Thanks to VW, BMW’s 2017 diesels will be delayed

BMW confirmed Monday that US sales for its model-year 2017 diesel vehicles will be delayed because US regulators are taking longer than expected to certify the models. Bimmer, which sells diesel-powered 3-Series, 5-Series, X3, and X5 vehicles in the US, didn’t give a timetable of when such domestic sales would start. Autoguide had previously reported of the potential delay for sales of US diesels, which account for about six percent of BMW’s total sales in the US.

“The product certification of all MY2017 BMW diesel models (328d Sedan, 328d Sports Wagon, X3 xDrive28d, X5 xDrive35d) has been delayed due to testing logistics,” BMW spokeswoman Rebecca Kiehne wrote in an e-mail to Autoblog. “As a result, production of these models will commence once homologation has been finalized.”

US regulators appear to be taking a more deliberate approach to certifying diesel vehicles in the wake of the Volkswagen diesel-emissions scandal, which broke last September. Late last month,VW reached a settlement with US regulators that will cost the German automaker about $15 billion. With about a half-million impacted VW vehicles on US roads, the company will repurchase cars, end leases early, maybe fix some vehicles, and improve zero-emission vehicle technologies. Additionally, last week, VW reportedly told US dealers that they’d be compensated an undisclosed amount for their troubles.

Some 2016 BMW diesel models were already subject to more stringent US testing procedures because of the VW situation. The BMW X5 xDrive35d was among the models that underwent more rigorous testing from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) late last year. Other diesel models that received the additional scrutiny included General Motors’ 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

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Republican platform highlights the importance of privacy

In the wake of countless scandals, from Bush-era warrantless wiretaps to Obama-age metadata collection, the Republican party has decided to put renewed focus on citizen privacy. Multiple sections of the party’s platform, which lays out its agenda for the next four years, call for strengthening privacy protections both against the government and private businesses. It even particularly calls out the need to protect the information of farmers and ranchers in the age of “big data.” On the specific challenges around encrypted data and communication, however, the GOP leaves itself plenty of wiggle room when it comes to accessing such information.

Early in the platform document is a matter-of-fact acknowledgement that technology has become a major driver in how the party approaches a host of issues from national security, education and, of course, privacy. Many of the declarations are understandably ambiguous. The GOP says that it will push policies that “protect data privacy while fostering innovation and growth and ensuring the free flow of data across borders.” Though it avoids getting into specifics.

It does single out the agricultural industry, which it says is undergoing a “revolution” thanks to big data, which poses unique challenges. The expected promises to advance privacy and security are accompanied by a slightly more specific call to preserve “private ownership of individual farmers’ and ranchers’ data.” The platform does not specifically call for protecting “private ownership” of data beyond the agricultural industry, though the party’s focus on the rights of individuals would suggest it would support broader protections.

The specific section of the platform dedicated to “liberty and privacy” pledges to limit government surveillance, though it does not specifically mention wiretaps, bulk data collection or other methods of domestic intelligence gathering that Americans are familiar with. Instead it calls for “strict limitations on the use of aerial surveillance on US soil” and opposes, “any attempts by government to require surveillance devices in our daily lives, including tracking devices in motor vehicles.”

On encryption, the language is a little less forceful. The party rightly acknowledges that, “it will not be easy to balance privacy rights with the government’s legitimate need to access encrypted information.” The platform notes that the tech industry has responded to demands from consumers for private encrypted communications tools. And, the party’s historic focus deregulation and open markets makes it loathe to interfere. In fact, the document specifically says Republicans do not want the government to become a “meddlesome monitor” in the tech industry.

These privacy and free market principles are often in direct odds with the party’s focus on national security. Republicans remain concerned about the ability of criminals and terrorists to use readily available encrypted communication tools to plot and avoid detection. The party sees a need to be proactive on this issue in particular saying it’s, “too important to be left to the courts. A Republican president and a Republican Congress must listen to the American people and forge a consensus solution.”

