. We’re talking about such rules as: you have to be in the car while the engine is on, be in full control and not staring at a mobile device while “driving.” The incompatibilities are obvious even now, considering BMW’s parking assistant works via a mobile app or key fob. The government is even thinking about a future where we can Netflix and chill while our cars drive us to work. As you’d imagine, this isn’t even vaguely allowed at the moment, and for good reason.
As we’ve mentioned, these are just a few conversation starters, with the public consultation open until early September. Any real law / regulation changes are a little ways off, but it’s clear the government doesn’t want anything getting in the way of “making road transport safer, smoother, and smarter.”
[Image credits: Getty (car accident), Bradford Timeline/Flickr (Highway Code)]
Source: Department for Transport (1), (2)
Garmin’s new bike computers track riders in your pack
If you like to bike in groups, you know that it’s not always easy to keep everyone together. What if your miniature peloton has to split, or someone wipes out and you don’t notice? Garmin wants to put your mind at ease. It’s unveiling two cycling computers, the Edge 820 (shown at left) and Edge Explore 820 (right), with a GroupTrack feature that shows where everyone is regardless of how far apart they are. You’ll also get a preloaded Cycle Map with bike-friendly data, a 2.3-inch touchscreen (smaller than on the Edge 810) and support for Garmin Varia gear like the Vision headset.
Both are available now, although you’ll want to pick carefully depending on what you need. The base Edge Explore 820 costs $350 in the US. Spring for the $400 Edge 820 and you’ll get ANT+ device support, deeper performance monitoring for aspects like max oxygen volume (if you have a heart rate strap) and mid-ride Strava challenges. If you’re particularly hungry for cycling data, there’s also a $500 Edge 820 bundle that includes cadence, heart and speed sensors.
Source: Garmin
‘Pokémon Go’ Appears in Germany App Store as Global Rollout Begins
Pokémon Go has become available in the German App Store this morning as the ultra-popular game begins its much-anticipated rollout in Europe and elsewhere.
With the smash hit’s release last week initially limited to the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, iOS users in other countries have been left waiting for the game to become available in regional App Stores around the world.
According to a Monday report in The Wall Street Journal, Pokémon Go was set to launch in Europe and Asia “within a few days”, with the delay thought to be necessary as developers Niantic attempt to deal with the crippling overload of its servers due to the game’s unparalleled popularity.
That surge has reportedly caused issues for some users already playing the game, while many of those still waiting have been duped into downloading and installing fake versions.
We’ll update this article if and when Pokémon Go appears in other App Stores around the world today.
Direct link to Pokémon Go on the German App Store.
Tag: Pokémon GO
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New Motion Camera App ‘Polaroid Swing’ Seeks to Redefine Photo Sharing
Ailing consumer electronics brand Polaroid has leant its name to a new motion photo sharing platform called Polaroid Swing which saw its release on the App Store yesterday.
Similar to Live Photos in iOS, the app lets users capture a one-second moment with their device’s camera, which can then be shared over social media or in the new platform’s Instagram-like social feed.
While its premise is nothing new, the quality of the motion captures is a step above that offered by typical GIF-creation apps, and records moments in 60 frames per second for smooth, crisp playback.
What’s also unique to Polaroid Swing is the way users interact with the shots. Tilting the device left rewinds the moment, while angling it right advances the capture relative to the speed of the user’s motion.
Floating the mouse cursor over a capture when viewed on a desktop, or sliding a finger over the shot on an iOS device, produces the same effect. Users can also embed Polaroid Swing moments as another way of sharing their experiences.
The app is the result of a partnership between the Polaroid brand and a Silicon Valley tech startup chaired by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.
The developer team is comprised of former Apple engineers as well as the creator of Instagram’s original filters and logo, Cole Rise.
“Polaroid Swing has the potential to change the way we think about images, just like Twitter’s 140 characters changed how we think about words,” said Biz Stone in a press release. “People will start seeing the world in one second moments. It’s a genre-defining medium.”
Polaroid Swing is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]
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Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid review: Hitting the road in Hyundai’s happy hybrid
The Hyundai Ioniq spans Hyundai’s eco ambitions, offering hybrid, electric and plug-in hybrid options, all based on the same overall car design. The idea is to present a “no compromise” offering, according to Hyundai, an “e” vehicle that’s driven by emotion and fuelled by affordability.
It’s a move to fend off all the hybrid players, most notably Toyota that rules the UK’s roads with the Prius; equally, the Ioniq has ambitions to disrupt models like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3, presenting a fusion of good specs, practical dimensions and competitive pricing.
So is this the dawn of a new era for greener driving?
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid: Design
There’s more than a passing resemblance between Hyundai’s incoming Ioniq and Toyota’s outgoing Prius. That’s because these cars are borne from the same fundamental idea: and that’s about aerodynamic efficiency.
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Yes, all cars are designed to slip through the air, but when you’re stuffing a 3.0-litre diesel into the front of an SUV, it’s a very different ball game compared to designing a car that’s relying on using as little energy as possible.
The headline figure in the Ioniq is 0.24Cd – that’s the drag coefficient, which is used as a measure of aerodynamic efficiency. This is a figure that’s not too different to the Toyota Prius or the Tesla Model 3. Hyundai has designed the Ioniq to slip through the air without causing too much turbulence and that explains some of the design, like that high tail, with a rear spoiler forming a split in the rear window.
The Ioniq shows these aerodynamic design hallmarks, but is a good deal more conventional than the latest Prius, which we think is something of an ugly duckling. While the Ioniq isn’t the prettiest car on the road, it’s a look that has grown on us from spending some time with it.
The crease down its sides is vaguely reminiscent of BMW’s detailing, its flat bonnet is a break from the bumpy bonnets we’ve seen on a lot of cars recently, and its front grille reflects the styling of other Hyundai family cars. The front LED daytime running lights have a whiff of Citroen DS3 about them, but they add a little fun.
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That grille exhibits a trait of efficient cars: allowing it to close to change the airflow of the car when the engine isn’t being used. On the pure electric version of the Ioniq, the entire grille is replaced with a silver plastic panel and we actually like that futuristic look more than the hybrid.
Noteworthy in the design are the Ioniq’s doors. Not in terms of how they look, but in because they are a little thin, so you don’t get that substantive “Golf sound” when you close the door. That’s not uncommon on more affordable cars – Kia and Nissan suffer from this too.
Finally you have the boot lid at the rear. This has a split window because of that higher back, a look that’s becoming more common from cars like the Prius and Honda Civic. It looks better from the exterior than it does from the inside, where that split sits in your eyeline when looking in the rear-view mirror.
One of the small design details to look out for is the blue trim. Blue has become the colour of efficiency on cars and the Ioniq Hybrid gets blue trim in the interior, as well as on some exterior elements to emphasise this point. The Electric, by contrast, is highlighted with a copper colour, which we also really like.
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid: Interior trim and spec
Hyundai takes a simple approach to trim and specification. It offers three levels of spec, called SE, Premium and Premium SE. The Ioniq Hybrid is available at all three levels, with the top Premium SE pictured here getting leather seats and an eye-watering number of options that would probably cost you the best part of £10,000 extra on your average German saloon.
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Some of the interior of the Ioniq carries with it “affordable car” traits, with the occasional glossy hard plastic element. The plastic surround of the aircon controls, for example, will never be clean, as the black glossy finish will attract fingerprints and show every spec of dust.
It’s easy to point at the plastic trim of the doors or dash and say it’s not as well executed as your average Audi, but at the same time you’re not paying as much. With that in mind, sure, it’s not the highest quality interior, but the Ioniq isn’t aiming to be a luxury saloon.
What Hyundai does offer is leather touch points – the arm rest, steering wheel – and overall we think the Ioniq is better designed than some of Hyundai’s other cars, with a better layout than the i40, for example. Things are easy to get to and, for the most part, logically laid out.
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The seats are comfortable, offering plenty of electronic adjustment. They also offer heating and ventilation at the Premium SE level.
The rear is a pretty good size, too, although doesn’t feel quite as spacious as the interior of the Prius, which might see the Ioniq not becoming the defacto choice of car for Uber and taxi drivers. It will be fine for most passengers; at over 6ft tall we were comfortable enough.
The Ioniq’s boot is reasonable, but the fairly high floor and sloping roof means you don’t get the sort of vertical height you do in an average estate, but there’s still some 443-litres of space before you need to start folding down the seats and that’s going to be big enough for your average family shop or weekend away.
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid: On the road
The interior of the Ioniq is a fairly quiet place to be. One of the advantages of having a small petrol engine and an aerodynamic shape is that noise can be kept to a minimum. When the engine isn’t running, the noisiest thing is probably the fans for the aircon. Once you’re on the road, the noise from the rear increases somewhat. It sounds as though it comes from the rear wheel arches, and we suspect that things would be quieter with a boot full of bags to add some deadening.
Equipped with a 1.6-litre 105bhp four-cylinder engine, the message is that this engine has been built for efficiency. Making this a hybrid, there’s a 1.56kWh lithium-ion polymer battery under the back seat and a 32kW electric motor. This is all mated to a 6-speed dual clutch transmission. There are no options: this what the Ioniq Hybrid offers.