Source: GOP Party Platform (PDF)

Deezer is now available for everyone in the U.S.

Music streaming service Deezer is now widely available in the U.S., meaning that anyone can now sign up for the service. The Spotify and Google Play Music competitor was previously only available in the U.S. to those who signed up from Bose or Sonos, along with Cricket Wireless customers.

Deezer boasts a catalog of 40 million songs, along with a collection of podcasts and news articles. One of the service’s primary features, Deezer FLOW, offers a personalized experience based on what you like, and what Deezer thinks you’ll like. Features like FLOW, Channels, and more are meant to help boost discovery.

Deezer offers a 30-day free trial of its Premium+ membership, which costs $9.99 after the trial. Note that, unlike in other territories, there is no general free option for Deezer. You can grab the Deezer app from the Google Play Store and sign up now.

Press release:

Deezer Launches Direct To Consumers In U.S. With The Most Personalized Music Discovery Platform

Following Success of Home Audio and Mobile Subscriptions, Deezer is Made Available to All Music Lovers

NEW YORK, July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Deezer, one of the world’s leading, on-demand digital music streaming services, today expands its international offering by launching to all consumers in the U.S. Available via the iOS App Store, Google Play, the Windows Store and Deezer.com, music fans can now directly access their favorite content and features, including Deezer’s signature FLOW – a personal soundtrack that intuitively knows everything listeners want to hear, from familiar tracks to new music.

Following the success of the brand’s home audio and contract-free wireless subscription services in the U.S. market, Deezer will expand access to its Premium+ subscription and offer a free trial to new users for 30 days, after which a monthly charge will be applied. The Deezer app, which offers unlimited access to the world’s largest music streaming library, as well as to news, podcasts and live radio, can be downloaded onto any device, including smartphones, tablets, computers, home sound systems, and smartwatches. Deezer will also continue to be available via Cricket Wireless and to Sonos and Bose subscribers.

“We are thrilled to make Deezer available to all music fans in the U.S., at a time when the company is growing stronger and developing new technologies that enable us to deliver a much more personalized experience,” said Deezer Global Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Hans-Holger Albrecht. “We’ve already received an overwhelmingly positive response since offering Deezer via our partners Sonos, Bose and Cricket, and now look forward to making our service available to everyone.”

Personalized for You

With knowledge and expertise from 50 music editors around the world combined with in-depth data analysis, Deezer delivers the most personalized listening experience possible, while also offering fans insight into local trends and new ways of discovering new artists.

The Deezer Difference

Designed to suit individual music tastes, Deezer boasts a host of unique features, which make music experiences both enjoyable and relevant. A redesigned homepage includes an easy-to-use navigation slider, which quickly guides listeners to the most relevant recommendations and to over 40 million songs and over 40,000 news articles and podcasts, all of which form part of the largest global music catalog in the world.

Additional features include:

• Deezer’s FLOW – The most personalized soundtrack that intuitively knows exactly what listeners want to hear, including favorites as well as new tracks. FLOW is designed with discovery in mind and delivers personal recommendations through a combination of algorithms, music experts and contextual information.
• Channels – Explore and discover new music broken down by categories and genres, including news and podcasts – custom-made for listeners based on location and preference.
• Live Radio – Found within Channels, radio listening is made simple with quick access to participating radio stations, including Fingerprinting that lets listeners identify and tag a song on select stations.
• 8 Tracks – Also found within Channels, its popular playlist service enables users to listen to and download their favorite 8 Tracks playlists and songs without ever leaving Deezer.
• Lyrics – Never miss a beat and sing-a-long to favorite tracks with easy-to-follow lyrics on display and on demand. It’s karaoke anytime, anywhere.
• Notifications – Stay on top of what’s happening in music with personalized suggestions and recommendations mixing a bit of new with the classics.

The Deezer app is available in the U.S. as a free download for all music fans with a trial 30-day Premium + experience, followed by a monthly charge of $9.99.