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The system works in the same way as other hybrids do: it uses braking regeneration and surplus engine power to charge the battery, which then drives the motor. At low speed you can drive on electric only, switching to both on harder acceleration, or engine only when maintaining higher speeds.
Using a fairly regular automatic gearbox gives a positive feeling to the drive. It feels normal, avoiding some of the elastic delivery that you get from a continuously variable transmission (CVT). We tested the Ioniq Hybrid in a range of different road types and it delivers a smooth and comfortable drive.
Although the use of a 6-speed gearbox is aimed at dynamics, it’s not going to win any awards for speed. With efficiency in mind, the 10.8-seconds to 62mph is fast enough, and flipping to sports mode does make things a little more aggressive, switching the driver display to red – a little like the BMW i8, in a slightly more modest way.
That’s perhaps the best description of the Ioniq: it’s modest. It’s an economical car, giving you 83mpg with emissions down at 79g/km. That’s slightly lower than the latest Prius, claiming 94mpg and 70g/km, but the top spec Ioniq is the same price as the entry-level Toyota. Although you get that better gearbox which improves the drive, this isn’t really a car that sizzles. It will get you from A to B with a clear conscience, but it will never be your guilty pleasure.
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid: Tech treats on many levels
Not only is the Ioniq a technologically advanced car in terms of the power supply, but it’s packed with technology for your safety and convenience too. This is part of Hyundai’s DNA, it’s what it does and at the bottom SE spec you get a lot for your money.
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Everyone who buys an Ioniq will get dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking assistance, lane assist, rear parking sensors and a rear camera. There’s more too: automatic headlights, tyre pressure monitoring, Bluetooth, a touchscreen entertainment system and a USB port are all as standard.
But given how affordable the Ioniq is, we’d be tempted to step-up a grade, where you’ll get keyless entry, heated seats, satnav, a boosted 8-speaker Infinity sound system and support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – ideal if you’d rather use your smartphone to make calls, perform mapping and provide entertainment into the car, instead of Hyundai’s own system.
The top spec model mostly just adds blind spot detection, automatic wipers and a lot more leather, but still only for a fair £23k asking price. That’s what we’d call good value for money.
Verdict
The Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid sets out a path for more affordable eco motoring, offering low emissions, high mileage and just about every tech upgrade you could want. All at an affordable price.
Roll that into the 5-year unlimited mileage warranty or the 8-year 125,000 mile battery warranty, and the Ioniq looks like a safe bet – plus it’s a better looking car, with a more positive gearbox, than the Toyota Prius.
Being designed for efficiency does come with some downsides, though, as does the pursuit of affordability. The price you pay is in losing excitement. The Hyundai Ioniq probably won’t turn heads, except for those nodding at your green credentials. Plus you can find nicer interiors elsewhere.
But with all that said, the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid presents an alternative option for those who want to clean up their motoring. With so many new launches pushing more efficient diesels or turbocharged smaller petrols as a solution to emissions, Hyundai should at least be complimented for taking a bigger leap.
Pokemon sale gives Pokemon Go fans the chance to play the originals for less
The world has gone Pokemon mad thanks to Pokemon Go, the augmented reality mobile game that has taken off so spectacularly it is on more Android phones in the States than Tinder.
Nintendo, part owner of The Pokemon Company, has seen its market value soar because of the craze and is likely to continue to capitalise thanks to the arrival of the latest RPGs in November. Pokemon Sun and Moon will continue the franchise for the 3DS in time for Christmas.
However, in the meantime, to whet players’ appetites in advance of Sun and Moon and to show Pokemon Go fans where it all started 20 years ago, the Japanese gaming giant is also putting Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue and Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition on sale from tomorrow, 14 July.
Pokemon Red and Blue started the whole “Gotta Catch’em All” bandwagon a-rolling. They were the first Pokemon games to be released – for the Game Boy – and became overnight hits, much like Pokemon Go on iOS and Android.
- Pokemon Go: How to play and other tips and tricks
- Can’t get Pokemon Go in your country yet? Here’s how to download it now
- What is Pokemon Go and why is everyone talking about it?
- Pokemon Go: Best, worst and craziest places people have found Pokemon
- London through the eyes of Pokemon Go
- Pokemon Go: 11 amazing, mind-boggling facts about the AR game
Pokemon Yellow followed a couple of years later, using the same engine but adding Pikachu as a starting Pokemon for Poke Trainer Ash. It was also available for the Game Boy Color.
All three games are available to download for the Nintendo 3DS as part of the company’s Virtual Console line-up. They usually cost £8.99 apiece, but will cost just £6.29 each for the next two weeks.
What’s more, after a future update, all Pokemon caught in any of the three games will be able to be transferred using the Pokemon Bank to Sun and Moon when they are available – an added incentive for the avid collector.
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