For more information, visit http://www.Deezer.com.

Twitter streamlines application process for verified accounts

Twitter is making it a bit easier for users to apply for “Verified” status — signified by a blue badge icon usually reserved for public figures. What was previously somewhat of a convoluted process has now been streamlined as an online application process.

From Twitter:

Twitter announced today it has created an online application process for Twitter accounts to receive verified status. Verified accounts on Twitter allow people to identify key individuals and organizations on Twitter as authentic, and are denoted by a blue badge icon. An account may be verified if it is determined to be of public interest. Typically this includes accounts maintained by public figures and organizations in music, TV, film, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas.

Though not yet available as of the time of this writing, the application can be found on Twitter’s help site, where users can fill out a form to request verified status. The form, Twitter notes, starts rolling out today, and should be available globally by week’s end.

However, don’t expect to join the ranks of the current 187,000 verified accounts unless yours is “of public interest.” That’s one of the requirements detailed on Twitter’s verification support page, where you can find all of the information you’ll need to get started.

Twitter now lets anyone apply for a verified account – and here’s how

Now you can be one of the cool kids – on Twitter, at least. 

Twitter has finally opened its blue checkmark to everyone, marking the first time it’s allowed any ole’ user to get a verified Twitter account. Previously, Twitter doled out its verified badges to users sparingly, giving them only to public figures, brands, journalists, politicians, athletes, and high-profile people. You couldn’t ask to be verified. It just happened – on a seemingly random basis. 

The company has about 187,000 verified accounts. That’s not a lot, however, when you consider it has around 320 million monthly active users. But all that’s about to change. Anyone can now fill out a form and request verification. Doing so will notify Twitter of your interest, and if the company deems your account worthy or “of public interest”, you’ll finally get that coveted blue checkmark.

In other words: you’ll get a seat at the cool kids’ lunch table. Here’s what you need to know about getting Twitter-verified.

What is a verified Twitter account?

Ever see a Twitter profile with a blue checkmark next to the name of the person? See Kim Kardashian West’s profile for an example.

That blue checkmark is called a “verified badge”.  It lets people know that the account is authentic and of public interest. You not only see it on an account’s profile but also in search results. Verified badges are applied by Twitter but does not imply an endorsement by Twitter.

Who is eligible for a verified Twitter account?

The company said it verifies accounts maintained by users in “music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas”. It’s unclear if Twitter is now willing to verify everyday people, but we’re assuming that isn’t the case.

How do you get a verified Twitter account? 

If you believe your Twitter account is of public interest and should be verified, you can submit a request by filling out this form.

Twitter will ask you to explain why it should verify your account. It wants to understand your impact in a field or your mission. You can also provide URLs to support your request, including sites that suggest your newsworthiness or relevancy in a field. Twitter might also request that you scan and upload a legible copy of your government-issued ID, such as a passport or driver’s license, to confirm your identity.

Are there any other tips you should know?

Before you complete Twitter’s verified badge request form, make sure your account meets the following standards:

• A verified phone number.
• The profile name should reflect the real or stage name of the person/corporation/company
• A confirmed email address (or, if the account is a corporate or company account, the email address associated with the account is a corporate or company email address).
• A complete bio.
• A profile photo (the profile and header photo should reflect the person/corporation’s branding/company’s branding).
• A birthday (for accounts that are not a company/brand/organization).
• A website link.
• Tweets set as public in Tweet privacy settings

Why is Twitter letting anyone apply for a badge?

Tina Bhatnagar, Twitter’s vice president of User Services, in a statement explained why Twitter has opened up its blue checkmark to everyone:

“We want to make it even easier for people to find creators and influencers on Twitter so it makes sense for us to let people apply for verification. We hope opening up this application process results in more people finding great, high-quality accounts to follow, and for these creators and influencers to connect with a broader audience.” 

Want to know even more?

This Twitter support page includes troubleshooting steps that may help you in your journey to get verified.